Insights with Emil Everett

Most leadership teams don’t fail because people are weak. They fail because they’re built wrong. Too similar. Too agreeable. Too comfortable. In the latest episode of Insights, I break down one of the greatest team designs in history, and what modern leaders can learn from how their differences, not their harmony, created influence and leverage. This episode connects elite team-building across are...

Everyone loves to talk about  authentic leadership . Very few talk about what happens when it goes wrong. Authenticity without boundaries turns into ego. Empathy without self-definition becomes exhaustion. Leadership skills without sincerity feel like manipulation. In the latest episode of  Insights , I push back on the idea that leadership is just “be yourself.” It’s not. Real leadership is about...

Trust is the foundation of leadership, but most leaders underestimate how intentional it must be. In a special episode of my  Insights  podcast, I recorded the  introduction  to my new book,  Leading With Trust . The episode begins with a simple moment: an unexpected leadership decision, a choice to trust, and the impact that trust had on performance, confidence, and results. It’s a reminder that...

Everyone loves talking about “culture.” Most leaders don’t actually build one. Tonight’s national championship isn’t being decided by hype speeches or talent alone. It’s being decided by standards, the kind most organizations  say  they have but don’t enforce. In this week’s  Insights  episode, I break down what Curt Cignetti’s leadership teaches us about winning: • Why motivation is overrated • H...

He’s been behind some of the biggest power shifts in modern sports, yet most people have never heard his name. Free agency, athlete compensation, equal pay, and structural reform didn’t result from clever words at the table. They came from leverage built long before negotiations even began. Nearly 70% of his most important cases never went to trial; they settled because the system itself was under...

Most people still see AI as just a research tool for negotiations, but that belief is outdated. In 2024, Amazon announced that AI agents were negotiating supplier contracts and cloud-service pricing directly with partners, analyzing patterns, adjusting concessions, and closing deals more quickly and sometimes more effectively than human teams. This wasn’t just experimentation. It was operational....

As we wrap up the year and get ready for 2026, here’s a quick five-minute boost for anyone looking to lead with more clarity, calm, and purpose. This week’s Insights episode uses the eagle-and-crow metaphor in a fresh, practical way, transforming it into five actions leaders can apply right away to rise above the chaos, conserve their energy, strengthen their teams, and foster an environment where...

Remaining calm in a negotiation is wise… until it becomes the reason you’re being exploited. There’s always a moment when the other side tests your boundaries. They push past fairness, assuming you’ll keep giving ground. That’s when you need what I call a Conviction Spike, a controlled burst of intensity that clearly shows your value isn’t negotiable. It’s not about losing control; it’s about rese...

Outstanding leadership doesn’t occur by chance; it’s developed through purpose, humility, and daily decisions that add up to excellence. That idea really resonated with me when my twins recently attended a Penn State wrestling match against Drexel, connecting our family’s history (Doug Frey '53) with today’s leading college program. This week on Insights, we examine Cael Sanderson’s leadership...

Many leaders cut costs to protect the present but forget that these same cuts can quietly weaken the future.   Cost discipline is smart and responsible. However, when it becomes a fundamental part of the culture and every decision is based on “what’s cheapest” instead of “what creates value,” the organization doesn’t become leaner; it becomes smaller.   Innovation slows down. Risk tolerance collap...

Silence isn’t awkward; it’s powerful. In negotiations, and meetings, we often rush to speak, defend, or fill space. But research from MIT Sloan shows that even a three-second pause can transform outcomes. It creates space to think, listen, and discover value neither side had recognized before. In this Insights episode, I explore how deliberate silence can change the tone, tempo, and results of you...

In business and in teams, conflict is inevitable. The question is: will it divide you or drive you? In the film  Air , Nike’s basketball division was falling apart. Opinions clashed, egos collided, and no one agreed on a path forward. Then one person reframed the fight, turning tension into focus and skepticism into belief. That clarity led to one of the greatest partnerships in business history:...

In 2008, the world was in a state of panic. Warren Buffett wasn’t. While banks scrambled for survival, Buffett sat calmly on the other side of the table with something rarer than cash, credibility. Goldman Sachs needed both. He didn’t chase the deal. He waited. And when they came calling, he offered $5 billion in preferred shares paying 10 percent plus warrants to buy more stock later. Goldman got...

Ever notice how in golf the tiniest adjustment can change everything? One stroke is often the difference between making the cut or going home. Leadership is no different. The small choices we make every day, easy to do, easy not to do, are what compound into long-term success. In this episode of  Insights , I share how the Slight Edge theory and golf teach us to lead with consistency, patience, an...

Disruptions aren’t the exception anymore; they’re part of the landscape. Shutdowns, supply shortages, labor disputes, reorganizations, and even political or social unrest can send shockwaves through even the most prepared teams. We live in a period of  VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous). So what’s a leader to do? Ignore it and hope for calm? Push harder and risk burnout? Or use the...

My wife went to Penn State. Her dad and his twin brother were part of Penn State’s first wrestling national championship team. Her family is full of Nittany Lion alumni. One of my boys, Dylan, in a memorable moment for him, high-fived Coach James Franklin before a game last year.   So when Franklin was fired after more than a decade at Penn State, it wasn’t just another sports headline; it hit clo...

Ever feel like your team has more potential than it shows? This episode breaks down seven behaviors you can personally apply to spark new ideas, influence your team’s direction, and unlock major breakthroughs. Visit Emil at New Amsterdam ⁠

Power is real, and as a leader, you can’t ignore it. In this episode of  Insights , I share how to use power intentionally so it builds trust, creates space for others, and strengthens results.  Visit Emil at New Amsterdam⁠

Are you preparing your team for the game, or for the reality that follows? When  The New York Times / The Athletic  profiled how Victor Wembanyama trains, one detail jumped out at me: he doesn’t just rehearse set plays. He practices under constraints, in smaller spaces, with unusual rules, and unpredictable conditions. The idea is simple: if you can adapt in chaos, you’ll thrive when the real game...

Every leader knows the hardest word in the job:  no. And many admit they wish they had learned how to say it earlier in their careers. The truth is, no one likes hearing it, and no one enjoys giving it. But “no” is critical to protecting focus and priorities. The key is how  you deliver it. In this episode of  Insights , I explore 11 ways to say no without demoralizing your team. You’ll see how su...

After Ohio State’s painful loss to Michigan, the season could have unraveled. Instead, players and coaches gathered for a raw, honest conversation. That heart-to-heart didn’t just heal wounds; it became the turning point that fueled their historic run to a national championship. Business teams aren’t so different. There are moments when morale dips, trust frays, or setbacks sting. That’s when a le...

The Golden State Warriors credit part of their 2022 NBA Championship run not just to talent, but to the way they communicated—structured, clear, and consistent. That same principle separates high-performing business teams from those that constantly spin their wheels. In the latest episode of  Insights , I share how leaders can create communication protocols that cut through noise, build trust, and...

Courage doesn’t always roar. More often, it whispers. In 2024, Microsoft engineers raised concerns about AI safety. Leadership didn’t silence them; they created forums for open dialogue. That everyday courage improved outcomes and reinforced trust. In the newest  Insights  episode, I share five ways to practice courage daily: normalizing candor, using stories, asking questions, standing with allie...

Silence isn’t neutral; it has a cost. During the 2023 NFL season, Tua Tagovailoa broke the silence around concussions, sparking a league-wide conversation about safety. In business, the same principle holds: staying quiet often costs more than speaking up. In the latest episode of  Insights , I explore five powerful moments when courage matters most: standing on values, reframing risk, sharing bol...

What makes a great presenter stand out? It isn’t about adding more slides or talking more; it’s about knowing what to cut. In this episode of  Insights , discover why less is more. You will learn simple techniques to deliver clearer, concise, and to-the-point presentations. Visit us at ThinkNewAmsterdam.com