The Hard Skills

Dr. Mira Brancu
  • 5.0 (27)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to “The Hard Skills” podcast, a practical and research-driven show that explores the core leadership skills needed to fuel leadership to activate real change, such as creating inclusive and healthy workplaces. Through expert interviews and live coaching calls, we challenge the notion of "soft skills," question long-held but inaccurate leadership development beliefs, and offer real, practical solutions for complex leadership challenges. Hosted by Dr. Mira Brancu, a clinical and organizational development psychologist with extensive leadership experience, we’ll delve into topics of leadership identity, leading with uncertainty, navigating workplace politics, and creating critical organizational change. This podcast will especially appeal to high-achieving leaders in healthcare, tech, and academic, industries. Whether you're seeking personal growth, looking to enhance your leadership abilities, or interested in Dr. Brancu's coaching services and membership community, join us as we unravel the complexities of leadership and inspire you to embrace the hard skills.

  1. 1D AGO · BONUS

    How to Stop Decision Fatigue Without Losing Opportunities

    You planted the seeds, and now the resulting abundance is overwhelming you. Learn why "too many opportunities" is a strategic trap and how to start navigating it with a more proactive management strategy.  In this Bonus episode, Dr. Mira Brancu shares a personal reflection on the shift from the "shedding" energy of the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Wood Snake in 2025 to the "bold action" of the Fire Horse in 2026. She talks about critical trade-offs as the solution to escaping decision paralysis and how to hold yourself accountable to these changes. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the rapid pace of work, these 4 diagnostic questions will help you start gaining clarity in those trade-offs. Ready to grow into your new skin? Sign up for our Strategic Clarity half-day workshop (deadline: February 12, 20026). https://luma.com/auobmkby IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    7 min

  2. 3D AGO

    7 Steps to Escape the "Expert's Dilemma" (No Fluff)

    Are you the bottleneck in your own department? If you're working nights and weekends because "it's just faster to do it myself," you're trapped in the Expert's Dilemma. This is Part 3 of our Strategic Clarity series. In this final installment of our Strategic Clarity series, Dr. Mira Brancu tackles the #1 struggle for new leaders: letting go of your past technical work. We break down why delegation isn't just an individual skill—it’s a systemic challenge involving team capability, organizational design, and even societal identity. Learn how to diagnose why you're stuck in the "Individual Contributor" trap and try out any of our 7 action items to reclaim your agency and lead with intent. Whether you're a program director, physician leader, or VP, it's time to stop doing and start leading. Ready to stop being the bottleneck? Sign up for our Strategic Clarity half-day workshop (deadline: February 12, 20026). https://luma.com/auobmkby Looking to clarify the root cause of your complex or confusing current leadership challenges and tips for how to address each? Try my free Strategic Leadership Resiliency Assessment. https://mailchi.mp/e1ebf8505764/slr-assessment  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    13 min
  3. 3 Hidden Mechanisms That Can Break Your Success

    FEB 3

    3 Hidden Mechanisms That Can Break Your Success

    You followed the framework and built the plan—but your project still got blocked. Discover the "Invisible Architecture" that determines success or failure in complex organizations. This is Part 2 of our Strategic Clarity series. In this deep dive, Dr. Mira Brancu reveals the hidden dynamics that an organizational chart will never show you. Most leaders fail because they play by the written rules while the "Invisible Architecture"—unspoken rules and hidden dynamics—runs the show. We break down the three pillars of corporate survival: Mapping true influence, navigating the weight of organizational history, and uncovering how decisions are really made. Learn how to "slow down to speed up" and move from being reactive to a proactive, strategic leader. Ready to stop being reactive? Sign up for our Strategic Clarity half-day workshop (deadline: February 12, 20026). https://luma.com/auobmkby Looking to assess your invisible architecture? Try out our free Organizational Power & Influence Assessment! Find it under the list of free tools on our website here. https://gotowerscope.com/other-free-stuff Looking to clarify the root cause of your complex or confusing current leadership challenges and tips for how to address each? Try my free Strategic Leadership Resiliency Assessment. (https://mailchi.mp/e1ebf8505764/slr-assessment) IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    13 min

  4. JAN 27

    Leave the Black Hole Reactivity Vortex and Get Strategic Clarity

    Are you drowning in "urgent" tasks while your big goals sit on the back burner? Stop firefighting and start diagnosing your leadership bottlenecks with this 2x2 grid. In this episode, Dr. Mira Brancu addresses the "Black Hole Reactivity Vortex"—a common trap where high-performing leaders feel busy but fail to be strategic. Most leaders jump straight to solutions, but Dr. Brancu argues that we often solve the right problem at the wrong level. By applying a diagnostic framework used in complex medical fields, she introduces a 2x2 grid to identify the Vertical Systems Level (Individual, Team, Organizational, Societal) and the Horizontal Responsibility Level (Me, Team, Someone else, Organization). Through real-world case studies, you'll learn why "personality conflicts" are often system failures and how to use triage protocols to reclaim your time. Continue exploring this topic by taking our free strategic leadership resiliency assessment here: https://mailchi.mp/e1ebf8505764/slr-assessment  And make sure to subscribe to this channel so you don’t miss any future learning opportunities to strengthen your “hard skills muscles”!! IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    18 min

  5. JAN 20

    "Spicier Things": Talking Leadership and Learning Over a Hot Sauce Lunch

    Most people think leading and learning should be easy, but psychology proves that it requires both cognitive and emotional effort. In this episode, Dr. Mira Brancu and Dr. Jeffrey Greene use a spicy sauce challenge to reveal why you must embrace "desirable difficulties" to truly lead and grow. Are you suffering from an "infodemic"? In a world of infinite information, the most important skill you can develop is "critical ignoring"—the ability to filter out the noise and focus on what actually moves the needle for your career. Dr. Jeffrey Greene, a professor of educational psychology, breaks down the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and explains how to stay in the growth zone without hitting a breaking point. Meanwhile, Dr. Mira Brancu discusses the high-stakes world of leadership emotion regulation, proving that how you handle "the heat" in the boardroom determines your team’s psychological safety. Ready to build your hard skills muscle? Subscribe for more deep dives into the psychology of elite performance! IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small, women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    25 min
  6. 4 Steps to Heal a Broken Team (A Grief Framework) (Ambiguous Grief, Part 3)

    JAN 13

    4 Steps to Heal a Broken Team (A Grief Framework) (Ambiguous Grief, Part 3)

    Layoffs and restructuring leave deep invisible scars on a team. If you try to "business as usual" your way through it, you will lose your best people. Here is the exact framework to heal the damage. In this final episode of the Ambiguous Grief series, Dr. Mira Brancu reveals why standard corporate responses to loss actually increase toxicity. When leaders minimize change or force false optimism, grief "spills over" into poor performance and resentment. Dr. Brancu introduces "Grief-Informed Leadership," a 4-step framework designed to restore psychological safety. You will learn the "Name It to Tame It" technique, how to become an "Emotional Container," and why seeking closure is a trap. She also provides a word-for-word script on how to address your team after a layoff to rebuild trust and dignity immediately. Subscribe for more hard skills on leading through crisis. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    9 min
  7. 3 Leadership Mistakes That Cause "Quiet Quitting" (Ambiguous Grief, Part 2)

    JAN 6 · BONUS

    3 Leadership Mistakes That Cause "Quiet Quitting" (Ambiguous Grief, Part 2)

    Is your team cynical, disengaged, or "quiet quitting" despite your best efforts to stay positive? You might be accidentally overlooking "Ambiguous Grief"—and your leadership style could be making it worse. In Part 2 of this special series on The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu reveals breaks down the three specific "villains" of leadership during crisis: The Minimizer ("It's just business"), The False Optimist ("Everything is great!"), and The Conflict Avoider (The ghosting boss). Learn how to identify which one you are and how to shift from "forcing progress" to "facilitating resilience." Stop hidden grief from eating your company's productivity from the inside out. Stop the churn. Subscribe for Part 3 to get the Grief-Informed Leadership Framework:  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    12 min
  8. From "Quiet Quitting" to Engaged: The Missing Link (Ambiguous Grief: Part 1)

    12/30/2025

    From "Quiet Quitting" to Engaged: The Missing Link (Ambiguous Grief: Part 1)

    Is your team "Quiet Quitting" or are they mourning? Discover when traditional change management fails and how to fix an unknown root cause of disengagement: Ambiguous Grief. In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu reveals the hidden psychology destroying workplace culture: Ambiguous Grief. If you have recently gone through a restructure, layoff, or leadership change, your team isn't just "resisting change"—they are experiencing unresolved loss. Dr. Brancu breaks down the critical differences between burnout, organizational trauma, and the "Glass Cliff" phenomenon affecting female leaders. Learn to identify the symptoms of "Resenteeism" and "Job Hugging" and stop mislabeling grief as performance issues. This is essential listening for executives, HR professionals, and mid-level managers navigating the psychological impact of corporate restructuring. Subscribe for more leadership psychology and strategies to navigate the hard skills of management. Work with me 1:1, book me to speak or provide team training, or explore my free or low-cost resources at www.gotowerscope.com  IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR? We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you! Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/

    16 min
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5
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

Welcome to “The Hard Skills” podcast, a practical and research-driven show that explores the core leadership skills needed to fuel leadership to activate real change, such as creating inclusive and healthy workplaces. Through expert interviews and live coaching calls, we challenge the notion of "soft skills," question long-held but inaccurate leadership development beliefs, and offer real, practical solutions for complex leadership challenges. Hosted by Dr. Mira Brancu, a clinical and organizational development psychologist with extensive leadership experience, we’ll delve into topics of leadership identity, leading with uncertainty, navigating workplace politics, and creating critical organizational change. This podcast will especially appeal to high-achieving leaders in healthcare, tech, and academic, industries. Whether you're seeking personal growth, looking to enhance your leadership abilities, or interested in Dr. Brancu's coaching services and membership community, join us as we unravel the complexities of leadership and inspire you to embrace the hard skills.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Mira Brancu
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    121
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Hard Skills