Surrendering in the workplace
Fri Feb 06 2026
In today’s episode:
The core idea of "Surrender to Lead" sounds touchy-feely, but it has immediate practical applications.
Culture Partners CEO Joe Terry tells the story of a time he approached a potentially-antagonistic client conversation with love and understanding. Instantly, the pressure in the room dropped, and the conversation completely turned around.
The first step is to stop fighting reality; when we drop the immediate need to be right, we can focus on handling what's actually going on.
Ask yourself: "what would I do if I removed all of my self-interest from the equation?" This opens up a variety of possibilities for taking the next right action.
CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast for CEOs where we dissect the week's biggest news, unpack hot-button workplace trends, and bring you exclusive interviews with leaders who leverage culture to drive real business results.
John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica every week to discuss the latest news in labor, employment, and workplace culture by asking each other the question: 'What Are You Paying Attention To Now?'
John Frehse:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrehse/
Bio at Ankura: https://ankura.com/experts-and-advisors/john-frehse
Jessica Kriegel:
Website: https://www.jessicakriegel.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/
Culture Partners:
Website: https://culturepartners.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/
More
In today’s episode: The core idea of "Surrender to Lead" sounds touchy-feely, but it has immediate practical applications. Culture Partners CEO Joe Terry tells the story of a time he approached a potentially-antagonistic client conversation with love and understanding. Instantly, the pressure in the room dropped, and the conversation completely turned around. The first step is to stop fighting reality; when we drop the immediate need to be right, we can focus on handling what's actually going on. Ask yourself: "what would I do if I removed all of my self-interest from the equation?" This opens up a variety of possibilities for taking the next right action. CEO Daily Brief is a daily, five-minute podcast for CEOs where we dissect the week's biggest news, unpack hot-button workplace trends, and bring you exclusive interviews with leaders who leverage culture to drive real business results. John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica every week to discuss the latest news in labor, employment, and workplace culture by asking each other the question: 'What Are You Paying Attention To Now?' John Frehse: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrehse/ Bio at Ankura: https://ankura.com/experts-and-advisors/john-frehse Jessica Kriegel: Website: https://www.jessicakriegel.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/ Culture Partners: Website: https://culturepartners.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/