In the seventh episode of season two of the Better Understanding podcast, Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal best-selling author and expert at self-reinvention, and host Susan MacKenty Brady discuss how thriving in leadership shifted during the pandemic — and in the post-pandemic world. Dorie encourages listeners to flex their muscles of reinvention to remain fresh and innovative and avoid stagnation.

Whitney Johnson shares how she made the leap from surviving in leadership to thriving — with resilience and support. She also brilliantly explains how the S Curve of learning allows people to continually experience personal growth. Learning, she says, is the "oxygen of human growth," and if "you're not learning, you're dying." Listen and learn!

In the fifth episode of season two of the Better Understanding podcast, guest Natalie Martinez, CEO of Strong Women, Strong Girls, a non-profit organization that champions the next generation of female leaders through innovative, multi-generational mentoring programs, shares how she defines courage, the strategies she draws on to thrive in leadership, and the importance of helping girls to build confidence from a young age and encouraging them to lean into their greatness.

In the fourth episode of season two of the Better Understanding podcast, guest Lt. Gen. Leslie Smith, the 66th Inspector General of the U.S. Army, explains why it's critical for leaders to build trust within their team. Trust, he says, is the bedrock of any organization and is key to success. How to build that trust? Lt. Gen. Smith emphasizes that embracing one's authenticity, listening, and investing in people cultivates an environment where people are comfortable taking risks and sharing new ideas.

In the third episode of season two of the Better Understanding podcast, guest Molly Fletcher, renowned speaker, author, and former sports agent, reflects on how she built her muscles of courage from a young age and shares with host Susan MacKenty Brady tips on how to manage demands placed on us to avoid burnout.

In the second episode of season two of the Better Understanding podcast, host Susan MacKenty Brady and Carla Harris, Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, discuss Carla’s new book, Lead to Win: How to Be a Powerful, Impactful, Influential Leader in any Environment, and her “pearls” of intentional leadership—qualities, including authenticity and inclusivity, that leaders must cultivate to maximize their impact.

In the 11th episode of the Better Understanding podcast, I get to talk to retired Brigadier General Tom Kolditz. Tom is the Founding Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and one of the top leadership experts in the world.

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In the 10th episode of the Better Understanding podcast, I get to talk with DEI legend Dani Monroe. Dani serves as a trusted advisor and thought leader to chief diversity officers and senior executives, including leaders at MetLife, Novartis, Pfizer, and even the CIA. Dani believes in and encourages taking risks because only by taking action can we move forward.

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In the 9th episode of the Better Understanding podcast, I'll introduce you to Sonya Jacobs. Sonya is the Chief Organizational Learning Officer for the University of Michigan and the Senior Director for Faculty and Leadership Development at Michigan Medicine. She is also Special Advisor to the President of the University on culture. She believes that leading inclusively means building relationships with people you don't know. And that starts with listening to and understanding their unique stories.

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