Leadership Rewired Podcast, Season 2

Leadership Rewired | Allison Allen

Leadership Rewired is a podcast for senior leaders navigating real organizational change — when decisions carry consequence, clarity is hard-won, and leadership feels heavier than usual. I’m Allison Allen, an executive advisor and change leadership partner who has spent more than two decades working alongside senior teams across global technology, media, and financial organizations. This podcast explores the realities of leading through complexity: leadership judgment, organizational clarity, trust under pressure, and the human dynamics that shape performance long before they show up in results. Episodes include: – Short, focused reflections on leadership blind spots and decision-making under pressure – Deeper conversations on culture, trust, burnout, and organizational resilience – Thoughtful discussions with CIOs, CPOs, and senior operators who’ve carried responsibility through real change Leadership Rewired isn’t about frameworks or performative leadership. It’s about clarity, steadiness, and leading well when the stakes are real.

  1. Containment vs Confidence: Which Actually Builds Better Teams?

    JAN 11

    Containment vs Confidence: Which Actually Builds Better Teams?

    Your team is watching you. The board wants certainty. And everyone is looking to you to make the tension stop. Most leaders think this moment requires confidence.It doesn’t.It requires containment. Leadership presence, executive leadership during change, and building strong teams under pressure are often misunderstood. Most leaders rely on confidence — but confidence alone doesn’t stabilize teams during uncertainty. Containment does. In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen breaks down the real difference between confidence and containment in leadership, and why leaders who can hold tension — instead of rushing to resolve it — build stronger, more resilient teams. Drawing from organizational psychology, executive coaching experience, and real leadership moments, this conversation explores: → Why confidence can actually reduce psychological safety → What leadership containment really is and why it matters during change → How anxiety spreads through teams when leaders can’t hold it → The emotional labor driving executive burnout → The difference between containing pressure and absorbing it → How senior leaders can build the capacity to lead through uncertainty without depleting themselves This is not leadership advice for beginners. It’s for senior leaders navigating organizational change, carrying strategic, emotional, and relational weight — often in silence. If you’re leading through uncertainty and wondering why confidence isn’t enough, this episode will put language to what you’re experiencing — and offer a more sustainable way to lead. 📌 Leadership Rewired is where we talk about what actually happens when you’re leading through complexity — not what’s supposed to happen. Hope you liked this audio. Subscribe for more. Coaching works; let’s work together. Sign-up up clarity call today with Allison (https://calendly.com/allison-mmxs/intros) Resources: https://leadershiprewired.com/resourcesThanks for watching. Special Note: Welcome to Leadership Rewired, where Allison Allen offers practical wisdom for leading change and fostering effective team culture in the workplace. This episode focuses on the critical role of leadership skills and effective leadership skills in navigating team dynamics, emphasizing the importance of observing leadership cues during decision making. Learn how to build strong teams and develop your leadership development strategies for lasting impact.

    16 min
  2. Why Leaders Think AI Solves Culture (They’re Wrong)

    JAN 11

    Why Leaders Think AI Solves Culture (They’re Wrong)

    Leaders are being told AI will fix culture. What it’s actually doing is exposing leadership — and the cracks people have been living with for years. AI is being positioned as the answer to culture problems — better engagement, better feedback, better trust, better performance. That belief is wrong. In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen breaks down a hard truth leaders need to hear: culture is not a technology problem — it’s a leadership one. AI doesn’t create psychological safety. It doesn’t build trust. And it doesn’t fix what leaders have avoided. What AI does do is expose what’s already there. Who speaks up. Who stays silent. Where stress hides behind performance. Where bias shows up in feedback. Where trust has quietly eroded. And here’s the risk: when AI surfaces the truth and leaders don’t respond, the damage accelerates. This episode is for CIOs, CPOs, and senior leaders adopting AI who want clarity instead of false confidence — and who understand that insight without action doesn’t build trust, it breaks it. Because AI can surface patterns. Only leaders can decide what happens next. 🎧 In this episode: Why AI doesn’t (and can’t) solve culture What AI is already revealing about your teams The danger of insight without leadership action How psychological safety is built — and broken Three commitments leaders must make when the truth becomes visible Hope you liked this audio. Subscribe for more. Coaching works; let’s work together. Sign-up up clarity call today with Allison (https://calendly.com/allison-mmxs/intros) Resources: https://leadershiprewired.com/resources Thanks for listening. Special Note: Welcome to Leadership Rewired, where Allison Allen shares practical wisdom for leaders. This episode addresses the current belief that "artificial intelligence" will solve cultural issues, emphasizing that real change requires "human centered leadership". Discover why "psychological safety" and "employee engagement" are critical, and how effective "leadership strategies" foster robust "effective teamwork" beyond technological solutions.

    8 min
  3. Ask, Don’t Tell: How Great Leaders Get Better Results

    12/15/2025

    Ask, Don’t Tell: How Great Leaders Get Better Results

    Leadership in crisis isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about building trust when certainty is gone. In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen explores what great leaders actually do during moments of crisis, disruption, and uncertainty — and why timeless leadership principles matter more than ever in today’s AI-driven, fast-changing world. Joined by Ken Fogarty, CEO of Dale Carnegie of Nevada and U.S. Navy veteran, this conversation looks at leadership through the lens of history, psychology, and real-world experience. From global disruption to organizational change, Allison and Ken unpack how trust is built through behavior, presence, and human connection — not authority or control. This episode is for leaders navigating: → Crisis and uncertainty → Rapid organizational change → AI disruption and hybrid work → Declining trust and engagement → Emotional fatigue at the executive level You’ll learn: → Why trust is the real leadership currency in crisis → What history teaches us about leadership under pressure → How great leaders build credibility when the future is unclear → Why human-centered leadership still wins — even as technology accelerates Chapters 00:00 Leadership in Crisis: Why Trust Matters Most 01:45 What History Teaches Us About Leadership Under Pressure 05:10 Why Trust Is Built Through Behavior, Not Titles 09:20 Leadership Lessons from Times of Chaos 13:30 Human-Centered Leadership in an AI-Driven World 18:10 Why Listening Builds Credibility Faster Than Authority 22:45 Psychological Safety and Trust in Uncertain Times 27:30 What Great Leaders Actually Do When the Future Is Unclear 32:10 Final Reflections: Leadership Is Still Human Because technology evolves. But leadership is still human. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music 🔗 Connect with Ken Fogarty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenfogarty/ 🌐 Dale Carnegie of Nevada: https://www.dalecarnegie.com/en/locations/nevada Subscribe for more. Coaching works; let’s work together. Sign-up up clarity call today with Allison (https://calendly.com/allison-mmxs/intros) Resources: https://leadershiprewired.com/resources Thanks for listening.

    50 min
  4. Why Most Leaders Never Reach Real Change

    11/26/2025

    Why Most Leaders Never Reach Real Change

    Most leaders stop at adoption and wonder why nothing truly changes. Integration is where change becomes identity — the moment your leadership, your habits, and your sense of self finally align. This is the phase where new possibilities emerge and transformation actually sticks. Integration is the most misunderstood phase of the change curve — the quiet, powerful moment when change finally becomes part of who you are as a leader. In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen breaks down the fourth phase of change with truth-talk, clarity, and grounded leadership insight. You’ll learn why adoption isn’t enough, why most leaders never reach true integration, and what it takes to transform change from a temporary adjustment into a sustainable identity shift. This is where leadership development, self-leadership, organizational change, and psychological safety intersect — the exact place where most change efforts succeed or fail. Allison shares personal and professional stories about disruption, identity shifts, and the emotional undercurrent leaders experience when the dust finally settles. You’ll hear what the “shadow of integration” looks like, why stillness can feel uncomfortable, and why repetition, reflection, and reinforcement are essential for change that sticks. If you’re navigating transformation, leading through disruption, or rebuilding your leadership identity, this episode gives you the clarity, language, and grounding you need to move from survival to creation. Topics Covered: → The 4 phases of the change curve → Why adoption is not integration → Identity shifts during change → Psychological safety and leadership behavior → Self-leadership during quiet seasons → How leaders move from chaos to clarity → Building habits that support transformation → What real organizational change requires → How to make change stick as a leader This is leadership with truth, empathy, and courage — the Leadership Rewired way. Lead with clarity. Change with confidence. Hope you liked this audio. Subscribe for more. Coaching works; let’s work together. Sign-up up clarity call today with Allison (https://calendly.com/allison-mmxs/intros) Resources: https://leadershiprewired.com/resources Thanks for listening.

    9 min
  5. The REAL Reason Change Feels Like Chaos (and How to Lead Through It)

    10/14/2025

    The REAL Reason Change Feels Like Chaos (and How to Lead Through It)

    Change doesn’t start with clarity — it starts with chaos. In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen dives into the second phase of the Change Curve: Disruption — the moment when what once felt safe suddenly stops working. Disruption isn’t gentle. It barges in. It shakes your systems, your certainty, and your sense of control. It doesn’t feel like growth — it feels like loss. But here’s the truth: disruption isn’t a breakdown. It’s a turning point. Through real stories from both life and business — from Netflix and Blockbuster to Peloton’s pandemic pivot — Allison explores what happens when comfort cracks and why that discomfort is the only way transformation begins. 💡 In this episode, you’ll discover: The real reason change feels chaotic (and what your brain is trying to protect you from) → Why disruption is necessary for growth — even when it feels destabilizing → How to name and normalize disruption for yourself and your team → The three leadership moves that help people reorient after the shock → Why ignoring disruption only amplifies fear and how acknowledgment restores confidence If you’re leading through change — at home, at work, or within yourself — this conversation will help you make peace with the messiness of growth and guide others through it with clarity and courage. 📘 Part of the Change Curve Series 1️⃣ Status Quo — Why “Safe” Is the Riskiest Choice 2️⃣ Disruption — The REAL Reason Change Feels Like Chaos (and How to Lead Through It) 3️⃣ Adoption — Coming Next: What Happens After the Shock 🎧 Listen now and learn how to turn uncertainty into momentum and fear into focus. #Leadership #ChangeManagement #Resilience #AuthenticLeadership #TruthTalk

    6 min
  6. The Invisible Leaders Every Company Depends On (But Rarely Recognizes)

    10/10/2025

    The Invisible Leaders Every Company Depends On (But Rarely Recognizes)

    Most organizations don’t see their CIOs or CPOs as strategic leaders — they see implementers. But what if the real power in transformation lives with the people designing the systems that make it all possible? In this episode of Leadership Rewired, Allison Allen calls out the truth behind what she calls invisible leadership — the kind of leadership that keeps organizations moving even when no one’s watching. Drawing from her experience leading IT transformation at Lincoln Center during the pandemic, and partnering with global organizations like Twitter, Bloomberg, and Verizon Media, Allison breaks down: → Why CIOs and CPOs are the real architects of transformation → How to shift from being seen as a cost center to a strategic powerhouse → Why systems thinking, not just strategy decks, drives lasting change → How to lead change before change leads you If you’ve ever felt unseen while holding everything together, this episode is for you. Because the leaders who’ll thrive in the next five years aren’t managing transformation — they’re building the systems that make it stick. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon Music — and join the conversation at leadershiprewired.com. Connect → [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonrewired/] Subscribe for more. Coaching works; let’s work together. Sign-up up clarity call today with Allison (https://calendly.com/allison-mmxs/intros) Resources: https://leadershiprewired.com/resources

    5 min

About

Leadership Rewired is a podcast for senior leaders navigating real organizational change — when decisions carry consequence, clarity is hard-won, and leadership feels heavier than usual. I’m Allison Allen, an executive advisor and change leadership partner who has spent more than two decades working alongside senior teams across global technology, media, and financial organizations. This podcast explores the realities of leading through complexity: leadership judgment, organizational clarity, trust under pressure, and the human dynamics that shape performance long before they show up in results. Episodes include: – Short, focused reflections on leadership blind spots and decision-making under pressure – Deeper conversations on culture, trust, burnout, and organizational resilience – Thoughtful discussions with CIOs, CPOs, and senior operators who’ve carried responsibility through real change Leadership Rewired isn’t about frameworks or performative leadership. It’s about clarity, steadiness, and leading well when the stakes are real.