What if the things you've been hiding are the very things that make you an extraordinary leader?
In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership podcast, Michael Hunter sits down with Nick Goodin, a former chief product officer, to unpack a truth most leaders never discover: your personal story is your greatest asset.
Nick shares his own incredible journey—from a traumatic childhood to the sudden, unexpected loss of his job—revealing how he learned to deconstruct life's challenges and rebuild with purpose.
Through his unique philosophy of first principles thinking, Nick provides a roadmap for :
- cultivating self-awareness,
- empathy,
- and trust as your core leadership pillars.
This is a profound exploration of how you can align your deepest beliefs with your professional impact, creating cultures where innovation isn't just a goal, but a natural outcome of the process you follow.
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TL; DW? Here's a rapid summary:
The Problem: Some leaders often feel they have to hide their personal struggles and conform to an idea of strength, leading to burnout and mediocrity.
The Solution: This episode offers an authentic, actionable playbook for leaders to navigate uncertainty and find their power by embracing their full, human story. Even if it's not as heroic as you'd like it to be.
A Personal Journey: Nick Goodin shares his history of growing up with a hidden identity, which taught him the vital skill of deconstructing narratives—a practice he later applied to his professional life.
The Core Idea: True leadership is not about managing teams but understanding (and acknowledging) the human side. By prioritizing self-awareness and leading with empathy, you build trust that leads to innovation.
Key Takeaway: Your personal story, your curiosity, and your values are not just parts of your identity—they are your greatest leadership assets. It's time to stop hiding them and start leveraging them.
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About the Speakers:
With a career spanning from product innovation to brand strategy, Nick Goodin is known for building spaces where both products and people can thrive. As the former Chief Product Officer at Ice Barrel, Nick has led cross-functional teams to scale new products, promoting empathy and psychological safety as guiding principles. He believes that every great innovation starts with a determination to transform uncertainty into possibility.
Now on a mission to share the insights that redefine how we create, lead, and live, Nick challenges leaders to see the world differently. He helps them navigate uncertainty and dig deeper through the power of perspective, storytelling, and intentional choices.
More on Nick Goodin:
Michael Hunter partners with top tech leadership teams across six continents to create extraordinary cultures. With 35 years of experience at companies like Microsoft, Salesforce, and Tableau, he helps leaders sustain meaningful change. Michael believes that only by integrating mind, heart, body, spirit, and intuition can leaders truly navigate change safely and build a lasting legacy of impact + human-centered leadership.
The best way to connect with Michael Hunter is on LinkedIn:
More from Michael Hunter:
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