The Leadership Flex of Listening, Honesty, and Trust I Direct Application with Matt Harrington

Welcome to the inaugural interview episode of Direct Application, the podcast where leadership theory meets Monday morning reality.

Hosted by Matt Harrington, this show explores how to turn good leadership ideas into better workplaces. In this episode, Matt sits down with Karin Tierney, a seasoned HR consultant with over 25 years of experience in leadership development, organizational culture, and fractional HR.

Together, they explore:

✅ Why listening is the most underused leadership skill

✅ How emotional intelligence and adaptability define today’s best leaders

✅ What’s changed in the employee-employer relationship post-COVID

✅ Why HR isn’t one-size-fits-all—and never should be

✅ The importance of setting boundaries and finding cultural fit

✅ Karin’s perspective on workplace burnout, “family culture,” and doing HR your own way

Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or people manager, this episode will leave you with actionable insights you can apply on Monday morning.

Listen on Your Favorite Platform: [Spotify] | [Apple Podcasts] | [YouTube]

Follow us on [YouTube], [LinkedIn], [Facebook], and [TikTok] for weekly highlights, quotes, and video snippets from the podcast.