THIS Leader Podcast

80. Rescuing Connection in a Virtual World with Scott Farmer

My guest this week ran an experiment almost by accident. Scott Farmer had the same difficult conversation with two colleagues — same preparation, same general message. One in person, one remote. They ended very differently.

In this episode Scott and I get into how trust can suffer on a remote team, why healthy conflict gets harder through a screen, and the small, unglamorous things he's using to draw people back into a room. He also makes a case for why connection might be a leader's greatest differentiator.

79. Leading in Turbulent Times

Something's shifting for your team right now — maybe it’s budget cuts, or a reorg, or a client crisis, or just a stretch where nothing feels steady. And you can feel the difference between the leader you want to be in that moment and the one who actually shows up when the pressure hits: reactive, snapping in meetings, changing direction depending on how the morning went.

You don't get to choose whether hard times come. You only get to choose how you show up. In this episode, I borrow an unlikely teacher: pilots, and what they do when they hit turbulence. 

78. How to Handle Conflict at Work with Maryse Postlewaite

 In this episode I pose two real, listener-submitted situations to Maryse Postlewaite, who has spent more than forty-five years helping people navigate conflict with heart. We get into why it can be hard to be direct, how to assume the best without being naïve, the difference between venting, gossiping, and actually solving a problem, and a simple, human way to open a hard conversation so the other person leans in instead of getting defensive. Practical, warm, and full of language you can borrow the next time something simply doesn't feel right.

77. Revenue is Shrinking. Now What? 

Many organizations are contracting now — funding is thinning, costs are climbing, AI is reshaping jobs at every level. Whether or not your organization is considering downsizing, you need to be ready to lead the way.

In this episode, we discuss the impact of contraction on the brain, and how ethical leaders are dealing with it. I share why fear shows up looking differently in different people, and four specific moves for leading in ways that are more likely to keep your culture — and your people's trust — still intact on the other side.

76. The Illusion of Alignment

Have you ever left a meeting thinking, Great—we're all aligned, only to realize a week later that everyone walked away with something different?

In this episode, I explore the difference between clarity, compliance, and true alignment. I also share a practical four-step process that helps teams move beyond polite agreement to genuine commitment. Because when people are truly aligned, decisions don't keep getting reopened,  and teams are better prepared to move forward together.

75. Learn Like A Leader

You are learning all the time! You listen to podcasts, read books and articles, take courses, attend conferences…. But how much of what you learn is really sticking?

How much is translating into actionable insights that change the way you learn and lead? 

In this episode, I share two personal experiences that transformed how I approach learning and how the same principles can help you accelerate your leadership growth so you can feel a real sense of progress.