Explore every episode of the podcast Strong Leaders Serve with Teri Schmidt
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| 193. From Chaos to Calm: Agility that Inspires Hope | 27 Aug 2025 | 00:09:21 | |
Agility is one of today’s favorite leadership buzzwords, but too often it gets reduced to simply moving faster. In this episode, we go beneath the buzzword to explore what true agility really means: the ability to adapt wisely and steadily in the face of uncertainty. Drawing on Gallup’s latest global research, we’ll look at why hope is now the number one thing people need from their leaders, and how stability and adaptability can actually fuel that hope. You’ll hear how leaders can calm their own stress responses, hold space for multiple futures, and model steadiness that sparks possibility, even in the middle of change fatigue.
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| 192. Beyond Recognition: The Power of Mattering at Work with Zach Mercurio | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:45:44 | |
What if true recognition at work wasn’t about awards or bonuses, but about helping people feel they genuinely matter every single day? In this episode, Dr. Zach Mercurio joins Teri Schmidt to reveal why small, everyday interactions, not flashy programs, are the secret sauce behind thriving, high-performing teams. Together, they unpack the science of “mattering,” practical leadership skills you can use today, and why AI will never replace the power of human connection at work. Resources:
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| 191. Stop Avoiding It: The Hidden Cost of Skipping Hard Conversations | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:09:41 | |
Avoiding difficult conversations, or softening them so much they lose their meaning, can damage trust, confuse your team, and hurt your credibility. In this episode, Teri shares a personal story of how avoiding inside a conversation backfired, and explores how leaders can break the cycle of avoidance with mindset shifts, clarity, and courage. If you've ever lost sleep over a difficult conversation, this one’s for you. ____________________________________________ If you're tired of avoiding tough conversations or regretting how you handled them, the Courageous Conversations Leadership Sprint is for you. This four-week, small-group coaching experience starting in October uses LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, unlocking creative new perspectives and approaches to difficult conversations. Learn more and reserve your spot at https://www.strongleadersserve.com/build
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| 190. Making Work Meaningful to Motivate Your Team with Tamara Myles and Wes Adams | 06 Aug 2025 | 00:45:10 | |
Welcome to a new season of Strong Leaders Serve—where we’re going beneath the buzzwords. This season, we’re moving past surface-level leadership advice to explore the mindset shifts, self-awareness, and practices that fuel real, lasting impact. In this kickoff episode, Tamara Myles and Wes Adams—co-authors of Meaningful Work—join me to unpack what actually drives motivation and performance. We dig into their research-backed framework, the Three Cs (community, contribution, and challenge), and explore the powerful concept of balanced autonomy—a practical way leaders can support growth without micromanaging, even in our ever evolving work environment. Resources:
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| 189. Managing Up and Across | 02 Jul 2025 | 00:10:47 | |
Struggling to get buy-in from senior leaders—or move things forward across departments when you have no formal authority? This episode is for you. We're diving into the science and strategy of influencing without power, with research-backed techniques from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics. You’ll walk away with practical ways to manage up and influence across. And if you're ready to put these ideas into action, listen through to the end for a special podcast-only deal on our upcoming Leadership Build series: 25% off plus a free one-on-one coaching session (must sign up by July 31, 2025). Visit https://www.strongleadersserve.com/build for more info and to reserve your spot.
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| 188. Leading through Change & Uncertainty | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:13:30 | |
Feeling like your team is exhausted by constant change? You're not alone. In this episode of the Strong Leader Serve podcast, we delve into strategies for leading through change with empathy and clarity. Learn five practical ways to help your team navigate change fatigue, from maintaining clarity to managing energy and fostering connections. This episode draws on insights from psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral economics, offering actionable tips for mid-level and senior leaders. Get ready to lead your team through transitions more effectively and renew their motivation as you prepare for another season of leadership challenges.
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| 187. The Delegation Dilemma | 18 Jun 2025 | 00:13:00 | |
Why is delegation so difficult—even when we know it’s essential to leadership? In this episode, we explore the hidden emotional and cognitive barriers that keep leaders stuck in doing instead of leading. You’ll learn why delegation isn’t just a task shift, but a mindset shift—and how redefining success can unlock growth for both you and your team. Plus, hear a real-world story that shows why the discomfort of delegating is worth it.
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| 186. From Avoidance to Impact: Rethinking Difficult Conversations | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:16:08 | |
In this episode, we explore the leadership skill most of us avoid: difficult conversations. You'll learn the mindset shifts that help you move from avoidance to courage, practical techniques to navigate tough talks with clarity and care, and the ripple effect these conversations can have on trust, team culture, and your own confidence. This episode also kicks off a 4-part series leading into the Leadership Build Series—a hands-on group learning experience using LEGO® Serious Play®. Full details coming July 2!
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| 185. Shifting Feedback from Threat to Growth | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:08:48 | |
Have you ever received feedback that felt like a personal attack, even when you knew it shouldn’t be? In this episode, Teri Schmidt shares a vulnerable story from her own life and reveals why our brains react defensively when our ideas feel tied to our identity. Discover the neuroscience behind this reaction, learn powerful tools to create distance between who you are and what you believe, and hear how LEGO® Serious Play® can actually make feedback feel less threatening. Listen to unlock fresh strategies for transforming feedback from a source of stress into fuel for your leadership growth!
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| 184. Leading with Cultural Humility with Dr. Joel Pérez | 28 May 2025 | 00:43:43 | |
What if leadership wasn’t about having the right answers, but about asking better questions? In this episode, Dr. Joel Pérez shares how cultural humility—not just cultural competency—can transform how we lead, build inclusive teams, and create lasting organizational change. We explore why humility is a leadership strength, how to move beyond perfectionism, and what it takes to lead with curiosity in today’s complex world. Resources:
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| 183. Inefficiency by Design: Creating Impact & Ownership with Luke Mickelson | 21 May 2025 | 00:44:25 | |
When it comes to leadership, efficiency isn’t always the goal—especially if it means leaving people out of the process. In this episode, CNN Hero and Sleep in Heavenly Peace founder Luke Mickelson shares how “inefficiency by design” became a powerful strategy for building both beds and belonging. We explore what it means to lead through service, why volunteer experience matters as much as the mission, and how to turn purpose into action—one meaningful step at a time. Resources:
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| 182. Efficiency vs. Resilience with Tom Geraghty | 14 May 2025 | 00:36:46 | |
Ever wonder if squeezing every ounce of efficiency from your team could actually leave you vulnerable when the unexpected strikes? In this episode, Teri welcomes back Tom Geraghty for a candid look at the critical—and often overlooked—tension between efficiency and resilience. Together, they unpack why hyper-optimization can lead to burnout and brittleness, and share practical strategies for leaders to build adaptability into their teams without sacrificing results. Resources:
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| 181. When Leaders Can’t Turn Off: Breaking the Cycle of Constant Doing | 07 May 2025 | 00:09:00 | |
Are you a leader who wants to rest—but finds yourself reaching for one more task instead? In this episode, we explore why high-achieving, compassionate leaders struggle to truly unplug, even when they think they’re resting. You’ll learn the neuroscience behind this pattern—and how to shift from constant doing to genuine restoration.
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| 180. Leading Through the Tension: Creating High-Performing Diverse Teams with Henrik Bresman | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:35:02 | |
Building a diverse team doesn't automatically lead to better performance — and without the right environment, it can even create new challenges. In this episode, Teri is joined again by leadership and team performance expert Henrik Bresman to explore why psychological safety is the key to unlocking the true potential of diverse teams. We’ll also discuss practical steps leaders can take to foster belonging, innovation, and resilience in today’s uncertain environments. Resources:
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| 179. The Hidden Anxiety of Managing Up | 23 Apr 2025 | 00:08:43 | |
Have you ever held back from asking a question or saying "no" because you were afraid it might insinuate that your boss isn’t competent, credible, or caring? That fear—known as insinuation anxiety—can keep even the most skilled leaders from speaking up when it matters most. In this episode, we explore why managing up is emotionally tricky and how to ask tough questions without compromising trust.
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| 178. Embracing Authority as a Compassionate, Driven Leader? | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:12:36 | |
If we're not in leadership for the title, how do we effectively face the challenges that come with transitioning into and through different levels of positional authority? In this episode, we talk through the main challenges faced by compassionate, driven leaders in these situations and provide practical ideas for addressing them.
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| 177. Redefining Accountability | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:12:27 | |
What if holding someone accountable is one of the most caring things you can do as a leader? Listen for practical tips to shift accountability from control to care.
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| 176. Building Trusting Relationships at Work with Deborah Ancona | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:43:31 | |
Do you sometimes struggle to build trusting relationships in your workplace, especially with the distance of remote and hybrid work? You're not alone. In this episode, I talked with MIT Professor Deborah Ancona about the essential skills of inquiry, advocacy, and connecting that leaders can use to foster trust inside and outside their organizations. Discover the power of balancing these skills in a distributed leadership model, and learn practical steps to cultivate strong external networks. Listen to find out how these strategies can enhance team dynamics and drive exceptional results. Resources:
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| 175. Leading Remote Teams: Compassion with Results | 26 Mar 2025 | 00:14:10 | |
Are you finding it tough to lead remote teams with both compassion and efficiency? In this episode of Strong Leaders Serve, Teri Schmidt dives into the challenges leaders face in remote and hybrid environments, discussing the balance between driving results and maintaining empathetic connections. Explore the neuroscience that influences our approach to leadership and gather actionable strategies to enhance team cohesion from afar. Get tips to make meaningful connections while fostering productivity, leaving your team engaged and thriving!
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| 174. Teams in Transition with Henrik Bresman | 19 Mar 2025 | 00:41:36 | |
Are you ready to discover the secrets behind successful team dynamics in a world where traditional structures are rapidly evolving? In this episode of Strong Leaders Serve, Teri Schmidt talks with INSEAD Professor Henrik Bresman to explore the concept of X Teams and how embracing external engagement is crucial for high-performing teams amidst these transitions. Professor Bresman highlights how leaders can create a balanced environment of internal cohesion and external exploration to adapt and thrive. Listen for insights that blend research, practicality, and innovative strategies to help you navigate the complexities of modern team dynamics and foster both well-being and performance. Resources:
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| 173. Balancing Compassion and Results in Leadership | 07 Mar 2025 | 00:07:48 | |
Do you feel torn between being a compassionate leader and driving business results? You’re not alone. Listen as we unveil the CARE model—a practical guide to leading with both heart and head.
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| 172. Is Your Brain Blocking your Leadership Growth? with Ursula Pottinga | 19 Feb 2025 | 00:42:34 | |
Do you feel stuck in your efforts to make positive changes in your leadership? Your brain's drive to save energy may be to blame. Join Teri Schmidt and Ursula Pottinga as they discuss how your brain can get in the way of change and what to do about it. Resources:
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| Season Kickoff: Walking the tightrope as a compassionate, driven leader | 12 Feb 2025 | 00:09:58 | |
Leading in a way that meets the demands for fast results at the same time as you develop those around you is not easy. In this episode, host Teri Schmidt kicks off the new season in which she will be diving into the paradoxes of strong leadership and how to balance achieving results with genuinely caring for your team. From dealing with a stifling workload and disconnection to mastering delegation and difficult conversations, this season will deliver with insights that dig deeper than your average leadership tips. Join us for a journey to becoming the successful leader you set out to be—one who serves with strength and empathy.
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| 170. A short exercise to get you ready for 2025 | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:05:20 | |
Are you someone who always has the best intentions of reflecting before starting a new year, but often gets stuck in the holiday/end-of-year busy-ness instead?
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| 169. The Power of Contemplative Leadership with Patrick Boland | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:51:50 | |
Ever wondered how you can lead with both strength and compassion in an unpredictable world? In one of Teri's favorite conversations of the podcast, she chatted with Patrick Boland, a leadership consultant who’s blending ancient wisdom, scientific research, and the work of contemplative leader, Richard Rohr. Key Takeaways:
Resources:
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| A leadership tip for your Thanksgiving meal (AND a chance to win a free, award-winning book!) | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:02:53 | |
If you're in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for you!
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| 168. Thriving Leaders, Thriving Business with Cheryl Fields Tyler | 20 Nov 2024 | 00:39:38 | |
Supporting people leaders isn't just a nice-to-have; it's an economic imperative for thriving teams and successful organizations. Resources:
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| 167. Why Leaders Need Community: Teri in the Hotseat | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:34:40 | |
Leadership can be isolating...but it doesn't need to be.
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| 166. Empathetic Leadership in a Global Workforce with Tammy Klotz | 06 Nov 2024 | 00:31:05 | |
Ever wondered how to lead a globally distributed team with empathy and grace?
Resources:
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| 165. Women Leaders Helping Men Thrive: Insights from Moe Carrick | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:45:06 | |
For women to achieve workplace equity, men's wellbeing is important. Curious about how women leaders can help men thrive at work? In today’s episode, Moe Carrick shares powerful insights on fostering male-to-male support, shifting emotional expectations, and creating inclusive, emotionally intelligent workplaces. Join us to learn how these strategies can elevate both genders to new leadership heights. Resources:
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| 164. The Business Benefits of Spiritual Intelligence with Yosi Amram | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:43:26 | |
Skeptical about how spiritual intelligence can really benefit business? In this episode of Strong Leaders Serve, Teri Schmidt chats with Yosi Amram about the power of spiritual intelligence—an ability to embody virtues like gratitude, trust, and purpose—in leadership. Discover how higher spiritual intelligence in leaders correlates with better team morale, lower turnover, and improved financial results. Yosi shares his transformational journey from high-stress corporate life to becoming a leader in spiritual intelligence, offering insights that can elevate your personal and professional life. Resources:
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| The Power of Endurance in Leadership | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:35:05 | |
When was the last time you intentionally chose to push through discomfort to achieve a meaningful goal?
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| 163. Leadership Lessons Learned from Ultralight Backpacking with Glen Van Peski | 18 Sep 2024 | 00:45:13 | |
Do you feel the urge to simplify your life and leadership while still achieving impactful outcomes? Our guest today, Glen Van Peski, founder of Gossamer Gear, provides a way to do that, utilizing lessons learned through ultralight backpacking. Glen shares his unique leadership approach, emphasizing the power of vulnerability, the importance of prioritizing team well-being, and the priceless value of building genuine relationships. He reveals how taking less can lead to a more significant impact, both on the trail and in leadership. We'll dive into practical lessons about adaptability, overcoming fears, and leading by example, drawing parallels between the minimalist approach in backpacking and effective leadership. Resources:
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| 162. Little Changes, Big Gains: Accelerating Team Decisions & Personal Fulfillment with Jason Silver | 04 Sep 2024 | 00:46:59 | |
Do you get frustrated by how slowly decisions are made at work? Our guest today has a solution for this AND practical insights from his newly released book "Your Grass is Greener" on finding joy in your work journey and boosting productivity, even in tough environments. Resources:
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| 161. Navigating the Empathy Dilemma with Maria Ross | 21 Aug 2024 | 00:43:08 | |
Do you sometimes feel like the empathy at work pendulum has swung too far in one direction? Like people are starting to take advantage of caring leaders? Today's guest, Maria Ross, addresses that feeling head on in her upcoming book, The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries. In our conversation, she'll unpack the five foundational pillars of empathetic leadership that she identified through extensive research and interviews. We'll discuss how empathy goes beyond being nice—how it's a powerful tool that can enhance performance, boost innovation, and improve overall employee engagement and customer experiences. Maria will share insights on how empathy, when misused, can become weaponized in the workplace, and how leaders can establish clear communication and professional boundaries to address such challenges. This is an episode packed with wisdom, practical advice, and as always, actionable insights to help you serve and lead effectively.
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| Leading Your Team to be a Force for Good | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:50:18 | |
Something a little different this week: We're sharing an episode of the Thrive in the Workplace and Become a Force for Good podcast in which Teri has a rich conversation with Charlotte Stebbing-Mills that includes:
Resources:
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| 160. The Efficiency of Humble Leadership with Urs Koenig | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:39:18 | |
Do you have a natural affinity for humble leadership but worry that it is less efficient than command and control? This week Teri Schmidt chats with Urs Koenig about how radical humility leads to more effective AND more efficient teams and organizations. Urs shares eye-opening insights from his diverse experiences, from military peacekeeping to executive coaching. They dive into actionable strategies, like building a "leadership factory" within your team and the surprising business benefits of prioritizing relationships, especially in a remote work setup. Resources:
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| 159. Focused leadership in a world of frenzy | 12 Jul 2024 | 00:11:55 | |
Ever found leadership lessons in the most unexpected places? In this episode, I share an eye-opening experience from a simple visit to an ice cream shop. Discover how a single employee’s focused and calm demeanor transformed my perspective on leadership and productivity. Tune in to learn how you can leverage focus over frenzy to create a ripple of efficiency and calm within your teams.
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| 158. Trusting Intuition and Embracing Strengths with Danielle Fette | 26 Jun 2024 | 00:37:54 | |
In this episode, we are joined by Danielle Fette, the innovative founder behind Fettech, a forward-thinking healthcare business specializing in regenerative medicine. In our conversation, Danielle delves into her unique approach to leadership, which emphasizes values, intuition, and the importance of trusting one's gut feelings over simply chasing the bottom line. Danielle shares her journey of growing Fettech without external funding, facing various challenges while staying true to her vision and values. She discusses the significance of focusing on the strengths of her team members, fostering an environment of open communication, trust, and respect. Additionally, Danielle gives us a glimpse into Fettech's revolutionary products, such as their all-natural wound powders and gels aimed at improving patient care. Drawing from personal experiences of overcoming dyslexia and navigating the healthcare landscape, Danielle reflects on the invaluable lessons learned from mentors, family, and her own entrepreneurial spirit. She passionately speaks about creating a psychologically safe workplace where diversity, creativity, and genuine care for others thrive.
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| 157. The Courage to Listen: Embracing Tough Feedback | 12 Jun 2024 | 00:12:59 | |
On our last episode, Brigadier General AnnMarie Anthony shared that one of the keys to her success as a leader was listening to feedback from those who disagreed with her.
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| 156. The Courage to Learn & Lead with Brigadier General AnnMarie Anthony | 22 May 2024 | 00:37:12 | |
What does it mean to you to be a courageous leader? A model of courageous leadership in action, Brigadier General Anne Marie Anthony, director of the Joint Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Center, US Strategic Command shares her story as evidence of the courage that it takes to learn and lead. Through AnneMarie's journey, we learned that becoming a strong leader isn't always about following the preconceived notions of what a leader should look like. But rather, about having the audacity to lead in one's unique manner, and earn the respect of those being led.
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| 155. Two tips for leading in remote workplaces | 08 May 2024 | 00:11:21 | |
Are you navigating the complexities of leading a remote team?
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| 154. How to Disagree Respectfully Even During an Election Year with Justin Jones-Fosu | 17 Apr 2024 | 00:51:51 | |
In an election year, discussions can get heated. But how do we maintain respect? In our new episode with Justin Jones-Fosu, explore strategies for engaging in difficult conversations without losing sight of humanity and respect. It's a timely listen for anyone looking to navigate challenging dialogues with grace.
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| See you in April! | 21 Feb 2024 | 00:00:49 | |
We're taking a brief pause but join us back here in April for some excellent guests and content that we can't wait to share with you!
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| 153. Are you a D.I.N.O. (delegator in name only)? | 07 Feb 2024 | 00:10:39 | |
What makes delegation one of the most challenging skills for new (and, if we're honest, experienced) leaders?
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| 152. What do you need to stop doing in your leadership? | 24 Jan 2024 | 00:09:21 | |
What deserves a "why" in your leadership today?
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| My Birthday Request for You (and a preview of our next season) | 17 Jan 2024 | 00:02:40 | |
It's my birthday! Will you help me with one of my wishes?
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| 151. Team Leadership Lessons from a Climate Startup with Breene Murphy | 03 Jan 2024 | 00:42:04 | |
At Strong Leaders Serve we seek out and celebrate leaders who are making a positive impact through their work and leadership style. In today's episode, we have the honor of welcoming Breene Murphy, President of Carbon Collective, a climate-focused investment adviser. Breene shares invaluable insights on the importance of building relationship frameworks within teams, fostering clear direction and flexibility in a remote work environment. Moreover, Breene shares his personal journey of transitioning from corporate roles to leadership in a startup. He discusses leaving behind her previous identity and harnessing his true strengths, allowing her to excel in building relationships, identifying strengths in others, and fostering successful partnerships and fundraising. Notably, Breene's leadership approach involves developing the whole person, recognizing and nurturing individual strengths within a team, and ultimately requiring less effort in the long run.
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| 150. Others-Focused Leadership with Vera Quinn | 27 Dec 2023 | 00:37:18 | |
This episode features Vera Quinn, the CEO of Cydcor, who shares her journey from a door-to-door salesperson to running the company. Vera provides valuable insights on her personal journey, challenges faced by female leaders, and the importance of fostering a people-first atmosphere in organizations. She gives practical advice for upcoming leaders, emphasizing the need to be interested in others, valuing clear communication, and believing in people's potential to thrive when given opportunities to do big things.
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| 149. Leadership Decision-Making in Uncertain Times with Olena Petrosyuk | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:38:27 | |
Decision-making is one of the most difficult jobs of a leader, especially in uncertain times. In this episode, our guest, Olena Petrosyuk, shares her unique experiences, journey, and insights into the difficult decisions she's wrestled with throughout her career, in both the corporate world and her current role as COO at Klevu. We discuss the constraints of decision-making, the importance of listening to one's intuition, the weight that each decision carries, particularly when other people's lives are at stake, and the essential aspect of having a defined North Star. Her story is fascinating and offers actionable guidance for making decisions as a leader in uncertain times.
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