The Leadership Mistake That's Driving Your Best Employees Away with Teagan Dowler

Anton introduces Teagan as a leadership and culture expert who grew up in a mining community, blending backgrounds in psychology and HR to focus on inclusive, high-performing cultures in high-risk environments. Teagan explains that influence is not limited to formal leaders; it comes from relationships, perspectives, and the “leadership shadow” leaders cast through their behavior and positional power. She shares her origin story, including early work coaching leaders in underground coal mines and the gendered challenges she faced, which later drove her to found Blue Collared Woman and write The Rules of the Game: Women in Masculine Industries. A major theme is mental health, particularly the disproportionate suicide rates among working-age men and the strain of FIFO work, reinforcing the need for honest discussion, support services, and leaders trained in mental health first aid. Teagan and Anton also highlight empathy and emotional intelligence as critical leadership traits, distinguish kindness from mere “niceness,” and stress aligning leadership with personal purpose so that leaders create genuine, lasting positive impact.

Takeaways:

1. Influence is for everyone, not just titled leaders Teagan emphasizes that influence comes from relationships, perspectives, and daily behavior, meaning anyone in an organization can shape culture and outcomes, regardless of role.

2. Psychological safety and mental health are critical in heavy industry The conversation highlights high suicide risk among working-age men, the strain of FIFO and night shift, and the lasting impact of fatalities, underscoring the need for open dialogue, support, and mentally healthy workplaces.

3. Empathy and emotional intelligence are core leadership skills Effective leaders combine self-awareness with genuine care, choosing kindness (including tough, honest conversations) over superficial “niceness,” and aligning their leadership with a deeper sense of purpose and value

Quotes:

"Influence for me is something that anyone can possess, and it's our ability to create a lasting impact and to influence the people around us for good or for not so good."

"I just followed a purpose, a heart-driven purpose, and I truly believe that when we are aligned with the thing that lights us up... that's the ticket."

"We should not focus on being nice; rather, we should focus on being kind, because nice means that we shy away from the hard conversations... whereas kindness is doing the hard thing, knowing

Timestamps:

0:00 – Culture change & mental health in heavy industry 0:50 – Podcast intro & Teagan’s bio 3:14 – What influence really means 5:22 – Why people really become leaders 6:35 – Origin story: From coal town to leadership coach 8:57 – Coaching underground coal leaders as a young woman 9:21 – Gendered challenges and sexual overtones in mining 11:43 – Men’s mental health and heavy industry risk 12:20 – The reality of FIFO and the cost of “doing it for the money” 14:33 – Psychological safety, suicides, and fatalities 16:46 – Call to reach out for help and support 17:04 – Launching Blue Collared Woman (BCW) 18:42 – “That’s a dumb idea”: Pushback from dad and mentor 19:54 – From anonymous blog to national platform 20:56 – Influence through purpose, not a marketing plan 22:23 – Being of value & legacy 24:21 – Parenting as the most important leadership role 26:17 – Generational change: Letting the next generation lead 27:21 – Wisdom vs. rigidity in experienced leaders 28:45 – People vs. process: The gray zone of leadership 31:03 – DISC profiles and changing styles over time 33:18 – Knowing when you’re “being a D” 34:28 – Adapting to others’ styles, not just your own 35:27 – The engineer who “did leadership as a task” 36:33 – You can’t fake care: Heart vs. checklist 40:06 – The dark triad and empathy spectrum 41:26 – Nervous systems, stress, and psychosocial safety 41:45 – Emotional intelligence: Not creating negative emotional experiences 45:12 – Final homework: Walk in with more empathy 45:26 – Host wrap‑up & calls to action

Conclusion:

The conversation ultimately lands on a very human, hopeful note: real leadership in heavy industry isn’t about titles, toughness, or having a perfect strategy, but about caring enough to tell the truth, to listen, and to keep people safe—physically and psychologically. Teagan’s journey from coal-town kid to industry influencer shows how one person’s decision to “hit publish” on an uncomfortable truth can ripple out into cultural change. Anton’s reflections reinforce that when leaders align their work with purpose and empathy, they don’t just improve performance; they literally help keep people alive and well in some of the toughest workplaces on earth. Together, they challenge listeners to stop treating people as tasks, to question their own “I must be right” stories, and to walk into their next interaction with just a little more courage and compassion than they had yesterday.