In this Leadership with Heart podcast episode, I welcome Kevin Kruse, Founder and CEO of LEADx. Kevin shares how his introverted nature and deep sense of purpose led him to build a platform designed to democratize leadership development and bring coaching and emotional intelligence tools to every leader through AI and digital innovation.
Our conversation goes far beyond leadership tech. It’s a personal and reflective look into why Kevin does what he does, including his intentional decisions to support emerging voices, elevate women leaders, and use his platform to advocate for access and equity in the workplace.
Together, we unpack the philosophy of progress over perfection, the duality of Leadership as both head and heart and how caring Leadership isn’t about being soft. It’s about doing the hard work of consistently showing up for others.
We explore how imperfection can be a robust connector, why self-leadership is foundational, and how direct or indirect mentorship can shift someone’s trajectory meaningfully. Kevin also explains why EQ is the new competitive advantage, how the LEADx app is helping build that skill globally, and why future casting may become the defining trait of tomorrow’s most effective leaders.
Whether you’re building your leadership toolkit or wondering how to expand your reach as a mentor, this episode offers practical inspiration with a profoundly human touch.
How are you scaling your Leadership personally, professionally, or through others? And how might you be showing up as a mentor, even if you don’t realize it yet? I’d love to hear your reflections.
About Kevin
In pursuit of the American Dream, Kevin Kruse started his first company when he was just 22 years old. He worked around the clock, literally living out of his one-room office and showering each day at the YMCA, before giving up a year later deeply in debt.
But after discovering the power of Wholehearted Leadership and Extreme Productivity, Kevin went on to build and sell several, multimillion dollar technology companies, winning both Inc 500 and Best Place to Work awards along the way.
Kevin is also the author of several books including the NY Times bestseller, We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement, Employee Engagement 2.0, and 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. He is a Forbes Leadership columnist and was named to the Trust Across America Top Thought Leader in Trust.
Kevin’s mission is to convince everyone that wholehearted leadership for employee engagement is the key to unlocking both dramatic business results and to better health and relationships for individuals.
Based on his own experience as a CEO, and on the results of surveys of over 10 million people in 150 countries, Kevin reveals how Growth, Recognition and Trust are the key drivers that turn average groups into high performing teams. He shares specific tactics to:
- Unlock emotional commitment
- Activate discretionary effort
- Generate future confidence and clarity to combat the effects of change
Kevin has traveled the globe as a keynote speaker on leadership, productivity and entrepreneurship. He is consistently rated among the top keynote speakers at events he attends.Kevin currently serves as Founder & CEO of LEADx, an online learning platform that provides free leadership development for millions of people around the world. Kevin lives with his three children in Pennsylvania.
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WHEN YOU’RE READY, HERE’S HOW WE CAN HELP:
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
Visit heatheryounger.com or https://www.cmispeakers.com/heather-r-younger for more details.
