This is the last episode of the most meaningful project we’ve ever been part of.

The Amys couldn’t imagine signing off without telling you why the podcast is ending, reminiscing with founding producer Amanda Kersey, and fitting in two final Ask the Amys questions. HBR’s Maureen Hoch is here too, to tell the origin story of the show—because it was her idea, and a good one, right?

Saying goodbye to all the women who’ve listened since 2018 is gut-wrenching. If the podcast made a difference in your life, please bring us to tears/make us smile with an email: [email protected].

If and when you do that, you’ll receive an auto reply that includes a list of episodes organized by topic. Hopefully that will direct you to perspectives and advice that’ll help you make sense of your experiences, aim high, go after what you need, get through tough times, and take care of yourself. That’s the sort of insight and support we’ve spent the past eight years aiming to give this audience, and you all have in turn given so much back—to the Women at Work team and to one another.

What do you do when your request for professional development seems to annoy your manager? Or when you’re aiming for a bigger role but keep hearing that you’re

The Amys offer advice for advocating for yourself without setting off alarm bells, shifting from tactical execution to strategic thinking, and confronting behavior that’s corrosive but hard to pin down.

Other listener questions they respond to:

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Many of us have internal beliefs—I need it done now, I know I’m right, I need to be involved—that feel like truth but actually hold us back as leaders. Executive coach Muriel Wilkins calls these counterproductive beliefs “hidden blockers,” and she talks the Amys through the process of identifying theirs and then reframing them.

They also explore how blockers show up at the team and organizational level, like when lack of trust leads to a bloated meeting culture. Muriel shares how leaders can encourage mindset shifts in their organizations, beginning with themselves, and how to create conditions that allow others to examine what’s driving their behavior without judgment or overreach.

Guest expert:

Muriel Wilkins is an executive coach who hosts the HBR podcast Coaching Real Leaders and whose latest book is Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.

Resources:

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Have you ever realized, partway through a project, that you and your boss aren’t on the same page? Maybe your definitions of success differed, or their expectations were unclear. Maybe you couldn’t get them to listen, or you couldn’t figure out why they insisted on doing things a certain way. Managing up means tackling these disconnects head-on—and doing it through honest, well-timed discussions.

Executive coach Melody Wilding joins Amy G to explain why alignment on goals and clarity around working styles are essential. They talk through how to start these conversations without awkwardness, what to say to make them productive, and how to adapt your approach without losing your authenticity. Plus, they answer listener questions and hear from Amy B about how she handles alignment with both her boss and her team.

Guest expert:

Melody Wilding is an executive coach, human behavior professor, and author of Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge.

Resources:

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When our colleague Kevin Evers wrote There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift, we knew we had to talk about it. For so many women, she’s a role model—personally and professionally.

Four HBR Swifties highlight how her instincts and decisions offer lessons in leadership, strategy, and staying power.

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Self-disclosure at work can build trust and connection, but it also carries risks—especially for women, leaders, and those whose values or identities set them apart. That tension is what Columbia professor Katherine Phillips explored in one of our earliest episodes of the podcast, back in 2018.

Now, we revisit Kathy’s research on inclusion and authentic relationships, and add a fresh perspective. Amy B speaks with Kathy’s longtime collaborators Tracy Dumas and Nancy Rothbard about how expectations around self-disclosure have shifted. The Amys also reflect on what they’ve learned about sharing personal details at work: when it builds connection, when it complicates things, and when they choose to hold back.

Guest experts:

Katherine Phillips, before her death in 2020, was a professor of leadership and ethics at Columbia Business School.

Tracy Dumas is a professor at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

Nancy Rothbard is a professor at Wharton, as well as the school’s deputy dean.

Resources:

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Young women are entering the workforce full of potential–they graduate with degrees and confidence–but they don’t always have the interpersonal skills they need to succeed and advance. They may not  know how to speak up in meetings, collaborate with people in charge, or ask for what they need. And that’s not just their problem; it’s ours too. If professors, mentors, managers, and parents don’t support young women, we risk losing talented future leaders before they even get started.

In this live conversation from SXSW EDU in Austin, Amy Gallo talks with Neda Norouzi, an architecture professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Aimee Laun, director of the Career Connections Center at Texas Woman’s University. They discuss the gap between what colleges teach and what workplaces expect, and the role educators, managers, and mentors can play in bridging it.

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Imagine having a direct report who sobs every time you give them feedback. Or leading a team of people who’ve told your boss that they don’t trust you. Or taking on your first management position with no training or guidance–and having 43 direct reports! What then?

The Amys offer advice to listeners for getting through these real situations. And not just advice, but actual language for asserting your needs, earning trust, setting boundaries, and holding your ground even when emotions run high.

Other listener questions they respond to:

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Asking questions at work isn’t just about getting answers. Sure, you need the information you’re requesting, but you’re also showing your colleagues and leaders how you think. When your questions are strategic, clear, and well-timed, they can show that you’re insightful and committed to moving the work forward while also demonstrating you have leadership potential.

Amy G talks with a program manager who wants to get better at asking questions that show executive presence. They’re joined by Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks, who shares research-backed advice on navigating the complexities of workplace conversations.

Guest expert:

Alison Wood Brooks is a professor at Harvard Business School and the author of TALK: The Science Of Conversation And The Art Of Being Ourselves.

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Maria’s boss used to be a mentor—someone she admired, learned from, and enjoyed working with. But after a reorg, he changed. He became critical and dismissive, questioned her commitment to work, and started to undermine her instead of lifting her up. Now she’s struggling to maintain a productive working relationship with someone who is unsupportive at best and out to get her at worst.

How should you handle a boss who’s turned against you? How do you protect your reputation and career while managing the stress?

In this episode, Amy G speaks with Maria and suggests strategies, based on her book Getting Along, for navigating a difficult relationship with a boss whose insecurity has turned him into a tormentor. By the end of their conversation, Maria has a plan for moving forward, setting boundaries, and preserving her well-being.

Resources:

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