1133: Brianna Sylver - "Leading Through Free Fall"

What if the secret to surviving—and thriving—in the chaos of change is learning to lead as if you’re skydiving into the unknown? In this shockingly honest and insightful episode of Thrive LouD, host Lou Diamond welcomes innovation strategist and author of "Leading Through Free Fall," Brianna Sylver. Prepare for an eye-opening conversation that rewrites the rules of leadership during turbulence, revealing why true growth often begins when you let go of certainty and learn to trust—both yourself and your teams. Brianna shares her journey from accidental entrepreneur to the founder of Sylver Consulting, an innovation research and strategy firm serving Fortune 1000 organizations and city governments. Drawing parallels between skydiving (yes, literal free-fall!) and guiding organizations through massive change, Brianna unpacks how embracing turbulence and uncertainty is the key to unlocking trust and transformation. Key highlights include:The real meaning behind “free fall” leadership and why turbulence is necessary for growthHow empathy and intention are Brianna’s superpowers for building trust in traumatized, uncertain workplacesPractical insights from her book, including actionable tools like the “Five Intention Setting Questions” that have solved decade-old roadblocks for organizationsStories of inner and outer transformation from readers who’ve discovered their own power as innovatorsThe shifting definition of movement and momentum in today’s business world—sometimes patience is the smartest moveFun rapid-fire favorites: Brianna’s go-to movies, musical theater dreams, and her passion for the perfect chocolate cake Whether you’re a leader navigating layoffs, organizational paralysis, or personal uncertainty, this episode is packed with the encouragement and strategies you need to turn turbulence into trust—and thrive at the next level. Timestamped Episode Overview: 00:00 – Meet Brianna Sylver: accidental entrepreneur and innovation strategist 03:30 – The metaphor of “free fall” leadership revealed 06:05 – Turning turbulence into trust—how Sylver Consulting does it 09:36 – The epidemic of uncertainty in Fortune 1000 organizations 13:50 – Rethinking movement: why sometimes you need to pause to grow 15:09 – The “gift” of creating transformational content 17:40 – Real-world breakthroughs from Brianna’s book 18:56 – Where to connect with Brianna: LinkedIn, Silver Consulting, and more 19:53 – Fun Street: movies, music, chocolate cake, and more 24:00 – Musical theater dreams and hot yoga bootcamp 25:50 – If Brianna could be anywhere…why Brazil beaches win 26:59 – Closing thoughts: leading through free fall 27:34 – Thrive Loud outro and where to find more Ready to unlock growth and navigate change with confidence? Dive in and get inspired!