Why You Should Lead With Care, Not Just Authority With Kaine Ogden

Kane Ogden described influence as earning people’s buy-in and said it grows when leaders take risks and make difficult decisions. He reflected on nearly eight years in the Australian Army, where both strong and poor leaders shaped the leader he wanted to become. One senior leader initially seemed abrasive, but Kane came to understand that his approach was rooted in genuine care and experience, which led Kane to advocate for him. A 2016 podcast by Tom Bilyeu sparked Kane’s interest in personal development, entrepreneurship, and reading. Since leaving the military, Kane has built a jet ski training business and works in leadership development.

Takeaway:

1. Influence takes courage: Leaders can earn their team’s trust by taking risks and making difficult decisions.
2. Learn from leadership—good and bad: Kane’s military experience helped him identify the kind of leader he wanted to become.
3. Care builds buy-in: Authority matters, but people are more likely to follow leaders when they believe those leaders genuinely care about them.

Quotes:

• “If you can get people on board with what we're doing, and then have them motivated to do it for their own means in your stead. You're an influential person.” — Kane Ogden
• “A leader's level of influence is directly proportionate to the amount of risk they're willing to take.” — Kane Ogden (he introduced this as a quote he was paraphrasing)
• “One of the motivations for this particular individual was that he just genuinely cared for his people.” — Kane Ogden

Timeline:

00:00 Influence, risk, and lonely leadership 00:39 Podcast introduction 04:13 Defining influence 05:01 Influence and risk 07:05 Kane’s path to the military 09:54 Lessons from poor leadership 11:43 Authority, trust, and leadership 13:08 The leader behind the harsh exterior 15:07 Trust and vulnerability 16:57 Care as a leadership principle 18:01 Influences after military service 18:41 Tom Bilyeu and personal growth 20:40 Quest Nutrition and Bruce Cardenas 22:18 Closing remarks

Conclusion:

Leadership influence grows when people take responsibility for difficult choices and earn trust through courage and genuine care. Kane’s experience shows how learning from both positive and poor leadership can guide a more supportive, credible approach.