The Enlightened Executive

What happens when success does not bring the confidence you expected?

In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with Laura Gassner Otting to explore the tension many leaders feel after reaching a new level of achievement. Instead of clarity, they often experience pressure, self-doubt, and the sense that they now have even more to prove.

Together, they unpack Laura's concept of "Wonderhell," the space between recognizing your potential and fully stepping into it. They also discuss why imposter syndrome often shows up at moments of growth, how external success can pull leaders away from intrinsic motivation, and why self-awareness is essential for sustainable leadership.

This conversation is especially relevant for executives, founders, and high achievers who are navigating the discomfort that often comes with growth.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why success can trigger uncertainty and self-doubt

• How to reframe imposter syndrome

• The difference between external validation and intrinsic motivation

• Why self-awareness helps leaders grow with more clarity

• How high performers can avoid chasing someone else's definition of success

Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

Are you leading on an empty tank?

In this high-energy episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm is joined by keynote speaker and joy instigator Marli Williams to explore how cultivating energy intelligence can radically elevate your leadership presence, resilience, and impact.

You'll discover:

• Why managing your energy, not just your time, is the secret to leading sustainably

• The 4 pillars of energetic leadership: Presence, Authenticity, Capacity, and Vitality

• Marli's "Fully Charged" framework: Fuel, Focus, Filter, Fun, and Frequency

• A mindset shift that turns draining obligations into energizing opportunities

• Practical rituals to recharge your energy and amplify your influence

Marli's journey, from wilderness guide to executive coach, reveals how awareness creates choice, and how small, intentional shifts can transform how you lead and how your team performs.

"When you choose you, others get the best of you, and you bring out the best in others." — Marli Williams

If you're ready to stop performing and start powerfully showing up, this episode is your spark.

🎧 Subscribe and listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform.

What if charisma isn't something you're born with, but something you build?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with Heather Hansen, former trial attorney, communication expert, and CEO of Belief Builders, to explore how compassionate charisma transforms your leadership presence.

You'll discover:

• The neuroscience behind why power can reduce empathy, and how to reverse it
• 12 proven behaviors that make leaders more charismatic (based on Dr. John Antonakis' research)
• The difference between performing leadership and embodying it
• Why compassion is a prerequisite, not an accessory, to true influence

Whether you lead in healthcare, tech, or the C-suite, this episode will shift the way you think about presence, power, and persuasion.

Want to grow your influence without losing your authenticity?

This is your starting point.

Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform.

Is your leadership model silently draining your team?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, energy and culture expert Josh Allan Dykstra challenges the outdated belief that resilience means pushing through. Instead, he offers a new paradigm: designing work around energy flow, not just productivity.

You'll learn:

• Why burnout is a design issue, not a personal failing
• The leadership reflex that keeps you stuck in overdrive
• How to build teams that are energized, not just efficient
• A practical roadmap to shift from exhaustion to alignment

This conversation is a must-listen for any leader ready to build sustainable high performance, from the inside out.

Listen now and explore how your leadership patterns may be working against you.

Want to uncover your blind spots? Explore the Enneagram Applied program.

You may not think of yourself as a performer, but as a leader, your presence is always on stage.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm interviews culture and storytelling expert Mike Ganino on the hidden performance behind every company culture. From improv stages to executive boardrooms, Mike reveals how unspoken patterns and leadership presence shape what your team believes, repeats, and trusts.

Together, we explore:

• Why culture is always being performed, whether scripted or not
• How your leadership presence becomes the company's culture cue
• The neuroscience of storytelling and its impact on team engagement
• How to "rehearse" the behaviors and values you want your team to embody
• Simple, actionable ways to lead with more clarity, intention, and impact

Whether you're scaling a team or leading through change, this conversation will challenge you to rethink how you're showing up, and what your team is learning from it.

Don't just manage culture. Lead the one your team performs every day.

Most leaders double down on strategy when pressure hits, but what if the real competitive edge lies in creativity?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I speak with Natalie Nixon, creativity strategist and author of Move, Think, Rest, about why creativity, not control, is the next frontier in leadership. Natalie shares her human-centered framework for redesigning work in the face of burnout, complexity, and hybrid teams.

You'll learn:

• Why creativity is a teachable, practical skill (not just a personality trait)
• How the Move / Think / Rest framework can rewire the way you lead
• What it takes to "unlearn" outdated leadership reflexes
• A powerful question to reimagine how you show up under pressure

If you're ready to stop reacting and start imagining, this conversation is your next step forward.

📘 Explore her book Move, Think, Rest: http://enlightenedexec.com/ep112

🎧 Subscribe to The Enlightened Executive for weekly episodes that blend neuroscience, leadership, and real-world insight

You can be brilliant with numbers and still miss the pattern that's holding you back.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, financial behaviorist Jacquette Timmons shares the pivotal moment when her longtime CPA asked, "When are you going to stop mortgaging your life?" That one question revealed a blind spot that changed how she approached her business, her money, and her leadership.

We discuss:

• Why blind spots form next to your strengths
• How success can reinforce outdated habits
• The emotional side of financial decisions

One practical step leaders can take to uncover what they can't see on their own

If you've ever wondered whether your leadership habits are still serving you, this episode offers a fresh lens to find out.

🔎 For deeper insight into your leadership patterns, explore Susan's Enneagram Applied tools here.

What if your biggest life challenges became the catalyst for your boldest leadership chapter yet?

Petra Kolber is no stranger to adversity. She's survived cancer twice, pivoted from global fitness icon to mindset coach, and now serves as VP of Mindset for the Daisie Foundation. In this powerful conversation, Petra joins host Susan Drumm to share how midlife became her launchpad, not her slowdown.

Together, they explore:

• Why resilience isn't about bouncing back, but bouncing forward
• The mindset shifts that helped Petra rewrite her story
• How to let go of perfectionism and lead with authenticity
• What executives can learn from their own moments of disruption

Whether you're navigating a personal pivot or feeling the pull to reinvent your leadership path, this episode will challenge you to trade burnout for boldness and live a story you're excited to lead.

🎧 Subscribe to The Enlightened Executive for weekly strategies that spark your personal and leadership evolution.

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity—and how do you know when it's courageous vs. careless?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, host Susan Drumm sits down with Cindy Adams, executive coach and co-founder of The Enneagram in Business Network, to explore one of the most misunderstood leadership traits: authenticity.

Together, we unpack:

• Why "saying it like it is" can sometimes sabotage your impact
• How your Enneagram type shapes your version of authenticity
• The difference between emotional expression and emotional intelligence
• How to evolve your communication style as your leadership matures

Whether you're leading a Fortune 500 team or scaling a growing business, this episode will help you lead with more discernment, presence, and power, not just bold expression.

🎧 Listen now to discover how to align your truth with timing, and why how you speak may matter more than what you say.

What do you do when everything goes sideways?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I sit down with Juliette Kayyem, Harvard professor, former Assistant Secretary at Homeland Security under President Obama, and CNN Senior National Security Analyst.

Juliette shares how today's leaders can build resilience before the crisis hits, and what it takes to make clear, confident decisions under pressure.

We cover:

• The neuroscience behind decision-making in high-stress situations
• Why "urgent calm" is the most underutilized leadership skill
• How to train your team to act—not panic—in moments of crisis
• The power of pre-mortems to prevent disaster before it starts

Whether you're leading a team, scaling a company, or navigating organizational change, this conversation will equip you to lead with clarity, even in chaos.

Follow the show for more conversations that spark your personal evolution—and your leadership revolution.