The Virtuosity Podcast

Virtuosity Character

Every choice builds character. On the Virtuosity Podcast, we explore how to make every day a rep toward excellence. Dr. Corey Crossan, your host and co-founder of Virtuosity, began in sport, where she discovered that strengthening character didn’t just improve her performance—it transformed her entire life. Since then, Corey has been gripped with understanding how we can intentionally build character to fuel both personal and professional success. At Virtuosity, we believe character is like a muscle—it needs consistent training. That’s why we’ve built a research-based system that acts as your character gym, making character development practical, scalable, and accessible—even within the largest organizations. On this podcast, we sit down with participants from our flagship Virtuosity program, where individuals commit to a full year of daily character development, powered by Virtuosity. Our guests will share why character matters to them, how they’re applying it in their personal and professional lives, and the insights they’ve gained along the way. We hope these conversations challenge, inspire, and equip you with new ways to integrate character into your own journey. Subscribe to stay up to date with our weekly episodes, and if something resonates, share it with your friends and colleagues.

  1. Leadership in Medicine with Dr. Jacqueline Torti

    12/24/2025

    Leadership in Medicine with Dr. Jacqueline Torti

    Send us a text What does character have to do with leadership in medicine—and why are competencies alone no longer enough? Dr. Jacqueline Torti, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Western University, joins Corey for a grounded conversation on character-based leadership in health professions education. She explores how character shows up in small, often unseen moments that shape trust, teamwork, and patient care. A central focus of the episode is Jacqueline’s work leading a year-long character-based leadership course for medical residents—later expanded to early-career physicians due to overwhelming demand. She shares why residents were craving space, psychological safety, and community, how the course created meaningful connection in fast-paced clinical environments, and what surprised her most when studying its impact.  🧠 What you’ll hear:  🔥 Why character elevates clinical competence rather than competing with it  🏥 How a year-long character-based leadership course created connection, reflection, and demand across medical training  🤝 What research revealed about community and belonging as key outcomes of character development  ⚖️ How Jacqueline responds to skepticism and pushback around character in medicine  ❤️ Personal reflections on parenting, habituation, and sustaining character across contexts Resources • Sultan et al. (2019). Leadership development in postgraduate medical education: a systematic review of the literature. Academic Medicine, 94(3), 440-449. (https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/abstract/2019/03000/leadership_development_in_postgraduate_medical.37.aspx) •  Torti et al. (2022). Perspectives on physician leadership: the role of character‐based leadership in medicine. Medical Education, 56(12), 1184-1193. (https://asmepublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/medu.14875) •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e293 About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    46 min
  2. Blueprints For Better Leadership with Sonia Zouari

    12/19/2025

    Blueprints For Better Leadership with Sonia Zouari

    Send us a text What does character have to do with public service leadership, national infrastructure, and long-term stewardship? Sonia Zouari—Chief Architect at the Department of National Defence—joins us for a powerful, deeply human conversation on why character is the stabilizing force leaders need in a VUCA world. Drawing on 25+ years across architecture, sustainability, policy, and public service, Sonia shares how character transforms technical expertise into service, how it shapes decision-making under pressure, and why leadership today demands deliberate inner work. From mission-ready infrastructure to parenting, aging parents, and daily leadership choices, Sonia illustrates how character shows up not in grand gestures, but in the small moments that quietly shape trust, culture, and outcomes. 🧠 What you’ll hear:  🔥 Why technical excellence alone cracks under pressure—and how character turns skill into lasting impact  🧭 “How do I want to be as a leader now?” — the question guiding Sonia’s transition into the Chief Architect role  🏗️ Why the hardest challenges in infrastructure and public service aren’t technical, but human  ⚖️ How integrity shifts from a concept to a daily practice through humility, temperance, and judgment  🛠️ The power of micro-practices: naming virtues in real time, habit stacking, and creating steadiness in high-pressure systems  ❤️ How character-based leadership extends beyond work—to parenting, elder care, and showing up with presence rather than pressure This episode is a masterclass in character as a habit of being—one that enables leaders to navigate ambiguity, steward public trust, and create environments where people can bring their best, even when the stakes are high. Resources •  Connect with Sonia Zouari on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniazouari/) •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    50 min
  3. Mission Critical Leadership Imperative with Phil Desmarais

    11/25/2025

    Mission Critical Leadership Imperative with Phil Desmarais

    Send us a text What does character have to do with military leadership and operational readiness? Lieutenant-Colonel Phil Desmarais—Commanding Officer of the Canadian NORAD Space Detachment—joins us for a pioneering conversation on why character is mission critical in today’s CAF. Drawing on 25+ years in air and space operations, he shares how his team is implementing daily character development across a dispersed unit, what this work demands of leaders, and why what got you here won’t get you there. 🧠 What you’ll hear: 🔥 Why people who rely on you “deserve a better version of you”—and why Phil refuses to stay static as a leader 🧭 “Who are you becoming while you’re busy doing?” — the guiding question anchoring his leadership ⚔️ Why character is an operational advantage, not a soft skill—especially in a world of global instability 🧩 The pioneering initiative: a train-the-trainer model + Virtuosity’s daily development + defence-specific application 🛠️ How behavioral forecasting became rocket fuel for his team—especially when preparing senior leaders for high-stakes strategic engagements Resources  •  Canadian Armed Forces Ethos : Trusted to Serve (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/canadian-armed-forces-ethos-trusted-to-serve.html) •  Fighting Spirit: The Profession of Arms in Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/fighting-spirit.html) •  Behavioural Forecasting in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/06/25/behavioral-forecasting-a-foundational-practice-to-navigate-the-world/) •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    1h 5m
  4. The Partnership Advantage with Mark Chow and Kelly Kiel Garramone

    11/14/2025

    The Partnership Advantage with Mark Chow and Kelly Kiel Garramone

    Send us a text What does partnership have to do with character development, leadership, and lasting change? Kelly Kiel Garramone—CEO and Research Practice Lead at KRW International—and Mark Chow—a Singapore-based consultant, coach, and global leader—join us to explore how partnership can accelerate growth and make character development come alive. As total strangers on opposite sides of the world, they entered the Virtuosity Program and turned its “partnership” feature into what they now call central to their growth experience. What began as a simple pairing evolved into a friendship built on curiosity, accountability, and shared reflection—proof that even across distance, character connects. 🧠 What you’ll hear: 🤝 How intentional partnership became the core engine of their Virtuosity experience 📅 The weekly cadence, life-story exercise, and reflection-sharing that deepened trust and insight 🌍 How two people—from Singapore and Washington—built a friendship rooted in curiosity and accountability 💡 The character dimensions that made it work: accountability, collaboration, integrity, humility, and courage ⚖️ Why judgment became their integrating center for real-life choices 💬 Their best advice for building partnerships that accelerate growth—starting with choosing someone outside your inner circle 🌱 Why partnership transforms character from something personal into something relational and alive Resources  •  KRW International (https://krw-intl.com/) •  Life Story Exercise by KRW International (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/73df68bc-3dbc-451a-8528-e4ea5c669362.pdf) •  River of Life Exercise by Trainings (https://trainings.350.org/resource/river-of-life/) •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    51 min
  5. Crafting Culture: Leadership & Selection with Mélanie Bergeron

    09/26/2025

    Crafting Culture: Leadership & Selection with Mélanie Bergeron

    Send us a text What does character have to do with public service, leadership, and organizational culture? Drawing on years in government, HR leadership, and the Virtuosity Program, Mélanie shows how character isn’t an abstract idea but a practical lever for courage, accountability, and culture change—whether you’re “acting” in a temporary leadership role or redesigning how organizations hire. 🧠 What you’ll hear: 🔥 Why leadership is about “going first”—and why even whispers from leaders sound like shouts 🕸️ How context stresses different dimensions (humility at the top, courage at the base) 🦸 Why Spider-Man’s “with great power comes great responsibility” is more than a comic line 🧭 The questions leaders should ask: not “What do I do?” but “Who do I want to be?” 👥 Why courage is the most under-activated dimension in employees—and how leaders can spark it 🏛️ The culture–character link: why change feels like pushing a boulder uphill (and how momentum builds) 🗣️ Simple but powerful practices—like team character mapping and everyday conversations—that seed transformation 📝 Inside character-based hiring: why it’s vulnerable, harder than it looks, and worth it ⚖️ How to deliver tough results in character interviews with empathy and integrity 📊 Why internal candidates who “fail” raise vital questions about development vs. succession planning 📲 How Virtuosity’s habit-stacking helps translate lofty virtues into lived micro-moments 🌱 Practical advice for newcomers: start small, keep it simple, and build as you go Resources  •  Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)   •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    1 hr
  6. Teaching the Whole Engineer with Elisabeth Arnold Weiss

    08/29/2025

    Teaching the Whole Engineer with Elisabeth Arnold Weiss

    Send us a text What does character have to do with engineering, education, and the future of tech? Everything. Elisabeth Arnold Weiss—associate professor of technical communication at USC Viterbi, character-education innovator, and former acrobat(!)—joins us to explore how character isn’t an “add-on” to engineering, but the accelerant that makes trustworthy technology and resilient people possible. Drawing on 25+ years teaching engineers, athletics-forged grit, and fresh insights from the Virtuosity program and Wake Forest’s Educating Character Initiative, Elisabeth shows how to weave virtues into packed curricula, high-stakes industries like aviation, and everyday life—from studios to classrooms to parenting. 🧠 What you’ll hear:  🧬 Why character is intrinsic to being human—and to practical wisdom and judgment  🎬 How stories (and great films) mirror character transformation  🏗️ Why tech’s speed & power demand human-centric engineers we can trust  ✖️ The formula: Competence × Character = Trust (and faster ethical decisions)  🏋️ Athletics as a forge for humility, courage, discipline—and high-performance mindsets  🧱 The “tight curriculum” problem—and Elisabeth’s fix: broad infusion across courses, labs, and co-curriculars  🧭 New USC initiatives: a Freshman Academy character module, the Engineer-23 milestone framework, TEAM (Teaching Engineers Athletes’ Mindset), industry exemplar talks, and “Keys to Life” purpose walks  🛫 Inside aviation safety: linking leader character to communication, culture, and mortal-stakes decisions  📲 How Virtuosity’s daily habit-stacking made character a lived operating system (not a lecture)  👩‍🏫 Why educators must practice what they teach—and model growth in public  👪 A surprising parenting takeaway: candour and consistency as acts of integrity If you care about building trustworthy tech, teaching the next generation, or simply growing your own judgment in a machine-shaped world—this conversation will both ground and stretch you. Resources •  Educating Character Initiative (https://leadershipandcharacter.wfu.edu/eci/) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    1h 14m
  7. Where Coaching Meets Civic Life with Adelle Wapnick

    08/08/2025

    Where Coaching Meets Civic Life with Adelle Wapnick

    Send us a text What does character have to do with democracy, coaching, and personal growth? Everything. Adelle—a top global executive coach, founder, and scholar—joins us to explore how character is the foundation not only for strong leadership, but for shaping systems, transforming democracies, and sustaining coaching relationships. With decades of experience leading culture and strategy in South Africa, Adelle reflects on what Nelson Mandela taught the world about leadership character—and how we can carry that legacy forward. 🧠 What you’ll hear:  🇿🇦 Why character is essential to building a healthy democracy—especially in younger nations  🤝 How executive coaching can be a powerful system-level tool for transformation  📉 What institutional weakness teaches us about the need for individual integrity  🧭 Why Mandela’s leadership was a masterclass in humility, humanity, and drive  🔄 The contagious nature of character—and what happens when leaders model it well  📱 How the Virtuosity program helped Adelle confront her blind spots around consistency  🧩 The surprising depth behind “simple” virtues like candour and accountability  ⚖️ How character can recalibrate us in moments of pressure and conviction  💡 What it means to bring the coaching lens into everyday conversations If you’re a coach, a systems thinker, or simply someone navigating complexity—this conversation will challenge and inspire your own journey toward character. Resources   •  Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)   •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    50 min
  8. Culture Transformation From Within with Jennifer Bitz

    06/13/2025

    Culture Transformation From Within with Jennifer Bitz

    Send us a text What does it take to drive real culture transformation in large, complex organizations—especially from the inside? Jennifer Bitz—public sector leader, systems thinker, and long-time practitioner of character-based leadership—joins us to share how she’s been reshaping culture across four major institutions by embedding character at every level. 🧠 What you’ll hear: 🏛️ How character is the foundational piece in culture change—not an add-on 🌐 Why lasting transformation requires both individual and systemic development 📍The surprising importance of intuition in system-level change 🪞 How culture is shaped by what leaders model (even when they’re unaware) 🎖️ Why rewards and recognition can be a powerful leverage point for shifting culture 🔁 What happens when awareness is paired with daily development ⚖️ Why “too much of a good thing” can derail a culture 💬 How character-based diagnostics reveal what values statements can’t 📱 The impact of the Virtuosity app—even for a seasoned character leader If you're working to align culture, leadership, and performance—this conversation offers practical insight and deep inspiration. Resources   •  First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ)   •  Diagnosing and strategically implementing a character-based culture (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ltl.20898)   •  Character Quotient Assessment in Forbes (https://www.forbes.com/sites/marycrossan/2025/03/26/from-good-to-great-10-ways-to-elevate-your-character-quotient/)   •  Leader Character Framework with Culture, Virtues, and Vices (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/organization/storage_production_6e2934b8-3e20-47a7-aa79-59a612f967be/990340a0-9980-4919-9456-ab5640b405a0.pdf) About Virtuosity • Website (https://virtuositycharacter.ca/) • Monthly Newsletter (https://mailchi.mp/virtuositycharacter/subscribe-to-the-virtuosity-monthly-newsletter) • LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtuosity-character) • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/virtuositycharacter/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) Host, Dr Corey Crossan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreycrossan/), is a research and teaching fellow at The Oxford Character Project where she develops and facilitates character development programs for students, industry, and university partners. Corey’s love for elite performance developed as she competed in top-level athletics for most of her life, highlighted by competing as a NCAA Division 1 athlete. Corey translated her understanding of elite performance into a passion for helping individuals and organizations develop sustained excellence. She is also the co-founder of Virtuosity Character, a mobile software application created to support the daily, deliberate practice of character-based leadership development.

    58 min

About

Every choice builds character. On the Virtuosity Podcast, we explore how to make every day a rep toward excellence. Dr. Corey Crossan, your host and co-founder of Virtuosity, began in sport, where she discovered that strengthening character didn’t just improve her performance—it transformed her entire life. Since then, Corey has been gripped with understanding how we can intentionally build character to fuel both personal and professional success. At Virtuosity, we believe character is like a muscle—it needs consistent training. That’s why we’ve built a research-based system that acts as your character gym, making character development practical, scalable, and accessible—even within the largest organizations. On this podcast, we sit down with participants from our flagship Virtuosity program, where individuals commit to a full year of daily character development, powered by Virtuosity. Our guests will share why character matters to them, how they’re applying it in their personal and professional lives, and the insights they’ve gained along the way. We hope these conversations challenge, inspire, and equip you with new ways to integrate character into your own journey. Subscribe to stay up to date with our weekly episodes, and if something resonates, share it with your friends and colleagues.