• Leading without needing to be liked
• People-pleasing vs. performance
• Women, approval, and identity in leadership
• Corporate marketing under pressure
• Respect vs. likeability
• Managing energy and focus across roles
• Cultural communication strategies
• Career resilience after layoffs
• Internal clarity and purpose

00:00 – Intro: When likeability gets in the way
04:12 – Kim’s turning point: “It’s not about being liked”
08:40 – The corporate trap of performative leadership
12:30 – How she resets under pressure (with 3 kids and a big job)
16:45 – Navigating career shifts and layoffs
21:10 – Letting go of overexplaining
25:30 – Aligning with what actually matters
28:50 – Claire’s reflection: respect over approval
32:00 – Final takeaways: How to lead with less noise and more power

• How approval-seeking sabotages your authority as a leader
• Kim’s turning point that redefined how she shows up at work
• The difference between being nice vs. being respected
• How to lead across cultures without overexplaining
• Why “getting things done” often starts with saying less
• A mindset shift for women in leadership navigating burnout and balance

• CoinDesk Data and Indices
• Leadership under pressure
• Respect vs. likeability in leadership
• Career reinvention and resilience
• Balancing leadership and personal life
• Mental fitness practices
• The giving tree book

Follow Claire on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/⁠

Follow Kim on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-klemballa-80101812/

EWTR LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empower-women-that-rock-inc/

EWTR Website: https://www.womenrock.world/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

TOPICS COVERED:

• Gabriela Embon’s Power Couple Method
• Emotional alignment in leadership
• The leadership impact of unconscious disconnection
• How inner conflict shows up in your outer leadership
• Rituals for reconnecting to meaning and clarity
• The neuroscience of aligned influence and human connection
• Why your strategy might be flawless, but your energy isn’t

 Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro to Gabriela Embon + why emotional blind spots matter

02:15 – The difference between being strategic vs. being aligned

07:30 – How the Power Couple Method helps leaders reconnect to self

12:42 – Signs you’re emotionally disconnected in leadership

15:18 – Why leaders often lose meaning during high performance

19:05 – Neuroscience behind meaning, resonance, and behavior

24:16 – Realignment rituals: grounding, presence, intention

27:40 – Final reflections from Gabriela: the shift from “doing” to “being”

What You'll Learn:

• Why strategy isn’t the root cause of most leadership breakdowns
• How the Power Couple Method translates from relationships to executive leadership
• Signs of emotional disconnection that sabotage performance
• The neuroscience of shared meaning, alignment, and motivation
• Simple rituals to help you reconnect to your true leadership self

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Power Couple Method
• Emotional alignment & neuroscience
• Shared meaning as a leadership multiplier
• Mind-body rituals to reset your clarity
• Mental fitness and rewiring through daily practice

Follow Claire on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/⁠

Follow Gabriela on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielaembon/⁠

Website:⁠ https://gabrielaembon.com/⁠

Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/gabriela.embon⁠

Offer to download the prologue of my book at: ⁠www.becomingapowercouple.net⁠

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• Identity vs behavior: why you're not just your habits
• Survival brain vs leadership brain
• Rewiring your nervous system for resilience
• Training your brain with mental fitness
• Default Mode Network and leadership autopilot
• Self-awareness vs self-command
• The truth about overthinking, control, and hesitation
• What it actually takes to lead differently in 2026 and beyond

00:00 – Why you keep falling into the same patterns under pressure
01:48 – When the moment hits: “I’ve grown, but something hasn’t shifted”
03:00 – Your brain runs your identity, not your goals
04:00 – The Default Mode Network and how your brain pulls you back
04:45 – How your brain filters reality to protect identity
06:00 – The amygdala and why change feels like danger
07:28 – Why willpower fails under pressure
09:00 – Identity is a pattern, not who you are
10:00 – What mental fitness actually means for leaders
12:00 – A moment of truth: who do you become under pressure?
13:30 – The first step to rewiring your leadership
15:00 – Your nervous system is the real game-changer
17:00 – Final insight: who you're being changes everything

• Why you default to old patterns under stress—even when you know better
• The neuroscience behind identity, autopilot, and your decision-making under pressure
• How the Default Mode Network, Reticular Activating System, and amygdala shape your leadership response
• Why willpower fails when it matters most (and what works instead)
• What mental fitness really looks like in high-stakes leadership
• How to shift from being reactive to becoming grounded and present when the stakes are high

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• The neuroscience of the heart-brain connection
• Why the heart is considered your second brain
• Real-time nervous system regulation tools
• The difference between calm and coherence
• How to build intuitive leadership through heart-based practices
• A practical 60-second reset to shift from survival to clarity
• How to get out of mental loops and access decision-making power
• The physiological connection between breathing and focus
• The role of intention in anchoring presence
• Training your team to self-regulate under pressure

0:00 – Introduction: What does it mean to have a second brain?
2:14 – The physiological link between your brain and your heart
4:50 – Coherence vs. calm: What leaders need to know
6:31 – The 60-second reset (Inhale 4, exhale 6, add intention)
9:25 – How to use this tool before meetings, decisions, or feedback
11:11 – How to train your nervous system to respond instead of react
13:03 – What elite performers (and everyday humans) get right about regulation
14:55 – Final insight: Don’t just regulate your team. Start with you.
16:40 – Subscribe and explore more tools

• How your heart acts as a second brain—and why leaders ignore it at their own risk
• The neuroscience behind heart-brain coherence and how it impacts clarity, presence, and decision-making
• How to use the 60-second heart reset Claire teaches to instantly calm the nervous system under pressure
• Why logic fails during high-stakes moments—and what to anchor to instead
• How to shift from cognitive overload to embodied leadership in the middle of your day
• The truth about emotional regulation: why dismissing emotion actually weakens leadership
• How to build a simple daily ritual that rewires your leadership presence over time

• Claire’s 60-second coherence ritual (inhale for 4, exhale for 6, + ask: What would the most aligned version of me do?)
• Research on heart-brain interaction
• Mental Fitness practices from Claire’s masterclass

🔬 Science Note:

• Research in Neurocardiology (Oxford University Press) shows that the heart’s intrinsic cardiac nervous system contains around 40,000 neurons—enough to sense, feel, and remember independently of the brain.
• Similarly, studies published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology estimate that the gut’s enteric nervous system houses about 500 million neurons, more than the spinal cord.
• Together, these findings confirm what ancient wisdom always knew: your body thinks, feels, and decides right alongside your brain.

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• The neuroscience of feedback
• Feedback as a growth accelerator
• Authenticity and self-awareness in leadership
• “Clear is Kind” and giving tough feedback well
• Avoiding ambiguity to reduce stress and quiet quitting
• Empathy, credibility, and building trust with executives
• How to shift from reactive to resilient leadership
• Emotional regulation and the power of naming emotions
• Saying it out loud: the neuroscience of the production effect

00:00 — Intro: The feedback that changed everything
01:30 — Neuroscience of feedback: Why it feels like a punch
03:00 — Jessie's gut-punch moment as a new leader
05:20 — How feedback rewired her leadership style
07:10 — Authenticity, credibility, and executive trust
10:00 — “Clear is kind”—what most leaders get wrong
13:00 — Giving feedback with empathy
15:30 — The cost of avoiding feedback (and quiet quitting)
17:00 — Neuroscience: Ambiguity = cortisol = disengagement
18:30 — Claire’s 3S Tool: Scan. Shrink. Shift.
21:00 — Rapid-fire with Jessie
24:00 — Final tip: Say it out loud to regulate emotions
26:00 — Connect, share, subscribe CTA

• How feedback activates the brain’s threat response—and how to train your brain to handle it
• Why “clear is kind” might be the most important leadership rule you’re not using
• A neuroscience-backed 3-step tool (Scan. Shrink. Shift.) to regulate your reaction to feedback
• How Jessie Novey transformed her leadership style after one piece of unexpected criticism
• The link between ambiguity, cortisol, and disengaged teams (aka “quiet quitting”)
• How to give feedback that builds trust instead of fear

• The Say It Out Loud Rule (TEDx talk by Claire Hayek)
• HR Executive Forum, Minneapolis
• “Clear is Kind” – Brené Brown
• The Scan–Shrink–Shift tool for emotional regulation

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Jessie on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessienovey/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• The moment Sophie realized she was the one she’d been waiting for
• Why external “fixes” don’t create internal peace
• Using self-awareness and stillness as leadership tools
• The trap of performing leadership vs. being a leader
• What “being it” looks like day to day, especially under pressure
• How to take back agency when you're spiraling
• Why naming things out loud is a neuroscience-backed power move
• Claire’s GLOW method as a daily self-command tool
• Real examples of shifting out of reactivity using the brain's rewiring process
• The role of clarity, compassion, and choice in leadership

00:00 – Introduction and the real question: who are you waiting for?

03:45 – Sophie’s moment of realization and how it changed her leadership

07:10 – The illusion of external fixes and why real peace is internal

11:22 – Neuroscience of naming and reclaiming power

14:35 – Claire introduces GLOW as a brain-based leadership model

19:05 – Leadership as an act of agency, not performance

22:48 – Daily choices that rewire the brain and build self-command

27:30 – Embracing clarity, compassion, and courage

30:40 – Practical tools to pause, shift, and lead from the inside out

What You'll Learn 

• The moment Sophie realized leadership is claimed, not handed
• How to override your brain’s freeze response in high-pressure moments
• Why waiting to be “chosen” holds back your career (and your team)
• The real cost of low-energy leadership—and how to reset your state fast
• How to lead from calm, even when everything feels chaotic
• The 80/20 rule Sophie uses to stay energized and avoid burnout
• A neuroscience-backed strategy to instantly refocus and rewire motivation
• How to stop living in loops—and take control of your impact

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Diary of a CEO Podcast
• SoulCycle NYC
• RocketRez
• Mental Fitness and brain rewiring strategies
• The concept of the “comfort loop” and prefrontal cortex override

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Sophie on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-lammers/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• How martial arts shaped Michael Gizzi’s leadership philosophy
• The “Theory–Action–Result” loop explained
• Why discipline beats motivation for long-term leadership success
• Leading during high-stress moments (like layoffs and team tension)
• How to build real trust that scales
• The link between humility, clarity, and power in leadership
• People-first HR that actually drives results
• Balancing systems with empathy
• What most leaders get wrong about company culture
• How to stay grounded when you’re not at 100%
• Designing leadership practices that are repeatable under pressure
• Creating cadence, structure, and sustainable growth in teams

00:00 – Intro: Claire sets the tone on brain-based leadership
03:12 – Michael’s story: from martial arts to HR executive
06:29 – The origin of the Black Belt Formula
09:47 – Discipline vs motivation in real-world leadership
12:58 – Leading through layoffs, chaos, and team tension
16:42 – Building trust that scales
20:50 – How to show up when you're not 100%
24:11 – The balance between head and heart in leadership
29:02 – What leaders get wrong about 'fixing' culture
34:16 – The importance of cadence and structure in people ops
37:00 – Final thoughts: clarity, humility, and continuous growth

• The “Theory–Action–Result” loop and how to apply it in real leadership situations
• Why self-discipline is more powerful than motivation
• How to lead people through chaos without losing yourself
• Tactical ways to increase trust and ownership in your team
• What martial arts teaches us about humility, adaptability, and clarity under pressure

• The “Theory–Action–Result” loop
• VetStrategy (Michael’s organization)
• Martial arts philosophy in leadership
• Synchros HR Advisory Services
• Trust, ownership, and scaling culture
• Strategy Institute’s Employee Experience Summit

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Michael on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgizzi/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• Burnout and stress signals in leadership
• Neuroscience of self-regulation under pressure
• Human-centered leadership models
• Empathy and team performance
• Self-awareness and identity beyond titles
• Purpose-driven work cultures
• Simple tools to check in with your team
• Rewiring leadership habits

00:00 – Welcome & Claire's introduction
01:00 – Meet Ronan Massez: human-centric growth leader
02:30 – The burnout moment that changed everything
04:15 – Physical symptoms and emotional toll
05:00 – Brain Tip: Label + Zoom (practical reset for pressure)
07:00 – Reframing leadership around human needs
08:30 – “Prove your worth” vs. “Find their worth”
10:00 – Leading through complexity with empathy
12:30 – Ronan's personal ritual to beat burnout
14:00 – Claire on grounding, energy, and mental fitness
16:00 – Weekly listener challenge: The 2:1 check-in
18:00 – Rapid Fire with Ronan (burnout tells, rituals, books)
20:00 – Ronan’s upcoming book: Human-Centric Marketing
21:00 – Final thoughts + subscribe + CTA

• A simple neuroscience trick to steady yourself under pressure (Label + Zoom)
• The exact mindset shift Ronan used to recover from burnout
• Why trying to "prove your worth" is sabotaging your team
• How to uncover your team’s “unfair advantage” and build on it
• The key ritual every leader should adopt before meetings
• How self-awareness becomes a strategic tool for performance
• A fast burnout tell to use with your team today
• Why “leading human” is your best asset in times of change

• The neuroscience tool “Label + Zoom”
• “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
• Ronan's upcoming book Human-Centric Marketing (in Spanish)
• The “2:1” check-in (Red/Yellow/Green + 1 line)
• Mental Fitness practices
• Unfair Advantage framework
   

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Ronan on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-massez/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• Boss vs. Leader: What’s the difference?
• The power of humility in leadership
• How Celso lost his team—and got them back
• Neuroscience of fear, safety, and clarity
• Leading organizational change with empathy
• How to help people transition through uncertainty
• From classroom to executive room: building partnership
• Rapid-fire: What rewired Celso’s leadership mindset

00:00 – Intro: From boss to real leader
01:00 – Meet Celso Sawaia: Engineer, teacher, UN leader
03:00 – The moment leadership hit hard
06:00 – Dollar-store wallets & real connection
08:00 – Recognition & reward: what the brain needs
10:00 – Switching roles: from CEO to civil servant
13:00 – Bosses are obeyed, leaders are followed
15:00 – What Celso’s students taught him about authority
17:00 – Transformation without panic: Leading people through change
22:00 – How neuroscience explains resistance
24:00 – Resetting the brain: Claire’s Say It Out Loud Rule
26:00 – Final wisdom: servant leadership, empathy, and clarity
27:00 – Celso’s rapid-fire rewire moment
28:00 – Wrap-up & CTA

• The subtle (but critical) differences between managing and leading—and how to shift into true leadership.
• Why emotional safety and self-awareness are essential to performance and culture.
• How Celso transformed a disengaged team into a thriving culture of ownership.
• A behind-the-scenes look at the personal courage it takes to own your blind spots as a leader.
• Why neuroscience backs the shift from control to connection in leadership.
• How to build high-performance by becoming less reactive and more intentional.
• Tactical self-leadership tools for navigating team conflict, resistance, and change.

• ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
• Claire’s Say It Out Loud Rule
• The neuroscience of change and amygdala hijack

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Celso on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjsawaia/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.

• Mental fitness in the face of uncertainty
• Reframing ego, fear, and status drops
• Team leadership through unexpected change
• Habit stacking: meditation, sticky notes, and self-talk
• Manifestation vs discipline: how belief + action rewires your brain
• Emotional regulation under stress

00:00 – Why “step downs” are often level-ups
02:45 – Karan’s story: from India to Canada to McDonald's to executive leadership
06:20 – When COVID crushed the plan—and what came next
08:55 – Neuroscience reset: double inhale + floor grounding
10:45 – Positive self-talk and sticky note mindset hacks
13:20 – What to do when your brain spirals
14:40 – Why the mind only needs certainty + control
17:10 – Leadership under pressure: how Karan leads his team through change
19:30 – Claire’s 3-step neuroscience hack for managing change
20:10 – Rapid fire Qs: habits, podcasts, and leadership influences
22:15 – Listener challenge: reframe your own “step down”
24:00 – Final words from Claire and Karan

What you’ll learn:

• How to reframe career “setbacks” as strategic stepping stones
• Neuroscience-based resets to shift your mindset under pressure
• What to say to your team when plans change unexpectedly
• Karan’s personal story of moving countries, surviving COVID job loss, and turning it all around
• How daily meditation, positive reinforcement, and sticky notes helped him train his brain for success
• Claire also shares a 60-second neuroscience reset tool and challenges listeners to reframe their own “step down” moments.

• McDonald's (Karan’s transitional role)
• Uber Eats (Karan’s former company)
• George Brown College (post-grad)
• Podcast by Mo Gawdat: “Transforming Yourself Starts With Your Thoughts”

Follow Claire on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairehayek/

Follow Karan on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanmehta22/

🎓 Want to train your brain for resilience and high performance?

Join Claire’s free Mental Fitness Masterclass here:👉 ⁠https://go.clairehayek.com/mental-fitness-masterclass⁠

📩 For free resources, upcoming masterclasses, or to join our next live webinar—click here:👉 ⁠https://linktr.ee/clairehayek⁠

📢 Subscribe to The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast for brain-based strategies to lead with clarity, courage, and impact.

The NeuroLeadership Edge Podcast is produced by Claire Hayek. All opinions are those of the host and guests. For more leadership resources, visit www.mspteambuilding.com.