If you listened to last week's podcast, then this will sound familiar! Yes, it's a repeat, and for a good reason.

On the blog, this story is featured in two parts. Last week, the focus was on the staff, gossip, and embellishing facts. Today, attention is on the management team and making assumptions.

So listen in again and, this time, notice the assumptions Haley, Ronald, and Rosalie make, and also the decisions they make and actions they take based on those misconceptions – which might seem familiar, too.

This story about a meltdown in a meeting and the chaos that followed is based on a situation that occurred in an organization I worked with. As you listen to the tale, notice how – and how many – people were affected, and think about all the places where you hear time (and, therefore, money) leaking out of this organization due to a single moment of drama and the subsequent distractions and chaos.

Unwritten rules are rules that we've created or adopted that govern our decision-making and our behavior patterns. They're barely noticeable to anyone else, but when they're challenged, they cause us discomfort, bring up conflict within us, and make us wonder – and judge – why other people don't follow the same rules we do.

Listen in to see how unwritten rules impact your relationships at work and at home and, maybe, hold you back from your full potential. And to hear the thing about my Christmas tree...

Isolation is a common thread among leaders who wish they hadn't gone into leadership. The higher you move up in an organization, the less time there is to work in your area of passion and strength, the more you become the guard dog and keeper of secrets, and the fewer people you can talk to about decisions that weigh on your heart.

Listen in for six characteristics of isolated leaders plus three simple strategies they can use to re-engage with their work, their life, and the people around them.

How many times during the course of your day do you overhear things, see things, read things and take them personally? Choosing to be curious and to ask questions is the pathway away from drama and chaos. Join Beth as she uncovers why we take things personally and how you can disrupt that tendency. Just proclaiming "I will not take things personally!" isn't enough to switch us. Instead, Beth explains how taking things personally is a practice, a choice.

Hearing what someone says isn't always enough – you may need to actually listen. Active listening takes a bit more effort but will save you time and energy in the long run.

Listen in for: an explanation of active listening, three questions you can ask to encourage a deeper conversation, how little of your undivided attention is needed to satisfy others, and how one of my daughters taught me all this when she was just two-and-a-half years old.

"I have an open door policy." Oh my gosh, those words just make me shudder. Why am I opposed to an open door policy when it's often pushed as the way to be a "connected leader"? Because an open door policy has the opposite effect. When you have an open door policy, you're not connected to or present for anything.

Listen in for how an open door policy hinders your productivity, robs the people around you of learning opportunities, and nibbles away at your time, plus 5 simple tips for setting things right.

Exhaustion and fatigue are common themes with many of my clients, and I've realized they haven't given themselves permission to set boundaries. In fact, the tendency is quite the opposite. Somewhere along the way, we get the message to give all of our kindness, time, and energy to others and to keep none for ourselves. But nurturing ourselves first is the only sustainable way forward.

Listen in for the surprising boundaries that set me free, a few words that create space, and one word that takes it away.

A special treat: An interview with Cara Crye, new CEO of the Farm Supply Company. Cara began working at Farm Supply fresh out of college and worked her way up through the ranks to follow the prior CEO's 52-year tenure. If you're looking to move up within your organization, or even tap into a leadership position in a new organization, you are going to hear some invaluable tips and areas to begin working on so you can increase your self-awareness and become a charismatic, engaging, and successful leader.

Anger is not a pure emotion, but a mask for painful emotions such as sadness, fear, and disappointment. At the same time, anger can hide behind numbness, defensiveness, or a feeling of power. Anger plays tricks on our ego, distances us from others (and ourselves), and can have a boosting effect as powerful – and as short-lived – as a sugar rush.

Listen in for more on anger's many disguises, and learn how to dissipate your anger by asking yourself a few simple, yet powerful, questions about your situation.