Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast

Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast, Tara is joined by co-host and ALIGN’s Chief Strategy Officer, Stephanie Theisen, to explore a leadership challenge many high achievers don’t realize they’re facing: overfunctioning. Together, they unpack four common overfunctioning leadership patterns; micromanaging, firefighting, hypervigilance, and rescuing,...

Welcome back, friends! In this special episode of the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast, Tara is joined by Pamela and Stephanie to recap and reflect on the energy, momentum, and meaningful moments from SHIFT 2026. Together, they share behind-the-scenes insights from organizing the event, the power of in-person connection, and the standout lessons that emerged from this year’s momentum-focus...

Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast, Tara is joined by co-host Stephanie Theisen, to dive into what it really takes to make Core Values more than just words on a wall. They explore how many organizations underutilize their values after creation, and why clarity, alignment, and even tension between values can actually strengthen culture.   They als...

Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast, Tara is joined by co-host and ALIGN’s Chief Strategy Officer, Stephanie Theisen, to unpack the risks of over-relying on AI at work and the importance of maintaining real human connection. They also dive into a common leadership pitfall: promoting high performers too quickly without proper development, and why n...

Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the  Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast , Tara is joined by co-host and ALIGN’s Chief Strategy Officer, Stephanie Theisen, to explore the growing “unbossing” trend: the decision to step away from leadership roles even as organizations need strong leaders more than ever. Together, they discuss how burnout, unrealistic expectations, and a lack of purpo...

Welcome back, friends! In this episode of the  Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast , Tara is joined by co-host Pamela Nelson to unpack a reality many leaders and teams are feeling: change fatigue. Together, they explore why constant change leaves people emotionally and mentally drained, and how it often shows up as disengagement, resistance, and even over-control.  Tara and Pamela share pract...

Welcome back, friends! After a short break, the  Grounding and Growing Podcast  is officially relaunching with a conversation that couldn’t be more timely. Tara is joined by Dr. Ashley Lang; ALIGN leadership coach, Grounded Leadership facilitator, Assistant Professor of Practice at UNI, and trusted friend. Ashley was even kind enough to be our very first guest back.  In this episode, they explore...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re wrapping up our Strengths at Play series with a special episode featuring the other half of the podcast, Tara! You hear Tara’s voice every week as she shares leadership insights and Strengths wisdom, but this time, we’re turning the spotlight on her . In this episode, Tara dives into what fun and play look like in her life and ho...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re continuing our Strengths at Play series with one of ALIGN’s newest coaches, Ty Lewis! Ty has joined us on the pod before to share his insights on Strengths and finances, but today he’s here to talk all about play . In this episode, Ty opens up about the strengths he leans on when having fun and what embracing play looks like in t...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re continuing our Strengths at Play Series with ALIGN’s very own, Dr. Ashley Lang! You may recognize Ashley from her past appearances on the podcast, where she’s shared her insights and research on generational differences. Today, she’s joining us for a more personal conversation about how she defines fun—and what incorporating play...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re continuing our Strengths at Play Series with ALIGN’s very own, Olivia LaRose! You’ve heard Olivia on the podcast before sharing her insights on Strengths at work but this time, it’s all about her. In this Olivia-centric episode, she shares her personal definition of fun and how she intentionally brings play and joy into both her...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re continuing our Strengths at Play Series with our very own Pamela Nelson! You know Pamela as the calm, thoughtful co-host of this podcast, but today, we’re turning the spotlight on her. In this fun and insightful episode, we explore how Pamela defines fun and how she weaves play into her everyday life.  Tara and Pamela dive into t...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re kicking off our Strengths at Play Series with a fantastic guest, one of our newest ALIGN coaches, Doug Svendsen! Doug wears many hats: he’s a father, husband, leadership coach, entrepreneur, and corporate professional in the IT world. He specializes in developing high-performing teams and knows firsthand how powerful play can be,...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! This week, we’re giving you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at our recent SHIFT Leadership Event! Join Pamela and Tara as they reflect on what made SHIFT such a powerful and meaningful experience, from the vision and planning to the incredible team and generous sponsors who helped bring it all to life.  They also dive into the joy...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! This week, we’re bringing you a truly special episode- a LIVE Q&A from the SHIFT Leadership Event featuring the one and only Jon Acuff! Jon is a New York Times bestselling author, widely recognized for his humor, impactful insights and relatable writing. In this live session, Jon joins Tara and Pamela to answer powerful questions a...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Includer Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Includer talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in joining the *FREE* ALIGN Leaders Circle Community? Click HERE ! You won’t want to miss all the exciting things ALIGN has in store for our circle community members! You can also...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Deliberative Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Deliberative talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in joining the *FREE* ALIGN Leaders Circle Community? Click HERE ! You won’t want to miss all the exciting things ALIGN has in store for our circle community members! You c...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Command Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Command talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in joining the *FREE* ALIGN Leaders Circle Community? Click HERE ! You won’t want to miss all the exciting things ALIGN has in store for our circle community members! You can also ac...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Context Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Context talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  At the Grounding and Growing Leadership podcast, we believe everyone is a leader and that leadership starts with you. Join Tara Gronhovd, Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and e2Grow Hig...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Adaptability Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Adaptability talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in becoming a sponsor for SHIFT? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about the SHIFT event? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about our special guest speaker, Jon...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Focus Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Focus talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in becoming a sponsor for SHIFT? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about the SHIFT event? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about our special guest speaker, Jon Acuff? Click...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Self-Assurance Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Self-Assurance talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in becoming a sponsor for SHIFT? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about the SHIFT event? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about our special guest speaker,...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Analytical Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Analytical talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in becoming a sponsor for SHIFT? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about the SHIFT event? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about our special guest speaker, Jon Acu...

This week’s episode is a deep dive on the Connectedness Strength! Join Tara and Pamela as they explore what it means to have a strong Connectedness talent, both on a personal level and the impact it carries on a team.  Interested in becoming a sponsor for SHIFT? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about the SHIFT event? Click HERE. Interested in learning more about our special guest speaker, J...

Welcome back to the Grounding and Growing Leadership Podcast ! We’re thrilled to have Dawn Zimmerman, founder of Waymaker Brands and Waymaker Leaders, join us for this episode. A sought-after strategist and business coach, Dawn is known for her intentional approach, bringing clarity and direction to those she works with. Beyond her impressive professional accomplishments, we also admire the way sh...