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Care has a reputation problem.
Too soft. Too sentimental. Not “serious leadership.”
In this episode of People First!, Morag Barrett and Kristin Stapleton explore leadership development, workplace relationships, and why care may be one of the most misunderstood drivers of high performance. Together, they discuss how connection, accountability, respect, and empowerment create stronger teams and more sustainable results.
Kristin shares the CARE framework, a practical approach to leadership built on four principles:
- Connection
- Accountability
- Respect for alternative perspectives
- Empowerment
Through personal stories, leadership lessons, and practical examples, Kristin explains why care is not the opposite of accountability. Instead, it creates the trust, ownership, and collaboration that allow teams to achieve more together than they can alone.
Key Takeaways
- Leadership multiplication begins when leaders move beyond ego and embrace collaboration.
- Connection creates the foundation for trust, teamwork, and performance.
- Accountability starts with personal ownership rather than pointing fingers.
- Respecting different perspectives leads to stronger decisions and innovation.
- Empowering others creates momentum that spreads across teams and organizations.
In This Episode
• Why relationships accelerate leadership success
• The leadership failure that changed Kristin's career
• The airport experience that inspired the CARE framework
• How leaders create accountability without blame
• Why diverse perspectives improve team performance
• The role empowerment plays in multiplying results
• Three questions to help identify your unique strengths
• Why self-care remains foundational to effective leadership
• The leadership failure that changed Kristin's career
• The airport experience that inspired the CARE framework
• How leaders create accountability without blame
• Why diverse perspectives improve team performance
• The role empowerment plays in multiplying results
• Three questions to help identify your unique strengths
• Why self-care remains foundational to effective leadership
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CARE stand for? Connection, Accountability, Respect for alternative perspectives, and Empowerment.
Can leaders care about people and still maintain high standards? Yes. Care strengthens accountability, trust, and ownership while maintaining expectations for performance.
Why is care important in leadership? Care creates the conditions for stronger workplace relationships, greater collaboration, and sustainable high performance.
Related Episodes
• Recognition Done Wrong with Chester Elton
• Psychological Safety Isn't a Slogan with Bryan Powell
• When Inclusion Isn't Easy with Vered Kogan
• Psychological Safety Isn't a Slogan with Bryan Powell
• When Inclusion Isn't Easy with Vered Kogan
Connect with Kristin Stapleton:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kstapleton-growth-catalyst/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/plSFC2bJJVs
YouTube: https://youtu.be/plSFC2bJJVs
Connect with Morag Barrett:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/
Subscribe to People First! for conversations on leadership development, workplace relationships, team culture, and human connection at work.
Creators and Guests
Guest
Kristin Stapleton
Kristin Stapleton from Amplify3x works with leaders and organizations to unlock the force-multiplier effect of leadership—where clarity, trust, and accountability don't just improve individual performance, but exponentially increase the impact of the entire system. Over 13 years, Kristin has worked with thousands of leaders across Fortune 1000 companies, employee-owned businesses, private equity firms, and family-owned enterprises. She challenges teams to think differently about leadership leverage: how the choices we make, the behaviors we model, and the standards we set can either dilute momentum—or multiply it across teams, culture, and results. Her systematic approach to organizational transformation accelerates business growth while unlocking the best in people.
What is People First! with Morag Barrett?
People First! with Morag Barrett explores the human side of leadership: workplace relationships, leadership trust, Meaning-FULL Connectivity™, and the Ally Mindset™ practices that drive real results in business and life.
In each episode, keynote speaker, executive coach, USA Today bestselling author, and Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches member Morag Barrett sits down with authors, business leaders, and everyday humans to uncover practical ways to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture in an increasingly disconnected world.
Because success in business is powered by relationships. And success in life is fueled by connection.
Learn more at skyeteam.com/speaking
People First Kristen Stapleton_mixdown
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Intro & Outro: [00:00:00] Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First with Morag Barrett. Here, we'll be exploring the people side of successful businesses, careers, and lives. We all have a story to share, and there's something to be learned in every story. Join us to learn from authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people just like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work and life.
As it turns out, the secret to success is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter.
Kristen Stapleton: Welcome to this week's episode of People First, and my guest this week is my friend and colleague Kristin Stapleton from Amplify3x, who works with leaders in organizations to unlock the force multiplier effect of leadership.
More on that in just a moment. But this is where clarity, trust, and accountability don't just improve individual [00:01:00] performance, it exponentially increases the impact of the entire system. And who wouldn't want a little bit of that? For the last 13 years, Kristin has worked with thousands of leaders across Fortune 1000 companies, employee-owned businesses, and private equity firms.
She challenges teams to think differently about le- leadership leverage, how the choices we make, the behaviors we model, and the standards we set can either dilute momentum or multiply it across teams, culture, and results. Her systemic approach to organizational transformation accelerates business growth while unlocking the best in people.
And you know what? She is just all-round good fun and a ball of energy, and I am so looking forward to this conversation. Kristin, welcome. Oh, welcome. Yes, thank you for that great introduction. It's great to be with you. I'm looking forward to it. Now, before we dive into the [00:02:00] multiplier effect and learn more about the work, I'm curious.
As you know, I'm passionate all about workplace relationships, so I'm curious, what role have relationships played for you in your
Morag Barrett: success? I mean, relationships are really, uh, really the ... all of it, right? I mean, we, none of us do this alone, for sure. Mm-hmm. I, I guess I had to learn that the hard way from a very competitive, you know, go-getter, I can do this, with that armor on, to really failing in that way.
Um, taught me a lot about how we can and need to lean on each other. So relationships for me have really accelerated my performance and been so much more enjoyable to do work that way.
Kristen Stapleton: It was funny listening to that. I was thinking we could be twins, 'cause I've shared on many of these episodes how early in my career I valued independence over interdependence, [00:03:00] mistaking my ability to just get stuff done through my own efforts as success.
But as you and I know, especially on teams, it's not about what can I do, it's what can we do together that we can't do individually, which brings us nicely to the multiplication effect in leadership. So
Morag Barrett: what the heck is it? Well, thank, thank you for asking. Yeah, the multiplication effect is really exactly what we're talking about.
It's, it's what you're able to do when you combine your strengths with other people's strengths on the team, and you're brave enough to say, "I don't know how to do this," right? Like, when you're brave enough to say, "This person's, you know, better at this task, and I need them, and we need each other." And when we are able to do that and go first, then we teach others how to do that as well
Kristen Stapleton: Oh, I can just imagine there are a lot [00:04:00] of people listening to this, a lot of leaders who are wincing going, "Yes, but.
Yes, but if I go first, they're gonna use that against me. So you know what? I'm not. I'm gonna stay stuck." So what's the biggest barrier to us working and leading in a multiplier
Morag Barrett: way? You know, Morag, thank you for that. I mean, the biggest barrier that I've lived myself is our own ego. You know, our ego i- it's, um, ego's a great thing, right?
It, it, it can be our friend, but when it steps in and takes over, that's when we stop asking, "What do I not know and what can I learn in this situation?" And so I really think that our own egos, and I say that very because I've lived it, because that was me. Um, when we can learn that that's just, that's just a personality and I can [00:05:00] put that to the side, then we start to gain a whole new perspective on what it means to multiply together.
Kristen Stapleton: So what was the catalyst then that brought you to your senses and made you realize that you were leading from an ego perspective or whatever it was, but then made you pivot to un- the framework we're gonna explore, care, but also this multiplier
Morag Barrett: effect? Sure. I mean, really, Morag, it was failure. Um, I can remember early in my career really thinking and that my, my ego was, you know, was taking care of me, and I, I really thought I was next up for that executive position.
And I, frankly, I thought it was mine. I, I didn't really see it as any other option because, you know, I, I had done everything well, and the table was laid, and that was gonna be my position. And you know what? I fell flat. And a colleague who I did respect but ended up getting that [00:06:00] position, and it was a real...
While it was difficult and it caused me to make some pivots in my own career, it was what I needed. I needed to fall on my face to be able to face what I had created. And I, you know, I guess I, if, if I can do anything from leaders, it's to try to help learn through my own failures, um, even though I know sometimes we have to do it wrong to get it right.
And so I really, I had to fall down and I, and, and I had to eat crow, if you will, and that's the only way that I was able to see that I was the person in my own way
Kristen Stapleton: Can almost feel the knot in my stomach though, because that whole in looking inward at our culpable negligence, what has helped or got in the way of [00:07:00] success or got in the way and contributed to this failure, that does take courage and vulnerability in spades to be able to do it.
And so creating an environment where leaders are willing to do that, not just in private through the executive coaching you do, but in a team environment, that takes some magic. So what have you learned about yourself as you have brought these concepts to
Morag Barrett: teams? You know, I've learned that there's always more to learn.
Like, I guess like every time we take a step in growth, there's more. So as soon as we think we've made it- Mm-hmm ... we likely just saw another side, you know? And- While that was scary early on, I- what I've learned through this process is there's so much more potential when you take that brave next step. And even though it [00:08:00] feels yucky at the time, when you experience the multiplication effect that it has, not just on yourself, but on other people, it becomes its own motiv- motivator in itself, right?
So now- Mm-hmm ... I know that what feels most uncomfortable is exactly where we need to go. All right then. So we've used the word multiply, multiply, and multiplication a number of times in
Kristen Stapleton: the introduction. Let's just re- summarize again what you mean by that, and then let's talk about
Morag Barrett: how do we do it. Yeah, so the multiplication effect is really, comes from what the power that we have to create an environment that is quite different from what we have known before. It is removing our ego from the equation.
It's learning to understand where others are coming from. It's learning that I don't have to be the best at all of these things. And in [00:09:00] fact, when we combine our own potential, our greatest potential accelerates. And so it's been through my own learning of knowing how far I, what I could do on my own, and then combining with colleagues to see how much further your growth actually happens.
And I can say, and watch, and in coaching thousands of leaders, that that's the experience that they have, too, is that while we think we're protecting ourselves by not asking for help, by going it alone, by protecting ourselves, the problem with that is we never reach our fullest potential. And when, when we let go, when we take a chance on asking others to combine with us, to share, to learn from them, that's when we realize just how far we can go.
Okay, so what's the... How do we get there? Glad that you asked this, because this'll be a fun experience with you. [00:10:00] You know, the care framework came through a very, um Pivotal experience for me. So I was headed home from a client, um, a client project actually out in New Jersey, and I was flying home, and it was a difficult, it was a difficult experience, and I had had a rough run with this cl- with this project, and I flew home.
I got home about midnight. I walked through the airport. I ended up leaving my cellphone in a bathroom down by the terminal. You know how this goes. Yeah. You're exhausted. Mm-hmm. I walked all the way through the airport. I got to my car, realized I didn't have my cellphone, backtracked my steps, and that landed me in front of the customer service desk at the Indianapolis International Airport.
And Morag, what happened [00:11:00] in the next 35 minutes, it crystallized the care framework for me. Because what happened was I ended up meeting three individuals that work for the Indianapolis International Airport, and what I learned is that the care that they have for one another completely transformed that culture there.
That organization has not only won multiple awards, it's been rated as the number one airport in North America multiple years going, and I can tell you that the reason it is is because of the relationships that they've established. Over the course of 35 minutes, they shared with me how they know each other beyond the workplace, how that connection to one another gets more done on a daily basis.
When I looked at them with tears in my eyes, the woman said to me, "I got you. My friends, my colleagues are down on the other end, and we're [00:12:00] gonna make this right."
Kristen Stapleton: Oh my God, you're speaking my language, 'cause it's that care connection, and when we're launching programs, I'm launching a leadership academy for a, a major sports franchise with a colleague, Michelle Johnston, and we start with connection before content.
You have to know the humans, not just the job title and w- who's in the room and the statuses in the room, but who are the humans in the room? And that doesn't mean we have to share everything, but we can share a little more about our life journey and what excites us and what frustrates us and, you know, what we did for the weekend, um, for fun.
And that's where you use those words, um, my friends at work from the Indianapolis Airport, we've got you. And when we have friends at work, it makes the goo- good days brighter, but it also makes the tough days easier to navigate because I know you care. So [00:13:00] C then, um, I'm guessing stands for connection.
Morag Barrett: When they approached me with, "We got you," it's because they have each other. Mm-hmm. The connection was evident. It was, it was not just these individuals, it was the ones they called on that were working, um, down in the trenches, the ones that came up from, you know, the basement to help with, you know, find it, 'cause I couldn't get back there.
I was beyond the security. Um- Mm-hmm ... their experience together was so evident that it was because of the way they treated each other is the reason they could treat me different as the customer. Mm-hmm. Okay. So C for connection. A for? A for accountability Mm. Mm And accountability is important because it's very easy to look around an organization and point out what's not being done.
It's very [00:14:00] easy for sales to say, "Well, we sold it, but, you know, ops can't get it done." It's very easy for, um, product development to say, "Well, we could do more if only this team, you know, was pulling their weight." That's the easy way, but that's not how momentum is built. And so just like we talked about early on, it takes us going first to really say, "I'm gonna do my part.
I'm gonna hold up my end of this and be accountable to myself first," in order f- to start that momentum of that multiplication.
Kristen Stapleton: Okay, so accountability, not pointing the finger, starting with me, but being cle- clear about what the target and the goals are. So what's the R of CARE, then?
Morag Barrett: So R is about respecting alternative viewpoints.
So, you know, one of the things we know, you know, in, in, in [00:15:00] teaching leaders, and, and you do this as well, is we come to the table with one perspective. I'm N equals one, which means that's one way of doing it. But if we can open up that conversation, we bring in all kinds of different ways of looking at that.
And the reason that's important is be- because we have people throughout the organization, and the closer they are to the customer, the more perspective they have. So when we respect alternative viewpoints and open up to what our colleagues are saying, we get different ways of approaching old problems
Kristen Stapleton: It's interesting when we're talking with, um, teams who'll talk about their experience of high-performing teams and what differentiates meh from great, and often it's the do we have fun, the relationships, but it's the learning piece, which is what I'm hearing here.
It's not just seeking out other perspectives [00:16:00] before we move to action, it's also understanding who's not in the room that we need to bring into the room, but also whether or not the outcome is a success or a miss, reflecting on how do we learn and grow together so that next time we are either better prepared or better informed.
Yeah, and it takes that openness and curiosity- Mm ... to begin to ask those questions. And courage and vulnerability again, because I know when I was first promoted to a manager, and then l- lead, uh, senior leadership, it's that, well, I've been promoted, I'm supposed to know all the answers. And, uh, being able to say, "I don't know," or maybe Kristen's better in, uh, positioned to know or have a different perspective, that can feel like losing control.
But leadership to me is not about control, it's creating the container, the environment in which everybody can take informed risk, [00:17:00] and that's what drives innovation, creativity, collaboration, all the things that our clients are saying that they want. But because they're building straitjackets, either in their mind of what is required or in their systems and processes, they never get to unlock, going all the way back to what you said, the multiplier effect and the multiplication that's potentially there if we can be better together.
Oh my God, I love how our work is all kind of interlocked and aligned. Okay.
Morag Barrett: Go on. What were you gonna add? So one of the, you know, methods we use to help clients get there is really around understanding themselves, you know? So o- one thing that we've seen is when individuals have a good s- great sense of like where their own unique brilliance i- is, they're more easily able to spot brilliance in other people.
So it really- Mm ... starts with g- having a true understanding of like, where do I show up [00:18:00] as my best self, and what value do I bring? Like, am I secure in that? And the leaders who are most secure in their own strengths are the ones who are more easily able to spot it in other people as well. So it really is an inside-out approach.
Is that a subtle transition
Kristen Stapleton: into what the E is? Potentially, yes. Oh my God. I know. That's amazing how it all builds. So come on
Morag Barrett: then, tell us what, what's the E of care? The E is about empowering others to succeed, and this is like, this is where the juice is, right? This is when leaders really take a chance at elevating someone else, at elevating a colleague, and they see just how much further the team can go.
And once you experience that, it's contagious, right? I, I think I saw a post of yours, Morag, today that said something about, you know, we have to be brave enough to go first. Because when we lock down, when we say [00:19:00] it's, uh, you know, I'm gonna get mine- Mm-hmm ... we create more of that, right? Mm-hmm. But we have a choice.
We can also give, and the more generous we are with that, the more we push the flywheel of generosity, and that generosity is what opens up new opportunity for innovation, for new thinking, for different ways of exploring what if, because this world is far different than any of us grew up in. And so if we're not thinking about what's next, we're likely behind.
So
Kristen Stapleton: CARE. Do us a quick 30-second summary of the four steps, and then my question is, for people who are listening and watching this episode, how do they identify what their grounded strength and when they're at their best? So summary, and then what's our first step?
Morag Barrett: Sure, yeah. CARE. C- CARE's for C is the connection, right?
So it always [00:20:00] starts with connection, understanding who our teammates are and what's really important to them. This is well beyond the workplace, right? Like, what is, what's most important to them? If we can know that, that's where great teams really unlock, is they anticipate needs before they're spoken.
Mm-hmm. The A is for accountability. You know, it's easy to point fingers. That's- that's the easy route. It's what happens when we say, "This is gonna stop with me because I'm going to show up for what I can contribute to this team." That creates a different kind of environment. The R is for respect, respecting where our teammates come from.
What are, what are their, you know, what are they bringing to me? What do they see in the business that I don't see? This is our opportunity to learn. And E is about empowering others to succeed. That's when we really create momentum. When we see leaders reach across the aisle and say, "That. More of that."
That is exactly what we want. [00:21:00] That's when you have peers pointing out other peers for their greatness, that's when you know it's working. Peers
Kristen Stapleton: pointing out peers for their greatness. Oh, gives me goosebumps. All right then. So again, for people listening, what's the first step? How do I find out my own magic, and what can I do to bring this alive?
So I use, you know,
Morag Barrett: something that might help, I use three simple questions to kind of just help people get into this space. So number one, think about yourself. Let's imagine it's Saturday morning or any non-work day, right, where you don't have anything you have to do. No kids' activities- Mm-hmm ... or specific chores that have to be done.
Where do you find yourself spending time?
Kristen Stapleton: I presume lounging in bed or on the sofa is not what you're necessarily going for?
Morag Barrett: Even if you're doing that, I wanna know more about that. So t- we tend to, where you're spending [00:22:00] time, whether it's what you're reading, what you're doing, what you're planning, that's insight, right?
That's insight to what's, you know, what's most important to us, um, and what, and what really fills us up. Question two, where do you find that you're... What are you doing when you're providing the highest value to the team? What are the tasks, what are the projects when you are providing your highest value to the team?
Take inventory of that. And step three is to ask a peer, or as I say- Mm ... if you're brave enough, ask your spouse. Mm-hmm. "Where have you seen me at my very best?" And then ask them to provide you a specific example, because it's only when we really understand where our true gifts are that we can more easily spot it in others.
Kristen Stapleton: And it's [00:23:00] interesting that you talk about, um, reflecting on when do I feel like I'm firing on all cylinders and what am I doing, but that outside in of when do others perceive that I'm adding value, you can identify whether or not there's a gap. Because sometimes the things I know to my own, I'm fabulous at generating ideas and thoughts.
My team will tell you, when they're being polite, that it is an overplayed strength. I.e., it's a bloody nightmare, because it's like bing, bing, bing, bing. And knowing when to stop. But unless you actually ask for that outside in, if I'm of the mindset that my strength is ideas and the rush to action, I'm actually creating more chaos and confusion than I am delivering a new direction and target for the team to hit.
Morag Barrett: You're exactly right. We tend to be very, um- Awkward, bad judges of our own performance. So it's important to [00:24:00] gather, you know, gather outside information. Our peers are one source, but I've found some of the hardest feedback is directly from those who love you the most. Mm. But that insight provides a runway.
Okay.
Kristen Stapleton: So if a team is curious to learn more about how to do this, we've talked about the first three questions to ask. I mean, what's the work that lights
Morag Barrett: you up? The work that lights me up is team y- team coaching, helping individuals really talk through what is possible for them and explore, like, the next layer.
You know, I f- I find that teams get stuck in the mundane, the every day, the problems that are directly in front of us. But if we're always doing that, we're not preparing for the next layer of growth, which is really what Amplify is about, is really setting up teams to grow [00:25:00] at an exponential rate using the multiplication effect.
Sounds like this is gonna take a lot of time. That's a great question. You know, in the clients that I help, we run a 12-week program. So, you know, start to finish, 12 weeks is where we can really see progression for teams that accelerate, you know, accelerate their, their outcomes, accelerate their performance.
So 12 weeks
Kristen Stapleton: of getting together in person? Can it happen... 'Cause so many of us are now working through the camera or a little bit of both, you know? How does this work? Do we have to get in-
Morag Barrett: Yeah, we use a hybrid approach, right? So there is, there is this, there's some online asynchronous learning, there are weekly coaching calls, and then there's an experiential project, because the goal here is to push the for- the business forward.
This isn't a plus one. This is an integrated approach into what teams are already working toward. It just [00:26:00] accelerates their performance. So
Kristen Stapleton: how... Oh, I am curious now, 'cause again, at Skye Team, I know we are amazing at helping our clients, um, new mindset, new approaches, delivering outstanding results. But in that rush to help everybody else, sometimes we can neglect to take our own advice So where, what are you working on right now that's helping you to multiply the effect that you and your team are having?
Morag Barrett: You know what? I have had to... I, I have to go back to the foundation. And for me, that is all around, I, I, I simplify, it's all around taking care of yourself. So three core components, food, movement, sleep. Keep it simple, right? But I know for sure if I'm not getting those things for myself, right, if I'm not fueling my body, if I'm not getting the water, if I'm not getting the sleep, I can't ever be who I need to be [00:27:00] for someone else.
So I take it back to the foundation. It really centers around my own wellbeing. And what I've found is that leaders can do more, be more, and give more when they're first invested in the core components of taking care of themselves. So as hard as it is, and these are habits that we have to come back to, it's all about really channeling, like, our own wellbeing and taking care of ourselves.
Cool. So where can people learn more about you and the work that you're doing? Yeah, I'd love that. Individuals can connect with me on LinkedIn, is where I'm most active, and then, um, YouTube as well, getting started with video content. I know, you know, we're both working in that direction, and I'm having fun with it, and I'd love to have some interaction and, um, have individuals ask questions because, again, we don't do it alone, right?
I'm, you know, I encourage people to come and [00:28:00] join me and have some dialogue back and forth. Okay. So both LinkedIn and YouTube, you can find me, Kristen Stapleton, Amplify3x. That's a number three and the letter X.
Kristen Stapleton: And I'll make sure all of that information is in the s- show notes below. But Kristen, thank you for sharing a little glimpse of the work and the impact that you are having.
I applaud the care, um, framework. I think it is intuitive, easy to grasp, but obviously also subtly challenging to do. But what you do is help those leaders and teams to apply it consistently and start to pick up that momentum and multiplication effect. Please do, if you enjoyed this conversation, make sure that you hit the little bell, subscribe, do whatever you need to do to make sure that those algorithm gods continue to bring us all together, 'cause I promise, we're all worth it.
And make sure to follow up on Kristen's information below. But Kristen, in the meantime, thank [00:29:00] you for joining me here on People First. Thanks, Morag
Intro & Outro: Thank you so much for joining Morag today. If you enjoyed the show, please like and subscribe so you don't miss a thing. If you learned something worth sharing, share it.
Cultivate your relationships today when you don't need anything before you need something. Be sure to follow Skye Team and Morag on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And if you have any ideas about topics we should tackle, interviews we should do, or if you yourself would like to be on the show, drop us a line at info@skyeteam.com.
That's S-K-Y-E team.com. Thanks again for joining us today, and remember, business is personal and relationships matter. We are your allies