The Hard Skills

Dr. Mira Brancu
  • 5.0 (28)
  • 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. 3H AGO

    How Courageous Followership Creates Better Leaders And Governments, with Ira Chaleff

    Most people think being a "good follower" means staying silent and obeying. In reality, your silence might be the very thing destroying your organization from the inside out. In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu speaks with leadership expert and author Ira Chaleff about the concept of courageous followership and why leadership success depends not only on strong leaders but also on followers who are willing to speak up. They explore how followers can influence leaders, the four styles of followership, and the balance between supporting leadership and constructively challenging decisions when necessary. Ira also explains the idea of intelligent disobedience and how individuals can develop the courage and critical thinking needed to question authority when actions conflict with shared values or organizational goals. This episode offers practical insights on navigating power dynamics at work, building healthier leader–follower relationships, and using your voice responsibly to strengthen teams and organizations. Whether you're navigating a corporate hierarchy or dealing with a toxic political environment, this conversation provides a roadmap for leveraging your influence, setting boundaries, and ensuring your voice is heard. Learn how to break the "freeze" response and use critical thinking to protect your career and your values. If you want to master the "hard skills" of leadership and followership, hit the subscribe button and join our community of growth-minded professionals! Find Ira Chaleff at: www.irachaleffauthor.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/

    54 min
  2. Stop Telling Your Team to Move On (You're Making It Worse) (The Three-Part Workplace Grief Series)

    APR 28

    Stop Telling Your Team to Move On (You're Making It Worse) (The Three-Part Workplace Grief Series)

    Your team isn't resistant to change. They're grieving, and most leadership training never names it. That's why every "move on" conversation backfires and every engagement initiative fails. In this three-part compilation of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu walks through what ambiguous workplace grief actually is, why restructures and layoffs create real loss that looks nothing like typical grief or depression, and how leaders keep mislabeling it as disengagement, low morale, or quiet quitting. Part one shows you how to spot the difference between grief, burnout, change resistance, and institutional betrayal. Part two breaks down the three well-meaning leader responses that make everything worse (the minimizer, the false optimist, and the conflict avoider) and why even great change management fails without a grief-informed leadership framework. Part three gives you the exact framework, including specific language you can use with your team after layoffs, a merger, or a reorg. If you lead people through organizational change, this is the episode that will change how you show up. Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, burnout, and mental health at work. 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/

    37 min
  3. EXECUTIVE COACH EXPLAINS: How Humor Makes You a Better Leader, with Dr. Paul Damiano

    APR 21

    EXECUTIVE COACH EXPLAINS: How Humor Makes You a Better Leader, with Dr. Paul Damiano

    Most leaders know they should be more approachable and develop trust, but nobody tells you that humor might be the fastest way to get there. In this episode, Dr. Mira Brancu sits down with Dr. Paul Damiano, executive coach and creator of "Funny Business," a methodology using cartoons and humor to deepen awareness in leaders worldwide, to talk about something most leadership conversations skip entirely: how humor actually works as a leadership tool. Not stand-up comedy, not being the funny person in the room, but using levity and perspective to build trust, disarm tension, and get to the truth faster. Paul shares how he uses cartoons as a projective coaching technique with executives to surface what is really going on beneath the surface, and Mira goes through the exercise herself on camera to demonstrate the practice. What you see is a leader who is deeply self-aware, using a simple tool to sharpen that awareness even further. Whether you lead a small team or a room of 100, Paul makes a compelling case that humor is not just a nice-to-have. It is one of the most underused and disproportionately powerful tools a leader can develop. Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, mental health, and the real skills that make great leaders. Learn more about Dr. Paul Damiano at: www.creategoodworks.com www.linkedin.com/in/pauldamiano 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/

    58 min
  4. Using Humor as a Powerful Resiliency and Connection Tool, with Dr. Daniel Cruz Lattimore

    APR 14

    Using Humor as a Powerful Resiliency and Connection Tool, with Dr. Daniel Cruz Lattimore

    Is workplace tension draining your team's energy? Discover how a well-timed humorous comment might resolve issues faster than another difficult conversation. And when it doesn’t. In this powerful episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu sits down with experiential consultant, psychologist, and self-proclaimed “comedic philosopher,” Dr. Daniel Cruz Lattimore to unpack a critical, overlooked leadership tool. Humor isn't just about getting laughs; it's a strategic driver of psychological safety and team resilience. You'll learn when humor is misused and acts as cloaked bullying and damages trust, how to properly read your organization's unwritten cultural rules before attempting a joke, and why the improv concept of "yes, and" builds unstoppable, supportive teams. Whether you are dealing with heavy change management or simply want a low-risk way to spark genuine connection in your daily huddles, this episode proves that sometimes the heaviest work requires a lighter touch. Subscribe to The Hard Skills podcast to master authentic leadership and transform your workplace culture today! Find Dr. Lattimore here: https://www.instagram.com/omiyoconsultingllc https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellattimore/ 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/

    39 min
  5. 5 Steps to Stop Feeling Like You're “Never Enough" (Lead with Agency Part 3)

    APR 7

    5 Steps to Stop Feeling Like You're “Never Enough" (Lead with Agency Part 3)

    Tired of over-proving yourself and still feeling like it’s "never enough"? It’s time to stop reacting and start leading with a 5-stage strategic framework that actually sticks. In this final part of the "Leading with Agency" series, Dr. Mira Brancu deconstructs the "Cycle of Never Enough", a reactive pattern driven by the fear of losing standing or being "found out." She introduces the Strategic Leadership Pathway, a five-stage developmental journey designed to move leaders from uncertainty to high-impact influence. You will learn how to build a contextual identity, map specific strategies for your unique environment, and navigate organizational complexity without sacrificing your self-worth. Whether you are in STEM, Healthcare, or Higher Ed, this episode provides the hard skills needed to thrive in disrupted fields. Ready to break the cycle? Subscribe for more "Hard Skills" and join the upcoming Leadership Accelerator starting April 24, 2026. Enroll in the Strategic Leadership Resiliency Fellowship: 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/

    13 min
  6. 10 Leadership Habits Costing You Your Health (Lead with Agency Pt. 2)

    MAR 31

    10 Leadership Habits Costing You Your Health (Lead with Agency Pt. 2)

    Most high achievers don’t fail because they’re lazy, they fail because they’re doing too much of the wrong things. Are your best leadership traits actually stress responses keeping you exhausted? It is time to break the cycle of "never enough" and stop sacrificing your health for success. In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu exposes the hidden behaviors that trap high performers in burnout, including over-pleasing, overachieving, perfectionism, and over-persisting. You’ll learn how these habits are often shaped by social conditioning, leadership expectations, and the pressure to constantly prove your worth. More importantly, you’ll start to see why these patterns feel like virtues even when they’re damaging your clarity, health, and long-term impact. If you’re a leader, entrepreneur, or someone striving for success but feeling stuck, this video will help you recognize the cycle and prepare you to break free from it. If you want to stop overworking and start leading with true agency, hit that Subscribe button and join us for the journey! Enroll in the Strategic Leadership Resiliency Fellowship: 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/

    11 min
  7. Why 'Fixing Women' is the Biggest Lie in Leadership (Lead with Agency Pt. 1)

    MAR 24

    Why 'Fixing Women' is the Biggest Lie in Leadership (Lead with Agency Pt. 1)

    If you’re always working harder but still feel like it’s never enough, this episode will hit hard. Here’s the hidden cycle that keeps high achievers stuck, burned out, and constantly doubting themselves. In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu explores the vicious cycle that keeps high achievers stuck in burnout, overworking, and self-doubt, using the powerful story of Elaine, a high-performing physician who proved her capability repeatedly yet was still overlooked and undervalued in her leadership role. This episode breaks down why driven professionals push themselves beyond their limits, how people-pleasing and perfectionism develop as coping mechanisms, and why external success never truly fills the internal need for validation. It also challenges the common belief that these struggles are personal weaknesses, revealing instead how workplace environments and systemic pressures play a major role in creating imposter syndrome, fear, and exhaustion. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right but still not getting the recognition or results you deserve, this conversation will help you rethink your approach to success, leadership, and self-worth. Stop the cycle and start leading with agency. Enroll in my upcoming 5-week Strategic Leadership Resiliency Accelerator by March 30: 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/

    10 min

  8. MAR 17

    The Science and Future of Great Coaching, with BetterUp’s Chief Coaching Officer, Dr. Woodward

    Great coaching goes far beyond simply listening. Whether you’re a leader trying to improve how you show up at work, or a coach or consultant looking to sharpen how you support others, this episode is designed for you.  If you moved into leadership because you were a top performer, this conversation might change how you see leadership forever. Here is the science-backed framework from BetterUp's Chief Coaching Officer on how to actually lead in the age of AI. In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira Brancu sits down with Dr. Woody Woodward, the Chief Coaching Officer at BetterUp, to unpack why so many leaders struggle after moving into leadership and how coaching actually drives real behavior change. Dr. Woodward breaks down their proprietary "GUIDE" framework the 5-step system used to coach thousands of executives. You will learn why 72% of employees are "passengers" in the AI revolution , how to identify and avoid the "Vanity Coaches" who are scamming you , and the specific difference between therapy and executive coaching. The discussion also goes deeper into how AI and technology are reshaping coaching not by replacing human coaches, but by enhancing them and why leaders navigating constant disruption need more than advice: they need structured, science-backed support that helps them lead through others, not around them. If you want to humanize the work experience and drive actual results, this episode is your blueprint. Stop guessing at leadership. Subscribe for more science-backed strategies to build your hard skills. Find Dr. Woodward here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwoody/ Learn about BetterUp here: https://www.betterup.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/

    1h 2m
See All (133)

5
out of 5
28 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
    133
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Hard Skills

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