The Intentional Leaders Podcast: Helping ambitious leaders gain clarity, communicate with confidence, and lead with intention.

Leadership can look confident on the outside while quietly collapsing under pressure on the inside. We sit down with Rajesh Naji, a CEO mentor and “business physicist,” to get brutally practical about why high-performing founders start to flounder in stressful moments and what actually restores clear thinking. Rajesh uses a model that stuck with me: performance equals potential minus interference....

Being right feels amazing for a reason: your brain rewards it. That quick dopamine hit can turn a capable leader into a stubborn one without them even noticing. I unpack how the “need to be right” sneaks into everyday leadership, especially when we’re under pressure to be decisive, credible, and fast. If you care about leadership development, critical thinking, and better decision making, this con...

If the people around you aren’t telling you the truth, you’re not getting the full picture and you’re paying for it in ways you can’t always see. In this episode, we unpack why honest communication so often breaks down at work, even among smart, well-meaning adults who care about results and relationships. We start with the real reasons people stay silent: fear of consequences, low psychological s...

Pressure doesn’t just test leaders—it reveals the habits you’ve been running on for years. When deadlines tighten and emotions spike, do you get sharper and more connected… or do you slip into control, avoidance, or resistance? In this episode, Cindy Wentland sits down with Eric Thompson, founder of Lift Leadership, to unpack what really happens to leaders and teams under pressure—and how to stay...

Think your IQ is what limits your influence? The real bottleneck might be your reactions. We pull back the curtain on emotional intelligence and show how it quietly governs decision quality, trust, performance, and the culture your team lives in every day. Instead of treating EQ as a soft add-on, we frame it as the leadership multiplier that turns strategy into steady execution. We break down the...

Feeling stuck between your best intentions and your most stressful reactions? We unpack a simple, repeatable way to move from autopilot to intentional leadership using the LEAD framework: Look within, Exercise choice, Act with intention, and Deepen connection. If you’ve ever prepared carefully for a feedback conversation only to get derailed by defensiveness, this conversation gives you the tools...

Feeling like your leadership playbook was written for a world that no longer exists? We dive into Sawubona leadership, a human-first approach rooted in the Zulu greeting “I see you,” and show how it reframes engagement, accountability, and performance without slipping into clichés or corporate speak. Our guest, Susan Inouye —author of Leadership’s Perfect Storm—traces the model’s origins from a Lo...

Holiday cheer gets all the headlines, but the real story often includes tension, old patterns, and big expectations. We get honest about the pressure to make everything magical and offer a simple, usable plan to stay grounded when emotions spike. Our five-step PEACE framework—Pause, Examine, Adjust, Choose, Exit or Engage—turns reactive moments into chances for clarity and connection. We start wit...

Ever worked for someone who made you feel small on purpose? We unpack the rise of fear-based leadership—why it’s suddenly everywhere, how it disguises itself as “tough love” or mission-driven care, and what it costs teams in creativity, trust, and retention. With coach and author Kate Lori, we translate the playbook of control into plain language and offer a counterplay that preserves your energy,...

Trust rarely fails with a crash; it thins out through tiny cuts. We unpack how unclear or ignored boundaries chip away at relationships and show practical ways to rebuild trust with clarity, courage, and compassion. Using Brene Brown’s BRAVING as a guide, we broaden trust beyond reliability to include accountability, the vault, integrity, nonjudgment, and generosity—starting with boundaries as the...

Strategy doesn’t fail for lack of ideas—it fails at the handoff to execution. We bring in OKR expert and Wave Nine founder Philipp Schett to show how to close that gap with clear goals, shared rituals, and a culture that trades micromanagement for ownership. Philipp’s journey from Germany to Silicon Valley reframed his thinking: great companies don’t win because they dream better; they win because...

Ryan Gottfredson explains the transformational journey from being focused solely on doing better to becoming better as a human being, drawing on his research and latest book. He introduces the distinction between our "doing side" (talents, knowledge, skills) versus our "being side" (quality of our internal operating system), showing how genuine transformation requires upgrading...

A day that changes lives forever – that’s how veterans describe their experience on the Badger Honor Flight. This mission honors those who served by taking them to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor. Flight Operations Director Jody McClain takes us behind the scenes of this remarkable program that has transformed the lives of over 5,000 veterans. With precision and compass...

Forget everything you thought you knew about collaboration. It's not about getting everyone to agree—it’s about creating something entirely new together. In this eye-opening episode, we explore the misconceptions that hold teams back from practicing collaborative leadership and uncover what it really takes to lead effectively in today’s environment. Most people score surprisingly low on colla...

Ever feel like something's missing despite all your achievements? You're not alone. This conversation with Dr. Sharon Spano uncovers the fascinating connection between leadership effectiveness and human development that explains why even successful leaders can feel unfulfilled. Dr. Spano, a strategist and thought leader who specializes in integrating leadership with human development, re...

Ever found yourself stuck in a comfortable rut? Turns out, that's not laziness—it's complacency, and it might be the biggest barrier between you and your true potential. Chris Robinson, Executive Vice President of Maxwell Leadership, joins us to completely reframe how we understand complacency. Forget what you thought you knew—complacency isn't about being lazy or apathetic. It&apos...

What if the most powerful tool for business success isn't a new technology or strategy, but simply creating environments where people can bring their whole selves to work? In this compelling conversation, Olivia Stewart reveals how inclusive leadership directly impacts employee engagement, innovation, and organizational performance. Stewart brings a unique psychological perspective to workpla...

Heather Plett, co-director of the Center for Holding Space, shares her powerful insights on the transformative practice of "holding space" and introduces the concept of being a "grounded guide" in today's leadership landscape. • The practice of holding space involves walking alongside others in their experiences without trying to control, direct, or judge them • Holding sp...

Speed without direction is just wasted energy. That's the powerful truth at the heart of my conversation with Simon Severino, founder of Strategy Sprints and a master at helping leaders master resilience in times of uncertainty by navigating complexity with confidence and intention. From his home base in Vienna, Simon brings a refreshingly practical approach to leadership that blends enduranc...

Problem solving might be the most underrated leadership skill – one we use daily but rarely examine critically. How much time do you spend tackling problems each week? And more importantly, how many of those "problems" are actually legitimate issues versus complaints, venting, or whining? This episode challenges leaders to distinguish between genuine problems (those with measurable gaps...

In this thought-provoking conversation, Jill, a 14-year entrepreneurship faculty member at Madison College, reveals how traits like resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving create exceptional leaders regardless of their role. With employee disengagement at record highs and workplace stress permeating organizations, Jill's approach offers a refreshing alternative. Through her newly-launch...

DOWNLOAD FREE GUIDE: https://www.intentionaleaders.com/manage-time-maximize-life The quest for perfect time management has led many of us down endless paths searching for the ideal system or tool that will magically organize our chaotic lives. But what if we've been approaching the problem entirely wrong? What if time management isn't about managing time at all, but rather about managing...

In this episode of the Intentional Leaders Podcast, host Cyndi Wentland engages in a compelling conversation with Cheryl Fields Tyler, founder and CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting. They delve into the intricacies of building a thriving workplace culture, emphasizing the balance between high expectations and deep trust. Cheryl shares insights on supporting mid-level managers, redefining employee well-...

Imagine a world where fear no longer dictates your career choices and leadership potential. Dr. Benjamin Ritter, author of "Becoming Fearless," joins us to unravel the intricate barriers leaders face when aligning their careers with their true values. With his insightful exploration of the three C's of self-leadership—clarity, confidence, and control—Dr. Ritter provides a roadmap to...

Dr. Britt Andreatta, a luminary in leadership and neuroscience, graces our latest episode with her wealth of knowledge. She recounts her transition from academia to the  world of corporate learning and development, offering a unique blend of scientific insight and practical application. Britt's journey illustrates her fearless pursuit of leadership development. Her story is a testament to how...