Uncommon Leadership

As a leader (especially in tech), you're constantly expected to have every answer, fix every issue, and carry the full weight of decisions. But what if you don't need to solve every problem or know everything to lead effectively? Real leadership means recognizing when questions reveal deeper issues, using vulnerability to ease tension, and encouraging your people to find their own solutions. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, talk with Oksana Kovalchuk — Founder & CEO of ANODA (a top-rated UX design agency recognized by Clutch in 2025) — who started coding at age 5, survived big outsourcing giants, and built her own agency where connection beats rigid control. Together, we dive into:

• The mirror neurons hack
• How to avoid the "fix everything" trap
• The golden rule that reshapes hiring and organization culture
• Why life is too short for bad UX and relationships

More than just theories — these are hard-won lessons from people who've faced the full storm of tech growth, team friction, and founder weight, and come through with greater ease and authenticity. If you're a founder, tech leader, or anyone building teams who feels the weight of having to know/fix it all, this episode offers uncommon insights that make you rethink your current leadership style. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & Episode Intro 00:45 – Introducing the guest: Oksana Kovalchuk 01:08 – Integrating your whole self into your leadership style 12:50 – Why Leaders Don't Need to Solve Every Problem 14:30 – The Discount Method 17:00 – Pushing Teams to Become Leaders 19:20 – Vision, Strategy & the Founder's Role 26:51 – Vulnerability & Mirror Neurons to Reduce Stress 50:59 – When Silly Questions Signal a Deeper Problem 56:26 – How to Connect with Oksana + 10% Discount Offer 57:53 – Closing Thoughts: Life Is Too Short for Bad UX Tune in now: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Brought to you by Uncommon Teams Speaker Bios Michael Hunter Michael Hunter is the host of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast and the founder of Uncommon Teams. He works with leaders to align personal fulfillment with business success, building authentic, resilient teams that thrive amid complexity. Through conversations that explore vulnerability, adaptability, and human-centered leadership, Michael helps professionals move beyond surviving challenges to truly flourishing. Connect with Michael Hunter:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/
• Read more about his work: https://uncommonteams.com/
• The Resilient Tech Leader: https://uncommonteams.com/resilient-leader-workbook/
• Work with Michael Hunter: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/

Oksana Kovalchuk Oksana Kovalchuk, Founder & CEO of ANODA (Top UX Design Agency by Clutch 2025), brings 18+ years of software development and UI/UX leadership. Oksana specializes in elevating startups — helping them focus on strategy while building remarkable digital products and high-performing teams through measured, human-centered design. Connect with Oksana Kovalchuk:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksanakovalchuk/
• Read more about his work: https://www.anoda.mobi/
• Work with Oksana Kovalchuk: https://cal.com/anoda/anoda-linkedin-meeting

[ Oksana Kovalchuk is generously offering the Uncommon Leadership community 10% off her services for first-time clients. Use the code UNCOMMON2025 to start your journey with Anoda today!]

In a world where the old playbooks no longer apply — where artificial intelligence is reshaping how we think, work, and lead — what is the real competitive advantage for a tech organization?

It's not more data. It's not a better tech stack. It's emotional clarity. Because in a world where no one has the full answers, certainty is an illusion. And the leaders who thrive aren't the ones with all the answers — they're the ones who can discern. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Gila Lee Adato — attorney, AI leadership advisor, and founder of Glowbal AI — to explore what it means to lead from inner authority in an era of exponential disruption. Episode Breakdown:

• Why the loudest voice in your head is often not your wisest one
• The difference between external advice and inner authority
• How does quietly compartmentalizing yourself at work drain energy
• Why fear is often biology — not real danger
• The hidden cost of outsourcing your decisions
• What decision sovereignty actually looks like in leadership
• How to partner with AI without losing your identity
• Why clarity, not certainty, is the modern-day leadership advantage

If you're a founder, executive, or high-performing professional navigating uncertainty, identity shifts, or the rise of AI, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership itself. Because maybe the real work isn't adapting to change. It's learning how to choose — consciously. And maybe even have some fun along the way. Tune in now! Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast Series. Get notified on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: UncommonChange Meet the Speakers Gila Lee Adato Gila Lee Adato is the Founder of Glowbal AI and a mentor to visionary leaders navigating the intersection of artificial intelligence, identity, and human potential. An attorney with a deep corporate and regulatory background, Gila has spent over a decade operating at executive levels — including serving as General Counsel, COO, and CCO — advising organizations through complexity, compliance, and large-scale transformation. Today, she works with founders, high-performing professionals, and forward-thinking leaders who know AI isn't just another productivity tool — but a force for clarity, creativity, and enduring legacy. She is also the creator of the AI for Leaders Summit Series and host of a weekly radio show exploring the future of AI, leadership, and human expansion. Connect with Gila Lee Adato: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilaleeadato/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gilaleeadato/?hl=en Website: https://glowbalai.com/ Michael Hunter Michael Hunter is the founder of Uncommon Teams, where he partners with technology leaders and founding teams to build organizations that achieve meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and resilience. With more than three decades in technology and leadership, Michael's work sits at the intersection of human potential, organizational effectiveness, and sustainable performance. Through coaching, facilitation, and advisory work, he helps leaders create uncommon teams — environments where authenticity, trust, and adaptability enable both business success and personal fulfillment. Michael is also the host of the Uncommon Leadership podcast and author of The Resilient Tech Leader, where he explores how leaders can move beyond survival and cultivate cultures that thrive amid constant change. Connect with Michael Hunter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/ Website: https://uncommonteams.com/ Book: https://uncommonteams.com/the-resilient-tech-leader/

[ Self-Trust, Identity Integration, and Leading Consciously in the Age of AI, Tech vs. Touch, Decision Sovereignty, Fear vs biology, Inner knowing vs External noise, Uncommon Leadership Podcasts, Michael Hunter, Resilient Tech Leader, Gila Lee Adato, Glowbal AI, Leaders Summit Series]

Early in his career, Jordan Stone sat in a consulting workshop where the idea of a work self and a home self was presented as normal. The premise made sense on paper. But something about it felt off. Why should the experiences, preferences, and perspectives that shape who we are outside of work suddenly become irrelevant once we step into it? As Jordan's career progressed, he saw firsthand how the parts of people that didn't neatly fit into job descriptions often produced the most meaningful outcomes. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael Hunter and Jordan Stone explore what happens when leaders move beyond the idea of a work self and instead create environments where people can show up as whole humans — carrying their curiosity, energy, experiences, and aspirations into the work. Bringing your whole self to work is not a personal preference—it is a leadership decision. One that influences how trust forms, how teams collaborate, how cultures evolve, and how organizations create meaningful outcomes for both employees and customers. What begins as a question about identity becomes a deeper exploration of connection, energy, and the shared work of building teams where people can do their best work as themselves. Tune in now to explore how you can create environments where trust, energy, and performance grow together. Inside the Episode:

• Why the idea of a work self is limiting
• A powerful reframing of strengths as sources of energy rather than capability
• How ways-of-working conversations help teams understand and trust each other
• How onboarding, documentation, and early connections shape culture as teams scale
• How transparency builds resilience during uncertainty and change
• Why the future value of engineers lies in collaborative problem solving

Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast Series. Get notified on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: UncommonChange Meet the Speakers Jordon Stone Jordon Stone is Vice President of Engineering at Paytient, a growth-stage startup focused on making healthcare more accessible and affordable. Jordan has a decade worth of experience leading product, platform, security, and infrastructure teams across startups, digital agencies, and large publicly traded organizations. Jordan focuses on scaling platforms, aligning technology with business outcomes, and building engineering organizations where great technology amplifies people and growth. Connect with Jordon Stone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmstone/ Website: https://www.paytient.com/ Michael Hunter Michael Hunter is the founder of Uncommon Teams, where he partners with technology leaders and founding teams to build organizations that achieve meaningful results with clarity, confidence, and resilience. With more than three decades in technology and leadership, Michael's work sits at the intersection of human potential, organizational effectiveness, and sustainable performance. Through coaching, facilitation, and advisory work, he helps leaders create uncommon teams — environments where authenticity, trust, and adaptability enable both business success and personal fulfillment. Michael is also the host of the Uncommon Leadership podcast and author of The Resilient Tech Leader, where he explores how leaders can move beyond survival and cultivate cultures that thrive amid constant change. Connect with Michael Hunter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/ Website: https://uncommonteams.com/ Book: https://uncommonteams.com/the-resilient-tech-leader/

[whole self leadership, authentic leadership, workplace culture, psychological safety, employee engagement, team design, engineering leadership, leadership presence, human-centered leadership, resilient teams, uncommon leadership]

Leadership isn't defined by title or authority. It's revealed in presence — how you listen, how you respond, and how your behavior shapes the space around you. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael Hunter sits down with Mary Kennedy Thompson, CEO of BNI, for a thoughtful conversation on what it really means to lead. From an early Marine Corps lesson that reshaped her understanding of service to leading global teams today, Mary reflects on leadership as a lifelong practice grounded in curiosity, authenticity, and care. Together, they explore how leaders create environments where people can speak up, grow beyond comfort, and feel inspired to bring their whole selves to work. Because leadership isn't just what you say. It's the culture you create — and the shadow you cast. What you'll hear in this episode: • The Marine Corps moment that transformed Mary's understanding of leadership • Why great leaders communicate with a standard of being direct, kind, and transparent • A simple presence practice that shifts how leaders show up • The difference between safe and comfortable workplaces — and why it matters • How leaders create alignment while still honoring the whole person at work • The powerful idea that every leader casts a shadow through their behavior Tune in for a conversation on presence, trust, and the quiet work of becoming a leader others want to follow. Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast Series. Get notified on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: UncommonChange Speaker Bios Mary Kennedy Thompson Mary Kennedy Thompson is the CEO of BNI, the world's largest business networking and referral organization. Her career has been grounded in helping leaders unlock their full potential — a path that began in the U.S. Marine Corps and evolved through entrepreneurship, franchising, and global leadership. A lifelong student of leadership for more than 40 years, Mary believes that leading with joy, authenticity, and purpose creates stronger teams and better results. She has led multiple high-growth organizations and continues to champion collaboration, trust, and impact across the global business community. Connect with Mary Kennedy Thompson:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-thompson-cfe-22074410/

Michael Hunter Michael, the founder of Uncommon Teams, journeys alongside tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. He helps heads of people solve culture puzzles that are subtle, systemic, and deeply human. When you work with Michael, you get a chance to unlock the heroic leadership within you and your team—and often recover parts of yourselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Michael started out debugging code. Then he debugged people. Now he helps people debug themselves. Because the most powerful upgrade isn't in your tech stack—it's in you. Connect with Michael Hunter:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/
• Read more about his work: https://uncommonteams.com/

[leadership, psychological safety, conscious leadership, workplace culture, leadership influence, purpose driven leadership, human centered leadership, how to inspire teams, uncommon leaders, Michael Hunter, Mary Kennedy Thompson, BNI]

The most expensive thing in your business isn't your tech stack.

It's the message you haven't shared with your team because you're waiting to speak up.

In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter from Uncommon Teams, sit down with Everett O'Keefe—international bestselling author and founder of Ignite Press—for a conversation about the intersection of innovation, authority, and the moral duty to speak up.

Everett has helped hundreds of experts find their voice, and he's seen firsthand how the status quo doesn't just stall companies—it drains the life out of the people leading them.

From the Penguin Theory of resonance to the seven words that kill team creativity, this episode is a must-watch for anyone who is tired of leaving their whole self at the door.

Who This Episode Is For?

• Tech Leaders who feel their team has traded innovation for following the rules.
• Founders who feel the heavy pressure of having to be the Savior every single day.
• Managers who are tired of doing everything right while their team's energy quietly drains away.
• Aspiring Authors who are afraid their message has already been said by someone better.

Tune in now to fully understand the human side of high-performance teams and leadership.

Core Takeaway:

Leadership doesn't improve when you defend the past.

It transforms when you have the courage to question it—and the humility to realize that your "messy" truth is exactly what your team needs to hear.

Was this conversation worth your time?

If yes, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast Series.

Get notified on YouTube-

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw

Prefer audio? Stream here:

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj

Presented By: UncommonChange

Speaker Bios

Everett O'Keefe

Everett is a dad, husband, and most recently a granddad. He is also an international #1 bestselling author and the founder of Ignite Press. Everett has helped more than 200 people become published bestselling authors, and he has a heart for helping people share their message with the world.

The winner of multiple awards, including the Publish and Profit Award for Excellence in Publishing and the Top Gun Consulting Award, Everett is sought out as a speaker, coach, and consultant by authors and marketing experts worldwide. He helps clients become recognized experts in their fields so they can focus on their own areas of giftedness.

Connect with Everett O'Keefe:

Website: https://ignitepress.us/

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

Michael Hunter

Michael, the founder of Uncommon Teams, journeys alongside tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. He helps heads of people solve culture puzzles that are subtle, systemic, and deeply human.

When you work with Michael, you get a chance to unlock the heroic leadership within you and your team—and often recover parts of yourselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Michael started out debugging code. Then he debugged people. Now he helps people debug themselves.

Because the most powerful upgrade isn't in your tech stack—it's in you.

Connect with Michael Hunter:

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

Read more about his work: https://uncommonteams.com

What if I told you that all those technical problems keeping you up at night—missed dates, buggy releases, burnout—are actually just symptoms of a team that doesn't feel safe enough to tell the truth. Hi! This is Michael Hunter, and I've spent over 35 years debugging code. Today, I help CEOs, founding teams, and heads of people debug themselves and identify those hidden patterns that are stalling growth and success. And I've learned that the code is usually the easy part. The hard part is the squishy stuff: the silence in the meeting room, the fear of speaking up, and the dangerous confusion between being nice and being kind. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I sit down with Elisabeth Hendrickson, Founder at Curious Duck Digital Laboratory, to dismantle the biggest myth in software leadership: you can fix a delivery problem without fixing the human dynamics first. Episode Breakdown:

• Technical problems are almost never only technical problems
• Real trust isn't built by forcing people to bring their whole selves to work. It's built by respecting boundaries and letting people choose what to share.
• It only takes one person to name the elephant in the room. Once named, the fear dissolves, and the team can actually go from pretending to solving.
• Learn to be Kind not Nice. Nice is selfish—it's about protecting your comfort by avoiding conflict. Kind is selfless—it's about protecting the team by addressing the hard truth before it causes failure.
• Self-Reflection as a leader helps you respond to situations instead of simply reacting.

So, are you ready to debug your leadership? For more insights on human-centric tech leadership, subscribe to Michael Hunter's Uncommon Leadership Podcast. Click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Or sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change [Psychological Safety, Engineering Culture, Toxic Positivity, Socio-Technical Systems, Artificial Harmony, Elisabeth Hendrickson, Michael Hunter, Uncommon Teams, Uncommon Leadership] #PsychologicalSafety #TechLeadership #UncommonTeams #MichaelHunter #EngineeringCulture #DebugTheTeam About the Speakers Elisabeth Hendrickson As the Founder of Curious Duck Digital Laboratory, Elisabeth Hendrickson helps software organizations deliver better software, faster. With a career rooted in software testing and quality engineering, Elisabeth stands out as a compassionate leader with an expertise in diagnosing those human problems that often masquerade as technical blockers. By combining one-on-one coaching with strategic group work, she transforms friction-filled environments into high-performing, inclusive cultures where it is safe to speak the truth. Connect with Elisabeth Hendrickson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/testobsessed/ Michael Hunter Drawing from his experience working with tech leaders across six continents—from tiny startups to mega-corps, Michael Hunter partners with tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. With a unique career path that evolved from debugging code to debugging people, Michael now empowers individuals to debug themselves. He guides them, whether it's in leveling up decision-making or deepening their relationship with their inner selves. Michael's mission is to help leaders, CEOs, and founding teams unlock the heroic leadership and recover parts of themselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Connect with Michael Hunter: Website: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/

Why do we treat joy or happiness as a reward? Something we're allowed to feel only after the sprint is over, or the code is shipped, or the crisis is averted. When we cut out joy to focus solely on getting it done, we trigger a dangerous biological shift called predatory aggression—a state where our doer brain takes over, shutting down curiosity, connection, and empathy. The very emotions we need to survive the storm and be truly resilient. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Roundtable, we explore the true ROI of Joy. Our expert panel brings decades of experience from the technical trenches to the executive boardroom to underscore the hard-hitting reality of leading as a human being rather than a title. In this podcast, you'll discover that resilience and joy are two sides of the same coin–you cannot have a high-performing system without the "habits of joy" that make the struggle meaningful. Your takeaways from the conversation:

• Profluence over Endurance: Understand that resilience isn't about standing still and taking hits. It's about profluence—the steady, joyous momentum of moving the story forward.
• The Predatory Aggression Trap: Why extreme focus can trigger a biological shift where curiosity and empathy get the axe.
• The joy of Delegating: Why holding onto tasks that drain you isn't being a hero—it's joy-hoarding.
• The Resilience Paradox: Difficulty isn't a bug; it's a requirement. How the hardest challenges are the prerequisite for the greatest celebrations.
• The 5 R's of Play: How being resourceful, responsible, respectful, resilient, and real settles a chaotic system like a glitter jar coming to rest.

Tune in now to reclaim the ROI of joy and lead with momentum that actually lasts.

Meet the Panel of Speakers

Tim Ottinger Agile coach and Extreme Programming expert known for bringing curiosity, creativity, and human-centered thinking into software delivery. Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/agileotter/ Portia Tung Portia helps leaders reclaim their innate "Play Intelligence" to transform rigid corporate structures into living, breathing systems of excellence. Connect:linkedin.com/in/portiatung/ Melissa Boyle As the Global CTO at LexisNexis Intellectual Property Solutions, Melissa shares the grace and grit of being a Human CTO, letting go of the "God" title to empower her teams to be their authentic selves. Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-boyle/ Jeff Langr Langr is a software developer, coach, mentor, trainer, author, and a leader. In a world increasingly driven by AI, Jeff advocates for a "Human-First" approach to technology. Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflangr/ Matthew Carlson Carlson is the CEO at Aquanta Inc. and a systems designer who specializes in building organizations that align with how humans actually work. He views relationship-building and staff sponsorship as the essential infrastructure for a resilient, joy-filled culture. Connect : https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrcarlson/ Meet Your Host Michael Hunter Michael Hunter went from debugging code to debugging people—and now helps people debug themselves. Through the Uncommon Leadership Podcast and his work with tech leaders, he explores the invisible cultural and emotional dynamics that stall change and drain teams. His work focuses on resilience, joy, clarity, and leading with the whole self. Read more:https://uncommonteams.com/ Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/

Was this conversation worth your time? If yes, give us a thumbs up and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes. For more inspiring conversations like this, sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter athttps://uncommonteams.com Watch the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change

For many tech leaders—especially the neurodivergent—success often feels like a performance. You mirror the behaviors you see, fit ourselves into neurotypical boxes, and pay for it with our mental and physical health. But leadership doesn't have to be a grind. When you stop fighting your own wiring and start leveraging your Pattern Recognition Engine, you don't just work faster—you work with Cognitive Ease. In this episode of Uncommon Leadership Podcast, Michael Hunter sits down with neurodivergent executive coach and researcher Rita Ramakrishnan to debug the Masking Tax and introduce a new operating system for leadership: Cognitive Ease. What's Waiting For You Inside the Episode?

• A startling reality—your manager has more impact on your mental health than your therapist or your partner. We discuss how to use this influence as leadership telemetry, not a burden of guilt.
• How to stop reacting on the dance floor of daily fires and step onto the balcony to see the patterns. This is the core of Choice Architecture.
• How to stop decoding your workplace and start co-creating it. We talk about the simple, 10-minute conversations to integrate your team's collective intelligence.
• Energy Mapping: How to identify the Special Sauce in your day—the moments that leave you energized instead of depleted.

Whether you are navigating ADHD, the autism spectrum, or simply the overwhelming complexity of modern business, this conversation is your guide to reclaiming your peace and your power. Loved this? Continue binging. Watch new episodes of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Or sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change #NeurodivergentLeadership #ADHDLeadership #AutismInTech #CognitiveEase #RitaRamakrishnan #UncommonLeadership #MichaelHunter #UncommonTeams #UncommonHero About the Speakers Rita Ramakrishnan Rita Ramakrishnan is an executive neurodivergent coach, team coach and facilitator, and researcher at UPenn dedicated to neurodivergent success factors. As the founder of Iksana Consulting, she helps leaders dismantle the "masking tax" and achieve cognitive ease through a strengths-based lens. Rita is dedicated to empowering high-performers to lead with authenticity, peace, and systemic resilience. Connect with Rita Ramakrishnan : LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritaram/ Website: https://www.iksana.com/ Michael Hunter Drawing from his experience working with tech leaders across six continents—from tiny startups to mega-corps, Michael Hunter partners with tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. He helps leaders unlock the heroic leadership within them and their teams—and often recover parts of themselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Connect with Michael Hunter: Website: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/

You cannot separate your numbers from your nervous system. When you operate from a "hijacked" state—driven by financial pasts, debt snowballs, or "rich but empty" milestones—you're driving on the rough shoulder of the road. You're wrecking your suspension (your health and relationships) and wondering why the journey feels like a grind. Success without joy is neither an achievement nor joyful. It's just a "leaky container" waiting to drain your energy. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, am joined by Julie Murphy, a financial healer and the president of JMC Wealth, with over 25 years of experience. Julie moves past the corporate "theatre" of finance to help you align your "internal tech stack" with the life you actually want to live. In this episode, we walk you through the PACT process to reclaim your financial and personal energy:

• Picturing & Accepting: How to stop the "shame and blame" cycle and create a neutral map of your current reality.
• The Nervous System Upgrade: Why you can't manifest success with a contracted nervous system
• Financial Offense: Move from being managed by debt to becoming your own bank by redirecting payments into your own future.
• The Alignment Track: Why embodied culture and personal authenticity outperform generic "values-on-posters" in every facet of life and business.

If you're ready to start uncovering the invisible dynamics that are holding your team—and your wealth—back, grab a seat. Let's talk. If you're here to learn more about self-alignment, authentic leadership, and recognizing patterns of the past that are stalling change, please subscribe to the Uncommon Leadership Podcast today! https://www.youtube.com/@UncommonLeadershipPodcast Sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Watch the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change [Tech Leadership, Building Real Wealth, Success & Sustainability, Financial Alignment, Executive Burnout, Julie Murphy, Michael Hunter, Uncommon Leadership, Career Alignment, Authentic Leadership] #UncommonLeadership #FinancialHealing #UncommonLeadership #TechLeadership #WealthAlignment About the Speakers Julie Murphy Julie Murphy is a Chicago‑based certified financial planner and the president of JMC Wealth Management. Often referred to as a "financial healer," she focuses on the intersection of money, emotions, and spiritual alignment to help individuals achieve what she calls "Real Wealth." She is the author of several influential books, including Awaken Your Wealth and The Emotion Behind Money, which guide readers in transforming their subconscious beliefs and relationship with finances. Connect with Julie Murphy : Website: https://juliemurphy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliemariemurphy/ Michael Hunter Drawing from his experience working with tech leaders across six continents—from tiny startups to mega-corps, Michael Hunter partners with tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. He helps leaders unlock the heroic leadership within them and their teams—and often recover parts of themselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Connect with Michael Hunter: Website: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/

If you see your team stalling, projects dragging, and an invisible friction you can't quite name—this podcast is for you.

When tech leaders feel a gap between expectations and outcomes, their first natural response is often to withdraw or try to fix the situation with more rules and processes. And without even realizing it, that distance creates a cycle of silence. Your team begins to play it safe, hiding the very "human data" you need to actually move forward. In this episode of the Uncommon Leadership Podcast, I, Michael Hunter, am joined by Henry Suryawirawan—an engineering leader whose journey through companies like Google Cloud and ThoughtWorks has given him a front-row seat to the invisible dynamics of high-performing teams. Together, we explore ways to move past the corporate "performance" to look at how a few intentional leadership shifts can dissolve that friction and get things moving again. We'll walk through three practical paths to reclaim your team's energy:

• How to build quiet, genuine confidence through small, low-pressure experiments that allow you to lead as your true self.
• Learn how to treat rejection and uncertainty simply as "useful data." By shifting your perspective, you can navigate the messiness of leadership with less personal stress and more clarity.
• We break down the simple, everyday actions that help your team feel seen and supported, turning a "stalled" environment into one where people feel safe enough to be brilliant again.
• We explore why leader‑led, embodied culture outperforms values‑on‑posters in hiring, retention, and delivery.

If you're ready to stop faking culture and start uncovering the invisible dynamics that are holding your team back, tune in now. For more inspiring conversations like this, sign up for the Uncommon Leadership newsletter at https://uncommonteams.com Watch the Uncommon Leadership Podcast: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp9vaDKz5TI7gaWKLc801Dw Prefer audio? Stream here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/uncommon-leadership/id1654637165 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2BkXGceaZgVWxGQCXcrmgj Presented By: Uncommon Change About the Speakers Henry Suryawirawan Henry Suryawirawan is Head of Engineering at LXA, an engineering leader, cloud advocate, and LinkedIn Top Voice, as well as the host of Tech Lead Journal, a podcast on technical leadership and excellence. He has nearly two decades of experience across fintech, cloud, government, banking, and consulting, with a deep focus on high‑performing engineering teams. Connect with Henry Suryawirawan : Website: https://links.henrysuryawirawan.com LinkedIn: Henry Suryawirawan Tech Lead Journal podcast: https://techleadjournal.dev Michael Hunter Drawing from his experience working with tech leaders across six continents—from tiny startups to mega-corps, Michael Hunter partners with tech leaders to uncover the invisible dynamics that block quality, stall change, and quietly drain energy from their teams. He helps leaders unlock the heroic leadership within them and their teams—and often recover parts of themselves that may have gotten a little lost along the way. Connect with Michael Hunter: Website: https://uncommonteams.com/work-with-me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/humbugreality/