The Orange Twist - Shake up your thinking on leadership, culture, and change in 10 minutes.

Giovanna D'Alessio, MCC
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The Orange Twist is a short-form weekly podcast for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and coaches navigating the complex terrain of leadership, culture, and change. Hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MBA MCC, a seasoned leadership advisor and executive coach, each under-10-minute episode offers fresh, thought-provoking reflections that blend professional insight with personal inquiry. Rooted in the work of thinkers like Robert Kegan, Robert Anderson, Peter Senge, Byron Katie, and others, this podcast explores the hidden dynamics shaping teams, systems, and self. From unexpected tensions in the boardroom to the quiet signals of organizational stuckness, The Orange Twist reveals how expanding our inner awareness can transform how we lead and how we live. Designed for busy professionals who want depth without fluff, The Orange Twist invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what really matters in your work—and beyond.

  1. 2D AGO

    Episode 25: The Inner Architecture of Change

    Why do intelligent, capable professionals resist change — even when the strategy makes sense? In this episode of The Orange Twist, we explore a deeper layer of transformation: identity. Organizational change rarely fails because of poor logic. It falters when it touches something more intimate — the inner agreements people have made about who they are. The achiever.  The expert.  The reliable one.  The one in control. These identities were once adaptive. They secured belonging, safety, recognition. Over time, they fused with professional success. And then change arrives. A new structure, a new culture, a new expectation — and suddenly what once guaranteed relevance feels unstable. Resistance begins. In this episode, we explore: Why resistance is often protectionHow identity forms and solidifies over timeWhat happens when professional roles merge with personal survival strategiesHow leaders can approach transformation with psychological awarenessThe powerful shift from “Who am I protecting?” to “Who am I becoming?”Change is rarely just operational. It is developmental. And when held consciously, it can become an invitation — not to replace who we are, but to expand beyond who we had to become. A reflective episode for leaders, HR professionals, and coaches navigating transformation in themselves and others. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    10 min

  2. FEB 17

    Episode 24 - When the Organization Pretends Nothing is Happening

    Some days, it flattens you. Other days, it hums in the background. But the ache of what’s happening in the world—violence, injustice, grief—doesn’t stay outside. It travels with you. Into meetings. Into deadlines. Into the quiet moments between messages. And when your organization carries on like nothing’s happening, that ache can turn into numbness. Or self-doubt. Or quiet, aching detachment. This episode is for the ones sitting in that space. The employees. The team members. The people trying to stay human in systems that often feel like they can’t hold what’s real. Following on from Episode 23 (Leadership with Spine), which explored the leader’s role in staying emotionally present, this conversation turns the lens to those without the microphone. What do you do when no one names what’s happening in the world—or in your chest? You don’t need permission to feel. You don’t need to disappear to belong. You don’t need to fix the system to stay anchored in truth. This is the quiet work. The invisible leadership of staying awake. Even when everything around you asks you to pretend. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    10 min

  3. FEB 10

    Episode 23 - Leadership with Spine

    There are mornings when you scroll through headlines—images of war, injustice, lives shattered—and then, minutes later, you’re in a meeting. Q2 priorities. Slides. Small talk. Like nothing’s happening. This episode is about that dissonance.  About the silence that grows inside organizations when leaders choose to look away.  About the quiet mistrust that forms—not from what’s said, but from what’s not acknowledged. This isn’t about making bold political statements.  It’s about staying human.  Even when there’s no playbook. Giovanna D’Alessio offers a piercing reflection on what it means to lead with presence, empathy, and emotional courage in a world that’s visibly on fire.  Because leadership isn’t just about holding the line.  It’s about holding the human. And this—Episode 23—is just the beginning. In the next episode, we’ll turn the lens to the other side: what it feels like to be the employee, navigating workplaces where reality is denied and humanity disappears. But first: if you're in a position where others look to you... are you looking away? The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    9 min

  4. FEB 3

    Episode 22 - Where Attention Goes, Intention Grows.

    Try this: fix your gaze to the left, then try walking straight ahead. You’ll drift. Just like in life and leadership—where your attention rests, everything else follows. In this episode, we explore attention not as passive noticing, but as agency. As commitment. As the silent force that shapes culture, relationships, and the future itself. Intention may sound powerful. But without attention, it’s just a promise waiting to land. We don’t drift into transformation. We focus into it. With a simple practice, a real executive story, and a gentle provocation, this episode invites you to notice where your focus goes in the first hour of your day—and what that reveals about your true commitments. Because attention is not just what we look at. It’s how we lead. And what we grow. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    8 min

  5. JAN 20

    Episode 21 - What are you holding back?

    We all do it: avoid hard conversations. But what we leave unsaid doesn’t disappear — it builds up, creates distance, and slowly erodes trust and connection. In this episode, we explore the power of clearing withholds — the things we don’t say — and how they impact leadership, teams, and relationships at work. Through real-life stories, guided reflection, and a simple, effective framework, you'll discover how clearing what’s unspoken can become an act of transformative leadership. In this episode: Why we avoid courageous conversations — and what it really costs usA clear, practical structure for clearing withholds constructivelyA powerful reflection practice to help you beginIf you’ve been carrying something unspoken… this one’s for you. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    12 min

  6. JAN 13

    Episode 20 - Beyond the Storm. Leadership and Teams in the BANI Era.

    What happens when our leadership models no longer fit the world we're in? In this powerful episode, we explore the BANI framework—Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible—as a new lens for understanding today’s complex challenges. Coined by futurist Jamais Cascio, BANI goes beyond the old VUCA model, offering a deeper, more visceral map for navigating uncertainty. Through real-life stories from the field, insights from coaching senior leaders, and practical questions for reflection, this episode invites you to rethink how we lead, organize, and relate in a world that often makes little sense. You’ll discover: What “Brittle” systems look like in organizations—and how to build adaptabilityHow “Anxious” cultures manifest—and what restores psychological safetyWhy “Nonlinear” dynamics challenge traditional leadership—and how to respond with humility and experimentationHow to find meaning and coherence in an “Incomprehensible” worldThis episode is not just about surviving BANI—it’s about being transformed by it. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    11 min

  7. JAN 6

    Episode 19: Office Myths — The Stories Organizations Tell Themselves

    Every organization runs on stories. Some inspire. Others quietly control. In this episode, Giovanna D’Alessio invites us into the mythscape of modern workplaces—the inherited narratives that shape culture, behavior, and identity, often without question. From “we’re like a family” to “we never fail,” these myths aren’t always wrong—but they’re rarely neutral. When left unexamined, they become constraints. How do we spot them? And more importantly, how do we evolve them? Join us as we explore the stories behind the strategy—and why reclaiming authorship might be the most powerful leadership act of all. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    9 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    Episode 18: The Third Place Between Leader and Team

    Beyond the binary of leader and team lies a subtle, powerful space—a relational field where something larger can emerge. In this episode, Giovanna D’Alessio explores what she calls “the third place”: a space of shared authorship, deep listening, and co-creation that arises when we loosen the grip of roles and step into presence. This isn’t about abandoning leadership—it’s about expanding it. From directing to sensing. From authority to artistry. From roles to relationship. What happens when we stop performing and start becoming—together?  Tune in for a poetic and practical reflection on the quiet revolution available in every meeting, every conversation, every pause. The Orange Twist is hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC — reflections on leadership, culture, and change for HR professionals and organizational leaders. Connect with Giovanna on LinkedIn. New episodes released regularly. Stay curious.

    8 min
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About

The Orange Twist is a short-form weekly podcast for organizational leaders, HR professionals, and coaches navigating the complex terrain of leadership, culture, and change. Hosted by Giovanna D’Alessio, MBA MCC, a seasoned leadership advisor and executive coach, each under-10-minute episode offers fresh, thought-provoking reflections that blend professional insight with personal inquiry. Rooted in the work of thinkers like Robert Kegan, Robert Anderson, Peter Senge, Byron Katie, and others, this podcast explores the hidden dynamics shaping teams, systems, and self. From unexpected tensions in the boardroom to the quiet signals of organizational stuckness, The Orange Twist reveals how expanding our inner awareness can transform how we lead and how we live. Designed for busy professionals who want depth without fluff, The Orange Twist invites you to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what really matters in your work—and beyond.

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