Leadership Lab: Confidence Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Career Growth for Women Leaders

Jamie McKinney | Author, Executive Coach, & Women's Leadership Development Guide
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Leadership Lab is the leadership development podcast for female mid-level managers and emerging women leaders ready to trade self-doubt for confident, authentic self-leadership. Hosted by Jamie McKinney, a former C-Suite leader in male-dominated industries turned executive coach, each episode delivers warm, practical tools built around emotional intelligence, Positive Intelligence, and unshakeable confidence. Then practice and apply what you learn inside the community at jamiemckinney.com/lab.

  1. -7 h

    Assertive vs. Aggressive: A Female CEO's Playbook for Being Direct

    Women are often told to be clear, confident, and decisive, then questioned the moment they are. Cyre Mercedes Quiñones knows that tension well, and she has built her leadership around proving that direct does not mean aggressive. The CEO of iMasons joins Jamie McKinney on Leadership Lab to unpack assertive vs. aggressive communication, the line so many ambitious women feel they're constantly walking, and how getting it right changed the way she leads. Cyre opens up about growing up in the Bronx with two parents struggling with addiction, the shame she carried for years, and the mentor who told her that trust is built through authenticity, not polish.That single piece of advice reshaped how she leads. The episode covers courage vs. confidence in leadership, the real difference between bluntness and directness, and why imposter syndrome showed up even on the path to the CEO seat, and how she moved through it anyway. Cyre shares the phrase that changed how she shows up in every hard conversation, and why authentic leadership for women looks nothing like the loud, armored version so many of us were taught to perform. She also breaks down the difference between directness and bluntness, the distinction so many women mislabel as assertive vs. aggressive. If you have ever wondered whether being fully yourself and being taken seriously can coexist at the executive level, this episode is your answer. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Cyre Mercedes Quiñones, CEO of iMasons 03:19 Navigating Shame Without a Roadmap 05:43 Choosing Authenticity Over a Corporate Performance 09:39 How Vulnerability Helped Cyre Build Trust at Work 12:02 Assertive vs. Aggressive, The Difference Between Directness and Bluntness 15:44 Redefining Executive Presence Beyond Loud and Hard 33:06 Coach vs. Mentor, Building Your Support Network 34:39 Why Courage Comes Before Confidence 38:10 Leading Through Divorce and Personal Tests 41:11 Rehearse Till It's Verse, Beating Imposter Syndrome 43:11 The Vision for iMasons and What Comes Next About Cyre Mercedes Quiñones: Cyre Mercedes Quiñones is the Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), a leading global nonprofit professional association dedicated to advancing digital infrastructure for the benefit of people and the planet. With more than 15 years of experience spanning technology, business strategy, and digital infrastructure, Cyre has built a reputation as a transformational leader who brings together industry, government, and communities to solve some of the sector's most pressing challenges. Her leadership has been recognized globally, including being named the inaugural recipient of Data Center Dynamics' (DCD) Data Center Woman of the Year in 2023 and one of HITEC's Top 100 Hispanics in Technology. Cyre is passionate about building digital infrastructure responsibly—championing sustainability, community partnership, workforce development, and inclusive leadership. As CEO, she is positioning iMasons as the industry's trusted neutral convening authority and bringing together leaders across the digital infrastructure ecosystem to accelerate collaboration and deliver measurable, lasting impact for responsible infrastructure advancement around the world. Links: iMasons State of the Digital Infrastructure Industry - Annual Report 2025 Connect with Jamie McKinney: jamiemckinney.com/lab  How to Have a Difficult Conversation FREE Resource Join the Leadership Laboratory Community Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    48 min

  2. 27 juin

    Positive Intelligence for Women Leaders: How to Name Your Saboteur and Take Back Control

    The voice telling you you're not ready? It has a name. And you can stop it. Positive Intelligence for women leaders is the framework Jamie McKinney wished she had found sooner. She found it at the lowest point of her life, and when it worked where everything else had failed, she knew it had to be part of the Leadership Lab. Through the story of Sydney, a driven and capable woman who spent 11 months rehearsing a conversation with her boss and never had it, Jamie breaks down why the gap is rarely about skill. It's about thought patterns. And thought patterns are completely changeable. She introduces PQ, the mental fitness framework that sits underneath both IQ and EQ, and explains why it's the most malleable of the three. You'll learn how to spot the saboteur voice in your head, how to measure where you stand with a PQ Score Assessment, and how to use a five-step operating system to stop reacting and start responding. Sydney's score went from 23 to 74 in three months. Same woman, same job, same boss. Different mental operating system. This is the episode for anyone who knows they're capable of more but keeps getting in their own way. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Your Mindset Is the Real Career Barrier 02:26 How Negative Thoughts Work (And Why You Have More Power Than You Think) 04:53 Sydney's Story: When Self-Doubt Blocks Career Growth 07:19 What Is Positive Intelligence for Women Leaders 09:45 How to Read Your PQ Score 11:53 How Sydney Went from a 23 to a 74 in Three Months 14:19 PQ Reps: Your Mental Fitness Workout 32:56 Saboteur vs. Sage: Hyperachiever and Stickler Compared 37:40 The Five-Step PQ Operating System 41:03 How to Hear Your Saboteur and Steer It 45:25 Take the Free PQ Score Assessment and Saboteur Quiz Connect with Jamie McKinney: Take the PQ assessments Visit Jamie's website Follow Jamie on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    49 min

  3. 20 juin

    Emotional Intelligence: The Leadership Skill Nobody Taught You

    Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the gap holding most ambitious women back - not IQ, not strategy, not credentials, not work ethic. Host Jamie McKinney believes EQ is the leadership skill almost no one was taught, and it's quietly keeping talented women from the next step in their careers.  The good news? EQ is a skill. You can learn it and grow it. Through the story of Kate, a high performer who landed a major promotion and then quietly started to unravel, Jamie shares why emotional intelligence is the foundation most leadership programs skip. She breaks down the two pillars of EQ you have the most control over, plus four shifts you can use before your next high-stakes moment. The episode also digs into why EQ beats IQ as a predictor of leadership success, and why that gap keeps widening. As AI takes over more of the cognitive work, emotional intelligence becomes the skill that keeps you relevant and hard to replace. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What a Weighted Vest Teaches Us About Emotional Intelligence 07:12 Growing Into a Bigger Role and Why Discomfort Is Normal 09:33 What No One Ever Taught Us About Emotions and Leadership 11:52 The Four Pillars of EQ and Where to Start 14:10 Why EQ Outperforms IQ in the Age of AI 16:28 The Difference Between a Real Threat and a Perceived One 21:10 The Hidden Cost of Low EQ on Your Career and Your Team 23:31 Curiosity vs Judgment: The Identity Shift That Changes Everything 25:58 How to Use Your Emotions as Data Points Instead of Liabilities 28:10 Shift 1: Name the Vest Before High-Stakes Moments 30:20 Shift 2 and 3: Separate Fact From Fear and Regulate Before You Respond 32:46 Shift 4: The Curiosity Move That Keeps You in the Driver's Seat 35:13 Kate's Turning Point and the Free EQ Assessment Connect with Jamie McKinney: Visit the Leadership Lab website Follow Jamie on Instagram Take the EQ Quiz Listen to the previous episode - Identifying and owning your gifts Book references: (1) The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher (2) Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI by Aneesh Raman and Ryan Roslansky Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

    40 min

  4. 9 janv.

    Identifying and owning your gifts

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, labcats! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney dives into one of her favorite topics—uncovering and owning your unique strengths, gifts, and superpowers. Too often, especially for women, we downplay or overlook what makes us truly exceptional, assuming everyone has the same abilities. But as Jamie McKinney reminds us, the qualities and skills that come naturally to you are exactly what fuel your growth, your happiness, and your indispensability at work. Through inspiring stories, practical prompts, and actionable experiments, Jamie McKinney helps listeners recognize those “hit it to me” skills—the things you do with confidence, joy, and natural flair. Learn how to flex these strengths, build energy and resilience even during tough seasons, and communicate your value to managers and teams. Whether you’re looking to boost your leadership, create more visibility at work, or simply feel more lit up by what you do every day, this episode has the encouragement and tools you need to claim your superpowers and put them into action. Let’s get ready to name it, claim it, and bring your strengths to the forefront—because when you own what makes you brilliant, everyone wins!

    25 min

  5. 18/12/2025

    Financial well-being

    Welcome to episode 15 of the Leadership Lab podcast! In this special conversation, Jamie McKinney sits down with financial experts Kathleen Phillips and Chelsea Kessler to tackle a topic that is often overlooked in leadership circles: financial confidence and security. As women who grew up hearing that money talk was taboo, our hosts and guests break down those old paradigms to show how mastering your finances directly fuels your leadership skills and personal confidence. You’ll hear inspiring stories of women who transformed their financial lives, practical advice on managing debt and savings, the difference between saving and investing, and concrete steps for building a spending plan that feels both empowering and aligned with what matters most. Kathleen Phillips and Chelsea Kessler share the lessons they learned through their own life experiences, and reveal how working with a trusted advisor can offer clarity, confidence, and accountability - without judgment or complexity. Whether you’re single, partnered, just starting your financial journey or looking to refine it, this episode is packed with strategies and mindset shifts to help you take control of your money, and leadership future. Get ready to learn, experiment, and grow in both wealth and well-being! We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com.  Download your personal budget template here

    35 min

  6. 12/12/2025

    Leadership vs Management: Mindset Shifts Every Aspiring Leader Should Know

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, the podcast where leadership is approached as an experiment, and growth is the ultimate goal! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes Ryan Castle, co-founder of Level 10 Leaders - a global leadership development system praised for helping leaders focus on what truly matters. With stories from the front lines of leadership transformation, Ryan shares inspiring case studies of real-life mindset shifts, from turning around a “grumpy” team member to preparing organizations for explosive growth in unpredictable times. Jamie and Ryan dive deep into the crucial distinction between management and leadership mindsets, exploring how leaders can foster self-awareness, create space for others, and master both the strategic “big picture” and the nitty-gritty of execution. Ryan also opens up about his personal routines for managing stress and bringing positive energy to his team, while offering actionable advice for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. Whether you’re moving into a leadership role, wanting to build a stronger team, or just looking for inspiration to lead, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and encouraging stories. So get ready to pause, observe, choose, and take your leadership skills to the next level! https://www.level10leaders.com/ https://www.level10leaders.com/the-active-manager-book

    43 min

  7. 03/12/2025

    Impress Top Leaders: A Proven Checklist for Leading Efficient and Effective Meetings

    Welcome to the Leadership Lab! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney is joined by Jim Beilstein, Vice President of Global Operations and Supply Chain at Owens Corning’s insulation business. With over two decades of leadership experience across supply chain, manufacturing, and innovation, plus a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, Jim Beilstein brings a deep well of insight on what truly makes meetings productive. This episode dives into the art and science of leading high-stakes meetings, providing you with practical strategies, a proven preparation checklist, and real-world anecdotes. Whether you’re prepping to stand out in front of senior leadership or simply aiming to make every meeting an effective use of time, you’ll learn how clarity on outcomes, purposeful agendas, stakeholder mapping, and thoughtful preparation can transform workplace conversations. Tune in for leadership lessons inspired by golf, surprising data-driven meeting tips, and actionable ways to elevate your own executive presence. If you want to level up your next big meeting - or coach others to do so, this is the episode for you! Checklist for Meeting Preparation: 1. Have clarity on the outcome. 2. Map your stakeholders. 3. Organize pre-reads and send ahead.. 4. Anticipate your audience's questions. 5. Practice.  We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com. Use Promo code, PODCAST for $100 off of your membership at www.JamieMcKinney.com/lab

    44 min

  8. 25/11/2025

    From Stress to Strength: Transformative Nervous System Strategies for Leaders 

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, where practical leadership wisdom meets real-world application. In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes nervous system business coach Lindsay Troxell for an insightful conversation on stress, resilience, and how our bodies profoundly shape our leadership capabilities. Did you know that more than half of employees, and especially women, show up to work feeling stressed every day? That stress isn't just uncomfortable; it directly impacts our clarity of thought, quality of decisions, and how we respond under pressure. Lindsay Troxell, with over 20 years of experience coaching leaders in high-stress industries, reveals why regulating your nervous system is foundational to executive presence and sustainable high performance. Together, Jamie McKinney and Lindsay Troxell break down the science behind stress responses, explain how to identify when you're in a reactive state, and share simple, actionable tools, from breathwork to grounding exercises, to help you regain composure in tough moments. You'll learn why achieving your best isn't about pushing harder, but about cultivating internal safety and self-awareness. Whether you're leading a team or simply striving to bring your best self to work, this episode is packed with strategies to expand your resilience and unlock more authentic, effective leadership. So turn up the volume, grab your notebook, and get ready for an experiment in transformative self-leadership, right here in the Leadership Lab! We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com.  Referenced video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNipvSttDvr/?hl=en

    43 min
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À propos

Leadership Lab is the leadership development podcast for female mid-level managers and emerging women leaders ready to trade self-doubt for confident, authentic self-leadership. Hosted by Jamie McKinney, a former C-Suite leader in male-dominated industries turned executive coach, each episode delivers warm, practical tools built around emotional intelligence, Positive Intelligence, and unshakeable confidence. Then practice and apply what you learn inside the community at jamiemckinney.com/lab.

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