Firing someone will never be easy — but it doesn’t have to be messy, confusing, or demeaning.

As a leader, how you handle a termination says as much about you as it does about the person leaving. Done poorly, it damages trust across the team. Done well, it preserves dignity, clarity, and respect.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we walk through how to prepare, what to say, and how to follow through when you need to let someone go. You’ll learn:

• Why preparation and process matter (and why you need your ducks in a row)
• How to lean on scripts instead of improvising in the moment
• The 4-step structure for delivering the message clearly and respectfully
• What to say to the team afterward — without oversharing
• How to close the conversation in a way that honors the person

This isn’t about making firing “nice.” It’s about making it humane, clear, and steady — so you preserve trust even in one of the hardest leadership moments.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Most team meetings are a waste of time. Too much status reporting, not enough substance.

But when done right, meetings are one of the most powerful tools a leader has — a chance to align priorities, clear obstacles, and fuel momentum.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we break down the five topics that make team meetings matter. You’ll learn how to:

• Refocus your team on what actually matters this week or quarter
• Use meetings to clear bottlenecks instead of creating more noise
• Celebrate progress in a way that drives energy and performance
• Bring the customer’s voice into the room
• Turn mistakes into shared learning moments

If your meetings feel flat, scattered, or repetitive, this episode will help you reset — and run conversations your team actually looks forward to.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

One of the hardest conversations for any leader: telling a motivated employee they’re not ready for a promotion.
 Done poorly, it kills motivation.
 Done well, it creates clarity, direction, and trust.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we break down how to handle this conversation step by step — from understanding your company’s promotion process, to giving clear and actionable feedback, to mapping out a development plan that keeps ambition alive.

You’ll learn how to:

• Explain the promotion process clearly and transparently
• Acknowledge ambition without overpromising
• Name the gap with specific, observable feedback
• Connect feedback to business impact (so it sticks)
• Offer a path forward without shutting the door

This isn’t about saying “no.” It’s about saying “not yet — and here’s how you can get there.”

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Resentment is one of leadership’s hidden emotions — and most managers feel it at some point. The key isn’t to pretend it isn’t there. The key is to use it as a signal.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we explore:

• Why resentment shows up in management roles
• The three root causes: unclear expectations, unbalanced effort, and unspoken boundaries
• The harm resentment creates when it lingers unaddressed
• Practical ways to reset expectations, redistribute effort, and set boundaries
• How to treat resentment as leadership feedback instead of a personal failure

Because resentment doesn’t make you a bad manager — it makes you human. What matters is how you respond.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Most leaders think boundaries are rules you hand down to other people. But in reality, boundaries aren’t about controlling others — they’re about creating clarity for yourself. They protect your time, your access, and your energy, so you can lead with steadiness instead of depletion.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we explore:

• The biggest misconceptions about boundaries in leadership
• Why boundaries aren’t rigid walls, but flexible tools for clarity
• The cost of leading without boundaries — for you and your team
• How to set boundaries that protect your time, access, and energy
• Simple phrases leaders can use to communicate boundaries without shutting people out

Because leadership without boundaries leads to burnout.
Leadership with boundaries creates clarity, steadiness, and sustainability.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Overthinking feels like diligence, but it’s actually a leadership trap. The more you loop on a decision, the more energy you drain, momentum you lose, and confidence you erode — in yourself and in your team.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we break down what overthinking really is, why it’s harmful, and how to stop it. You’ll learn three simple shifts to cut through analysis paralysis, move forward with clarity, and reclaim your mental energy for the leadership work that matters most.

Because leadership isn’t about getting every decision right — it’s about creating clarity, moving forward, and adjusting as you go.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Most leaders don’t show up fresh to each meeting — they carry the last one with them. The tension, the frustration, the distraction. And before long, their team isn’t just getting them — they’re getting the leftovers of the meeting before.

In this short guided episode of Leadership, Actually, you’ll learn a powerful reset practice you can use in just a few minutes to clear the slate and step in fresh. The reset includes:

• A physical shake to release tension from your body
• An audible release (yes, even a sigh or yell if you need it)
• A short breathwork sequence to reset your nervous system
• A mental release to leave the last meeting behind
• An intentional arrival to anchor how you want to show up next

Use it between Zoom calls, in the hallway before a tough conversation, or anytime you need to shake off what came before — so your team gets the best of you, not the leftovers.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Leadership presence isn’t about charisma — it’s about how you show up in the room. Calm. Grounded. Clear. But when you’re running back-to-back meetings or heading into a tough conversation, it’s easy to lose that presence and slip into reactivity.

In this short guided episode of Leadership, Actually, you’ll learn a simple visualization you can use anytime to reset and step back into your leadership presence. You’ll discover:

• How to ground yourself physically and mentally before a high-stakes moment
• Why a quick visualization primes your brain to show up with calm authority
• An easy anchoring exercise to carry into your next meeting or conversation

Use this practice before a board meeting, a 1:1, or even between Zoom calls — so you can lead with steadiness, clarity, and intention.

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

When layoffs happen, leaders often ask: what does outplacement actually include — and is it worth it?

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we break down what traditional outplacement services usually offer — from resumes and LinkedIn support to interview prep and career counseling — and why those programs often fall short.

We’ll also share how Everground has reimagined outplacement with multiple tracks, including our Next Phase Navigator, group programs for teams, and executive transition coaching — designed to go beyond job search tactics and address the real human side of career transitions.

If you’re leading through layoffs or simply want to understand how to support employees better, this episode will give you clarity on what outplacement includes — and what it should include.

Get targeted outplacement support -> [email protected]

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now

Most employees don’t hate the idea of 1:1s — they hate that most of them are a waste of time. Too often, these meetings turn into status updates, manager monologues, or calendar blocks that get cancelled half the time.

In this episode of Leadership, Actually, we break down why 1:1s so often fall flat, and how to make them meetings your team actually values. You’ll learn:

• The biggest mistakes managers make with 1:1s
• A simple structure that makes them productive and people-centered
• Three questions that instantly improve the conversation
• Quick fixes if your 1:1s have gone stale

✨ Lead Better 1:1s, Team Meetings & More with these FREEBIES
Practical guides, toolkits, and resources for leading better meetings, holding better 1:1s and having hard conversations. 

👉 Sign up here

📊 FREE HR Layoff Crash Course
In this free course, you'll discover step-by-step strategies to plan, communicate, and execute layoffs with professionalism and empathy. Self-paced and available 24/7.
👉 Register here

🌀 Lead Differently. Read Differently.

Join This Isn’t a Leadership Book Club — a free, low-pressure community for curious, thoughtful leaders who believe the best leadership lessons come from unexpected stories.

You’ll get a curated reading list, reflection prompts, and invites to quarterly conversations designed to help you lead with more clarity, care, and intention.

👉 [Join the Book Club Here]

✨ Lead Like You

A three-month private coaching experience that helps leaders uncover their authentic leadership style, build confidence, and navigate challenges with clarity and intention.

Get an exclusive discount with the code PODCAST10 for 10% off

👉 Start now