176: The Gap Between Knowing And Doing

176: The Gap Between Knowing And Doing

From Unstuck with Jay Abbasi by Jay Abbasi

June 8, 2026 · 57 min · Season 1 · Episode 176

About this episode

Jay Abbasi discusses the challenges of translating knowledge into action with leadership educator Scott J. Allen.

Why is it so much easier to know what to do than to actually do it? Meet Sebastian. The team call ends and he's staring at his reflection through a blank screen, frustrated because he did it again. A developer brought him a problem and rather than coach or delegate, Sebastian took it on himself. This week, he promised he'd stop being the bottleneck. But when the pressure hit, he fell back into the same pattern. He reads leadership books, listens to podcasts, and genuinely wants to grow, yet he keeps asking himself the same question: Why does knowing better never seem to turn into doing better? Today, Jay sits down with Scott J. Allen, PhD, leadership educator, researcher, speaker, and host of the Practical Wisdom for Leaders podcast. Scott shares insights on self-awareness, behavior change, leadership development, and how to close the gap between what we know and how we actually show up. Notable Quotes “Leaders don't have to have the answers. Sometimes they need to elevate the right questions.” — Scott J. Allen “Self-awareness is ground zero.” — Scott J. Allen “What people are raising their hands for out there in the world is incredibly difficult to do well.” — Scott J. Allen…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Abbasi

Guest: Scott J. Allen

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • self-awareness
  • behavior change
  • personal development
  • coaching

Keywords

  • leadership
  • self-awareness
  • behavior change
  • coaching
  • personal growth

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Practical Wisdom for Leaders

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