Stepping Into your Leadership

Culture by Design, Not Default: Leadership Lessons with Delise Simmons

What if your culture isn’t just an HR buzzword—but your organization’s most powerful performance lever?

In this conversation, I sit down with Delise Simmons—keynote speaker, culture strategist, and founder of Culture Think Tank—for a candid, energizing talk about the real drivers of great culture. From her early days shaping the Southwest Airlines ethos to launching JetBlue and building data-driven tools that measure emotional ROI, Delise brings the receipts.

And yes, she really did say:

👉 “You can’t spell culture without cult, baby.”

We explore:

• Why chasing employee happiness is a trap—and what to focus on instead
• How to measure culture as a behavioral phenomenon, not just vibes
• The top 3 things employees are begging leaders to do more of
• How Gen Z’s relationship with anxiety is changing leadership forever
• Why your values mean nothing without defined behaviors

Whether you lead a team of 3 or 3000, this episode is a masterclass in intentional leadership.

• Learn more about Culture Think Tank
• Connect with Delise Simmons on LinkedIn
• Check out our full Culture Series at ledevpartners.com/podcast

If you’re designing your offsite or planning your culture strategy—this episode is your blueprint.

💌 Subscribe for weekly insights and upcoming episodes that build on this conversation.

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What does it mean to feel invisible—and how do we reclaim our voice when it happens?

In this powerful conversation, I welcome back listener favorite Erika Petrelli-Bayh to explore a topic that resonates with so many women: visibility. From the “messy middle” of life—menopause, caregiving, career shifts—to early career anxiety and even the later legacy years, we talk about what causes women to feel unseen, and how to shift the story.

Erika shares insights from her visibility workshops, including the emotional and practical tools women of all ages can use to reconnect with themselves, their voices, and their power. We talk about:

• The silent stories we carry—and how to rewrite them
• Why shedding outdated beliefs is key to personal growth
• Simple practices to increase visibility and confidence at work
• How hormones and neurobiology impact leadership
• Power poses, positive mantras, and the neuroscience of self-trust

Whether you’re a seasoned leader, a new manager, or simply someone navigating your own reinvention, this episode is a reminder: You are not alone. And your voice matters—more than ever.

🔗 Mentioned in this episode:

• The Female Brain and The Upgrade by Louann Brizendine
• Erika’s Visibility Workshop Series
• Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk on Presence

Listen in, reflect deeply, and try just one practice this week. Then let us know what opens up for you.

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What do you do when a well-liked manager’s team is floundering—or when your executive leader is too swamped to move your project forward? In this live episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney throws real-world scenarios at guests Greg Shamie and Tom Armstrong with zero prep and maximum honesty.

You’ll hear:

• What to do when your manager avoids the “dirty work” of leadership
• How strong relationships can sometimes mask weak results
• Tips for managing up when your boss cancels meetings (again)
• A refreshing reminder that leadership is about clarity, not control

Whether you’re managing others or navigating your own manager’s blind spots, this episode offers sharp insights and relatable moments that will help you lead with more clarity, courage, and connection.

🎧 Don’t miss the unscripted wisdom—and a few laughs—that come from handling leadership challenges in real time

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In this candid and constructive episode, Christine throws two real-life leadership dilemmas at Greg Shamie and Tom Armstrong—without any prep—and the results are both insightful and refreshingly real.

First up: What do you do when a well-liked, competent manager has a team that’s drifting—confused, undercoached, and unclear on their goals? Christine, Tom, and Greg dive into the hidden traps of “nice but vague” leadership and offer powerful ways to coach managers toward clarity, accountability, and effectiveness—without crushing their spirit.

Then, they tackle the classic challenge of managing up. When your executive is overloaded and unavailable, how do you keep your project moving? This segment is a masterclass in strategic communication, executive empathy, and what it means to lead from any seat in the org chart.

Expect laughter, hard truths, and practical frameworks for tackling two of the most common leadership pain points.

🔑 Topics Covered:

• Coaching “good” managers to become great leaders
• Balancing relationships with results
• Managing up when your boss is overwhelmed
• Why clarity is contagious (and confusion is costly)
• How to get decisions fast—with minimal friction

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In this lively and unfiltered episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney is joined by Tom Armstrong and Greg Shamie for a round of real-world manager conundrums—answered live, without prep, and with full candor.

Recorded in person and infused with group energy, this conversation dives into:

• What to do when a manager dominates meetings and unintentionally shuts others down.
• How to coach high-potential team members who talk to think.
• The leadership blind spots that can derail a team’s energy and performance.
• What to do when your team misses its KPIs—without falling into blame or burnout.
• The facilitation skills every manager needs to reset the room.

You’ll walk away with practical tips, reflective questions, and facilitation moves you can use immediately to energize your team and lead with greater impact.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Root cause analysis frameworks
• Step forward/step back team agreements
• Techniques to amplify quieter voices in meetings
• Why emotional tone matters more than metrics when a team is underperforming

✨ Whether you’re managing a high-performing team or leading through lagging momentum, this episode is packed with thoughtful guidance—and a few laughs.

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In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney is joined by coach and facilitator Greg Shamie to break down one of the most powerful—and elusive—skills in leadership: motivation.

Together, they unpack what motivation really means in the workplace, how to distinguish between extrinsic and intrinsic drivers, and why the best leaders focus on energy, connection, and purpose. Greg shares powerful frameworks from Daniel Pink’s Drive, as well as his own time-tested tips from the field—including how he motivates sports teams, corporate teams, and even his own daughter.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between energy and engagement—and why both matter
• Greg’s go-to strategy for reading a team’s “motivation meter”
• How to meet people where they are (without judgment)
• The three core levers of motivation: Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose
• How great managers spark motivation through 1:1s, feedback, and meaningful goals
• Christine’s story of a workshop gone sideways—and how empathy turned it around

If you lead people—or want to—you’ll walk away with practical, real-world strategies to keep your team engaged, inspired, and showing up at their best.

🎧 Tune in now and ask yourself: How are you sparking motivation in your space?

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What if the traits that make you a powerful leader aren’t skills to build—but superpowers to reclaim?

In this energizing conversation, Christine welcomes back communications and leadership coach Corena Chase, co-author of The Five Lost Superpowers: Why We Lose Them and How to Get Them Back. Together, they explore how qualities like playfulness, curiosity, and authenticity—so natural in childhood—can transform how we lead as adults.

From role-playing at work to channeling Olivia Pope in tough meetings, this episode offers practical, lighthearted insights into how leaders can tap into the magic they already have. You’ll walk away with tangible ideas to bring more ease, joy, and power into your leadership—whether you’re managing a team or navigating your own career path.

💡 Listen in for:

• Tips for building playful, engaging team culture (even without hokey icebreakers)
• How to reframe networking through the lens of curiosity
• Why authenticity isn’t about staying the same—it’s about expanding who you are

📚 Grab the book: The Five Lost Superpowers

🌐 Visit Corena’s website: www.corenaCHASE.com

✉️ Contact Corena: [email protected]

🎧 Listen to her first episode on The Power of Questions: Click here to listen Or its is from May 2024 #33. Elevate Your Leadership: Asking Better Questions for Deeper Conversations

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What if the key to unforgettable customer experiences isn’t your product—but your people?

In this energizing conversation, Christine sits down with hospitality powerhouse Bill Bonbrest, former executive at TAO Group and now founder of Bonbrest Advisory. From his early days growing up between restaurants to leading some of the most iconic hospitality brands, Bill shares how “the guest experience can never exceed the team member experience.”

Together, they explore:

• Why front-line teams shape your brand more than any executive ever could

• How to lead with high standards and deep care

• Real-world strategies to build complementary teams and elevate performance

• The mindset shift every leader needs to make about feedback and accountability

Bill’s insights go far beyond hospitality—they’re a masterclass in people-first leadership. Whether you run a team, a restaurant, or a growing company, this episode will shift how you think about culture, coaching, and what it means to lead well.

🎧 Tune in and learn how great leadership starts behind the scenes—and changes everything out front.

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What do you do when a team hits its numbers—but the culture is crumbling from the inside? In this candid roundtable episode, Christine Courtney is joined live in the studio by longtime collaborators Blanca and Tom to tackle two leadership conundrums that managers everywhere will recognize: the high-performing but toxic team, and the rock-solid employee who’s resisting growth.

Together, they explore how leaders can shift team dynamics without compromising results, the difference between healthy banter and harmful behavior, and how to handle employees who just want to “stay in their lane.” With stories, frameworks, and plenty of laughter, this conversation is full of the kind of honest, practical insights Christine is known for.

If you’ve ever wondered how to nurture both performance and psychological safety—or how to handle a steady employee who’s hit their ceiling—you won’t want to miss this one.

🎧 Mentioned in this episode:

• The Mind card game
• Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• Google’s Project Aristotle research on psychological safety

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What happens when your star employee starts slipping—and swears they’re “fine”? Or when leadership hands you KPIs that would break the very culture you worked so hard to build?

In this live roundtable episode of Stepping Into Leadership, Christine is joined in-studio by two fan-favorite voices—Blonka and Tom—for a candid, unscripted conversation about real-life management dilemmas. Together, they tackle:

• How to address declining performance with care and clarity
• Why “I’m fine” is rarely the full story—and what to do when it isn’t
• What to do when leadership hands you impossible KPIs
• How to protect your team from burnout while still getting results

You’ll hear a case study we’re calling The Janet Effect—a moment that every manager will recognize—and walk away with tangible ways to lead with empathy and effectiveness, even under pressure.

This is part 1 of a special two-part live session recorded in person with the crew. Don’t miss the laughter, honesty, and leadership gold.

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