Micro to Momentum : The Leadership Series

Kerrin Smith
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Created for educators and leaders, Micro to Momentum focuses on bite-sized insights that strengthen leadership practice, support wellbeing, and build momentum in complex environments.

  1. Aug 10

    Our best possible self

    Leadership is about more than managing the present. Iit’s about imagining what’s possible. In this episode, I explore the Best Possible Self practice, a simple but powerful reflection that helps leaders lead with hope, purpose, and clarity. Drawing on the work of Laura King, C. R. Snyder, and Kim Cameron, I share how envisioning your future self can strengthen wellbeing, focus, and leadership impact. Show References Cameron, K. S. (2012). Positive leadership: Strategies for extraordinary performance. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27(7), 798–807. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201277003 Snyder, C. R. (2002). Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249–275. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1304_01

  2. Jul 16

    Appreciative Listening

    Some of the best leaders I’ve ever met aren’t the ones who speak most — they’re the ones who listen best. In this episode, I explore appreciative listening — the act of listening to lift, not just to respond. Drawing on the work of David Cooperrider, Carl Rogers, and Barbara Fredrickson, I share how curiosity, empathy, and gratitude can transform the way leaders build trust, engagement, and culture. Show References Cooperrider, D. L., & Srivastva, S. (1987). Appreciative inquiry in organizational life. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 1, 129–169. Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218 Rogers, C. R. (1957). The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 21(2), 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045357 Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2016). What great listeners actually do. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/07/what-great-listeners-actually-do

  3. Jun 11

    Asking better questions

    Leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about asking better questions. In this episode, I explore how coaching-based leadership transforms conversations, drawing on the work of David Rock, Michael Bungay Stanier, and Edgar Schein. Discover how curiosity, silence, and agency help shift your team from dependency to ownership — one thoughtful question at a time. Show References Bungay Stanier, M. (2016). The coaching habit: Say less, ask more, and change the way you lead forever. Box of Crayons Press. Rock, D. (2006). Quiet leadership: Six steps to transforming performance at work. HarperCollins. Schein, E. H. (2013). Humble inquiry: The gentle art of asking instead of telling. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

  4. May 11

    Leading with Emotional Granularity

    Calm isn’t the absence of emotion, it’s the understanding of it. In this episode, I explore emotional granularity, the skill of naming emotions precisely so we can navigate them intelligently. Drawing on the work of Lisa Feldman Barrett, Marc Brackett, and Amy Edmondson, I share simple ways leaders can model emotional language, strengthen trust, and build more emotionally intelligent teams. Show References Barrett, L. F. (2017). How emotions are made: The secret life of the brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Brackett, M. (2019). Permission to feel: Unlocking the power of emotions to help our kids, ourselves, and our society thrive. Celadon Books. Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999

  5. Apr 19

    The micro-habits of leadership

    Big change rarely starts big. In this episode, I explore how micro-habits. These are the tiny, repeated behaviours of leadership. They shape culture far more than any strategy document ever could. Drawing on the work of BJ Fogg, James Clear, and Charles Duhigg, I share how small, intentional actions create lasting shifts in trust, collaboration, and wellbeing across teams. Show References Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: An easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Avery. Duhigg, C. (2012). The power of habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Random House. Fogg, B. J. (2019). Tiny habits: The small changes that change everything. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

  6. Apr 5

    How safe relationships multiply results

    Trust isn’t soft. It’s structural. In this episode, I explore how safe relationships create what I call the trust dividend, the compounding return that comes when people feel safe enough to speak up, share ideas, and grow. Drawing on the work of Amy Edmondson, Paul Zak, and Brené Brown, I share small leadership behaviours that turn trust from a feeling into a strategy. Show References Brown, B. (2018). Dare to lead: Brave work. Tough conversations. Whole hearts. Random House. Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 Zak, P. J. (2017). Trust factor: The science of creating high-performance companies. AMACOM.

  7. Mar 22

    Reframing our thoughts with Cognitive Reappraisal

    Pressure is inevitable in leadership, but how we see it makes all the difference. In this episode, I explore the science of cognitive reappraisal. This is the practice of reframing how we interpret challenges. Drawing on research from James Gross, Richard Lazarus, and Susan Folkman, I share practical ways to turn stress into perspective, helping you and your team stay grounded, adaptive, and focused under pressure. Show References Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1985). If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48(1), 150–170. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.150 Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.2.3.271 Gross, J. J. (2002). Emotion regulation: Affective, cognitive, and social consequences. Psychophysiology, 39(3), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0048577201393198 Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003). Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: Implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 348–362. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348

  8. Mar 8

    The Power of Positive Deviance

    Every system has its quiet stars. The people who find better ways to work within the same rules and resources. In this episode, I explore the concept of positive deviance, the practice of finding and amplifying what’s already working. Drawing on research from Jerry and Monique Sternin, Richard Pascale, Kim Cameron, and Jane Dutton, I share how small, local solutions can spark big, lasting change. Reference Cameron, K. S., & Dutton, J. E. (Eds.). (2003). Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline. Berrett-Koehler. Edmondson, A. (2019). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. Wiley. Pascale, R. T., Sternin, J., & Sternin, M. (2010). The power of positive deviance: How unlikely innovators solve the world’s toughest problems. Harvard Business Press. #PositiveLeadership #EducationalLeadership #WellbeingScience #SchoolCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #PositivePsychology #PositiveDeviance #OrganisationalChange

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Created for educators and leaders, Micro to Momentum focuses on bite-sized insights that strengthen leadership practice, support wellbeing, and build momentum in complex environments.

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