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. Jan 9

    Identifying and owning your gifts

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, labcats! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney dives into one of her favorite topics—uncovering and owning your unique strengths, gifts, and superpowers. Too often, especially for women, we downplay or overlook what makes us truly exceptional, assuming everyone has the same abilities. But as Jamie McKinney reminds us, the qualities and skills that come naturally to you are exactly what fuel your growth, your happiness, and your indispensability at work. Through inspiring stories, practical prompts, and actionable experiments, Jamie McKinney helps listeners recognize those “hit it to me” skills—the things you do with confidence, joy, and natural flair. Learn how to flex these strengths, build energy and resilience even during tough seasons, and communicate your value to managers and teams. Whether you’re looking to boost your leadership, create more visibility at work, or simply feel more lit up by what you do every day, this episode has the encouragement and tools you need to claim your superpowers and put them into action. Let’s get ready to name it, claim it, and bring your strengths to the forefront—because when you own what makes you brilliant, everyone wins!

    25 min

  2. 12/18/2025

    Financial well-being

    Welcome to episode 15 of the Leadership Lab podcast! In this special conversation, Jamie McKinney sits down with financial experts Kathleen Phillips and Chelsea Kessler to tackle a topic that is often overlooked in leadership circles: financial confidence and security. As women who grew up hearing that money talk was taboo, our hosts and guests break down those old paradigms to show how mastering your finances directly fuels your leadership skills and personal confidence. You’ll hear inspiring stories of women who transformed their financial lives, practical advice on managing debt and savings, the difference between saving and investing, and concrete steps for building a spending plan that feels both empowering and aligned with what matters most. Kathleen Phillips and Chelsea Kessler share the lessons they learned through their own life experiences, and reveal how working with a trusted advisor can offer clarity, confidence, and accountability - without judgment or complexity. Whether you’re single, partnered, just starting your financial journey or looking to refine it, this episode is packed with strategies and mindset shifts to help you take control of your money, and leadership future. Get ready to learn, experiment, and grow in both wealth and well-being! We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com.  Download your personal budget template here

    35 min

  3. 12/12/2025

    Leadership vs Management: Mindset Shifts Every Aspiring Leader Should Know

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, the podcast where leadership is approached as an experiment, and growth is the ultimate goal! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes Ryan Castle, co-founder of Level 10 Leaders - a global leadership development system praised for helping leaders focus on what truly matters. With stories from the front lines of leadership transformation, Ryan shares inspiring case studies of real-life mindset shifts, from turning around a “grumpy” team member to preparing organizations for explosive growth in unpredictable times. Jamie and Ryan dive deep into the crucial distinction between management and leadership mindsets, exploring how leaders can foster self-awareness, create space for others, and master both the strategic “big picture” and the nitty-gritty of execution. Ryan also opens up about his personal routines for managing stress and bringing positive energy to his team, while offering actionable advice for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. Whether you’re moving into a leadership role, wanting to build a stronger team, or just looking for inspiration to lead, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and encouraging stories. So get ready to pause, observe, choose, and take your leadership skills to the next level! https://www.level10leaders.com/ https://www.level10leaders.com/the-active-manager-book

    43 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    Impress Top Leaders: A Proven Checklist for Leading Efficient and Effective Meetings

    Welcome to the Leadership Lab! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney is joined by Jim Beilstein, Vice President of Global Operations and Supply Chain at Owens Corning’s insulation business. With over two decades of leadership experience across supply chain, manufacturing, and innovation, plus a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, Jim Beilstein brings a deep well of insight on what truly makes meetings productive. This episode dives into the art and science of leading high-stakes meetings, providing you with practical strategies, a proven preparation checklist, and real-world anecdotes. Whether you’re prepping to stand out in front of senior leadership or simply aiming to make every meeting an effective use of time, you’ll learn how clarity on outcomes, purposeful agendas, stakeholder mapping, and thoughtful preparation can transform workplace conversations. Tune in for leadership lessons inspired by golf, surprising data-driven meeting tips, and actionable ways to elevate your own executive presence. If you want to level up your next big meeting - or coach others to do so, this is the episode for you! Checklist for Meeting Preparation: 1. Have clarity on the outcome. 2. Map your stakeholders. 3. Organize pre-reads and send ahead.. 4. Anticipate your audience's questions. 5. Practice.  We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com. Use Promo code, PODCAST for $100 off of your membership at www.JamieMcKinney.com/lab

    44 min

  5. 11/25/2025

    From Stress to Strength: Transformative Nervous System Strategies for Leaders 

    Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, where practical leadership wisdom meets real-world application. In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes nervous system business coach Lindsay Troxell for an insightful conversation on stress, resilience, and how our bodies profoundly shape our leadership capabilities. Did you know that more than half of employees, and especially women, show up to work feeling stressed every day? That stress isn't just uncomfortable; it directly impacts our clarity of thought, quality of decisions, and how we respond under pressure. Lindsay Troxell, with over 20 years of experience coaching leaders in high-stress industries, reveals why regulating your nervous system is foundational to executive presence and sustainable high performance. Together, Jamie McKinney and Lindsay Troxell break down the science behind stress responses, explain how to identify when you're in a reactive state, and share simple, actionable tools, from breathwork to grounding exercises, to help you regain composure in tough moments. You'll learn why achieving your best isn't about pushing harder, but about cultivating internal safety and self-awareness. Whether you're leading a team or simply striving to bring your best self to work, this episode is packed with strategies to expand your resilience and unlock more authentic, effective leadership. So turn up the volume, grab your notebook, and get ready for an experiment in transformative self-leadership, right here in the Leadership Lab! We'd love to hear from you! For comments or to explore opportunities to partner, please contact us at Contact@JamieMcKinney.com.  Referenced video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNipvSttDvr/?hl=en

    43 min

  6. 11/13/2025

    How Support Systems Shape Leadership Success and Career Pivots

    Welcome back to the Leadership Laboratory podcast! In today’s episode, hosts Jamie McKinney and Katerina Yared dive deep into the art of career mapping and how to truly take ownership of your professional journey. Katerina Yared, a dynamic energy scientist with more than 20 years of experience across the traditional and new energy sectors, shares her powerful story of resilience, curiosity, and personal growth. From her early days as one of the few women on offshore rigs to leading international societies and pivoting into new fields like geothermal energy and carbon capture, Katerina Yared unpacks how optimism, skill-building, and a trusted support system have helped her thrive through industry shifts and career pivots. If you’ve ever wondered how to reinvent yourself, lead with confidence, or use feedback and curiosity as your secret weapons, this episode will inspire you to experiment, and take action - on your own leadership path.

    32 min

  7. 11/06/2025

    Holistic Leadership: Applying Work Skills to Secure Better Healthcare Outcomes

    Welcome to another episode of the Leadership Lab podcast, where holistic leadership takes center stage – exploring how self-care outside of work is just as important as leading effectively within the workplace. In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Dr. Maggie Teliska, a trailblazing chemist and senior battery energy storage technical manager at Transgrid Energy. Not only is Maggie recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in CleanTech, but she’s also a chronic illness survivor who transformed her medical challenges into powerful leadership lessons. Jamie and Maggie dive deep into Maggie’s harrowing experience of surviving a sudden cardiac event, the hurdles women often face in healthcare advocacy, and how leadership principles can help navigate daunting doctor’s offices and exam rooms. You’ll discover how crafting concise “sound bites” and practicing self-advocacy can be life-changing, both at work and in medical settings. Maggie’s journey offers actionable advice and inspiring wisdom, reminding us all of the power of preparation, clarity, and confidence, even when the stakes are high. Grab your notebook - today’s episode is full of practical strategies you’ll want to remember, whether you’re leading a meeting or discussing your health. Let’s jump in!

    31 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    Speaking Up at Work: Strategies for Making Your Voice Stand Out

    Welcome to the Leadership Lab podcast! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Dena Lund, a trailblazing retired CEO and chemical engineer with three decades of experience leading organizations through transition and growth in the oil and gas industry.  Jamie and Dena dive into the all-too-common challenge of making your voice heard in the workplace, especially when pitching new ideas or advocating for change. Drawing on both scientific research and hard-won career lessons, Dena shares her "5x Rule," the proven strategy that meaningful change often requires voicing your ideas multiple times, in multiple ways, before they gain traction.  Through engaging stories - like how she and her colleagues navigated a high-stakes decision that needed to be asked five different times - Dena offers practical advice on influencing decisions, aligning with values, gaining allies, and persisting through initial resistance.  Whether you're looking to master the art of the ask, advocate for yourself, or lead your team through tough transitions, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiring encouragement to help you experiment, grow, and find your authentic leadership voice. #leadership #speakup #podcast #womensleadership

    37 min
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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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