The LeaderLab: Powered by LifeLabs Learning

People don't necessarily resist change. They resist change that happens without clarity, context, or a sense of control. In this episode of The LeaderLab Podcast , Micaela Mathre, interim Chief Revenue Officer at LifeLabs Learning, welcomes Taminy Fernandes, VP of People at FIT House of Brands, to discuss the leadership habits that build trust, strengthen manager effectiveness, and help teams...

Empathy at work isn’t just understanding how someone feels. It’s what you do next. Claude Silver joins Micaela Mathre to explore how leaders turn care into everyday behavior; from giving clearer feedback to noticing when someone on the team has gone quiet. Drawing on her journey to becoming Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, Claude shares why manager training should give people something they can...

How do you get honest feedback when people may be reluctant to give it? In this episode of The LeaderLab , Dr. Dossier Harps joins Micaela Mathre to explore Pulling for Feedback : asking deliberate, specific questions instead of waiting for someone else to speak up. They discuss why critical feedback can trigger defensiveness, how hierarchy shapes what leaders hear, and why asking is only part of...

AI can accelerate insight, sharpen thinking, and remove friction from how work gets done. But it cannot replace the trust, reflection, feedback, and human connection that help people grow. In this episode of The Leader Lab , Megan Wheeler, Director of People Development at Articulate, joins Micaela Mathre to explore what leadership development needs to look like in an increasingly remote and AI-en...

How do you create a culture where learning becomes part of the way people work? In this episode of The Leader Lab, Patrick Choquette, Director of Learning & Development at The Obama Foundation, shares lessons from a career spanning public service, education, international development, and leadership development. From teaching in Ghana as a Peace Corps volunteer to leading learning programs acr...

What makes feedback useful instead of just emotional? In this Skills Spotlight episode of The Leader Lab, Kathy Pearce, Facilitator at LifeLabs Learning, joins host Micaela Mathre to unpack the Playing Cards Method™,  one of LifeLabs’ most memorable frameworks for turning blurry feedback into clear, actionable communication. Using the four suits in a deck of cards, Kathy explains how Hearts and Cl...

What does it take to scale teams, culture, and leadership at the same time? In this episode of The Leader Lab , Sara Marzitelli-Sanchez, VP of People at SonderMind, shares how she’s helping leaders grow alongside their organizations by focusing on manager development, human-centered leadership, and practical AI adoption. From her unconventional path into HR to her belief that “people are complex b...

What does it take to lead people well when the rules of work keep changing? In this episode of The Leader Lab , Lynee Luque, Chief People Officer at NerdWallet, shares how she’s navigating AI adoption, organizational change, acquisitions, and remote-first leadership, while keeping the human side of work at the center. Hear how Lynee approaches leading through ambiguity, why copying and pasting pla...

What’s the role of L&D in the age of AI? In this episode of The Leader Lab , Will Feng (VP of People, Fabletics) shares how TechStyle Fashion Group is rethinking learning, from the ground up. Hear how they’re developing human skills, engaging middle managers, and building an “AI-first mindset” across brands. 🎧 Tune in to learn: The power of peer-based learning and clear communication What an...

AI is transforming how we learn at work, but it can’t replace human connection or the practice it takes to turn knowledge into lasting skills. In this episode of The LeaderLab, LifeLabs CEO Priscila Bala and Facilitation Manager Michelle King share why people skills remain essential in the age of AI. They discuss the risks of relying too heavily on technology in leadership development and why live...

Change is hard, especially on the brain. In this episode, LifeLabs Learning Facilitaton Manager Brendon Nimphius introduces the CAMPS Check—a science-backed framework that helps leaders anticipate the psychological impact of change. Learn how to use Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social Inclusion to listen better, lead more effectively, and reduce resistance. Whether you're navig...

In this Episode  What if the biggest blockers to collaboration and innovation... were the leaders themselves? In this episode of The Leader Lab, Kristin Correa Blanco, Head of People at Harry’s and Flamingo, shares how the Harry’s team turned employee feedback into action. From overloaded meetings to unclear decision-making, they realized: the problem started at the top. Hear how they responded wi...

The LeaderLab Podcast is back — with a fresh twist. Originally launched over five years ago by a passionate group of Labmates at LifeLabs Learning , this podcast quickly became a go-to resource for bite-sized leadership skills. Now, we’re relaunching with the same beloved format — short, practical episodes — plus a new layer: candid conversations with senior people leaders. You'll hear from L...

When we look at change in the workplace, it can often be challenging to navigate. As a leader, there are ways to guide your team in an empowering and empathetic way. Join us for this special panel-style conversation on Grow Kind Leadership in times of uncertainty. Want training for your team? Get in touch with us to find out which learning experiences are right for your team. [Music by Blue Dot Se...

In this week’s episode of The LeaderLab, we continue our discussion about how leaders can play an active role in helping their teams and people through periods of growth in the kindest way possible. We invite Annie-Rose London, a Facilitator at LifeLabs Learning, to explain how leaders can harness the power of easy focus to quickly create space for their teams to think, feel, and connect by using...

In this week’s episode of The LeaderLab, we continue our discussion about how leaders can play an active role in helping their teams and people through periods of growth in the kindest way possible. We invite Rachel Glick, Director of Consulting & Team Enablement at LifeLabs Learning, to explain how leaders can take a look beneath the surface of their team’s data to uncover the inputs contribu...

In this week’s episode of The LeaderLab, we continue our discussion about how leaders can play an active role in helping their teams and people through periods of growth in the kindest way possible. We invite Massella Dukuly, Director of Team Enablement at LifeLabs Learning, to explain why using vision statements is one of the best ways to get people on board with, and even excited about, change....

Now that we’ve learned what it takes to grow kind from a systems level, it’s time to get a little more granular. In this series, we'll discuss how leaders can play an active role in helping their teams and people through periods of growth in the kindest way possible. In this episode of The LeaderLab, we invite Victoria Chen,  Facilitation Lead and Leadership Trainer, to demonstrate how leader...

We're taking a tiny break to Grow Kind and bring you new and exciting content on August 1st! 

When we look at growth from a systems level, it’s essential that we intentionally consider the people that growth will impact the most. In this special episode of The LeaderLab, we welcome back a few incredible guests from our systems-level Grow Kind series to discuss how the ‘grow kind’ mission came to be at LifeLabs Learning, what we’ve learned about growing kind so far, and what companies can d...

As your company grows, how do you maintain its purpose, mission, and values across teams at scale? Joie Lim, LifeLabs Learning’s Impact Lead, joins The LeaderLab this week to talk about how leaders can protect an org’s ethos by reinforcing the behaviors that align with the company’s ideal identity. Want to help your organization grow kind? Get in touch with us to find out which learning experience...

How can you ensure the systems and practices that are scaling alongside your business stay as inclusive and anti-biased as possible? This week, Vanessa is joined by Ashley Schwedt, LifeLabs Learning’s Director of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-bias), to discuss one of her favorite tools: a DEI checklist for systems that we refer to as the FAIR framework.  Want to help your organizati...

How does your company convert information into knowledge that’s accessible org-wide? The LeaderLab invites Brian Dann, certified Knowledge Manager, and Katya Davydova, author and leadership facilitator, to share the 4D Model of Knowledge Management. Brian, Katya, and Vanessa discuss how this tool helps companies organize, socialize, and deepen their knowledge base at scale even during times of rap...

Is your company intentionally and accurately prioritizing the needs of the business? The LeaderLab invites Robyn Long, LifeLabs Learning’s Chief of Staff and Business Operations Strategist, to share one of her favorite calibration tools with our listeners: the Business Priority Score (BPS) system. Robyn and Vanessa discuss how this tool helps companies grow sustainably as they scale by clarifying...

The LeaderLab Podcast is BACK for a brand new season! To kick things off, The LeaderLab invites listeners into an intimate conversation with LifeLabs Learning’s new CEO, Priscila Bala. Vanessa and Priscila’s conversation spans both the personal and organizational as the two discuss the journey of change leadership and the vision we’ve identified to shape the company’s evolution as we enter a phase...