Ep 109 - How to Let Employees Go Without Destroying Trust (w/ Collette Revere and Kim White)

Ep 110 - Narcissism at Work: Why Your Boss Probably Isn’t a Narcissist

Your coworker probably isn’t a narcissist. They may be stubborn. They may be self-important. But “narcissist” is a big word—and Cindi and Geoff think we’re throwing it around way too easily. In this episode of Management Muse, they challenge the way we talk about narcissism at work. Cindi and Geoff separate the clinical meaning of narcissism from the management research on narcissistic traits, where confidence, visibility, and bold action can sometimes help leaders rise. But the upside has a shadow. The same self-belief that helps a leader make a hard call can also make them resistant to feedback, blind to risk, and exhausting to follow. They explore the line between leadership confidence and dangerous certainty, why high-level leadership often requires tolerating loneliness, and why calling someone a narcissist can flatten a complicated workplace problem into a dead-end diagnosis. This episode is a smarter way to think about ego, power, conflict. Episode Highlights: * Why your coworker probably is not a narcissist * How narcissism differs in psychology and management research * The link between CEOs and narcissistic traits * When confidence becomes a feedback problem  * The question to ask before declaring someone impossible Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R5OTDD-QuPg Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Chatterjee, Arijit, and Donald C. Hambrick. “It’s All about Me: Narcissistic Chief Executive Officers and Their Effects on Company Strategy and Performance.” Administrative Science Quarterly, 52 (3), 2007, pp. 351–86. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20109929 Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 109 - How to Let Employees Go Without Destroying Trust (w/ Collette Revere and Kim White)

Nothing reveals a company’s culture faster than how it lets people go. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Collette Revere and Kim White about the importance of empathetic exits: a more intentional, humane approach to layoffs, terminations, and voluntary departures.  Too often, companies invest heavily in employee engagement while people are useful to the organization, then sever the relationship abruptly when the employment arrangement ends. That sends a clear message not only to the person leaving, but to everyone who stays. Collette and Kim explain why exits should be treated as part of the employee lifecycle, not an awkward administrative task to rush through. They discuss the hidden costs of cold layoffs, the importance of planning before a crisis, and why departing employees can remain valuable members of an organization’s broader network.  If you want to preserve trust, protect culture, and handle employee exits in a way that reflects your actual values, don’t miss this episode. Episode Highlights: * The history–and cost–of cold layoffs * What employees are noticing when someone leaves * How rushed terminations can damage trust, engagement, and retention * What empathetic exits look like in practice * How to handle hard decisions without burning bridges * Why every company should have an offboarding plan before a crisis hits **EXCLUSIVE Offering for Muse Listeners: The Empathetic Exits Consultation A 30-minute diagnostic to help organizations find relief before, during, or after employee exits and workforce transitions. This brief diagnostic is for leaders who want a more thoughtful, human, and effective approach to exits, offboarding, layoffs, or workforce transitions. In 30 minutes, we’ll help you identify where your current process may be creating unnecessary pressure, risk, confusion, or loss and uncover the next right step. Available exclusively in May 2026 to the first 10 Management Muse listeners who claim it. Claim Your Spot! [https://collette-myopen360.zohobookings.com/#/4750576000000544142] About Collette Revere: Collette Revere is the Founder and CEO of Open360™, a psychology-based leadership and development company helping organizations strengthen trust, alignment, and performance through feedback and communication. A mental health professional, certified change management practitioner, and organizational development consultant, she has spent nearly two decades helping leaders improve performance management, navigate change, and build healthier workplace culture using practical approaches grounded in behavioral science.  Connect with Collette:  Website [https://www.myopen360.com/] | Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colletterevere/] About Kim White: With a background in I-O psychology, product leadership, and AI-driven learning, Kim White helps teams and leaders bring their WOW—Work on What Matters—into view—when they’re at pivotal moments of growth and decision-making.  Together we map bold new paths, co-create what fits, and turn crossroads into pathways.  Connect with Kim:  Website [https://www.kimwhitewow.com/] | Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimwhitewow/] Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zTG3tHa11Ns Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/] and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook. Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Kitterman, Ted. “How to Avoid Losing Trust in the Wake of Potential Layoffs,” Great Place to Work, 18 Jul. 2022, https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-avoid-losing-trust-in-the-wake-of-potential-layoffs [https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/how-to-avoid-losing-trust-in-the-wake-of-potential-layoffs?utm_source=chatgpt.com]  * Uchitelle, Louie. The Disposable American, Penguin Random House, Apr. 2007, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/181481/the-disposable-american-by-louis-uchitelle/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/181481/the-disposable-american-by-louis-uchitelle/]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 108 - The Motivation Trap (Why Rewards Are Trickier Than You Think)

If you only read one book on motivation, you might be missing half the story. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dig into the messy, controversial, and often misunderstood science of motivation. They explore intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation, how reward systems are easy to mess up, and why popular advice often oversimplifies what actually drives people at work. From sales targets to healthcare metrics, Cindi and Geoff explore where well-intentioned rewards changes create frustration instead of motivation, and what to do instead. Before you change compensation, bonuses, performance metrics, or incentives, listen to this one. Motivation is not simple — and your people will feel it if you treat it like it is. Episode Highlights: * Why motivation advice is often oversimplified * The pros of cons of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation * The research controversy behind rewards * How to avoid accidentally breaking motivation while trying to improve performance * The key elements employees need to feel satisfied with changing targets * Navigating the messy business of changing pay structures Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ACzmEnAqjxI Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter and get a FREE chapter of The Uncertainty Playbook: https://managementmuse.com/newsletter/ Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Uri, Gneezy. Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work, Yale University Press, 21 Mar. 2023, https://a.co/d/07vHQsd7 [https://a.co/d/07vHQsd7]  * Doshi & McGregor. Primed to Perform, Harper Business, 6 Oct. 2015, https://a.co/d/0ibqm98O [https://a.co/d/0ibqm98O]  * Amabile and Kramer. The Progress Principle, Harvard Business School Press, 2011, https://a.co/d/0eFJn0Ow [https://a.co/d/0eFJn0Ow] * Cameron and Pierce. “Reinforcment, Reward, and Intrinsic Motivation: A Meta-Analysis,” Review of Educational Research, 64 (3), 363-423, Fall 1994, https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170677 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/1170677] Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 107 - How to Prevent Digital Disaster: The Digital Continuity Checklist Every Leader Needs with Paige Wiese

Your company might be one expired domain, missing admin login, or messy vendor contract away from a digital disaster. In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi talks with Paige Wiese, founder and CEO of Tree Ring Digital, about the hidden digital weak spots that can turn into expensive chaos. From wiped computers and missing website documentation to personal email accounts and AI tools, this conversation explores the everyday ways organizations accidentally build fragility into their digital ecosystem. You’ll learn why leaders need to document who has access to what, why offboarding should include more than collecting a laptop, and how to avoid becoming the company that discovers its entire digital operation was held together by one person’s browser history. This episode is for managers, executives, founders, and anyone who has ever asked, “Wait… who has the login for that?” Episode Highlights: * What digital continuity means and why it matters * How to track digital ownership * Why employee exits can create major digital risk * What to watch for in vendor contracts * New risks with AI tools and personal accounts * How managers can prepare before the digital disaster happens About Paige Wiese: Paige Wiese, Founder & CEO of Tree Ring Digital [https://www.treeringdigital.com/muse], has been involved in over 75 digital due diligence and post-acquisition projects, reviewing more than 300 digital data points per business. Through her proprietary Digital Asset Protection™ system and Ownership Mapping Framework™, Paige helps advisors and business owners prevent costly deal delays and protect valuation by ensuring full control of every digital asset before a sale. Connect with Paige: Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigewiese/] | FB [https://www.facebook.com/TreeRingDigital/] | IG [https://www.instagram.com/treeringdigital/] | YT [https://www.youtube.com/@treeringdigital] Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QB3zXLdOXck Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/#newsletter] and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Spears, Roger. “AI Governance in 2025: 3 Key Strategies to Protect Your Business and Stay Compliant,” Schneider Downs, 1 Oct. 2025, https://schneiderdowns.com/our-thoughts-on/ai-governance-3-key-strategies-to-protect-your-business-and-stay-compliant/ [https://schneiderdowns.com/our-thoughts-on/ai-governance-3-key-strategies-to-protect-your-business-and-stay-compliant/]  * Norton, Kieran, et al., “How can tech leaders manage emerging generative AI risks today while keeping the future in mind?” Deloitte Center for Integrated Research, 20 Feb. 2025, https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/digital-transformation/four-emerging-categories-of-gen-ai-risks.html [https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/digital-transformation/four-emerging-categories-of-gen-ai-risks.html]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]

Ep 106 - The Pay Transparency Problem: How Much Should Employees Really Know?

Should people at work know what everyone else makes? In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin tackle the messy science and management reality of pay transparency. Too little transparency sends employees into the rumor mill. Too much transparency can make people obsess over small differences, narrow salary bands, and reduce room for negotiation. The sweet spot? A Goldilocks approach: enough transparency to build trust and reduce speculation, but not so much that compensation becomes the only thing people can see. Cindi and Geoff explore why salary satisfaction is often driven less by the absolute number on a paycheck and more by who employees compare themselves to. They discuss why job markets provide a reality check, how to leverage this information to get paid what you’re worth, and what managers should do when employees believe they are underpaid. This episode gives leaders a practical way to think about compensation clarity without turning the workplace into a salary cage match. Episode Highlights: * What pay satisfaction depends on * The danger of too little–or too much–transparency * How managers can help employees find better “comparison others” * Why promotions should come with real pay conversations * How labor-market swings can create pay compression and resentment Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vHhnHLQHpMk Get your copy of The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World here [https://ondemandleadership.com/books/].  → Use code PLAYBOOK20 for 20% off. Get Science-Backed Insights and Exclusive Perks Straight to Your Inbox: → Sign up for our newsletter [https://managementmuse.com/#newsletter] and get our FREE guide to the 6 Habits You NEED to Level Up Your Management Skills in 2026! Want to Go Deeper? Check Out Our Recommended Reading: * Cullen, Zoë, and Bobak Pakzad-Hurson. “Equilibrium Effects of Pay Transparency.” Econometrica, 2023, https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/Cullen_Equilibrium_Effects_Econometrica_2c580d57-9746-4946-bcd4-3d194d6b74ad.pdf [https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/Cullen_Equilibrium_Effects_Econometrica_2c580d57-9746-4946-bcd4-3d194d6b74ad.pdf]  * Card, David, Alexandre Mas, Enrico Moretti, and Emmanuel Saez. 2012. "Inequality at Work: The Effect of Peer Salaries on Job Satisfaction." American Economic Review 102 (6): 2981–3003, https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.102.6.2981 [https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.102.6.2981]  Join Our Community & Follow Us:  - Youtube Channel  [https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast] - LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/] - Instagram [https://instagram.com/managementmuse] -Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast] -TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@managementmusepod?_r=1&_t=ZT-916OMGdGlKA] - Website [https://managementmuse.com/]