About this episode

Karen Gombault discusses the fundamentals of leadership and emotional regulation with leadership coach Kris Plachy.

Leadership conversations often focus on strategy, growth, and organizational change. Yet the daily reality of leadership still comes down to something more fundamental: how effectively leaders manage people and themselves. In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen speaks with leadership coach Kris Plachy about what has — and has not — changed in leadership as we move into 2026. Drawing on three decades of work with female founders and CEOs, Kris argues that the fundamentals remain the same: leaders set direction, clarify expectations, and hold people accountable for results. What has changed is the environment in which those fundamentals now operate. Leaders are managing teams with shorter attention spans, greater emotional volatility, and increasing distraction. At the same time, many leaders struggle with the very conversations required to maintain accountability. The discussion explores why emotional regulation is not a “soft skill,” but a core leadership requirement. When leaders cannot manage their own emotional responses, they lose authority in difficult conversations and allow behavior patterns that ultimately undermine results. For senior leaders, the implication is…

People in this episode

Host: Karen Gombault

Guest: Kris Plachy

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