A leadership podcast for managers who want stronger teams, less drama, and more trust at work.
If you are a manager of people, this podcast is your playbook for the real challenges of leadership!
Each week, your host Desiree Petrich shares practical tools and frameworks from Working Genius, DISC, and The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team to help you:
Hold employees accountable without micromanaging
Handle conflict at work before it turns into drama
Build trust and respect as a confident, credible leader
Fix a toxic culture and create a team that takes ownership
Lead effective team meetings that inspire engagement and action
Whether you’re leading a small team or an entire department, you’ll learn actionable strategies to create better communication, deeper trust, and a workplace people actually enjoy showing up to.
You’ll also get quick takeaways from bestselling leadership books, so you can skip the fluff and apply what works!
You’re the Boss, Now What? is your weekly dose of coaching for managers who want to do more than manage, they want to lead.
Popular Topics Include: One-on-one meeting frameworks, handling team conflict, addressing passive-aggressive behavior, rebuilding trust after drama, navigating difficult employees, setting expectations without micromanaging, improving accountability conversations, fixing toxic communication patterns, leading effective team meetings, delegation strategies for overwhelmed managers, increasing team buy-in, coaching underperforming employees, giving feedback that lands, managing impostor syndrome at work, and creating a healthier, more human-centered culture.
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5 Steps to Rebuild Trust and Handle Conflict at Work as a Manager
Thursday, November 6, 2025 • Duration 26:16
Workplace conflict doesn’t just disappear, it spreads. Learn five practical steps to rebuild trust, strengthen communication, and fix a toxic culture so your team can perform at its best.
If you’ve ever walked into a meeting and felt the tension before anyone said a word, this episode is for you.
When workplace drama turns into silence, gossip, or passive-aggressive behavior, you’re not just managing conflict, you’re managing culture.
In this episode of You’re the Boss, Now What?, leadership coach Desiree Petrich shares the five steps she uses when she’s brought in to help teams rebuild trust and communication after conflict has taken root.
You’ll learn how to transform team tension into connection and turn uncomfortable conversations into meaningful progress. These are the same frameworks Desiree uses inside her leadership coaching and team development workshops, designed to help leaders protect their team’s energy and build healthy, high-performing workplaces.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
How to identify when workplace tension has turned into toxicity
The right way to “clear the air” without losing control of the conversation
How self-awareness and behavioral tools (like DISC or Working Genius) reduce friction
Why creating a shared team language makes accountability easier
How vulnerability and consistency build long-term trust
A simple monthly rhythm to keep conflict healthy and communication strong
Key Takeaways
Conflict handled early builds trust. Avoiding it just builds resentment.
Awareness dissolves drama. When people understand each other, tension loses power.
Trust is a practice, not a project. It’s built through consistent, honest conversations.
Leadership Game Questions
What are three things our team does well, and what are three things we could do better?
What is one challenge we are currentlyl facing as a team? What can we change in ourselves to improve our situation?
What group of people do we need to be more intentional about listening to? (Employees / Clients / Customers / Shareholders / Ambassadors / etc.)
What makes a day successful for you?
"Keep the Conversation Going" Questions
1. What's working?
2. Where are we drifting from who we said we'd be?
3. What do we need to talk about before it turns into tension?
And if you’d like help facilitating these conversations, this is exactly the work Desiree does in her coaching for managers and team development workshops you can learn more at intentionalaction.net
Email Desiree for a loom video on how to play "Gratiphone" with your team!
desiree@intentionalaction.net
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
A Manager’s Guide to Keeping Top Talent and Stopping Negativity Before It Spreads
Thursday, October 30, 2025 • Duration 29:56
One negative employee can tank performance by 30 to 40 percent. Learn how to tell the difference between realism and pessimism, protect team dynamics, and know when it’s time to let someone go with confidence.
If you’ve inherited a high performer who drags down morale, you’re not alone. Many first-time managers avoid action because conflict feels risky and backfilling is hard. Meanwhile, your best people consider leaving.
In this episode, we unpack the root causes behind “negativity” and why not all pushback is toxic. You’ll learn how to spot the difference between a realist who’s trying to protect the team and a pessimist who drains it, how to coach for better behavior, and how to document impact so HR conversations are clear and actionable. You’ll also get three reflection questions to help you decide if it’s time to let someone go.
Key Takeaways • Realism vs pessimism: identify intent, not just tone, so you don’t label constructive risk checks as negativity.
• Coachable or contagious: use behavior impact and willingness to change to decide your next step.
• Protect the team’s energy: leaders keep culture by addressing harmful behavior early and documenting impact, not just attitude.
Want help understanding your team’s default styles so meetings stop derailing and decisions stick? Take a quick self-awareness assessment and explore DISC or Working Genius for your team at intentionalaction.net/self-awareness.
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
How to Show Up Energized and Confident Again at Work | Jason Barnaby
Episode 69
Thursday, August 28, 2025 • Duration 26:11
Feeling stuck, complacent, or burned out at work? In this episode, Jason Barnaby shares how to reignite your fire, overcome fear, and create meaningful culture through intentional action.
In this episode, we're shifting gears into something every new manager and leader wrestles with, how do you keep your spark alive when comfort zones and fear want to hold you back?
I’m joined by Jason Barnaby, Chief Fire Starter of Fire Starters Inc., who has made it his mission to help people and organizations reignite hope and torch fear. Together, we unpack what it really means to show up as the leader you want to be and how culture isn’t a top-down mandate, it’s the sum of how we each lead ourselves.
Jason shares his powerful framework (Find your fire, Fan your flame, Ignite your life), the dangers of letting “what if abouts” (those sneaky negative thoughts and doubts) keep you stuck, and why your tribe matters more than you realize. Whether you’re feeling uninspired at work, stuck in complacency, or struggling with imposter syndrome, this episode will remind you that change starts with striking just one match.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this episode, you’ll discover:
Why the difference between being content and being complacent could make or break your leadership.
How to overcome your “what if abouts” and start seeing possibilities instead of barriers.
The role of intentional tribes and small actions in building momentum and reigniting your fire.
Why are Gen Z and millennials avoiding leadership? In this conversation with Tessa, we unpack the future of leadership, bridging generations, and what new managers must do to create trust, mentorship, and lasting influence.
Why don’t younger generations want to be leaders? The answer isn’t that they lack ambition, it’s that they don’t want the kind of leadership they see modeled today. Long hours, toxic cultures, fear-driven managers, and positional power aren’t inspiring the next wave of leaders.
We'll dive into generational leadership, mentorship, and the shift from positional power to true influence. You’ll hear why Gen Z and millennials are still deeply interested in leadership, but on their own terms.
How Emotional Intelligence Helps Managers Build Trust and Fix Toxic Culture
Episode 67
Thursday, August 14, 2025 • Duration 32:24
Discover how to grow your head, heart, and gut intelligence to strengthen emotional intelligence, build trust, hold employees accountable, and create a thriving team culture as a new manager.
In this episode you’ll learn how to identify your dominant center (even without a personality assessment) and practical ways to grow all three so you can:
Build trust and credibility with your team
Hold employees accountable without micromanaging
Handle conflict with confidence
Lead effective team meetings that drive results
Repair or prevent a toxic culture
By the time you finish listening, you’ll know how to balance clear thinking, relational connection, and decisive action to improve team dynamics and shape the culture you want to be part of.
Key Takeaways:
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership success
How to identify your dominant center of intelligence
Practical ways to grow your head, heart, and gut skills daily
SEO Keywords: Coaching for Managers, Desiree Petrich, First-Time Manager Podcast, Leadership Podcast for New Managers, Team Dynamics, Difficult Employees, How to Build Trust as a Manager, How to Fix a Toxic Culture, How to Handle Conflict at Work as a Manager, How to Hold Employees Accountable, How to Be a Better Manager, How to Lead Effective Team Meetings, New Manager Tips
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
5 Levels of Leadership That Shape How Your Team Sees You | Heather Italiano
Are your employees following you because they want to, or because they have to? In this episode, Heather Italiano unpacks the Five Levels of Leadership and how new managers can build trust, increase influence, and avoid falling into the trap of positional leadership.
Have you ever felt like your team only listens because they have to, not because they want to?
That’s the reality for many first-time managers. In this Leadership Podcast for New Managers, guest Heather Italiano joins me to explore how to build trust as a manager and move beyond positional leadership into real influence. We’re talking about team dynamics, managing up, and the moment your title stops being enough.
Heather breaks down John Maxwell’s Five Levels of Leadership and explains how even experienced leaders can fall back to level one when trust erodes. Plus, she shares her practical CARES framework to help you connect with your team in a way that builds loyalty, commitment, and results.
If you’re trying to fix a toxic culture, handle conflict at work as a manager, or simply become a better leader, this episode is your blueprint.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
The difference between positional leadership and people-first leadership
How to Work With People You Can't Stand | Tessa Kampen
Struggling with difficult employees or clashing coworkers? In this episode, Desiree Petrich and Tessa Kampen unpack practical ways to improve team dynamics and work with people you don’t like.
You rarely to choose who you work with. Whether it’s a coworker who triggers your inner eye roll or a difficult employee who's throwing off your team dynamics, you still have a job to do.
In this episode of You're the Boss, Now What?,the go-to Leadership Podcast for New Managers, Desiree Petrich and honorary co-host Tessa Kampen dive into the Coaching for Managers tools that help you work with people you don’t always like… without losing your cool.
We share stories, tactical advice, and New Manager Tips on everything from how to handle conflict at work as a manager to recognizing your own blind spots. If you're struggling with how to hold employees accountable, battling imposter syndrome in leadership, or trying to build trust as a manager, this one’s for you. You’ll also learn how to delegate, give feedback effectively, and lead team meetings that don’t spiral off track (even with strong personalities at the table).
You don’t have to like everyone. But if you’re going to lead them? You do have to understand them.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
How to understand the root of conflict using personality assessments like DISC and Working Genius
3 Tools That Get Your Team to Care as Much as You Do | Lessons from The Truth About Employee Engagement by Patrick Lencioni
You’ve offered raises, perks, and flexible schedules, so why does your team still seem disengaged? In this episode, we explore the real reasons employees check out and what you can do to re-engage them.
In today’s episode, we’re breaking down the book The Truth About Employee Engagement by Patrick Lencioni and exploring the real reason behind low morale, quiet quitting, and disengagement.
If you’ve tried surface-level perks, bonuses, or team outings to boost culture and it’s still not working, you’re not alone. This episode covers why so many leaders are unintentionally missing the mark, and how to start fixing it today.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
The 3 root causes of disengagement every new manager needs to recognize
Why building trust as a leader goes far beyond small talk and birthday cards
How to hold employees accountable without micromanaging or burning them out
You don’t need another pizza party. You need a plan that helps your team feel known, needed, and successful.
Key Takeaways
Disengagement is often caused by anonymity, irrelevance, and lack of clear measurement
The Boundary Every Manager Needs to Avoid Burnout
Episode 63
Thursday, July 17, 2025 • Duration 23:22
Struggling to unplug, set boundaries, or move your body after a long day? This Ask Me Anything episode tackles three of the biggest challenges new managers face with actionable mindset shifts and tools that make a real difference.
Ever feel like your brain won’t shut off even when your body’s ready to? You're not alone.
In today’s Ask Me Anything episode, we’re diving into three of the most common challenges high-achieving professionals face in leadership: setting boundaries without guilt, finding motivation for movement when you’re exhausted, and learning how to truly unplug your mind after work.
If you’ve ever struggled with managing conflict between work and personal life, building trust as a leader through example, or figuring out how to stop feeling overwhelmed as a manager, this episode is for you.
We’ll unpack the real reasons behind your exhaustion and guilt, explore mindset shifts for sustainable leadership, and teach you how to lead yourself better so you can show up stronger for your team and family.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
How to set boundaries as a new leader (without feeling guilty)
What to do when your brain won’t shut off at night
How to motivate yourself to move your body, even on your most exhausting days
You’ll also hear my favorite mindset trick for reframing productivity, plus a simple shutdown routine that helps your brain and body disconnect after work.
Want help figuring out your Working Genius or DISC style? Head to intentionalaction.net/self-awareness to take your assessment and book a free debrief with me. Knowing your genius zones is the first step to building a cohesive team and taking intentional action in your leadership role.
Topics discussed in this episode: new manager tips, how to set boundaries as a leader, how to delegate, building trust as a leader, how to stop feeling overwhelmed as a manager, managing conflict, executive presence, high-performing team, team building for new managers, imposter syndrome in leadership, how to hold employees accountable, how to unplug from work, shutdown routine, Working Genius, DISC assessment, having hard conversations as a leader
3 Ways Managers Can Build Resilience to Handle Tough Challenges at Work
Resilience isn’t just something you build after a crisis. In this episode, you’ll learn how to strengthen your mindset, build emotional stamina, and proactively prepare for life’s hard moments, so you can handle them with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
Do you only feel strong after everything falls apart?
Resilience isn’t something we should only discover when we’re forced to. Whether you’re leading a team or simply trying to lead yourself through tough seasons, this episode will help you understand what it means to build resilience on purpose.
From personal challenges to professional growth, we talk about what it means to face discomfort with intention, how to shift your mindset, and how to strengthen your habits now—before the pressure hits.
You’ll also hear the study that blew my mind about dopamine, discipline, and why your brain actually feels better when you do hard things first.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
The difference between reactive and proactive resilience and why it matters in every area of life
Three ways to build resilience daily by leaning into discomfort
How doing hard things first actually boosts your brain’s dopamine response
How personality assessments helped me face hard truths and can help you too
Want to figure out where you're getting in your own way? Take a personality assessment at intentionalaction.net/self-awareness and get a free 30-minute debrief with me. Let’s turn your self-awareness into personal growth and leadership clarity.
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
We’ll also talk about how senior leaders can mentor and share knowledge without fear of being replaced, and why leadership is a verb, not a title.
By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:
Why younger generations are rethinking traditional leadership roles
How to bridge the generational leadership gap through mentorship and trust
Why leadership is influence, and how to make it a verb, not just a title
SEO Optimization
This episode is packed with new manager tips, insight on team dynamics, and practical advice on how to build trust as a manager. We’ll also cover how to mentor across generations, how to prevent a toxic culture, and why leadership development for new managers requires more than positional power.
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
A simple, 5-part framework to increase your influence as a new leader
If you loved this conversation with Heather, scroll down and leave a 5-star rating and review! Then share it with a colleague or friend who’s trying to grow their confidence as a new manager.
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
Why difficult coworkers might not be as “difficult” as they seem—and what role you might be playing
When it’s time to set boundaries, or let someone go, for the good of the team
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
Quiet quitting doesn’t mean lazy, it usually means unseen
High performers burn out fast when they don’t feel appreciated or purposeful employee engagement, quiet quitting, high-performing team, how to fix a toxic culture, building trust as a leader, how to hold employees accountable
This podcast for managers is here to help you:
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
• Grow your leadership development • Navigate team management with confidence • Learn how to handle conflict at work • Apply real, practical leadership tips
If this episode helped you:
Share it with another manager Leave a 5-star review Follow along for more support
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