Some leaders are full of substance, and others are hollow bunnies. Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir have experienced both as they rose through the ranks to eventually become police chiefs in their respective departments. They’ll share what they’ve learned and talk with other industry leaders in conversations that will frequently devolve from focused to fun.
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October 23, 2026Episode 7929 min
California Day Dreaming
Sometimes the pre-show chat goes on so long that we have enough for an entire podcast. And sometimes we're up against a deadline. Both of those things happened this week, so please enjoy the random, meandering conversation with Kristen, Sylvia, and Producer Ted. They talk about KZ & Syl's recent trip to California, the culture of tipping, and whether or not it's ok for men to pee sitting down. It's a whole lot of nothing but a whole lot of fun – we hope you enjoy this episode.
October 9, 2026Episode 7841 min
Don't Hand Judgement to the Loudest Critics
In Episode 78 of the Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast, former police chiefs Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir dive into the middle of leadership decisions and what happens when radical ideas hit unexpected wobbles. Kristen shares a story from her time as a police lieutenant, where giving officers the autonomy to choose their assignments based on their passions led to a massive 300% increase in performance – until an external disruption caused a temporary dip, giving an opportunity for a critical commander to push back. Reflecting on organizational trust, workplace autonomy, and leading without ego, Kristen and Sylvia dissect the crucial boundary between principle and pride, offering a masterclass on how leaders can navigate self-doubt, stay anchored to their core mission, and avoid handing their judgment over to their loudest critics (or their own pride).
September 25, 2026Episode 7735 min
Never Purchase Loyalty
Episode 77, “Never Purchase Loyalty,” explores how leaders can create unhealthy loyalty by bonding with employees over shared grievances, especially complaints about other leaders. Kristin and Sylvia discuss why shared negativity can create a quick sense of connection, but also why that loyalty is conditional: if someone becomes loyal because you validate their complaints, they may turn on you when you eventually challenge them, set a boundary, or hold them accountable. They emphasize the difference between acknowledging someone's experience and endorsing their conclusions, encouraging leaders to listen carefully, ask what actually happened, take legitimate concerns seriously and redirect people toward resolving issues with the person involved. The episode also turns the mirror on leaders themselves, warning against enjoying the feeling of being the person everyone comes to complain to. The larger message is that trust should be built by making truth safe, even when it's complicated—not by using someone else's grievance to make them feel closer to you.
September 11, 2026Episode 7641 min
The LIVE Episode
For Episode 76 of the Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast, Kristen and Sylvia got out of the studio and onto a stage in California, where they recorded a live episode during the RISE conference. In front of an audience of women in policing, they went back to the beginning – sharing the story of how they met, explaining what "hollow bunny" means, and revisiting some of the stories and lessons that have shaped the podcast over the past four years. For longtime listeners, there’s something pretty great about hearing some of those stories again, this time with a live audience reacting along with them. And for anyone new to the podcast, it’s a chance to get to know Kristen and Sylvia and understand what the Hollow Bunny is all about without having to start at Episode 1. The live setting also gave the conversation a different energy and made for a particularly powerful episode for women working in the profession.
August 28, 2026Episode 7544 min
Give Grace or Drop the Hammer
In this episode of the Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast, former police chiefs and hosts Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir explore the delicate leadership balance between extending grace through "charitable assumptions" and recognizing actual behavioral patterns when people fall short. Drawing on concepts like the fundamental attribution error and the three distinct dimensions of trust—ability, benevolence, and integrity—they discuss how leaders can guard against personal biases, ensure their words align with their daily actions, and navigate the tough choices that arise when competing professional and personal priorities collide.
August 14, 2026Episode 7447 min
Promotion by Personality
In our latest episode, Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir tackle the "selection problem" in modern organizations, debating whether leaders are too often promoted based on surface-level traits like charisma, confidence, and visibility rather than true substance. Using their signature "hollow bunny" metaphor to describe leaders who look the part but lack depth, Kristen argues that standard interview panels routinely reward high-visibility personalities over quiet competence and team-building capability. Sylvia offers pushback by introducing the Ivey Business School Leader Character Framework, emphasizing that robust leadership evaluation must test multidimensional character traits - such as judgment, humanity, courage, and temperance - under pressure. Ultimately, Kristen and Sylvia examine how leaders frequently promote others based on shared personal values, offering a compelling look at how organizations can look beyond charm to assess authentic character and capability.
July 31, 2026Episode 7343 min
The Cliff is Not Optional
In this episode of The Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast , former police chiefs Sylvia Moir and Kristen Ziman explore personal transformation and leadership after stepping away from executive roles, drawing on concepts from Jim Collins, David Brooks, and Colin Powell. They break down a four-part framework for navigating life's major transitions: confronting the Cliff (defining, trajectory-altering life events), navigating the Fog (the uncertain period after a crisis that demands disciplined patience rather than hasty action), tending the Fire (the enduring internal purpose that outlasts any job title), and cultivating Self-Knowledge (continually re-evaluating one's identity across different seasons of life). Ultimately, the hosts highlight that true fulfillment comes from separating your personal worth from your position, using resilience and inner purpose to guide your next chapter.
July 17, 2026Episode 7237 min
Fantasize About Pop-Tarts
In Episode 72, co-hosts Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir dive into the psychology of workplace productivity by unpacking Parkinson’s Law – the famous adage that work expands to fill the time allocated for its completion. Trading witty banter about childhood Trapper Keepers and questionable snack choices, the duo dissects how this law manifests in organizations, particularly through "artificial busyness" and bureaucratic bloat (illustrated by the humorous trap of managers hiring multiple assistants who simply create more work for one another). To combat this, they connect Parkinson's Law to the Law of Triviality (where committees obsess over minor details they all understand) and the Pareto Principle (the 80/20 rule), offering actionable leadership strategies to trim the fat. Ultimately, they argue that modern leaders should use constraint as a tool for impact – recommending shorter deadlines, breaking large projects into bite-sized milestones, replacing hour-long calendar blocks with highly structured 15-minute syncs, and focusing strictly on outcomes rather than the illusion of being busy.
July 3, 2026Episode 7142 min
Evolution of Leadership
In Episode 71 of the Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast , Kristem and Sylvia examine the historical shifts in leadership theories. Using the context of the United States' 250th anniversary, the co-hosts debate whether leaders are born or made by tracing the evolution from the "Great Man" trait theory to modern behavioral and situational frameworks. Drawing from their extensive backgrounds in law enforcement, they challenge the "Peter Principle" and the corporate habit of promoting individuals solely based on technical test scores rather than human and conceptual competencies. Ultimately, Kristen & Sylvia emphasize that true, impactful leadership requires an agile, situationally fluid approach that bridges the vital gap between formal institutional authority and earned cultural legitimacy.
June 19, 2026Episode 7039 min
Intellectual Tramp Stamp
In Episode 70 of the Hollow Bunny Leadership Podcast , co-hosts and former police chiefs Kristen Ziman and Sylvia Moir take aim at the ubiquitous corporate advice to "always be yourself," arguing that modern notions of leadership authenticity have devolved into an oversold, diluted word salad. While acknowledging that vulnerability can build trust, they contend that unfiltered "authenticity" often serves as a convenient shield for poor behavior, self-indulgence, or a total lack of emotional regulation. Drawing from their own high-stakes law enforcement careers – including the distinct ways they maintained composure and managed teams during the intense pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic – Kristen & Sylvia assert that true leadership demands situational behavior and strict emotional control to protect the crew and serve the mission. Interspersing this heavy leadership critique with sharp wit, banter about a live tour, and a debate over getting matching ampersand tattoos, the hosts deliver a definitive bottom line for the modern leader: your core values must remain fixed, but your behavior and delivery must adapt to what the situation requires.
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