Fix The Process, Free The People

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What if the toughest problems in your business aren’t really about people at all—but about process? And what if the missing ingredient in leadership today is learning how to hold people accountable with both clarity and compassion?

In this uplifting conversation, Chris Cooper was joined by Lisa Bing, a sought-after leadership strategist, educator, and board leader whose career spans corporate boardrooms, NYU classrooms, faith communities, and the arts.

Lisa has advised executives across industries for over 20 years, drawing on unique methods that weave in movement, dance, and the performing arts to help leaders experience what trust, support, and connection really feel like.

Together, they explored how to distinguish process problems from people problems and why getting this wrong causes unnecessary stress and failure.

They looked at what true accountability looks like when it builds relationships rather than breaks them, the surprising leadership lessons from dance, movement, and the arts that can transform how teams collaborate.

They also explored why diversity and inclusion aren’t “initiatives” but core management responsibilities, and how Lisa’s journey from Prudential to MOVE|NYC to mentoring senior executives revealed fresh ways to lead with humanity and impact.

Here are some insights from the interview you won’t want to miss:

Process Issues vs. People Issues
Many business challenges that seem like “people issues” are often rooted in flawed processes. It’s essential for leaders to distinguish between problems stemming from individuals and those arising from broken or unclear processes.

Clarity and Compassion in Accountability
Holding people accountable requires both clarity (making expectations explicit) and compassion (understanding underlying causes and supporting growth). Effective leaders create environments where questioning, learning, and feedback are encouraged.

Reflection Is Key to Leadership Wisdom
Wisdom doesn’t just come with age or experience—it comes with intentional reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and why. Leaders should make a habit of reflecting on both successes and failures to continue growing.

Process as a Foundation for Innovation
Clear and well-structured processes free up people to innovate and focus on higher-value activities, rather than firefighting or managing chaos.

Managers Need Broader Exposure
Many leaders are only exposed to perspectives within their function or industry. Expanding horizons—through reading, engaging with people outside the immediate bubble, or learning from the arts—can help leaders think more strategically.

Leadership Is Not About You
Great leadership focuses on elevating others, helping them thrive, and making a positive impact on the world—not on self-interest or personal gain.

Dance & Movement as Leadership Metaphor
Lisa shared insights from her experience with dance, highlighting the importance of trust, communication, and incremental steps (building rapport and trust don’t happen all at once, but gradually). The arts can offer visceral, memorable lessons for leaders.

Process and People Need Integration
It’s rarely a matter of “just process” or “just people”—real issues tend to involve both. Leaders must learn to assess which elements to prioritize and how to facilitate improvements.

Growth Requires Proactivity, Not Only Problem-Solving
Bringing in consultants or seeking development shouldn’t only happen when there’s a crisis. Proactive investment in growth and leadership development helps organizations thrive in changing environments.

Encouraging Discomfort and Experimentation
— to gain fresh perspective on their purpose and next steps.

True leadership isn’t about self. It’s about improving the conditions of others and creating meaningful change.
– Lisa Bing.

Listen for an inspiring and practical dialogue that will give you new tools for leading teams, building trust, and creating cultures where people thrive.

You can listen to this Business Elevation Show interview with Lisa Bing & Chris Cooper here. Alternatively on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Tunein, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio (latter US only).

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More about Lisa Bing:

Lisa A. Bing is a strategy and leadership expert with a unique profile.

Lisa has been dubbed an “avatar of adult learning” which combined with her keen business acumen positions her to both quickly diagnosis business needs and engage clients in their own learning to expand personal capabilities and organisational capacity.

Lisa has worked across a spectrum of industries and professions as well as with both large and small companies…including religious leaders.

Lisa simplifies the complex. She is both pragmatic and empathic. She creates just the right balance between people needs and business needs in ways that break down silos, clarifies goals, aligns expectations, and gets everyone rowing in the same direction for faster, better decisions and dramatically improved results.

Some of her typical results include reduced labour intensity, coalitions and collaboration, among diverse interests, faster, better decision making and dramatic productivity improvement. One client, a commercial real estate CEO says, “Everything Lisa tells us to do works!”

Born and bred in Brooklyn, Lisa loves theatre, dance, and absolutely delicious food.

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