Lifting Leaders: Recent Episodes

Tricia Rhine | Kristal Roberts

Elevating leaders’ capabilities, to positively leverage the impact they have on the World’s most critical challenges through energizing and unleashing the power of every voice.

As we wrap up Season Five of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we're reflecting on one of the most important leadership questions of our time:

How do leaders inspire genuine hope without ignoring reality?

In this season finale, we share 10 practical leadership strategies for creating hope during uncertainty, organizational change, and challenging times. You'll learn how effective leaders build trust by telling the truth, create opportunities for meaningful action, help people reconnect to purpose, celebrate progress, and model the resilience needed to move forward together.

Whether you lead an organization, a team, or simply want to have a greater positive influence on those around you, these evidence-informed leadership practices will help you foster optimism grounded in action, not wishful thinking.

Throughout our Ignite Genuine Hope series, we've been inspired by extraordinary guests whose experiences reminded us that hope isn't simply a feeling, it's a leadership capability that can be cultivated every day. In this episode, we also look back on some of our favorite conversations, lessons, and memorable moments from Season Five.

As we take a short August summer break, we want to thank every listener who has joined us on this journey. Your support has helped build a community of leaders committed to making workplaces, and the world, a little better.

When we return for Season Six, we'll launch our new leadership series, Lead the Change, exploring how leaders transform hope into action, navigate complexity, and create lasting organizational impact.

In this episode:* 10 practical ways to inspire genuine hope as a leader * How to build trust during uncertainty and change * Why hope is a leadership skill, not simply an emotion * Lessons from our favorite Season Five guests * A preview of Season Six: Lead the Change

Thank you for listening to the Lifting Leaders Podcast. We'll see you in September as we continue lifting leaders, and leading change, together.

What if the only way forward was to let go?

In this deeply personal Spark episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, co-host Kristal Roberts shares, for the first time publicly, the true story of a kayaking accident that nearly claimed her life - and the profound leadership lesson she discovered beneath the surface.

Pinned under a dangerous log jam and fighting against a powerful current, Kristal faced a decision that became a life-changing metaphor: continue clinging to what felt familiar or trust the current and let go.

That experience transformed the way she thinks about leadership, hope, resilience, courage, trust, and navigating uncertainty.

Whether you're leading through organizational change, facing a difficult life transition, or struggling to release a future that no longer exists, this episode offers a powerful reminder that genuine hope often begins where certainty ends.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why letting go is sometimes the bravest leadership decision you can make.
How hope grows when we release the need to control every outcome.
What a near-death experience taught about resilience and choosing life.
Questions every leader should ask when facing change, uncertainty, or loss.
How trusting the "river" can open the door to new possibilities and a better future.

If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or unable to move forward, this story will encourage you to consider a different question:

Where are you still trying to swim against the current?

Listen now and discover why, sometimes, the path to freedom, growth, and genuine hope begins with simply letting go.

Some leaders leave an impression. Others leave a legacy that continues to shape leaders for generations.

This week, we honor the extraordinary life and enduring impact of Dr. John H. "Jack" Zenger, who passed away on July 3, 2026, at the remarkable age of 94. A pioneering leadership expert, bestselling author, researcher, teacher, consultant, and mentor, Jack transformed the field of leadership development through his groundbreaking work on strengths-based leadership and exceptional leadership effectiveness. His ideas have influenced leaders and organizations around the world and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Several years ago, we had the extraordinary privilege of spending more than an hour in conversation with Jack. True to who he was, he was generous with both his time and wisdom, sharing insights drawn from decades of research while offering a glimpse into the innovative leadership ideas he and his longtime colleague, Joseph Folkman, were just beginning to explore.

What struck us most wasn't simply Jack's brilliance, it was his humility, warmth, curiosity, and genuine desire to help others become better leaders. He embodied the very leadership principles he spent his lifetime teaching.

In this special tribute episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we're revisiting that conversation and sharing some of our favorite moments with Jack. You'll hear timeless insights on leadership, human potential, strengths-based development, and what it means to bring out the best in others.

Rather than tell you who Jack was, we'd love for you to experience him for yourself.

Join us as we celebrate the life, wisdom, and enduring legacy of Dr. John H. "Jack" Zenger - a leader whose influence will continue lifting leaders for years to come.

What makes an inspirational leader? Is it charisma or is it a set of leadership skills anyone can develop?

In this Coaches Corner episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, executive coaches Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine share eight practical leadership practices that can help you become a more inspirational leader, strengthen employee engagement, and create a workplace where people feel motivated, valued, and hopeful.

Whether you lead a team, an organization, or simply want to increase your leadership influence, you'll learn how to:

Lead with purpose instead of just process.
Communicate a compelling vision that people want to be part of.
Use storytelling to inspire action and create connection.
Ask thought-provoking questions that unlock new possibilities.
Recognize and celebrate the strengths and potential in others.
Build confidence by believing in people before they believe in themselves.
Inspire hope during uncertainty and organizational change.
Show up with courage and authenticity when leadership matters most.

If you're looking to become a more inspiring leader, improve your leadership presence, motivate your team, or develop leadership skills that create lasting impact, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can begin using immediately.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why inspiration is a learnable leadership skill, not a personality trait.
Eight habits of highly inspirational leaders.
How hope and purpose increase trust, engagement, and performance.
Practical ways to inspire greater commitment, confidence, and resilience in the people you lead.

Whether you're an executive, manager, entrepreneur, coach, or emerging leader, this episode will help you lead in ways that bring out the very best in others.

Can a leader build trust without creating hope? Can people truly feel hopeful if they don't trust their leader?

In this Lifting Leaders Podcast Spark Episode, co-host Tricia Rhine explores the powerful relationship between hope and trust in leadership and why these two qualities are essential for building high-performing teams, increasing employee engagement, and creating healthy organizational cultures.

You'll learn:

Why trust and hope are foundational leadership capabilities
How hope influences motivation, resilience, and team performance
Practical leadership behaviors that strengthen trust every day
Why leading through change requires both credibility and hope
Simple actions that create psychological safety and lasting influence

Whether you're an executive, manager, coach, or emerging leader, this episode will help you lead with greater intention by cultivating the trust and hope your people need to thrive.

Reflection Question: What is one action you can take today to strengthen trust and ignite hope for those you lead?

If you're looking for practical insights on leadership development, organizational culture, employee engagement, trust-building, resilience, and hope-based leadership, this episode is for you.

Five years after graduating with her Master's degree in Architecture, Madison Mulligan joins the Lifting Leaders Podcast to reflect on one of the most significant transitions many people face: moving from student life into the working world.

In this special mother-daughter conversation, host Kristal Roberts and Madison explore the realities of early adulthood, including navigating uncertainty, building a career, redefining success, and discovering that life rarely unfolds according to a perfect plan. Together, they discuss the lessons Madison learned as a young professional, the challenges of transitioning from college to a full-time career, and how resilience, relationships, and hope helped shape her journey.

As part of our Ignite Genuine Hope series, this episode reminds us that hope is not about having all the answers. It is about trusting yourself enough to take the next step, learning through experience, and remaining open to possibility even when the future feels uncertain.

In this episode, you'll discover:
✨ Why adulthood is more about learning than having everything figured out
✨ How to define success on your own terms instead of following society's expectations
✨ The critical role of networking, relationships, and soft skills in career growth
✨ What a career setback, including being laid off, can teach you about resilience and purpose
✨ How focusing on what you can control helps you navigate uncertainty with confidence
✨ Why building a meaningful life matters just as much as building a successful career
✨ Practical advice for new graduates, young professionals, and anyone navigating a major life transition

Whether you're graduating, changing careers, mentoring emerging professionals, or navigating your own season of transition, this conversation offers practical wisdom and genuine hope for the journey ahead.

Topics discussed: life after graduation, career development, young professionals, resilience, networking, leadership development, navigating uncertainty, career transitions, personal growth, and defining success.

What does true resilience look like when life, leadership, and uncertainty don’t go as planned?

In this Gems episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we revisit powerful conversations from our Ignite Genuine Hope series and explore a theme that keeps emerging: resilience.

You’ll hear insights from guests who model what it means to adapt, recover, learn, and move forward with purpose. Melanie Vargas shares how more than 30 years of sobriety became a mission of service through her podcast, creating psychologically safe spaces for honest recovery stories. P.L. and Kristen, founders of Cycle 5 To Survive, remind us that resilience is not always about pushing through. After facing equipment failures, floods, illness, and unexpected setbacks in South America, they chose to return home, heal, regroup, and adapt their path forward.

We also reflect on the stories of Sasha Farley and Leah Fleischner, whose decisions to build lives and careers outside the United States reveal the courage, flexibility, and resilience required to navigate uncertainty, embrace new cultures, and stay grounded in purpose.

Together, these conversations point to an important leadership distinction: endurance treats people like machines; resilience treats people like humans. Endurance asks us to keep going no matter the cost. Resilience invites us to pause, learn, recover, adapt, and move forward with greater wisdom.

This episode explores how hope-led leadership, emotional resilience, psychological safety, recovery, and adaptability help us create a better future, not through heroic effort alone, but through our collective capacity to heal, grow, and keep moving forward.

Key Takeaways:

Resilience is about adapting, learning, recovering, and moving forward.
Recovery and growth are strengthened by psychological safety and honest conversations.
Setbacks can become opportunities to heal, regroup, and adjust course.
Living and leading through uncertainty requires courage, flexibility, and purpose.
Genuine hope is sustained when we believe people can adapt and create a better future together.

Listener Reflection:
When challenges arise, do you push through or adapt forward?

What happens when you leave behind the familiar, embrace uncertainty, and intentionally build a life aligned with your values and purpose?

In this inspiring episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, hosts Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine welcome leadership professionals Leah Fleischner and Sasha Farley for a powerful conversation about hope-led leadership, resilience, courage, personal reinvention, and living abroad. Although both have appeared on the podcast before, this marks their first conversation together—and the insights that emerge are both timely and thought-provoking.

Originally from the United States and now living internationally, Leah in Portugal and Sasha in Spain, they share their experiences of navigating major life transitions, adapting to new cultures, and redefining success on their own terms. Together, they explore what it means to lead with hope in uncertain times, stay grounded in purpose, and remain open to new possibilities even when the path forward is unclear.

Whether you're facing a career transition, considering a bold life change, leading through uncertainty, or simply looking for inspiration to take your next step, this episode offers practical wisdom and encouragement for leaders seeking to create meaningful impact in a complex world.

In this episode, you'll discover:* Why hope is a leadership practice, not just a feeling * How courage and curiosity help us navigate uncertainty and change * Lessons learned from living and working across cultures * The connection between resilience, adaptability, and personal growth * How to align your life and leadership with your values and purpose * What it means to expand your perspective through global experiences * Strategies for moving forward when the future feels unclear

If you're ready to cultivate greater resilience, lead with intention, and embrace new possibilities, this conversation is for you.

Resources* Sasha Farley Consulting * Leah Fleischner | Sovereign Leadership & Executive Facilitation

What happens when a milestone birthday becomes a mission to change lives?

In this inspiring episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we sit down with P.L. and Kristen, founders of Cycle 5 To Survive (C5TS), an extraordinary initiative powered by purpose, courage, resilience, and a commitment to helping communities thrive.

Through Cycle 5 To Survive, P.L. and Kristen are cycling across five continents in five years while partnering with five charities to raise awareness and funding for sports, education, and business initiatives that create opportunity and lasting impact.

As part of our 2026 leadership theme, Ignite Genuine Hope, this conversation explores what it means to turn purpose into action. Hope is more than optimism or wishful thinking. Genuine hope is relational, actionable, and rooted in the decision to keep moving toward possibility, even when the path is uncertain.

In this episode, P.L. and Kristen share the personal story behind Cycle 5 To Survive, the challenges they have faced along the way, and the lessons they have learned about resilience, trust, community, belonging, and leading with purpose.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

✨ Why hope is a leadership practice, not a personality trait
✨ How purpose builds resilience during uncertainty and challenge
✨ The role of community and belonging in creating lasting change
✨ How leaders can acknowledge fear without becoming paralyzed by it
✨ What it takes to turn personal purpose into meaningful impact
✨ How ordinary people can create extraordinary change through consistent action

Whether you lead an organization, a team, a family, or a community, this episode offers a powerful reminder: hope grows when people choose to move toward possibility together.

🎧 Listen in and be inspired by a story of purpose, perseverance, cycling for charity, and hope in action.

In this special crossover episode, Melanie Vargas of What’s in Your Neighborhood joins Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine of the Lifting Leaders Podcast for a deeply honest conversation about leadership, vulnerability, hope, and the emotional neighborhoods we all carry within us.

Together, these three executive coaches and leadership practitioners explore what it means to lead in a world filled with uncertainty, burnout, identity shifts, and growing disconnection. Through stories from their own lives and careers, they unpack the masks people wear to survive, the courage it takes to show up authentically, and the power of creating spaces where people truly feel they belong.

This conversation weaves together themes of emotional intelligence, recovery, resilience, hope, imposter syndrome, belonging, and the importance of community, both in leadership and in life. The episode also offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what podcasting itself has taught them about courage, self-acceptance, and creating meaningful conversations that ripple outward into the world.

At its heart, this episode is an invitation: to stay present, to choose connection over fear, and to remember that even small moments of authenticity and compassion can transform the neighborhoods we build around us.

If you’ve been navigating change, questioning your place, searching for hope, or longing for deeper connection in your work or life, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and reminded that none of us are meant to do this alone.

Sharing this Encore edition from 2025. As we recorded this episode, on the front end of Mother’s Day weekend, we started simmering on the topic of caregiving…something moms know all too well about. So, with a world of respect, to all the moms out there, we are taking a look at caregiving, from a few different angles. The first angle is, of course, all about people who provide care for others. This includes all women AND men, who may be providing ongoing care for one or more parent or other family member(s). It includes the “Sandwich Generation,” who may have kids at home and, just maybe, have older family members living in their homes. Being a primary caregiver is a truly challenging job, and it can be difficult to realize the rewards, while you’re entrenched in the role. Listen in, as we share a few of our personal journeys, as caregivers and what we gained from our experiences. If you’ve ever needed care from others, but found it difficult to ask or accept, you’ll learn more about why it’s okay and courageous to be vulnerable and accept care. Finally, we approach caregiving from the angle of caring for ourselves. This may be the most challenging aspect of caregiving and it’s critically important. So, join us as we hold caregiving “Story Time,” with you. We hope it inspires you to explore your own environment and feelings.

What is hope-led leadership, and how do you actually practice it in today’s complex world?

In this Coaches Corner episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we explore how to ignite genuine hope in leadership, not as a fleeting feeling, but as a disciplined, actionable leadership practice.

We begin in a place many leaders avoid: the moment when something isn’t working. Instead of bypassing that tension, we explore how naming what’s not working can become the catalyst for clarity, imagination, and forward movement.

In this episode, we introduce our definition of hope-led leadership:
the disciplined practice of helping people believe a better future is possible and equipping them with the pathways, agency, and energy to move toward it.

You’ll learn:

How to move from awareness to genuine hope in leadership
Why naming challenges clearly is essential to building trust and momentum
The three critical questions every hope-led leader must answer
What transforms leadership from inspirational to actionable
How to create energy, belief, and possibility within your team or organization

If you’re a leader, executive coach, or leadership development professional looking to lead with intention, build trust, and create meaningful impact, this episode will help you turn hope into a powerful leadership advantage.

🎯 Whether you’re navigating change, leading a team, or developing your leadership mindset, this conversation will support you in leading with clarity, courage, and possibility.

What does it take to move from awareness to genuine hope in leadership?

In this transition episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we close our Light the Spark phase and step into our next leadership focus: Ignite Genuine Hope — a deeper, steadier, and more sustainable way of leading in today’s complex world.

We reflect on what it meant to light the spark — building self-awareness, courage, and imagination — and why those capabilities are essential foundations for hope-led leadership. Because real hope doesn’t begin externally — it starts within.

In this episode, we revisit powerful leadership moments, including:
• The courage to name what’s not working — and how truth-telling can reshape a leader’s path
• The discipline of pausing, listening deeply, and sensing what’s emerging
• The role of values-based leadership in navigating uncertainty and change

These insights become the bridge into our next phase.

As we shift toward igniting genuine hope, we explore:
• What it means to model hope as a leadership practice — not just an idea
• How to lead with purpose, presence, and sustainability in a fast-moving world
• The importance of connection — to community, environment, and each other

This episode sets the stage for a powerful new chapter in leadership development, purpose-driven leadership, and hope in action.

🌱 Join us for this short, reflective episode — and begin to consider:
What does genuine hope look like in your leadership… and how will you model it?

This week on the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we’re celebrating our 4-year anniversary, 176 episodes of leadership, hope, and meaningful conversations that continue to lift and inspire.

Over the past year, we’ve shared:
• 39 powerful guest interviews with leaders across industries
• A special roundtable with returning guests and diverse perspectives
• Conversations supporting three authors launching new books
• Our heartfelt series, What Brings Us Hope, exploring how leaders sustain hope in uncertain times

In honor of Earth Day, we also reflect on our 2025 Earth Day field experience-what inspired us, what we’re carrying forward, and how leaders can take meaningful action to support the planet and future generations.

This episode is a celebration of leadership growth, community, purpose, and possibility and an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.

🌱 Join us as we celebrate, reflect, and look ahead.
💬 We’d love to hear from you: How are you honoring Earth Day this year?

Are you leading like a tourist, rushing, performing, and checking boxes or like a traveler, fully present and curious? Discover the leadership shift that sparks clarity, connection, and hope.

In this powerful Lifting Leaders Podcast “Spark” episode, we explore a simple yet transformative idea inspired by a moment in Venice:

Be a traveler, not a tourist.

While it may sound like travel advice, this mindset holds profound implications for leadership, presence, and how we navigate our daily lives.

In today’s fast-paced, performance-driven world, many leaders find themselves moving quickly from task to task capturing moments, checking boxes, and staying constantly visible. But this way of leading often comes at a cost: disconnection, burnout, and missed opportunities for deeper insight and innovation.

In this episode, you’ll discover how shifting from a tourist mindset (performance) to a traveler mindset (presence) can transform the way you lead and live.

You’ll learn how to:

Slow down and become more present in your leadership
Step off the “beaten path” to unlock creativity and innovation
Use curiosity as a tool for growth and connection
Engage more deeply with your team by listening to those closest to the work
Create space for reflection, rest, and renewed energy
Reconnect with what truly matters in times of complexity and change

This episode also explores the powerful connection between presence and hope and how choosing to lead with intention can reignite energy, possibility, and forward momentum.

✨ Carry the Spark Challenge:
Choose one moment in your day to lead like a traveler - pause, notice, ask, or explore - and see what shifts.

If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level leadership and step into deeper awareness, connection, and impact… this episode is for you.

We are revisiting this Fan Favorite episode because it lit so many sparks for our listeners. In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and moral activist John Ondrasik, best known as Five for Fighting.

Recorded just minutes before he stepped onstage, John shares a powerful reflection on music, moral courage, and hopein a world facing immense challenges. Through songs that spotlight some of humanity’s most painful struggles, he uses his platform to raise awareness, compassion, and purpose-driven action.

Listen as John opens up about:
🎵 His creative journey and what fuels his mission to inspire hope
🌍 Lessons he’s learned from some of the world’s most oppressed yet resilient people
💫 The importance of following your moral compass—even when it’s difficult

This heartfelt conversation will move you to think differently about leadership, purpose, and the quiet power of hope in action.

Listen now and be reminded that even in dark times, one voice—and one song—can make a world of difference.

In this Lifting Leaders Podcast Gems episode, inspired by our conversation with career coach and leadership expert Shirlene Evans, we explore the value of candor in leadership and why courageous conversations are essential for effective leaders.

What becomes possible when a leader is willing to clearly name what is not working?

In today’s complex and rapidly changing workplace, leaders must strengthen their candor muscle—the ability to speak with honesty, clarity, and purpose. Leadership candor is not about bluntness or criticism. It is about communicating truth with intention, alignment, and respect.

We explore how strong leaders anchor candid conversations in shared purpose, organizational vision, and team priorities. When leaders communicate with clarity, confusion decreases, alignment increases, and teams move forward with greater focus and trust.

Inspired by Shirlene’s insight, we also discuss the importance of preparing for courageous conversations at work. Before raising difficult issues, leaders should gather relevant information—such as employee feedback, surveys, research findings, and leadership assessments—and seek multiple perspectives.

One powerful preparation technique we discuss:
Explain the issue as if you were speaking to a sixth grader.
This exercise helps leaders simplify complex ideas and communicate with greater clarity.

Finally, we unpack why candor delivered with compassion and support is critical for building trust, engagement, and buy-in during change. When people feel respected and understood, they are far more willing to listen, adapt, and participate in meaningful progress.

Candor is not always comfortable—but it is one of the most important leadership skills for navigating change, strengthening teams, and leading with integrity.

If you are a leader, executive, or team manager seeking to improve communication, feedback, and courageous leadership conversations, this episode offers practical insight and inspiration.

What happens when a successful technology leader feels a spark that simply won’t be ignored? In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we welcome Career Coach, Shirlene Evans, ACC, whose thriving career in the tech industry took a powerful turn when she realized her true calling was helping others navigate theirs. That spark shifted her focus from building systems to building people and the ripple effects have been profound.

Listen in as Shirlene shares why one of the most overlooked leadership skills is the courage to pause and identify what is not working before rushing in to fix it. Too often, leaders move straight to solutions without fully naming the real issue. Shirlene unpacks what happens, to leaders, to teams, and to entire systems, when things go unspoken. Silence does not create stability; it stifles creativity, drains energy, and quietly erodes innovation. But when leaders learn to speak up with intention, they open the door to fresh thinking and forward momentum.

You will also hear why honesty alone is not always enough when naming what is not working. It takes imagination. It takes vision. It takes the ability to see beyond the current reality and invite others into what is possible. Shirlene offers practical recommendations to help leaders build the courage and skill to speak up, move forward, and foster an environment where creativity and innovation thrive.

Shirlene’s energy, warmth, and passion for coaching and mentoring shine throughout this conversation. If you have ever felt the tension between staying silent and saying what needs to be said, this episode will light a spark for you.

We think you’re going to love this one.

In this Lifting Leaders Spark episode, Tricia Rhine invites listeners to explore a powerful leadership question: What is your leadership superpower?

Spark episodes are short leadership reflections designed to help leaders pause, think differently, and apply practical insights in their daily leadership.

In this episode, Tricia explores:

• Identifying your natural leadership strengths
• Recognizing the gifts others consistently see in you
• How your strengths can build trust, connection, and psychological safety

Through thoughtful questions and relatable insights, this episode encourages leaders to notice the strengths they may be overlooking and to intentionally steward those gifts.

✨ Reflection for listeners:
What is the strength people thank you for most often - the one that feels so natural you almost overlook it?

In this powerful “Gems” episode, we revisit our rich conversation with Barbara Acevedo Visser, Master Certified Coach and uncover some leadership gems we gleaned within her wisdom. If you’ve ever left a conversation thinking, “I could have listened better,” this episode is for you.

We explore what it really means to listen at deeper levels - beyond words, beyond responses, and beyond the internal dialogue that competes for our attention. Barbara reminds us that curiosity is not just a mindset - it’s a disciplined leadership practice. When we intentionally suspend judgment and choose curiosity instead, we create space for trust, insight, and genuine connection.

In the episode, we’re digging into:

How suspending judgment transforms conversations and strengthens rapport
Why curiosity is the antidote to assumption
Simple, practical steps to quiet a busy mind before and during a conversation
How both speaker and listener benefit when presence is intentional
What to consider before a one-on-one conversation when “fixing” isn’t the goal

One of the biggest insights? When leaders enter conversations without the pressure to solve or fix, something powerful happens. Clarity emerges. Trust deepens. And both parties feel heard and valued. Sometimes the most impactful leadership move is not offering the answer - it’s offering your full attention.

Barbara’s sage advice offers practical tools you can apply immediately: pausing before responding, checking your intention, naming what you’re noticing, and consciously choosing curiosity over certainty. These simple shifts can radically improve the quality of your leadership conversations.

There is so much to hear and reflect on in this episode. If you are committed to building trust, strengthening relationships, and leading with intention, you will find this conversation truly insightful.

What does deep listening in leadership really require, especially during rapid change?

In this episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we welcome Master Certified Coach Barbara Acevedo Visser, MCC, for a powerful conversation about deep listening, curiosity, self-awareness, and sensing emerging possibilities in uncertain times.

Barbara shares how intentional slowing down strengthens executive presence and transforms the way leaders respond to complexity. When leaders choose curiosity over judgment, they create psychological safety, expand perspective, and make wiser decisions. Curiosity becomes a leadership discipline — not just a mindset.

You’ll learn:

How deep listening improves leadership effectiveness and team trust
Why slowing down enhances strategic thinking and innovation
How to sense what is emerging before it is fully visible
Practical ways to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively
Why self-awareness and clarity of values are essential during rapid change

This episode explores how leaders can stay grounded in who they are while adapting to shifting environments. When leaders are anchored in values and identity, they can navigate uncertainty without losing effectiveness or themselves.

If you are leading through complexity, change, or organizational transformation, this conversation offers practical leadership wisdom, reflective insight, and actionable strategies to help you listen more deeply and lead more intentionally.

Light the Spark. Ignite Genuine Hope. Lead the Change.

We’re taking a short break from our Light the Spark series to share something close to our hearts — love. 💛 In this special post-Valentine’s Day episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we’re sending heartfelt gratitude to you, our listeners, and celebrating the people and places we cherish most — our friends and families, and the breathtaking beauty of the Pacific Northwest we’re blessed to call home.

We also reflect on a powerful “Gist of Things” article by Marilyn Gist, titled The Courage to Let Yourself Be Helped. As we share highlights from her insights, we explore how accepting help is not weakness - it’s love in action. What goes through your mind when someone offers to help you? Do you worry that they don’t see you are fully capable, on our own? Just what if you accepted help?

There’s something profound about this simple exchange. Accepting help can build connection. It can strengthen trust. It can spark community. So, what does that have to do with interdependence? Everything. In this episode, we share stories of when interdependence was simply “the way we did life” - and why it still matters for leaders today.

We hope you love this week’s episode - and that it reminds you that leadership, at its core, is relational. 💕

In this Lifting Leaders Podcast Gems episode, we revisit key insights from our conversation with Julie Pham, PhD, author of 7 Forms of Respect and share what we discovered after taking her Respect Assessment.

This brief reflection revealed powerful aha moments about how respect is experienced differently across teams and cultures. We explore what the assessment uncovered for us, how leaders can intentionally build trust and respect, and why co creating team norms and working guidelines is essential for a healthy culture.

If you are a leader looking to strengthen trust belonging and respect on your team, this episode offers practical insight and inspiration to spark meaningful cultural shifts.

✨ We hope this episode lights a spark and supports you in leading with greater awareness and intention to make a better world.

What does respect really mean and why does it look so different across cultures, teams, and leadership contexts?

In this episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we’re joined by Julie Pham, PhD, author of 7 Forms of Respect, to explore how respect shapes leadership effectiveness, influence, trust, and belonging, especially in today’s polarized world.

Julie challenges the assumption that respect is universal, inviting leaders to examine how culture, micro-cultures, hierarchy, and lived experience shape both the respect we expect and the respect we extend to others. Together, we dive deeply into two often overlooked forms of respect and why misunderstanding them can quietly erode trust, collaboration, and inclusion on teams.

Grounded in our 2026 focus on Influencing Genuine Hope, this conversation explores how curiosity about respect can:

Reduce polarized communication
Bridge cultural and relational divides
Strengthen leadership influence without authority
Foster trust, psychological safety, and belonging

Insightful, practical, and deeply human, this episode offers leaders a hope-forward path one where respect becomes an everyday leadership practice that brings people closer together rather than pushing them apart.

In this special Lifting Leaders Podcast “Gems” episode, we revisit the most powerful insights from our two Three-Peat conversations with Lindsey Godwin, Jeff McAuliffe, and Carla Ondrasik, three voices shaping the future of leadership, hope, and human-centered change.

These conversations were rich with practical wisdom, and today we’re highlighting the moments that truly stood out, the ideas that continue to light the spark, ignite genuine hope, and help leaders lead meaningful change in 2026 and beyond.

In this episode, we explore questions that matter deeply for today’s leaders:

Why does language matter so much in leadership and change?
What’s missing as we look toward the future of our organizations and our world?
How does the way we show up influence whether people resist or embrace change?
What capabilities and mindsets do leaders need to create a hopeful, sustainable future?

As we reflected on these conversations, a powerful meta-message emerged:
Slow down. Pay attention. Take intentional steps forward.

You’ll hear our guests’ heartfelt recommendations for leaders, including:

Starting small and building momentum
Noticing where energy and possibility are emerging
Reducing distractions to focus on meaningful action
Reflecting on lessons learned before setting forward-focused intentions

Whether you’re a senior leader, coach, or change agent, this episode offers practical insights and reflective prompts to help you lead with clarity, courage, and hope.

🎧 Listen in—and if you haven’t heard the original Three-Peat episodes yet, be sure to explore them on your favorite podcast platform.

Hope-led leadership. Strategic slowness. Accountability. Collective action.
What happens next when The Three-Peat conversation continues?

✨ Deeper reflection. Bolder truth-telling. Practical wisdom for leaders navigating 2026.

In Part 2 of The Three-Peat, Dr. Lindsey Godwin, Jeff McAuliffe, and Carla Ondrasik return to explore the mindsets and behaviors leaders need for sustainable, hope-led leadership in a complex world.

As the year unfolds, this powerful conversation invites leaders to slow down, pay attention, and lead with greater intention. Together, they challenge urgency culture and explore strategic slowness as a leadership practice, one that creates space for wiser decisions, stronger relationships, and long-term impact.

In this episode, we explore:• Why strategic slowness strengthens leadership rather than weakening it
• The importance of clarifying intentions at the start of a new year
• How accountability turns intention into action and keeps hope moving
• A surprising insight about motivation and leadership behavior
• What leaders must stop doing-and start doing-in 2026

This conversation calls leaders to release habits that no longer serve and to choose practices rooted in purpose, responsibility, and hope in action.

✨ Listen in and lead differently.
Because hope doesn’t rush.
Leadership isn’t performative.
And the future we’re creating depends on what we choose - starting now.

🎙️ Lifting Leaders Podcast | The Three-Peat-Part 2
Let’s keep lighting the spark.

Hope-led leadership. Resilience. Courageous action.
What happens when three trusted leadership voices come together for the first time?

✨ A Three-Peat—and a powerful conversation to launch the new year with clarity, purpose, and hope.

In this special two-part episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we welcome back three influential leaders and authors Lindsey Godwin, Jeff McAuliffe, and Carla Ondrasik, for a deep conversation about leadership in uncertain times, meaningful change, and what it takes to move from intention to action.

Together, they explore how hope functions as a leadership practice, why curiosity and possibility matter more than ever, and how leaders can break free from unsustainable norms in their organizations, communities, and lives.

In Part 1, we explore:• Why hope is not passive, but relational and actionable
• How resilience and commitment are built over time
• Why leaders must create positive visions of the future
• How curiosity, purpose, and courageous leadership open new paths forward

This episode is more than a reunion, it’s a call to lead with hope, act with intention, and create meaningful impact.

✨ Join us for Part 1 of The Three-Peat and begin the year with hope-led leadership and real-world action.

As we step into 2026, we’re inviting you into a bold new chapter of hope-driven, human-centered leadership, one grounded in action, connection, and real-world impact.

This year on Lifting Leaders Podcast, our focus is clear: Light the Spark. Ignite Genuine Hope. Lead the Change.Together, we’ll explore how leaders can create meaningful change, in themselves, their organizations, their communities, and the world, especially in complex and uncertain times.

In 2026, listening goes beyond inspiration. We’ll challenge the idea that hope is simply optimism and instead explore why hope is relational, actionable, and essential for leadership today. Through candid conversations, practical leadership tools, and powerful stories, we’ll show how hope must be practiced and lived or it fades.

Expect episodes that:

Expand how you think about leadership, purpose, and possibility
Offer practical tools you can apply immediately
Explore leadership as a force for connection, courage, and positive change
Ground hope in intention, action, and human relationships

If you’re ready to lead with intention, spark genuine hope, and be part of a leadership community that believes leadership can truly be a force for good, we’d love to have you with us in 2026.

🎧 Subscribe, listen, and join us as we light the spark together.

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a heartfelt pause to reflect on a powerful year of learning, leadership, and HOPE on the Lifting Leaders Podcast. This special year-end episode looks back at the conversations and guests who shaped our thinking, inspired our courage, and reminded us what’s possible when leaders show up with authenticity and purpose.

Join us as we revisit the stories and insights that quieted our early-year worries and transformed them into clarity, connection, and renewed belief in what leaders can create even in complex times. Our guests shared extraordinary wisdom this season, helping us see leadership through the lens of hope, resilience, curiosity, and possibility.

Most of all, this episode is about gratitude for our remarkable guests, and for YOU. Your presence, engagement, and commitment to leading with intention are the heartbeat of this podcast. You are the reason we show up, week after week, to elevate conversations that move leaders and the world, forward.

Listen in as we wrap up 2025 with appreciation, reflection, and an inspired look ahead to 2026. We can’t wait to continue lifting leaders together in the new year.

Lifting Leaders Podcast closes out our 2025 guest lineup with a truly inspiring duo: acclaimed Pacific Northwest landscape photographer Robert LaSelle Chism and his life and creativity partner, Sun So, making her debut on the show.

In this visually rich and deeply human conversation, Robert and Sun share the stories, techniques, and artistry behind Robert’s breathtaking Pacific Northwest landscape photography images known for their vibrant color, depth, and mind-bending perspectives. (Yes…including those “how is that even possible?” puddle shots Sun helps direct.)

You’ll hear how these high school sweethearts found their way back to one another after years apart and built a life filled with creativity, collaboration, and purpose. Together, they offer a rare look into what it means to merge love, art, and a shared vision, transforming everyday moments into extraordinary works of photographic storytelling.

If you’re a photography lover, PNW adventurer, artist, creative professional, or simply someone who loves a beautiful real-life love story, this episode will both inspire and delight.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode* How Robert captures iconic Pacific Northwest landscapes with next-level composition * The creative process and partnership behind his stunning photography * Tips for seeing the world through a more artistic lens * How love and reconnection sparked a powerful creative collaboration * Why everyday scenes (even puddles!) can become extraordinary art

Tune in to enjoy an authentic, heart-centered conversation that blends nature, creativity, and the power of partnership. After this episode, you’ll never look at landscape photography—or love—quite the same way again.

As we close out our “What Brings Us Hope” series, we’re taking time to reflect on the most powerful lessons, insights, and stories shared by our extraordinary guests—leaders, creators, innovators, and everyday changemakers who brought hope to life in meaningful ways.

In this episode, we revisit key themes from the series and highlight the surprising insights, moving stories, and memorable moments that resonated with our listeners. We also share discoveries from our two-year research study on HOPE, including what helps people strengthen hope, sustain it during challenges, and amplify it in community.

Whether you’re new to the series or catching up on episodes you missed, this conversation will leave you feeling inspired, grounded, and ready to carry hope into the future.

This Thanksgiving week, we’re sharing what we’re most grateful for and exploring creative, eco-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday. In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we dive into simple, sustainable Thanksgiving ideas, from reducing waste to choosing Earth-friendly traditions, that can make your holiday more meaningful, mindful, and memorable.

Whether you’re cooking, commuting, or prepping for the big feast, tune in for low-effort, high-impact tips that help you honor gratitude while caring for the planet. If you’re looking for sustainable holiday ideas, greener hosting practices, or inspiration for a more intentional Thanksgiving, this episode offers plenty to reflect on.

Give it a listen before Thursday because your future self (and the Earth) may thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!

In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and activist John Ondrasik, best known as Five for Fighting.

Recorded just minutes before he stepped onstage, John shares a powerful reflection on music, courage, and hope in a world facing immense challenges. Through songs that spotlight some of humanity’s most painful struggles, he uses his platform to raise awareness, compassion, and purpose-driven action.

Listen as John opens up about his creative journey and what fuels his mission to inspire hope, lessons he’s learned from some of the world’s most oppressed yet resilient people and the importance of aligning your actions to your values even when it’s difficult.

This heartfelt conversation will move you to think differently about leadership, purpose, and the quiet power of hope in action.

Listen now and be reminded that even in dark times, one voice and one song, can make a world of difference.

Feeling overwhelmed or hopeless? You’re not alone. In this Lifting Leaders Podcast episode, Kristal Roberts and Tricia Rhine share practical ways to rise out of hopelessness and rediscover hope through small, intentional actions—like self-care, gratitude, and shifting your mindset. Tune in and learn how to rebuild resilience, nurture emotional wellbeing, and move forward with grace.

In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with a powerful conversation with Jeni Craswell, President & CEO of Leadership Eastside.
Jeni shares how courageous, values-based leadership can transform not only organizations but entire communities. As co-chair of the visionary team that created the first community-focused adaptive leadership curriculum for LE, she’s helping local leaders build the mindset and capacity to address complex social challenges collaboratively.

Discover how initiatives like Eastside Pathways are creating thriving, equitable communities through trust, connection, and shared purpose. Jeni offers wisdom on aligning who you are and what you value with the work you do, reminding us that real change begins within. Tune in for inspiration on how to lead with hope and courage in times of change, build leadership capacity across communities, and foster collaboration, equity, and belonging. Listen now to be inspired to lead differently, starting with yourself.

This week on Lifting Leaders Podcast, we explore the power of pressing pause. In a world that glorifies busyness, intentional rest can feel risky—but it’s often where hope, resilience, and creativity return. Learn how taking an intermission can restore well-being, spark innovation, and renew your sense of purpose as a leader and human being.

Continuing our “What Brings Us Hope” series, we explore what our Hope Survey reveals about how people sustain hopein daily life and leadership. Discover simple, research-backed practices that build resilience, strengthen well-being, and help leaders stay grounded when challenges arise.

Hope is a verb — and we all have a role in keeping it alive.

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,” we are so happy to introduce you to Darrell Thomas, Creator and Host of “The Money Levels Show,” host of “Resource Investment Conference Media Channel” and seasoned EDI professional. Spend this time with us, as Darrell candidly shares his fascinating story, from his beginnings in Oklahoma, through his varied endeavors that have led him to this point in his life journey. Learn what sparked Darrell’s focus toward financial wealth and how that started him on a new journey to help others gain control of their own finances. He even has a few things to say about our country’s current economic concerns and how we can keep things in perspective. We HOPE you enjoy spending this time with the three of us.

Continuing with our theme of “What Brings Us Hope,” we are excited to introduce you to a World-class research scientist, Dr. Matt Sturchio, PhD, who is transforming how we think about solar energy. Most people know that solar panels are used to feed the grid, so we can heat and light up our homes or recharge our vehicles. Imagine a world where solar panels coexist with native plants, nourishing the soil and possibly mitigating some of our worst climate challenges. What if we could grow more habitats for foraging animals? Listen in and learn about Ecovoltaics, and how Matt’s research is transforming our future. Hear about Matt’s Cornell University project focusing on the co-location of agriculture and solar, in New York State and beyond. If you, like us, are interested in learning about how existing materials are shaping a better world for now and for our future, listen to this episode. We HOPE you will feel as inspired as we do.

We’re beyond excited to share our first-ever public speaking engagement, on the topic of HOPE—at the International Organization Development Network Conference. It’s only Day One but we are already learning so much! We spent this great day meeting fellow OD Professionals and learning from some of the pioneers in our profession. What does it feel like to step onto a global stage for the first time? How can somatic practices, like music, create alignment across systems and organizations? Do you know what Agency is and why it matters? And what unexpected insights emerge when you sit in a World Café conversation, where collective wisdom takes shape through dialogue? In this episode, we reflect on what we learned, how it inspired us, and why this milestone matters for our journey. Curious? Come listen in—you might discover ideas that spark your own growth, too.

What better way to kick off our new, Season Five series, “What Brings Us Hope,” (that’s one!) than to celebrate with one of our absolute, all-time favorite guests, for the third time, Carla Ondrasik (that’s two!)? And we are thrilled and honored to be sharing this episode on the very day that Carla’s new book, STOP TRYING – The Life-Transforming Power of Trying Less and Doing More, is launching! (that’s three!). Yes, listeners…that’s right! You can get it hot off the press today!! Listen in, as Carla shares a bit of her journey, over the past 20 years, to get to this day…launch day. Learn about the role planning played in helping Carla Stop Trying and begin Doing. Ever hear the expression, “Eat the frog”? Well listen in and you may find yourself embracing the practice yourself. What Brings Us Hope, during this upbeat episode lies in seeing ourselves and anyone who reads this book, begin to feel stronger, more confident, empowered and engaged, when we all Try less and Do more. We hope you check out the episode. We’re inspired to Stop Trying and we hope you will be too!

We are SO excited to be back from our annual Summer break AND to introduce Season FIVE of Lifting Leaders Podcast! We did a lot during our six-week sabbatical, and we want to share some of it with you. Listen in and hear about a key lesson learned, during this time off. Hint…how many activities can one commit to, in a six-week period of time? Hear about a related lesson learned that we believe everyone should heed, particularly when winding down from work or school. Check out our latest series, focusing on What Brings Us Hope, that will officially kick off next week. We will be digging into different ways people find and feel more aligned with hope. So, if you find hope in art, music, the environment, activism, whatever, you will likely find a great deal of inspiration in this series. It took approximately 15 minutes to get the show notes written (counting spelling and grammatical corrections!). This episode is just about 20 minutes longer than that – and you don’t need Spell Check! Let’s keep that conversation going, shall we?

Well, we did it! Season Four is coming to a close, just as we begin our annual Summer break (August, anyway!). In this episode, we share some of the highlights from this season’s show, with fantastic guests, insightful Gem episodes, Coaches Corners and more. We learned and accomplished so much, this season, from offering a series on Coaching from the Heart; visiting our local plant nursery, to learn more about indigenous plants that attract pollinators; and sharing the spotlight during the Hudson Institute Learning Conference. Everything we offered and everything we did this season gave you, our listeners, opportunities to grow and to explore new and different possibilities. Hey! We even learned a bit from and about Chat GPT! We are so grateful that you are part of our listening network, and we look forward to bringing even more in the new season. In fact, we have some ideas for a few new series, in Season Five, and we HOPE you will join us. We are taking the month of August off, as we do, every year. Keep your ears and eyes open for an Season Five announcement, coming in early September. Collectively, we are all making the world a better place. Let’s keep that conversation going, shall we?

As we get closer to taking our annual August break, we want to take a look at ways in which we can have fun, while not overtaxing our environment. Listen in and learn about some simple ways that everyone can make a sustainable difference, while having fun. Interested in learning about how you can save on your energy usage? Did you know that it takes less water to run a full dishwasher than it does to wash dishes by hand? We didn’t. For us coffee drinkers – we don’t have to throw away our grounds anymore. They are great for the soil! When was the last time you took a trip through your local thrift store. You might be surprised to find some true treasures in previously owned and gently used items. We hope you will check it out. In fact, we would love to hear, from you, ways in which you are saving time, energy, and doing things that are sustainable. We will gladly share your ideas on our podcast and on our website. We hope you find some gems in this episode. Listen in!

When you look in the mirror, who do you see? If you’re like many people, you may be a bit self-critical. But is that self-awareness? Spend this Coaches Corner time with us, as we explore something that is foundational for everyone who leads (and that’s everyone!). Leading yourself, with self-awareness, is inspirational and it serves as a model for others to become more self-aware. It leads to higher levels of emotional intelligence and greater decisions. It is also essential for employee engagement. If you’re wondering how to build self-awareness (which is an ongoing process), listen in, and we will share ways in which you can do that. It doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it can be truly empowering, engaging, and can lead to greater self-confidence and compassion. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Who do you belong to – and, who belongs to you? If these questions just stopped you, in your tracks, listen in to this week’s episode, where we spend nearly an hour with our new friend, Paul Haury, who shares his perspectives on the topic of true belonging. Paul’s vitae includes being a practicing coach, consultant, former Global VP of People & Culture, former IT Director and much more! Hang out with us, as Paul takes us on an expedition, in search of belonging in leadership, belonging as a foundation in culture, self-belonging, and belonging as a key to coping in challenging times. This is a great topic that goes deeper than you may have expected. Ready to rewire your neuropathways a bit? Spend this time with us and drink in Paul’s energy and enthusiasm on this most important topic. Enjoy!

Checking in with ourselves or, said another way, getting grounded was just one of many gems we gained, from Dorothy Siminovitch, PhD., founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works. Our time with Dorothy was rich with insights and inspiration, much of which we will be unpacking for some time to come. With all the uncertainty that is swirling around us, these days, we felt it was a good idea to check in and see what other experts say about getting grounded and leading with confidence. Listen in, as we unpack an article from Forbes on staying grounded in uncertain times. The steps are foundational in the world of leadership, and they stand up over time. If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that leader vulnerability is a quality we value and it shows up, again, when we take steps to stay grounded. Spend this time with us and learn more about how keeping a broader perspective than your own and experimentation can help you lead with greater confidence. Finally, hear about steps we take to gain or regain our grounding, in times of need. Check it out – we believe you’ll be glad you did!

If you listen to our podcast, you know that, at the end of each episode, we promise you future episodes with more fantastic guests. Well, this week, we delivered on that promise. Meet Dorothy Siminovitch, Ph.D., MCC. Dr. Siminovitch is a pioneer and visionary, in the field of Gestalt–based coaching, the founder and president of Gestalt Coaching Works, and co-founder of multiple major coach training programs, internationally. Listen in, as Dorothy shares her journey to now, starting out, without a true career plan, and, by following her interests, landing in the most fascinating roles that helped her find her place, at the forefront of game-changing coaching and development. Learn about resistance to change and the role that presence plays, and how small steps can minimize resistance. You will be introduced to a 2x2 model that can help us understand a bit more about why we experience resistance/reactions, in ourselves and/or from others. Want to hear more about presence as a personal power? This is truly an episode packed with valuable gems you won’t want to miss. We think you’ll be glad you spent this hour with us.

After spending a delightful hour with our friend, fellow podcaster (The Courage Effect) and professional coach, Suzanne Weller, we decided to use courage for this episode, as we wanted to share our thoughts about courage during change. If you are a regular listener of Lifting Leaders Podcast, you know that, in addition to interviews and Gems episodes, we also do Coaches Corners, where we unpack and offer tips and advice on various topics. This week’s episode is really a Gems show with a touch of Coaches Corner thrown in. Listen in as we offer ways in which you can demonstrate courage toward effective change and results. Need a roadmap for moving from concept/idea to effective change outcomes? Looking for a real growth mindset approach for conducting after action meetings that can lead to more engaged next steps? Are you ready to enable greater growth and development for your team? Well, if this sounds like what you’ve been looking for, listen in and learn some fairly simple methods that can change your outlook on change. We hope you feel more informed and comfortable with your current and/or future change steps.

Who says two podcast cohosts can’t interview another podcast host? Not your Lifting Leaders Podcast hosts. This week we are excited to interview Suzanne Weller, leadership coach, speaker, change practitioner, communication strategist, and host of the podcast, The Courage Effect. Suzanne gifted us with her wisdom, stemming from experiences that paved the way for her to help leaders (and everyone is a leader) overcome what gets in their way of leading courageously. Listen in as she shares her story of recognizing her own courage. Want some advice on how to lead with more courage and possibility? If you want to learn more about the role that courage plays in true leadership, join us…meet Suzanne and learn how she defines leadership.

Once again, we had a great time, interviewing Melissa Castro, Millennial Leadership Coach and Author of the newly launched book, Intrinsic Leadership – A Coaching Guide for Millennials Who Want To Lead in All Aspects of Life. Melissa gifted us so many gems related to her book, that it was difficult to settle on just one…but we did! If you listened to the previous episode, you heard Melissa talk about how, many Millennial leaders walk around with a “backpack of crap” – all the stuff that becomes a heavy weight, like doubts, fears, world events, everything…those very things that can stall or prevent leaders from moving forward, doing their best work and that are, most often, the sources of anxiety and fear. Listen in, as we unpack a related article, and lend our own thoughts and ideas to the twelve things you might consider doing, to unload your own backpack of unneeded/unwanted “stuff.” We think you’ll find most steps are pretty foundational, some might even be simple to navigate…all are positive steps toward discovering your own intrinsic leadership self. Check it out!

Attention, Millennial Leaders and Everyone Else! It was so fun welcoming Melissa Castro, Millennial Coach and all-around amazingly creative leader, back to our podcast to celebrate and talk about her newly published book, Intrinsic Leadership – A Coaching Guide for Millennials Who Want To Lead in All Aspects of Life. While Melissa wrote this book, with a specific audience in mind, it is clear that everyone who leads (and everyone leads) will find value within the pages of this book. Listen in and learn what compelled Melissa to write this book, at this time, in the world. Hear her share a bit of her philosophy on leadership and, from that, the questions that help her navigate though greater, intentional living. If you’ve been working within long-subscribed business success formulas that do not offer what you need, to lead in your most comfortable and authentic way, then spend this time with us. We hope you’ll listen in AND we believe you will feel inspired and ready for action.

As we recorded this episode, on the front end of Mother’s Day weekend, we started simmering on the topic of caregiving…something moms know all too well about. So, with a world of respect, to all the moms out there, we are taking a look at caregiving, from a few different angles. The first angle is, of course, all about people who provide care for others. This includes all women AND men, who may be providing ongoing care for one or more parent or other family member(s). It includes the “Sandwich Generation,” who may have kids at home and, just maybe, have older family members living in their homes. Being a primary caregiver is a truly challenging job, and it can be difficult to realize the rewards, while you’re entrenched in the role. Listen in, as we share a few of our personal journeys, as caregivers and what we gained from our experiences. If you’ve ever needed care from others, but found it difficult to ask or accept, you’ll learn more about why it’s okay and courageous to be vulnerable and accept care. Finally, we approach caregiving from the angle of caring for ourselves. This may be the most challenging aspect of caregiving and it’s critically important. So, join us as we hold caregiving “Story Time,” with you. We hope it inspires you to explore your own environment and feelings.

In this Encore Edition, Dr. Pam McLean, Co-Founder of The Hudson Institute of Coaching, talks with us about why this is “a golden moment for us as human beings” and what she has learned, through decades of working with leaders around the globe, about the critical capabilities leaders need to develop to solve the complex issues in the world today. This episode is even more relevant today than when we initially recorded it, prior to the podcast's launch more than three years ago! We hope you enjoy the revisit to this amazing, inspiring episode.

We’ve been in Santa Barbara, California, THRIVING at the Hudson Learning Conference. This is just an introduction to the experiences we’ve had this past week. We made great connections, both new and old and have learned so much about Possibilities, ahead! We are so honored that Lifting Leaders Podcast was spotlighted during the conference and we look forward to welcoming new listeners and followers, as a result! Many thanks to Hudson Institute’s amazing staff, for a world of support they gave us, to make this happen. Listen in as we talk to a fellow Seattle coach, at the conference, and learn how she is Thriving in 25! Also, we are giving a shout out to Corey, our favorite garden center representative, for his expertise and support in teaching us about native plants that attract and nurture birds, bees, and butterflies! Check out the episode…we recorded in the lobby!

This week’s episode seems so timely, as we are digging into the beauty and importance of creating spaces that attract and nurture birds, butterflies and bees. These vital creatures are not only a joy to watch but they play a critical role in our ecosystems – and their populations are declining! Listen in as we share a bit of information and statistics on this topic. Learn how incorporating native plants in your garden space provides the food and shelter these pollinators need to thrive. Whether you garden in a yard or containers, you can create an enticing space for these beautiful and important critters. We would love to hear from you – what are you doing in your garden or outdoor space to support birds, butterflies, and bees?

As we continue on our theme of “Leaders THRIVE in 25,” we look to ChatGPT, to help us show different ways, in which we can all THRIVE, this year. Listen in and learn how we decided to use this AI tool, without bailing on the commitment we have to our own values, knowledge and experience. Learn more about the courage and bold steps it takes to thrive and how reflection helps us grow into an intentional state of thriving. Hear how imagination ignites a contagious energy that can inspire others to dream and thrive as well. Finally, BONUS…we have an AI-inspired poem that wraps all of this up with a bow. We hope you enjoy this episode and that you feel inspired to reach back and share your thoughts about it. We would love to learn what you’re doing to THRIVE in 25. Enjoy!

There were so many gems to be found, during our interview with Carole McCluskey (Episode 132). We decided to focus on Finding Courage as an appropriate gem for this week’s episode. During our interview with Carole, we noticed that she has essentially lived in courage, throughout her amazing career, from being one of the first women leaders in the tech industry, to trekking by bike over long stretches of our country, and so much more! In today’s world, we are experiencing unprecedented change and upheaval and many of these changes are testing our courage in new ways. Speaking up, when it matters, can be seen as truly courageous. Is it courageous to speak up about work matters, on the job? For those who may work in environments that don’t seem psychologically safe, practicing courage may be a bold move. Listen in as we share some essential steps to finding your courage. Learn why we say that courage is a skill.

With our theme of “Leaders Thrive in 25,” we are introducing more practicing formal leaders on our show, to hear their journeys, their ups and their downs and what it took for them to “thrive” in leadership. We are excited to introduce you to Carole McCluskey, tech industry leader/executive with over 35 years in various roles, including board and advisory roles in companies like Redbox/Coinstar, MOD Pizza, TrueBlue, Tealium and TIBCO Software. Spend this time with us as Carole shares why she is an “accidental success story.” You may be able to identify with some of her lessons learned, along her career journey. Learn about what she claims is the best advice she ever received. The story that led to that advice is a real eye-opener. So, if you’re at home, get comfortable. If you listen while commuting…you know what to do! In any event, we think you will be glad you spent time listening to this episode. Enjoy!

What are values and what purpose do they serve? If you have ever found yourself in a situation where you needed to make a very difficult and important decision, you have most likely had to do a bit of soul searching. What you were seeking was the answer that you could believe in or that you felt was the right decision. How did you do that? Well, this episode is about the importance of knowing your values. Listen in, and learn about where they come from, how they serve a purpose in your life and what to do when they aren’t working anymore. Spend this short time with us, as we discuss the foundation that guides our decisions and our behaviors. Looking for ways to determine what your true core values are? Listen in for a simple way to do that.

(Encore edition) This week we launch our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guest Peter Block, who challenges us to shift our mental framework from scarcity to abundance and enough. He shares a new organizing principle and paradigm for our culture, the Common Good which relies on all of us opening our hearts to connect and create relationships in our communities to have a positive impact on the world (it starts with you!). Find out the 7 key areas that every community universally cares about and new ways to measure our well-being. In this powerful and vulnerable interview, Peter shares his own perspectives on story, place, impact and why he still asks himself, have I done enough? We invite you to grab a warm cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy the unique pace of this episode that invites you to pause, slow down and soak it all in.

In this episode we talk with Andrea Lucky, CEO and Founder of Silver Fern HR Consulting, to help leaders navigate through this tricky time in our workplaces. Andrea shares the impact she is seeing right now in our organizations by the division, uncertainty and chaos in our country. What if we could create havens of harmony for our employees in our teams and organizations? It is possible. Andrea shares with us practical steps we as leaders (and we are all leaders) can take to make this a reality.

Springboarding off of the great visit (#128) we had, with Jeff McAuliffe, we are revisiting something we spent some time unpacking…dealing with overwhelm. While overwhelm is a state of being that most of us face, from time-to-time, it seems to be hitting more and more people, right now. Life has presented one challenge after another, since 2020, and we barely navigate through one issue, before another one, two, or twenty present themselves. Listen in as we Zoom Out, for a moment, to look at what is happening these days that may be unsettling for some (and certainly is, for us). Then learn what we are doing and what you can do to Zoom In, and boulder through some of life’s challenges, and find new ways to Thrive. It’s not about just surviving, although, if that is all you can do, right now, do it. It’s about Thriving, and we strive to be there now and moving forward. Enjoy!

We are so happy to welcome back, our friend, Jeff McAuliffe, accomplished consultant, coach and author of the bi-weekly environmentally focused newsletter, “52 Weeks of Earth Day” If you live on this planet, you may have been experiencing confusion or any one of several emotions around what is going on, locally, nationally, and globally. We are facing a tremendous amount of change (and challenge), politically, environmentally, economically, and personally. All of this is having an impact on how we navigate our own feelings, how we interact with others, and how we look at the ways in which we must now plan for our futures. While all this can feel very heavy, we have choices. Listen in and learn about some of the choices that Jeff has been making, that are helping him navigate through this new climate we are finding ourselves in. Find out how Zooming out to take a more global view of our current world can help us, as we Zoom in toward acting with greater intention, on a more local level. Want to learn more about how to build resilience as a change agent? This episode is packed with true gems that will help us all THRIVE, in 25 and beyond.

How are you feeling? If you’re like us, you may be feeling the stresses of all the recent upheaval and uncertainty that has confronted us, over the past few weeks. We have to admit that it feels different and uncomfortable…like nothing we have experienced before. We want you to know that we are, as always, committed to our Vision, Mission/Purpose and, with that in mind, we are launching a new theme for this year – “Leaders THRIVE in 25.” Listen in and learn about our plans for keeping all of us on tract to THRIVE, this year. Want to know more about how you can THRIVE now and in the future? Have an interest in keeping your mind in growth mode, during times where the stories in your head may be steering you toward a more fixed and polarized way of thinking? Well, come along with us, this year where, together, we will explore hope and discover new possibilities.

This is Part Two of our encore episode with Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley, two Organizational Development professionals who talk with us about Human Flourishing. We discuss how the collective power of individual mindset and behaviors, even coming from varying states of mental/emotional wellbeing is what it takes to achieve more systemic Human Flourishing. Want to know more about why Judy sees Human Flourishing as a “big, hairy, amorphous challenge?” Listen in to find out. Knowing that Human Flourishing is seen as not so much of a “nice to have” state of being but, rather, a new imperative for all of us, it seems important for us to learn as much as we can so we can decide how it might fit into our worlds. One of the many takeaways from this rich episode has to do with ways in which leaders can help further and foster Human Flourishing in their organizations. We hope you will listen in on the entire episode. You will find a wealth of information on this important topic, and we believe it will be an insightful mining journey.

As we think about Leaders Thriving in 2025, the concept of Human Flourishing as shared by Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley this time last year, is foundational and worth revisiting. We hope you find this encore edition as inspiring and informational as we do. While it seems like forever that experts have been concentrating on negative human behaviors, burn out and depression, there is a rising buzz in the world of psychology and organizational development that is shifting much of the focus toward something called Human Flourishing. Join us, as we welcome Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley, two Organizational Development professionals who bring their expertise to the podcast and share their journeys to this complex world of Human Flourishing. Learn how they define flourishing and how it differs from fixing what’s wrong. Discover the PERMA model and how it’s linked to Human Flourishing. Learn how flourishing differs, in different countries and cultures and why Judy and Sasha say that Human Flourishing is a team sport. This topic is so important, during this time we are living in, and there is so much information to share, that we are bringing Judy and Sasha back, for our next episode, as well. Don’t miss this episode, though, as it sets the foundation upon which our next conversation will be based. We know there are a lot of gems to be found in this episode, and we think you will be glad you spent time mining with us.

We are just a few weeks into 2025 and the number of people who are experiencing burnout is staggering! The reality is that those of us who are in that mode were feeling that way, before the new year. So, what’s going on? And why is it that, when we have free time at work, we feel compelled to fill that time? It’s a long-standing belief in American business that being busy means you are showing value. But is that really true? Listen in as we unpack an article, written by Martha Beck, called “Making Time for Nothing.” Does just reading that make you uncomfortable? It doesn’t have to. Learn a bit about what Martha calls Empty Time Deficiency Syndrome and how that presents in our day and our life. Learn about the value of doing nothing and what that really looks like. If you need a nudge around what to do, if you have a free minute, hour, half-day, and so on, we’ll share that, from Martha’s article, as well. We hope you enjoy this episode and that, after listening, you feel a little more comfortable and, perhaps compelled, to explore doing nothing. You may just find that burnout is a much smaller challenge. Enjoy.

We are a few weeks into 2025 and, already, resolutions are being ditched and forgotten. Want to know why 80% of our New Year’s resolutions fail by February, each year? If you have ever had trouble sticking to your annual New Year’s resolutions, you will want to listen to this week’s episode! We are excited to welcome back speaker, facilitator, wife of Jon Ondrasik (aka: Five For Fighting), and soon-to-be best-selling author, Carla Ondrasik. If you’ve followed our podcast over the past year, you may recall that Carla was with us, in March of 2024 (Episode 89) where she talked about the book she was starting to write. Well, it is being printed as we type and will be on bookshelves, everywhere, in the Fall. Listen in and learn more about Carla’s journey to publishing her book and hear her advice for anyone who is interested in writing. Find out about the neuroscience behind trying, and how that impacts our attitudes and behaviors. Spend some time with us and we think you will feel energized and inspired to “Stop Trying…” and just start doing. Enjoy.

Are you ready to Ditch the Ditty? What in the World is a Ditty, anyway?? Join us for this first episode of the new year, that we are calling “Leaders Thrive in 25!”, with two of the three authors of the book, Ditch the Ditty, which launches this week, Lindsay Godwin and Molly McGuigan (with Miriam Novotny, here, at heart!). Do you ever find yourself responding “yes,” to tasks, that no one else will take on (or are ever asked to)? Have you ever wondered how important these tasks that you really don’t want or (maybe) need to do, really are? While this phenomenon may not be exclusive to women, it is much more prevalent and, interestingly, it is often quietly, culturally endorsed. We hope you will listen in, as we believe you will find this episode to be richly insightful and will leave you wanting more…we did! Luckily, their new book launches on January 7th!

Yes! It is Wrapping Season – beautiful paper, ribbons, tons of tape and tags, everywhere! Oh! But WAIT! We’re wrapping up a few other things, as well!! If you have been listening to our podcast, you know that we have been doing a series on Coaching for a Better World. We have officially wrapped up our series, with a beautiful two-part interview, with Hudson Institute of Coaching leaders. We had interviews with several other amazing coaches who are making a power impact in the world, through out-of-the-box thinking and coaching. Listen in and learn about some of the gems we found through these interviews…they’re inspiring! Hey! We are also wrapping up our podcast year! Before we take a few weeks off, we want to share our gratitude for this 2024 gift trip we’ve been on. And you, our listeners are the reason we call it a gift. Learn just a snippet of what is to come, in the New Year. In the meantime, however you celebrate this season, we wish you health and happiness and we look forward to bringing new episodes for you, in 2025!

This week, we are thrilled to continue the capstone of our special series, Coaching for a Better World, by bringing you the second part of our two-part interview with Dr. Pam McLean, PhD. and Michael Hudson. In this episode Pam and Michael help us explore the value of self-observation as a practical step in a more developmental leadership model. Listen in as Pam shares the impact of valuing/devaluing the relationship, in leadership. Learn what may be on the horizon for coaches as we acknowledge a unique gift that coaches possess. Whether or not you are a professional coach, as a leader, you will, once again, gain valuable insights from this episode. We invite you to spend this time with us, as we celebrate the close of our series, with two of our favorite leaders. Final Note: Thanks for supporting our Hope Survey. If you have not taken it yet, please visit our website and take the survey. Your voice matters!

This week, we are pleased and honored to begin the capstone of our special series, Coaching for a Better World, with two of our favorite iconic leaders in the coaching industry, Pam McLean and Michael Hudson. Our discussion with Pam and Michael was so rich with highly relevant and timely insights and information about developing leaders, for today and beyond. Listen in and learn about some of the concerns that are prompting many in the coaching and development industries to rethink the way leaders are developed. Hear Pam and Michael talk about new approaches and benefits to critical mass learning that dwarf any other engagement and development efforts practiced, so far. Whether or not you are a professional coach, as a leader, you will gain some valuable insights from this episode. We have so much more information to share that we will conclude this amazing interview with Pam and Michael, in next week’s episode.

We begin this Thanksgiving week by sharing our gratitude and thoughts around things we are thankful for. In light of all things that seem troubling, in today’s world, there are so many amazing reasons to still be thankful. Spend this short episode with us and learn what we are feeling thankful for, this year. Looking for something to be thankful for? Start with your mirror…step outside…look at your family, friends, and a pet. We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday and we look forward to continuing our Coaching for a Better World series, next week. You will find the link to this episode below. Final Note: Thanks for supporting our Hope Survey. Your voice matters!

We are nearing the end of our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” and, this week, we are bringing back an episode we recorded, last year, with Amy Yip, Somatic Life Transformation and Mental Fitness coach, keynote speaker, and International best-selling author, of “Unfinished Business.” Amy just received The Independent Authors’ Network, Book for the Year, for outstanding non-fiction writing. In this episode you will hear Amy’s story about growing up as a first generation, Asian American, navigating her life journey, with her immigrant parents, who did not speak English. Listen in and learn some of the challenges that influenced the decisions she made and some that purposely didn’t. We Hope you enjoy this episode in celebration of Amy’s great achievement.

We are well into our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” and, this week, we are delighted to welcome dynamic leadership and team-development coach, author, and Managing Principal of the firm, Intrinsic Lead, Melissa Castro. As a Millennial herself, Melissa focuses much of her coaching and consulting on helping leaders beat burnout, build sustainable teams, and use their influence to create positive change. Did you know that the Millennial generation makes up between 32%-35% of today’s working population? With this in mind, if you work with this generation’s leaders and want to better understand what is important to them and what drives their behaviors, listen in. If you are considered a Millennial and are interested in learning more about the value of coaching for you and your fellow leaders, you are in the right place. This episode is FULL of valuable gems that are sure to spark insights for all leaders, no matter what your generation.

As we continue with our Coaching For A Better World series, we want to share just a little about the wonderful world of coaching. What exactly IS coaching? How is that different from therapy or mentoring? What’s the benefit of being coached? What can I expect when I meet with a coach? These are common questions that often surface whenever a coach introduces themself. If you’ve ever been coached, you may recall asking these questions before you took the dive. If you haven’t been coached, we hope you will find our conversation helps you decide if you would like to explore new ways of working on the challenges you may be experiencing. In any event, we Hope you find this episode informative and inviting.

This week, we continue our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” by expanding on empathy in leadership, a topic shared by Josh Speraneo, our previous guest, who specializes in working with highly sensitive people (HSP). In our typical “Gems” fashion, we discuss insights from a Center For Creative Leadership article on this topic. Does empathic leadership really matter and is there a place for empathy at work? What’s the difference between empathy and sympathy? What are some of the outcomes of leader empathy and why is that important? Listen in to learn the answers to these questions and more. This is a relatively short episode AND it’s packed with insightful gems! We hope you find it inspiring!

This week, our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” continues with Josh Speraneo, a courage coach who specialized in working with highly sensitive people (HSP). In this eye-opening episode, Josh shares the journey that led to him discovering that he is an HSP. Listen in and learn the steps he took, and how this new knowledge impacted his path toward coaching and advising other HSPs. Learn about how, when high sensitivity and empathy show up in leadership, team, and organization engagement increases.

In this Gems episode, as part of our special series on “Coaching for a Better World,” we explore and dig deeper into our courageous conversation last week with Traci Staffen, ADHD Coach, Certified Positive Intelligence™ and Menopause Coach. In that episode, Traci encouraged us to not just accept the stories from our past that form our current mental models regarding menopause, but to get curious, find answers for ourselves, and awaken to the possibilities of what this unique time in our lives may offer. Did you know that most women will spend nearly one third of their lives in menopause? In this Gems episode, we explore the importance of this awakening, challenging the status quo and offer some reflections on how to start your own path of awakening. This conversation is worth listening to not only for yourself, but for all of the women, sisters, friends, co-workers, that we value in our lives. We hope you’ll take a listen.

Ignoring it won’t make it go away. If you say the word, you won’t melt…promise! And, while many dread the word and the condition, it has been here, forever, it is here, now, and it will be here, in the future. What is it? It’s Menopause! We are continuing our special series, “Coaching for a Better World,” with Traci Staffen, ADHD, Menopause, and Certified Positive Intelligence Coach. In this episode, Traci shares her illuminating story about how navigating her own menopause journey sparked a new passion for helping others have more positive experiences. With over 51% of the world’s population being women, menopause, which is with us for 30-50% of our lives, deserves more attention, from the medical profession, insurance companies, organizations, women AND men. So, spend this hour with us. You will leave with greater understanding of menopause, and you may just find yourself inspired to learn more about how to embrace this phase of a woman’s life.

With the first episode of our special series, “ Coaching for a Better World” out for the world to hear, we turn to something that stood out for us during our conversation with Meghan Patino, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). There were so many gems that emerged during our time with Meghan, and we wanted to do a slightly deeper dive into what can be gained, by venturing out of our safe spaces. Listen in and learn How Travel Spurs Personal Growth, not just for leaders of people but for everyone. Spend this short time with us and get ready to begin envisioning your own growth, through adventure.

Welcome to the first episode, in our special series, “ Coaching for a Better World.” We are excited to bring this series to you, our listeners, as our way of helping you become even more aware of some of the many niche coaching practitioners who are making a better world. In this first episode, we introduce you to Meghan Patino, a Professional Certified Coach, focusing on leadership and life coaching. Listen in and hear Meghan’s fascinating story about metabolizing her own fears and stepping way outside of her comfort zone, as she discovered her own resilience and leadership strengths, while she and her family embarked upon an eleven-month journey to various places in the world. Learn some of the insights she gained about survival, family, resilience, coaching, and life back home. We believe you will find Meghan’s story to be truly inspirational…we certainly did!

We did it! We said we were going on an extended break and we did it! After lots of rest and rejuvenation, we want to welcome you back to Season Four of Lifting Leaders Podcast. We hope you enjoyed your August and that you took some time to refresh and regroup…it is so important! In this episode, we share what we did, over this break – from spending time with loved ones to kayaking and learning new skills…all great ways to refresh our spirits! You will also get just a hint of what is in store for this, our fourth season. Enjoy the listen – we are SO happy to be back and we are even happier to have you with us. If you haven’t taken the Hope survey yet, please take a moment to help us with our research.

It’s that time of year again. We are taking our annual break, from now, until mid-September. This is a great time to rest, relax, have fun, and truly refresh our minds and bodies. When was the last time you took more than a long weekend off? Did you know that there are so many benefits to taking time off? Have you heard about some of the potential consequences, to not taking refresh time? Listen in and learn a bit about that and find out how we plan to spend our time off this year. We wish you a restful, relaxing and fun time, in August and we look forward to meeting you back here, in September! Finally, have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It’s Summer and, if you are like we are, you may be ready to let loose and have some fun! In this episode, we dive into two articles (no surprise!) on the topic of fun. Did you know that incorporating elements of fun, into your work, can elevate creativity and team morale? Listen in a learn what the smell of crayons can do to your brain…it’s true! If you are looking for ideas on ways in which you can infuse fun into your personal Summer agenda, stay with us, to the end of the episode. Finally, have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

If you just read this title and asked yourself, “didn’t I just hear about compassion, a few months ago?” you are spot on, and we thank you for being a loyal listener! This episode looks at self-compassion in a slightly different way. In this short Coaches Corner, we dive into a few articles on how self-compassion offers greater advantages, over time, to self-confidence. What can happen when we over value our abilities? How is self-compassion beneficial for our personal growth? What are some ways in which we can boost our self—compassion? Listen in and learn about the three components of self-compassion. We hope you will find what you learn to be insightful and motivating! Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Having had a week to process our discussion, with author, executive coach and leadership strategist/facilitator, Marita Decker, we bring some of our insights to this episode and unpack just a small number of gems from this inspiring book. If you have read Marita’s book, you know that there are several Boosters and all of them are valuable. If you haven’t, but want to know more about them, check out our previous episode (#104 from June 24th), where Marita covers the list and provides her own descriptions. Listen in and hear about a few of the insightful nuggets we found, within her list of Confidence Boosters and Blockers that stood out for us, as well as some actions we believe leaders should be responsible to do, to minimize discomfort in new leaders. As we stated in last week’s show notes, while the focus of Marita’s book is on women in leadership, we believe there are gems to be mined by all leaders. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

As women leaders, what shakes our confidence and causes us to doubt? What are some blockers that get in the way of career confidence and what do they have to do with our mindset and habits? Join us as we talk to author, Marita Decker, executive coach and leadership strategist/facilitator, and learn what prompted her to research and write about this topic, which is gaining a great deal of interest in today’s Fortune 500 companies. Listen in and learn about the top three actions women leaders can take to outsmart doubt. While this focus is on women in leadership, we believe there are gems to be mined by all leaders. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Springboarding off Episode 102, when we talked about the differences and (importantly) the similarities that multiple generations feel, believe, and expect to engage in today’s workforce, we decided to visit a common factor that touches all generations…becoming Overwhelmed! We are now at the mid-point in our year and, often, this is a time when we take stock of what we have accomplished, to this point. It’s those goals we had that we haven’t accomplished yet that can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed. Listen in and learn how you can step out of that state of being overwhelmed and take charge of your priorities and time. Explore how focusing on the 3 R’s: Right person, right things, right time can make a huge difference toward taking control and minimizing overwhelm. If you are feeling like your priorities are piling up and your year is racing ahead too quickly, give us 45 minutes of your time…you might just find that gem you’ve been searching for. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? There is still time and We Need Your Voice!

As many organizations are navigating their mid-year performance reviews, we wondered, with five generations currently occupying the workforce, what should leaders keep in mind, with respect to what motivates each of these groups? We consulted a trusted resource and found 10 interesting approaches and a few facts we thought you might find helpful. Listen in, and learn about some of the differences, as well as some motivations/desires that are common, across all working generations. While several approaches may be well understood, you may find a few gems that might just help you move past differences. In any event, we are sharing truly foundational approaches that will help you, whether you lead an individual or navigate the dynamics of a team. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? There is still time and We Need Your Voice!

After ten weeks, seven guests, three Gems episodes and a Coaches Corner, our Opening Your Heart series is coming to a close. Join us, as we reveal some of the gems we mined during the series. Listen in and learn what we recommend leaders do to help inspire and encourage an open hearted organization. You will learn why there really isn’t a set process for creating and maintaining an open hearted organization but we will share what we gleaned that you may want to employ, as you are moving toward open hearted leadership. Finally, we are getting close to completing our Hope survey and we invite you to complete it, if you haven’t already done so.

It’s our 100th Episode!!! Who do we thank for 100 amazing episodes over the past two years? You, our wonderful listeners. We just love you. Of course, it truly aligns with our Opening Your Heart series, because wonderful things happen, when you Open Your Heart. With this in mind, we bring you Glodean Champion’s episode, from May of 2023. Do you know what LOVE looks like? In this episode we are gifted, once again, with gems from Glodean Champion, TEDx and keynote speaker, author, and champion of LOVE, as she reveals her formula to narrowing gaps between people’s perceptions and deep-seeded beliefs and misunderstandings of others. Listen in as Glodean shares stories of encounters she has had, over the past several months, that give her (and us) hope about honoring our differences and celebrating things we have in common. We Hope you enjoy this encore episode. Don’t forget, we are still accepting entries to our Hope survey. You will find it on our website (www.liftingleaderspodcast.com).

WOW! As we are planning for our 100th episode, next week, we are spending our 99th episode celebrating the second anniversary of Lifting Leaders Podcast, and we invite you to listen in! Do you know how many on-air hours we put in during our second year? Learn some of the steps necessary to get an episode ready to share with you our listeners. Have you any idea the number of guests we interviewed? We are truly grateful for the amazing leaders who have shared time with us and you! Do you know the number of downloads that took place during this second year? Listen in and hear just a few of the guest quotes that stood out for us, this year. We are feeling great about our accomplishments, and we want to celebrate with you, our listeners, who made everything possible. We are soaring with gratitude. Finally, we are getting close to completing our Hope survey and we invite you to complete it, if you haven’t already done so.

As we continue with our series, Opening Your Heart, we thought we would spend this Coaches Corner unpacking the Forbes article, The Compassionate Leader-Who Leads With The Heart – Is it Good for Business? Although the article leans toward leading with compassion, in business, we see a strong connection to our personal lives as well, which makes sense, as we believe that everyone leads. Listen in and learn how Forbes describes traits of compassionate leadership. Hear about the impact a compassionate leader can have on employee engagement, innovation, and trust. If you feel challenged around bringing compassion into your leadership, we Hope this Coaches Corner will be insightful and engaging. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Continuing our series of Opening Your Heart, we found a foundational theme in our last two episodes that we wanted to unpack a bit. Taking cues from Episode 95, with the mother/daughter duo, Kirsten Carpentier and Regina Winkle-Bryan, and Episode 96, with G. Victoria Campbell and Andrew Coopman, we thought it would be interesting to use their stories that make Heart connections. Listen in and learn about how following their dreams led each of these amazing adventurers to where they are, today. Learn about the five elements of following your dream, and what each step means for them, as well as how you might employ them, as you follow your own dreams. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Earth Day finally arrived, and we found ourselves just off Broadway, meeting, once again, with TREESON creator and co-writers, G. Victoria Campbell, and Andrew Coopman. Talk about nervous excitement!! Vicki and Andrew gifted us some of their time, just hours before their eco-musical, TREESON, was to premiere, off Broadway, at 54 Below, a charming dinner club and theatre.

Listen in and learn more about some of the final details they collaborated on, as they prepared for the big night. Hear them open their hearts and share true love and respect for the journey they’ve been on, over the past year. Listen in and learn about a new project that Andrew is working on and hear him talk about his role in the upcoming Drama League Awards (older than the Tonys!). Also, listen in, as Vicki shares an exciting potential new opportunity for Treeson. There is so much “heart” in this interview…a true “feel good” episode. Finally, we are still hoping to increase responses to our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

This week we continue our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guests Kirsten Carpentier and Regina Winkle-Bryan, a truly creative mother/daughter team, with a World of adventures behind and in front of them! More than an artist, Kirsten Carpentier has crafted her colorful life story by facing her fears and bravely taking bold steps in wildly creative directions. In a similar vein, Regina Winkle-Bryan has used her passion for travel and adventure to engage women in building their confidence and resilience through World-wide travel experiences. While this may sound like two very different tales (and it is), these amazing women enjoy heart connections as colleagues, partners, creative collaborators, friends and so much more. Check out the episode…we think you will find it inspiring.

Finding connection between our new series’ focus, Opening Your Heart, and something we gleaned from our recent guest, Dr. Lindsey Godwin, we return to two trusted resources for more information about the topic of Curiosity. It turns out that there are some true benefits of curiosity, for individuals, leaders, teams, and organizations. It’s a critical element in organizational change and innovation. Listen in and learn what all of this has to do with the heart and gain insights into steps you can take to build curiosity, as a leader or high performer. Interested in learning more? Check out this episode and your curiosity will surely lead you to some insightful answers! Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

Continuing our Opening Your Heart series, we were thrilled to welcome back Dr. Lindsey Godwin, professor, practitioner, and possibilitizer, who you may remember, from last year’s Episode 76, on the topic of Net Positive OD Leadership. In this episode, we lean into Lindsey’s new children’s book, “How Do You Love A Question?" While the book may be classified as a children’s book, it invites readers of all ages to tap into their inner child and rediscover the pure joy and adventure of asking questions. This is not a template but, rather, an enticing invitation to explore your own curiosity. Leaders (and we are all leaders), learn about staying open-hearted and building inquiry muscles. Ready to adopt a stance of radical curiosity and awe? Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

After a great launch of our Opening Your Heart series, featuring Peter Block, we do a bit of mining, into a few gems, roughly translated from Peter’s latest book, Activating the Common Good – Reclaiming Control of Our Collective Well-Being. Listen in and learn some of the key points that stood out from Kristal’s conversation with Peter. Learn about two Common Good Protocols – Open Space (who decides what matters) and World Café (wiser together) and how they serve toward greater outcomes. Learn about connection through Relational Activism and how that impacts nature. Are you ready to explore what a purpose that is greater than ourselves looks like? Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research.

This week we launch our special series, Opening Your Heart, with guest Peter Block, who challenges us to shift our mental framework from scarcity to abundance and enough. He shares a new organizing principle and paradigm for our culture, the Common Good which relies on all of us opening our hearts to connect and create relationships in our communities to have a positive impact on the world (it starts with you!). Find out the 7 key areas that every community universally cares about and new ways to measure our well-being. In this powerful and vulnerable interview, Peter shares his own perspectives on story, place, impact and why he still asks himself, have I done enough? We invite you to grab a warm cup of tea or coffee, sit back and enjoy the unique pace of this episode that invites you to pause, slow down and soak it all in. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Some of the best gems appear when you least expect it. We actually found a red thread that linked our previous two episodes, featuring G. Victoria Campbell and her partner, Andrew Coopman (Treeson, the eco-musical), and Carla Ondrasik (powerful speaker, writer, and leader of “Don’t Try…DO! initiative). Banking off what we heard from these dynamic guests, we unpack the Huffington Post article, “Don’t Overthink – Just Do." We Hope you will listen in, for this short but powerfully rich episode. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It’s a question that is surfacing, more and more, these days. Do you want to try to make a positive difference, or will we make a difference? Please join us as our delightful guest, self-proclaimed natural-born motivator, Carla Ondrasik, challenges our thinking on this topic. Listen in as Carla shares her story, beginning with her childhood, where independence and doing was encouraged, through a career of “doing” fascinating jobs that tested her skills and fortitude and ultimately helped her find the love of her life, musician John Ondrasik, known to many as Five For Fighting. Carla walks us through her philosophy around not trying but rather, doing, which is something that more and more parents and leaders may be looking at. Hear how our learning and experience shifted our focus toward experimentation over trying and how this discussion has prompted us to rethink that, a bit. Interested in how to begin shifting from trying to doing? Learn about a few fun ways in which leaders and parents can help others unlearn the habit of talking about and promoting trying over just doing. We had such a fun time with Carla Ondrasik and we hope you’ll listen in and learn more!

What a delightfully fun episode we recorded this week! We were so excited to welcome back our guest from one year ago (Episode 43), G. Victoria (Vicki) Campbell, who was joined by her co-book writer, Andrew Coopman, who is a director, choreographer, and playwright of various theater projects, nationwide. Together, this dynamic duo shared some of the joys and more than a few of the challenges associated with creating an eco-musical, while they were both on different continents. Join us as we learn more about what inspired them to write/develop this eco-musical, called Treeson and how the project has evolved over the past year, as they prepare for their one-night premiere, on April 22, 2024 (Earth Day). Gain insights into some of the tiny details that keep them awake at night as they continue to power through, towards the big premiere. There are more than a few laughs in this episode, as well as an update on available tickets. If you want to be a part of this spectacular event, please check out the link for the theater club, 54 Below to purchase your tickets. We will be there and hope to see you there as well. Finally, have you completed the HOPE survey yet? Please check out the link below. There are only four questions (plus the demographics) and,

It seems like life just keeps getting more and more busy and, we don’t know about you but, we sometimes feel the tug between home life and work life. How do we keep our home priorities and challenges out of sight and out of mind, as we navigate work? How do we leave work behind so we can enjoy our personal spaces? These challenges have existed for years and, while we used to hear, “leave your personal life at the door, when you enter work,” we all know that this is just not possible, most of the time. After all, we are humans, with all the wonder, baggage, challenges, joys, and sadness, that make us who we are. In this episode, we depart from our usual approach, by NOT referencing articles from our favorite business resources. Instead, we offer, from our own experiences, some gems to consider, as you work through all the things in life, that sometimes get in the way. This Coaches Corner is full of food for thought, around things like Sacrifice vs Service, the importance of prioritizing, setting boundaries and delegating. Looking for new insights on this topic? We hope you’ll listen in. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

We all have at least one thing in common…we all must navigate through change. At work, home, or wherever you spend more than a moment, you experience change. Some changes may be easy to manage but there are changes that feel like huge lifts. But do they have to be? We thought it might be a good idea to visit this ever-present topic, while we are in the middle of our first quarter of the year, when many of us may have already tucked away our New Year’s commitments and plans. Listen in and learn about a few different models that business and change experts map out processes pertaining to the topic. Learn about models and concepts from James Clear, James Prochaska, Doug Silsbee, and Brene Brown. Listen in and hear more about how 360 degree assessments and coaching play a role in change. This Coaches Corner is full of gems and we hope you will find it insightful. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Yes, it is Valentine’s Day week, once again…a time when people all over the country show their feelings of love and gratitude, toward their loved ones and the sale of flowers and chocolate confections goes through the roof! What about showing our love for the Earth, for nature, for our environment? Join us as we unearth gems from a Psychology Today article on this very topic. Learn about not only the three primary motivational systems but an emerging fourth system that focuses on loving the Earth. Discover the impact of bringing love and joy into the acts of loving and navigating our Earth. Ever heard of the term, Earthing? Listen in and find out more about this. We truly enjoyed recording this episode and we Hope you will enjoy learning from it. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

It has been said that Joy is one of the most vulnerable of human emotions. It can be as brief as a moment, or it can last longer if you practice ways to elongate it. The stars don’t have to align for one to feel joy. It can actually happen during tough times as well. However, we, as humans, often rob ourselves of our joy by foreboding it. Want to know more about that? What does gratitude have to do with joy? What part does joy play in psychological recovery. Listen in and you will learn more about all of this and much more. However you listen, we hope this episode will be insightful for you. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Human Flourishing…It has been our topic of choice, over the past few weeks, for good reason. We envision the world being a better place, if leaders will learn about and practice the components that lead to Human Flourishing. Join us as we unpack the PERMA model that we learned about, during our interviews with Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley. Listen in and learn how simple acts can touch more than one component of the PERMA model. Want to know more about the actions that lead to Human Flourishing? Listen in and then take action!

Kristal Roberts and I hope you had an opportunity to listen in on last week’s episode, with Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley. That was part one of this two-part mining expedition, on the topic of Human Flourishing and it set the foundation for the deeper dive we take in this episode. These two Organizational Development professionals discuss how the collective power of individual mindset and behaviors, even coming from varying states of mental/emotional wellbeing is what it takes to achieve more systemic Human Flourishing. Want to know more about why Judy sees Human Flourishing as a “big, hairy, amorphous challenge?” Listen in to find out. Knowing that Human Flourishing is seen as not so much of a “nice to have” state of being but, rather, a new imperative for all of us, it seems important for us to learn as much as we can so we can decide how it might fit into our worlds. One of the many takeaways from this rich episode has to do with ways in which leaders can help further and foster Human Flourishing in their organizations. We hope you will listen in on the entire episode. You will find a wealth of information on this important topic, and we believe it will be an insightful mining journey.

While it seems like forever that experts have been concentrating on negative human behaviors, burn out and depression, there is a rising buzz in the world of psychology and organizational development that is shifting much of the focus toward something called Human Flourishing. Join us, as we welcome Judy Oyedele and Sasha Farley, two Organizational Development professionals who bring their expertise to the podcast and share their journeys to this complex world of Human Flourishing. Learn how they define flourishing and how it differs from fixing what’s wrong. Discover the PERMA model and how it’s linked to Human Flourishing. Learn how flourishing differs, in different countries and cultures and why Judy and Sasha say that Human Flourishing is a team sport. This topic is so important, during this time we are living in, and there is so much information to share, that we are bringing Judy and Sasha back, for our next episode, as well. Don’t miss this episode, though, as it sets the foundation upon which our next conversation will be based. We know there are a lot of gems to be found in this episode, and we think you will be glad you spent time mining with us.

Happy 2024! We are back after the holidays that were filled with family, friends, and lots of fun! Want to know what we did over the holidays? Are you interested in learning what’s coming up, for us and the podcast, in 2024? Listen in, as we share a little about our holiday experiences and shift the discussion toward the value of having a plan, for your year, while being open to all the new and unplanned moments that will inevitably grab your attention, when you least expect it. Why is it important to allow yourself to step away from your plan? What’s the best thing that can happen, when you do? Listen in and you’ll find out. OH! We’re continuing to promote our HOPE Survey this year so, if you haven’t taken the opportunity to complete it yet, we Hope you will do it, this year. You will find the link on our website.

We round out the year with a deeper look into our interview with Jeff McAuliffe and the many gems he shared with us (Episode 78). One gem that seems, to us, to be foundational is the importance of having a vision. It is so much more than mapping out a future state. In the current state of our World, it is critical that we look beyond the boundaries that are containing us and look at unknowns and possibilities. While the pandemic showed us how we act without a clear vision, with respect to climate change, we lacked vision, long before that. Do you know what your organization’s vision is? How about your own vision? Listen in and learn some of the impacts of operating without a vision and what some steps are that can help you and your team/organization/family collectively map out your aspirational future state. Finally, if you have not already done so, please take a few moments and complete our Hope survey. We would love to include your responses in our research. Happy Holidays!

We welcome back our guest from Episode 41, Jeff McAuliffe, Activist, Coach and Consultant and creator of the newsletter 52 Weeks of Earth Day. Listen in, as Jeff shares some of the insights he’s had, over the past year, around the realities of climate change, and the polarization of this topic, in our current culture. Learn more about what’s important, right now, with respect to shifting our thinking around our climate and how today’s youth may hold the key. Want to know what you can do to make a positive difference for our planet? Listen in as Jeff shares fairly simple steps we can take. Also, learn about the importance of taking collective actions to bring climate to the forefront, on a larger scale. Interested in learning what’s happening with Jeff’s 52 Weeks of Earth Day newsletter? Listen in to find out!

You’re in for a treat, with this Gems episode! We begin this session with an appeal, from one of our favorite past guests. Hint…she shares one of the songs from her upcoming musical debut. You won’t want to miss it! Next, after a seriously insightful and inspiring episode, featuring Dr. Lindsey Godwin, professor, practitioner and possibilitizer, there were so many gems on which to focus, for this session, that we found it difficult to narrow the field to just one. However, we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to unpack one of the Net Positive OD Leadership Principles (and practices) – Radical Regenerative. Join us as we explore a website that embodies what we see as Radical Regenerative. What are you doing to ensure that your work benefits both people and the natural environment? Join us and learn more about what you and the world can do!

We know that future generations are counting on us to solve the many critical challenges facing us today. This week’s guest, professor, practitioner and possibilitizer, Dr. Lindsey Godwin, shares with us important concepts to understand as we develop solutions to move us toward our Earthshot. Discover what Net Positive OD and full spectrum flourishing are and how they can help organizations be catalysts toward positive impact in the World. Listen in, as Dr. Godwin shares radical and practical actions we can take, right now, to move toward net positive OD leadership. This is a must listen episode for all leaders (hint: we are all leaders!). Step into your exclusive role for saving the world.

During this season of our year, as we reflect on the things we are thankful for…new family members, new homes, good jobs, great friends, or whatever comes to mind, let’s not forget those things that are much more foundational and important. Join us, as we share gems from November 2022 article, on Valerie Segrest, indigenous Muckleshoot tribal member, nutritionist, educator, and author, who shares ways of celebrating Thanksgiving, with mindfulness and respect. Listen in and learn how recipes and food can be conversation starters that prompt greater gratitude and connection with, not only the people you are with, but with the very land you stand on. We have a bit of gratitude to share with you, as well, so we HOPE you will spend this time of thanks with us. We also hope you have a very Happy and Insightful Thanksgiving!

Are there really defined stages or phases we go through, as we navigate our personal and professional lives? Why is it important to recognize them and how can having that information result in greater clarity and positive, intentional outcomes? Please join us in a fascinating conversation with our friend, Leah Fleischner, esteemed executive coach and consultant, who specializes in innovation facilitation and purpose-driven leadership, as we dive into the Hudson Institute of Coaching Cycle of Renewal model, and learn about the value that each stage offers at given times in our lives. Learn about the insights Leah has been experiencing, over the past several months, as she has been on her own journey through the “Getting Ready” phase and hear what’s on the horizon for her. Are you riding high in your position and feeling your most empowered and energetic? Are you feeling tired and a bit disillusioned by your current state and not sure what your next move should be? Perhaps you’re contemplating taking some time off to figure out your future or…could you be in the process of taking brave moves by experimenting in new and different types of activities? Whatever you’re experiencing, knowing the four stages can help you navigate the journey. We hope you’ll listen in!

We are bringing back one of our most popular episodes to date to support our many listeners who are grappling with important questions around measuring the success of their careers and life. This is a natural time of year to begin to think about the possibilities for 2024 and begin planning for either staying on the path we are currently on or maybe forging a new one. We talk with Jack Schlosser, a noted expert in the field of healthcare on leadership, governance and career success about what he has learned over his 50-year career about how to make career and life transitions successfully.

Do you know the secret of high performing teams? That’s right! Per the title, it’s psychological safety (PS). In this Coaches Corner, we unpack an article (2017) from one of our trusted sources, Harvard Business Review, and share ways in which you, as leaders, can create and maintain PS for your teams, toward greater engagement and excellence. Want to know what the key, foundational ingredient, without which there cannot be PS? Listen in, as we reveal, not only what that is but, also, all six steps from the article. However you listen, we hope this episode will be insightful for you. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

How many of us find ourselves, as adults, ruled by our childhood assumptions? What if we could step back in time and have open, honest conversations, with our parents, about those stories (in our own heads) we grew up with, that might not have been completely correct? This week’s guest, Somatic Life Transformation and Mental Fitness Coach, keynote speaker, author, and self-confidence trainer, Amy Yip, did just that. Join us for this eye-opening conversation and learn more about Amy’s journey, as a first generation, Asian American daughter of parents from China. Listen in as we dive into Amy’s new international bestseller, Unfinished Business – Breaking Down the Great Wall Between Adult Child and Immigrant Parents. Learn about how candid conversations with her parents busted many of the assumptions she grew up with, that influenced her focus and behaviors and impacted her confidence. This is a lesson in adulting we think you won’t want to miss!

Would you build a house, without first setting a solid foundation? Probably not, right? Well, as it turns out, setting a sound foundation as a first step in any individual or team working relationship is just as critical. In this episode, we return from a week on Cloud 9, after our amazing visit from Nicole Bianchi, two-time bestselling author, speaker, coach, and off-key karaoke singer. We are unearthing gems from her latest book, Five Tough Talks – a playbook for every tough talk you need to have in your professional and personal life, where we discuss this critical foundational step that can lead to greater outcomes and effectiveness, when we, as leaders, need to have tough talks. News flash…this step can often minimize the need to even have a tough talk. Join us as we share what’s behind Rules, Routines, and Rhythms. Learn about a few fairly simple questions (from Nicole’s second chapter) that we like as discussion starters for building strong 1x1 relationships and for intentionally setting agreements. Let us know what you think!

How does it feel to be one of the stops on a bestselling author’s latest book tour? In a word, AMAZING! Join us as we welcome the return of Nicole Bianchi, bestselling author of Small Brave Moves, consultant, master coach and global transformational speaker. Listen in as Nicole introduces her latest bestseller, Five Tough Talks – a playbook for every tough talk you need to have in your professional and personal life. Learn Nicole’s views around which talks are the toughest and how they can become easier by doing some up-front preparation. Just a hint…while the talks do not show up in a required sequence, there is some logic behind the order. Nicole shares what led her to write this beautifully foundational playbook and offers a challenge for leaders who are looking for guidance around what may seem like difficult conversations. We finished our time with Nicole feeling energized, engaged, and determined to put her playbook to use in our own practices. We think you’ll feel the same!

What might happen, when two, professional coaches (who happen to be Lifting Leaders Podcast cohosts) engage in a team coaching session with another, highly-skilled professional coach? Join us as we team up with our friend and colleague, Erica Goos, MA, PCC, Mentor Coach, Coach Supervisor, and get “unstuck,” during an impromptu team coaching session. Listen in and learn how, what sounds like a normal conversation, can result in new insights and commitments. Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

We gained a wealth of knowledge from our interview with Geoff Bellman (Episode 66), renowned Organizational Development leader, best-selling author, and lifetime achievement award winner (OD Network). Join us as we unearth some of the gems from Extraordinary Groups, a bestselling book by Geoff Bellman and Kathleen Ryan. Are you ready to lead your group through a major change? What does it take to lead a group through transformational change? Why is this shift in approach so important for success? Why is setting expectation critical toward moving groups in the right direction? Listen in, as we explore what is truly at the heart of transformation. This episode is short and sweet, and we believe you’ll find it transformational!

The best day in the life of an Organizational Development (OD) Practitioner, is when she/they have the privilege of spending quality time with a leader committed to advancing the profession. Enter Geoff Bellman, renowned leader in the field of OD (since 1977!), six-time, best-selling author, and lifetime achievement award winner (OD Network). Join us as we spend a delightful hour with this highly engaged and humble legend. Learn a few of the truths Geoff discovered, over years of working with leaders, around the World, in relation to transformational experiences with teams. There is so much richness in this episode that you won’t want to miss a minute of this hour-plus-long session. We believe you will agree that your time was well spent!

We are THRILLED to be back, after our annual August break. We kick off Season THREE with an account of what we did during our time off, the actions we took to make a better world, and the insights we gained, particularly around the importance of taking time off. We would love to hear about what you did this Summer and how you worked to make a better World. Listen in as we share some of the risks and consequences of overworking, referencing our latest favorite article from HBR, via LinkedIn, as well as our own personal accounts on the topic. Finally, we tap into words of wisdom from Brene Brown’s Gifts of Imperfection. Ready to dive into Season Three? Join us and find out about just one of our upcoming interviews. Want a hint? She just launched her latest, soon-to-be bestseller!!

In this episode, we unearth a few of the many gems we discovered, during our interview with Belonging and Workplace Well-being expert, licensed psychotherapist, and author of the #1 International Bestseller, The Color of Emotional Intelligence: Elevating Our Self and Social Awareness to Address Inequities, Farah (FAR-ah) Harris. We look at the importance of self-awareness in emotional intelligence and unpack the Gallup article, “Leadership Authenticity Starts with Knowing Yourself. Listen in and learn about the leader’s role in promoting self-awareness and authenticity, as a strength and hear some compelling statistics associated with people applying their strengths. It is just a moment before August and, before we take a break, for one month, we are sharing everything that is going on…and they involve you! Check out our Spectacular Summer Challenge, where you get to choose what you want to do to make the World a better place, during August. Enroll in the Leading-Edge Collective, group coaching initiative; sign up for a 45-minute spot coaching session; and take our HOPE research project survey.

Whether the name Farah Harris is new to you, or you are a faithful follower of hers, you’re in for a treat! In this episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we spend a truly delightful hour with Belonging and Workplace Well-being expert, licensed psychotherapist, and author of the #1 International Bestseller, The Color of Emotional Intelligence: Elevating Our Self and Social Awareness to Address Inequities. Listen in and learn the question that Farah recommends beginning every day with and how that question can have a great impact on building our emotional intelligence (EQ). Do you know the skills that can enhance our EQ, when dealing with others who may have underutilized or underdeveloped EQ? Check out this episode and you will learn this and so much more. We HOPE you’ll join us, for an hour of warmth, insightful moments and so much fun. Listen to the end for information and reminders around The Sensational Summer Challenge, Leading Edge Collaborative, Spot Coaching opportunities and our Hope Survey.

With confidence comes a wealth of benefits, not only for the leader who possesses it but for their followers, their organization, and those they serve. And, like any other strength, confidence can be overdone and underdone. In this episode, we unpack confidence – what it is, how it presents, and its impact. Listen in and learn what it looks like when it’s overdone and how to check in on your own level of confidence. Interested in a single coaching session with us? Ready for this year’s Spectacular Summer Challenge? Ready to grow your professional network and work through some of your challenges with other leaders? Have you taken the opportunity to complete our HOPE survey yet? We Need Your Voice!

Wow! Halfway through 2023 and we have so much to look back on! In this episode we unpack just some of the many gems we collected over this first half of this year. Check out the two models we use to reflect on our recent past and get ready for what’s to come. We share some personal experiences, from this year, using The Life Wheel and The Human Flourishing Assessment, and…we have an opportunity for you as well, using parts of these resources, and more. Here’s a brain teaser for you…how many times did we use the word “amazing” during this episode? We think we may be close to a Guinness record!! Don’t miss our update and appeal about our HOPE research project. We Need Your Voice!

How appropriate that we celebrate our 60th episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast by wrapping up our series on some of the critical challenges in healthcare. In this episode, we are joined by our friends and former LLP guests, Jack Schlosser, and Melanie Vargas, who engage with us, in a robust roundtable discussion on what we learned and discovered from the four healthcare professionals who gifted their time and wisdom, over the past month. Learn what action we believe healthcare leaders should act on, to gain the biggest impact, what bigger, bold steps they could take, and much more! If you haven’t had a chance to hear their episodes, you can find them, wherever you listen. The episodes are:

56: Dane Fukumoto, Education Program Director at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health,

57: Marcel Loh, Retired Healthcare Executive and Board Member,

58: Dr. Pam Honsberger, Medical Doctor, and Physician Leadership Development professional, and

59: Dr. Bailey Vail, new Resident in the field of Psychiatry

Continuing our series on healthcare, the challenges and possibilities, we have the good fortune to talk with Dr. Bailey Vail who starts her residency in psychiatry on the same day we are dropping this episode! She tells her story about what inspired her to choose a career in medicine, the impact of COVID on her schooling and her outlook on her career; you might be surprised by her answers! She also shares with us her perspective of what is working well, and where the healthcare field could continue to evolve that will better meet the needs of healthcare professionals and their patients - a true win-win. She also shares her advice for those coming up behind her on how to pursue a career in medicine - spoiler alert - don’t forget to find your joy. Our interview with Dr. Vail inspired us and gave us hope for what this new generation brings to this critical industry and how they are working to make a better world.

Continuing our series on challenges, within the healthcare industry and what healthcare professionals are doing about it, we gain some great insights from our guest, Dr. Pamela Honsberger, medical doctor, and physician leadership development professional, in California. Join us and hear Pam’s story about what brought her to healthcare and what challenges she has faced during her journey. Hear about some of the significant changes in physician/patient relationships and how that impacts, not only the patients but, most certainly, healthcare professionals. Find out what the three main indicators of burnout are and what she believes are steps to addressing them. This is a powerful episode, and we HOPE you’ll listen for the gems that start at the beginning and go all the way to the end!

Continuing our new series, focused on critical challenges in the healthcare industry, we gratefully team up with one of our former guests, Jack Schlosser, to interview Marcel Loh, recently retired healthcare executive, governing board member at CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, who also serves on boards of the California Hospital Association and the Hospital Association of Southern California. Marcel paints a conversational picture of the impact that ever-evolving change has on healthcare leaders and the industry as a whole. He shares his perspectives on what it takes to be a leader in this critically important industry and provides sage advice that is inspiring, engaging and evolving healthcare workers/leaders now and moving forward. His responses to our HOPE questions are filled with optimism…truly!

Dane Fukumoto, Education Program Director at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, a leading health-care company in Washington State, kicks off our healthcare series focused on critical challenges in the healthcare industry and conversations about where there is possibility and hope right now and into the future from different perspectives within the industry. We are hoping to bring attention to this critical field, to both the challenges and the possibilities in an effort to spark energy and hope to move leaders into action, in whatever way they can to support this critical system.

Talk about networking!! Want to hear two people unpack the amazing time they had at their first “live” learning conference, since the pandemic? Join Kristal and Tricia as they recall some of the highlights of the Hudson Institute of Coaching’s Learning Conference, in Santa Barbara, CA. Woven in amongst all the excitement are some great gems on networking and community. Learn more about the initiative Kristal and Tricia are working on, that focuses on healthcare, from different angles. Finally, find out more about their Hope Research Project. So…sit back, relax, and listen to these two coaches in this coaches corner.

We LOVED talking with Glodean Champion in last week’s episode so we continue the love by diving deeper into one important outcome of LOVE - a true sense of Belonging. Go with us on an exploration of the important role leaders AND teams play in creating an elevated culture at work through intentionally focusing on ways to increase belonging. Outcomes from employees who feel they belong are tangible including more innovation, increased performance, satisfaction and the increased ability to persevere through tough challenges. We also share two more practical tools from the Center for Creative Leadership to help you expand your practice of creating a culture of Belonging. Finally…VUCA Vanquished is coming up, on May 26th so listen in, to learn how to sign up for this free, one-hour, highly interactive growth opportunity!

Do you know what LOVE looks like? In this episode we are gifted, once again, with gems from Glodean Champion, TEDx and keynote speaker, author, and champion of LOVE, as she reveals her formula to narrowing gaps between people’s perceptions and deep-seeded beliefs and misunderstandings of others. Listen in as Glodean shares stories of encounters she has had, over the past several months, that give her (and us) hope about honoring our differences and celebrating things we have in common. Finally…VUCA Vanquished is coming up, on May 26th so listen in, to learn how to sign up for this free, one-hour, highly interactive growth opportunity!

With Mental Health Awareness Month, well under way, we unpack Burnout, one of the gems we gained from our friend, Melanie Vargas, during our last episode. Did you know that a staggering 81% of employees navigate through some type of burnout or mental health issue? We reveal some concerning statistics about the causes of burnout in organizations, before, during and after the pandemic and share ways in which leaders can lead conversations about wellbeing. You will learn about CCL’s Wellbeing Challenge and so much more. Finally…VUCA Vanquished is just around the corner so, listen in, to learn how to sign up for this free, one-hour, highly-interactive growth opportunity!

We kick off National Mental Health Awareness month with a thought-provoking conversation with our friend, Melanie Vargas, Founder and CEO of Radical Ignition. Melanie shares her story and insights from an insider’s perspective on how mental health challenges are showing up in the world today, and the critical role that leaders need to play, toward promoting mental well-being. This discussion raises some important points about who has been most impacted by events like the pandemic, layoffs, quiet quitting, and more. Are you ready to meet mental health, head on? Listen in and learn ways in which businesses and leaders can effectively promote mental well-being in the workplace.

It’s Spring! And, at this time of the year, a time of planting and renewal, it seems fitting to focus on the topic of Vision…the Vision statement, that is. If you’re like a fair portion of the population, this may have you wondering, “What is a vision statement?” “Why is it important, and how do you create one?” Join Kristal and Tricia, on their 50th episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, as they offer some answers and insights on this topic. Learn some of the questions that a vision statement addresses and why it is so important, particularly if you have an organization, an entrepreneurial endeavor or are thinking about major goals in your family. Learn about the connection between having a vision and HOPE. This episode is packed with great information and food for thought and for those who listen all the way to the end, there is a special 50th episode insider surprise that is sure to make you grin. So, adjust your sunglasses, crank up the volume and take a listen!

When was the last time you touched base with each member of your network? Do you know how to effectively use your network? Do you know how to support them? In this episode, Kristal and Tricia unearth more gems from the Michael Melcher mine (Episode 48). They dig deeper into the topic and share ways to build, maintain and grow your network. Remember, if you’re a leader (and everyone is), you’ll find some interesting gems of your own, in this episode.

When was the last time you connected with the people in your network? What steps do you take to effectively utilize (and nurture) this priceless resource? How do you grow and maintain a network? Join Kristal and Tricia as they virtually visit internationally known executive coach, leadership expert and accomplished author, Michael Urtuzuastegui Melcher. Listen in and learn about his latest book, You Invisible Network, and find out why your own network isn’t the only thing you, as a leader, need to be thinking about. If you lead others, you will find this episode a true eye opener.

In this gem-mining expedition, following the interview with photographer and artist, Robert Chism, Kristal and Tricia explore leadership as an actual art. Join them, as they walk through an article and unpack what makes this topic so timely. Do you know the 12 artistic criteria for judging the art of particular leaders? You may be surprised at how interchangeable they are with those of artists and how critical artistic leadership is toward making a better world. Kristal and Tricia also reveal a new, one-hour workshop, coming soon. Can you say VUCA Voodoo? Take a listen!

Kristal and Tricia get a lesson in perspective, as they visit, with Pacific Northwest renowned photographer and artist, Robert Chism. Listen in and learn about this accomplished photographer, whose work is on display, not only at several local establishments, in King & Pierce Counties, WA, but also at the Seattle Space Needle. Robert’s talents have crossed international lines, as well. One of his works was given, as a gift to Japan. We hope you’ll listen in and learn, for yourself, some of the connections he sees, between the work he does, and making a better and more inspired world.

In this episode of Coaches’ Corner, we examine the leader 360-degree assessment as a tool for development. We share what a 360-degree assessment is and what it is not, and we tap into the views from a few trusted leadership experts on what makes a 360-degree review successful. Are you ready to take a deeper dive into a tool that can reveal your strengths, as well as potential opportunities for development? The answers are just a click away…we Hope you’ll listen in!

We are, once again, on a mining expedition and, in this episode, we tap into a few of the gems we found, during our interview, last week, with Victoria Campbell. Join us as we share the connections we see, between Victoria’s amazing quest to save our earth and Herminia Ibarra’s wisdom, as found in her book, Working Identify. We explore career transition, referencing gems we’ve collected for some of our former guests, as well as a bit of wisdom found in Marcus Buckingham’s book, Love+Work. Finally, we have a bit more information about our upcoming Lifting Leaders Podcast Virtual FIRST Anniversary Party, coming up on March 25th. Victoria will be joining us with a surprise! Want to know more about the surprise…lend us your ears!

Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you willingly jumped out of your comfort zone, to pursue a completely new and unknown path? In this episode, we visit with Victoria Campbell, PhD., HR professional, eco-activist and musical composer, as she shares her fascinating journey of discovery from business professional to creator of the first eco-musical, “Treeson.” Her story is filled with inspirational gems from which all of us, when we’re ready to hear the message, can learn and grow. Victoria shares a few very special gifts, so we Hope you will listen, from start to finish and we Hope you are as moved and inspired as we are!

Reflecting on some of the gems from Jeff McAuliffe, we explore the underlying theme of change and how it presents, as we move to make incremental changes toward saving our planet. Listen in as we unpack insights around how commercial products impact our own lives and how we may need to rethink our actions and change some habits (you guessed it…toilet paper). Learn about what drives the 5 stages of change. We HOPE you will listen in and get ready for our BIG Lifting Leaders Podcast First Anniversary Party! It’s coming in March…so, listen in for more details and get ready to PARTY!

We talk with Jeff McAuliffe, Activist, Coach and Consultant and creator of the newsletter 52 Weeks of Earth Day, about his journey to personal accountability for making the world a better place. He invites us to reflect on how we can make small changes in our own thinking and behavior and ultimately join together with others who are on a similar journey in order to create a movement of positive actions within our own communities. This is an act of hope. We hope you will listen, reflect and take action.

In this Valentine’s Day Eve episode, we share some of the things we love including a tried-and-true HBR article on…you guessed it…LOVE and leadership. We also get a surprise visit from an important member of our Lifting Leaders Podcast team, Chance Roberts, who shares some of the things he is loving these days and brings him hope, as a student at Colorado State University. Ready to be inspired?

We dig deeper into our 2023 focus for the podcast, “hope.” We explore its definition, why it matters, how it has shown up in our lives and how it is a critical component of a good life and effective leadership. We “hope” you’ll enjoy this episode and come away informed AND inspired.

In this episode Kristal and Tricia share their personal stories about the beginning of the new year, plans for 2023 and why this year’s focus for the podcast is personal. They also explore a few of their key takeaways from our amazing guests in January who all helped us launch the year so strongly.

In this episode, Nicole Bianchi, author of Small Brave Moves - learn why little acts of bravery are the key to life-changing leadership, talks with us about her book and how showing up authentically is not only a courageous act but the key to unlocking our growth and sustainable success as a human and a leader. Nicole shares with us how “Bravership”(the intersection between bravery and leadership) has the power to drive your business and transform your leadership.

Phyllis talks with us about her book, Courageous Clarity, and how to step out as a leader beyond the everyday and create a clear path forward to inspire, influence and engage their teams for greater results.

In our first episode of the new year, Dr. Marily Gist talks with us about how to be a great leader and the extraordinary power of leadership humility. We discuss how her research, and book, help leaders not only be successful in the present, but be a great leader sustainably over time. She also gives us a sneak peek into what she is working on now, which might surprise you - we think it is a game changer.

In this last episode of 2022, we review our year and celebrate amazing stories, new learning and insights, and treasured connections and friendship. We hope you take time to listen to past favorite episodes over the next few weeks as we take a short break from the podcast. We will be back on January 9th, 2023, with another outstanding guest - you won’t want to miss it! Thanks for listening.

Are you and your team feeling exhausted? In this episode we explore the role of leaders in holding our teams up and creating cultures that sustain us over time. Through reviewing an important article released recently and our own experiences from working with leaders around the world, we share practical steps to re-energize you and your team.

We explore a topic that is prevalent in the news today and critical to understanding our own leadership value we bring to our organizations - what makes a good leader? In this episode we unpack an HBR article and share our own experience working with charismatic leaders and explore if charisma is all it takes to be a good leader.

In the episode, we explore a method for pausing that Anika Klix and Mark Coates referred to in our interview with them in our last episode. We review the 4 steps to STOP and how implementing this practice can help us thrive as leaders in our work and life.

What are you grateful for? In this season of gratitude, we are thankful that, in this 30th episode, we visit with two accomplished leaders, Anika Klix and Mark Coates, about gratitude and mindfulness in leadership. These two, loyal, Lifting Leaders listeners (say that fast, three times!) share their views about the impact of gratitude. Listen in and you will hear about a mindfulness tool that has strong ties to emotional intelligence. Of course, we do our fair share of expressing gratitude, not only to Anika and Mark, but to all of you who listen to this podcast. So, the question remains…what are you grateful for?

Inspired by our guest in last week’s episode, Brett Bizik, we explore deeper the important practice of self-compassion through the lens of Dr. Kristin Neff’s work. We hope you can find opportunities to pause and be self-compassionate so that you can be your best self for your team and your loved ones during this busy time of year that can be both joyous and painful.

We talk with Brett Bizik, makeup artist and beauty expert, on the magic of uncovering our unique beauty on the outside so that we can show the world our amazing beauty on the inside. Through sharing his personal stories of struggle and triumph, we get a window into an industry that does not always have our best interest at heart and his unique approach to addressing this as well as his inspiring wisdom for living our best life.

Looking for a way to gain insights through self-reflection? Journaling can be the answer. In this episode we share our tips for starting a journaling practice and the many benefits this can bring to your development as a leader and human.

This week, we expand on one of the gems we gleaned from Glodean Champion about leaders needing to look, within, in their quest to make a more equitable culture. We look at leadership challenges, from our innermost thinking, foundational elements in organizations, to complex and innovative steps, all, with a focus on evolving organizations toward a better World.

In this episode, we interview Glodean Champion, author, speaker, teacher, and thought leader, on the topics of equity and leadership. Glodean reveals insights that inspired her journey to now and looks at love, humanity, and leadership, through an equity lens. Looking for a little inspiration? Listen in!

In this episode we pause to celebrate a big milestone for the podcast and a prestigious award that Kristal was honored with this past week. We hope you’ll enjoy this unscripted, spontaneous episode of joy and appreciation.

Tricia and I explore some of the gems from the episode with our latest guest, Jack Schlosser. We focus on his idea of a career as a marathon and how that aligns with another leadership guru, Marcus Buckingham, and his new book Love + Work. Searching for how to find happiness in your work? This episode will help you get there.

We talk with Jack Schlosser, a noted expert in the field of healthcare on leadership, governance and career success about what he has learned over his 50 year career and why he still has hope for the healthcare industry.

We share our summer break adventure stories and how we cashed in on our investment of taking a break. We also dive deeper into one of the many special Gems from our conversation with Susan Mann in the last episode, focusing on the two principles for creating the foundations of workplace well-being.

We are back from our summer break with a true show stopper episode with Susan Mann, executive coach, people strategy and culture consultant, artist and consultant to Brené Brown Education and Research Group. Susan shares her personal story of transition and resilience and talks with us about the importance of self-compassion and how to be a braver more courageous leader. You don’t want to miss this one.

In honor of us taking our August break, today we are talking about the benefits of taking one. We explore why leaving the office behind is so valuable for some very concrete reasons. Our goal is to help you make a true mind shift when thinking about vacation, from sunk cost to investment. We look forward to being back with you September 12th.

In our previous episode, Elizabeth Leavitt offered sage advice to women leaders who work in environmental and sustainability fields. In this episode, we take a deeper dive into the qualities and competencies that make women strong leaders, as well as the tendencies that get in the way. Finally, it’s time to start the clock on the Sensational Summer Challenge. We will provide steps to help you enter the challenge.

We talk with Elizabeth Leavitt, retired Senior Director of Engineering, Environment and Sustainability and current Principal at Jacobs about the evolution of the environmental industry, both the challenges and what brings her hope for the future. She also shares what every leader needs to know, about the importance and impact of their decisions on the long-term viability of our own health and wellbeing now and for future generations.

The Great Resignation is showing no signs of slowing down and many companies are still struggling with retaining employees. In this episode we explore deeper into employee engagement and the role it plays in not just keeping your employees but in ensuring both your company’s and employees’ success.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Michelle Corman, IO Psychologist and Senior Principal at Mercer|Sirota. Dr. Corman engages with us, on the topic of employee engagement, today, including actions that support it and actions that diminish it. We also discuss what it may take, to keep engagement alive, in organizations, moving forward.

Tricia and Kristal further explore the second model, DRIVE IT, of Dr. Nooravi’s three model approach to building a culture where employees can thrive. They share their experience working in organizations, with clients and their own life experiences implementing the first two steps in the DRIVE IT Model, Determine the challenge and Reflect on what making this change would mean to me.

Dr. Nooravi talks with us about her game changing new book, A Powerful Culture Starts with you. She shares with us the simple, comprehensive models that leaders can follow to create energizing and engaging environments where people can thrive. She also talks about the challenging and transformative process of writing this important guidebook for all leaders.

Have your idea for our Summer Challenge of making a difference everyday to make a better world but still wrestling with actually making the change?Join us as we explore why making change can be so hard and 3 tips for making it easier.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of networking, to you as a leader, to those you influence, as well as your greater community. We share why networking isn’t just a “nice to have” element in leadership but an important source of feedback and a critical component of leader effectiveness and well-being. Please join us in this free-flow exchange of perspectives!

We introduce our 2022 Sensational Summer Challenge which we hope inspires you to make a positive everyday impact to our world over the summer. Chance, our technology guru, joins us to kick-off this contest by helping us explore four easy ways you can start today to make a positive everyday impact on our environment. These ideas are just the beginning and we hope you find your own ways that resonate with you whether they are supporting social justice initiatives, innovative ways to work or learn or increasing mental wellness. We hope you join us on this adventure this summer and keep us updated on how your ideas are taking root to make a better world.

In this episode we dig deeper into the challenge that Will Paisley, our previous episode’s guest, gave us. He said that when leaders bring young marginalized individuals into the fold we have to recognize, “you don’t know everything. You need to take the time and give yourself grace and give those people who are following you grace to understand you are going to make mistakes along the way and it might not be pretty and could be pretty messy.” Knowing that leadership begins by looking inward and being self-aware, Kristal and Tricia explore how leaders can show up positively in this uncomfortable space of not knowing. We call this courageous leadership. Join us as we unpack this critical leadership competency.

In this episode, featuring Will Paisley, award winning Stanford graduate, we learn some of the challenges confronting marginalized individuals in today’s professional world. Will also shares his ideas and advice for leaders of marginalized individuals and teams, around giving grace and engaging and recognizing the richness they bring to organizations. We hope you will listen in, as there is so much more to hear in this insightful episode.

We are mining a bit deeper into the topic of Culture Fit vs. Culture Add, in this episode. Expanding on the rich conversation we had with our latest guest, Andrea Lucky, we take a bit of a philosophical journey around some of the benefits associated with hiring for growth/innovation/Add, rather than hiring with the intention of maintaining the current cultural norms.

In this episode we talk with Andrea Lucky, Kitsap Credit Union’s VP of HR, about how to develop organizational cultures with community at the center and the additive difference this can make for our employees and the organization. We also talk about the importance of flexibility and adaptability as we help leaders craft a path forward into the “new normal.”

In this episode we dig deeper into one of the many gems that Dr. Pam McLean shared with us in our interview with her last week. We also draw from the wisdom of Dr. Edgar Schine, delving into what leaders need to know, the “Need to Haves,” as we face a complex and rapidly changing world, to drive a learning culture and think more systemically.

Dr. Pam McLean, Co-Founder of The Hudson Institute of Coaching, talks with us about why this is “a golden moment for us as human beings” and what she has learned, through decades of working with leaders around the globe, about the critical capabilities leaders need to develop to solve the complex issues in the world today.

In this episode we unpack a few of the many gems of wisdom and inspiration we received from our conversation with Dr. Pamelar Hale in episode 2. We explore some practical ways to develop leaders, find your passion and build resilience. We also leave you with a few challenges to spur you on to take action on what you are learning and what is stirring in you so we can build a better world together.

In this episode we talk with an exceptional executive, Dr. Pamelar Hale, about her secret sauce for developing leaders for today and the future. She also tells her story about how she builds resilience and bounces back when life inevitably brings challenges.

Today we are talking about why we chose to launch this podcast, what we will be discussing in the episodes, why we are releasing it now, why we are the ones to bring it to you and what you can expect from us. We are glad you on this adventure with us!