What if the most important leadership skill in today’s workplace isn’t having the perfect answer—but knowing how to influence with clarity, humanity, and conviction? In this episode, Anna Morgan sits down with Kat Kibben (founder of Three Ears Media, two-time author) for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, resilience, community, and what it means to stay human as work evolves.
From the hidden mechanics behind broken job postings to the deeper mindset shifts leaders need right now, Kat shares frameworks and real talk on why “good enough” systems produce generic outcomes—and why connection is the most reliable form of career stability.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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What “influence instead of convince” looks like in leadership, recruiting, and consulting
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Why “good enough” hiring systems create generic results—and how leaders raise the bar
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How to define roles beyond “years of experience” using autonomy, aptitude, peopling, and communication
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Why job descriptions shouldn’t be a legal CYA—and how job postings should actually function
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How experimentation builds resilience (and why teams hide AI usage at work)
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Why quitting is a valuable skill—and how “pruning” protects your energy and growth
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How community and networking become career insurance in uncertain markets
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What event organizers get wrong about education, equity, and speaker experience
Key moments / timestamps
00:00 Anna introduces Kat Kibben + the “more human” mission
02:50 The real issues teams bring to Kat (and what’s underneath)
03:53 “Influence instead of convince.”
06:18 The “good enough” culture problem
09:11 Skills-based hiring: why words aren’t universal
10:08 A better role framework: autonomy, aptitude, peopling, communication
14:21 Why job posting work is actually process + culture work
23:18 Why people hide AI usage—and how leaders normalize experimentation
25:11 Resilience as the outcome of safe experimentation
26:17 Kat’s new book + navigating uncertainty as a life strategy
32:19 Functional leadership: model the behaviors you want mirrored
35:11 Knowing when to quit (and why it matters)
49:50 Speaker + event insights: reduce friction, increase clarity
54:07 Networking is caring about others in disguise
01:00:22 Speaker compensation: minimums, equity, and value exchange
01:04:20 Why continuing education gets deprioritized—and the cost
Kat Kibben is the founder of Three Ears Media and a recruitment consultant and writer who helps organizations transform how they hire by improving role clarity, job storytelling, and the systems behind recruiting. She’s a two-time author, a sought-after speaker, and known for blending practical talent strategy with deeply human leadership and resilience insights.
|Follow Us|
Follow Kat Kibben
Website | https://threeearsmedia.com/
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinakibben/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/KatrinaKibben
Follow Anna Morgan
Website | https://yourcareerbff.com/
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/evolve-conference-careerbff/posts/?feedView=all
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/annamorgancareerbff/?hl=en
Facebook | https://web.facebook.com/anna.morgan.351104
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