The Made Leader

Imagine being fresh out of college and being hired in your first leadership role. You fly across the country for a three-month training stint, excited about your new job and ready for the challenge. Four weeks in, you get some upsetting news – you've been replaced by someone more experienced.

What would you do? Today's podcast guest, Karen Suchsland, tells us how she reacted to that exact situation and how it influenced the rest of her 20-year leadership career.

In this episode, Karen recounts her bumpy entrance into the world of corporate leadership, when she was taken out of the role she was hired for and reslotted into a special projects role. She shares how that felt, who she leaned on for some honest feedback, and how she recovered.

For full show notes, visit growthsignals.co.

In the constant hustle and bustle of work, it's easy to lose sight of the importance of genuine connections.

In this solo episode, host Jen Arnold reflects on a recent incident when a prior coach missed the mark on relationship building. This incident prompted her to stress the value of fostering genuine relationships in the professional world.

Jen shares instances where she felt a lack of personal connection at work, advocating for a deeper understanding of team members by learning about their backgrounds and interests.

In this episode, Jen also shares a few upcoming podcasts that you don't want to miss.

In the wake of COVID-19, leaders found themselves cast as impromptu mental health counselors, navigating uncharted waters overnight. Now, as discussions surrounding mental wellness continue to gain momentum, particularly with Gen Z placing it at the forefront, the need to address these issues within your team is vital.

Yet, the question persists: How does a leader approach such a sensitive topic without overstepping? Also, is it even the responsibility of leadership to initiate these conversations?

Today's podcast guest, Andrea Herron, believes it is. Andrea, Vice President of HR at Web MD, is the host of the award-winning HR Scoop podcast and author of "There's an Elephant in Your Office", co-written with her sister.

Most importantly, she's been leading for the past 10 years and is doing her best to address the mental health of her team. Andrea's here to share her mistakes and how we can all learn from them.

Listen in for practical ways to support your team's mental health.

For full show notes and links mentioned, visit https://growthsignals.co/

Is there feedback you're putting off because you're not sure how to say it? If so, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, host Jen Arnold delves into the essential leadership skill of giving meaningful feedback. It turns out that delivering meaningful feedback in a way that's both accepted and applied is both an art and a science.

Feedback isn't just about words – it's about how you show up to and through the conversation. But since both giving and receiving feedback can create anxiety in both parties, it can impact how we listen, and if we stay open-minded and judgment-free.

In a world where feedback is often feared, this episode serves as a guide for effectively delivering feedback. Tune in, learn, and lead with confidence.

For full show notes and key highlights, visit https://growthsignals.co

Imagine getting a call that someone on your team made a mistake on a 100-million-dollar client project. Would you fire them or ask them to lead the project recovery? This is the "gift of failure" that podcast guest, Josh Durham, tells us about in this episode.

With almost two decades as a leader in the construction industry, Josh has overseen more than $1 billion in large scale construction. As the owner of Gamut Project Solutions, Josh guides his clients to positive outcomes - from proposal development and risk management to field strategies, dispute resolution, and more.

In this episode, Josh tells the story of the 100-million-dollar project where a mistake was made by one of his team members and how he decided on the next steps. He walks us through the unexpected path he chose and how he rallied his team to get the project back on track.

Josh shares how his many "gifts of failure" have shaped the leader he is today - one who's purpose-driven, reflective, and builds people up. If you've ever been in charge of a really expensive mistake that tested your leadership, this episode is for you!

In the dynamic realm of team management, one fundamental element stands out as a cornerstone for fostering growth and retaining talent: engaging in meaningful career conversations.

As managers, it is not just about overseeing tasks and projects but also about nurturing the professional development and aspirations of our team members.

In this episode, your host, Jen Arnold, walks you through her Guiding Principles for leaders to have career conversations with their teams and five essential steps to get started.

You can download the Leader's Guide to Navigating Employee Development Conversations mentioned HERE.

Lex was in her mid-20's and one week into her new role when she got promoted into a leadership role. The catch – she only had two weeks to prep for her new hires! How did this self-proclaimed perfectionist handle not having all of the answers? She tells all of her lessons learned on this episode.

Lex Moschakis is the founder of Live Big, an organization dedicated to helping teens build confidence, resilience, and self-leadership skills in schools across the US. Her path has zigzagged from corporate law, to sales, to teaching at the Kellogg School of Management, and training Fortune 100 executive teams on high-impact habits. During her time in sales leadership Lex ran teams regionally and nationally, responsible for recruiting, onboarding, coaching, and career pathing dozens of early-career professionals.

In this episode, Lex walks us through the considerable lessons she learned as a new leader. She highlights the difficulties that come with organizational changes, the hiring and firing that are part of a leader's job, and how to interview for fit and not education. Lex offers questions she asked of job candidates to put them at ease so she could get to know them as people.

Lex offers a ton of practical advice, including how to give an underperforming team member autonomy, how to reframe your role as manager, and what to do when someone leaves your team. Tune in to delve deeper into the nuances of being a new leader and learning on the go with Lex Moschakis.

Subscribe for the stories, stay for the breakthroughs, and lead better starting today.

In this "in between the interviews" episode of Growing Through It, host Jen Arnold tells the story of her first few years in leadership. She reveals a vulnerable time in her leadership career when she was unaware of her shortcomings and had the rude awakening of a demotion.

Jen walks through her leadership mistakes, as well as where the organization missed the boat in supporting her as a new leader. She also shares what she did after the demotion to learn from her mistakes and regain her confidence to lead again.

This episode is designed to celebrate the courage to confront challenges, the power of vulnerability, and the resilience to grow through adversity.

In this episode, we delve into the story of Michaelangelo Aranda, a seasoned people leader, who was promoted into a Director role.

Initially filled with honor and excitement after the promotion, Michaelangelo 's ascent was accompanied by a wave of challenges, primarily stemming from his unsupportive leader.

Struggling with a lack of backing and encouragement, Michaelangelo 's confidence wavered, leading to self-doubt and emotional exhaustion.

The crux of the story unfolds as Michaelangelo makes the courageous decision to resign. His departure was a pivotal moment, teaching him to advocate for himself and ultimately prioritize a better work environment, even if it meant less pay.

Michaelangelo's story serves as a poignant reminder of the complex dynamics within the workplace and the importance of advocating for oneself in the face of adversity.

For the full show notes, visit https://growthsignals.co

Trust is like the air we breathe – when it's present, nobody really notices; when it's absent, everybody notices. – Warren Buffet

Jen Arnold, seasoned trainer and facilitator, guides us through the profound impact of trust on various aspects of leadership and employee dynamics.

In this episode, we delve into the often underestimated yet critical role of trust in leadership, the profound influence of trust on employee retention, productivity, energy, engagement, and burnout, and examine the indicators of trust issues within workplaces.

Jen introduces the "layers of trust" model, delineating three pivotal layers: credibility and competence, dependability and consistency, and compassionate candor.

Listen in as Jen uncovers the layers of trust, gaining a deeper understanding of its profound impact on leadership, and learn how to cultivate and preserve trust as a leader.

Let me know what you thought of this episode HERE.