Work Unscripted

Most leaders are trained to have answers. But the best leaders know when to ask questions instead. What would happen if, for the next 30 days, you stopped giving answers and only asked questions? In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons challenges leaders to try a simple but uncomfortable leadership experiment: stop fixing, stop directing, stop jumping in with the answer,...

Networking can feel awkward, transactional, and exhausting, especially if you’re an introvert. So how do introverts network without feeling fake, forced or drained?  In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons talks with speaker, coach, and author Stephanie Thoma about how introverts can build real professional relationships, speak up with more confidence, and create career visibility without...

What do you do when your boss clearly doesn’t have your back? Maybe they talk badly about you to others. Maybe they develop your peers but not you. Maybe decisions are being made about your career in rooms you’re not invited to. Or maybe it’s not subtle at all and you know exactly where you stand. In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons breaks down what to do when your bo...

What do you do when everything falls apart? Your marriage, your finances, your business, your sense of self? In this episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons sits down with travel entrepreneur Tammy Levent for one of the most honest,  raw, and inspiring conversations about resilience, reinvention, and starting over without letting fear lead. Tammy has built a $100M travel empire, pioneered destina...

Kids in the summer understand something most adults at work have forgotten: curiosity creates momentum. They try things. Change the rules. Build, fail, pivot, and try again. Meanwhile, adults overthink, over-polish, and wait until everything is “perfect” before speaking up or taking action. And that perfectionism? It may look professional, but it often kills innovation. In this Cracking the Code e...

Work moves fast. We optimize for speed, efficiency, tools, and output, but somehow, a lot of people feel more disconnected than ever. In this episode of Work Unscripted , host Marlo Lyons sits down with workplace connection expert Cassandra Thompson to talk about why genuine relationships are the key to employee engagement, trust and career growth. This conversation goes way beyond surface-level n...

Can a work friendship quietly become a career liability? When workplace friendships collide with power, what once felt like casual conversation can quickly become complicated…and costly  In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons breaks down the hidden career risks of workplace friendships, especially when one person gets promoted and suddenly becomes the boss. In this epis...

What if the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, or the better title still doesn’t make you happy? If success feels empty, you may be caught in achievement addiction – the cycle of chasing external milestones, titles, and validation that never actually delivers lasting fulfillment.   In this episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons sits down with executive and life coach Trixi Tschiedel Menhardt t...

Two small words you use every day may be quietly damaging your workplace relationships: why and should. In leadership conversations, feedback moments, and everyday team communication, these common words often land differently than intended, triggering defensiveness, shame and disconnection instead of clarity and collaboration. "Why did you do that?" can sound like an interrogation. &quot...

Most workplace conflict isn’t about strategy, performance, or communication. It’s about broken trust. In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with researchers and authors Michelle and Dennis Reina who have spent 30+ years studying how trust is built, broken, and rebuilt in organizations. Michelle and Dennis break down the three essential dimensions of trust: character, communicat...

Building emotional resilience starts with one mindset shift and it works even in the middle of chaos. What’s your first thought when something goes wrong? Do you ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Or… something more empowering? In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons breaks down one of the most powerful mindset shifts you can make to build emotional resilience, self-tru...

Let’s talk about money. It’s the thing we all think about… but rarely talk about honestly. In this episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons sits down with career and life coach Wendy Sterling to unpack the deeper forces shaping how we earn, spend, and experience wealth, way beyond budgets, strategies, and spreadsheets. Because here’s the truth: most high-achieving professionals aren’t stuck becaus...

“Executive presence.” It’s the feedback everyone gets and no one can clearly define. In this Cracking the Code mini episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons breaks down what executive presence actually means, why so much of the feedback around it is vague, biased, and frustrating and what behavioral science says you can actually do about it. Marlo challenges the traditional narrative and reframes e...

You can be successful… and still be completely exhausted. In fact, for many high-achieving leaders, that’s exactly what’s happening. As we head into Q2, the pace picks up, the pressure builds, and for a lot of professionals, stress, burnout, and reactivity start to feel like the norm. In this episode of Work Unscripted , host Marlo Lyons sits down with coach Margo Boster to talk about what it real...

Ever gotten feedback that worked… for about three days? In this Cracking the Code mini episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons breaks down why most workplace feedback doesn’t lead to lasting change and what actually does. Drawing on behavioral science and real workplace dynamics, Marlo unpacks why feedback often fades fast and inevitably triggers defensiveness, confusion, or short-term compliance...

Too many people are doing their jobs and doing them well… and wondering why it’s not enough. In a workplace shaped by layoffs, stalled hiring, burnout, and limited development opportunities, simply “doing your job well” is no longer a strategy for career growth. In this episode of Work Unscripted , executive coach Marlo Lyons sits down with HR executive and gamification expert Casey Webster to exp...

Feeling stuck in your career? Thinking about quitting your job? Telling yourself you want more…but not sure what that actually means?  In this Cracking the Code episode of Work Unscripted , executive coach Marlo Lyons challenges the story you tell yourself: What you want isn’t always what you need. You may think you want:  A new job A promotion More money Less stress More autonomy But what you act...

What if leadership isn’t about influence at all? In this episode of Work Unscripted , host Marlo Lyons sits down with researcher and leadership expert Dr. Jacob Kashiwagi to explore a radically different leadership philosophy: “no influence leadership.” Instead of persuading, motivating, or trying to change people, Dr. Kashiwagi argues that great leaders focus on something much simpler and much ha...

Congratulations, you’ve been promoted! New title. Bigger paycheck. Maybe even that LinkedIn “I got promoted” announcement. Now what? In this episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons cracks the code on what really happens after a promotion and why the fastest way to fail in your new role is to keep doing your old job. Because a promotion isn’t a reward. It’s a reset. Whether you’re early in your ca...

If the phrase “sell yourself” makes you cringe… this episode is for you. In this episode, executive coach Marlo Lyons sits down with visibility strategist Chardét Ryel to unpack a skill most professionals avoid but desperately need: authentic self-promotion. Whether you’re pursuing a promotion, navigating a job search, building a business, or stepping into greater leadership visibility, you are pi...

Have you ever received feedback at work that made you question your entire career? In this episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons cracks the code on five cryptic feedback phrases that derail high performers and shows you exactly how to translate them into actionable career growth. This is your guide to: Developing emotional intelligence and empathy in the workplace Turning vague performance revi...

Board seats aren’t reserved for a lucky few, but they are reserved for leaders who understand the game. In this episode of Work Unscripted , executive coach Marlo Lyons sits down with board career expert and co-author Naomi Kent to unpack their new book, Wanted: A Board Career , and break down what it really takes to build a meaningful, strategic board portfolio. This is not a job search. And trea...

Most executives think they’re one promotion away from the C-suite and C-suite leaders think they're one step away from a board seat. They’re not.  They’re one mindset shift away and most never make it. In reality, moving up the corporate ladder into the C-suite or onto a board requires an entirely different way of thinking. In this Cracking the Code mini episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyon...

What needs to change for you to level up as a leader, and why do so many high performers get stuck right before promotion? In this episode of Work Unscripted, Marlo Lyons sits down with executive coach Kristen Johnson. Kristen has worked with middle management inside some of the world’s most recognizable organizations—including PayPal, Google, Amazon, Sephora, Chase, and Cisco—giving her a rare, i...

What if the very thing you’re hiding at work is actually the key to becoming a stronger, more trusted leader? In this Cracking the Code mini-episode of Work Unscripted , Marlo Lyons breaks down how to show vulnerability and credibility at the same time that builds authority and influence. Because vulnerability in leadership doesn’t mean oversharing, emotional dumping, or losing control. It means l...