Business Profound: Getting Real About Success


Are you leading your organization like a factory or a forest? This distinction may be the key to unlocking sustainable success and meaningful transformation in your workplace.


In this episode, I explore how our industrial-era approach to leadership - rooted in Frederick Taylor's mechanistic efficiency models - continues to shape modern organizations, often to their detriment. Through real-world examples from my executive coaching practice, I reveal how shifting from a "factory mindset" to a "forest mindset" can dramatically improve team resilience, innovation, and engagement.


I share the story of two manufacturing facilities under different leadership styles, where one leader's approach led to employees willingly working longer hours while maintaining high morale - not because they were pushed, but because they felt genuinely supported and valued. This counterintuitive result highlights a crucial truth about sustainable performance that many leaders miss.


But what exactly makes a forest-based leadership approach so powerful? And how can you begin implementing these principles in your own organization without sacrificing efficiency or results? Listen to the full episode to discover the surprising answers and learn about a powerful technique I call "the flip" that can transform your leadership impact.

Ready to cultivate a more resilient, purposeful organization? Explore my 8-week Define Your True Self course at https://www.iamx.one/define-your-true-self/course and learn how to lead from your authentic best self while creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.

What is Business Profound: Getting Real About Success?

I’ve Been Exactly Where You Are Right Now

I know it can be difficult when you combine profit with purpose. How can you go beyond just focussing myopically on the bottom line into work that reflects the values of your heart and soul?

What are you supposed to do when you’re overcome by your monster to-do list?

How do you act when what you clearly see as the right thing to do is in conflict with other interests?

These are just some of the challenges I’ve had to overcome in my 30+ years working in corporations and as an entrepreneur, and it's the entire reason I launched the Business Profound Podcast.

I've developed a leadership framework called IAMX to help individuals, teams, and organizations align with their strategy, operationalize their culture, and through all of that, thrive collectively.

As a technically-minded person who is also unapologetically heart-centered, I've been inspired to develop many different tools to resolve some of the biggest challenges we face in corporate America. The Business Profound Podcast is my way of sharing what I've learned with you. Together, we explore and share real-world stories of leaders who are creating bold, new versions of success, and effective ways to integrate mindfulness & sustainability at work.

—Karen Tax
Creator of IAMX

Learn more about Karen’s work
https://www.iamx.one

Take our transformational leadership course
https://www.iamx.one/define-your-true-self/course

Connect with Karen on LinkedIn and YouTube