Show notes
In this episode of the Badass Leaders Podcast, Angela Gill Nelms sits down with executive coach, leadership expert, professional speaker, and author Marc A. Pitman for a candid conversation about authentic leadership, self-doubt, failure, fundraising, and learning to trust your own leadership instincts.Marc shares why many successful leaders secretly feel as though they are making things up as they go, and why leadership is not about having all the answers. Instead, effective leaders learn how to empower their teams, ask better questions, and create environments where people can think and make decisions for themselves.The conversation explores Marc’s own leadership journey, including the failure of a church he helped plant, lessons from his career in nonprofit fundraising, and the experiences that eventually shaped his book, The Surprising Gift of Doubt. Marc explains how constantly looking outside yourself for the “right” way to lead can fuel imposter syndrome, while learning to recognize your own values, intuition, and internal compass can help you become a more confident and consistent leader.Learn more about Marc A. Pitman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcapitman/Website: https://concordleadershipgroup.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/marcpitmanBook: https://concordleadershipgroup.com/giftofdoubt/Other: https://www.threads.net/@marcpitmanThe discussion also tackles questions…Why do successful leaders experience self-doubt and imposter syndrome?How can leaders become more authentic instead of copying other leadership styles?Why is saying “I don’t know” an important leadership skill?How can leaders empower employees to solve problems and make decisions independently?How can failure help leaders become more effective?What should leaders do after a project, experiment, or initiative fails?How can leaders know when it is time to pivot?Why is reflection important for learning from failure?How can leaders trust their intuition and internal leadership compass?What is the difference between coaching, consulting, and training?How can executive coaching help leaders discover their own answers?How can nonprofit organizations improve donor relationships and fundraising?What mistakes should nonprofit fundraisers avoid?How can storytelling improve fundraising and sales?Why is genuine curiosity important when building relationships with donors, customers, and employees?How can leaders identify their natural leadership style?What are servant, transformational, charismatic, and transactional leadership?Key takeaways:Self-doubt can be a valuable part of becoming a more authentic leader.Authentic leadership begins when you stop trying to lead like someone else.Strong leaders are willing to say, “I don’t know.”Failure becomes valuable when leaders take time to reflect on what happened.Experimentation helps leaders separate unsuccessful ideas from personal failure.Knowing when to pivot is an essential leadership and business skill.Executive coaching should help leaders discover their own answers rather than create dependence on the coach.Successful fundraising and sales begin with genuine curiosity about people.Understanding different leadership styles helps leaders adapt without losing authenticity.Interests outside of work can strengthen leadership skills and reveal overlooked strengths.ProductionProduced by: The AGN GroupHost: Angela Gill NelmsProducer: Katie HartTagline: Be Brave. Be Badass.Websites: www.theagngroup.com and www.AngelaGillNelms.comAbout The AGN Group:At The AGN Group, we believe every individual, team, and company can unlock their inner badass, one brave step at a time. www.TheAGNGroup.com.Social Media Channels:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/badassleaderspodcast/Twitter: https://x.com/BALeadersPodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baleaderspodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/badass-leaders-podcast2Want to be a Podcast Guest?If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, read more here: https://www.angelagillnelms.com/be-our-guest/