Leaders Unscripted

Leaders are humans too, and Etsy’s culture has given Jenn Clevenger the opportunity to lead through remarkable adversity.In her 8 year tenure, she’s become VP of Engineering, tackled a pandemic, and stayed her course while her house burned down.It’s the staggering story of a remarkable leader and a resilient human, one which we delve into on episode 26 of the Leaders Unscripted podcast.This episode covers:Jenn’s ‘zigzag’ path to leadershipLeadership lessons learned from Etsy’s cultureOur ‘nonsense buckets’, and how to make space in themTaking time to breathe, do nothing, and be self-empatheticAdvice for leaders tackling headwinds, both external and personalVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Guest Suzan Bond, Founder of Constellary, is interviewed about her organic path to becoming a COO. Topics covered include her childhood memories and influences, fascination with human behavior, leadership beyond profit, organizational growth and change management, defining success, pursuing passions, and seeing the world through different lenses.

When your identity is so strongly focused around leadership, anything that challenges your identity can be a world-altering experience.Pleo’s Meri Williams has been through the reinvention of her leadership style after her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome diagnosis, cementing her role as a self-empathetic CTO.Meri joins me on Leaders Unscripted to discuss the balance of her CTO role with her diagnosis, and her wisdom for those finding themselves newly diagnosed while leading.This episode covers:The notable challenges of a CTO roleBalancing logistics with emotionsHarnessing the collective excellence of an engineering teamMeri’s numerous medical conditions, and changing her leadership style to suitOffering a more valuable version of yourself less frequentlyMaking a mental change to handle pain & sufferingVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

There are few challenges like leading a varied range of software engineers, and few places more prestigious than Google at which to do so…18 years strong into her tenure at Google, Madleina Scheidegger is a Software Engineering Manager whose lessons on leading software teams is absolutely golden.From staying flexible and balancing internal vs external stakeholders, to building partnerships and setting your North Star, this episode of Leaders Unscripted is a masterclass in leadership longevity.This episode covers:Madleina’s freedom to move around within GoogleThe importance of building partnerships with your team, rather than giving ordersUsing a North Star to inform smaller decisionsManagement vs leadershipThe invaluable ability to be flexibleVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Being the first people leader in a business is a uniquely privileged position, brimming with untapped potential.That’s why Christie Williams has seized those opportunities, culminating in her current role as Softdocs’ VP of Employee Success.With such an intriguing job title, it’s hard not to see how Christie’s multidisciplinary experience feeds into her insightful approach to people leadership - an approach that we learn more about in episode 22 of Leaders Unscripted.This episode covers:Why Christie likes being the first people leader in a businessPreferring gradual shifts over complete overhaulsHolistic approaches to a company’s tech stackThe importance of leadership buy-in for people leadersVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Management has the power to both embolden us, or burn us out.It’s a very real danger, and we’re all more aware of it thanks to growing awareness of mental wellbeing, but Vimeo’s Vaidehi Joshi knows first hand how to overcome leader burnout.Vaidehi joins Suzan for this week’s Leaders Unscripted, taking us through the battle against perfectionism, managing a team alongside your mental health, and what makes a great management experience.This episode covers:The expectation vs reality of managementWhy perfectionism in leadership can be deadlyTrauma from burnout, and how it takes time to overcomeHow different environments demand differing management experiencesVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

What’s a CEO without a playbook to follow, and how do they communicate their plan with their team?Mindaugas Petrutis, who was suddenly thrust into the CEO role at Coho, leads with a transparency and honesty which he was never able to exhibit in his previous roles.Sharing the areas of focus that any new CEO should prioritise, Mindaugas details his bold and brilliant leadership style in this week’s episode of Leaders Unscripted.This episode covers:How Mindaugas follows his instincts as a CEOPeople’s re-evaluation of their relationship with workThe role of honesty and transparency in leadershipBuilding resilience, and how it repays you in the long runVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

Awareness of disability in business leaders is far from normalized, which makes the mission of John Samuel and Ablr absolutely paramount.A visually impaired CEO who’s gained the confidence to be open about his disability, John is creating opportunities for greater equity and inclusion in business.His impactful story and charming optimism made for a rousing conversation in the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted.This episode covers:John’s experience of vision loss and navigating the working worldThe dangers of contorting ourselves to others’ perceptions of leadersLeadership being inclusive to allFounding Ablr and embodying its key principlesJohn’s biggest leadership challengesHow other leaders can contribute to the growing need for DEIVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

The only certainty in business is uncertainty; the only constant is change.As leaders, we’re tasked with the impossible in navigating that change and to bring our teams with us. While in her role at Blackboard, Ashley Hunsberger held several Director roles throughout her 17 year tenure, and has found some fantastic ways to guide your team through the choppy waters of change.Ashley joins me on Leaders Unscripted to share her ‘structures for reflection’, an ideal approach to feedback, and finding your balance as a leader.This episode covers:Developing consistent feedback loopsFinding your balance as a leaderNavigating constant changeThe power of collective goal-settingTime management & being protective of your spaceVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/

When the world throws challenges at you from both your business and personal lives, it can be hard to overcome them all.For leaders, this dilemma scales up immensely - first-time Founder Kirk Fernandes has learned the tools first hand that help to manage the unmanageable.With three family members sick in the same year, and his business Merit in relative infancy, Kirk’s story is an unmissable tale of resilience, strength in numbers, and honest leadership.This episode covers:The need for networks in employees’ growthFounding a company amid multiple health challenges for family membersHow to keep the wheels turning whilst allowing time to grieveBearing humanity to your teamThe true value of a networkManaging self-talkVisit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/