Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series

By Kerrin Smith

Created for educators and leaders, Micro to Momentum focuses on bite-sized insights that strengthen leadership practice, support wellbeing, and build momentum in complex environmen

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FAQs about Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series:

How many episodes does Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.

Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series episodes:

August 10, 2026 Our best possible self
Leadership is about more than managing the present. Iit’s about imagining what’s possible. In this episode, I explore the Best Possible Self practice, a simple but powerful reflection that helps leaders lead with hope, purpose, and clarity. Drawing on the work of Laura King, C. R. Snyder, and Kim Cameron, I share how envisioning your future self can strengthen wellbeing, focus, and leadership impact.
Show References
Cameron, K. S. (2012). Positive leadership: Strategies for extraordinary performance. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(7), 798–807. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201277003
Snyder, C. R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249–275. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01
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9min
July 16, 2026 Appreciative Listening
Some of the best leaders I’ve ever met aren’t the ones who speak most — they’re the ones who listen best. In this episode, I explore appreciative listening — the act of listening to lift, not just to respond. Drawing on the work of David Cooperrider, Carl Rogers, and Barbara Fredrickson, I share how curiosity, empathy, and gratitude can transform the way leaders build trust, engagement, and culture.
Show References
Cooperrider, D. L., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 1, 129–169.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357
Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2016). What great listeners actually do. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/07/what-great-listeners-actually-do
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10min
June 11, 2026 Asking better questions
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking better questions. In this episode, I explore how coaching-based leadership transforms conversations, drawing on the work of David Rock, Michael Bungay Stanier, and Edgar Schein. Discover how curiosity, silence, and agency help shift your team from dependency to ownership — one thoughtful question at a time.
Show References
Bungay Stanier, M. (2016). The coaching habit: Say less, ask more, and change the way you lead forever. Box of Crayons Press.
Rock, D. (2006). Quiet leadership: Six steps to transforming performance at work. HarperCollins.
Schein, E. H. (2013). Humble inquiry: The gentle art of asking instead of telling. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
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10min
May 11, 2026 Leading with Emotional Granularity
Calm isn’t the absence of emotion, it’s the understanding of it. In this episode, I explore emotional granularity, the skill of naming emotions precisely so we can navigate them intelligently. Drawing on the work of Lisa Feldman Barrett, Marc Brackett, and Amy Edmondson, I share simple ways leaders can model emotional language, strengthen trust, and build more emotionally intelligent teams.
Show References
Barrett, L. F. (2017). How emotions are made: The secret life of the brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Brackett, M. (2019). Permission to feel: Unlocking the power of emotions to help our kids, ourselves, and our society thrive. Celadon Books.
Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
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9min
April 19, 2026 The micro-habits of leadership
Big change rarely starts big. In this episode, I explore how micro-habits. These are the tiny, repeated behaviours of leadership. They shape culture far more than any strategy document ever could. Drawing on the work of BJ Fogg, James Clear, and Charles Duhigg, I share how small, intentional actions create lasting shifts in trust, collaboration, and wellbeing across teams.
Show References
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery.
Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House.
Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny habits: The small changes that change everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
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10min
April 05, 2026 How safe relationships multiply results
Trust isn’t soft. It’s structural. In this episode, I explore how safe relationships create what I call the trust dividend, the compounding return that comes when people feel safe enough to speak up, share ideas, and grow. Drawing on the work of Amy Edmondson, Paul Zak, and Brené Brown, I share small leadership behaviours that turn trust from a feeling into a strategy.
Show References
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House.
Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Zak, P. J. (2017). Trust factor: The science of creating high-performance companies. AMACOM.
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9min
March 22, 2026 Reframing our thoughts with Cognitive Reappraisal
Pressure is inevitable in leadership, but how we see it makes all the difference. In this episode, I explore the science of cognitive reappraisal. This is the practice of reframing how we interpret challenges. Drawing on research from James Gross, Richard Lazarus, and Susan Folkman, I share practical ways to turn stress into perspective, helping you and your team stay grounded, adaptive, and focused under pressure.
Show References
Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1985). If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48(1), 150–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.150
Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271
Gross, J. J. (2002). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0048577201393198
Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348
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9min
March 08, 2026 The Power of Positive Deviance
Every system has its quiet stars. The people who find better ways to work within the same rules and resources. In this episode, I explore the concept of positive deviance, the practice of finding and amplifying what’s already working. Drawing on research from Jerry and Monique Sternin, Richard Pascale, Kim Cameron, and Jane Dutton, I share how small, local solutions can spark big, lasting change.
Reference
Cameron, K. S., & Dutton, J. E. (Eds.). (2003). Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline. Berrett-Koehler.
Edmondson, A. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley.
Pascale, R. T., Sternin, J., & Sternin, M. (2010). The power of positive deviance: How unlikely innovators solve the world’s toughest problems. Harvard Business Press.
#PositiveLeadership #EducationalLeadership #WellbeingScience #SchoolCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #PositivePsychology #PositiveDeviance #OrganisationalChange
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9min
February 22, 2026 Psychological Safety in Action — Setting the Stage for Learning and Feedback
When feedback arrives, what happens next tells the real story of your team’s culture. In this episode, I explore how psychological safety shapes learning, innovation, and trust. Drawing on the work of William Kahn, Amy Edmondson, Jane Dutton, and Google’s Project Aristotle, I share small leadership behaviours that make it safe for people to speak up, take risks, and grow together.
Reference
Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2007). Leadership behavior and employee voice: Is the door really open? Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), 869–884. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.26279183
Dutton, J. E., Roberts, L. M., & Bednar, J. (2010). Pathways for positive identity construction at work: Four types of positive identity and the building of social resources. Academy of Management Review, 35(2), 265–293. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.35.2.zok265
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Edmondson, A. C., & Lei, Z. (2014). Psychological safety: The history, renaissance, and future of an interpersonal construct. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 23–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091305
Google Inc. (2016). Project Aristotle: Understanding team effectiveness. https://rework.withgoogle.com/blog/the-five-keys-to-a-successful-google-team/
Kahn, W. A. (1990). Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of Management Journal, 33(4), 692–724. https://doi.org/10.5465/256287
Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. C. (2006). Making it safe: The effects of leader inclusiveness and professional status on psychological safety and improvement efforts in health care teams. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27(7), 941–966. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.413
#PositiveLeadership #EducationalLeadership #WellbeingScience #SchoolCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #PositivePsychology #PsychologicalSafety #FeedbackCulture
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9min
February 08, 2026 The Ripple Effect — How One Positive Act Shapes a Whole School
Sometimes the smallest act can change everything. In this episode, I explore how simple moments of appreciation, kindness, and trust can ripple through a whole school community. Drawing on research from Jane Dutton, Barbara Fredrickson, Shelly Gable, Sonja Lyubomirsky, and Fred Luthans, I share how positive emotions spread, strengthen culture, and remind people that they matter.
Reference
Dutton, J. E. (2003). Energize your workplace: How to create and sustain high-quality connections at work. Jossey-Bass.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Gable, S. L., Gonzaga, G. C., & Strachman, A. (2006). Will you be there for me when things go right? Supportive responses to positive event disclosures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(5), 904–917. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.904
Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press.
Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111
#PositiveLeadership #EducationalLeadership #WellbeingScience #SchoolCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #PositivePsychology #RippleEffect #PsychologicalCapital
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9min

FAQs about Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series:

How many episodes does Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series have?

The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.