Why Miserable Employees Are Bad for Business w/ Kirsten McKenna, Ph.D.

**Mindfulness, Happiness & the Death of Command-and-Control Leadership — with Kirsten McKenna**

Let’s get one thing straight: miserable employees don’t build great companies. And no one thrives under a barking, ego-driven boss in a power suit yelling orders like it’s still 1985.

In this energizing and eye-opening episode, Dr. John chats with corporate badass-turned-entrepreneur Kirsten McKenna about why *happiness, mindfulness, and meaning* aren’t just feel-good buzzwords — they’re the new non-negotiables for leadership and business success.

We dive into:
- Why happiness *matters* in the workplace (hint: unhappy people don’t innovate)  
- How a raging inner critic screws with your performance — and what to do about it  
- The science of mindfulness and how it sharpens leadership, empathy, and grit  
- Why the old-school “command-and-follow” leadership model is dead in the water  
- How realistic optimism helps fend off burnout and build resilience  
- What happens when you help employees go from miserable (-5) to thriving (+5)  
- How the negativity bias hijacks your brain — and how to stop feeding it  
- The practical power of curiosity, calm, and clarity in today’s chaotic business world

**About Kirsten McKenna:**  
Kirsten is a former corporate exec turned double entrepreneur, leadership coach, and author of *Lead Well: How to Show Up Consistently Well in Leadership and Life*. She runs two purpose-driven businesses — *Cortex Consulting* and *Winefulness* — both designed to spark curiosity, well-being, and authentic leadership. She’s got degrees in psychology, education, and health — and she knows how to translate science into results.

📘 *Lead Well*: [Find it on Amazon]  
📲 Follow Kirsten:  
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirstenmckenna/)  
- [Instagram @cortex_consulting](https://www.instagram.com/cortex_consulting/)  
- [Instagram @winefulness_aus](https://www.instagram.com/winefulness_aus)  
- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/CortexCon)  

**Tagline worth remembering:**  
*Harness the mind. Shape the brain. Strengthen your business.*

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Wanna Go Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole? Here’s Where to Stalk Us (Respectfully):

👔 For Dr. John’s work helping execs and high performers stop silently imploding: 
👉 [GuideToSelf.com](https://GuideToSelf.com)

💔 Curious about the couples counseling magic John’s doing with the amazing Joree Rose, LMFT
👉 [LoveIsntEnough.net](https://LoveIsntEnough.net)  
(*Spoiler: Love isn’t enough, but skills, self-awareness, and maybe a glass of wine are.*)

🎙️ For all things caveman evolution, podcast-style: 
👉 [TheEvolvedCaveman.com](https://TheEvolvedCaveman.com)

💃 For Joree’s powerhouse work helping women ditch burnout, find joy, and stop dating emotionally unavailable man-children: 
👉 [JoreeRose.com](https://JoreeRose.com)

Follow Dr. John on social media...
📸 **Instagram:** [@TheEvolvedCaveman](http://instagram.com/@TheEvolvedCaveman)  
👥 **Facebook:** [Anger.Management.Expert](http://facebook.com/Anger.Management.Expert)  
🐦 **Twitter/X:** [@JohnSchin](http://x.com/JohnSchin)  
💼 **LinkedIn:** [Dr. John Schinnerer](http://linkedin.com/in/DrJohnSchinnerer)

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Follow, click, explore, evolve. Or don’t. But your emotional health might suffer and your relationships could end in flames. No pressure. 🔥

#corporateculture #corporateleadership #leadership #ceomindset #mindfulness #positivepsychology #mangement #commandandconquer #negativitybias #employeeengagement #employeemotivation