Leadership Lab: Confidence Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Career Growth for Women Leaders

Jamie McKinney | Author, Executive Coach, & Women's Leadership Development Guide
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Leadership Lab is the leadership development podcast for female mid-level managers and emerging women leaders ready to trade self-doubt for confident, authentic self-leadership. Hosted by Jamie McKinney, a former C-Suite leader in male-dominated industries turned executive coach, each episode delivers warm, practical tools built around emotional intelligence, Positive Intelligence, and unshakeable confidence. Then practice and apply what you learn inside the community at jamiemckinney.com/lab.

  1. Aug 29

    Meditation, The Secret Habit Behind Every High Performer

    You don't need an hour, a cushion, or silence to meditate. Two minutes is enough to change how you show up at work. On this episode of Leadership Lab, host Jamie McKinney talks with Rachel Tenenbaum, NeuroTransformational Executive Coach and founder of I AM Living and co-founder of The Reset Room, about meditation for busy professionals, and what it looks like when your calendar is already full. Rachel explains why closing your eyes for two minutes before a meeting does more than calm your nerves. It changes what happens in your brain, shifting how you respond under pressure instead of reacting to it. She breaks down how to meditate at work even on days packed with back-to-back meetings, and why a busy mind is not a reason to skip the practice. There’s one story that stands out in this episode. A woman in the middle of high-stakes union negotiations noticed her fists were clenched. What she did next completely changed how she showed up, and they closed negotiations that day. Rachel also walks through the misconceptions keeping ambitious, high-achieving women from starting a practice, from thinking they have to clear their mind to believing that slowing down will cost them an edge. Rachel coaches executives for a living, and she makes the case that easing stress at work and sharpening focus start in the same two minutes. Press play to hear Rachel guide Jamie through a two-minute practice before the episode even ends. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 The Myth of What Meditation Should Look Like 03:06 Meditation Is the Training of the Mind 08:06 What Happens in Your Brain When You Meditate 11:27 How Physicality Shapes Your Performance 16:41 Three Misconceptions Keeping High Achievers From Meditating 19:50 Working With a Busy Mind Instead of Fighting It 24:23 A Union Negotiation and the Power of Resetting Mid-Meeting 32:28 Meditation for Busy Professionals Who Only Have Two Minutes 38:54 The Sensory Walk and Everyday Mindfulness 41:57 A Guided Two-Minute Meditation to Try Right Now Connect with Rachel Tenenbaum: Visit the I am Living website  Rachel Tenenbaum, MCC is a Master Certified Coach and longtime student and teacher of meditation whose work brings together neuroscience, mindfulness, and leadership. For more than a decade, she has worked with high-performing leaders, executive teams, and organizations, helping them better understand what happens in the brain under pressure and develop greater awareness, steadiness, and choice in how they respond. She is the Founder and CEO of I AM Living and Co-Founder of The Reset Room, and designs and leads executive offsites, leadership retreats, and intimate retreats for accomplished women leaders. Rachel is also a certified Meditation and Mindfulness Instructor, guides meditations on Insight Timer, and serves as a CHIEF Guide for senior women executives. At the heart of Rachel’s work is a belief that meditation isn’t about escaping the demands of our lives or becoming less ambitious. It’s a practice for becoming more present inside them, and for changing how we meet ourselves, pressure, and the choices we make within it.  Connect with Jamie McKinney: Visit Jamie's website Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  2. Aug 15

    Confident Communication: Words to Stop Saying at Work Right Now

    That instinct to soften your ask, apologize first, or ask permission before you speak could be costing you the room. Jamie McKinney says confident communication starts with spotting five common forms of powerless speech and swapping them for language that gets you heard. Jamie points to a research from Stanford on performance reviews that shows women often receive vaguer feedback than men, then connects that pattern to the qualifying language that can show up in our own workplace communication. She shares the exact fix for one of the most common habits at work, asking for permission when you should be stating a fact. Jamie also explains why unnecessary apologies can weaken the way you make your case for a promotion, and why holding silence after a hard ask changes the tone of a negotiation. She closes with the one-line question that can reopen the conversation after a no, a move built for anyone working on executive presence, assertive communication, or self-advocacy at work. Tune in for all five phrases, five swaps, and the confident communication skills that change how you are heard in your very next meeting. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What Confident Communication Sounds Like in a Meeting Request 02:15 The Stanford Study on Powerless Speech in Performance Reviews 07:00 Permission-Seeking Language and How to Fix It 09:28 Why Apologizing at Work Undermines Your Promotion Case 14:18 The Disclaimer That Discounts Your Ideas Before You Speak 16:21 Backpedaling and the Power of Holding Silence 18:44 The Premature Surrender and the Question That Reopens a No 21:07 Turning These Five Swaps Into Daily Practice Connect with Jamie McKinney: Visit Jamie's website Get Jamie's Power Phrases Guide Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  3. Aug 8

    Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills Starting Today With Tactical Empathy

    Most negotiation advice tells you to push harder or hold your ground longer. Jonathan B. Smith says the real leverage is empathy. Jonathan is a negotiation expert and trainer with The Black Swan Group. He trained directly under Chris Voss, co-authored the bestseller Fight Less, Win More, and has spent years teaching executives how strong negotiation skills come from understanding the other person before you ever state your ask. Jamie and Jonathan break down how to read the room in a negotiation using a technique called labeling, why staying quiet after a hard question works better than filling the silence, and how a Chris Voss negotiation technique called a no-oriented question prompted a response just 11 hours after months of silence. They also unpack tactical empathy as applied emotional intelligence, the exact phrasing Jonathan uses when a prospect or professional contact has gone quiet, and a simple daily habit that builds negotiation skills in low-stakes moments like a rideshare ride or a rental car counter. Jamie shares how 42 women in her program collectively added nearly a million dollars in compensation last year through their negotiation efforts. If you've ever gone silent instead of asking for what you're worth, press play before your next hard conversation. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Empathy Beats Aggression in Negotiation 03:30 What Tactical Empathy Means 05:00 How to Hunt for Black Swans in Every Negotiation 08:33 The Label That Changed a Security Guard's Whole Demeanor 12:51 Why Dynamic Silence Makes People Talk 16:12 The Three Negotiation Tones and When to Use Each One 19:14 Why Data and Logic Alone Never Close a Deal 23:12 The CAVIAAR Method for Getting Into the Right Frame of Mind 26:58 The No Oriented Question That Beats Ghosting 34:39 Practicing Negotiation With an Uber Driver or a Rental Car Counter Connect with Jonathan B. Smith: Newsletter - Salary Negotiation - https://www.blackswanltd.com/newsletter/topic/salary-negotiation  CAVIAAR Method Purchase your copy of Fight Less, Win More Jonathan B. Smith is a negotiation expert and trainer with The Black Swan Group, and author of the best-selling book Fight Less, Win More. Trained in Tactical Empathy® by former FBI negotiator Chris Voss, Jonathan helps leaders navigate high-stakes conversations with clarity, confidence, and connection. In Fight Less, Win More, he and co-author Derek Gaunt reveal how to apply field-tested negotiation techniques, from active listening to uncovering hidden motivations, to everyday business and personal interactions. The book offers practical guidance for reducing friction, resolving conflict, and achieving better outcomes without manipulation or compromise. A former entrepreneur and seasoned business coach, Jonathan has helped thousands of executives scale with intention and communicate with impact. Whether working with CEOs or family-owned businesses, he teaches a simple truth: the key to negotiation isn’t talking more, it’s listening better. Jonathan is a Commercial Pilot, dog trainer, and avid offshore fisherman. Connect with Jamie McKinney: Enrollment is open for the 3 Pillars of Leadership course! Find more info and book your Discovery Call Visit Jamie's website Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  4. Aug 1

    Why Female Athletes Make Resilient Business Leaders

    What do 94% of female C-suite executives have in common? They played sports. On Leadership Lab, host Jamie McKinney talks with Bonnie Bernstein, founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions. Bonnie spent three decades as an Emmy Award-winning journalist covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college sports for ESPN, ABC, and CBS. She created ABC's The Champion's Edge, a series that follows women athletes turned business leaders across law, medicine, and the C-suite. Bonnie tells Jamie about the moment the idea for the show hit her, 10 years before it aired. She talks about the years of “no” she heard while building a database of more than 250 women, and the two questions she asks herself every time a pitch falls flat. The conversation turns personal too. Bonnie describes a health scare that landed her in a hospital bed alone, and what it taught her about burnout and self-care. She and Jamie talk through resilience, career confidence, and why so many women in leadership trace their instincts back to a locker room instead of a boardroom. Press play to hear the weekly practice Bonnie uses to find her own North Star, and the sports lessons for career success she has picked up from hundreds of female athletes turned business leaders who made the same leap she did. New episodes of Leadership Lab drop every week. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 The 94% Statistic Behind Women Athletes and the C-Suite 03:58 Breaking Ground as Reno's First Female Sports Anchor 06:33 The 10 Year Origin Story Behind The Champion's Edge 08:19 Turning Rejection Into Fuel While Building a Platform 09:19 Reframing No as Another Opportunity 10:43 Why Relationships Drive Career Breakthroughs 11:32 Leadership Lessons for Women Who Never Played Sports 16:42 Leadership Shows Up Far Beyond the Boardroom 19:36 Why Failure Is Part of the Path to Success 21:38 Rejection as an Invitation to Reevaluate Your Circle 23:36 Staying Grounded While Breaking New Ground 24:43 When Ambition Turns Into Endurance Instead of Fun 27:49 A Health Scare That Changed How Bonnie Works 28:23 Learning to Say No Without Fear 30:54 Meditation as a Foundation for Resilience 33:23 Building Community Through The Athlete Effect 35:47 A Weekly Experiment to Reclaim Your Purpose 37:54 Why Coaches Matter for Women in Leadership Link: Listen to the previous episode Connect with Bonnie Bernstein: Know more about Bonnie  Connect with Bonnie on LinkedIn Subscribe to The Champion’s Edge's Youtube channel  Listen to the The Athlete Effect on Spotify  Listen to the The Athlete Effect on Apple Podcast  Listen to the The Athlete Effect on Audible Connect with Jamie McKinney: jamiemckinney.com/lab  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  5. Jul 25

    Executive Presence Tips to Speak With Authority in Any Room

    You do not need the deepest voice or the tallest frame to own a room. Executive presence is a skill that can be learned at any stage of your career. Jamie McKinney's guest this week has spent more than a decade teaching it to Fortune 10 leaders, yet he developed those same skills himself as a self-described shy kid who once wanted to disappear. Jeff Davenport, an executive communication coach at Davenport Communications, joins the Leadership Lab to share how to build confidence in public speaking without faking a thing. He breaks down the opening framework he uses to earn an audience’s trust from the first sentence. It is a step many speakers skip when they begin with a topic instead of giving people a reason to listen. Jeff and Jamie also cover how to sound confident at work when your body wants to shrink instead of stand tall. He explains a simple physical reset borrowed from research on power poses, one that shifts your voice and posture in seconds, and shares a four-step approach to what to say when you don't know the answer, one that builds trust instead of exposing a gap. For anyone who wants to command a room without changing who they are, this conversation offers practical language and physical cues you can use in your very next meeting.Press play and start practicing before your next high-stakes moment. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Executive Presence Has Nothing to Do With Height or Volume 03:07 The Shy Kid Who Became an Executive Communication Coach 04:49 Why Imitating Great Speakers Builds Your Own Voice Faster 07:31 The Top Button Rule for Opening Any Talk 09:52 Empathy Authority Agenda for Audiences Who Do Not Speak Your Language 12:32 The One Question That Should Drive Every Presentation 15:07 How to Build Confidence in Public Speaking Before You Walk In 17:00 Becoming the Subject Matter Expert in the Room 18:02 A Four Step Script for What to Say When You Don't Know the Answer 21:07 The Body Brain Feedback Loop for Instant Confidence 24:00 How to Stop Mumbling With Your Hands and Take Up Space 28:25 How to Stop Nervous Tells Like Shaking Knees 30:46 The Three Ways People Show Up in a Room and Which One Wins 33:21 What to Do the Moment You Make a Mistake 39:11 Why Raising the Stakes in Your Head Makes You Worse Not Better 42:21 Teaching the Next Generation of Women to Speak With Authority 45:13 One Experiment to Practice Executive Presence This Week About Jeff Davenport Jeff Davenport has more than a decade of experience as an executive communication coach, acclaimed speechwriter, and keynote speaker. During a long stint at the legendary leadership communication agency Duarte and now at Davenport Communications, Jeff has worked with Fortune 10 C-suite executives, engineers, and sales teams, improving their communication skills. Whether he’s doing 1:1 coaching or leading dynamic workshops, Jeff helps diverse professionals enhance their communicative impact. Connect with Jeff Davenport: Visit ⁠the Davenport Communications website⁠ Get Jeff's communication course Connect with Jamie McKinney: ⁠jamiemckinney.com/lab  Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  6. Jul 11

    Assertive vs. Aggressive: A Female CEO's Playbook for Being Direct

    Women are often told to be clear, confident, and decisive, then questioned the moment they are. Cyre Mercedes Quiñones knows that tension well, and she has built her leadership around proving that direct does not mean aggressive. The CEO of iMasons joins Jamie McKinney on Leadership Lab to unpack assertive vs. aggressive communication, the line so many ambitious women feel they're constantly walking, and how getting it right changed the way she leads. Cyre opens up about growing up in the Bronx with two parents struggling with addiction, the shame she carried for years, and the mentor who told her that trust is built through authenticity, not polish.That single piece of advice reshaped how she leads. The episode covers courage vs. confidence in leadership, the real difference between bluntness and directness, and why imposter syndrome showed up even on the path to the CEO seat, and how she moved through it anyway. Cyre shares the phrase that changed how she shows up in every hard conversation, and why authentic leadership for women looks nothing like the loud, armored version so many of us were taught to perform. She also breaks down the difference between directness and bluntness, the distinction so many women mislabel as assertive vs. aggressive. If you have ever wondered whether being fully yourself and being taken seriously can coexist at the executive level, this episode is your answer. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Cyre Mercedes Quiñones, CEO of iMasons 03:19 Navigating Shame Without a Roadmap 05:43 Choosing Authenticity Over a Corporate Performance 09:39 How Vulnerability Helped Cyre Build Trust at Work 12:02 Assertive vs. Aggressive, The Difference Between Directness and Bluntness 15:44 Redefining Executive Presence Beyond Loud and Hard 33:06 Coach vs. Mentor, Building Your Support Network 34:39 Why Courage Comes Before Confidence 38:10 Leading Through Divorce and Personal Tests 41:11 Rehearse Till It's Verse, Beating Imposter Syndrome 43:11 The Vision for iMasons and What Comes Next About Cyre Mercedes Quiñones: Cyre Mercedes Quiñones is the Chief Executive Officer of Infrastructure Masons (iMasons), a leading global nonprofit professional association dedicated to advancing digital infrastructure for the benefit of people and the planet. With more than 15 years of experience spanning technology, business strategy, and digital infrastructure, Cyre has built a reputation as a transformational leader who brings together industry, government, and communities to solve some of the sector's most pressing challenges. Her leadership has been recognized globally, including being named the inaugural recipient of Data Center Dynamics' (DCD) Data Center Woman of the Year in 2023 and one of HITEC's Top 100 Hispanics in Technology. Cyre is passionate about building digital infrastructure responsibly—championing sustainability, community partnership, workforce development, and inclusive leadership. As CEO, she is positioning iMasons as the industry's trusted neutral convening authority and bringing together leaders across the digital infrastructure ecosystem to accelerate collaboration and deliver measurable, lasting impact for responsible infrastructure advancement around the world. Links: iMasons State of the Digital Infrastructure Industry - Annual Report 2025 Connect with Jamie McKinney: jamiemckinney.com/lab  How to Have a Difficult Conversation FREE Resource Join the Leadership Laboratory Community Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  7. Jun 27

    Positive Intelligence for Women Leaders: How to Name Your Saboteur and Take Back Control

    The voice telling you you're not ready? It has a name. And you can stop it. Positive Intelligence for women leaders is the framework Jamie McKinney wished she had found sooner. She found it at the lowest point of her life, and when it worked where everything else had failed, she knew it had to be part of the Leadership Lab. Through the story of Sydney, a driven and capable woman who spent 11 months rehearsing a conversation with her boss and never had it, Jamie breaks down why the gap is rarely about skill. It's about thought patterns. And thought patterns are completely changeable. She introduces PQ, the mental fitness framework that sits underneath both IQ and EQ, and explains why it's the most malleable of the three. You'll learn how to spot the saboteur voice in your head, how to measure where you stand with a PQ Score Assessment, and how to use a five-step operating system to stop reacting and start responding. Sydney's score went from 23 to 74 in three months. Same woman, same job, same boss. Different mental operating system. This is the episode for anyone who knows they're capable of more but keeps getting in their own way. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Your Mindset Is the Real Career Barrier 02:26 How Negative Thoughts Work (And Why You Have More Power Than You Think) 04:53 Sydney's Story: When Self-Doubt Blocks Career Growth 07:19 What Is Positive Intelligence for Women Leaders 09:45 How to Read Your PQ Score 11:53 How Sydney Went from a 23 to a 74 in Three Months 14:19 PQ Reps: Your Mental Fitness Workout 32:56 Saboteur vs. Sage: Hyperachiever and Stickler Compared 37:40 The Five-Step PQ Operating System 41:03 How to Hear Your Saboteur and Steer It 45:25 Take the Free PQ Score Assessment and Saboteur Quiz Connect with Jamie McKinney: Take the PQ assessments Visit Jamie's website Follow Jamie on Instagram Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

  8. Jun 20

    Emotional Intelligence: The Leadership Skill Nobody Taught You

    Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the gap holding most ambitious women back - not IQ, not strategy, not credentials, not work ethic. Host Jamie McKinney believes EQ is the leadership skill almost no one was taught, and it's quietly keeping talented women from the next step in their careers.  The good news? EQ is a skill. You can learn it and grow it. Through the story of Kate, a high performer who landed a major promotion and then quietly started to unravel, Jamie shares why emotional intelligence is the foundation most leadership programs skip. She breaks down the two pillars of EQ you have the most control over, plus four shifts you can use before your next high-stakes moment. The episode also digs into why EQ beats IQ as a predictor of leadership success, and why that gap keeps widening. As AI takes over more of the cognitive work, emotional intelligence becomes the skill that keeps you relevant and hard to replace. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 What a Weighted Vest Teaches Us About Emotional Intelligence 07:12 Growing Into a Bigger Role and Why Discomfort Is Normal 09:33 What No One Ever Taught Us About Emotions and Leadership 11:52 The Four Pillars of EQ and Where to Start 14:10 Why EQ Outperforms IQ in the Age of AI 16:28 The Difference Between a Real Threat and a Perceived One 21:10 The Hidden Cost of Low EQ on Your Career and Your Team 23:31 Curiosity vs Judgment: The Identity Shift That Changes Everything 25:58 How to Use Your Emotions as Data Points Instead of Liabilities 28:10 Shift 1: Name the Vest Before High-Stakes Moments 30:20 Shift 2 and 3: Separate Fact From Fear and Regulate Before You Respond 32:46 Shift 4: The Curiosity Move That Keeps You in the Driver's Seat 35:13 Kate's Turning Point and the Free EQ Assessment Connect with Jamie McKinney: Visit the Leadership Lab website Follow Jamie on Instagram Take the EQ Quiz Listen to the previous episode - Identifying and owning your gifts Book references: (1) The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher (2) Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI by Aneesh Raman and Ryan Roslansky Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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5
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About

Leadership Lab is the leadership development podcast for female mid-level managers and emerging women leaders ready to trade self-doubt for confident, authentic self-leadership. Hosted by Jamie McKinney, a former C-Suite leader in male-dominated industries turned executive coach, each episode delivers warm, practical tools built around emotional intelligence, Positive Intelligence, and unshakeable confidence. Then practice and apply what you learn inside the community at jamiemckinney.com/lab.

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