Human-Centric Leadership Podcast

If you’ve ever been curious about where motivation comes from or had questions about why you always seem to perform so well under pressure, then this episode is for you! In today’s conversation, we kick off our energy series (and no, we’re not talking about the energy that gets you off the couch) by unpacking the concept of core energy and the many ways it informs our perception and shapes our actions. Tuning in, you’ll learn about the theories central to this topic, such as the strength versus shadow concept and the differences between anabolic and catabolic energy, before taking a detailed look at the seven levels of energy (and the energetic perception chart). We find out how the energy you put into the world gets reflected back at you, why the best leader is a self-aware leader, and how you can learn to understand your own energetic temperament. For a comprehensive overview of all these topics and key insights on how to become a better leader, be sure to tune in today! 

Key Points From This Episode: 

• Introducing the first topic in our energy series: what is core energy? 
• Understanding the energy at the core of all your beliefs, thoughts, and actions. 
• Why energy leadership is such an important topic to explore. 
• Insight into why the best leader is a self-aware leader. 
• An introduction to the concept of strength versus shadow. 
• Illustrative examples of why every strength has a shadow side. 
• How to identify your strengths and their possible shadow sides. 
• An overview of the two types of energy: anabolic and catabolic. 
• Anabolic energy and its regenerative, motivating, energizing qualities. 
• The draining nature of catabolic energy and how it can motivate us under pressure. 
• Understanding when to utilize anabolic and catabolic energy. 
• The characteristics of a leader with catabolic energy versus anabolic energy. 
• Recognizing the situations that bring out catabolic energy versus anabolic energy. 
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• How stress and engagement impact your energetic presentation. 
• An outline of the seven levels of energy and the energetic self-perception chart. 
• How the energy you put into the world gets reflected back at you. 
• The exciting things you can expect from our upcoming interview with Kathryn Morrison. 
• Learn about Michelle’s Breakthrough Energy session and how to get in touch. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Episode 3: Manage Your Mind Part 1

Kathryn Morrison Coaching

Energy Leadership Breakthrough Session

Energetic Self-Perception Chart

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

As a business leader, if you want to achieve the goals that you have set for your organization, start focusing less on the outcomes themselves and more on developing the people in your team! Why? The answers can all be found in this episode. As we discuss today, only 3% of people set and achieve their business goals, and it is your responsibility as a leader to change this! During this conversation, we delve into three pillars that are essential for inspiring team performance, namely, gaining your team members’ trust, advocating for their growth and development, and managing their performance effectively. The truth is that succeeding in a business setting requires teamwork, so tune in today to hear how you can achieve your goals by prioritizing your people! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• The definition of a good employee management system.
• Surprising statistics about goal setting. 
• The problem with the way many companies approach goal setting.
• Examples of how to build trust amongst your team as a leader.
• What business leaders can learn from the sporting world.
• One of the main things that employees value very highly.
• The difference between a manager and a leader.
• How to encourage the growth and development of your team members. 
• Benefits of flattening the hierarchy in your company. 
• A triathlon analogy that highlights the value of breaking down your goals.  
• The importance of talking openly about obstacles.
• Lessons in performance management from the time Michelle spent running a recycling facility. 
• Why leaders should focus on cultivating accountability amongst their team members. 
• How to give feedback in the most effective way.
• Advice for dealing with underperforming team members.  
• How clear communication makes managing performance so much easier. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

Welcome to part two of our conversation with Joanne Zuk, as she continues her masterclass in negotiation! Joanne is a business strategist and consultant who works with large, complex organizations to help them develop strategies to meet their goals and create cultures that help them execute their strategies. She’s also on a mission to help women develop the knowledge, confidence, and strategies they need to negotiate for what they deserve. She spent 20 years in senior roles in public service, where she was known for growing leaders and changing cultures. Today, she focuses her consulting business on organizations and leaders that are committed to leadership that puts people first. She is the creator of a series of courses, titled Fearless Negotiation, that help women and people from historically marginalized backgrounds to help them overcome their blind spots and negotiate for what they deserve and desire. Joanne has degrees in biology, psychology, and public and business administration, and she holds certificates in human-centred design and executive leadership. She is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the centre of Canada. Make sure to join us to catch all that Joanne has to say.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Joanne shares some statistics about the wage gap and the entrepreneurial sector.
• Better practices for salary negotiation and the impact this can have on employers. 
• Resources for skill development; Joanne shares some impactful courses. 
• Exploring the traditional ideas of negotiation and how we can update these. 
• Assumptions about others' priorities and the value of bringing things into the open. 
• Joanne talks about her observations of laying the foundations for future negotiations.  
• Strategies for changing the tone of the conversations you have with your boss. 
• Recapping some of the highlights from Joanne's framework.
• Thoughts on how to best perform on the negotiation stage!  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joanne Zuk 

Negotiate for Entrepreneurs

Negotiating Life

Strategic Salary Negotiation for Professionals

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

Today we are sharing the first part of an amazing conversation with Joanne Zuk, on how to become the best negotiator that you can be. It is no understatement that this exploration could completely revolutionize your approach to this important part of all of our lives, and something that we as women often struggle with. Joanne is a business strategist and consultant, and she has dedicated herself to helping women develop the knowledge, confidence, and strategies that are necessary for successful negotiating. For Joanne, a world in which the organizations and leaders that we work for put people first, is something worth aspiring toward, and she sets her sights firmly on growing better leaders and changing corporate cultures. In our chat, Joanne shares her personal journey and how this informed where she chose to push her energy; talking about her early difficulties with negotiating, the corporate experiences that made her feel unwelcome, and the common disparity of gender norms around asking for what we need and want. So if you want to hear all about it, make sure to tune in and check back for part two!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Joanne talks about the roots of her people-first philosophy. 
• The experience that kickstarted Joanne's interest and passion for negotiation.
• How our socialization has trained us to respond to new commitments. 
• Important areas of organization and administration that we often overlook.  
• Exploring the variety of negotiation blindspots and how they relate to other areas of our lives. 
• The fundamental value of negotiation skills and our lack of training in these. 
• Contrasting the appearance of negotiation practices in men and women.
• How organizations can better support women and enable them to perform more effectively.   
• The role of men in supporting women; practical tips around the manner of asking.  

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Joanne Zuk 

Negotiating Life

Fearless Negotiation

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

Have you ever found yourself struggling to identify what you really want? Or felt dread at the prospect of asking for a raise? If so, you are not alone. There are many complicated factors that prevent us from identifying (and asking for) what we really want, all of which can be difficult to address when you lack the proper knowledge or insight. In today’s episode, we examine all of this and more by unpacking four key questions to help you identify what you truly want and how to go about asking for it. Tuning in, you’ll gain insight into why we don’t ask for what we want, why we should ask for what we want, how to figure out what we want, and finally, how to ask for what we want. We explore how self-reflection and self-knowledge can help you identify what you truly want before discussing some of the positive effects of asking for it, like improved confidence, clarity, and communication. Our conversation also covers why not getting what you want provides you with an opportunity to learn along with helpful strategies that will empower you to overcome your fears and communicate what you want. Be sure to tune in for a comprehensive breakdown of how to figure out what you want, how to ask for it, and everything in between!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Why people struggle to identify and articulate what they want.
• The importance of making time to reflect on what you want.
• How misconceptions around selfishness prevent you from understanding yourself.
• Getting to the root cause of what is bothering you rather than just treating the symptoms.
• Why we need to be ready to put in the work required before we can ask for what we want.
• How focusing on current challenges can limit our ability to visualize a different future.
• Creating an environment that gives people the opportunity to learn and thrive.
• The benefits of asking for what you want.
• How asking for what you want can bolster your confidence and give you clarity.
• Why not getting what you asked for isn’t a failure: it provides you with valuable feedback.
• Asking for what you want and how it can improve communication.
• How to practice a healthy level of assertiveness.
• A breakdown of how to figure out what you want and how to ask for it.
• Why it can be helpful to determine what you don’t want and why.
• Reflecting on past successes and how they can help you build new outcomes.
• Using visualization and meditation to inspire you.
• How to ask for what you want effectively.
• Preparing for the conversation by identifying where you can be flexible.
• Defining your reasons for why you want something.
• Letting go of the ‘shoulds’ and why it’s so liberating.
• How to face your fears ahead of time.
• What to expect from our upcoming conversation with Joanne Zuk.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Joanne Zuk
Human-Centric Leadership on LinkedIn
Leadership Program
Michelle Nicole Martin
Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram
Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

As a dedicated and hardworking employee, you’re committed to the company’s mission and always strive to add value. As a team player, you understand the importance of working together to achieve success, but despite your positive energy and optimism, you can sense that something is off. Although everyone appears to share the same values, you notice discrepancies between their words and actions. Sound familiar? Once you begin to unravel their coded language, artificial harmony, and passive-aggressive behaviour, you might realize that your team is not playing the same game. What now? In today’s episode, we dive into the world of working in dysfunctional teams and how to stop yourself from people-pleasing and self-deception tendencies while still practicing empathy in an empowering way. While this might seem like a big hill to climb and it's easy to feel overwhelmed, if you recognize that your team needs to change and you have the will to take on the challenge, you’re already halfway there! To learn how to get unstuck, relieve frustration, cultivate thought processes that encourage action, lead empathetically without abandoning yourself, and keep your sanity along the way, be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Signs and symptoms of dysfunctional teams.
• How to tell the difference between flexibility and people-pleasing behaviour.
• Three questions to ask yourself to determine if you're engaging in people-pleasing.
• Defining self-deception and some examples you might be familiar with.
• Ways to lead and support empathetically without abandoning yourself.
• Why you need to identify and focus on your top priority.
• The value of beginning with the end in mind: what does success look like?
• How asking yourself these questions can help you stop self-deception.
• What happens when you allow yourself to be a victim of your environment.
• Why dysfunctional teams make it difficult for you to be empathetic.
• A puzzle analogy that illustrates why we should exercise empathy.
• Some of the tough conversations that come with being transparent and trustworthy.
• Why empathy isn’t necessarily self-sacrificing.
• The value of taking inventory, identifying behaviour patterns, and setting intentions.
• Important reasons to humanize others and find ways to connect.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Manage Your Mind (Part 1)

Manage Your Mind (Part 2)

Leadership Intensive Program

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

Are you experiencing enough growth in your life? And if not, what stops you from stepping outside your comfort zone? Today on the show, we take a closer look at the concept of self-development and unpack five powerful reasons why we resist it. We inspect how a lack of self-belief can hold you back, how being too comfortable in the safety zone can stop you from putting yourself out there, and why asking for help is so important. Our conversation provides insight on recognizing whether any of these traits are actively stopping you from growing, along with practical steps to address them and overcome your resistance to self-development. We also discuss how our spiritual journeys align with self-development and why finding meaning is ultimately more important than career success before unpacking key lessons on adult learning, including the importance of developing emotional intelligence and how to apply the 70-20-10 Learning Model. For a comprehensive look at self-development and five major reasons we resist it be sure to tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• How self-leadership supports you in achieving personal and professional goals.
• Why we can’t lead others if we can’t lead ourselves.
• How work can help you build habits that positively impact the rest of your life.
• A breakdown of the five reasons we resist self-development.
• How to test whether a lack of self-belief prevents you from pursuing self-development.
• Practical steps you can take to improve your self-belief.
• Why staying in the safety zone can make us resist self-development.
• How to recognize whether you are keeping yourself in the safety zone.
• Changing your perspective to view growth as a lifeline.
• Why thinking everything is good enough can keep us from taking the next steps in self-development.
• What we can learn from the athlete’s approach to training.
• Having a resistance to the spiritual journey and how it aligns with having a resistance to self-development.
• What spirituality means in this context, and how we can benefit from being more connected.
• The concept of heart-centred leadership and sharing your gift.
• Understanding the spiritual journey through the lens of masculine and feminine energy.
• How to combine both masculine and feminine energy in your spiritual journey.
• Exercises that will help you find your purpose and identify what gives your life meaning.
• Why a lack of humility can stop you from enlisting the help, you need to pursue self-development.
• How to tap into the resources available to you.
• A breakdown of the 70-20-10 Learning Model and its relevance to adult learning.
• Parting insights on how to cultivate impactful learning experiences.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

What Is Spirituality? | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing

Feminine & Masculine Energy

70/20/10 Learning Model 

Leadership Intensive - The Year of You

Ikigai - Find your Passion and Purpose 

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

To attain a new reality we have to first see and then believe in a new one. But how do we accomplish that? Today, we are back for part two, of the Manage Your Mind series! Where we are diving into how to let go of those limiting beliefs, and how to reverse-engineer your thoughts to get results. We start the conversation with a real-life example of how the model (spoken of in episode three) functions, and jump to discuss the biggest factor that holds us back from getting the results we want. We also hear an example of what it is like when you realize a limiting belief and the process of letting the moment of grief come and go. We then switch gears and talk about reverse-engineering our thoughts and invoking change as a leader. This episode is a continuation of part one, so if you haven’t already, go back and have a listen to episode three. If you want to find out how to reverse-engineer your outcome, don’t miss out on part two of the Manage Your Mind series. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• A quick recap of part one: the flow of the model, true versus truth, and more.
• Another example of how the model functions: a real-life example.
• The biggest factor that holds us back from getting the result(s) we want.
• A must-have versus a nice-to-have: a habit to build.
• Why it can be hard to let go of a limiting belief: a recent example from Nicole.
• The experience of seeing that limiting belief.
• The importance of going through the process of letting the moment of grief come and go.
• We talk about The Work, by Byron Katie: four self-inquiry questions.
• Michelle defines the term inspiration.
• We shift gears to discuss reverse-engineering our thoughts.
• The best line Michelle ever heard that kicked butt for victim thinking.
• Invoking change: your fault versus your responsibility as a leader.
• Michelle shares her thoughts on energy and the impact it has.
• She talks about the litmus test she uses (to check her loftiness).
• The importance of having a vision: it leads to intention, a solid team, and a great result.
• Why you should be realistic about the situation you are in.
• Actions you would take (as a leader) if you knew the results you were going to achieve (with your team). 
• The feelings associated with someone who took these actions.
• What kind of thoughts generate these feelings.
• The power and energy in a positive belief. 
• The actual definition of success, as the leader of a team.
• The trick: to see it, believe it, and act now as if. 
• The two choices in life.
• Helpful tips to reverse-engineer your outcome.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Byron Katie - 4 Questions

Episode 3

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

Have you ever witnessed a situation where two people experience the same thing but have two completely different beliefs? Today we dive deep into everything “beliefs" — are you ready? Welcome back to another episode of Human-Centric Leadership, with your host Michelle Nicole Martin, here to provoke your thoughts and teach you how to lead with purpose, all the while creating success. In this episode, we talk all about beliefs, from the definition of the word to how our beliefs impact not only us but the world we live in. We explain that there is a difference between the truth and something that is true. We also touch on two things that highly impact our thoughts and behaviours; what we say and the evidence we see. If you want to find out more about how our beliefs affect us, and more, don’t miss out on this episode today! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Where to learn more about The Year of You program.
• Beliefs and how they impact the world around us.
• A quote by Tony Robbins.
• Michelle shares the definition of belief.
• The difference between something that is true and the truth.
• How we sometimes focus on external barriers but forget to challenge our own thoughts.
• How to work with people that have two different sets of beliefs; the model.
• What is the truth, really?
• Michelle talks us through an at-work example: giving presentations.
• How what you believe about yourself impacts the model; the domino effect.
• How confirmation bias is born.
• How the truth affects what we do and how we do it.
• Michelle touches on two things: what we say and the evidence we see.
• Why words carry power. 
• Michelle shares some research; neurons that fire together wire together. 
• She shares a quote by James Clear.
• An example of how beliefs affect us, and how you can see it in others.
• Two powerful questions to get you into the right space to create change.
• A recap of what we covered today. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Year of You

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn

James Clear

Atomic Habits

Have you ever been curious about what motivates you? For example, what drives you to complete certain tasks with enthusiasm and ease while others require you to bribe and coerce yourself into doing them? As it turns out, there are insightful theories that can help us better understand what motivates us and how internal and external factors can impact our behavior. In today’s conversation, we unpack what it means to have a mastery orientation versus a performance orientation, why each of us is motivated by a combination of both, and how you can choose to prioritize one over the other. We delve into the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and what happens when you value performance above all else before exploring how the pursuit of mastery leads to better collaboration among teammates and a healthier sense of self. Our conversation also covers how you can encourage your team to adopt a mastery orientation through teaching and learning exercises and why you should define what success looks like for you before you start a task. Tune in as we break down how motivation influences our behavior and explore how you can take action today!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to mastery orientation and performance orientation.
• Mastery orientation and the benefits of high intrinsic motivation.
• Performance orientation (and why it’s also known as an ego orientation).
• The characteristics of extrinsic motivation.
• Why we are all a mixture of these two orientations depending on the situation.
• Uncovering to what extent you are motivated by both mastery and performance.
• Identifying when you have the option to choose between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
• The characteristics of mastery orientation and how they present in individuals.
• Performance orientation characteristics and how to recognize them in yourself and others.
• How our internal and external environments inform our motivation.
• A key tactic Michelle uses to create community and collaboration in her teams.
• Advice on how to influence different orientations in life and at work.
• The benefits of defining what success looks like for you before taking on a task.
• Creating safe spaces for team members to discuss their process and how to progress.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Characteristics of Learners with Mastery Versus Performance

Goal Orientation Theory

The Year of You

Michelle Nicole Martin

Michelle Nicole Martin on Instagram

Michelle Nicole Martin on LinkedIn