Kimball was known for his passion, conviction, and intensity — qualities that helped him rise quickly into the CEO chair. But the same emotional force that fueled early success eventually turned into volatility. His tone tightened, his reactions spiked, and people learned to brace themselves when he walked into the room. Through Blindspotting Coaching, Kimball discovered that emotional expression without awareness doesn’t inspire — it intimidates. When he learned to regulate his emotional “volume,” he rebuilt trust, steadied the culture, and became a more grounded, influential leader.
Before becoming CEO, Kimball’s passion was seen as a strength. He cared deeply, moved quickly, and brought energy to every room. His board admired his conviction. His peers saw him as a driver. His teams respected his results.
But when he stepped into the CEO role, everything changed.
The stakes rose. The visibility increased. The pressure intensified. And his emotional reactions — once interpreted as enthusiasm — began landing differently.
Inside the organization:
Kimball believed he was being passionate. His team felt he was unpredictable.
Slowly, consequences emerged:
What Kimball saw as commitment, everyone else experienced as volatility.
Kimball’s blindspot was a lack of emotional mastery; he was blind to his own emotions and those of others. He was also unaware of how to use emotion strategically in the workplace. His emotions often rose too fast, too hot, or too unfiltered for the room to absorb.
In Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader, Martin Dubin explains that emotion becomes a blindspot when a leader’s reactions become “louder than their intentions.” This misalignment creates confusion, fear, and reactivity in others — even when the leader believes they are simply being honest or passionate.
Kimball wasn’t trying to intimidate anyone. He wasn’t trying to shut down ideas. He wasn’t intentionally creating tension.
But his emotional presence filled the room so completely that no one else had space to contribute.
As Dubin writes:
“Strong emotion without awareness creates volatility. It moves faster than the logic behind it.”
That was Kimball’s blindspot: His feelings arrived before his leadership did.
Read more about the Emotion blindspot here.
Blindspotting Performance Coaching helped Kimball examine not that he felt strongly — but how quickly and how intensely those feelings surfaced.
His coach guided him through moments where emotional speed outpaced leadership presence:
A pivotal moment came when his coach asked: “What happens to a room when your emotions arrive before your words?”
Through coaching, he practiced three core techniques:
Instead of responding immediately, he learned to pause long enough for the feeling to settle.
A deep breath. A sip of water. A five-second pause.
Small, practical signals that created space.
He practiced framing his reactions with clarity rather than force:
“I’m frustrated, but I’m here to understand.”
“I’m concerned, not angry.”
“Let’s slow this down and get the full picture.”
Naming the emotion helped others stay grounded.
He began noticing who needed more time, who needed reassurance, and who needed neutrality instead of heat.
He learned to lead with presence before intensity.
These shifts didn’t mute Kimball — they directed him.
Read more about how Blindspotting Coaching helps leaders build emotional mastery. →
As Kimball’s emotional awareness increased, the culture shifted quickly:
Kimball didn’t lose passion. He gained control of it.
His emotional range — once a liability — became a strategic asset.
And the organization that had once felt unstable found its footing again.
Kimball’s story demonstrates a central truth of Blindspotting:
Emotion is not the problem. Unawareness of emotion is.
Intensity without awareness overshadows trust. Intensity with awareness inspires it.
Leaders who grow in emotional awareness don’t just regulate how they feel—they learn when to dial their emotions up or down to meet the moment with intention. It’s not about feeling less. It’s about using emotion strategically.
Explore more about the Behavior Blindspot. →
Ask yourself:
Your passion is a strength — until it becomes a storm.
Emotional awareness transforms intensity into influence.
→ Explore Blindspotting Coaching for Leaders & Teams
Blindspotting →Identity →Behaviors →Traits → Intellect → Emotion → Motive →
