The Made Leader

Can you be a great leader AND a great parent? Jessica Toussaint, Director of Product Management and mom of three, proves you absolutely can—but not in the way you think.

In this real-talk episode, Jessica shares how parenting made her a better leader (hello, patience!), practical strategies for setting boundaries without killing your career, and why balance doesn't mean 50/50 all the time.

You'll learn the outcome test for deciding what's actually urgent, how to use your phone's focus mode to protect family time, and why curiosity beats having all the answers.

If you're juggling leadership and parenting—or wondering if you can handle both—this conversation will change how you think about success.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j2saint12/

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Starting a new leadership role in a different company? Here's what nobody tells you: even when you're excited about the change, the grief will surprise you.

In this episode, Andrea Herron, Chief Human Resources Officer at AAA of Oregon and Idaho, gets real about her recent career transition. Six months ago, she jumped industries after eight years with her previous team, and what followed was a crash course in starting over as a leader.

You'll discover why the first 30 days are the hardest, how to build trust when you're the new person in the room, practical strategies for establishing team norms, and why following a beloved previous leader is actually a gift.

Whether you're about to make a career move or still figuring out your current role, this honest conversation will help you navigate transitions with less overwhelm and more confidence.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

The transition from sales rep to sales manager is one of the toughest career moves you can make. What got you promoted suddenly doesn't matter as much as your ability to develop others.

Keith Willis, founder of Core Management Training, shares what he's learned from working with hundreds of managers in pharmaceutical and life sciences companies. In this episode, Keith explains why your management title won't automatically earn you respect and how to avoid the "super rep" trap that hurts team performance.

Whether you're considering the move to management or already leading a sales team, Keith's insights will help you develop others while driving results.

Sign up for "The 3 Shifts that Make-or-Break New Leaders" on October 2: https://bit.ly/4nirz5W

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Core Management Training: https://coremanagementtraining.com/

Connect with Keith Willis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithawillis/

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Think your greatest strengths can't become your biggest problems? Think again. Clinical psychologist turned executive advisor Dr. Martin Dubin reveals why the very traits that got you promoted might be sabotaging your leadership - and what to do about it.

Martin Dubin is the author of, "BLINDSPOTTING: How to See What's Holding You Back as a Leader" is here to help leaders understand that self-awareness isn't just nice-to-have - it's essential for leadership growth.

Discover why adding "too" to your strengths reveals hidden blind spots, how identity shifts create leadership challenges, and why small behavioral tweaks beat transformation every time. Whether you're a new manager struggling with the expert-to-leader transition or a senior executive looking to level up, this conversation offers honest insights into what it really takes to grow as a leader.

Sign up for "The 3 Shifts that Make-or-Break New Leaders" on October 2: https://bit.ly/4nirz5W

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Guest:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-dubin/

• https://www.blindspotting.com/ - website with book, assessment, and additional resources

• MartinDubin.com - author website

Connect with Jen:

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

• Website: https://growthsignals.co/

What if the biggest barrier to your leadership growth isn't your team, your boss, or your company but your own self-awareness? Harvard professor Margaret Andrews reveals why understanding yourself is the foundation of all effective leadership.

In this episode, you'll discover the six essential questions that build self-awareness, why 85% of what we admire in great bosses are interpersonal skills, and how to bridge the knowing-doing gap that keeps smart people stuck. Margaret also shares practical strategies for getting feedback, creating team charters that actually work, and developing leadership skills when fewer people are watching.

Whether you're a new manager or trying to advance, this conversation will transform how you think about leadership development from the inside out.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Margaret:

• Margaret's website: https://www.margaretandrews.com/

• Margaret's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretcandrews/

Connect with Jen:

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

• Website: https://growthsignals.co/

For links mentioned, visit: https://growthsignals.co/

What if the biggest barrier to great leadership isn't lack of training, but trying to fit into someone else's mold? Executive coach Rita Ramakrishnan reveals why the "one right way" to lead is actually holding back your team's potential.

Rita shares her journey from struggling in rigid consulting environments to thriving as a C-suite leader by embracing her neurodivergence. You'll discover practical strategies for creating psychological safety, turning "performance problems" into communication solutions, and helping every team member - neurotypical or neurodivergent - bring their best work.

Whether you're trying to figure out your own leadership style or unlock hidden potential in your team, this conversation will change how you think about what makes leadership truly effective.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Rita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritaram/ or her website: www.iksana.com

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Your stress isn't as hidden as you think. In this episode, Deb Smolensky, author of "Brain On," reveals why most leaders operate in survival mode and how their brain-off energy spreads through teams like wildfire.

In this conversation, Deb breaks down the difference between "brain on" and "brain off" leadership, revealing why the inside-out approach to leadership development is critical. She shares practical strategies for recognizing your triggers, creating purposeful pauses, and building the kind of team culture where people actually want to bring their best selves to work.

Whether you're struggling with boundaries or trying to stop the cycle of reactive leadership, this conversation provides actionable strategies you can implement immediately.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Deb:

• Website: https://debsmolensky.com/

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

Connect with Jen:

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

• Website: https://growthsignals.co/

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Most managers think they're giving feedback constantly, while employees say they don't get enough – if any. In this episode, researcher and positive interventionist Lisa Sansom reveals why most feedback fails and shares practical strategies for making it effective.

You'll discover why trust matters more than technique, how to avoid the biggest feedback mistakes (like addressing individual issues in team meetings), and why "good job" isn't enough for high performers. Lisa also explains when to give positive versus constructive feedback and how new leaders can start building a feedback culture.

Whether you're avoiding these conversations or wondering why your team doesn't seem to hear you, this episode transforms feedback from a dreaded task into a powerful growth tool.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Lisa:

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

• Website: https://www.lvsconsulting.com/

Connect with Jen:

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

• Website: https://growthsignals.co/

For links mentioned, visit https://growthsignals.co/

Want to become a better manager but don't know where to start? Darnell Billups has led teams across military, government, and Fortune 500 manufacturing – and he's sharing the practical strategies that can help you become a better manager.

In this episode, you'll discover why leadership skills don't just come with experience, the feedback moment that transformed Darnell's management style, and his simple system for stopping micromanagement. Plus, a framework for diagnosing why some managers advance while others stay stuck.

Whether you're leading former peers, developing your own management skills, or trying to advance your career, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies you can implement immediately. No theory – just real-world management advice that gets results.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Connect with Darnell: linkedin.com/in/darnellbillups

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

Your boss isn't going to change those annoying habits. So, here's what you can do about it.

In this coaching episode, host Jen Arnold and leadership coach Julie Binter reveals why managing up isn't office politics—it's a critical skill for career success. You'll discover how to decode your boss's communication style, ask questions that reveal what really matters to them, and turn workplace frustrations into strategic advantages.

Learn why every leader has traits that will drive you crazy (and how to work with them anyway), plus practical strategies for managing up more effectively—even when your boss seems to be completely different from you.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies. For full show notes, visit https://growthsignals.co/.

Connect with Julie:

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

Website: https://www.clearthewaycoach.com/

Connect with Jen:

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/