Kristen Ziman
@kristenziman.bsky.social
Keynote speaker: Optimize with Optimism. Author of “Reimagining Blue.” Recovering Police Chief
Listen to The Disrupter's Creed here: https://linktr.ee/kristenziman
Listen to The Disrupter's Creed here: https://linktr.ee/kristenziman
I hate vulnerability because I’m bad at it.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
December 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I hate vulnerability because I’m bad at it.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
I’m bad at it because for most of my career, vulnerability felt like a liability.
Vulnerability wasn’t my downfall. It was the moment of reckoning that made me a better leader.
Your courage doesn’t inspire people nearly as much as your humanity does.
“Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust.”
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
November 28, 2025 at 5:04 PM
“Babe, I would trade the Cartier for someone to trust.”
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
I don’t own a Cartier (yet), but the line is true: trust is the real flex.
There’s no formula for finding those people. You just trust first. If someone lets you down, learn—but don’t harden.
Keep trusting. You’ll find your people.
If you want honest feedback, stop using language that makes people afraid to tell you the truth.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
November 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
If you want honest feedback, stop using language that makes people afraid to tell you the truth.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
Leadership isn’t about protecting your authority—it’s about removing the fear around it.
Invite disruption. Expect it. Celebrate it.
That’s how cultures transform.
Leadership is not a popularity contest.
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
October 24, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Leadership is not a popularity contest.
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
If you’re leading to be liked, you’re not leading — you’re managing comfort.
If you don’t have the capacity to be criticized, questioned, or challenged, leadership might not be for you.
#Leadership #Courage #Culture #Disruption #DoItScared
Your phone is not just data. It is a record of who you were, who you outgrew, and who is still worth the space. I did a waiting-room contact purge and learned a lot.
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
October 14, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Your phone is not just data. It is a record of who you were, who you outgrew, and who is still worth the space. I did a waiting-room contact purge and learned a lot.
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
Listen on Spotify: https://loom.ly/fIHUwPg
Apple Podcasts: https://loom.ly/u1MB-Jk
Watch on YouTube: https://loom.ly/_TqoR_I
A boss once accused me of “ambushing” him.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
October 10, 2025 at 6:29 PM
A boss once accused me of “ambushing” him.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
All I did was ask why he made a certain decision.
That’s when I learned: fragile leaders think curiosity is confrontation.
If your ego can’t handle a question, you’re not a leader—you’re a performer.
A paycheck buys a back.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
October 3, 2025 at 4:18 PM
A paycheck buys a back.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Leadership earns a heart.
Don’t settle for compliance. Instead create connection, purpose, and trust that make people want to give their best.
Confidence in leadership isn’t optional—it’s everything. Without it, leaders chase being loved or feared. Both fail. Confidence earns trust.
September 27, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Confidence in leadership isn’t optional—it’s everything. Without it, leaders chase being loved or feared. Both fail. Confidence earns trust.
What punches is life throwing at you right now?
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
September 12, 2025 at 1:39 PM
What punches is life throwing at you right now?
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
The temptation is to retreat, to lay down, to give up. But that’s not an option.
Life only works if you keep showing up. Yes, that means taking a few blows—but it also means staying in the fight.
Because people are counting on you not to quit.
Fear is a liar.
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
September 5, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Fear is a liar.
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
Let me come speak at your conference or event and I'll make sure your audience is given the tools to actionable items to level up their lives and their organizations for the better.
www.kristenziman.com
52. What a privilege. Chicago. Family (minus Jake on tour with Parade). My Aurora Police & chosen family who always show up. Honored my daughter & son-in-law before they deploy soon. And—we found a 2nd home in the Gold Coast. Grateful for every year, every person.
September 1, 2025 at 2:57 PM
52. What a privilege. Chicago. Family (minus Jake on tour with Parade). My Aurora Police & chosen family who always show up. Honored my daughter & son-in-law before they deploy soon. And—we found a 2nd home in the Gold Coast. Grateful for every year, every person.
My keynotes don’t come from perfection—they come from the messy middle. I’ve failed, fallen short, and wrestled with vulnerability. And that’s exactly why I share: to help others navigate better than I did. Book me to speak: www.kristenziman.com
August 29, 2025 at 4:23 PM
My keynotes don’t come from perfection—they come from the messy middle. I’ve failed, fallen short, and wrestled with vulnerability. And that’s exactly why I share: to help others navigate better than I did. Book me to speak: www.kristenziman.com
The blink: that moment when discomfort meets decision. Fear whispers “step back”—but you move anyway. That’s the window. That’s disruption. You may not get it twice. Readiness is overrated. What matters is that you act.
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
August 18, 2025 at 4:05 PM
The blink: that moment when discomfort meets decision. Fear whispers “step back”—but you move anyway. That’s the window. That’s disruption. You may not get it twice. Readiness is overrated. What matters is that you act.
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
Read more here: https://loom.ly/j2zJng4
When my kids showed me their papers, I’d fix grammar—then ask: “Is this the best you can do?”
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
August 15, 2025 at 3:19 PM
When my kids showed me their papers, I’d fix grammar—then ask: “Is this the best you can do?”
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
Not to judge, but to push. Your “best” changes daily, but there’s no shortcut for it. Don’t half-ass it.
Your work reflects you. And that matters.
Right before you do something bold, there’s a moment where you blink—where fear tries to stop you. Most people blink. But as Seth Godin reminds us, that moment is the only thing between you and remarkable.
Don’t flinch. Do it scared.
Do it scared.
Don’t flinch. Do it scared.
Do it scared.
August 8, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Right before you do something bold, there’s a moment where you blink—where fear tries to stop you. Most people blink. But as Seth Godin reminds us, that moment is the only thing between you and remarkable.
Don’t flinch. Do it scared.
Do it scared.
Don’t flinch. Do it scared.
Do it scared.
What are you pissed off about today?
You're pissed that you keep chasing perfection—even though you know it's impossible.
What are you going to do about it?
You're pissed that you keep chasing perfection—even though you know it's impossible.
What are you going to do about it?
August 6, 2025 at 4:19 PM
What are you pissed off about today?
You're pissed that you keep chasing perfection—even though you know it's impossible.
What are you going to do about it?
You're pissed that you keep chasing perfection—even though you know it's impossible.
What are you going to do about it?
It’s easy to forget that every revolution, every reformation, every seismic culture shift started with one person. Not a charismatic hero necessarily. Just a person who saw something broken and dared to say, “What if we didn’t do it like this anymore?”
Link to blog: https://loom.ly/mrYgoDU
Link to blog: https://loom.ly/mrYgoDU
August 4, 2025 at 7:32 PM
It’s easy to forget that every revolution, every reformation, every seismic culture shift started with one person. Not a charismatic hero necessarily. Just a person who saw something broken and dared to say, “What if we didn’t do it like this anymore?”
Link to blog: https://loom.ly/mrYgoDU
Link to blog: https://loom.ly/mrYgoDU
We know how receiving a compliment from someone makes us feel, so why do we hesitate to give them?
I always feel awkward, as if it will come across as weird or creepy, which is ridiculous since that's never been the case.
Read blog: https://loom.ly/YhOdlb4
Spotify: https://loom.ly/dL9BOjE
I always feel awkward, as if it will come across as weird or creepy, which is ridiculous since that's never been the case.
Read blog: https://loom.ly/YhOdlb4
Spotify: https://loom.ly/dL9BOjE
July 29, 2025 at 12:58 PM
We know how receiving a compliment from someone makes us feel, so why do we hesitate to give them?
I always feel awkward, as if it will come across as weird or creepy, which is ridiculous since that's never been the case.
Read blog: https://loom.ly/YhOdlb4
Spotify: https://loom.ly/dL9BOjE
I always feel awkward, as if it will come across as weird or creepy, which is ridiculous since that's never been the case.
Read blog: https://loom.ly/YhOdlb4
Spotify: https://loom.ly/dL9BOjE
We assume people already know they made an impact.
But no one is immune to doubt.
No one is drowning in too much appreciation.
Say the thing.
Send the message.
Don’t assume they know.
On the Disrupter's Creed Podcast, we are talking about why your words matter more than you think.
But no one is immune to doubt.
No one is drowning in too much appreciation.
Say the thing.
Send the message.
Don’t assume they know.
On the Disrupter's Creed Podcast, we are talking about why your words matter more than you think.
July 28, 2025 at 6:02 PM
We assume people already know they made an impact.
But no one is immune to doubt.
No one is drowning in too much appreciation.
Say the thing.
Send the message.
Don’t assume they know.
On the Disrupter's Creed Podcast, we are talking about why your words matter more than you think.
But no one is immune to doubt.
No one is drowning in too much appreciation.
Say the thing.
Send the message.
Don’t assume they know.
On the Disrupter's Creed Podcast, we are talking about why your words matter more than you think.
Culture isn’t created by values on the wall.
It’s shaped by what we allow—and what we challenge.
Disrupters speak up. Even when it’s scary.
Even when they might be ridiculed.
Your voice matters more than you think.
It’s shaped by what we allow—and what we challenge.
Disrupters speak up. Even when it’s scary.
Even when they might be ridiculed.
Your voice matters more than you think.
July 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Culture isn’t created by values on the wall.
It’s shaped by what we allow—and what we challenge.
Disrupters speak up. Even when it’s scary.
Even when they might be ridiculed.
Your voice matters more than you think.
It’s shaped by what we allow—and what we challenge.
Disrupters speak up. Even when it’s scary.
Even when they might be ridiculed.
Your voice matters more than you think.
You feel duped.
You believed in someone who no longer deserves it.
That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.
What matters now is what you do with that clarity.
Start asking harder questions. Seek the truth, not just validation. Don’t cling to loyalty out of pride.
You believed in someone who no longer deserves it.
That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.
What matters now is what you do with that clarity.
Start asking harder questions. Seek the truth, not just validation. Don’t cling to loyalty out of pride.
July 23, 2025 at 7:40 PM
You feel duped.
You believed in someone who no longer deserves it.
That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.
What matters now is what you do with that clarity.
Start asking harder questions. Seek the truth, not just validation. Don’t cling to loyalty out of pride.
You believed in someone who no longer deserves it.
That doesn’t make you stupid. It makes you human.
What matters now is what you do with that clarity.
Start asking harder questions. Seek the truth, not just validation. Don’t cling to loyalty out of pride.
Feelings drive behavior—whether you like it or not.
If your people feel ignored, they shut down.
If they feel valued, they show up.
Leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s emotional intelligence in action.
You must love your people more than you love your position.
If your people feel ignored, they shut down.
If they feel valued, they show up.
Leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s emotional intelligence in action.
You must love your people more than you love your position.
July 18, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Feelings drive behavior—whether you like it or not.
If your people feel ignored, they shut down.
If they feel valued, they show up.
Leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s emotional intelligence in action.
You must love your people more than you love your position.
If your people feel ignored, they shut down.
If they feel valued, they show up.
Leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s emotional intelligence in action.
You must love your people more than you love your position.