The Team Engagement Podcast

Shawn Richards
  • 4.3 (6)
  • Management
  • Updated Weekly

We discuss 5 questions in about 15 minutes because leaders know how to be concise! Questions are centered on team engagement and leadership principles for leaders of all experience levels.

  1. 1d ago

    Encourage Curiosity | Lilith Christiansen

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, Shawn Richards speaks with Lilith Christiansen, Founder and CEO of HumanGenuity, about psychological safety, curiosity, growth mindset, and emotional wellness. Lilith explains why leaders should actively invite dissent and different perspectives before making decisions. She also discusses the importance of providing context, maintaining consistent accountability, and ensuring leadership behavior matches what the organization says it values. For Lilith, cultivating a growth mindset starts with curiosity. Instead of focusing only on whether an experience produced the desired outcome, leaders can ask what they learned, what they might change, and how that experience can help them approach the next challenge differently.  What You’ll Learn:  Why leaders should actively invite dissent  How context helps teams understand and support decisions  Why consistency strengthens psychological safety  How curiosity creates opportunities for growth  Why setbacks can provide some of the best learning opportunities  Practical approaches leaders can use to support emotional wellness  How gratitude, rest, and reflection can strengthen leadership Connect with Lilith: Website: https://human-genuity.com More episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Curiosity #PsychologicalSafety #GrowthMindset #LilithChristiansen

    Encourage Curiosity | Lilith Christiansen

  2. Aug 13

    Get Up and Move | Rachel Franco

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, Shawn Richards speaks with Rachel Franco, Founder and CEO of Fail Smarter, about psychological safety, learning from failure, growth mindset, and emotional wellness. Rachel explains why innovation requires an environment where experimentation and thoughtful failure are accepted. She shares how leaders can strengthen psychological safety by modeling vulnerability, responding to ideas with curiosity instead of judgment, and measuring how safe people actually feel speaking up. Rachel also challenges leaders to examine whether they have a growth mindset toward other people, not just themselves. If leaders believe someone cannot improve, they may unintentionally stop giving that person the opportunities and feedback necessary to grow. When it comes to emotional wellness, Rachel recommends developing greater self-awareness, seeking support from peers, and remembering one very practical habit: get up and move. Even a short walk can help leaders manage stress and approach challenges with a clearer perspective.  What you'll learn:  Why psychological safety is essential for experimentation and innovation  How leaders can model vulnerability around mistakes and failure  Why curiosity is a better response than judgment  The importance of measuring psychological safety  How a leader's beliefs about other people's potential affect their growth  Why self-awareness and peer support matter for emotional wellness  How simply getting up and moving can help leaders reset and think more clearly Connect with Rachel: Website: https://www.fail-smarter.com/about LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelfranco More episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #GrowthMindset #FailSmarter #RachelFranco

    Get Up and Move | Rachel Franco

  3. Aug 6

    Are You a “Principled” Leader? | Ashley Gibson

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Ashley Gibson, psychotherapist, advisor, speaker, and Founder of Meaning in Practice, about principled leadership, psychological safety, burnout, and organizational behavior. Ashley explains why teams have a nervous system and how leaders influence that system through what they model, reward, and tolerate. She also discusses the importance of closing the gap between stated values and everyday behavior. The conversation explores how leaders can respond to failure without immediately assigning blame, why emotional wellness must be addressed at both the individual and organizational levels, and how principled leadership creates healthier teams. What You’ll Learn • How leaders influence the nervous system of a team • Why psychological safety begins with consistent behavior • How to close the gap between intention and impact • Why growth requires examining systems instead of assigning blame • How workplace structures contribute to burnout • What principled leadership looks like in daily practice About Ashley Gibson Ashley Gibson is a psychotherapist, advisor, speaker, and Founder of Meaning in Practice. After more than a decade as an executive and marketing leader, she transitioned into clinical work and now helps leaders and organizations understand burnout through an evidence-based, systems-level framework. Connect with Ashley Website: https://www.meaninginpractice.com Listen to more episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Podcast #PsychologicalSafety #WorkplaceCulture #AshleyGibson

    Are You a “Principled” Leader? | Ashley Gibson

  4. Jul 30

    Pull the Emotion Out of Leadership | Josh Troche

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, Shawn Richards sits down with Josh Troche, Founder of PedalStomper Productions and Co-founder of The Business Fix, to discuss psychological safety, servant leadership, growth mindset, and making better leadership decisions through honest communication. Josh shares why leaders should say the hard things, how asking "What do you need from me?" changes the leadership relationship, and why identifying opportunities others overlook creates lasting growth. He also explains why taking emotion out of difficult conversations leads to healthier teams and stronger leadership.  What You'll Learn  Why clarity is one of the greatest forms of kindness  How honest conversations build psychological safety  The servant leader's most important question  Why looking for gaps creates opportunities for growth  How separating emotion from reaction improves leadership  Lessons from Josh's early entrepreneurial experiences About Josh Troche Josh Troche is the Founder of PedalStomper Productions and Co-founder of The Business Fix. Through podcast production, business consulting, and leadership coaching, he helps organizations strengthen communication and develop practical, people-centered leadership. Connect with Josh 🌐 The Business Fix:  https://www.businessfixpodcast.com/ 🌐 PedalStomper Productions:  https://pedalstomperproductions.com 🎧 Listen to more episodes:  https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #ServantLeadership #PsychologicalSafety #TeamEngagement #LeadershipDevelopment #TheBusinessFix

    Pull the Emotion Out of Leadership | Josh Troche

  5. Jul 23

    The Power of "Yet" | Mickey Fitch-Collins, PhD

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Dr. Mickey Fitch-Collins, Human Skills Facilitator at Learnit, about trust, psychological safety, and developing a growth mindset. Mickey explains why trust is rooted in authenticity and consistency, how leaders can create psychologically safe teams by admitting mistakes, and why adding the word "yet" to limiting beliefs opens the door to continuous growth. She also shares why work-life integration and meaningful feedback are essential for emotional wellness in today's workplace.  What you'll learn: • Why trust is the foundation of psychological safety  • How "The Power of Yet" builds a growth mindset  • Why authentic leaders admit mistakes first  • The difference between work-life balance and work-life integration  • How regular feedback improves emotional wellness and team performance  • Why continuous learning helps individuals and organizations grow  Connect with Mickey: 🌐 https://www.learnit.com/author/mickey-fitch-collins 🎓 Free Learnit Trial: https://www.learnit.com/mickey 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickey-fitch-collins/ 🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Podcast #GrowthMindset #MickeyFitchCollins

    The Power of "Yet" | Mickey Fitch-Collins, PhD

  6. Jul 16

    Embrace the Beginner's Mindset | Claire Giovino

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Claire Giovino, Co-founder and CEO of InboxDone, about leadership, innovation, delegation, and the importance of maintaining a beginner's mindset. Claire explains how psychologically safe workplaces encourage people to share ideas, receive feedback in ways that work best for them, and contribute thoughtful solutions instead of simply pointing out problems. She also shares practical strategies for protecting emotional wellness through elimination, automation, and delegation.  What you'll learn: • How psychological safety encourages innovation  • Why leaders should embrace a beginner's mindset  • The value of bringing solutions with every problem  • How feedback preferences strengthen team relationships  • Why elimination, automation, and delegation improve emotional wellness  • Practical ways to create healthy boundaries and reclaim your time  Connect with Claire: 🌐 Website: https://inboxdone.com 📘 Hiring Playbook: https://inboxdone.com/playbook 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairegiovino/ 🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Podcast #GrowthMindset #ClaireGiovino

    Embrace the Beginner's Mindset | Claire Giovino

  7. Jul 9

    Stop Assuming...Start Communicating | Anya Cheng

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Anya Cheng, Founder and CEO of Taelor, about communication, psychological safety, and growth mindset. Anya shares leadership lessons from her experience at Taelor, Meta, eBay, Target, and McDonald’s. She explains why leaders should help people use their strengths, communicate openly, and stop creating stories based on assumptions. What you'll learn: • Why psychological safety does not remove accountability  • How leaders can help people succeed through their strengths  • Why growth mindset means starting before you feel fully ready  • How assumptions create emotional stress  • Why better communication supports healthier teams Connect with Anya: Website: https://taelor.style LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anyacheng 🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Podcast #Communication #AnyaCheng

    Stop Assuming...Start Communicating | Anya Cheng

  8. Jul 2

    Be In the Foxhole with Your Team | Mike Toguchi

    In this episode of The Team Engagement Podcast, host Shawn Richards speaks with Mike Toguchi, Chief Strategy Officer at Tectonic, about psychological safety, leadership communication, and why great leaders stay in the foxhole with their teams. Mike shares how transparency, accountability, and healthy dialogue help create stronger workplace cultures. He also discusses why leaders should encourage curiosity, support continuous growth, and maintain healthy boundaries that promote long-term emotional wellness. What you'll learn: • How transparency builds psychological safety  • Why leaders should be "in the foxhole" with their teams  • The value of accountability and healthy debate  • How to encourage a growth mindset through challenge and support  • Why emotional wellness depends on boundaries, relationships, and unplugging from work  • How AI should enhance human work rather than replace it  Connect with Mike: 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miketoguchi/ 🎧 Listen to more episodes: https://teamengagementpodcast.com #Leadership #TeamEngagement #Podcast #PsychologicalSafety #MikeToguchi

    Be In the Foxhole with Your Team | Mike Toguchi
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4.3
out of 5
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About

We discuss 5 questions in about 15 minutes because leaders know how to be concise! Questions are centered on team engagement and leadership principles for leaders of all experience levels.

Information

  • Creator
    Shawn Richards
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    350
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Team Engagement Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Team Engagement Podcast