UpSpiral Leadership UpSpiral Leadership

Sue Covelli-Buntley of UpSpiral Leadership interview Rosie Corvo. She is the UpSpiral Leadership team's general manager. But before that, Rosie has had an amazing career in finance for 30 years. She has served as the Head of Risk UKRB for Barclays Bank. Then she moved on to become the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Early Warning Services. While there, she had a pivotal role in launching the fintech brand Zelle.

[00:38] Introducing Rosie Corvo

[02:29] Components of Strategic Planning

[07:21] Adapting to Rapid Fire Change

[14:28] Human Capital Investment Strategies

[23:46] Pause and Rise Above

[28:52] This Simple Leadership Exercise will Change your Business

[33:08] The Lightning Round

According to Rosie, strategic planning has three phases. You begin the process by thinking about the future of the business. How do you add value for your stakeholders? How do you stay relevant in the future? Once you’ve answered those questions, move on to capacity assessment. Evaluate whether the available resources are enough to fulfill your set goals. Finally, the last step is prioritization. With the finite resources, focus on specific tasks that will serve the growth of the business.

A strong strategic plan not only considers the business, but also the people. With the advent of digitization, globalization, ESG, and COVID-19, the environment is nothing like before.

Change is happening at a rapid fire pace, it’s crucial to equip employees with skills that can keep them and the business moving forward. It’s equally important to reduce turnover rate to avoid knowledge gaps within the organization.

Studies have shown that effective leadership training decreases turnover rate by almost 77%. People yearn for purposeful work. Knowing these facts, seize the opportunity to develop more leaders. Provide coaching or group coaching not just for executives, but for everyone. Coaching small teams can help deepen bonds and facilitate transfer of wisdom from different departments.

Another way is to create an unconventional learning structure. For example, you can do something as simple as pairing leadership development with an initiative. Form a small cohort of emerging leaders and ask them to list areas of improvement for the company. A simple project like that can benefit the business greatly by instilling a sense of camaraderie, confidence, and purpose.

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.

Sue Covelli-Buntley is joined today by Kim Sandifer, a Lead HR Business Partner at HALO Solutions and most recently held the position of Vice President, HR Business Partner to C-Suite and Senior Leaders at CNA Insurance. She is a Human Resources executive with a consistent track record of enabling business results by delivering value added HR Consultation. Kim has over fifteen years of experience as a business partner connecting talent strategies to business outcomes and ensuring HR processes and programs are practical, deliver value and create a great employee experience.

[00:30] Introducing Kim Sandifer

[05:22] Setting Boundaries and the Meaning of Work-Life Integration

[11:45] How to Set Boundaries

[23:23] Learning Through Others, Creating Dialogue, and Doing Well at Work

[40:50] Lightning Round

[46:51] Closing Notes

Kim doesn’t believe in work-life balance. Instead, she believes in balance as integration. Achieving work-life integration is a journey; each phase of the journey may feel different and how you go about attaining balance or equilibrium in your life looks different at every stage. Setting boundaries is a way to go about establishing that integration and can look very different for each of us as individuals. The paradigm of work-life balance 20 years ago was about perfection: you could be a working mom and juggle so many balls at the same time, which created a false perception of work-life balance. Kim looks at integration as self-reflection for our own personal idea of success “how do you focus where you need to focus and be present where you need to be present throughout the day?"

Putting boundaries in place allows us the mental capacity to be present in whatever we’re doing, whether in our work or in our personal life. Kim believes that when we don’t set boundaries, we can't show up as our best selves because of stress and exhaustion. She advises two things: first is to let go of myths such as working long hours to "prove" success. The second is letting go of the mindset that a perfect means having a perfect life. As a mom herself, what’s important is the time spent with her partner and children. Boundaries offer protection and freedom to achieve personal and career goals.

Another mental model that Kim advocates for is knowing that you have a tribe you can reach out to for help. Among companies, there is a fear of having an open dialogue because leaders feel unable to give options or solutions to their peoples’ problems. For Kim, the solution comes from the dialogue. These solutions can look different in every organization and is not a one-size-fits-all but if organizations don’t know what’s going on, they can’t help people to figure out which solutions to put in place.

Kim advises to keep asking questions and challenging one another, because that’s the only way we can help each other step back and rethink possibilities. One of the things Kim is most grateful for is that she can see things differently and expand her thinking, and she predicts that the conversation around integration and work-life balance is going to look so different in the years to come. Forget the whats: how do we get it done?

Gratitude is extremely critical for mental health and just being grounded, centered, and graceful is something we need to be as well as to provide more for each other. If we can come from a place of grace and assume positive intent, it ends with better outcomes. When having difficult conversations, if you assume positive intent and give people grace, if you can look at the situation through a different lens, and Kim thinks that this mindset can help us progress better as human beings.

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.

UpSpiral Leadership’s Rebecca Braitling Interviews Mykala Sandifer. Mykala is the Director of Inclusive Programs and Talent Development for the Kansas University Alumni Association, where she leads DEI&B as a strategic partner focused on community building to connect all Jay Hawks to the university with an intentional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also works closely with senior leadership on issues surrounding organizational development to improve culture and organizational effectiveness. She is also a member of various diversity committees.

[00:42] Introduction of Mykala Sandifer

[01:52] Mykala’s past experiences with diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

[07:16] True definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion

[10:12] The importance of of celebrating pride month with true intentions

[22:02] Leadership traits that create a more inclusive environment

[27:18] Get to know Mykala and Lightning Round

[36:00] Around the UpSpiral: Limiting beliefs about DEIB and how to reframe it

Mykala began her career in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging based on her past experiences and childhood activities. She discusses her past work environments wherein she used her skill sets to see perspectives of different people with various personalities. She built personal relationships with others based on their own personal intersectionalities. Mykala’s experience as a competitive dancer in childhood gave her the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. Her dance director emphasized the foundation of community and enjoying the culture and experiences of others, which piqued Mykala’s interest in sociology and DEI&B.

With different interpretations of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Mykala enumerates the true definition of DEI&B. To her definition, diversity is appreciating the uniqueness of each individual and that not everyone is the same. She elaborates that equity is giving people what they need and that it is not the same as equality. Inclusion, for her, is having the intention to get people involved in order to alleviate biases.

In Mykala’s perspective, it is important to celebrate pride month to honor the historical struggles and barriers the LGBTQ+ community has faced. Gender and sexuality discrimination isn’t as apparent as racial or ethic discrimination. The pride movement is an effort to create a space for awareness, education, and honoring lives lost within that community. To be an authentic and intentional ally, Mykala advises us to lean into our allyship and take action rather than just saying that we support pride. It helps to have ongoing, uncomfortable conversations regarding gender and sexuality in order to challenge ourselves and create meaningful change.

Mykala advises leaders who want to create a more inclusive environment for their organizations to follow 4 steps. First is through humility; leaders must acknowledge that they do not know everything and are open to learning from their peers and colleagues. Second is psychological safety, which allows a space to show up as themselves without negative consequences. Third is to model what they are trying to embed in their culture by shifting away from old models of leadership.

Mykala believes that the one leadership trait our world needs most is humility. In a generation where people are afraid to speak up out of fear of being wrong or insensitive, Mykala advises that humility is the key to communicating that we are all still learning. Though she has never met Denzel Washington, Mykala finds Denzel to be thoughtful and intentional in his interviews or interactions with others. She strives to mirror this intentionality as a way to communicate with emotional intelligence. What Mykala wishes for the world at this point is to heal, especially after a series of tragedies that have recently occurred across the nation.

Poyee Chiu of UpSpiral Leadership interviews Faith Hassel. Faith currently serves as the Lead Community and Customer Manager at National Grid. Both Faith and Poyee volunteer and serve as Officers and Board of Directors for the Leadership Forum Community.

[00:30] Introducing Faith Hassell
[04:41] Faith’s Perspective on Change
[10:09] The Impact of Faith’s Handbell Choir
[14:58] Faith’s Challenges
[22:05] Faith’s Advice and Lightning Round
[31:09] Mindset Reset: “Conflict is scary and holds us back from progress”

A story that really highlighted her journey of change was how Faith used to be a handbell choir ringer since she was ten years old which she loved and still loves doing. When she was in high school, her school didn’t have a handbell choir, so she decided to start her own by collecting her girlfriends and petitioning the school board to buy them handbells. They went around to local nursing homes, libraries, retirement convents for nuns. What she loves about handbell choir is that it shows how important teamwork is—if one person is missing, they could still play their song, but they could be missing crucial tones to make the song happen.

Faith is glad that she took the chance to create her own handbell choir. Though she believes she wasn’t the perfect leader and would have done things differently now, she can look back on it and be amazed that she created it along with her friends, gave back to her community, and performed in front of people who have never heard of handbells before. Her advice to the listeners is to take that step, whether or not they hear that voice that’s talking down on you, change the dialogue in your head, take a leap of faith, give it a chance. It also helps to be surrounded with a group of people who support you, like Faith’s family which Poyee calls “collective leadership”.

Some of the challenges that Faith faces are internal. Leaders are very quick to find their own flaws but it’s very easy to point out all the great things in other people. It’s a challenge to have all these internal thoughts and Faith thinks it’s okay to recognize these thoughts, but not believe them and have people remind you of your strength and the good that you do. Faith looks up to other leaders and groups and tries to identify the things that could apply to her and help move her along as a leader.

The leadership trait that the world needs most is love. As a religious person, Faith thinks that so many things create love and love is many things. If you lead with love, that will be able to change the world. The person that best embodies this trait for Faith is her friend and mentor who she finds is always patient, kind, always lends a hand, always slow to anger, and embodies everything that love is. She also believes that the smallest thing can change leadership and starting something that you’re passionate with can grow and create a community, which creates leadership. As long as you take a leap of faith and step outside your comfort zone, there’s an everyday opportunity for everyday leadership. Seizing those moments that are presented to you, you will see yourself grow as a leader and see that you are making meaningful change happen.

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.

Sue Covelli-Buntley and Poyee Chiu of UpSpiral Leadership interview Bill Hunnex. For the past 30 years, he has been focused on improving organizations through behavioral management training and TQM. Bill’s belief that courageous dialogue stems from authentic human connection has really shone through in the training programs that he’s done for companies like Wall Street, American Express, and TIME Magazine.



[00:42] Introducing Bill Hunnex

[06:09] Learning from and Stepping Up to Career Transitions

[15:15] How to Start Courageous Dialogues

[20:50] Changing the Culture of MMBB

[28:35] Lightning Round: A Series of Brief Questions

[38:21] Mindset Reset: “It is only worth having courageous conversations with those you know and trust most”



Bill has had a very colorful career transitioning from healthcare to community work and to corporations. In every new role, he has accepted unfamiliar challenges and tasks. Moving to New York proved to be one of the best life decisions he’s ever made. He had the opportunity to learn from diverse people and to adapt to new environments. It was in all these changes that Bill learned the most about himself.

When Bill introduced management training to organizations, he emphasized listening skills⎯the core of courageous dialogue. People are so preoccupied about their own responses in a conversation that they fail to really hear each other out. To start courageous dialogue, we must learn to connect with each other on a personal level. Let the other person know that they’ve been heard.

During his time at the Missionaries and Ministers Benefit Board (MMBB), Bill was tasked to improve the organization’s culture. At the time, MMBB had strong ties to its customers but had an authoritarian management style and inefficient operations. The organization needed to cultivate a supportive environment. Bill modeled the behavior that he wanted to see more of: he was respectful and attentive in every interaction. Next, he changed systems. Personal incentive goals were all published, thereby promoting transparency. To address problems, Bill encouraged the members to focus on what could be improved. Blaming others was unproductive. In fact, he even asked for more complaints so that issues could be resolved.

According to Bill, the leadership trait that the world needs the most is forgiveness. You cannot lead if you do not forgive others. Similarly, you must also forgive yourself. Acknowledge your mistakes and then move on. Everyone has the ability to forgive. We all have our own grudges and regrets but we try to rise up from them every day.

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.

Sue Covelli-Buntley and Poyee Chiu of UpSpiral Leadership interview Anne Hunnex. She has had a long and successful career transforming the work culture of numerous organizations. As a firm believer in leadership development, Anne also serves as the Leadership Forum Community’s treasurer even in her retirement.

[00:31] Introducing Anne Hunnex

[03:25] Anne’s Passion for Creating Change

[10:00] Finding Your Voice and Using It for Good

[15:32] Getting Things Done with Empathy and Kindness

[19:12] How to Create Leadership Opportunities for Others

[22:26] Discovering other People’s Strengths & Purpose

[24:45] Waterfall to Agile IT Transformation

[26:37] Lightning Round: A Series of Brief Questions

[33:42] The Flip: “It is Too Late to Invest in Leadership Development”

[36:28] Leadership Forum Summit

Early on in Anne’s career, she experienced firsthand how some work environments can be so damaging. She recalls how she had to deal with a leader who often berated the other employees. Because this leader had so much experience and expertise, nobody dared to speak out against her. Instead of turning a blind eye, Anne approached human resources regarding her abusive actions. HR set up a meeting for them and provided counseling to correct the leader’s destructive behavior.

Anne’s act of courage helped strengthen the bond between her and her team because she had their back and was willing to advocate for them. At this moment, Anne realized that her voice could indeed make a difference. It wasn’t long before the other employees started becoming more outspoken in the workplace.

Anne also learned from this experience how to address the undesired behavior. To truly change behavior, you need to get to the root cause. After identifying the reason for it, assess if you can do anything to address it. Seeking to understand others is the first step to helping them. Every interaction is an opportunity to help or to hurt. Choose to do the former. Remember that words leave a lasting impact whether you realize it or not.

Anne believes that each person is capable of becoming a leader. It’s just a matter of providing leadership opportunities to more people. Leadership is a skill that gets better the more we are able to practice it. It’s never too late nor too early to learn. The opportunities to grow are endless. By encouraging leaders from all backgrounds, we are allowing them to use their talents for good.

But how do we recognize what each other’s talents are? We must get to know people on a deeper level. Ask questions, engage in activities outside of work, and interact in new social environments. Be genuinely curious about their passions and hobbies. If you build enough trust in a relationship, people will be willing to share more about their personal lives. Engaging with others gives us a more accurate picture of who they are and challenges our initial assumptions about them.

Visit the Leadership Forum Community website to learn more about their events and programs. Don’t forget to sign up for their free leadership trainings! Reach out to Anne on LinkedIn or on her personal website. 

For more information on becoming an excellent leader, visit the Upspiral Leadership Website, and remember to tune in to our next episode.