PeopleFirst! with Morag Barrett

Morag Barrett & SkyeTeam
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Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing. We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

  1. Calm, Courage, and Command: The Human Side of High-Stakes Leadership with Lt. General Karen Gibson (Ret.)

    5D AGO

    Calm, Courage, and Command: The Human Side of High-Stakes Leadership with Lt. General Karen Gibson (Ret.)

    What does leadership look like when the situation is unclear, emotions are high, and everyone is waiting for you to make the next move? In this episode of People First!, I’m joined by Lt. General (Ret.) Karen Gibson, a leader who has guided teams through war zones, national emergencies, hurricanes, cybersecurity crises, and the aftermath of January 6 - experiences most of us hope will never appear on our calendars. Karen is living proof that no amount of technology or process ever replaces the fundamentals: clarity, steadiness, humanity, and the courage to act before you have the full picture. We explore: • The moment she realized leadership is always a human endeavor • Why timing and triage matter more than certainty • What most leaders get wrong about communication in crisis • The emotional toll teams experience after a major event • The practical skills leaders can build before the next “front-page moment” hits Her stories are gripping. Her lessons are generous. And her message is one every leader in today’s unpredictable world needs to hear.

    28 min
  2. Start With Who, Not Why: Why Knowing Yourself First is The Secret to Integrity and Authentic Leadership with Preston Poore

    FEB 2

    Start With Who, Not Why: Why Knowing Yourself First is The Secret to Integrity and Authentic Leadership with Preston Poore

    In this episode of People First!, Morag Barrett talks with Preston Poore—executive coach, author, and former Coca-Cola leader—about his new book, How Is Greater Than What: The Simple Formula for Success in Leadership. They discuss why how you lead matters more than what you accomplish, the role of identity and integrity in effective leadership, and how to stay grounded in a world shaped by technology and AI. In this episode, you'll learn: Why “start with who” might matter more than “start with why”The link between integrity, trust, and authentic leadershipLessons from Preston’s 30-year corporate careerHow faith, values, and self-awareness shape long-term successPerfect for leaders, managers, and professionals seeking practical insights on character, connection, and culture in the modern workplace. Learn More: https://prestonpoore.com/

    29 min
  3. The Seismic Shift in You: Why Connection Matters More Than Ever with Dr. Michelle K. Johnston

    JAN 21

    The Seismic Shift in You: Why Connection Matters More Than Ever with Dr. Michelle K. Johnston

    In this People First! episode, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow connection-evangelist Dr. Michelle K. Johnston — top executive coach, business professor, bestselling author, and now the voice behind The Seismic Shift in You. We dig into the uncomfortable truth:We’re more digitally connected than at any time in human history… …and yet more lonely, isolated, anxious, and burnt out than ever before. Michelle calls it a “crisis of disconnection” — one backed by global research, neuroscience, and the devastating health data shared by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. In this episode we explore: Why connection is a biological need — as essential as food and waterHow hybrid work, AI, and phone addiction are accelerating a global loneliness epidemicThe seven seismic shifts leaders must make — starting with shifting from what to whoWhy productivity without connection creates emptiness (Michelle’s newest mic-drop quote)How the calendar has become the biggest predictor of well-beingThe difference between communication and true connectionWhy leaders must intentionally design moments — not just meetingsThe wake-up call Michelle experienced when her daughter came home and said, “Mom, I haven’t seen you.”If you’re feeling stretched thin, disconnected, or suspicious that the “new normal” doesn’t feel normal at all… this episode will give you grounding and a path forward. Learn more: michellekjohnston.com The Seismic Shift in You now available everywhere books are sold.

    31 min
  4. The Truth About Employee Wellbeing: Why Engagement Failed — and What Leaders Must Do Instead with Mark C. Crowley

    JAN 5

    The Truth About Employee Wellbeing: Why Engagement Failed — and What Leaders Must Do Instead with Mark C. Crowley

    In this People First! conversation, I sit down with Mark C. Crowley — visionary leader, bestselling author, and longtime advocate for human-centered leadership — to unpack the big idea behind his new book, The Power of Employee Wellbeing. Mark spent 25+ years leading in financial services, disproving the myth that performance comes from pressure, control, and fear. His data-backed approach shows the opposite: people thrive when leaders care about them as human beings, not just producers. And wellbeing — not engagement — is the real lever. His personal story sets the stage: early trauma, an unexpected mentor who offered belonging, and a career built on giving others the support he never had . In this episode, he breaks down why wellbeing drives performance, why engagement surveys failed, and what leaders must do now. ⭐ What we cover: The emotional roots of human motivation — and why “thinking” has far less to do with performance than we assumeWhy engagement scores didn’t budge for a decade, despite billions spent on themThe simple, actionable wellbeing questions that uncover what actually improves performanceThe #1 driver of wellbeing — belonging — and why people quit teams, not companiesHow fear shuts down trust, innovation, and contributionWhat leaders get wrong about caring (“love your people” is not soft — it’s science)How to ask for honest feedback when your employees want to tell you you’re great (even when you aren’t)Why every leader must answer the question: Do your people feel they matter here?Mark’s message is blunt but hopeful: wellbeing is not a perk — it’s a performance strategy. And you don’t need a company-wide initiative to start changing outcomes. You can start today. 📗 Learn more about Mark: Website: markccrowley.com LinkedIn: Mark C. Crowley Books: The Power of Employee Wellbeing and Lead from the Heart

    32 min
  5. From Burnout to Bold Influence: Transforming Stress, Emotion, and Energy into Leadership Presence with Andrea Wanerstrand

    12/17/2025

    From Burnout to Bold Influence: Transforming Stress, Emotion, and Energy into Leadership Presence with Andrea Wanerstrand

    Most of us were taught to “check emotions at the door.”Turns out… your nervous system never got that memo. In this week’s People First! episode, I sit down with Andrea Wanerstrand, a leadership strategist and founder of A3 Culture Lab, who helps leaders shift from burnout to bold influence. We talk about: 💭 The three brains you bring to every conversation ⚡ Why awareness isn’t enough — and what to do with it 💬 How to show up with intention, even on the tough days Andrea’s insights blend neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and practical leadership wisdom in a way that makes you stop and think about how you feel at work — and how others feel around you. 🎙️ Tune in to hear how to reset your mindset, regulate your energy, and lead with authenticity. Learn more about Andrea:Website: https://a3culturelab.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand/

    27 min
  6. Permission To Be You: Discover Your Passion, Embrace Your Purpose, And The Life You're Meant To Live With Alaina Love

    11/10/2025

    Permission To Be You: Discover Your Passion, Embrace Your Purpose, And The Life You're Meant To Live With Alaina Love

    This week, Morag welcomes back Alaina Love—CEO of Purpose Linked Consulting, co-author of The Purpose Linked Organization, and author of the inspiring new book Permission to Be You. A former scientist and global HR executive turned leadership coach, Alaina blends psychology, purpose research, and personal storytelling to guide leaders and individuals toward lives of alignment, meaning, and authenticity. In this conversation, Alaina opens up about the decade-long journey of writing her new book, the courage it took to tell deeply personal stories, and the practical framework she developed—the Ten Passion Archetypes—that helps us understand what truly drives us. 🔑 4 Key Takeaways You Won’t Want to Miss: 02:30 — Permission Starts with YouAfter ten years and a few false starts, Alaina realized she needed to stop writing the book others expected—and instead write the one she was meant to create. The result? A deeply personal and universal guide to living a flourishing life. 06:00 — Purpose Is Personal, Not PrescribedBuilding on her earlier work The Purpose Linked Organization, Alaina turns inward—helping readers discover their unique passions and how they can navigate life’s pivotal moments with greater self-understanding and resilience. 14:00 — Discovering Your Passion ArchetypesFrom the Creator and Connector to the Healer, Transformer, and Builder, Alaina introduces ten archetypes that shape our motivations and strengths. Understanding your top three, she says, helps you find your flow—and your right environment for thriving. 19:00 — Nothing to Fix, Only to EmbraceUnlike many personality tools, Alaina’s model isn’t about deficits—it’s about self-acceptance. “Your passions are your passions,” she says. “They’re your natural colors. You don’t need to fix who you are—just understand and honor it.” 💡 This Episode Is for: Leaders, professionals, and anyone ready to stop living by others’ scripts and start leading—and living—from their authentic purpose and passions. 🔗 Where to Learn More: Permission to Be You — Available now in print, ebook, and audiobookPermissionToBeYouBook.com — Free toolkit and self-reflection resourcesThePurposeLink.com — Alaina’s corporate consulting and leadership development workConnect with Alaina Love on LinkedIn

    29 min
  7. The Science of Leadership: Nine Research-Backed Ways to Expand Your Leadership Impact with Margaret Moore, MBA & Jeffrey Hull, PhD

    10/27/2025

    The Science of Leadership: Nine Research-Backed Ways to Expand Your Leadership Impact with Margaret Moore, MBA & Jeffrey Hull, PhD

    In this special two-for-one episode, Morag welcomes back Dr. Jeffrey Hull—Executive Director at the Institute of Coaching, Harvard Medical School Affiliate—and leadership scientist and coach Margaret Moore, co-founder of the Institute of Coaching and CEO of Wellcoaches Corporation. Together, they unpack their new book, The Science of Leadership: Nine Ways to Expand Your Impact, a groundbreaking synthesis of 50 years of research distilled into nine evidence-based capacities every leader can grow. Blending neuroscience, behavioral science, and coaching wisdom, Jeffrey and Margaret reveal how to lead consciously, connect deeply, and transform not only your team but yourself. 🔑 4 Key Takeaways You Won’t Want to Miss: 05:30 — Why Nine? The Map of Modern LeadershipAfter analyzing over 15,000 research papers, Jeffrey and Margaret identified nine interconnected capacities—from consciousness and authenticity to compassion and transformation—that together form a holistic framework for lifelong leadership growth. 10:45 — The Roots of Leadership: Self Before SystemLeadership starts within. The first three capacities—Conscious, Authentic, and Agile Leadership—build the foundation for everything else by developing awareness, aligning values, and cultivating flexibility in thought, emotion, and action. 14:30 — From Self to Others: Relational, Positive & Compassionate LeadershipGreat leaders create connection and safety. Jeffrey and Margaret explore how empathy evolves into compassion—an active care for others and the systems they inhabit—and why true influence begins with resonance, not control. 18:40 — The Power of Shared, Servant, and Transformational LeadershipThe final three capacities challenge hierarchy and ego. Sharing leadership, serving others, and pursuing transformation require humility, courage, and an ever-evolving mindset. As Margaret says, “Transformation isn’t finding yourself—it’s expanding yourself.” 💡 This Episode Is for:Leaders at every level—from emerging managers to seasoned executives—who want to integrate science-backed practices with self-awareness, compassion, and purpose to elevate their leadership impact. 🔗 Where to Learn More: The Science of Leadership: Nine Ways to Expand Your Impact — Available nowInstituteofCoaching.org — Research, tools, and certification programsConnect with Dr. Jeffrey Hull and Margaret Moore on LinkedIn

    34 min
  8. Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Self-Awareness is the Foundation of Great Leadership with Magaret C. Andrews

    10/06/2025

    Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Self-Awareness is the Foundation of Great Leadership with Magaret C. Andrews

    This week, Morag sits down with Margaret Andrews—executive educator, Harvard instructor, founder of The MYLO Center, and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others. Drawing from her years teaching leadership and working with organizations like Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart, and the United Nations, Margaret offers powerful lessons on self-awareness, trust, and emotional intelligence as the true cornerstones of effective leadership. With personal candor, Margaret shares how one difficult piece of feedback became the catalyst for her research, her Harvard course, and ultimately her book—reminding us that the best leaders are always managing themselves first. 🔑 4 Key Takeaways You Won’t Want to Miss: 03:00 — Trust Is Built in NanosecondsTrust isn’t earned in years—it’s built (and broken) in moments. Margaret explains why “do what you say, say what you do” remains the ultimate leadership rule. 07:00 — Self-Awareness Starts with HonestyA painful but pivotal career moment taught Margaret that understanding herself was the first step to leading others. Awareness of how we impact people—and curiosity about how they experience us—is where leadership transformation begins. 13:00 — Aggressive Self-Rescue: Bouncing Back from SetbacksBorrowing from white-water rafting safety lessons, Margaret shares her philosophy of “aggressive self-rescue” for career challenges: pause, process, then act intentionally. 16:00 — Emotions Aren’t Soft—They’re StrategicEmotional intelligence, or “relationship skills,” isn’t optional. Margaret emphasizes that reading the room, owning your emotional state, and recognizing others’ cues are what distinguish leaders people actually want to follow. 💡 This Episode Is for:Emerging and experienced leaders ready to deepen self-awareness, build trust faster, recover from career missteps, and lead with humanity in hybrid workplaces. 🔗 Where to Learn More: Manage Yourself to Lead Others — Available nowMargaretAndrews.com — Resources and leadership insightsConnect with Margaret C. Andrews on LinkedIn

    29 min
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About

Welcome to SkyeTeam's People First! In this series, we explore the people side of successful business and careers. We all have a story to share, a leadership journey that we are experiencing. We'll be interviewing authors, business leaders, thought leaders, and people like you to uncover the latest ideas, resources, and tools to help you become more effective at work - and in life. As it turns out, the secret is cultivating winning relationships. Business is personal, and relationships matter!

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