Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms

Felix Viloria and Javier Llerena
  • 3.7 (6)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

The Positive Leadership Academy podcast explores the power of positive leadership and its impact on individuals and organizations. Hosted by experts in leadership and organizational development, Javier and Felix, each episode offers practical tips and strategies for developing your leadership skills and inspiring stories of positive leadership in action.

  1. May 28

    From Sales to Sponsorship: How Women Leaders Close the Gap

    In this episode, Javier sits down with Nicole Johnston, a former Chief of Sales at major corporations like P&G, Hershey, and Clark, to discuss her transformative journey from corporate leadership to executive coaching. Nicole shares the pivotal moment that changed everything—a near-fatal car accident that made her realize she'd rather face bodily harm than go to work—and how that wake-up call led her to leave corporate life to focus on developing people instead of hitting revenue targets. Nicole founded Innate Power to coach mid-career women who feel stuck in their careers, helping them achieve the roles they want. She also provides corporate leadership training and facilitation. Throughout the conversation, Javier and Nicole explore the unique challenges women face in male-dominated corporate environments, the critical difference between coaches, mentors, and sponsors, and why women are particularly poor at cultivating sponsorship relationships—despite needing them most. The episode also dives into a compelling topic: the impact of Title IX on women's athletics and how women athletes develop resilience and leadership skills that translate to professional success. Nicole shares alarming statistics showing that nearly 70% of female senior leaders are former athletes, yet the systemic barriers women face in sports directly impact their ability to pursue leadership in corporate America. Key Themes: The pivotal moment that sparked Nicole's career pivotWhy people development beats revenue metricsThe hidden toxicity of male-dominated sales culturesBuilding inclusive, diverse teams for better energy and performanceThe coach/mentor/sponsor framework and why it mattersWomen's sports, Title IX, and the scholarship gapWhy 70% of female senior leaders are former athletesThe confidence gap for women and how sports builds resilienceSponsorship as the missing link in women's career advancementKey Takeaways: Listen to your gut: When your body is telling you to avoid your job, it's time for change.Coach, Mentor, Sponsor—Know the Difference:Women need sponsors, not just mentors. Most women have many mentors but few sponsors—and that's the gap.Sports teaches resilience. Women need safe spaces to learn that failure and struggle are part of growth.Diversity isn't nice-to-have—it's essential. Diverse teams have better energy, culture, and performance.Timestamps: 00:01 – Introduction01:22 – Nicole's pivotal moment (the car accident)02:44 – Leaving corporate to focus on people development04:52 – Introducing Innate Power and her client base05:38 – Being a female sales leader in a male-dominated world21:46 – Title IX, women's sports, and the scholarship gap26:24 – Why sports is critical for girls' leadership development27:57 – Where to find Nicole29:12 – Final question: The conversation women in leadership need to haveResources & Links: Nicole's Website: www.innatpower.comInstagram: @Nicole Johnston Coach (look for the yellow jacket!)LinkedIn: Nicole Johnston (yellow jacket profile photo)Book: Nicole's published work on leadership and career developmentConnect with Nicole:Visit her website, follow her on social media, or reach out directly. Nicole works with mid-career women who feel stuck and want to advance their careers, as well as corporations seeking leadership training and facilitation. Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    29 min

  2. May 27

    Cross-Boarding: The Onboarding Reset Every Leader Needs — with Rohit Bassi

    What if "onboarding" is the wrong word entirely? This week, Javier sits down with Rohit Bassi — founder of People Quotient (PQ), private equity veteran, Wharton MBA, McKinsey alum, and author of The People Priority: The CEO's Blueprint for Winning Talent Acquisition. Inside this episode, Rohit unpacks a third quotient most leaders have never named — and reframes a process every company thinks it does well: onboarding. ABOUT ROHIT BASSI Rohit Bassi is the founder and CEO of People Quotient (PQ), a tech-enabled organizational excellence firm partnering with CEOs, founders, business owners, and private equity firms to build high-performing teams. A Wharton MBA and former McKinsey consultant who began his career in the firm's private equity practice, Rohit has operated, advised, and sold businesses ranging from lean startups to several hundred million dollars in revenue across seven countries. He is the author of The People Priority and host of the People Quotient Podcast. WHAT WE COVER 0:00 — Welcome 0:49 — Military upbringing in India and the move to New Zealand 4:32 — The onboarding-only environment that erased identity 8:36 — The PQ framework: leadership, organizational design, talent operations 13:54 — Career paths and growing people (instead of "retaining" them) 15:21 — Why B+ paired with B+ beats one A+ 17:22 — The retention trap: good retention vs bad retention 24:05 — Self-reflection and getting out of your own way as a CEO 28:35 — Writing The People Priority at 5am as a new dad 32:00 — What a one-year-old teaches you about leadership presence 34:23 — Where to find Rohit and the People Quotient Podcast MEMORABLE QUOTES "It does come down to the person managing the business." — Rohit Bassi "Great talent needs great talent around them." — Rohit Bassi "Building that muscle you didn't know you were building." — Rohit Bassi "Reflect on what you're really good at and where you should stop." — Rohit Bassi CONNECT WITH ROHIT 🌐 rohit-bassi.com 📚 The People Priority (Fast Company Press) — rohit-bassi.com and on Amazon 💼 linkedin.com/in/rohit-bassi 🎙️ People Quotient Podcast — Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube REFERENCES The People Priority · People Quotient (PQ) · Fast Company Press · Wharton School · McKinsey & Company · Daniel Goleman (EQ) CONNECT WITH JAVIER Javier Llerena, Host, Positive Leadership Academy Podcast, Re-Invent Consulting Book a conversation: meetings.hubspot.com/llerena Subscribe & Follow the Positive Leadership Academy Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    36 min

  3. May 23

    The Game of Ten® with Steve Barton — Why Radical Self-Acceptance is the Cure of Everything

    What if you're already a 10 — and everything you've been trying to "fix" was never broken? Javier sits down with Steve Barton — coach, entrepreneur, and creator of The Game of Ten®, a registered framework now used by therapists, coaches, and wellness professionals worldwide. Steve took over his family's flower business at 22 after his father had a major stroke. Over 30+ years, he grew it past $2M and quietly built a framework presented at Harvard, taught alongside Marianne Williamson, and co-authored into a book with his son Spencer. His premise: you're either at 10 — flow, alignment, authentic self — or you're playing "the game often played": fear, self-doubt, guilt, shame. There is no middle ground. Inside: the radical separation between who you ARE and what you do, 33 years of A Course in Miracles, working with Marianne Williamson, and why radical self-acceptance is "the cure of everything." ABOUT STEVE Founder of Over the Looking Glass Coaching, creator of The Game of Ten®, GISC-certified coach with 40+ years of business leadership, graduate of Marianne Williamson's Miracle Minded Coaching, and a 33+ year student of A Course in Miracles. Co-author of The Father, the Son, and the Aha Moment with his son Spencer. WHAT WE COVER (00:21) The origin of The Game of Ten® and the two games we're all playing (02:33) Why high-performers rate themselves 7s, 8s, 9s (05:29) Why "less than 10" is its own form of arrogance (06:55) Separating who you ARE from what you HAVE or DO (08:32) Taking over the family business at 22 after his father's stroke (11:22) Why family businesses struggle with healthy boundaries (15:48) Presenting The Game of Ten® to a Harvard case team (17:44) "Don't do b******t. Do THE b******t." (18:07) Co-writing a book with his 18-year-old son (18:47) 33 years of A Course in Miracles and meeting Marianne Williamson (25:11) Licensing The Game of Ten® to coaches and therapists (28:11) Why radical self-acceptance is "the cure of everything" (30:11) Stay curious — every belief is a limiting belief MEMORABLE QUOTES "Ten is flow." "You have thoughts. You are not your thoughts. These are tools — what are you using them for?" "You can always improve what you do. But who you are is a constant." "Radical self-acceptance is the cure of everything." CONNECT WITH STEVE 🌐 OverTheLookingGlass.com 🔟 thegameof10.com (free digital book) 📚 Amazon: The Father, the Son, and the Aha Moment REFERENCES The Game of Ten® · A Course in Miracles · Marianne Williamson · Difference Press · Gestalt International Study Center · iPEC Energy Leadership Index CONNECT WITH JAVIER 🎙️ Javier Llerena — Host, Positive Leadership Academy Podcast | Re-Invent Consulting 📅 meetings.hubspot.com/llerena 🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube 🔗 Follow on LinkedIn & Instagram If this episode resonated, please rate and review — it helps more leaders find the show. Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch: podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    29 min

  4. May 17

    Healing Is Not Linear: The Aloha Reboot Framework with 2x Cancer Survivor Savio P. Clemente

    In this episode of the Positive Leadership Academy Podcast, Javier sits down with Savio P. Clemente — TEDx and keynote speaker, board-certified wellness coach, healthcare leadership strategist, bestselling author, journalist with over 2,000 interviews under his belt, and a two-time cancer survivor. Most leaders believe the battle is won during the crisis. Savio's research — and his lived experience — say the opposite: performance is won (or lost) AFTER the crisis, in what he calls the "post-disruption window." When you don't debrief, examine, or recalibrate, performance doesn't stop. It drifts. And drift creates gaps you can't recover from. Javier and Savio go deep on: 🔴 Why the "just move on" mentality — taught by parents, reinforced in corporate America — is silently breaking leaders 🔴 The Aloha Reboot framework: a 7-minute practice for clarity and recalibration (Acknowledge, Listen, Open, Harness, Act) 🔴 Psychological distancing: "Who is the Savio that's suffering — and who's watching?" 🔴 The 29 days Savio spent in a quarantine hospital room for a 2024 stem cell transplant — and what it taught him about leading teams 🔴 Why metacognition beats both IQ and EQ as the #1 leadership trait 🔴 Adaptive resilience vs. just "bouncing back" 🔴 Reframing chemotherapy as "elixir, mana from the universe" — and what that has to do with how leaders lead 🔴 The traffic light visualization (red → yellow → green): why you can't skip the yellow 🔴 The elevator shaft: head (floor 5) → heart (floor 2) → gut (floor 1) 🔴 The $935 billion problem hiding inside U.S. healthcare leadership 🔴 Following nature: how seeds, rivers, and stillness teach us about leading through pressure Savio's truth bomb: "Healing is not linear. If healing was linear, everybody would be healed." Whether you're leading a healthcare team, a family, or yourself through a season of disruption — this episode gives you a framework and a permission slip to actually pause, name what happened, and rebuild stronger. 📌 Where to find Savio: 🌐 Website: https://www.saviopclemente.com 📬 Substack (The Human Resolve, every Wednesday): https://newsletter.thehumanresolve.com 📱 Social media: @thehumanresolve on every platform 🎤 TEDx Talk: "7 Minutes to Wellness: How to Love Your Inner Stranger" (57,000+ views) Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    29 min

  5. May 8

    Violence Is Not Random: The Pathway to Prevention with Robert Mahoney

    What if violence isn't random at all — but a pathway people travel down, leaving breadcrumbs along the way that no one connects? In this powerful episode, Javier Llerena sits down with Robert Mahoney, founder and CEO of TVTP Solutions and one of the country's leading voices on targeted violence and terrorism prevention. Robert has trained schools, workplaces, law enforcement, mental health agencies, and faith communities across the U.S. to spot the early signs of radicalization and intervene before crisis hits — and his framework challenges everything we think we know about how violence happens. Drawing on years of research and on-the-ground work with state agencies, Robert walks Javier through the behavioral pathway — grievance, ideation, research, preparation, breach — and explains why our system isn't broken because of a reporting problem. It's broken because of a coordination problem. Schools see one sliver. Police see another. Mental health sees a third. Nobody sees the whole picture. And the person on the pathway? They're often leaving breadcrumbs like Hansel and Gretel — asking for help in all the wrong ways. You'll learn: 🧭 Why "random act of violence" is the most dangerous phrase we use after a tragedy — and what it costs us in prevention 🪣 The "three buckets" every human being is trying to fill — identity, purpose, and community — and how radicalization (good or bad) hijacks them 🚨 The clearest warning sign most leaders miss: isolation, and why it mirrors suicidal ideation more than people realize 🤝 The critical difference between intervention (top-down power) and interruption (offering a safe landing) — and why one works when the other backfires 🏢 How corporate leaders can spot the early "pop-offs" before they escalate — and the cultural counter-narrative most workplaces accidentally project 🧘 Robert's "Zen Security" haiku: why keeping the water still is what lets you finally see the ripples that matter Whether you're leading a team, running a school, building a community, or simply trying to understand a world where headlines feel relentless, this conversation is a masterclass in shifting from reaction to prevention — and from fear to clarity. 🔗 Connect with Robert Mahoney Website: https://tvtpsolutions.com Contact + educational video series: available via the contact page on TVTP Solutions 📱 Follow the Podcast Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube Connect with Javier Llerena on LinkedIn Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    35 min

  6. Apr 30

    Warrior Dad: TJ Baird on 32 Years of Service, Reforged Through Fatherhood

    In this powerful episode of the Positive Leadership Academy Podcast, Javier Llerena sits down with TJ Baird — a 32-year U.S. Army veteran with 20 deployments, author of Warrior Dad, and self-described "warrior poet" — for a conversation that moves from the front lines of leadership to the quieter battles fought at home. TJ doesn't lead with the Army's textbook definition of leadership ("provide purpose, motivation, and direction"). He leads with a smile. After three decades in uniform, eight combat experiences, and a long road through TBI rehab and complex PTSD recovery, TJ has distilled leadership down to one question: How do you inspire others to want to achieve an objective with you — in a positive way? Together, Javier and TJ unpack: 🪖 Why character beats competence — and why a smile is the first leadership tool you'll ever use 🧠 Discipline of thought, word, and deed — the difference between the art of leadership and the science of policy 🛡️ The armor metaphor — how high performers keep adding armor until it cracks, and what it takes to start taking it off 🔥 "Reforged" — TJ's award-winning poem and the framework for rebuilding yourself after trauma (you're not going back to who you were — and that's the point) 👨‍👧 Warrior Dad — the book TJ wrote for his daughter Veronica, his "V-Star," tracing a father's love across 14 years of deployments 💔 Complex PTSD, marriage, fatherhood — Javier and TJ both open up about the journey, the triggers, and why numbing the pain only infects the wound This is an episode for veterans, military families, and any leader carrying weight they haven't put down yet. It's also for parents — because as TJ says, "90% of people I've met around the world just want to make a better life for their kids." 🔗 Connect with TJ Baird 🌐 Website: https://www.warriordadstories.com 📖 Book: Warrior Dad (free companion guide available on his site) 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-tj-baird/ ✍️ Featured on his site: The Creative Forge — including his award-winning poem "Reforged" 🎧 Listen, Subscribe & Share Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. If this episode moves you, share it with a leader, a parent, or a veteran who needs to hear it. Want to be a guest on Positive Leadership Academy – Inspires, Guides and Transforms? Send Javier Llerena a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/positiveleadershipacademypodcast

    36 min

  7. Apr 25

    The Analog Advantage: Building Better Teams with LEGO® Serious Play

    In a world dominated by screens, AI tools, and back-to-back Zoom calls, what happens when you put a pile of LEGO® bricks in front of a leadership team? According to this week's guest — breakthrough conversations the team didn't know it was capable of having. Javier sits down with Shannon Russell, former television producer turned founder of Build Better Teams Consulting and certified LEGO® Serious Play facilitator. After 16 years producing TV in New York and LA, Shannon pivoted into entrepreneurship after becoming a mom — and now leads workshops for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 leadership teams. This conversation explores why "analog" tools are quietly outperforming digital ones inside leadership offsites, how structured building unlocks 100% participation (especially from your quietest team members), and what really shifts when 120 hospital executives stop talking about their work and start building it. About the GuestShannon Russell is the founder of Build Better Teams Consulting and Second Act Success. A former television producer with 16 years of experience in New York and Los Angeles, she now uses LEGO® Serious Play methodology to help leaders strengthen communication, alignment, and team culture across industries. What You'll Learn (01:00) Shannon's pivot from 16 years in TV production to facilitating executive workshops(01:53) What LEGO® Serious Play really is — and why adults need it more than kids(05:01) The "analog advantage": why building beats meetings, Zooms, and even AI conversations(07:41) How structured individual + community builds drive 100% participation(10:33) The 120-executive hospital workshop that reshaped how leaders thought about team self-sufficiency(14:20) An upcoming Philadelphia event where leaders will build LEGO mini-figures of themselves(14:57) The overlap between helping women launch second-act careers and building stronger corporate teams(16:35) Shannon's #1 piece of positive leadership advice for high-performing teams(18:53) Where to connect with ShannonMemorable Moments "It's a hundred percent participation.""You can tell me one thing, but now I'm really seeing what you mean.""You're not just a robot in this machine — you are a person."Connect with Shannon🌐 buildbetterteamsconsulting.com Subscribe to the Positive Leadership Academy Podcast for more conversations with leaders, authors, and practitioners reshaping what it means to lead in today's world.

    19 min

  8. Apr 22

    The Hidden Workforce Crisis: Leading Employees Who Are Quietly Caring for Aging Parents

    In this episode, Javier sits down with Janice Goldmintz, founder of Talk About Aging, to uncover one of the most overlooked challenges in today's workplace: employees who are silently carrying the weight of caring for aging parents. Janice shares the hidden cost of "presenteeism" — when your best people are physically at their desks but mentally split between work and a hospital room — and offers leaders a practical, human-first framework they can use tomorrow without overhauling HR. If you lead a team in 2026, this conversation will change how you see the quietest people in your organization. What you'll learn in this episode: Why caregiving for aging parents is still treated like a secret — while childcare is openly accommodated The SEE framework: See → Explore → Enable — a simple three-step approach any leader can apply this week Why a $50K employee under caregiver stress can cost the organization roughly $12,500 in lost productivity How 600 people a day in the UK are leaving their jobs because they can't do both Why women — especially daughters — carry an unfair share of this invisible burden The "Red File" / Legacy Drawer concept and how early family conversations reduce workplace stress The one leadership principle every executive should adopt for an aging workforce Topics covered: Presenteeism and how to spot it on your team Ageism in healthcare and the workplace Practical conversations leaders can have today Building a compassionate workplace without losing performance Why retention, loyalty, and productivity are downstream of compassion About the guest: Janice Goldmintz is the founder of Talk About Aging, a consultancy helping individuals, families, and organizations navigate the realities of caregiving and aging. After a successful career in marketing, Janice went back to school in her late 40s to study gerontology — and now helps leaders and families have the conversations most people avoid until it's too late. Connect with Janice: 🌐 Website: talkaboutaging.com 💼 LinkedIn: Janice Goldmintz 📘 Facebook: Talk About Aging ✉️ Email: janice@talkaboutaging.com Connect with Javier & Re-Invent Consulting: 🌐 Website: re-invent.consulting 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/javierllerena 📅 Book a Discovery Call: meetings.hubspot.com/llerena/discoverycall ✉️ Email: jllerena@re-invent.consulting Subscribe & follow the Positive Leadership Academy Podcast

    26 min
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3.7
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6 Ratings

About

The Positive Leadership Academy podcast explores the power of positive leadership and its impact on individuals and organizations. Hosted by experts in leadership and organizational development, Javier and Felix, each episode offers practical tips and strategies for developing your leadership skills and inspiring stories of positive leadership in action.

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