PeopleFirst! with Morag Barrett – Details, episodes & analysis

This week, Morag sits down with Margaret Andrews—executive educator, Harvard instructor, founder of The MYLO Center, and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others. Drawing from her years teaching leadership and working with organizations like Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart, and the United Nations, Margaret offers powerful lessons on self-awareness, trust, and emotional intelligence as the true cornerstones of effective leadership.

With personal candor, Margaret shares how one difficult piece of feedback became the catalyst for her research, her Harvard course, and ultimately her book—reminding us that the best leaders are always managing themselves first.

🔑 4 Key Takeaways You Won’t Want to Miss:

03:00 — Trust Is Built in Nanoseconds
Trust isn’t earned in years—it’s built (and broken) in moments. Margaret explains why “do what you say, say what you do” remains the ultimate leadership rule.

07:00 — Self-Awareness Starts with Honesty
A painful but pivotal career moment taught Margaret that understanding herself was the first step to leading others. Awareness of how we impact people—and curiosity about how they experience us—is where leadership transformation begins.

13:00 — Aggressive Self-Rescue: Bouncing Back from Setbacks
Borrowing from white-water rafting safety lessons, Margaret shares her philosophy of “aggressive self-rescue” for career challenges: pause, process, then act intentionally.

16:00 — Emotions Aren’t Soft—They’re Strategic
Emotional intelligence, or “relationship skills,” isn’t optional. Margaret emphasizes that reading the room, owning your emotional state, and recognizing others’ cues are what distinguish leaders people actually want to follow.

💡 This Episode Is for:
Emerging and experienced leaders ready to deepen self-awareness, build trust faster, recover from career missteps, and lead with humanity in hybrid workplaces.

🔗 Where to Learn More:

• Manage Yourself to Lead Others — Available now
• MargaretAndrews.com — Resources and leadership insights
• Connect with Margaret C. Andrews on LinkedIn

We’re excited to welcome back David Cohen—globally recognized thought leader, executive coach, and author of Selecting the Best: Fostering a Workforce Driven by Values for Lasting Success. With over 30 years of experience advising leaders and organizations on five continents, David brings a clear message: skills may get you hired, but values determine whether you (and your organization) thrive.

From his early consulting days to his latest book, David explains why authentic values alignment—not just technical expertise—is the key to building resilient, high-performing teams.

🔑 4 Key Takeaways You Won’t Want to Miss:

03:00 — Relationships Drive Everything
David shares how a single relationship—built over 30 years ago—opened doors, sustained his career, and underscores why lasting success is built on trust, respect, and connection.

08:00 — Hire for Values, Not Just Skills
Knowledge and skills are teachable, but values-driven behavior determines whether someone will fit, flourish, and stay. Hiring without considering values is one of the fastest paths to disengagement and turnover.

12:00 — The Integrity Trap
Why “integrity” isn’t really a value—it’s the sum total of living your values. When organizations plaster it on walls but don’t live it, cynicism and distrust follow.

17:00 — How to Ask Better Interview Questions
David explains why ambiguous, behavioral questions (“Tell me about a time…”) reveal far more than canned Q&A—and how silence can be a powerful tool in uncovering authentic stories.

💡 This Episode Is for:

Leaders, recruiters, HR professionals, and job seekers who want to understand how values shape hiring, retention, and long-term success.

🔗 Where to Learn More:

• Selecting the Best — Available now on Amazon
• SAGltd.com
   — David’s consulting firm
• Connect with David Cohen (David S. Cohen) on LinkedIn

In this episode of the People First Podcast, we sit down with executive coach Dina Denham Smith to explore the power of emotional agility in leadership. Dina shares how leaders can navigate change with confidence, break free from stress patterns, and foster genuine emotional awareness at work. From managing toxic positivity to understanding the mind-body connection, this conversation is filled with actionable insights to help leaders cultivate resilience and authenticity.

Here are some key takeaways you won’t want to miss:

07:45 – Navigating change with confidence by recognizing and addressing your emotions.
12:30 – The DARE framework: A practical tool for breaking free from the stress spiral.
18:10 – The impact of hiding, suppressing, and faking emotions at work, and how to handle toxic positivity.
23:50 – The connection between emotions and bodily sensations, and how awareness can help manage emotions effectively.

Connect with Dina Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dina-denham-smith

And... don’t forget to check out our book! You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work (and How to Show Up As One!) The hardcover is available now! This book is a heartfelt guide for leaders looking to build deep, meaningful relationships at work, which are the cornerstone of personal and professional success.

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3NrQulV

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Amy Cooper Hakim discuss her book, "Working with Difficult People!"

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:09 - Origin Story
3:17 - Pivot Point
5:11 - Family Connection
8:32 - Difficult People
11:10 - Start the Conversation
14:45 - 360 View
16:15 - First Steps
19:27 - You Realize It's YOU!
24:40 - Final Thoughts & Wrap

Links:
Website: http://cooperstrategicgroup.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooperstrategicgroup/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Difficult-People-Second-Revised/dp/0143111876/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Stephen Woessner discuss the secrets of successful business owners!

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:26 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
4:48 - Entrepreneurial Surprise
6:50 - Tip of the Iceberg
9:02 - Crucible
12:00 - Practical Tactics
14:27 - Crack the Spine
16:32 - Favorite Truth
19:15 - IP
22:10 - Critical Questions
24:30 - Final Thoughts
26:08 - Wrap

Links:
https://predictiveroi.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Michelle Myers discuss Conscious, Connected, & Courageous Leadership!

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:07 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
2:35 - Pivot Point
5:55 - Peaks & Valleys
9:08 - HR
14:02 - Pivot #2
18:30 - Brene
23:42 - Final Thoughts & Wrap

Links:
https://www.summitleadershipcoaching.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejmyers/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Patricia Downing discuss, Female Leadership in Mining and Engineering!

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:58 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
2:57 - Pivot Point
4:50 - Women in Engineering
7:07 - Barriers to Entry
9:58 - Fitting In
12:30 - Leaning In
15:03 - Finding a Good Mentor
17:22 - Gender Equality
20:05 - Self Select Out
22:47 - What's Next?
24:15 - Human Skills
28:08 - Forging Your Own Path
30:37 - Wrap

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-downing-46787a4/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Karen Cornwell discuss, her book, "You Can't Fix What You Can't See!"

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:26 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
3:37 - Highlights
5:51 - Leadership Philosophy
7:30 - Writing a Book
12:19 - Open the Book
15:20 - Courage
18:55 - Bridge the Gap
22:31 - Baby Steps
25:30 - Final Thoughts
27:40 - 100 Years
28:46 - Wrap

Links:
https://www.youcantfixwhatyoucantsee.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenfcornwell/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and David Cohen discuss Why Corporate Values Matter!

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
5:12 - Inside the Box
7:30 - Grandfather's Story
15:20 - Values Gone Wild
16:46 - Distributed Environment
27:41 - Learn More
33:18 - Wrap

Links:
https://sagltd.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-s-cohen-0b0191/

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing.

We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

So, sit back, and grab a coffee as Morag and Patty Beach discuss her book (and body of work), "The Art of Alignment: A practical Guide to Inclusive Leadership!"

Chapter Layout:
0:00 - Open
1:29 - What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?
2:26 - Pivot Point
3:58 - Gender Intelligence
8:18 - Past the Stereotypes 
11:18 - Benefits
14:32 - Which Pocket?
18:30 - The Crucible
21:00 - Horizontal Alignment
26:40 - Learned Helplessness
27:35 - Action/Reflection
29:42 - Wrap

Links:
http://www.leadershipsmarts.com/
http://pattybeach.com/