Lead With YOU! by CCBD

Dr. Nicole R. Robinson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • COURSES

A Podcast for Academic Leaders Welcome to Lead With YOU!, a podcast by Cultural Connections by Design (CCBD) created for academic leaders who are ready to lead with intention, courage, and culture-centered clarity. Hosted by leadership strategist and former academic leader Dr. Nicole R. Robinson, this podcast is your weekly space to reflect, grow, and realign. Whether you’re navigating a new role, driving institutional change, or simply trying to lead with more purpose in the midst of complexity—this show is for you. Each episode explores the real challenges of leadership in higher education through personal stories, practical tools, and candid conversations rooted in CCBD’s signature frameworks—including the proprietary 4 P’s: People, Place, Process, and Power. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment. Because lasting change starts with YOU!Subscribe, tune in, and lead with us—see you there!

Episodes

  1. 08/06/2025

    "New" Doesn't Just Mean New

    In this episode of Lead With YOU, Dr. Nicole R. Robinson explores what it truly means to navigate a leadership transition. It’s not just about starting a new job or stepping into a new title — real transition involves shifts in identity, culture, expectations, and internal alignment. Nicole unpacks the hidden emotional and organizational layers leaders face in their first months and why misreading the culture you inherit can stall your momentum before you even begin. Whether you’re new to a leadership role or supporting others through change, this episode offers a powerful reframe on how to move through transition with intention and clarity. Key Topics: Why most transitions fail before strategy even startsThe difference between role change and identity shiftHow culture shapes — and sometimes resists — leadershipWhat to notice, name, and navigate in your first 90 days

    6 min

  2. 07/23/2025

    Leadership Transition: The One Thing New Academic Leaders Forget to Do

    Episode 2: The One Thing New Academic Leaders Forget to Do Lead With YOU Podcast | Hosted by Dr. Nicole Robinson In this episode of the Lead With YOU podcast, Dr. Nicole R. Robinson dives into one of the most overlooked components of academic leadership transitions: culture. Newly appointed Deans, Chairs, Provosts, and other higher ed leaders are often coached to conduct listening tours, schedule stakeholder meetings, and learn the ropes during their first 90 days. But there’s one crucial step most forget—understanding the culture they’ve just stepped into. Nicole shares a powerful story from her own leadership journey, offers a framework to decode institutional dynamics, and explains why even the best strategies will falter if they land in a culture that’s misaligned, wounded, or unready. What You’ll Learn Why the first 90 days of leadership are a critical window—and how most leaders waste itWhat “culture” really means in a higher ed setting (spoiler: it’s not your mission statement)The 4 P’s Framework of Academic Leadership:  People – How relationships and informal influence shape progressPlace – Why institutional history and environment matterProcess – The reality of how things actually get donePower – The visible and invisible forces that dictate who has voice and agencyA real story of a brilliant leader whose initiatives failed—not because they were wrong, but because the culture wasn’t readyHow to begin scanning your own institution using Nicole’s 4 P’s Reflection WorksheetResources & Tools 4 P’s Reflection Worksheet:  Start assessing your current leadership environment using CCBD’s signature framework. → Download hereExplore the ASCENT Leadership Program: A powerful transition support experience for academic leaders entering new roles or leading change. → Learn more at www.ccbydesign.org/ascentQuotable Moments “Culture doesn’t introduce itself at the door—it sits quietly, watches, and then… it resists.” “If you can name the culture, you can lead within it—or lead it in a new direction.” “Culture resists not out of spite—but out of memory.” “Leadership isn’t about how well you perform—it’s about how well your work lands in the system it enters.” “The first 90 days aren’t about proving yourself. They’re about understanding what you’re stepping into.” Tune In If You’re… A newly appointed Dean, Chair, or ProvostA mid-career leader trying to reset your leadership approachStruggling to get traction in a new or changing roleTired of well-intended advice that skips over the real complexity of campus lifeCurious about how to lead with more clarity, strategy, and cultural alignmentSubscribe & Share Love what you heard? Make sure to: -->Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, or your favorite app -->Leave a review to help more leaders find us. -->Forward this episode to a colleague navigating a leadership transition Connect with Nicole ·      Website: www.ccbydesign.org ·      LinkedIn: Dr. Nicole R. Robinson ·      Email: nicole@ccbydesign.org

    45 min

  3. 07/16/2025

    It’s Finally Here: Done, Not Perfect

    I almost didn’t hit record. Like many academic leaders, I wanted it to be polished, perfectly timed, and perfectly executed. But then I remembered the kind of leadership I believe in—and the kind I teach. In this very first episode, I’m sharing why I stopped waiting for perfect and chose to begin anyway. You’ll hear the real story behind this podcast, the moments that almost derailed it, and what it means to lead with honesty, clarity, and courage—even when things feel messy. If you’ve ever held back because something wasn’t “ready,” this one’s for you. Let’s lead out loud—imperfectly but intentionally.

    9 min
  • 3 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

A Podcast for Academic Leaders Welcome to Lead With YOU!, a podcast by Cultural Connections by Design (CCBD) created for academic leaders who are ready to lead with intention, courage, and culture-centered clarity. Hosted by leadership strategist and former academic leader Dr. Nicole R. Robinson, this podcast is your weekly space to reflect, grow, and realign. Whether you’re navigating a new role, driving institutional change, or simply trying to lead with more purpose in the midst of complexity—this show is for you. Each episode explores the real challenges of leadership in higher education through personal stories, practical tools, and candid conversations rooted in CCBD’s signature frameworks—including the proprietary 4 P’s: People, Place, Process, and Power. This isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment. Because lasting change starts with YOU!Subscribe, tune in, and lead with us—see you there!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Nicole R. Robinson
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Lead With YOU! by CCBD
  • Show Website
    Lead With YOU! by CCBD