Inspirational Leadership for People Managers, Executives & HR Leaders Kristen Harcourt

Did you attend the 2024 Workhuman Live conference? The conference was brimming with meaningful conversations and impactful sessions. It was also a whirlwind of insights, laughter, and profound moments.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I invite Angela Champ on the show to discuss our individual experiences at the Workhuman conference. Workhuman is committed to the intentional curation of sessions for deep dives into key issues without overwhelming attendees, creating space for genuine connections. It also fosters a community of like-hearted individuals dedicated to reshaping work into a place of purpose and value.
Listen in to learn the importance of understanding cultural differences in communication and leadership styles to encourage collaboration and prevent conflicts in diverse workplaces. You will also learn about AI governance, updating language to empower employees, the Queen Bee Syndrome, and more.
Key Takeaways:
The importance of understanding cultural differences in communication and leadership styles.
The value of in-person interactions for building community amidst a technology-dominated era.
The Queen Bee Syndrome, the scarcity mindset that causes it, and how women can thrive at work without competition.
The importance of governing the impact of AI decisions to prevent irreversible harm in the workplace.
How modern leadership emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and co-creation to support employee growth and well-being.
Standout Quotes:
“If you’re feeling dysregulated and exhausted, how are you going to have the mental energy to address AI and where it’s coming from? So, it’s important to start to look for ways to be regulated.”– Kristen [13:23]
“We, HR, are the ones to direct how people will use technology and not let technology dictate how it will use us.”– Angela [14:32]
“With this whole AI environment, what we need right now are not the knowers in the room; we need the learners in the room, we need people who are going to listen and be open and ask different questions.”– Kristen [17:03]
“The beauty of a conference like Workhuman or any conference or session you attend is that there’s no point in going if you’re not going to take something away and apply it to your work or life because otherwise, you’ve just gone for a good time.”– Angela [27:30]
𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟱-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲, 𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗧𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁: www.kristenharcourt.com

How do you foster diversity and inclusion to drive positive organizational change? Imagine a workplace where every voice is celebrated, and everyone feels a sense of belonging. In an empowered workplace, everyone can take ownership of their journey toward equity and inclusion and feel supported.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Viva Asmelash (she/her) about creating psychological safety in the workplace, plus the systemic change needed in organizations. Viva is a passionate workplace consultant and certified inclusion strategist specializing in forward-thinking employee engagement, equity-centered strategic planning, values-driven branding, and critical team conversations. Viva’s professional purpose is to create environments where people feel truly seen and are inspired to be their best and most authentic selves. As the co-founder of Liberation Labs, she proudly co-designed the first-of-its-kind Culturally-Aware Feedback Training™. She also co-authored the viral 2023 Harvard Business Review article, Creating Psychological Safety for Black Women at Your Company.
Listen in to learn the importance of understanding how individuals’ past experiences influence their behaviors and interactions at work. You will also learn the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion work on everyone in your organization.
Key Takeaways:
The need for organizations to invest in culture-building for equitable workplaces.
The importance of shifting from individual actions to systemic changes to create psychological safety in the workplace.
The importance of manager training and development for creating inclusive leadership.
The role of HR departments in advocating for employees’ best interests within organizations.
The qualities of an inspiring leader include commitment to self-growth and developing others.
Standout Quotes:
“It’s understanding historical context and having an awareness around it, and unless you’re willing to do that, you shouldn’t be calling yourself a leader unless you’re willing to approach it with a sense of cultural humility.”– Viva [18:33]
“When you’re paying more attention to improving your policies with the most marginalized in mind, you inevitably make things better for everybody else at the same time.”– Viva [23:41]
⇢ Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/VivaAsmelash

What are your important goals, and are you willing to take the time to achieve them? Reaching your full potential requires an investment, but most of us are stuck in an instant gratification mindset. The truth is, it is through the process of working towards your goals that you feel meaning, purpose, and satisfaction.
In this solo episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, Kristen discusses how to identify what’s important to you and take the necessary action steps to achieve those goals. She explains the importance of understanding that big goals take time, persistence, commitment, and dedication, not solely focusing on instant gratification.
Listen in to learn how to stop self-sabotaging by allowing self-limiting beliefs to take over when good things happen, plus how to overcome the upper limit problem.
Key Takeaways:
How the process of working towards your goals gives you meaning, purpose, and satisfaction.
How to identify what’s important to the lifestyle you want to create and stop limiting yourself in terms of what’s possible.
How to change old patterns of self-sabotage by lasting longer in the uncomfortable to develop new patterns.
How to take small steps towards achieving your goals and becoming who you want to be.
Standout Quotes:
“Success comes from a lot of consistent hard work, focus, and commitment that a lot of times is happening in the background.”– Kristen [00:56]
“If you can get really clear about what those dreams are and start to challenge yourself, you’ll realize how often your mind and thoughts can hold you back from achieving amazing things you never thought possible.”– Kristen [03:44]
⇢ Let's connect! I love hearing from my community. Learn more about my programs and services at www.kristenharcourt.com

Are you aware that your leadership style is rooted in your past traumatic experiences? Many leaders are operating from a place of distracting themselves from experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions. But to become a more centered, rooted, grounded, and well-resourced leader, you must do the work needed to heal your trauma experiences.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Kelly L. Campbell (they/she) about healing traumatic experiences to become a better leader. Kelly speaks and writes about trauma, leadership, and consciousness— “The New TLC.” The author of Heal to Lead (Wiley, April 2024), Kelly, is a Trauma-Informed Leadership Coach to emerging and established leaders who know they are meant for more. Kelly’s vision is to empower more than half of humanity to heal its childhood trauma so that we may reimagine and rebuild the world together.
Listen in to learn the importance of curiosity and exploring different practices to help you find what works to heal and integrate your trauma. You will also learn how, as a leader or organization, you can support your team by doing things that positively impact their health.
Key Takeaways:
How addressing and healing your past traumatic experiences can lead to conscious leadership.
The importance of experimenting with different practices to find what works for you to integrate your trauma.
How to do the healing work to become a centered, rooted, grounded, and well-resourced leader.
How to support your team in ways that will impact their emotional, physical, mental, and psychological health.
Standout Quotes:
“The more centered, more grounded, and the more resourced we are, we can show up in a way that might influence the people who haven’t done healing work.”– Kelly [19:22]
“When it comes to healing and integrating trauma, you don’t know what’s going to work for you until you try it.”– Kelly [25:23]
⇢ Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/KellyLCampbell
 

Are you ready to let go of the drama and restore sanity in the workplace? Drama in the workplace is a time and emotional waste, but with tools like self-reflection and accountability, it can be eliminated.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Cy Wakeman about how the ego works, embracing self-reflection, and diffusing drama in organizations. Cy is a drama researcher, New York Times best-selling author, and 2023 World’s #1 Leadership Guru who is recognized for her Reality-Based approach to leadership. Backed by over 25 years of unparalleled experience partnering with top brands spanning all industries, Cy’s philosophy offers a modern approach to leadership in which employees and managers alike can deliver better results with less drama, higher engagement without entitlement, and more happiness in even the most challenging workplace realities. Cy’s avid fanbase online has surpassed 250,000 followers.
Listen in to learn about drama in the workplace, the five sources of drama, and how to clear up drama in an organization. You will also learn the difference between self-reflection and venting and how to evolve and give opportunities for self-reflection.
Key Takeaways:
The importance of questioning your thoughts to stop your ego from controlling your life.
How to clear up drama in an organization by getting out of verbal communication and self-reflecting.
How to get into a place of neutrality by naming whatever comes your way as an unpreferred reality and changing the story.
The importance of understanding and articulating your needs as a leader to avoid working on the wrong thing.
The power of doing profound inner work to be able to lead with love and be a great leader and or team member.
Standout Quotes:
“Surrendering is as simple as naming whatever came your way as neutrally as possible as an unpreferred reality.”– Cy Wakeman [24:30]
“I am convinced that very little needs to change in my world for my world to change; all of what needs to change is my thinking.”– Cy Wakeman [29:08]
“It takes a lot of evolution to move through the world lovingly because you can’t move through the world lovingly if you haven’t done your inner work.”– Cy Wakeman [42:37]
⇢ Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/PodcastCyWakeman
 

How do you lead with empathy and build a team of people that align with your core values? When you support and add value to your team without micromanaging them, you enhance their efficiency and productivity, and they become your best brand ambassadors.
In this episode of the Inspirational Leadership podcast, I speak with Julie Cole about her entrepreneurship journey and the effectiveness of the results-only work environment (ROWE) culture. Julie is a recovered lawyer, a mom of six, and co-founder of Mabel’s Labels. She is also a published author, keynote speaker, engaged community member, and winner of countless entrepreneur awards. In Julie’s latest book, Like a Mother, she shares her inspirational stories and lessons learned through parenting her lively crew of kids and building a multi-million-dollar business with her co-founders.
Listen in to learn how leading with empathy while still holding boundaries can help you hire right and retain employees. You will also learn how to integrate your work and life by knowing your needs, asking for help confidently, and owning your boundaries.
Key Takeaways:
How to build a results-only work environment that gives people the freedom to be effective managers.
The power of having an empathetic leader who holds boundaries in retaining employees.
How to understand and establish your boundaries and respect your time as a leader for work-life integration.
The importance of knowing your needs, getting clear about your boundaries, being confident when asking for help, and being less of a people-pleaser.
How to make giving back part of your core values, plus how powerful it can be for your brand.
Standout Quotes:
“You have to get uncomfortable being comfortable because as soon as you think you know what you’re doing, you experience growth.”– Julie [08:36]
“Everything about business is personal, particularly your team, and if you create support and build an incredible team of people who align with your core values and lead with empathy, then they will stick with you and be your best brand ambassadors.”– Julie [35:50]
⇢ Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/JulieCole