New Podcast Feature: Speak with Power with Natasha Bazilevych

Friends, colleagues, and fellow leaders, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news! I recently had a truly insightful and powerful conversation with the wonderful Natasha Bazilevych on her podcast, “Speak with Power.”

My work, spanning from my service as a U.S. Marine Corps officer to my roles as a father and leadership coach, has centered on one fundamental belief: your most effective tool for influence is authenticity, not a strategy or a script. On this episode, we unpack what that looks like in the trenches, whether you’re leading a platoon or guiding your child through a harsh lesson.

​The Foundation: Empathy and Service

We often think of power as control, but as I shared with Natasha, the most effective leaders are those who truly understand people. Leadership starts with empathy.

It’s not just about understanding the bottom line; it’s about understanding the challenges faced by your team members (or your family). When you demonstrate genuine care and concern for their well-being, you create a deeper motivation than any directive ever could.

This leads us directly to the concept of servant leadership. The Marine Corps has taught me that authentic leaders prioritize the needs of their team, providing the resources and support necessary for them to grow. If you’re busy with self-promotion and focused only on your personal career advancement, you are creating a recipe for high turnover and disengagement. True influence comes from helping others thrive.

​The Balance: Love Requires Boundaries

​One of the most powerful connections we made was balancing emotional support with necessary structure. This is absolutely critical for the Parent-Child-Connect audience:

​Love, defined as sacrifice, requires boundaries to be responsible and effective.

Think about it: too much empathy without structure can lead to chaos. But too many rules without empathy leads to rebellion. Effective leadership in business and at home requires balancing empathy and boundaries to foster a healthy, productive, and growth-focused environment.

​The Path: Know Yourself, Build Others

Before you can lead others, you must know yourself. We discussed the importance of addressing personal insecurities. If you don’t understand your own vulnerabilities, you risk projecting them as intimidation or control onto the people you lead.

Once you know yourself, you can focus on empowering others:

• Connect First: Build that personal relationship before you direct them. People are inspired when they feel understood and valued as individuals.
• ​Empower Early: Provide opportunities for growth to build confidence and competence. Don’t control them in the present; prepare them for future challenges.
• ​Celebrate Growth: Acknowledge contributions and view failures as opportunities for growth and learning. Resilience is built by separating your self-worth from your mistakes. Life should be viewed as an opportunity course, not an obstacle course.

If you’re ready to step into your role as an authentic leader who influences through integrity and inspires through service, this conversation is for you.

​Listen to the Full Conversation Here:

​Episode 462: Inspire Authentic Leadership with Olaolu Ogunyemi

​Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/462-inspire-authentic-leadership-with-olaolu-ogunyemi/id1549684730?i=1000733457620

​Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/58wOzvvw3iYsJOYcYfRmqK

What are your thoughts on balancing love and boundaries? Drop a comment and let me know your experience!