Navigating Change in a Distracted Workplace with Linda Rutherford, Dr. Marc Nivet, and Emily Crawford – Episode 362
Sep 29, 2026
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Change is happening faster than ever — from AI and digital transformation to increasingly distracted and stretched teams. But effective leadership through change isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes, it requires changing how you see your role.
This special episode was recorded at the live Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel, which took place on August 25, 2026, hosted by Bank of Texas.
I was joined by three remarkable leaders who have navigated change at scale:
Linda Rutherford — Former Chief Administration Officer and current Executive Advisor at Southwest Airlines, with 33 years of experience leading through change.
Dr. Marc Nivet — Executive Vice President at UT Southwestern Medical Center, bringing three decades of leadership experience in academic medicine.
Emily Crawford — A leader in change management and AI transformation at Credera, helping major organizations navigate what’s next.
Together, we explored what it really takes to lead through change when your people — and you — are already stretched thin.
Top 3 Takeaways
1. Capacity matters as much as capability.
Leaders can’t effectively lead change when they’re running on empty.
2. Leadership starts from within.
How you see your role shapes how you lead through uncertainty.
3. Doing more isn’t always the answer.
Sometimes the most powerful leadership move is to shift how you show up.
Episode Minutes:
- Minute 17:00 - Leading through uncertainty as a vessel, not a hero
- Minute 37:00 - Why AI must be tied to objectives, not treated as a checkbox
- Minute 40:00 - Communication during change and why silence is risky
- Minute 55:40 - Grace, good-enough leadership, and asking what blocks best work
Links + Resources from This Episode:
- Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment
- Get a copy of Dana’s book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within
- Learn more about The Strengths Journal
About Linda Rutherford
Linda Rutherford served as Chief Administration Officer for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines until she stepped back from her executive role in April 2025. She still serves the Company as an Executive Advisor. Linda is known for creating and leading powerful teams that equip, empower, and engage the business to serve its People and Customers.
About Dr. Marc Nivet
Marc A. Nivet, EdD, MBA, has served as the Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement at UT Southwestern Medical Center since September 2016. A nationally renowned thought leader and highly regarded fundraiser, Dr. Nivet leads an extensive team which works to elevate awareness, improve engagement, and build relationships to advance the academic medical center’s mission.
About Emily Crawford
Emily Crawford leads the North America Management Consulting team at Omnicom’s Transformation Consultancy, Credera. She brings cross-industry insights and works closely with executive leaders to power growth across marketing and technology. At her core, she is a program leader who connects strategy to execution.
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