The Well-led Podcast

WRKdefined Podcast Network
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

Where professionalism meets imperfection. The Well-led Podcast invites leaders to explore the space where the need to get results meets the reality of managing people. Discover how to demonstrate care, support, and grace for your team–because the workplace needs human leaders. https://www.one23ltd.com Formerly the comfy chairs podcast.

  1. 10h ago

    How leaders create safety at work

    Safety is not simply a workplace benefit. It is a pre-existing condition that makes authenticity, creativity, critical thinking, and strong performance possible. In this episode, Kate Johnson talks with Jessica Donahue, founder of Adjunct Leadership Consulting, about what physical, financial, and psychological safety look like at work—and why all three are under pressure. Drawing on Jessica’s experience as a trauma-informed workplace leader, they explore how past experiences shape present-day responses to uncertainty, organizational change, and the loss of choice. They also examine why authenticity should never require complete exposure, how autonomy helps people regulate their nervous systems, and why leaders must model the candor they expect from others. The conversation offers practical ways to foster safety, including setting clear boundaries, explaining business decisions, acknowledging what you do not know, responding constructively to mistakes, advocating for employees’ financial needs, and planning support for managers responsible for delivering difficult news. Listen for a thoughtful conversation about creating workplaces where people can learn, contribute, and do their best work without being asked to perform vulnerability or pretend that uncertainty does not affect them. The latest companion toolkit is available now. Request your copy at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers receive the monthly toolkit automatically, along with updates on new episodes, resources, and upcoming offerings from onetwentythree ltd.  Key takeaways Safety is a pre-existing condition for authenticity, creativity, critical thinking, and effective performance. Workplace safety includes physical, financial, and psychological safety. These forms are interconnected rather than separate. Authenticity does not require complete visibility or vulnerability. Being reserved can also be authentic. Leaders should not require employees to perform authenticity, vulnerability, or risk-taking to prove that they belong. When people feel threatened, their nervous systems make it more difficult to think critically, solve problems, and do their best work. Choice and autonomy can help restore a sense of control, particularly for people whose previous experiences involved having choices taken away. Leaders should distinguish clearly between the choices employees can make and the responsibilities that are part of their roles. Psychological safety grows when leaders admit mistakes, acknowledge what they do not know, and respond to problems without shame or punishment. Leaders should not make promises they cannot keep during uncertain circumstances. Honest limits are more trustworthy than false reassurance. Managers can support financial safety by understanding compensation systems, building relationships with decision-makers, and presenting credible business cases for their employees. Timestamps 00:00 Meet Jessica Donahue 01:10 A trauma-informed approach to work 02:23 Safety as a leadership skill 06:19 Authenticity can include holding back 11:40 Three forms of workplace safety 13:22 Why workplace safety is under pressure 21:21 Safety, stress, and performance 30:27 Restoring safety through choice 40:41 How leaders model psychological safety 50:33 Advocating for financial safety Keywords workplace safety, psychological safety, trauma-informed leadership, employee well-being, leadership transparency, workplace autonomy, financial safety, nervous system regulation, authentic leadership, organizational trust

  2. 6d ago

    How Leaders Create Psychological Safety

    What makes it possible for someone to admit a mistake at work? In this Other Voices episode of The Well-Led Podcast, Stephanie Lemek and Dr. Benjamin Ritter explore how psychological safety shapes the employee experience. Stephanie explains why leaders create safety by acknowledging their own mistakes, uncertainty, and imperfection. Benjamin considers the relationship between a supportive environment and the responsibility each person holds for exercising self-leadership. Together, their reflections show that psychological safety is more than avoiding conflict or telling people it is okay to fail. It allows people to speak candidly, take risks, ask questions, learn, contribute ideas, and work toward shared goals. You’ll learn: How physical, financial, and psychological safety affect employees Why leaders need to demonstrate—not merely declare—that mistakes are acceptable How psychologically unsafe cultures impose an extra tax on productive work Why safety supports creativity, learning, and collaboration How self-leadership can help people recognize and use the choices within their control If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month. Guest Information, listed alphabetically Stephanie Lemek is the Founder & CEO of The Wounded Workforce®, a consultancy reshaping how employers approach mental health, trauma, and resilience at work. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The Wounded Workforce's Center for Construction Mental Health™. Stephanie is a nationally recognized speaker and trusted advisor on trauma-informed leadership, bringing together research, practical strategy, and deep organizational insight to help leaders, HR, and frontline teams move from well-meaning to well-equipped. Stephanie Lemek, SPHR, MBA, CTSS, TIWP - Helping Organizations and Leaders Address Mental Health at Work | Founder & CEO @ The Wounded Workforce® | Building Trauma Informed Workplaces | Culture, Talent, & HR Expert | Coach | LinkedIn  The Wounded Workforce  The Wounded Workforce | LinkedIn  The Wounded Workforce's Center for Construction Mental Health™ The Wounded Workforce's Center for Construction Mental Health | LinkedIn  Dr. Benjamin Ritter is an executive leadership coach and keynote speaker based in Austin, Texas. For more than 15 years he has coached senior leaders at companies including Amazon, Google, DoorDash, Mayo Clinic, Pinterest, Coursera, Northwestern, and the CDC, along with next-generation leaders inside family-owned operating companies. He is the author of the Amazon best-seller Becoming Fearless, and The Uncrowned CEO, founder of Live for Yourself Consulting, and host of The Executive and Live Fearlessly podcasts. Dr. Benjamin Ritter - Executive Coach for CEOs, Founders & Next-Gen Family Business Leaders | You got the seat. Now make it yours. | Best-Selling Author, Becoming Fearless | ICF PCC | LinkedIn  Live for Yourself Consulting  Dr. Benjamin Ritter Key takeaways Safety is foundational. When people do not feel safe, it becomes difficult to direct their attention and energy toward anything else. Workplace safety includes physical, financial, and psychological conditions. Each influences whether employees can work, grow, and contribute fully. Leaders create psychological safety before someone needs it. Their everyday responses to mistakes, uncertainty, and imperfection establish what is genuinely acceptable. A lack of psychological safety drains energy from productive work. Employees spend time managing perceptions, rehearsing conversations, withholding questions, and navigating workplace politics. Leaders influence safety, but individuals retain some agency. Self-leadership can help employees move from blame toward clarity, responsibility, and constructive action. Timestamps 00:05 Safety as a leadership skill 01:52 Stephanie on three forms of safety 10:59 Benjamin on safety and self-leadership 16:28 Closing reflections and resources Keywords psychological safety at work, safety in leadership, how leaders create psychological safety, admitting mistakes at work, workplace culture, leadership vulnerability, employee trust, physical safety, financial safety, self-leadership, personal responsibility, employee engagement, workplace burnout, creativity at work, authentic leadership

  3. Sep 1

    How Leaders Create Safety at Work

    What does workplace safety mean beyond preventing physical harm?  In this episode of The Well-Led Podcast, Kate Johnson examines safety as a leadership skill—and as the condition that allows authenticity and creativity to flourish at work. We explore three forms of safety that human leaders must consider: physical safety, financial safety, and psychological safety. Kate connects each one to a practical leadership responsibility, from recognizing hazards and understanding compensation practices to responding constructively when mistakes happen. You’ll learn: Why safety involves both avoiding harm and protecting people from harm How physical safety acknowledges human frailty Why financial safety begins with understanding compensation and employee hardship resources How leaders create psychological safety through their responses to ideas, concerns, and mistakes Why authenticity and creativity depend on safety already being present Practical actions leaders can take to better protect their teams If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month. Key Takeaways Safety is not limited to policies that prevent physical injury. Leadership safety also includes employees’ financial security and their freedom to speak, question, experiment, and make mistakes. Physical safety requires leaders to recognize risk, understand human frailty, and take action to prevent or mitigate harm. Financial safety begins with acknowledging that employees’ basic material needs depend largely on the money they earn at work. Psychological safety is shaped by how leaders respond when employees offer ideas, raise concerns, or make mistakes. Authenticity and creativity cannot flourish without protection. Safety is the pre-existing condition that makes both possible. Human leaders address the consequences of mistakes without diminishing another person’s intrinsic worth. Leaders become champions of authenticity and creativity when they welcome employees’ attempts and failures with the same enthusiasm as their successes. Timestamps 00:03 Choosing grace through safety 00:54 Defining workplace safety 02:33 Safety as protection from harm 04:31 Physical safety and human frailty 04:53 Financial safety and basic needs 05:32 Psychological safety and human error 06:49 Why authenticity and creativity require safety 08:15 Practical actions for physical safety 09:06 Learning about financial protections 09:53 Responding constructively to mistakes Keywords workplace safety, leadership safety, human leadership, physical safety, financial safety, psychological safety, choosing grace, authenticity at work, creativity at work, employee protection, psychological safety at work, leadership skills, workplace hazards, compensation practices, employee hardship, responding to mistakes, human error, team trust, Amy Edmondson, leading well

  4. Aug 25

    Why Leadership Starts With Clarity

    The Well-led Podcast is on a break! Enjoy this replay as a means of refreshing and staying grounded in the work of human leadership. Clarity is one of the most practical leadership skills because it turns ideas into action. In this episode, Kate Johnson explores why clarity is the starting point for supporting employees and enabling performance. She explains how leaders create clarity in three key areas—purpose, communication, and relationships—and how doing so helps teams understand priorities, connect to their work, and move forward with confidence. The latest companion toolkit is available to request at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits and subscribers receive new resources automatically each month via the one23ltd newsletter. Key takeaways Clarity is the “mother skill” that allows other leadership skills to function effectively. Leadership development begins with care, but supporting performance requires practical clarity. Leaders must make purpose visible and actionable—not just talk about it conceptually. A simple question can unlock clarity of purpose: What is the purpose of what? Leaders need clarity about their own role, their organization’s mission, and their team’s contribution. Clear communication requires internal consistency between words, values, and actions. Employees experience communication as trustworthy when it is straightforward and reliable. Many workplace engagement issues trace back to a lack of clarity from leadership. Relationship clarity includes boundaries, connections, and organizational channels. When leaders illuminate purpose, communication, and relationships, they create the conditions for team success. Timestamps [0:00:02] – Introduction of clarity as the “mother skill” in leadership. [0:00:46] – Link between vulnerability (care) and clarity (support); preview of accountability and feedback. [0:01:53] – Identification of the podcast: “This is the Well Led Podcast, and I’m your host, Kate Johnson.” [0:02:21] – Etymology: clarity / claritas = brightness, metaphor of a leader “turning on a light.” [0:03:29] – Introduction of clarity of purpose and the question: “the purpose of what?” [0:05:15] – Practical exercise: three questions to clarify leader, company, and team purpose. [0:06:14] – Shift to clarity of communication and the two kinds of consistency (internal and experienced). [0:10:09] – Introduction of clarity of relationships (boundaries, connections, channels). Keywords leadership clarity, clarity in leadership, leadership communication, leadership purpose, employee engagement, leadership transparency, organizational communication, leadership effectiveness, workplace relationships, leadership development

  5. Aug 18

    How Leaders Develop Creative Thinking

    Leadership creativity is more than generating novel ideas. It is the thought work behind effective choice-making. In this Lesson for Effectiveness, Kate Johnson shares three practical activities leaders can use to strengthen creativity, examine problems from different perspectives, anticipate challenges, and make better-informed decisions.  If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month. Key takeaways Creativity grows when leaders make room for imagination without requiring an immediate practical outcome. Putting yourself inside an unfamiliar image can help you disconnect from everyday constraints and exercise creativity for its own sake. A pre-mortem uses prospective hindsight to identify the problems that could cause a project or event to fail. Imagining future success can help teams define meaningful achievements and translate them into action plans. Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats provides a structured way to consider facts, emotions, risks, benefits, alternatives, and the thinking process itself. A personal decision audit can help you examine choices, consequences, and lessons without creating a record of regrets. Timestamps 00:03 Leadership Creativity and Critical Thinking 01:18 Put Yourself in the Picture 02:55 Conduct a Pre-Mortem 04:25 Try Corporate Time Travel 05:01 Change Your Hat to Change Your Mind 06:29 Evaluate the Quality of Your Choices 07:18 Conduct a Personal Choice Audit 07:55 Use Journaling and Regular Reflection 08:38 Seek Guidance From a Mentor 09:31 Rational, Reasonable, and Empathetic Creativity Keywords leadership creativity, creative thinking, critical thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, pre-mortem exercise, Six Thinking Hats, perspective-taking, leadership development, reflective practice

  6. Aug 11

    How Leaders Create Creative Teams

    Creativity is often misunderstood as artistic talent or spontaneous inspiration, but effective leaders know it is something much more practical. Creativity is the ability to imagine new possibilities, solve problems, adapt to uncertainty, and create environments where innovation can flourish. In this episode, Kate Johnson is joined by Glory Lichon, Melissa Norcross, and Kristen Pavle and Dave Gorum of Play Into Being to explore what creativity looks like in everyday leadership. Together they discuss the role of self-trust, self-awareness, psychological safety, experimentation, collaboration, and play in creating workplaces where people feel safe enough to think differently. Rather than treating creativity as an individual talent, they describe it as something leaders intentionally cultivate through the environments they create, the questions they ask, and the freedom they provide for others to contribute their best ideas. Whether you're leading a department, building a business, or simply trying to think more creatively about the challenges in front of you, this conversation offers practical ideas for creating the conditions where better thinking—and better leadership—can emerge. Guest Information, listed alphabetically Dave Gorum is the Co-founder of Play Into Being, who has turned his aspirations of being an animator into a business designed to support creative founders. He describes his role as that of a Producer, informed by a core belief: Your project is alive and it chose you to come into being. The way you treat it is the way you treat yourself. Together with partner Kristen Pavle, Dave runs workshops, incubators, and 1:1 producing engagements to help founders navigate that vulnerable space where vision meets reality, without losing what makes the work alive in the first place. Dave Gorum | LinkedIn  Play Into Being  Play Into Being | LinkedIn  Glory Lichon is a founder, speaker, veteran, and mentor devoted to redefining how women lead. She is the co-founder and CEO of Glow Bright Therapy, a multi-state pediatric therapy organization, and the founder of Elevate Beyond Boundaries, where she guides women founders and leaders through embodied leadership, nervous system regulation, and aligned expansion. Glory also hosts The Embodied LeadHer podcast, where she shares honest conversations and reflections on leadership, identity, capacity, and self-trust for women who are ready to lead from a more grounded and aligned place. Glory Lichon - Glow Bright Therapy, LLC | LinkedIn  Glow Bright Therapy  Elevate Beyond Boundaries The Embodied LeadHer - Podcast  Melissa Norcross is the co-founder of Ad Lucem Group, an Executive Moderator at Collaborative Gain,, and co-author of The Intentional Executive, a purpose-driven playbook to transform leadership. She leverages her 20+ years as a strategy executive to coach and develop leaders who deliver extraordinary results while building highly engaged, collaborative teams.  Melissa Norcross | LinkedIn  Ad Lucem Group  Kristen Pavle is Partner and Co-founder at Play Into Being where she blends producing, community, and education to help creative leaders bring their visions to life. As a relational designer, her background is in co-creating community ecosystems that prioritize collaboration, innovation, and meaningful connections. The throughline is finding play in your work, leading from the spark within you.  LinkedIn profile: ⁠Kristen Pavle | LinkedIn⁠  ⁠Play Into Being⁠  ⁠Play Into Being | LinkedIn⁠  Key takeaways Creativity is not artistic ability; it is the leadership practice of imagining possibilities, solving problems, and making better decisions. Creative leadership begins with self-trust. Leaders who understand their values and purpose are better able to discern which ideas deserve attention. Self-awareness is essential because creativity flourishes under different conditions for different people. Leaders should intentionally create environments that support their own best thinking. Innovation requires psychological safety. Employees are far more willing to contribute ideas when they know mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn rather than reasons for blame. Failure and creativity are inseparable companions. Experimentation is only possible when people are free to discover what does and does not work. Leaders are responsible for designing environments—not controlling outcomes. The role of leadership is to create the conditions where creativity can emerge. Structure and creativity are not opposites. The most effective leaders balance clear expectations with enough flexibility to allow new ideas to develop. Well-designed prompts, thoughtful questions, and playful exercises help teams become more comfortable thinking creatively together. Creativity is collaborative. Leaders create better ideas by inviting multiple perspectives rather than relying solely on their own expertise. Choosing grace means giving people the room to explore, experiment, learn, and contribute without expecting perfection. Timestamps 00:00 — creativity beyond artistic ability 01:25 — self-trust and creative leadership 03:08 — creating the conditions for creativity 06:27 — why innovation requires failure 09:08 — designing creative workplaces 12:00 — psychological safety and vulnerability 15:09 — balancing creativity and business goals 20:19 — the leader's role in creative culture 22:26 — invitations, prompts, and psychological safety 26:58 — final reflections on creative leadership Keywords leadership creativity, creative leadership, creativity at work, critical thinking, innovation, innovation leadership, psychological safety, creative problem solving, workplace creativity, leadership development, self-trust, self-awareness, experimentation, learning from failure, organizational creativity, team innovation, leadership skills, creative culture, psychological safety at work, emergent design, enabling constraints, studio mindset, collaboration, workplace innovation, employee engagement, leadership podcast, The Well-led Podcast, Kate Johnson, choosing grace, creative teams

  7. Aug 4

    What Creativity Looks Like in Leadership

    What does creativity have to do with leadership? More than you might think. When many people hear the word creativity, they picture artists, musicians, or designers. In reality, and in leadership, creativity is something much broader and much more essential. Rather than artistic talent, leadership creativity is an expression of critical thinking: the ability to generate ideas, recognize the right ideas, and create the conditions where people can think, experiment, and solve problems well. Throughout the episode, you'll discover practical leadership behaviors that make creativity visible in everyday work, through thoughtful decision-making, wise problem-solving, and the willingness to give people room to learn and grow. If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month. Key takeaways Creativity is not artistic ability. In leadership, creativity is the practical expression of critical thinking that helps people discover and implement the best ideas. Strong leaders balance three kinds of creativity: rational creativity that explores ideas, reasonable creativity that tests ideas, and empathetic creativity that ensures ideas work for people. Experimentation should be expected rather than feared. Leaders who normalize thoughtful trial and error build stronger judgment, greater learning, and better long-term results. Creativity is ultimately about making space—for questions, reflection, mistakes, curiosity, and growth. Those spaces are often where grace becomes visible in leadership. Timestamps 00:00 Why creativity belongs in leadership 01:45 Creativity as critical thinking 03:05 Rational creativity: asking better questions 05:52 Protecting time to think 06:32 Reasonable creativity: experimentation and learning 08:02 Saying no to the first idea 08:39 Empathetic creativity: designing for people 10:05 How creativity becomes grace Keywords leadership creativity, creativity in leadership, critical thinking, critical thinking for leaders, creative leadership, leadership innovation, workplace creativity, creative problem solving, creative thinking, leadership skills, innovation in the workplace, leadership development, empathetic leadership, employee creativity, psychological safety, employee engagement, problem solving, rational creativity, reasonable creativity, choosing grace, leadership podcast, leadership effectiveness, workplace innovation, innovation culture, strengths-based leadership

  8. Jul 28

    Authentic Leadership in Practice

    Authentic leadership is not about revealing every emotion or lowering expectations. It is about accepting your humanity while remaining accountable for results.  In this episode, you'll learn why grace is a leadership discipline rather than leniency, how psychological safety supports learning instead of comfort, why accountability and grace strengthen one another, and three practical habits that help leaders create cultures where people can learn, improve, and perform at a high level.  If you would like practical tools that accompany conversations like this one, you can request the current free leadership toolkit at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits Subscribers to the onetwentythree ltd newsletter receive these resources automatically each month. Key Takeaways Grace changes a leader's response to mistakes without lowering expectations. Authenticity means accepting your humanity while remaining professional and accountable. Psychological safety exists to support learning, experimentation, and honest communication. Leaders create innovation by making thoughtful experimentation safe and expected. Self-compassion reduces perfectionism and strengthens resilience. Employees learn as much from how leaders respond to failure as they do from success. Accountability and grace work together to improve performance. Professionalism and imperfection are compatible. Admitting "I don't know" models courage and authenticity. Continuous improvement begins by asking, "What did we learn?" Timestamps 00:00 Grace is a leadership responsibility 00:50 What authentic leadership really means 02:08 Why psychological safety matters 03:17 Normalize experimentation and learning 04:11 Self-compassion improves leadership 04:57 Accountability and grace work together 05:55 Professionalism and imperfection belong together 06:53 Three habits of authentic leaders 08:02 Replace perfectionism with learning 09:58 Choose grace without lowering standards Keywords authentic leadership, leadership authenticity, psychological safety, accountability, leadership grace, self-compassion, continuous improvement, leadership development, workplace culture, human leadership

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Where professionalism meets imperfection. The Well-led Podcast invites leaders to explore the space where the need to get results meets the reality of managing people. Discover how to demonstrate care, support, and grace for your team–because the workplace needs human leaders. https://www.one23ltd.com Formerly the comfy chairs podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    WRKdefined Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    128
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved by WRKdefined
  • Show Website
    The Well-led Podcast