Seasons Leadership Podcast

In this insightful and practical episode, Susan and Debbie explore what it really means to lead with a quality mindset. Quality isn’t just a department, a checklist, or the QA team’s job—it’s a cultural commitment that starts at the top. Drawing on years of leadership experience, they share how a focus on quality influences everything from customer trust to team morale and why it must be built in...

In this energizing and practical episode, Susan and Debbie introduce a powerful leadership tool they call the Leadership and Management System (LMS)—a deceptively simple, highly effective way to create clarity, momentum, and alignment across any organization. From high-stakes Boeing projects to startup chaos, they share how this system brings people together, drives results, and fosters a culture...

What if a simple cup of coffee could transform your team’s performance? In this episode, Susan and Debbie dive deep into the often-overlooked secret to sustainable business success—relationships. Discover why strong, intentional connections are more than “nice-to-haves”—they are essential, strategic advantages. Learn about the Swedish tradition of Fika, how it fosters trust, communication, innovat...

In this engaging episode of the Seasons Leadership Podcast, Debbie Collard and Susan Ireland delve into the essential leadership practice of setting meaningful intentions. Unlike typical goal-setting, intentions provide clarity and purpose, grounding leaders in their vision, mission, and values—especially during uncertain times. Debbie and Susan share personal stories, explore the AIM SMART framew...

We dive deeper into the Foundational Leadership Triad that defines your mission, vision and values and focus on mission or your “why.” Join us and learn the importance of finding your why and how through this practice of self-awareness you can feel more fulfilled and prepared to lead boldly and naturally. Show notes: (0:56) Leadership is the ability to inspire and motivate people to action. Excell...

Welcome to season 6 of the Seasons Leadership Podcast. Listeners have asked us to go deeper on leadership topics so we will bring you this renewed focus throughout season 6. We start with a deep discussion on foundational leadership knowledge which includes four areas of knowledge: industry, organization, stakeholders and business model or operations. We encourage you to approach your leadership j...

Join us as we once again explore the transition of the seasons. With winter starting in the Northern Hemisphere, we explore the metaphor of the season of winter. Regardless of the physical season you are in, you may be experiencing winter. Learn more about these cycles of change at: seasonsleadership.com. Show Notes: We examine the cyclical nature of seasons and reflect on the importance of making...

We are excited to share the outcome of our 2025 Strategic Planning session. This is an annual practice we recommend for all leaders, to review your mission , vision and values and make any necessary updates or adjustments to achieve the goals of your business or organization. Through this process we affirmed our vision to make excellent leadership the worldwide standard as our guiding light. As we...

Join me, Susan Ireland, as I talk with Seasoned Leader and previous podcast guest Kimberly Adams about gratitude, positivity and community in this special Thanksgiving episode. Kimberly, an artist, author, art instructor, business owner and executive leader shares her leadership perspective on the importance of shifting your energy to positivity. You will be inspired by our discussion to lead with...

Join me, Susan Ireland, as I catch up again with Beth Schryer, global corporate business leader, who has been a featured guest on both our Women in Leadership Podcast and the Seasons Leadership Podcast . Beth shares her recent experience transitioning to a new company and how it has influenced how she measures success. We talk about daily leadership practices, what it means to be trustworthy and a...

Join us as we talk to Kristen Bruner a chief human resources officer with more than 25 years of experience. We talk about executive presence, hacks for self-care and leadership, what it means to be mission driven and how self-awareness can be the most important aspect of your leadership approach. Our episode highlights the collaborative role of HR professionals and leaders in creating cultures tha...

Join us for our passion-filled discussion with Dr. Pam Johnson as we explore the lessons the animal world has to teach us about leadership. Pam shares her experience as a veterinarian and how this calling shaped her career trajectory. Her compassionate and effective approach to leadership will inspire you to look to your own passions for inspiration in your leadership. Show Notes: (2:45) Pam share...

Join us as we reflect on four years of fall reflections. At Seasons Leadership we use the seasons as a powerful tool for understanding transitions and cycles in leadership, offering you actionable insights to navigate these changes. Fall is a time of integration and reflection. Get inspired to dig into your own journey this fall and reflect on what is serving you and what is no longer serving you....

Join us as we talk to Frances Chang, chief operating officer at Andovar, a language services company. Frances opens up about the core values that keep her grounded, the power of searching for your passions and the significance of building a robust support network. Discover how leadership is not just about managing others but is a journey of self-improvement and fostering genuine connections. Show...

Join me, Debbie Collard, for this inspirational conversation with Barb Wilson, chief financial administrative officer at Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Listen to Barb's journey, deeply rooted in family values, which has shaped her extensive career across both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Discover how Barb's leadership style, honed from her early days at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, emphasizes...

This episode of the Seasons Leadership Podcast dives into the importance of investing in yourself for long-term success and growth. We share personal stories that illustrate how minor, everyday choices can accumulate into substantial rewards on your leadership journey. Show Notes: (1:25) Everyone agrees with it, but they just don't do it. We break down why people choose not to invest in themselves...

Join me, Susan Ireland, for my mind-shifting discussion with Sile Walsh about helping leaders enhance their inclusion practices in the workplace. Sile throws away the blame game when it comes to inclusivity and instead encourages a model of thinking that inclusivity helps everyone do their jobs better. She roots her practical advice in real-world solutions, challenging us to pursue the best thing...

Join us as we respond to listener questions and recount our unique journeys— how Susan's passion for Program Management and Business Operations catapulted her into executive roles, while Debbie’s early leadership duties in the military set a foundation she hadn't anticipated. This episode we dive deep and share more of our stories delivering on our promise to the Seasons Leadership community we ma...

Join us for our high energy discussion of the season of summer and get inspired to make the most of the season. We talk about the cyclical nature of the seasons, define summer and encourage you to ride the ebb and flow. We dive into how summer vibes bring a sense of flourishing and fun. Summer is a great time for discovery and cultivating new ideas and inspiration. Need more inspiration? Listen to...

Join us for part two of our discussion with Celeste Ford, board chair and founder of Stellar Solutions, and Janet Grondin, CEO of Stellar Solutions, where we focus on how to navigate leadership transitions successfully. Together, they reveal a playbook for how to complete a leadership transition which includes continuous coaching, clear communication, and thoughtful planning. Show Notes: (1:00) Su...

Join us as we talk to Celeste Ford, board chair and founder of Stellar Solutions, and Janet Grondin, CEO of Stellar Solutions, about leadership transitions, aerospace, connecting the dots and creating dream jobs. Show Notes: (7:30) After the leaders introduce their stories, we talk about creating a long-time vision. Janet and Celeste share Stellar Solutions’ vision to satisfy customer critical nee...

Join us as we talk about our popular blog post “Embrace leading from the middle.” We share more insight into how this idea developed and the challenge we all have to lead from wherever we are. Show Notes: (1:00) What does it mean to be middle? We talk about what that means to us and how it sparked the idea for Debbie to write the blog and now to produce this podcast episode. (5:30) You may be "mid...

Join us as we talk to Executive Director of the Bellevue College Foundation Melissa Johnson about her unconventional higher education journey and how that led to success and leadership opportunities. Melissa shares her passion for helping others along their own educational journeys and will inspire you to continue moving forward despite fear and doubt.  Show Notes: (0:35) Melissa talks about...

Patty Beach, CEO of Leadership Smarts and author of "The Art of Alignment: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Leadership," joins us for this inspiring episode about inclusive leadership. She gives practical, actionable advice on how you can be more inclusive in your leadership and how to get your ideas heard. Show notes:  (1:00) Patty shares her background and her passion to be both an evangelist...

Join me, Susan Ireland, as I talk with the remarkable Dr. Jen Self, whose life work weaves the threads of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion into their leadership. Dr. Self's journey from the University of Washington's Q Center to the consultancy powerhouse BRIC-13 demonstrates a devotion to social change that's as inspiring as it is impactful. We talk about how leaders must push past the di...