episode 64 - the word is porcupine

In this week’s episode of The Word is Leadership, we take inspiration from the porcupine to explore a critical leadership quality: the ability to balance opposites—being both tough and caring, spiky yet approachable. Leadership, like the porcupine, requires embracing this duality to guide teams effectively.

True leadership lies in learning to embody both qualities at the same time, just like the porcupine they need three characteristics.

Know Your Stuff. Combining soft skills in communication with a spiky resolve to hold people accountable creates the foundation for team performance.

Care by Strengthening, Not Pleasing. Being truthful about weaknesses and offering the tools to improve is what builds resilience and growth.

Embrace Who You Are as a Leader. Great leaders are unapologetically themselves, combining their roughness with their inherent care. 

Like the porcupine, leaders must adapt to their environment, being soft when nurturing and spiky when holding teams accountable.

Thank you for listening, and as always, if this episode resonated with you, please rate, review, and share. Until next time!