Most leaders are leading with everything except the one thing that actually moves people.

Not a strategy. Not systems. Not even vision.

Love.

Not soft love. Not passive love. The kind of love that sees people clearly, holds them fully accountable, and creates the conditions for them to become more than they thought possible. That's what Owen Burns calls The Love Switch — and in this conversation, we explore exactly what it means to flip it.

Owen Burns is a leadership coach and founder of Burns Bright Consulting. He's spent years helping high-achieving leaders discover that the shift from fear-based to love-based leadership isn't a vulnerability — it's their greatest strategic advantage.

What this 51-minute conversation will shift for you:
→ What "The Love Switch" actually is — and how most leaders never even find the switch
→ Why leading from fear is the default for high achievers, and the hidden cost it's extracting
→ How love-based leadership creates performance outcomes that fear-based leadership never can
→ The internal work required to flip the switch — and why it has nothing to do with being "nice"
→ What it looks like, in practice, to lead a team with love and still hold the line

The highest-performing leaders don't choose between results and heart. They've learned to lead from both.

🔗 Connect with Owen Burns:
LinkedIn ➡️ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenburns1/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenburns1/)
Website ➡️ https://burnsbrightconsulting.com

🎯 Download the True Leadership Framework → https://jeannettemeier.com
🌎 Experience Presence & Co-Creation → https://subscribepage.io/podcast-guest
📌 Start Here Playlist → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUF20jilXyW79sVGUKHb-dlPqvIktynVJ

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Most high achievers want to say yes. Fear keeps them saying "let me think about it" — until the window closes.

Alasdair Cunningham has built multiple businesses from zero, spoken to 4,000 people in Vietnam, and is heading to Ferrari's headquarters and LA this year. Every single opportunity started with one word: yes. Even when he had no idea how he'd follow through.

In this Leadership Circle conversation, serial entrepreneur and mindset coach Alasdair Cunningham unpacks the fear-driven engine behind real innovation — and why the most dangerous thing a high achiever can do is wait until they're ready.

What you'll walk away with:

• Why fear of going backward is the most powerful fuel for going forward — and how to use it intentionally
  
• The bungee jump truth: why the best moments in life live on the other side of fear
  
• The one-step method that turned a chance meeting into 8 trips to Vietnam and two global speaking stages
  
• Why negative energy in your team is a leadership crisis — not a management problem
  
• The difference between heart and feelings (and why Alasdair's "logical brain" actually leads with heart)
  
• What AI really is — and why the humans who learn to use it will dominate the next decade
  

You weren't built for normal. The question is: are you saying yes to what's next?


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

Most boards claim to operate with integrity. Dawn Stallwood asks one question — and the room goes quiet.

What does integrity actually mean? Not codes of conduct. Not policies. Dawn's answer — rooted in the Latin integer, meaning wholeness — will challenge every leader watching this.

In this Leadership Circle conversation, Dawn Stallwood (M&A lawyer, leadership consultant, and author of the Beautiful Leadership framework) shares what it truly takes to lead with impact, without losing yourself in the process.

What you'll walk away with:
→ The "integer" definition of integrity — and why silos, turf wars, and self-interest are integrity failures, not management problems
→Why 80%+ of senior leaders feel secretly unprepared for their roles — and what that costs their teams
→The Beautiful Leadership framework: 9 qualities and 10 practices for transformative, sustainable leadership
→The question every leader needs to ask themselves: "How would I experience my own leadership if I were on the receiving end?"
→Why younger generations are refusing leadership roles — and what beautiful leaders must model to change that

Leadership isn't about power. It's about influence, service, and the courage to stand in the gap — even when it's uncomfortable.

**Featured Guest: Dawn Stallwood** 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/impactwithintegrity/


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

High achievers don't just perfect their work. They perfect their bodies — and it's quietly destroying them.

Brian Baumal has seen it hundreds of times in his therapy practice: the driven professional who abandons their entire health plan the moment they eat one "wrong" meal. That's not a discipline problem. That's a shame loop — and it runs on the same circuitry as your perfectionism at work, in leadership, and in life.

In this Leadership Circle conversation, psychotherapist Brian Baumal unpacks the hidden mechanics of perfectionism, shame, and sustainable change through the lens of health, food, and self-sabotage.

What you'll walk away with:

• The shame → quick results → perfectionism → failure equation — and how to break it for good
  
• Why wanting results fast is the root of every failed diet (and every burned-out leader)
  
• What GLP-1 weight loss medications can and cannot do — and why psychology must come first
  
• The health-centered approach: tracking without judgment beats every prescription
  
• How inside-out living ends the war with your body — and frees up your performance
  

You can't lead others from a body you're silently punishing. This is the conversation most high achievers never have.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

In this enlightening conversation, Jeannette Meier and Chris Maduri explore the themes of co-creation, authenticity, and the importance of living from the heart. They discuss the courage it takes to be vulnerable and the transformative power of heart-centered connections in both personal and professional relationships. The dialogue emphasizes the significance of listening, presence, and the journey of self-discovery, while also touching on the balance between prayer and meditation. Ultimately, they highlight the beauty of embracing change, growth, and unconditional love in our lives. 
Takeaways
✨Co-creation is a heart-centered process that transcends expectations.
✨Living in the unknown can lead to magical experiences.
✨Authenticity is liberating and fosters creativity.
✨Vulnerability in leadership can transform relationships.
✨Listening and being present are powerful tools for connection.
✨Self-discovery is a continuous journey of growth.
✨Embracing change is essential for personal evolution.
✨Active meditation can enhance awareness and presence.
✨Each individual's path is unique and should be respected.
✨Unconditional love is the foundation of meaningful relationships.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

Most leaders are looking in the wrong direction. We’re trained to hunt for external solutions — more strategy, better systems, higher performance metrics. But the most sophisticated diagnostic tool you have isn’t out there. It’s the one inside you.
In this co-creation session with Dawn Stallwood, we go deep on why true leadership isn't about managing others — it’s about mastering the "source code" of your own connection. If you aren't connected to yourself, your leadership will always have a ceiling. 

You'll discover: 
→ Why "self-reflection" is the high-performer's most underrated competitive advantage 
→ How to move from performing success to actually experiencing it from the inside out 
→ The "Source Code" of leadership: why your external results are just a printout of your internal state 
→ How Dawn integrates deep introspection with high-level leadership presence 
→ Why high achievers often use "busy-ness" as a shield against the very connection they need 
→ The radical shift from seeking answers to becoming the answer

Leadership isn't what you do. It's who you are when you do it.

**Guest: Ev Foster** LinkedIn ➡️ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/evfoster/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evfoster/)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

The most driven leaders in any room are often the worst at celebrating. Not because they don't care. Because they were never taught that celebration is a leadership skill — not a reward.

High achievers are conditioned to push through, optimize forward, and move on. Celebration feels inefficient. Indulgent. Maybe even risky — like it might soften the edge that got you here. But what if that instinct is quietly eroding the one thing heart-centered leadership actually requires: real connection?

In this conversation, Evan Cudworth — known as "the party coach" — and I explore what high-achieving leaders get fundamentally wrong about joy, celebration, and co-creation. And why the leaders who learn to celebrate together lead the most cohesive, committed, and energized teams. This is the co-creation skill most leadership programs skip entirely. And it might be the most human one.

You'll explore:
→ Why high performers instinctively resist celebration — and what it costs them
→ How joy and connection function as a heart leadership strategy, not a perk
→ What co-creation actually looks like when leaders stop performing and start celebrating

If success has started to feel like a performance you can't step out of — this conversation is for you.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

When your diagnosis becomes your mission — and your story becomes a beacon of hope. Here's how one man turned cancer into his purpose 👇
Dale Atkinson never thought a cancer diagnosis would lead him to discover a new path — one not dictated by traditional medicine, but driven by data, science, and purpose.
Dale emphasizes the importance of balance and well-being, and how you can redesign success from the inside out.
What's one way you're shifting your perspective today? 
*Guest: Dale Atkinson* 
LinkedIn ➡️ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalejatkinson/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalejatkinson/)

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

Are you feeling disconnected from your true purpose or struggling to build genuine relationships in your work?
Many high-achievers face the challenge of balancing business success with authentic connection. Here, you'll discover how heart-centered leadership and authentic networking can transform how you grow your projects—and yourself
Drawing from real conversations with inspiring leaders, we'll explore how nurturing your inner garden, sharing your authentic self, and creating meaningful connections can lead to limitless energy, purpose, and growth. Whether you're at the start of a new venture or looking to deepen existing relationships, these insights will guide you toward a more soulful approach to leadership and network-building
Remember, it's not about controlling outcomes but about nurturing the seeds of potential within yourself and those you serve. This approach creates a sustainable, joyful way to build networks and projects that truly matter.
🌱 Are you ready to cultivate your own garden of connections?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.

Amidst life's volatility, a leader must recognize their physiological state to navigate challenges effectively. This discussion emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and mindfulness, encouraging us to stand still and observe when chaos surrounds us.
This approach helps in managing decision fatigue, fostering personal growth, and ultimately enhancing our overall wellness.
We discuss the challenges of navigating technology, the essence of resilience in coaching, and the significance of finding harmony between work and life. The dialogue emphasizes the power of co-creation and the unique experiences that shape individual journeys.
Leadership is a continuous journey of growth, reflection, and authentic connection. By embodying resilience, practicing presence, and clarifying your purpose, you can navigate complexity with confidence and inspire others to do the same.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/leadership-circle-podcast--6270563/support.