The Empowered Leader Podcast

These three get used as if they are the same. They are not. They are related. They overlap. They share a family. But they have different teeth. And if you do not know the difference, You will name what is happening to you wrong and respond to it incorrectly. You will tolerate manipulation because you call it dishonesty. You will confront a half-truth with the energy of an attack. You will mistrust...

Let me ask you something. How much of your credibility is built on things you’ve left unsaid, softened, or strategically edited because the truth felt too risky? Now ask yourself what kind of leader you would be if you stopped doing that. That is the conversation we are having today. Truth is one of the most negotiated currencies in leadership. People tell you it’s context-dependent if the timing...

The video, titled Let us Converse! , features a live conversation between Tig Manzueta (host of Tigology ) and Margaret Williams , a certified executive leadership coach. The discussion centers on redefining harm, navigating systemic conflict, and building new frameworks for social progress. Key Discussion Points * Redefining Harm (The HWO Concept): Tig introduces the idea of a Human Welfare Offen...

Dheeraj Sharma: Founder & Content Creator, GenAI Unplugged Dheeraj Sharma is an AI systems expert dedicated to helping solopreneurs scale their revenue through intelligent automation without increasing their workload. He is the creator of GenAI Unplugged , where he provides plain-English, “no-fluff” tutorials on building AI agents and workflows. Core Focus & Expertise * AI Automation: Specializes...

Come sit down for a minute. You have been on your feet a long time. I know. I see it in the way you walk into rooms still ready to hold space for everyone else’s hard day. I see it in the apology that lives on your face before anyone has said anything to be sorry for. I see it in the way your shoulders soften when someone else is in pain and the way they tighten the moment the pain is yours. I wan...

Ashley Schmitt is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of The Tribal Dream-Stackers , a publication and podcast network hosted on Substack . Professional Background Ashley transitioned into independent publishing after a distinguished 35-year career in the professional and legal sectors. Now retired, her extensive expertise is rooted in: * Executive Paralegal Duties: Navigating complex legal informatio...

Letters from a Feminist is an independent, reader-funded digital publication and community dedicated to reimagining social and political issues through a feminist lens. It serves as an educational hub and advocacy platform designed to de-stigmatize feminism and explore its application in modern life, both online and offline. Core Mission and Philosophy The publication operates on the principle tha...

Not every silence is the same. There is the silence of discernment, the one where you choose not to spend energy on something that does not deserve it. That silence is power. And there is the silence of self-protection that has overstayed its welcome, the one you kept past the point of usefulness because speaking up once cost you something, and you have been paying that bill on installment ever si...

I see you. The leader who is tired. The one who has been holding more than was ever yours to hold, and learning how to make it look like nothing while it was quietly costing you everything. I want you to put something down for a minute. Just for the length of this page. Whatever you walked in here carrying, set it on the floor beside you. It will still be there when we are done. But this part is n...

Let me ask you something. When you walk into a room, who decides whether your words carry weight? Now ask yourself how much of your work has gone into earning that decision—and what you would do with that energy if you got it back. That is the conversation we are having today. Influence is one of the most miscast words in leadership. People hand it to you like it is something you accumulate if you...

Thank you A. Eevie Bateman , Cat RN , Marg KJ , Kami , Millie Jones-Cowles , and many others for tuning into my live video with Will Fullwood ! Join me for my next live video in the app. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.iprofessionalcoaching.com/subscribe

High vibration is often misunderstood in leadership spaces. People hear the phrase and think “good vibes only,” “toxic positivity,” or “spiritual bypassing, ”a polite way to silence what is real. But in powerful leadership, high vibration is none of those things. High vibration is the disciplined refusal to lead from energy that doesn’t belong to you. It’s the moment a leader stops absorbing the r...

Insight This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.iprofessionalcoaching.com/subscribe

You are not asking for too much. You are using what is already yours. Leverage is one of the most misunderstood words in leadership. We hear the word, and we flinch. We think of manipulation. Power plays. Hardball tactics. The kind of leadership that wins by making someone else lose. That is not leverage. That is intimidation wearing a borrowed name. Leverage is the strategic use of what you alrea...

The underlying physics of how influence, recognition, and impact actually works. Before You Begin There is a version of you that leads without apology. Without shrinking. Without overproving. Without waiting to be chosen. She already exists. The work is not to build her. It is to stop blocking her. That is what these laws are for. They are not productivity tips or leadership hacks. They are the un...

Emmett Tatter is an author, yoga teacher, and advocate who shares his lived experience within the Florida prison system to highlight the human stories behind incarceration. He describes himself as a “truth-teller” and focuses on the reality of being treated as “inventory” rather than a person during his time in custody. Key Professional Profile * Author : He wrote COUNT TIME , a work reflecting on...

Insight This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.iprofessionalcoaching.com/subscribe

Talking Points Every musician knows the moment. The day you stop trying to sound like someone else and finally hear what only you sound like. That moment is not just for singers. It is for every leader, every creative, every person who has ever been told to be quieter, smoother, smaller, or more like someone they are not. Tonight, we are talking about the moment your voice, your real one, finds it...

Self-awareness is one of the most misused words in leadership. People hear it and think personality tests, journaling prompts, or a tidy list of strengths and weaknesses. Soft. Optional. Decorative. But the kind of self-awareness that actually changes a leader is not soft. And it is rarely comfortable. Self-awareness is the willingness to see yourself without the protection of a story. It is the m...

Manifestation is often misunderstood in leadership spaces. People hear the word and think wishful thinking, vision boards, or spiritual bypassing, a word for people who don’t have to work for what they want. But in powerful leadership, manifestation is none of those things. Manifestation is the discipline of becoming the leader who can hold what you are calling in. It’s the moment a leader stops c...

Acceptance is often misunderstood in leadership spaces. People hear the phrase “some people will never change” and think cynicism, defeat, or writing people off. But in powerful leadership, this acceptance is none of those things. Acceptance is the end of bargaining with reality. It’s the moment a leader stops over-investing in someone else’s potential and starts honoring what is actually in front...

Most workplaces don’t have a culture problem. They have a dynamics problem. Culture is what’s posted on the wall. Dynamics are what’s happening when no one is watching. And dynamics are where leadership either lives or dies. “What is your team rewarding right now that no one is naming?” 1. The dynamics you tolerate become the culture you lead Culture is downstream of what you allow. The most senio...

Humanity is often misunderstood in leadership spaces. People hear the word and think softness, sentimentality, or a break from “real” business. But in powerful leadership, humanity is none of those things. Humanity is the refusal to reduce people to their function. It’s the moment a leader stops managing roles and starts leading whole people—themselves included. For marginalized leaders, especiall...

The overt narcissist is loud. They take the room. They demand the spotlight. They are easier to spot. The covert narcissist does not announce themselves. They arrive humble. They arrive helpful. They arrive as the “safe” one in the room. They tell stories of being misunderstood. They mention how others have hurt them. They position themselves as the quiet, sensitive, deeply-feeling person You are...

Using your voice to change the world gets confused with going viral. With having a TED talk. With writing the bestseller. With waiting until you have the platform, the audience, the credentials, the right room. So leaders go quiet and call it timing. They tell themselves they will speak when they are bigger, safer, more polished, more ready. And the rooms they are already in, never hear the truth...