The Made Leader

Are your meetings actually moving work forward or just filling your calendar? It's natural for new managers to lean on meetings as a go-to leadership tool. But more meetings don't mean better leadership. The fix isn't running better agendas; it's redesigning which meetings should exist in the first place.

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hinds, Stanford PhD, founder of Asana's Work Innovation Lab, and author of Your Best Meeting Ever, shares her seven product design principles for fixing broken meetings.

You'll learn the 4D-CEO test that tells you whether a meeting even deserves to exist, why brainstorming sessions are probably backfiring, and how a full calendar cleanse (aka "Meeting Doomsday") can reclaim massive amounts of time for your team. Plus, practical strategies for new managers who feel trapped in back-to-back meetings they didn't create.

Whether you're leading a team of two or twenty, this episode will transform how you think about meetings—from a necessary evil to a well-designed product that actually moves work forward.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Dr. Rebecca Hinds:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds

Website: rebeccahinds.com

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenparnold

Website: growthsignals.co

The way we've been approaching workplace fairness might be fundamentally broken. After years of performative diversity initiatives and corporate virtue signaling, many organizations are abandoning DEI altogether—but that doesn't mean the work isn't still needed. The real challenge isn't whether fairness matters, it's how we actually create it.

Lily Zheng joins the Made Leader podcast to discuss their new book, Fixing Fairness: Four Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All. complaining with people like you, and what early leaders can do to create change even without organizational power.

Lily breaks down the biggest misconceptions about equity work, reveals why post-2020 DEI initiatives were destined to fail, and provides practical strategies for removing barriers and creating workplaces where everyone can thrive.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Lily: https://www.lilyzheng.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308/

Connect with Jen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenparnold/

In this conversation, Harper breaks down why some people thrive in collaborative environments while others resist—and it's not what you think. He explains the collaborative operating system he teaches, why ownership and alignment matter more than motivation, and how your emotional state as a leader impacts everyone around you. You'll learn practical techniques from the HeartMath Institute for regulating your emotions in real time, why resistance often shows up as disengagement, and how to create psychological safety through simple processes like council questions.

This episode goes beyond surface-level collaboration tips. Harper shares the science behind why depleting emotions like anger and frustration literally vibrate outward and create incoherence in your team—and what to do about it. Whether you're struggling to get buy-in from your team, feeling burnt out from carrying everyone's stress, or wondering why collaboration initiatives keep failing, this conversation will shift how you think about leadership entirely.

If you're ready to move beyond traditional leadership advice and tap into the energetic and emotional foundations that make teams work, this episode is for you. Harper reminds us that leadership starts with self-awareness—and that you're already doing your best, even when it doesn't feel like enough.

Think collaboration is just about communication? Harper Ray Wagner explains why individual coherence—the sync between your heart and brain—is the missing piece in building teams that actually work together. Learn the ownership-alignment framework that drives buy-in, HeartMath techniques to regulate emotions in real time, and why your emotional state as a leader is literally contagious.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Harper:

The Coherence Initiative: https://thecoherenceinitiative.com

What if everything you've been told about success is wrong? Alli Murphy breaks down the dangerous myth that you must sacrifice yourself to lead well—and shares exactly how to reclaim your time without sacrificing performance.

As the founder of Work & Thrive HQ and a former Managing Director who took 5+ weeks of work-free PTO while scaling 7-figure programs, Alli knows that ambition and balance can work together.

You'll discover what happens when you stop checking email first thing in the morning, how internal pressure fuels overworking, and practical strategies for building high-performing teams that don't need you plugged in 24/7. Perfect for leaders caught between proving themselves and burning out.

Connect with Alli Murphy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonmurphy541

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

What does executive presence actually mean, and how do you develop it when you're stuck in the middle?

Today's guest, Jennifer Jensen, author of "Developing Authentic Leaders", breaks down the specific mindset shifts that separate directors from VPs—and why most middle managers stay focused on the wrong things. You'll discover why strategic thinking isn't a natural talent but a learnable skill, the mistakes that keep talented people invisible, and how to influence without formal authority.

Jennifer also shares the truth about advancing when your organization won't invest in you, and practical steps you can take starting today. Whether you're wondering why some people rise effortlessly or feeling stuck despite doing great work, this episode gives you a clear roadmap for building executive presence and getting promoted.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Jennifer: [email protected]

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenparnold/

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Building rapport with your team shouldn't feel like another task on your to-do list, but many new leaders treat it that way—or skip it entirely.

In this episode, Andrew Stoute explains why relationship-building is the foundation of effective leadership and how to do it without burning yourself out. You'll discover how to start small (even a quick "good morning" counts), read the room to adjust your approach, and stay consistent without forcing interactions.

Andrew shares practical strategies for introverts, tips for handling awkward moments, and advice on where to focus your limited energy. Whether rapport building comes naturally to you or drains your battery, this episode gives you actionable ways to build stronger connections with your team, stakeholders, and organization.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Andrew:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-stoute/

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenparnold/

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

New leaders struggle with confidence every single day - second-guessing decisions, staying silent in meetings, and saying yes to everything because they can't set boundaries. But here's the truth: confidence isn't something you're born with. It's a skill you build through taking action.

In this episode, Simone Knego, keynote speaker, author, and podcast host breaks down her REAL method for building unshakable confidence and shares practical strategies like the Control-Alt-Delete mindset hack, why you need to drop the word "just" from your vocabulary, and why "fake it till you make it" is terrible advice.

Whether you're dealing with imposter syndrome or struggling to use your voice, this conversation gives you real tools to show up as the leader you're meant to be.

Are you a new leader who wants to build your confidence managing people? Made to Lead starts January 21st. Find out more here: https://growthsignals.co/leadership-training/

Connect with Simone:

www.simoneknego.com

www.realconfidencebook.com

Podcast: Her Unshakable Confidence

Connect with Jen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenparnold/

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Desperate to fill an open role? That's exactly when you make your worst hiring decisions. In this episode, Mitch McDermott, Founder of Talent Ascension Group, reveals the hiring traps that sink new leaders and how to avoid them.

You'll discover why you're probably interviewing resumes instead of people, the three types of candidates (and which one you actually need), and why learning from a candidate's questions matters more than their perfectly rehearsed answers.

Mitch also tackles the tough stuff: handling job hoppers, dealing with senior leaders who overrule your decisions, and why you'll never have certainty in hiring (and that's okay). Whether you're making your first hire or trying to fix past mistakes, this episode gives you practical strategies to hire smarter.

Watch this conversation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themadeleader

Connect with Mitch:

• Mitch's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-mcdermott-ba409387/

• Talent Ascension Group website: https://www.talentascension.com/

Are women really playing on a level field at work? Spoiler: they're not. And that lie is costing talented women their careers.

In this episode, tech executive Kae Kronthaler-Williams reveals how bias shows up in promotions, networking, and leadership definitions - and what to do about it. With over 30 years in the industry, Kae shares the hard-won lessons from her new book "Not Made for You."

You'll discover why "reading the room" is essential for women leaders, how to stop waiting for permission to advance your career, and practical strategies to build visibility without compromising who you are.

Whether you're navigating bias yourself or leading women on your team, this conversation will help you recognize the systems at play and take action to create change.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Kae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaekronthalerwilliams/

Most leadership advice is based on opinion, not science. So how do you know what actually works versus what just sounds good?

In this episode, Sebastian Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, shares research-backed strategies that will change how you think about leading.

You'll discover why listening matters more than talking, how goal-induced blindness can derail your career, and the weekly communication habit that takes 30 minutes but transforms your effectiveness.

Whether you're a new leader or thinking about stepping into leadership, Sebastian delivers practical tools you can use immediately, backed by science, not just opinion.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Sebastian:

• LinkedIn: Sebastian Page

Connect with Jen:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenparnold/

• Website: https://growthsignals.co/

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co