
What Are You Protecting By Staying the Same? (Dwayne Smith)
From Coachful Coaching Leadership Podcast by David Fung
March 12, 2026 · 37 min
About this episode
Dwayne Smith discusses the importance of identity shifts in leadership and personal change.
We sit down with Dwayne Smith, host of the What Changed? podcast, for a real conversation about the question most of us avoid when we feel stuck:“What am I protecting by staying the same?” Dwayne unpacks why willpower-based change so often fails, and why the real work is an identity shift—from “I’m trying to stop…” to “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t…” He also shares a key leadership turning point: realizing you can’t motivate people, you can only create an environment that is motivating. If you’re in a season where your life looks fine on paper but something feels off, this one will land. In this episode, you’ll learn: * The difference between forcing behavior change vs shifting identity * The question that reveals what “stuck” is really doing for you * Why your internal environment (your story) matters as much as your external environment (your structure) * The moment Dwayne moved from “manager” to “leader” What Changed? https://linktr.ee/whatchangedpod Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/what-changed-with-dwayne-smith/id1511627465 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5UW6hWeJ3vzEOAQLFBoGrG YouTube (What Changed?): https://www.youtube.com/@whatchangedpod…
People in this episode
Host: David Fung
Guest: Dwayne Smith
Topics covered
- identity shift
- leadership
- behavior change
- motivation
- personal development
Keywords
- leadership
- identity
- motivation
- behavior change
- personal development
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: What Changed?, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube
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