Dominate Your Day

Dana Williams
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Dominate Your Day is a leadership podcast for executives, emerging leaders, and difference makers who are ready to stop performing and start leading from identity—while driving results without burning out. Host Dana Williams—leadership strategist, Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and creator of the Authentic Imprint™ framework—helps listeners understand their wiring, align their energy, and build sustainable influence. Through weekly solo episodes, live coaching, and interviews with leaders who have transformed from the inside out, Dana uses her Authentic Imprint™ framework—integrating strengths, core values, mission, Emotional Recognition—to address real-world leadership challenges. Listeners walk away with practical tools to live in their strengths, dominate their day, and transform their life from the inside out.

  1. 10h ago

    Don't Let "How" Get in the Way of "Why" – Episode 365

    You can have the rollout plan, the training, the timeline, and the FAQ  and still find yourself three weeks later wondering why nobody has truly embraced the change. In this episode, I explore a lesson from Emily Crawford one of the panelists at a recent leadership talk I moderated  about what happens when leaders focus so heavily on how a change will happen that they lose sight of why it matters. Whether you're introducing a new technology, process, organizational change, or AI tool, successful change isn't just about managing the rollout. It's about helping people understand the purpose, honoring where they are in the change process, and making sure the change actually serves the outcome you're trying to achieve. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Lead with the why, not the how. Before you explain what is changing or how you'll implement it, make sure your team understands the problem you're solving and why the change matters to them. 2. The tool isn't the strategy. A new system, process, or AI platform is simply a tool. Start with the outcome you want to create, then determine whether the tool actually helps you get there. 3. Remember that people move through change differently. Not everyone will embrace change at the same pace. Pay attention to where individuals and teams are in the process and give them the space and support they need to move forward. The goal isn't simply to get people to adopt the change. It's to help them understand why the change matters  and connect it to something bigger than the tool itself. Episode Minutes: Minute 1: Never Let The How Get In The Way of The Why Minute 3: What To Do When Driving Change Minute 5: Leading change Links + Resources from This Episode: Watch the Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel on Youtube or listen on Spotify or Apple Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  2. Oct 13

    How Worst-Case Thinking Can Reveal Opportunities with Dr. Nardia Haigh - Episode 364

    In this episode of Dominate Your Day, I'm joined by Dr. Nardia Haigh, a professor, strategist, thought leader, and author who has spent nearly 20 years studying and practicing scenario planning. We talk about why so many leaders get stuck when making decisions in uncertain times and how scenario planning can help you move from trying to predict the future to preparing for multiple possibilities. Dr. Haigh shares how this powerful framework can be used not only in the boardroom, but also in our careers, businesses, and personal lives. We explore why looking at the worst-case scenario can actually uncover opportunities, challenge our assumptions, and leave us feeling more prepared and confident about what may come next. Top 3 Takeaways 1. Scenario planning is not about predicting the future. Scenario planning isn't about guessing what will happen. It's about considering multiple ways the future could unfold so you can build strategies that help you remain resilient. 2. The worst-case scenario can reveal opportunities. Looking directly at what could go wrong can uncover blind spots, potential responses, and opportunities you may never have considered otherwise. 3. Thinking ahead creates confidence. When you've already considered different possibilities and thought through how you might respond, you're less likely to simply react when uncertainty arrives. You can enter the future with options already in mind. Episode Minutes: Minute 15:00 - How the worst-case scenario can reveal an opportunity  Minute 24:00 - Scenario planning builds confidence, not certainty Minute 33:00 - Why it's worth facing the uncomfortable scenario Links + Resources from This Episode: Get a copy of Dr. Nardia Haigh's book, Facing Uncertainty Download a free copy of her book's introduction on her website  Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  3. Oct 9

    How to Lead with Heart with Shaunna Black – Episode 361

    In this episode, I'm joined by Shaunna Black, a transformation and turnaround leader who has spent decades helping organizations navigate change and move from chaos to clarity. We talk about why successful transformation starts with people not action plans and why leaders must enter challenging situations as students first, listening, learning, and building trust before trying to fix anything. Shaunna shares her approach to servant leadership, creating cultures rooted in trust and psychological safety, and leading from the inside out during times of uncertainty. We also explore the current challenges leaders are facing with disengagement, layoffs, AI, and organizational change and why heart-centered leadership may be more important now than ever. At the heart of our conversation is a powerful reminder: relationship is the container in which all work is done. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Lead from the inside out. Before you can effectively lead others through chaos, you have to develop self-awareness, practice self-care, and create calm within yourself. 2. Enter transformation as a student, not a hero. Listen to people, understand the history, and build trust before coming in with solutions. People need to know that you care before they care what you know. 3. Make relationships the priority. Your job as a leader isn't simply to get things done. It's to serve the people who get the work done—and create an environment where they feel safe, valued, connected, and empowered to succeed Episode Minutes: Minute 5: Leadership Roots: Culture Of Service, Sports and Family Minute 13: How Purpose, Trust, Accountability, and servant leadership shape a healthy culture Minute 38: How overwhelmed leaders need to tune out the noise and start with self-awareness and self-care. Minute 45: Leading With Heart Links + Resources from This Episode: Learn more about Shaunna's work at www.shaunnablack.com Get Shaunna's book, Leading with Heart Connect with Shaunna Black on LinkedIn Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  4. Oct 6

    The Playbook You're Waiting for Doesn't Exist – Episode 363

    AI is changing the way organizations work, and leaders are being asked to figure out what it means for their teams, their businesses, and their future  often before anyone actually knows the answer. In this episode, I share lessons from a recent leadership panel I moderated with Linda Rutherford, Dr. Marc Nivet, and Emily Crawford about what it really looks like to lead through uncertainty and change. The key isn't becoming the expert or waiting until you feel ready. It's learning how to take the next honest step, develop the expertise around you, stay connected to your team's capacity, and build the playbook as you go. Top 3 Takeaways 1. You don't need the whole playbook. When you're leading through something new, waiting for certainty can keep you stuck. Leadership often means taking the next step and building the path as you go. 2. You don't have to be the expert  develop one on your team. Your job isn't to master every new technology. Know your strengths, identify the people on your team who are curious and capable, and give them room to develop the expertise. 3. Pay attention to capacity, not just output. Ask your team, "What's getting in the way of you doing your best work?" That simple question can uncover obstacles and capacity issues before they become bigger problems. Episode Minutes: Minute 1: Looking For A Non-existent Playbook Minute 3: You don't Have To Be The Expert Minute 4: Leading Through A Period When The Bar Keeps Changing Links + Resources from This Episode: Watch the Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel on Youtube or listen on Spotify or Apple Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within  Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  5. Sep 29

    How to Navigate Change in a Distracted Workplace with Linda Rutherford, Dr. Marc Nivet, and Emily Crawford – Episode 362

    Change is happening faster than ever from AI and digital transformation to increasingly distracted and stretched teams. But effective leadership through change isn't always about doing more. Sometimes, it requires changing how you see your role. This special episode was recorded at the live Accelerating Leadership Wellbeing Panel, which took place on August 25, 2026, hosted by Bank of Texas. I was joined by three remarkable leaders who have navigated change at scale: Linda Rutherford — Former Chief Administration Officer and current Executive Advisor at Southwest Airlines, with 33 years of experience leading through change. Dr. Marc Nivet — Executive Vice President at UT Southwestern Medical Center, bringing three decades of leadership experience in academic medicine. Emily Crawford — A leader in change management and AI transformation at Credera, helping major organizations navigate what's next. Together, we explored what it really takes to lead through change when your people  and you are already stretched thin. Top 3 Takeaways 1. Capacity matters as much as capability. Leaders can't effectively lead change when they're running on empty. 2. Leadership starts from within. How you see your role shapes how you lead through uncertainty. 3. Doing more isn't always the answer. Sometimes the most powerful leadership move is to shift how you show up. Episode Minutes: Minute 17: Leading through uncertainty as a vessel, not a hero Minute 37: Why AI must be tied to objectives, not treated as a checkbox Minute 48: Communication during change and why silence is risky Minute 60: Grace, good-enough leadership, and asking what blocks best work Links + Resources from This Episode: Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  6. Sep 15

    How to Get Out of Your Way — For Your Team's Sake – Episode 360

    What happens when being a helpful, highly involved leader actually keeps your team from growing? In this episode, I share the story of a leader who solved problems, answered questions, and did the work herself because she cared deeply about getting things right. You'll discover how shifting from solving to coaching, and from delegating tasks to handing off real decisions, can build trust, strengthen your team's judgment, and create greater ownership and accountability. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Being helpful can create dependency. When leaders constantly step in to solve problems, they can unintentionally prevent their teams from developing confidence and judgment. 2. Coach instead of solve. Pause before jumping in, ask "What would you do here?" and give your team space to work through the answer. 3. Delegate decisions, not just tasks. True empowerment means letting go of the wheel not simply handing off the work while keeping control of the important decisions.  Episode Minutes: Minute 2: Executing vs Leading Minute 4: The Difference Between Bossing and Coaching Minute 7: Leading Differently Links + Resources from This Episode:  Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  7. Sep 1

    When the Old Way Feels the Safest (and Why That's the Problem) – Episode 359

    What happens when uncertainty hits and a good leader suddenly falls back into old habits? In this episode, I explore why even capable, self-aware leaders can revert to command-and-control when pressure rises and how to recognize when you're leading authentically versus performing the version of leadership you think others expect. You'll learn a simple question to interrupt reactive patterns, identify when you're tempted to take ownership back from your team, and recognize when organizational structures not just personal habits are getting in the way of effective leadership. Top 3 Takeaways: 1. Pressure can trigger old leadership patterns. Even leaders who have done the work can revert to familiar behaviors when uncertainty feels threatening. 2. Authentic leadership requires a moment of choice. Ask yourself: Am I leading from who I actually am, or performing who I think I'm supposed to be? 3. Not every leadership challenge is personal. Structural barriers can limit your team's ownership, so leaders need to distinguish between what they can change themselves and what needs to be addressed within the system. Episode Minutes: Minute 1: The Moment Change Gets Real Minute 3: Authentic Imprint vs Default Performance Minute 6: Give Trust to Get Trust Links + Resources from This Episode: Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

  8. Aug 25

    Not I But We: Three Leaders on Community Wellbeing (Best of Summer Series) – Episode 358

    This summer on Dominate Your Day, we are returning to the episode vault to bring back experts to discuss each of Gallup's five essential areas of wellbeing: Purpose, Social, Financial, Physical, and Community. Today we explore Community Wellbeing  what Gallup defines as liking where you live, feeling safe, and having pride in and belonging to something larger than yourself. Sharon Eubank global humanitarian leader and author of Doing Small Things with Great Love explains why you are most powerful where you live and why the right small act at the right time changes everything. Jessica Bartnick co-founder and CEO of Foundation for CHOICE, a Dallas nonprofit that has helped thousands of low-income students get into and through college shares what happens when one person wakes up and decides to do something. Wendy Steele founder of Impact100 and author of Invitation to Impact talks about how gathering women around one shared goal turned $1,000 into $123 million across 65 chapters worldwide. Episode Minutes: Minute 2: You Are Most Powerful Where You Live Minute 8: Waking Up To Change The World Minute 15: Not I But We Minute 20: The Internal Revolution Links + Resources from This Episode: Get a copy of Sharon Eubank's book Doing Small Things with Great Love Find service opportunities near you at www.justserve.org Learn more about Foundation for Choice at www.foundationforchoice.org Learn more about Impact 100 at www.impact100global.org Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within Learn more about The Strengths Journal

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About

Dominate Your Day is a leadership podcast for executives, emerging leaders, and difference makers who are ready to stop performing and start leading from identity—while driving results without burning out. Host Dana Williams—leadership strategist, Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and creator of the Authentic Imprint™ framework—helps listeners understand their wiring, align their energy, and build sustainable influence. Through weekly solo episodes, live coaching, and interviews with leaders who have transformed from the inside out, Dana uses her Authentic Imprint™ framework—integrating strengths, core values, mission, Emotional Recognition—to address real-world leadership challenges. Listeners walk away with practical tools to live in their strengths, dominate their day, and transform their life from the inside out.

Information

  • Creator
    Dana Williams
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    381
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2023©
  • Show Website
    Dominate Your Day

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