Shameless Leadership

How can joy serve as an act of resistance in tough times? This discussion challenges the notion that joy is tone-deaf amidst suffering, asserting it as a necessity for mental health and leadership. Backed by neuroscience, the conversation reveals how joy rewires your brain and enhances team dynamics. Listeners gain practical joy practices, such as daily rituals and leadership tools, aimed at cultivating resilience. Joy is framed not as a betrayal of pain, but as a powerful balm that can foster connection and empowerment in the face of adversity.

When I decided to start inviting guests onto Shameless Leadership, I immediately knew I wanted my dear friend and speaking colleague Elena Joy to join me. The work Elena Joy does around inclusion always captivates me. She is smart, witty, and strategic in all the best ways - as you’ll hear in this conversation. She knows what needs to be done to get the work done. Her unflinching commitment to tackling tough conversations while upholding human dignity always blows me away. While her knowledge around inclusion and its connection to burnout is robust, her methods for tackling challenges where these areas intersect are approachable and welcoming. This is all to say, Elena Joy makes me want to be a better human, and I suspect she will have the same impact on you.   In an official capacity, Elena Joy Thurston, she/her, is the CEO of LATITUDE, a boutique HR consultancy specializing in creating sustainable leadership pipelines through burnout prevention and emerging leader programs. A Mormon mom of four who lost her marriage, her church, and her community when she came out as a lesbian, her viral TEDx talk on surviving conversion therapy has attracted clients such as the Denver Broncos, Peloton, and Planned Parenthood. She is featured in the award-winning documentary CONVERSION, recently launched on AppleTV and Amazon. Elena Joy lives in Arizona with her four children and spends her spare time dreaming of her next fly-fishing trip. Listen in to hear Elena share: How she saw the writing on the wall with DEI and made an intentional pivot in her work in order to continue to achieve her goals around inclusion in the workplace  The truth about the state of DEI - what has been taken from us and what we still have to work with, and what it all means in terms of sustainable leadership  How understanding our co-workers' identities opens the door to communication and decreases burnout What burnout looks like in 2025 and how it looks different for Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z How burnout is universal and individual at the same time The importance of creating positive emotional experiences to counter the feelings that trigger your burnout How to use the Release & Restore Method to shift your energy daily, weekly, monthly, yearly Links Mentioned: Women Business Owners, join me for a free business-building workshop on July 16th, Focused & Fierce: Lead with Purpose and Build Your Business in a Noisy World: saradean.com/fierce Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Work with Elena Joy: https://latitudeleaders.com/ Get Elena Joy’s Free Burnout Starter Kit: https://latitudeleaders.com/burnoutstarterkit Attend Elena Joy’s Free Office Hours: http://joyfulofficehours.com Latitude Leaders on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latitude-leaders/ Latitude Leaders on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latitudeleaders Elena Joy on on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenajoythurston/ Elena Joy on Instragram https://www.instagram.com/elenajoyspeaks/ Elena Joy’s TEDx talk on Youtube: https://youtu.be/rIhPZMC4UEg Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Discover how to thrive even when your boss undermines you. This discussion focuses on reclaiming your power through bold self-advocacy and setting firm boundaries. Learn to cultivate a strong leadership brand and surround yourself with supportive allies. Strategies for documenting toxic behavior and understanding your boss’s motivations are shared, empowering you to make strategic choices and protect your emotional well-being. Emphasizing the importance of preserving your peace, the conversation encourages you to lead yourself first.

Over the last few years, I’ve been developing curriculum and resources that help leaders establish trust with their teams and enable teammates to build trust with one another.  Because different people have different needs around trust, it can feel tricky to know exactly the right formula to help build trust with others.  In spite of that, there are plenty of small things you can do every single day to help people understand who you are, how you operate, how you hold space for others, and how you navigate messiness that will inevitably help you build trust in any relationship. When people understand these pieces of you, they have the information they need to know if you are someone they can trust over the long haul.  In this episode, we explore what a lack of trust looks like in an organization (perhaps this will look and feel familiar to you?).  We talk about why trust is a foundational element required for high performance and a healthy culture, and what outcomes you can expect when you take the time to build trust within a team environment. Then, I give you simple, practical steps you can take to start building more trust today, no matter the current state of your team or organization.  There is a common misconception that trust and the vulnerability required to build it are “soft,” but I would like to invite you to view trust as one of your key strategies for building authentic, meaningful relationships that yield great outcomes.   Episode Highlights: 00:00 Building Trust: An Introduction 02:49 The Importance of Trust in Teams 06:05 Signs of a Lack of Trust 12:06 Leadership's Role in Trust Building 15:51 Practical Steps to Build Trust 21:05 The Outcomes of Teams that Trust  25:47 How to Run Team Trust Diagnostics 29:59 Connecting Values Around Trust to Action Links Mentioned: Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I was recently sitting in one of my Change Leadership classes for my Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, and my teacher asked us, “What would it look like if, as change leaders, we were to suspend certainty more often?”  I immediately made a note to myself, “podcast episode on suspending certainty!”  As someone who craves certainty but understands that nothing is certain, I often think about becoming more comfortable with impermanence.  I’ve never heard this referred to as “suspending certainty”, but this term struck me, and I knew I wanted to dig into it with you all!   In this episode, we talk about the importance of suspending certainty in leadership and personal growth. We talk through the benefits of embracing uncertainty, including: Increased curiosity Access to new perspectives Openness to learning and new opportunities Increased surprise, delight, and joy Gifts that come when we step out of our “I got it all figured out” ego Resilience, resourcefulness, tenacity, creativity, fun, and JOY are all born out of figuring out new things, embracing new realities, letting go of the old, and stepping into new opportunities where we don’t know exactly how things will go.  What might happen for you if you felt prepared to step into uncertainty at any time?  Suspending certainty will help you with this preparation.  Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction and Exciting Updates 03:35 The Concept of Suspending Certainty 04:03 Understanding the Gifts of Suspending Certainty 11:10 Benefits of Embracing Uncertainty 20:10 Navigating Personal and Collective Uncertainty 30:30 Conclusion and Upcoming Workshop Links Mentioned: Attend my free workshop for women small business owners, Focused and Fierce: Lead with Purpose and Build Your Business in a Noisy World: saradean.com/fierce Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I met Maria Ross 12 years ago when we shared the stage at a women’s event. Her work is centered around human behavior and empathy in the workplace. What I love about talking to Maria is how she can dig into the nuts and bolts of concepts and theory while also making tricky concepts very approachable and applicable to everyone. If you want to cultivate more empathy or help others cultivate more empathy, Maria is your gal.   Maria is a speaker, facilitator, author, strategist, and empathy advocate who believes cash flow, creativity, and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She’s spent decades helping forward-thinking leaders, teams, and brands connect and engage through empathy to accelerate growth. Maria has authored multiple books, including her newest, The Empathy Dilemma: How Successful Leaders Balance Performance, People, and Personal Boundaries, Her previous book, The Empathy Edge sparked a movement and she now hosts the top-rated The Empathy Edge podcast, speaking with leaders, changemakers, authors, and activists on how to achieve radical success through empathy.  Listen in to hear Maria share: Navigating the empathy dilemma of balancing empathy with performance What empathy is and what it’s not Why empathy is now especially challenging in our multigenerational workplaces  How you can uphold empathy when it feels like it’s being “canceled” The 5 Pillars of Effective Empathetic Leadership Links Mentioned: Book: theempathydilemma.com Connect with Maria: www.red-slice.com Maria’s Podcast, The Empathy Edge: www.TheEmpathyEdge.com Maria's new 2 day mastermind event for high-achieving leaders who want to balance empathy with performance: www.TheEmpathyEdge.com/event Maria’s LinkedIn Learning Course: Leading with Empathy Maria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariajross/ Maria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redslicemaria/ Maria on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redslice Maria on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Redslice-MariaRoss Maria’s Tedx Talk: https://bit.ly/MariaRossTEDx Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephanie Chung is a leader, fighter, survivor, breast cancer warrior, and barrier-breaker in corporate leadership who consistently embodies resilience and courage.  I knew from the moment we met online that this would be a special conversation, which is why Stephanie is the first guest to join me on Shameless Leadership! As a pioneering woman of color in the aviation sector with 35 years of aviation experience, Stephanie has ascended to top executive roles, including her tenure as Chief Growth Officer at Wheels Up and as the first African-American President of a private aviation company, JetSuite, marked by innovative strategies that significantly expanded membership and redefined brand positioning. She led a private aviation sales team that consistently exceeded its quota of almost $1 billion every year.  Stephanie is also a sought-after keynote speaker and #1 international best-selling author, whose work in applying neuroscience to sales and leadership offers groundbreaking and practical strategies for professional growth.  This conversation is high-energy, high-impact, and a lot of fun.  Be prepared to learn, challenge yourself, and walk away with some important action steps!  Listen in to hear Stephanie share:  Her 40-year career in aviation - starting at the bottom and working her way to the very top How one leader saw something special in her early on that changed the course of her career The long-term career impact of owning your power and accomplishments in front of your peers and other leaders How to be powerful and noticeable when advancing your leadership in rooms where people don’t look like you What "Ally Leadership" is and why it’s so crucial for today’s diverse workforce actionable steps a leader can take tomorrow to begin leading more equitably and build trust across a more diverse team How to spot the difference between performative and authentic Ally Leadership Links Mentioned: Connect with Stephanie: https://stephaniechung.com/ Get Stephanie’s Book: Ally in Leadership: How to Lead People Who Are Not Like You  Your Ally in Leadership Substack: https://www.yourallyinleadership.com/ Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheStephanieChung/ Connect with Stephanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheStephanieChung/ Connect with Stephanie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStephanieChung/ Connect with Stephanie on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thestephaniechung Connect with Stephanie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Coachstephaniechung Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Consistency is pretty boring. It might be the least glamorous component of leadership.  This is probably why it tends to be an underrated leadership superpower. However, consistency is a key ingredient to leadership success, primarily because it allows you to create compounding interest. Your tiny gains over time build up to massive outcomes.  Consistency also thwarts perfectionism. Showing up repeatedly becomes more important than showing up perfectly. This consistent showing up creates growth that casts perfectionism to the side, as it’s no longer needed as a tool for success. You start to realize that success is much more about showing up, getting it done, and building momentum on an ongoing basis.  What if small, repeated actions became the backbone of sustainable success in both your personal growth and leadership? For example…  For the last 27 years, I've worked out 6 days a week. That's about 7,776 workouts. Most of them have been pretty average, mid-level efforts. A lot of them have been just going through the motions. Every now and then, there is a really amazing one. The impact has been massive on my mental and physical health. I have no doubt that I have added years to my life. For the last 9 years, I have released 1-2 podcasts a week, depending on our production schedule. That's 940 podcast episodes. Some have been fantastic, even noteworthy. Many have been valuable and helpful to my audience, but not necessarily earth-shattering. The impact on my business and credibility as a thought leader, speaker, and coach has been invaluable.  Consistency creates scaffolding in your life and leadership. By developing reliable habits, you reduce decision fatigue, lessen your mental load, and streamline internal negotiations. When you're consistent, you become a person who gets things done, who finishes what you start, and who builds trust in yourself. That identity shift, from someone who dabbles to someone who delivers, is transformational. Consistency also strengthens your leadership reputation. Leaders known for their follow-through and reliability foster trust, credibility, and psychological safety for their teams.  Showing up again and again says to the world, “I’m here, I belong here, and I’m not going anywhere.” This episode will inspire you to lean into consistency as a courageous act of leadership and self-trust. Episode Highlights: 00:00 The Power of Consistency in Leadership 05:09 Powerful Examples of the Payoffs of Consistency 10:12 Building Relationships Through Consistency 15:17 Consistency as a Tool to Build a Stronger Personal Identity and Leadership Identity 20:44 The Impact of Consistency on Trust and Visibility Links Mentioned: Book: Atomic Habits by James Clear Book: Finish by Jon Acuff Book: Soundtracks by Jon Acuff Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During a recent retreat I led for my business coaching clients, we had the opportunity to do a deep dive into visibility avoidance.  We discussed this phenomenon that happens when we want to grow in new ways, but the prospect of heightened visibility holds us back.  Sometimes, when we take steps into higher visibility opportunities, we are excited by the outcomes.  But, shortly after the perceived win, we feel a sense of vulnerability that pulls us back to our pre-visibility zone of comfort, and we determine that pre-visibility space is the safer or more appropriate place for us to stay for the time being.   Visibility can be wildly uncomfortable.  It can bring up a lot of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in which we create swirling narratives that are more harmful than helpful.  When we get stuck here, we stunt our own growth.  We shrink ourselves.  We play small.  We allow ourselves to tap into only a fraction of our full potential.   In this episode, we explore the concept of visibility avoidance and highlight the common underlying self-limiting beliefs that hinder your personal and professional growth. I talk through how specific thought patterns undermine behavior patterns, keeping you accepting less than the best for yourself.  Then, I give you simple steps for overcoming visibility avoidance that will allow you to strategically increase visibility through small steps over time, allowing you to reach those goals you’ve been dreaming of in a way that feels exciting and rewarding!  This episode will help you recognize the payoffs of stepping into your full potential when you do it in a way that feels safe and aligned with who you are and where you want to go.  Episode Highlights: 00:00 The Magic of Expansive Time 04:14 Understanding Visibility Avoidance 12:03 Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs 16:18 Strategies for Increasing Visibility 24:47 Embracing Vulnerability and Growth Links Mentioned: Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ve recently been in a few conversations about executive presence with colleagues and coaching clients.  These conversations keep coming up because of major misconceptions about executive presence.  When we think about executive presence, we tend to think about traits that allow for high control, high volume, and high power.  However, executive presence is not about dominance or taking up more space than the people around you.  It’s about far more.  And, it’s quite nuanced.     Unfortunately, many of us don’t have great examples of executive presence around us.  This is why we don’t have a clear understanding of what it entails and how to develop it.  Without strong mentors and role models, it’s hard to know what you’re even striving for, right?! In this episode, we will talk about what leaders are getting wrong about executive presence, the components of executive presence that matter most, and specific steps you can take to strengthen your executive presence.  We will also discuss how executive presence has long been weaponized as a gatekeeping tool and to uphold bias.   Please know executive presence is not just for executives!  This is a way of carrying yourself in order to have a commanding presence that calls people in to work with you and listen to you.  Your executive presence at any level, regardless of role or rank, can position you to build trusting relationships, enter into collaborative opportunities, and set yourself up for powerful next steps in your leadership legacy.    Episode Highlights: How executive presence is learned and developed over time Why quiet confidence goes a long way Why executive presence requires balancing confidence with humility Why executive presence has nothing to do with being the loudest or most dominant in the room True executive presence is about how you make others feel How and why to leverage authenticity more than conformity in your leadership Recognizing the role of gatekeeping and bias in many current models of executive presence Links Mentioned: Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices