Othman's Leadership Podcast

Reda Othman
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Leadership insights

  1. JAN 31

    E54: Dr. Andrea Carter on Designing Belonging as Performance Infrastructure

    Dr. Reda Othman sat with Dr. Andrea Carter, organizational scientist and CEO of Belonging First, to explore why belonging is not a “soft” concept—but a measurable leadership system that directly drives performance, trust, and retention. Drawing on large-scale research across industries, Dr. Carter explains how belonging functions as performance infrastructure, shaped by five measurable indicators: comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety, and well-being. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Carter shares powerful real-world examples, including findings from Canada’s largest belonging study in the mining sector and her work redesigning a global employee listening system for a multinational organization. She illustrates how organizations can show strong engagement scores while belonging quietly fractures—leading to flawless execution, suppressed critical thinking, and stalled innovation. She also recounts how failure to name broken trust or close feedback loops can rapidly erode culture, even when leaders believe they are “doing the right things.” This episode is especially valuable for executives, HR leaders, school and district leaders, consultants, and anyone responsible for culture and performance. The conversation is practical, evidence-based, and direct—challenging leaders to stop treating belonging as a side initiative and start designing it intentionally as a core system for sustainable results. Key Takeaways 1. Understand why belonging predicts retention, innovation, and performance more accurately than engagement alone. 2. Learn the five measurable indicators of belonging and how they function as an integrated system. 3. Recognize early warning signs of cultural breakdown, even when performance metrics still look “fine.” 4. Discover why psychological safety alone is insufficient without comfort, connection, contribution, and well-being. 5. Apply a critical mindset shift: stop optimizing only for short-term results and start building long-term performance infrastructure. 6. Use data as a starting point for conversation—not a blueprint for programs—before launching new initiatives. 7. Repair damaged trust by naming what’s broken, closing feedback loops publicly, and reinforcing shared accountability

    54 min

  2. JAN 15

    E53: Frank Levesque on The Five Crucial Tools for Sustained Leadership Behavior Change

    Dr. Reda Othman sat with Frank Levesque, founder of Rockstar Training and Coaching, to explore what truly drives sustained behavior change in leaders and why so many well-intentioned development efforts fail to stick. Drawing on his experience as an HR leader, coach, and entrepreneur, Frank breaks down the gap between leadership training, performance reviews, and real, measurable change in day-to-day behavior. Throughout the conversation, Frank shares concrete situations from his work—such as watching carefully designed annual review and goal-setting processes lose momentum within months, and realizing during an early coaching session that his own desire to relate was unintentionally taking the focus away from the client. These moments led him to refine a practical, evidence-based approach centered on self-awareness, assertiveness, resilience, and micro-habits that leaders can actually sustain. Listeners will hear why assertiveness often masks deeper issues like perfectionism or people-pleasing, how conflict avoidance quietly undermines leadership effectiveness, and why resilience is not about burnout or “pushing harder.” This episode is especially valuable for executives, school leaders, HR professionals, and emerging leaders who want practical tools—not theory—to improve how they show up, build trust, and create lasting behavioral change in themselves and their teams. Key Takeaways 1. Understand why sustained behavior change—not goal setting or training alone—is the true objective of leadership development. 2. Discover how low assertiveness often sits at the root of challenges like delegation, feedback, and performance issues. 3. Learn how conflict avoidance and people-pleasing can unintentionally make leaders appear passive and indecisive. 4. Apply micro-habits—small, repeatable actions—that make new leadership behaviors easier to practice and sustain. 5. Reframe resilience as agency and self-awareness, not burnout or “just pushing through.” 6. Use simple practices like breathing, counting, and daily self-check-ins to regulate emotions and improve decision-making. 7. Shift from looking backward at mistakes to using “feedforward” conversations that focus on growth and improvement.

    33 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    E52: Dr. Amanda Thayer on The Power of Presence in Mindful Leadership

    Dr. Reda Othman sat with Amanda Thayer, Administrator of the Early Childhood Initiative at Holyoke Community College, to explore what mindful leadership truly looks like in real, everyday work—not as a buzzword, but as a disciplined, practical way of leading under pressure. In this thoughtful and deeply human conversation, Amanda reframes mindfulness as an active leadership skill rooted in presence, listening, and integrity. She shares a powerful personal story about navigating meetings with a hearing impairment—and how her decision to speak up and ask a group to slow down transformed not only her experience, but the psychological safety of the entire room. She also introduces listeners to simple yet profound practices she relies on, such as the “power of pause,” mindful transitions between meetings, and everyday rituals like making tea or running without headphones to re-center attention. Throughout the episode, Amanda draws inspiration from teachers such as Thích Nhất Hạnh and reflects on research-backed ideas from scholars like Ellen Langer, emphasizing that mindfulness is not about escaping reality—it’s about meeting it fully. This episode is especially valuable for school leaders, higher-education administrators, executives, and emerging leaders who want to respond thoughtfully instead of reacting, lead with humility instead of control, and create environments where people feel genuinely seen and heard. Key Takeaways 1. Discover why mindful leadership starts with presence—being mentally and emotionally available, not just physically present. 2. Learn how vulnerability and honesty can transform group dynamics, as seen when Amanda asked colleagues to slow down during a fast-paced meeting. 3. Understand why mindfulness is not passive or “soft,” but a strategic skill that helps leaders make decisions aligned with their values. 4. Apply the “power of pause” to respond with integrity during high-stakes or emotionally charged conversations. 5. Practice small, accessible habits—like one mindful breath between tasks—that build attention without requiring major lifestyle changes. 6. Notice how sensory grounding (breath, movement, silence) helps leaders return from distraction without self-judgment. 7. Model mindfulness by naming tension, repairing missteps, and showing accountability in front of teams and family.

    40 min

  4. 12/15/2025

    E51: Jesse White on Audience-Centered Communication for Leaders

    Dr. Reda Othman sat with Jesse White, Principal of Bloomfield High School, to explore what it truly takes to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. Drawing from years of leadership, preaching, and public speaking, Jesse offers a refreshing, grounded perspective on why effective communication is less about performance and more about presence, intention, and understanding the people in front of you. In this inspiring conversation, Jesse shares two powerful stories that shaped his philosophy on communication. The first comes from a moment when a sermon he delivered unexpectedly reached someone hundreds of miles away—reminding him that when you speak with authenticity, your words can touch lives you may never see. The second story highlights a mentor who told him, “a speaker speaks,” pushing him to embrace practice as the gateway to mastery. Both moments reveal the humility, discipline, and faith that guide Jesse’s approach to leadership communication. This episode is perfect for school leaders, professionals, emerging speakers, and anyone who wants to communicate with more confidence and deeper connection. Through practical strategies and mindset shifts, Jesse invites listeners to rethink how they show up, what they focus on, and how they can meaningfully serve their audience—every time they speak. Key Takeaways 1. Discover why the most powerful communication begins with speaking to the audience’s needs—not your own. (“Everyone listens to WIIFM—What’s in it for me?”) 2. Learn how reading your audience, understanding their experiences, and tailoring your message increases resonance and impact. 3. Apply Jesse’s mentor’s advice that “a speaker speaks”—meaning the only way to grow is to practice consistently in real environments. 4. Observe great communicators and model their pacing, tone, repetition, and structure to sharpen your own style. 5. Understand why effective speakers must unlearn the “sage on the stage” mindset and shift toward serving as a guide. 6. Adopt a confident mindset: believe your message can matter to someone—even if you never see the impact directly. 7. Embrace sequencing and structure (e.g., “three steps,” “five principles”) to make your message more memorable and actionable.

    12 min

  5. 12/01/2025

    E50: Dr. Miko Nino on Giving Voice to the Unheard

    Dr. Reda Othman sat with Dr. Miko Nino, Assistant Vice President for Adult & Online Education at Rhode Island College, to explore how leaders can move beyond symbolic gestures and make inclusion truly practical. In this deep, thoughtful conversation, Dr. Nino shares what he’s learned from roles spanning conference interpretation, online learning leadership, and directing diverse teams across higher education. His philosophy is clear: inclusion isn’t a program—it’s a system of daily habits, intentional decisions, and structures that ensure every voice is seen, valued, and applied. One of the most powerful stories he shares is from his early days as an interpreter at a community event, where he realized—mid-sentence—that he was the only mechanism through which a marginalized community member could finally be heard. That moment reshaped his understanding of voice and access. He also recounts restructuring an entire online learning team by redesigning roles so everyone brought a unique value proposition and participated equally in decision-making. Both stories highlight how inclusion fails when leaders rely on assumptions and how it thrives when leaders rethink systems, not just attitudes. This episode is essential for leaders, educators, consultants, HR professionals, and anyone looking to build teams where people participate because they feel seen, not because they are asked.

    29 min

  6. 11/15/2025

    E49: Maryellen Manning on Building Collaboration That Actually Works

    In this powerful conversation, Dr. Reda Othman sits down with Maryellen Manning, Chief of Staff at New Britain Public Schools, to explore the real dynamics behind collaboration that works — and the pitfalls that make it fall apart. Maryellen shares deep, experience-tested insights from leading through major district initiatives, crisis response, curriculum overhauls, and cross-departmental change. Together, we unpack: Why communication—not intention—is the true engine of collaboration How leaders can avoid the trap of “top-down” mandates The role of psychological safety, vulnerability, and understanding self in leading teams How to navigate conflict, resistance, and the human side of change What strong leadership teams do to maintain rhythm, trust, and clarity The key signals that show a collaboration is actually working Maryellen also reveals the one simple practice leaders can begin tomorrow to strengthen collaboration on their teams. This episode is packed with wisdom you can apply immediately whether you're a district leader, principal, instructional coach, or anyone committed to leading with clarity, communication, and heart.

    1h 1m

  7. 10/30/2025

    E48: Michael Merline on Leading with Gratitude and Authenticity

    In this heartfelt episode of Othman’s Leadership Podcast, Dr. Reda Othman sits down with Michael Merline, Learning Experience Design Consultant at Citizens Bank, to explore the quiet strength of gratitude in leadership. Michael shares how being raised with values of kindness and authenticity shaped his leadership philosophy—and how showing genuine appreciation can transform teams, build trust, and sustain morale even when outcomes don’t match effort. From staying grounded through challenges to modeling gratitude that becomes contagious, Michael reminds us that leadership starts with who we are, not just what we do. If you’ve ever wondered how to align your gratitude with your leadership style, this conversation offers powerful, practical insights you won’t want to miss.

    18 min

  8. 10/17/2025

    E47: Dr. Laurie Shanderson on the Art of Data Storytelling in Leadership

    In this episode of Othman’s Leadership Podcast, Dr. Laurie Shanderson—founder and CEO of Accreditation Insights—joins Dr. Reda Othman to explore how data becomes a catalyst for leadership and change when paired with storytelling. Dr. Shanderson shares her early lessons in using data to uncover hidden insights, the common mistake leaders make when they shape data to fit their narrative, and how to stay honest when the numbers don’t tell the story we expect. She offers practical advice on building reliable data sets, starting small without fancy tools, and maintaining curiosity and integrity when analyzing results. Listeners will walk away understanding that good leadership data isn’t just about numbers—it’s about the truth, context, and story behind them.

    17 min
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