The Made Leader

Are your employees just collecting paychecks, or are they giving you their best work? In this episode, authors Tamara Myles and Wes Adams reveal the science behind meaningful work through their powerful "Three C's" framework: Community, Contribution, and Challenge.

You'll discover why purpose alone isn't enough, how one simple thank-you per week can cut employee burnout in half, and practical strategies any middle manager can implement—even without organizational support.

Whether you're leading a team of two or twenty, the strategies in this episode will help you create an environment where employees bring their best selves to work. By focusing on community, contribution, and challenge, you'll not only boost performance metrics but transform your leadership impact.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

For links mentioned, visit www.growthsignals.co

Frustrated by endless status updates and feeling stuck in the details? Project management expert Paul Koetke reveals practical strategies for middle managers drowning in deliverables.

With the right project management approach, you can transform chaos into clarity and make better decisions with less effort. Paul's down-to-earth strategies will help you master practical project management techniques to streamline your workload, boost team communication, and transform your leadership approach.

Learn how to create systems that actually reduce your workload, transform boring update meetings into action sessions, and communicate effectively up and down the organization. Stop wasting time collecting data nobody uses and start leading instead of just managing.

Links Mentioned:

Website: koetkeconsulting.com

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkoetke/

The Made Leader Community: https://growthsignals.co/leadership-training/

The conversation every manager dreads: "I want to move into leadership." How do you know if they truly understand what they're asking for? After all, the skills that make someone excel at their job are often completely different from what makes them effective at leading others.

In this coaching episode, host, Jen Arnold is joined by leadership coach Julie Binter,

Founder of Clear The Way Coaching & Consulting, to break down why identifying leadership potential goes far deeper than performance metrics, and how to know whether someone is truly ready to lead.

Learn the subtle signs of leadership potential, the red flags to watch for, and why someone's motivation for wanting to lead reveals more than any performance review. Whether you're considering promoting someone or already have, this conversation delivers practical insights on identifying who's truly ready for the challenge.

In your first 3 years of management? Join The Made Leader Community for continuous support for 3 months. Learn more here: https://growthsignals.co/leadership-training/

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/

Is showing empathy a leadership weakness? Podcast guest, Chrystal Morris Harry shatters this myth by revealing how the most effective leaders balance compassion with accountability. Drawing from her 20+ years of HR expertise and current role as Organizational Development Manager at the City of Las Vegas, Chrystal shares practical wisdom that middle managers can implement immediately.

You'll discover how authenticity creates psychological safety, why admitting mistakes strengthens your leadership, and strategies for encouraging reluctant team members to grow. Chrystal's refreshing candor about her own leadership journey—from hourly employee to award-winning manager—offers a roadmap for anyone looking to lead with both heart and effectiveness.

If you're tired of leadership advice that feels disconnected from real-world challenges, Chrystal's down-to-earth wisdom and willingness to share her own missteps offer the perfect antidote. Her practical insights will help you unlock your team's potential while staying true to yourself.

Connect with Chrystal –

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrystal-morris-harry-mba-sphr-jctc-jcdc-63350a13/

Business LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbm-strategic-partners/

Connect with Jen-

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

The Made Leader Community is kicking off in June to help transform early managers into confident leaders: https://growthsignals.co/leadership-training/

Ever feel like your leadership failures are holding you back? Think again.

In this episode, Anne Turchi reveals how the best leaders don't avoid mistakes—they transform them into growth opportunities.

Anne Turchi, Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation at Columbia Sportswear, shares her leadership journey from managing a tennis camp to leading a team of internal consultants in a large corporation.

With over 20 years of experience driving organizational change across for-profit, higher education, and non-profit institutions, Anne brings a wealth of insights about creating cultures where growth and learning thrive.

In this episode, Anne reveals how her biggest leadership lessons came from everyday challenges and failures. She explores the critical importance of having safe spaces to process mistakes and reflects on how her approach to leadership has evolved over time.

Discover practical strategies to create environments where both you and your team can fail forward, learn continuously, and develop stronger leadership skills through honest reflection. Stop dreading missteps and start leveraging them for your leadership journey.

Connect with Anne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anneturchi/

That feeling when someone calls your workplace a "family"? It doesn't feel right for a reason. Real workplace community is something entirely different—and much more valuable for your team's success.

In this episode, community expert DeMario Bell reveals what actually creates belonging at work (hint: it's not happy hours or pizza parties). Learn the trust equation that builds genuine connections, simple ways to foster psychological safety on your team, and why those little moments in one-on-ones matter more than grand team-building events.

Whether you're leading a small team or an entire department, this conversation offers practical steps to build workplace communities that support both personal growth and business results—no forced "family" dynamics required.

Connect with DeMario –

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demario-bell-7a510994/

Website: https://www.gatherfulconsulting.com/

Connect with Jen-

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Ever find yourself frustrated that your team just isn't "getting it"? You're not alone.

In this coaching episode, Jen and Julie tackle the invisible barrier that keeps teams underperforming - unclear expectations. Discover why stating something once isn't enough, how to define behaviors that actually get results, and when to stand firm on your non-negotiables.

Jen and Julie share real-world examples of leadership struggles, practical tips for communicating standards without being rigid, and strategies for building a team culture that extends beyond your meetings.

Whether you're leading seasoned pros or new hires, this conversation delivers bite-sized actions to transform how your team shows up—starting tomorrow morning.

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/

The future of work demands both technical expertise and human-centered skills that appeal to the five generations in today's workforce. Podcast guest, Michelle Westfort, Chief Product Officer at InStride, reveals how the smartest organizations are weaving education into their cultural fabric rather than offering it as just another benefit.

In this episode, Michelle busts the myth that older workers resist learning, sharing what skills they're actively pursuing and how middle managers can prioritize development regardless of age.

She offers a way for middle managers to prioritize continuous learning among their team, regardless of generation, and shares how a reverse mentorship programs was a hit with one of their clients.

The business impact is clear: when managers prioritize development, people feel valued, teams perform better, and companies retain their institutional knowledge. Listen in for simple strategies any middle manager can implement tomorrow to start building a team that's continuously learning.

Follow The Made Leader for more leadership insights and strategies.

Connect with Michelle –

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-westfort/

Website: https://www.instride.com/

Connect with Jen-

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Your boss returns from a conference with the "next big thing." A team member pitches an exciting idea when you're already swamped. Sound familiar?

In this episode, Dr. Rob Lion reveals why so many leadership ideas crash and burn—and how to know which ones are worth your time.

Rob unpacks why context must come before content in any successful implementation, and offers practical strategies for middle managers caught in the leadership sandwich.

You'll learn the "Five I" framework that transforms how you introduce new initiatives to your team, and discover the two questions that instantly cut through the noise when your boss drops their latest bright idea on your desk.

Stop wasting time on initiatives that won't stick and start creating the buy-in that drives real results.

Connect with Rob –

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

Website: Black River Performance Management

Connect with Jen-

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

Ever wondered how bad leadership experiences transform someone into an exceptional leader? Listen in as tech industry powerhouse Lexi B shares her journey from being powerless to becoming the protective leader she never had.

Discover why she believes leadership requires militant service and protection, how she builds genuine connections in remote environments, and why she values "home training" above technical skills.

Lexi reveals the career advice that took her years to appreciate: "titles make short-term money, but knowledge makes long-term money."

Whether you're managing a team or aspiring to lead, this conversation offers practical wisdom on creating safe spaces where people can be honest about their needs, navigating tech workplaces with emotional intelligence, and why the best leaders don't need to be the smartest people in the room.

Connect with Lexi –

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

Website: https://www.lexib.com/

Connect with Jen-

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

Website: https://growthsignals.co/

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