Kutz & Konin Leadercast

About Kutz & Konin Leadercast

Leadership and business related conversations for athletic trainers by athletic trainers and offers IDEAS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE THE FUTURE! Drs. Kutz & Konin are passionate about equipping athletic trainers to excel in the marketplace! Kutz and Konin are Clinical Professors in the Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program at Florida International University (FIU). The DAT program at FIU is a different type of advanced-practice doctorate that focuses on teaching Athletic Trainers entrepreneurial thinking strategies and skills that enhance leadership capacity and a global mindset.

Publisher

Matt Kutz & Jeff Konin

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Mar 2022

Latest episode

4 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

52 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Ep. 47 The Responsive Hat: Identity, Expectations, and the Roles We Wear

   Kutz & Konin Leadercast Hosts: Dr. Matt Kutz and Dr. Jeff Konin Episode Length: Approximately 23 minutes Who decides which hats you wear? Some roles are chosen. Others come with a job, relationship, or season of life. Then there are the unexpected hats placed on us by people who see something in us that we may not yet recognize. Matt and Jeff begin with Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats and move into a conversation about professional identity, leadership, expectations, and what they call the responsive hat—a role we wear because of how others perceive us. Someone calls us an expert, mentor, thought leader, role model, advocate, or leader, and that description begins to carry expectations. Recognition can be affirming, but it can also create pressure. The challenge is deciding which hats to accept, adjust, develop, or remove. The episode also examines how titles create assumptions. A professor may be judged by grant funding. A new graduate may be treated as inexperienced. An athletic trainer may be expected to advocate everywhere while also maintaining work-life boundaries. These tensions show why life requires adjustable hats rather than one rigid identity. Matt closes by arguing that leadership should not be worn only while on the clock. Healthy boundaries matter, but professional awareness, service, and influence may still be needed outside a formal job assignment. Some roles are chosen; others are assigned. The responsive hat is the role we wear in response to how others perceive or need us. Recognition often brings responsibility, whether or not we sought the title. Disappointment occurs when expectations do not match the person carrying the role. Effective leaders adjust to context without abandoning their values. Some hats should be retired; others need to be developed. Leadership is more than an on-the-clock responsibility. Consider four categories: Current hats: What roles do you carry now? Assigned hats: What roles have others placed on you? Aspirational hats: What roles would you like to grow into? Retired hats: What roles no longer fit? Ask yourself: Which hat best represents who I am becoming? Which assigned hat revealed an overlooked strength? Which role carries expectations I need to clarify? Which hat am I removing when leadership is still needed? 00:00 – The hats people wear 02:46 – Chosen versus assigned hats 05:28 – Defining the responsive hat 06:57 – Advocacy and work-life boundaries 08:20 – Expertise, thought leadership, and obligation 11:03 – The person behind the title 12:42 – When expectations do not match reality 14:11 – Institutional success versus immediate value 16:38 – Current, desired, and assigned hats 17:46 – Career planning and the new-graduate label 19:04 – Removing the leadership hat 22:28 – Final thoughts “The responsive hat is the hat that we put on based on how others perceive us.” —Jeff Konin “We can’t wear fitted hats in life. We have to have adjustable hats.” —Jeff Konin Edward de Bono, Six Thinking Hats Identify the hat you are wearing now, the hat you hope to wear next, and the hat someone else has placed on you. Decide whether each should be accepted, adjusted, developed, or removed. Subscribe to the Kutz & Konin Leadercast and share this episode with someone navigating a new role or reconsidering an old one.

2. 

   9 Jun 2026

   Ep. 46 Are Volunteers Leaders?

   In this episode of the Kutz & Konin Leadercast, Dr. Matt Kutz and Dr. Jeff Konin return to discuss a timely and often misunderstood issue in professional organizations: the difference between volunteer service and authentic leadership. After months of travel, conferences, and conversations with leaders and volunteers across multiple organizations, they explore how easily professional associations can confuse task completion with true leadership. The discussion does not diminish the importance of service. In fact, both hosts affirm that service is essential and that leaders must be willing to serve. However, they challenge the assumption that every volunteer role, appointed position, or elected office automatically qualifies as leadership. The conversation moves beyond titles and positions to examine influence, authority, transparency, training, organizational culture, and whether people are actually being mobilized toward better outcomes.

3. 

   29 Dec 2025

   Ep. 45. Fake Leaders Create Noise: Humility Silences Ego

   In this episode, Matt Kutz and Dr. Jeff Konin dissect leadership insights from a previous discussion with Chris Conan, a West Point graduate. They explore the significance of humility and vulnerability in effective leadership, contrasting it with the pitfalls of mere management. Chris's experiences in the military offer a valuable perspective on team dynamics and leadership under pressure. Moreover, Jeff and Matt share their thoughts on fostering a culture of recognition, the dangers of self-promotion, and the importance of intentional leadership development. Their exchange underscores the need for leaders who genuinely know and support their teams, advocating for transformational rather than transactional leadership. 00:00 Introduction and Recap of Previous Podcast 00:44 Discussing Leadership Weaknesses 01:51 Team Dynamics and Subject Matter Experts 03:10 Humility in Leadership 05:25 Effective Leadership in Academic Settings 07:19 Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership 11:39 Authentic Leadership Examples 20:27 Challenges of Leadership Roles 32:37 Leadership Development and Humility 37:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

14,231,758

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

16 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 75 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

82

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

77

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.