The Unleashing Leaders Podcast

Katie Hagen spent fifteen years building candidate pools inside California's prison system, some of it under a federal healthcare receivership. If she can find good people under those conditions, "we can't find anyone" can't be what stops you. In this conversation, Lee sits down with Katie, CEO of CPS HR Consulting, to talk about the part of recruiting most leaders skip: what happens before the in...

In this conversation, Lee sits down with Gina Cotner, founder and CEO of Athena Executive Services. They dig into the conversation almost every leader avoids: telling someone their delegated work isn't landing. If you've ever put off that talk, or had it blow up in your face, this one's for you. Gina traces her approach back to two unlikely classrooms. The first was a middle school production of T...

Stacie Baird, Chief People Officer at Community Medical Services, offers insights on the intersection of self-care, resilience, and ethical AI to elevate the human experience. She shares her professional journey to discovering her leadership purpose in addressing the opioid epidemic. She also shares the power of adversity in our personal lives to unlock our super powers and focus our contributions...

In this conversation, Lee sits down with Payson Hall, founding member and consulting project manager at Catalysis Group. Payson was one of Lee's earliest mentors. Together they unpack a skill most leaders avoid: delivering bad news before it becomes a crisis. Payson traces the lesson to a Ranger sergeant in a Georgia swamp who refused to let him fake confidence with a map and a fat gloved finger....

In this conversation, Lee sits down with two of Unleashing Leaders' top change agents, Skye Connors and Emily LaPorta, to tackle a problem every high performer eventually hits: too many priorities, not enough hours. Skye and Emily built UL's internal SOP for handling conflicting task requests and walk through how it works, from the physical warning signs of overload to the tiebreakers that step in...

In this conversation, Lee Scott and Dr. Sandra Kaufmann explore the science of longevity and its direct connection to leadership performance. Here's a hard truth: a dead leader is not a great leader. Neither is one who hits the peak of their wisdom right as their body starts to fail. Sandy is a physician, author, and transitional medical director for Envision Healthcare. She has spent years invest...

"You need to be more strategic." It shows up on performance reviews constantly. And almost nobody explains what it actually means. In this quick hit episode, Lee Scott breaks it down with a practical five level model that maps exactly where someone is on the strategic thinking spectrum and what it takes to move them forward. From the Hapless Victim defined by their conditions, to the Strategic Ope...

Setbacks don't send a calendar invite. They show up at 6 a.m. on a Teams call. In a hospital room. On a battlefield. George Tagg Jr. has met adversity at every one of those addresses. And every single time, he found a way forward. Attorney. Former DOJ Nazi hunter. A State Department and DOD official who negotiated in the Caucasus, was on the ground in Kyiv when Russia's invasion began, and managed...

Information transferred is not information absorbed. It sounds obvious. And yet most leaders keep running the same play anyway. The boot camp. The all-hands demo. The two-day blitz. And then three weeks later, nobody's using the tools. Anna Basevich has spent her career at the intersection of health data and human behavior. As SVP at Arcadia, she helps healthcare organizations turn fragmented, sil...

What does a gospel saxophonist, a forensic psychiatric program director, and a community pillar have in common? They're all the same person, and she's been quietly unleashing leaders for over three decades. In this episode, Lee Scott sits down with Karen Jean Reed, Program 3 Director at Atascadero State Hospital, a cancer survivor, musician, and leader who built a culture of relentless recognition...

What really drives people to say yes, lean in, and follow through? Lee Scott breaks down one of his go-to leadership frameworks: the six fundamental human needs, and how understanding them can instantly sharpen the way you lead. From certainty and variety to significance, connection, growth, and contribution, Lee explores how these needs shape motivation, influence behavior, and reveal what matter...

Every leader has conversations they're dreading, avoiding, or fumbling before they even begin. In this episode, Lee Scott unpacks one of the most underestimated tools in the leadership toolkit, the compelling invitation. Not the ambush, not the vague "can we talk?" text, and not the cold command to report to the conference room. The compelling invitation is the art and science of getting the right...

Change is inevitable, but fearless leaders choose to run toward it. In this replay episode, Lee sits down with Jen Bauer, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Culture at Miron Construction, to explore what it truly takes to build a people powered organization in an industry facing rapid transformation. From talent shortages to shifting workplace expectations, Jen shares candid insights on how pu...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Jamie Justice shares her journey from a snowboard athlete to a pioneering scientist and now a global leader in the fields of aging and health innovation. Discover how seeing leadership as a service at any level in the hierarchy, leveraging setbacks as launchpads, and relentless curiosity are transforming the quality and longevity of human life. This episode is a trea...

In this replay episode, Lee sits down with Jen Arnold, CEO of Growth Signals, to unpack the real impact leaders have on trust, wellbeing, and performance at work. Jen challenges the surface-level approach to workplace wellness and reframes leadership as one of the most influential forces in a person's mental health and daily energy. She shares why trust is built in the smallest moments, how unclea...

In this conversation, Charles Sharp reflects on what it means to lead at a young age, sharing the experiences and formative moments that shaped his confidence, credibility, and approach to leadership. He talks about early lessons in humility, respect and relationship-building including stories that taught him never to underestimate people and always treat everyone with dignity.  Charles walks thr...

In this milestone 50th episode of the Unleashing Leaders podcast, host Lee Scott and guest Cyrus Aram shine a light on hidden blind spots of leadership. They discuss Cyrus's unique international experiences and early career challenges that revealed patterns in blind spots. Through stories of massive and micro scale changes, Cyrus shares how he learned how there are always blindspots and how to spo...

All leaders-to-be face a pivotal moment where they cross over from being a valuable individual contributor to taking on the mantle of leadership. That leadership role might be informal or formal, but either way it is a quantum leap in impact. Our guest is Rob Marcus, CEO of Blue Stallion Leadership and US Army Bronze Star veteran from from Fredericksburg, VA. Across military, civilian, and persona...

On the UL podcast, we believe that leadership can happen with and without formal authority. Sometimes, the most challenging leadership role is leading up to a person who technically has more formal authority, but might be unintentionally causing some of the chaos you are trying to address. In this episode, we'll learn from two examples from different contexts but have very similar patterns for how...

We're hitting "replay" and raising a mug of cocoa! ☕️🎄 Each year, our PeopleForward Network team takes a full holiday break to rest, be with our people, and come back recharged for the new year. So this week, instead of a brand-new episode, we're sharing one of our all-time favorite conversations for you to enjoy again. Curl up, press play, and soak in the inspiration while you enjoy your own ho...

In this conversation, Clayton Haas reflects on the turning points that shaped his leadership journey, from early lessons that challenged his assumptions to the moments that pushed him to grow. He shares how his approach evolved over time and what ultimately helped him become a leader who builds people, not just processes. Clayton shares an inspiring story of growing as a leader by learning to hand...

In this episode, Steve Sorenson, Senior Director of Learning and Culture at Johnsonville, shares how intentional language, accountability, and empowerment form the backbone of a thriving organizational culture. Drawing from his leadership journey, Steve explores how redefining roles through clear language can unlock personal growth and drive team alignment. He unpacks Johnsonville's unique cultura...

In this insightful conversation, Rosa Leal shares her inspiring journey from designing NASCAR alternators to leading commercial product strategy and customer experience at Rheem. With over 20 patents and a passion for innovation, Rosa reflects on how empathy, listening, and collaboration have shaped her leadership approach across engineering and product development. She dives into the complexity o...

In this empowering conversation, Janeen Dodson shares her remarkable 27-year journey in California state government, from a student assistant to Deputy Director at the Department of Housing and Community Development. With humility, grit, and deep operational insight, Janeen explores what it means to lead from any level — emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and rel...

In this engaging conversation, KL Shaw shares her unique career journey from selling cars to becoming a C-suite executive and ultimately a professional coach. She emphasizes the importance of curiosity, problem-solving, and networking in career advancement. KL discusses the significance of embracing risk and overcoming fear, as well as the critical skills of negotiation and relationship-building....