Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

Meredith Bell
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I’m fascinated by what it takes for leaders to live their values consistently, especially when it’s hard.  On the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast, I have candid conversations with senior executives who are working to sustain principled leadership at scale inside complex organizations. We talk about how values are reinforced through leadership capability, organizational systems, and the everyday decisions leaders make.   Our discussions also explore what gets tested when pressure rises—and the personal guardrails leaders rely on to stay aligned.   This podcast is for leaders who believe values should guide real decisions, not just appear on the wall.

  1. 378: The Best Boards Ask the Hardest Questions

    3d ago

    378: The Best Boards Ask the Hardest Questions

    Vera Cherepanova, Executive Director of Boards of the Future, believes the strongest boards are not the ones with the best reports, but the ones willing to ask the hardest questions. In this conversation, she explains why ethics cannot be treated as a compliance exercise or a checklist after decisions are made. True governance requires courage, dissent, and a willingness to examine what leaders may prefer not to see.  We explore her concept of FOFO—fear of finding out—and how it keeps boards from asking difficult questions that could expose risk, protect reputation, and strengthen trust. Vera also shares how silence, conformity, and the absence of real challenge can quietly erode culture from the top down. If values are meant to guide decisions, then boards must create the conditions where truth can be spoken and principled leadership can thrive.  Vera is the Executive Director of Boards of the Future, a nonprofit advancing ethical leadership and integrity at the highest levels of corporate power. Vera serves as a chair, director, and ethics advisor to global professional bodies, corporations, and international nonprofits. She has authored the guide, How Boards Should Oversee Ethics: A Ten-Practice Guide for Modern Boards, challenging boards to move beyond compliance checklists. Her latest work focuses on how boards oversee ethics, cultivate dissent, and create the conditions for principled leadership when pressure is highest.   You’ll discover:  Why compliance and ethics are not the same thingHow fear of finding out creates costly leadership blind spotsWhat makes people stay silent when they should speak upSimple ways leaders can create safer spaces for dissentHow boardroom behavior shapes culture across the organizationConnect with Vera Cherepanova on Social Media LinkedIn  Websites  Vera Cherepanova  Boards of the Future  Guide  How Boards Should Oversee Ethics: A Ten-Practice Guide for Modern Boards  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    51 min
  2. 377: How Medtronic Turns Values Into Action

    May 19

    377: How Medtronic Turns Values Into Action

    What happens when doing the right thing costs money, creates tension, or slows results? Tara Shewchuk, Senior Vice President and Global Chief Privacy, Integrity, and Compliance Officer at Medtronic, pulls back the curtain on what ethical leadership actually looks like inside a global company where decisions can impact millions of lives. You’ll hear how leaders navigate pressure, disagreement, and uncertainty while staying grounded in values that guide both business and patient care.  Tara shares powerful real-world examples of principled leadership in action, including Medtronic’s decision to open source ventilator technology during the pandemic, the systems they use to strengthen speak-up culture across global teams, and the daily leadership behaviors that build trust over time. This conversation goes far beyond compliance and policies. It’s about how leaders create cultures where integrity becomes part of how people think, decide, and act every day.  You’ll discover: Why ethical culture must be intentionally built every day How leaders create safety for people to speak up What Medtronic did when profit conflicted with patient care How ethics circles strengthen decision-making across teams Why authenticity and vulnerability make leaders strongerConnect with Tara Shewchuk on Social Media LinkedIn  Website Tara’s employer, Medtronic  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    53 min
  3. 376: When Ambition Disconnects You From Life

    May 12

    376: When Ambition Disconnects You From Life

    What happens when your drive to succeed begins to disconnect you from yourself and the people who matter most? You’ll hear how Kevin Rice navigated extreme personal and professional pressure while building and scaling a company, and what it taught him about values, leadership, and the cost of staying disconnected.  As Kevin reflects on leading through rapid growth, personal upheaval, and critical business decisions, you’ll see how clarity around values like integrity, resilience, and connection changed how he shows up as a leader and a father. This conversation will challenge you to examine where you may be operating on autopilot and how intentionality and presence can transform both your work and your relationships. Kevin co-founded Hathway straight out of college and grew it from a garage-stage startup into a 200+ person company before its acquisition in 2021. Today, he leads Theorem One Capital and is focused on helping leaders scale companies without losing themselves in the process. Kevin is also the host of the CEOs and ABCs Podcast, a show for ambitious professionals navigating both career and family. You’ll discover: How “robot mode” impacts your leadership and decision-making Why disconnecting from emotions weakens your intuition A defining moment that reshaped Kevin’s understanding of integrity How values guide tough decisions with clients and team members Practical ways to model values at home with your childrenConnect with Kevin Rice on Social Media LinkedIn  Podcast CEOs & ABCs Podcast  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    47 min
  4. 375: How Cargill Turns Values Into Daily Decisions

    May 5

    375: How Cargill Turns Values Into Daily Decisions

    What if your company’s stated values actually guided every decision you make? Christopher Annand, Senior Director of Ethics, Compliance, and Security, shares how Cargill brings this standard to life, where seven guiding principles shape how leaders think, act, and lead every day.  As you listen, you’ll discover how those principles are reinforced from day one, how employees at every level use them to evaluate decisions, and why trust becomes a competitive advantage in uncertain times. You’ll also gain practical insight into handling difficult conversations, making values-based decisions under pressure, and understanding why at Cargill, how you achieve results matters just as much as what you achieve.  Christopher leads a global team of compliance professionals across multiple regions, helping ensure that the company’s guiding principles are not only understood but also lived. He joined Cargill to help build and scale its compliance organization, and over time has played a key role in embedding those principles into how leaders operate across cultures and business units. What makes this conversation especially compelling is that at Cargill, values don’t sit on the wall. They shape decisions, they guide behavior, and they influence who gets to lead—and who doesn’t.  You’ll discover: How Cargill embeds values into daily decisions Why trust is the foundation of leadership A practical framework for making tough decisions How to handle emotional employee conversations effectively Why “how you achieve results” matters as much as outcomesConnect with Christopher Social Media LinkedIn  Website  Cargill  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    1h 1m
  5. 374: The Line You Never Cross

    Apr 28

    374: The Line You Never Cross

    Pressure doesn’t reveal your values. It exposes whether you’ve defined them at all. In this conversation with John Castelly, you’re challenged to think about who you are as a leader before the moment arrives when everything is on the line.  You’ll hear how John built and scaled ethics and compliance at ServiceNow and now navigates high-stakes decisions as General Counsel at Promise. Through real stories, you’ll discover how small compromises become major failures, why trust is the foundation of every organization, and what it takes to lead with clarity when speed, growth, and pressure collide.  John is General Counsel at Promise. Before that he built and led ethics and compliance at scale as SVP, Legal – Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer at ServiceNow. He has deep knowledge and experience as a senior executive on issues concerning risk assessment, fraud prevention, compliance practices, supervision, industry rules, regulations, and policies.  You’ll discover: How small “harmless” choices can lead to major ethical failures Why defining your values before a crisis is essential What it takes to build trust as the foundation of culture How to balance speed and risk in high-growth environments Practical ways to create a culture where people speak upConnect with John Castelly on Social Media LinkedIn  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    51 min
  6. 373: When Growth Forces an Identity Shift

    Apr 21

    373: When Growth Forces an Identity Shift

    What happens when you set a bigger goal and it forces you to rethink who you are? In this solo episode, I share how one decision exposed gaps in my leadership approach and led to a series of identity-level shifts. Through working with AI as a strategic thinking partner, I uncovered patterns that were limiting my impact and began operating with greater clarity, precision, and intention.  You’ll hear how these shifts are changing the way I lead conversations, make decisions, and show up with others. More importantly, I’ll challenge you to look at where these same patterns may be showing up in your leadership, especially under pressure. This episode will invite you to examine where you may be staying vague, avoiding direct conversations, or moving too quickly to create real impact.  I’m the co-founder and president of Grow Strong Leaders. We provide assessment and development systems that help leaders strengthen their character and communication skills so they can consistently live their values and sustain strong, high-trust cultures, especially under pressure.  You’ll discover: Why “generosity without clear intent” limits your impact How avoiding “the ask” weakens relationshipsThe hidden cost of moving conversations forward too quickly What strong leaders do to create clarity and real progress Three powerful questions to elevate your leadership immediatelyConnect with Meredith on Social Media LinkedIn  Facebook  Twitter   Instagram   Website  Grow Strong Leaders   Books Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills Grow Strong Character  Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    9 min
  7. 372: Your Body Decides Before Your Brain Does

    Apr 10

    372: Your Body Decides Before Your Brain Does

    What happens when a high-performing leader hits a wall they never saw coming? Kimberly Arnold knows firsthand. After she spent decades leading large-scale transformations at PwC, Salesforce, and Blue Shield of California, a perfect storm of personal and professional pressures sent her on a 15-week stress-induced medical leave. That experience opened her eyes to what most leadership development overlooks: the powerful role your nervous system plays in how you show up under pressure. Now, as founder of the Pressure Ready Method™,  she teaches leaders simple, body-based practices that restore composure in seconds. Kimberly reveals the neuroscience behind why your body reacts before your mind even catches up—and why that matters for every decision you make. You’ll hear how she walked into a room of 12 distraught stakeholders at Salesforce and used a quick physical reset to stay open, curious, and collaborative when blame was flying in every direction. She shares her PACE framework (Pause, Acknowledge, Center, Engage) and practical techniques you can use in minutes to interrupt stress reactions, prevent cortisol buildup, and lead from a place of clarity rather than reactivity. Kimberly helps leaders and teams build high performance under pressure without compromising their relationships or their health. As founder of the Pressure Ready Method™, she teaches repeatable tools leaders apply to interrupt reactive patterns and reset in minutes. Drawing on decades of leadership at PwC, Salesforce, and Blue Shield of California, plus 15 years as a certified somatic teacher, Kimberly brings lived experience to turning high-pressure moments into clear thinking, sound judgment, and collaborative solutions. You’ll discover:  Why your body signals danger before your mind doesHow the PACE framework interrupts stress in secondsWhat pushing harder actually costs your leadership credibilityThe simple posture shift that boosts your confidenceHow a long exhale can prevent cortisol from building up Connect with Kimberly Arnold on Social Media LinkedIn YouTube Kimberly's Resources Resilient Reset  Newsletter  Meet with Kimberly     Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    44 min
  8. 371: The Weight of Doing the Right Thing

    Apr 7

    371: The Weight of Doing the Right Thing

    Pressure reveals who you really are as a leader. Brian Aquart, Vice President of Workforce and Community Education at Northwell Health, shares how a defining moment during the first wave of COVID reshaped his understanding of purpose, responsibility, and ethical leadership. Deploying staff into high-risk areas forced him to wrestle with the weight of decisions that could either expose people to harm or help save lives.   You’ll hear how Brian moved from chasing titles to chasing impact, why principles at the top prevent chaos across 100,000+ employees, and how values must be embedded—not just stated—to withstand pressure. From education initiatives that change life trajectories to his belief that compassion drifts first when guardrails disappear, this conversation will challenge you to examine how you show up when it matters most.  Brian Aquart is a healthcare executive, advisor, and storyteller whose work sits at the intersection of leadership, workforce development, and human transition. He currently serves as Vice President of Workforce & Community Education at Northwell Health, where he helps design and scale education-to-career pathways that strengthen communities and future-ready systems.    He is also the creator and host of Why I Left, a podcast exploring the pivotal moments when leaders choose to evolve, and the founder of Storyline by Kingswood, where he works with executives and organizations to develop narrative clarity, strengthen leadership presence, and align how they show up with the impact they want to make. Across all of his work, Brian is driven by a core belief: when leaders change how they show up, they change what’s possible for the people and systems they serve. You’ll discover: How ethical leadership becomes clear when lives are on the lineWhy principles at the top determine culture at scaleWhat happens inside an organization when values aren’t reinforcedHow showing up physically signals integrity and careWhy purpose, not prestige, sustains leaders long termConnect with Brian on Social Media LinkedIn YouTube Websites  Why I Left Website: https://whyileft.co/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whyileft  Storyline by Kingswood Website: https://www.kingswoodforestllc.com/storyline-by-kingswood/    Check out all the episodes Leave a review on Apple Podcasts Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn

    49 min
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5
out of 5
48 Ratings

About

I’m fascinated by what it takes for leaders to live their values consistently, especially when it’s hard.  On the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast, I have candid conversations with senior executives who are working to sustain principled leadership at scale inside complex organizations. We talk about how values are reinforced through leadership capability, organizational systems, and the everyday decisions leaders make.   Our discussions also explore what gets tested when pressure rises—and the personal guardrails leaders rely on to stay aligned.   This podcast is for leaders who believe values should guide real decisions, not just appear on the wall.

Information

  • Creator
    Meredith Bell
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    378
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Grow Strong Leaders Podcast
  • Show Website
    Grow Strong Leaders Podcast