Lifting Leaders Podcast

Encore Edition: With Homage to Mothers - Let's Talk About Caregiving, From Different Angles!

Sharing this Encore edition from 2025. As we recorded this episode, on the front end of Mother’s Day weekend, we started simmering on the topic of caregiving…something moms know all too well about.  So, with a world of respect, to all the moms out there, we are taking a look at caregiving, from a few different angles. The first angle is, of course, all about people who provide care for others.  This includes all women AND men, who may be providing ongoing care for one or more parent or other family member(s).  It includes the “Sandwich Generation,” who may have kids at home and, just maybe, have older family members living in their homes.  Being a primary caregiver is a truly challenging job, and it can be difficult to realize the rewards, while you’re entrenched in the role. Listen in, as we share a few of our personal journeys, as caregivers and what we gained from our experiences. If you’ve ever needed care from others, but found it difficult to ask or accept, you’ll learn more about why it’s okay and courageous to be vulnerable and accept care.  Finally, we approach caregiving from the angle of caring for ourselves. This may be the most challenging aspect of caregiving and it’s critically important.  So, join us as we hold caregiving “Story Time,” with you.  We hope it inspires you to explore your own environment and feelings.

Hope-Led Leadership: What It Is and How to Ignite Genuine Hope | Coaches Corner

What is hope-led leadership, and how do you actually practice it in today’s complex world?
In this Coaches Corner episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we explore how to ignite genuine hope in leadership, not as a fleeting feeling, but as a disciplined, actionable leadership practice.
We begin in a place many leaders avoid: the moment when something isn’t working. Instead of bypassing that tension, we explore how naming what’s not working can become the catalyst for clarity, imagination, and forward movement.
In this episode, we introduce our definition of hope-led leadership:the disciplined practice of helping people believe a better future is possible and equipping them with the pathways, agency, and energy to move toward it.
You’ll learn:
How to move from awareness to genuine hope in leadership
Why naming challenges clearly is essential to building trust and momentum
The three critical questions every hope-led leader must answer
What transforms leadership from inspirational to actionable
How to create energy, belief, and possibility within your team or organization
If you’re a leader, executive coach, or leadership development professional looking to lead with intention, build trust, and create meaningful impact, this episode will help you turn hope into a powerful leadership advantage.
🎯 Whether you’re navigating change, leading a team, or developing your leadership mindset, this conversation will support you in leading with clarity, courage, and possibility.

From Awareness to Hope: Igniting Genuine Hope in Leadership | Lifting Leaders Podcast

What does it take to move from awareness to genuine hope in leadership?
In this transition episode of the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we close our Light the Spark phase and step into our next leadership focus: Ignite Genuine Hope — a deeper, steadier, and more sustainable way of leading in today’s complex world.
We reflect on what it meant to light the spark — building self-awareness, courage, and imagination — and why those capabilities are essential foundations for hope-led leadership. Because real hope doesn’t begin externally — it starts within.
In this episode, we revisit powerful leadership moments, including:• The courage to name what’s not working — and how truth-telling can reshape a leader’s path• The discipline of pausing, listening deeply, and sensing what’s emerging• The role of values-based leadership in navigating uncertainty and change
These insights become the bridge into our next phase.
As we shift toward igniting genuine hope, we explore:• What it means to model hope as a leadership practice — not just an idea• How to lead with purpose, presence, and sustainability in a fast-moving world• The importance of connection — to community, environment, and each other
This episode sets the stage for a powerful new chapter in leadership development, purpose-driven leadership, and hope in action.
🌱 Join us for this short, reflective episode — and begin to consider:What does genuine hope look like in your leadership… and how will you model it?

Celebrating 4 Years of Leadership & Hope + Earth Day Reflections | Lifting Leaders Podcast Anniversary

This week on the Lifting Leaders Podcast, we’re celebrating our 4-year anniversary, 176 episodes of leadership, hope, and meaningful conversations that continue to lift and inspire.
Over the past year, we’ve shared:• 39 powerful guest interviews with leaders across industries• A special roundtable with returning guests and diverse perspectives• Conversations supporting three authors launching new books• Our heartfelt series, What Brings Us Hope, exploring how leaders sustain hope in uncertain times
In honor of Earth Day, we also reflect on our 2025 Earth Day field experience-what inspired us, what we’re carrying forward, and how leaders can take meaningful action to support the planet and future generations.
This episode is a celebration of leadership growth, community, purpose, and possibility and an invitation to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters most.
🌱 Join us as we celebrate, reflect, and look ahead.💬 We’d love to hear from you: How are you honoring Earth Day this year?

Traveler vs Tourist: The Leadership Shift from Performance to Presence

Are you leading like a tourist, rushing, performing, and checking boxes or like a traveler, fully present and curious? Discover the leadership shift that sparks clarity, connection, and hope.
In this powerful Lifting Leaders Podcast “Spark” episode, we explore a simple yet transformative idea inspired by a moment in Venice:
Be a traveler, not a tourist.
While it may sound like travel advice, this mindset holds profound implications for leadership, presence, and how we navigate our daily lives.
In today’s fast-paced, performance-driven world, many leaders find themselves moving quickly from task to task capturing moments, checking boxes, and staying constantly visible. But this way of leading often comes at a cost: disconnection, burnout, and missed opportunities for deeper insight and innovation.
In this episode, you’ll discover how shifting from a tourist mindset (performance) to a traveler mindset (presence) can transform the way you lead and live.
You’ll learn how to:
Slow down and become more present in your leadership 
Step off the “beaten path” to unlock creativity and innovation 
Use curiosity as a tool for growth and connection 
Engage more deeply with your team by listening to those closest to the work 
Create space for reflection, rest, and renewed energy 
Reconnect with what truly matters in times of complexity and change 
This episode also explores the powerful connection between presence and hope and how choosing to lead with intention can reignite energy, possibility, and forward momentum.
✨ Carry the Spark Challenge:Choose one moment in your day to lead like a traveler - pause, notice, ask, or explore - and see what shifts.
If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level leadership and step into deeper awareness, connection, and impact… this episode is for you.

Fan Favorite: John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting): Music, Hope, and Moral Courage

We are revisiting this Fan Favorite episode because it lit so many sparks for our listeners. In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we continue our “What Brings Us Hope” series with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and moral activist John Ondrasik, best known as Five for Fighting.
Recorded just minutes before he stepped onstage, John shares a powerful reflection on music, moral courage, and hopein a world facing immense challenges. Through songs that spotlight some of humanity’s most painful struggles, he uses his platform to raise awareness, compassion, and purpose-driven action.
Listen as John opens up about:🎵 His creative journey and what fuels his mission to inspire hope🌍 Lessons he’s learned from some of the world’s most oppressed yet resilient people💫 The importance of following your moral compass—even when it’s difficult
This heartfelt conversation will move you to think differently about leadership, purpose, and the quiet power of hope in action.
Listen now and be reminded that even in dark times, one voice—and one song—can make a world of difference.

The Value of Candor in Leadership: Courageous Conversations and Clear Communication | Gems Inspired by Career Coach Shirlene Evans

In this Lifting Leaders Podcast Gems episode, inspired by our conversation with career coach and leadership expert Shirlene Evans, we explore the value of candor in leadership and why courageous conversations are essential for effective leaders.
What becomes possible when a leader is willing to clearly name what is not working?
In today’s complex and rapidly changing workplace, leaders must strengthen their candor muscle—the ability to speak with honesty, clarity, and purpose. Leadership candor is not about bluntness or criticism. It is about communicating truth with intention, alignment, and respect.
We explore how strong leaders anchor candid conversations in shared purpose, organizational vision, and team priorities. When leaders communicate with clarity, confusion decreases, alignment increases, and teams move forward with greater focus and trust.
Inspired by Shirlene’s insight, we also discuss the importance of preparing for courageous conversations at work. Before raising difficult issues, leaders should gather relevant information—such as employee feedback, surveys, research findings, and leadership assessments—and seek multiple perspectives.
One powerful preparation technique we discuss:Explain the issue as if you were speaking to a sixth grader.This exercise helps leaders simplify complex ideas and communicate with greater clarity.
Finally, we unpack why candor delivered with compassion and support is critical for building trust, engagement, and buy-in during change. When people feel respected and understood, they are far more willing to listen, adapt, and participate in meaningful progress.
Candor is not always comfortable—but it is one of the most important leadership skills for navigating change, strengthening teams, and leading with integrity.
If you are a leader, executive, or team manager seeking to improve communication, feedback, and courageous leadership conversations, this episode offers practical insight and inspiration.

The Courage To Name What Is and Is Not Working - with Shirlene Evans

What happens when a successful technology leader feels a spark that simply won’t be ignored? In this inspiring episode of Lifting Leaders Podcast, we welcome Career Coach, Shirlene Evans, ACC, whose thriving career in the tech industry took a powerful turn when she realized her true calling was helping others navigate theirs. That spark shifted her focus from building systems to building people and the ripple effects have been profound.
Listen in as Shirlene shares why one of the most overlooked leadership skills is the courage to pause and identify what is not working before rushing in to fix it. Too often, leaders move straight to solutions without fully naming the real issue. Shirlene unpacks what happens, to leaders, to teams, and to entire systems, when things go unspoken. Silence does not create stability; it stifles creativity, drains energy, and quietly erodes innovation. But when leaders learn to speak up with intention, they open the door to fresh thinking and forward momentum.
You will also hear why honesty alone is not always enough when naming what is not working. It takes imagination. It takes vision. It takes the ability to see beyond the current reality and invite others into what is possible. Shirlene offers practical recommendations to help leaders build the courage and skill to speak up, move forward, and foster an environment where creativity and innovation thrive.
Shirlene’s energy, warmth, and passion for coaching and mentoring shine throughout this conversation. If you have ever felt the tension between staying silent and saying what needs to be said, this episode will light a spark for you.
We think you’re going to love this one.

Spark Episode: What Is Your Leadership Superpower?

In this Lifting Leaders Spark episode, Tricia Rhine invites listeners to explore a powerful leadership question: What is your leadership superpower?
Spark episodes are short leadership reflections designed to help leaders pause, think differently, and apply practical insights in their daily leadership.
In this episode, Tricia explores:
• Identifying your natural leadership strengths• Recognizing the gifts others consistently see in you• How your strengths can build trust, connection, and psychological safety
Through thoughtful questions and relatable insights, this episode encourages leaders to notice the strengths they may be overlooking and to intentionally steward those gifts.
✨ Reflection for listeners:What is the strength people thank you for most often - the one that feels so natural you almost overlook it?

Deep Listening, Curiosity, and More Gems Inspired by Barbara Acevedo Visser, MCC

In this powerful “Gems” episode, we revisit our rich conversation with Barbara Acevedo Visser, Master Certified Coach and uncover some leadership gems we gleaned within her wisdom. If you’ve ever left a conversation thinking, “I could have listened better,” this episode is for you.
We explore what it really means to listen at deeper levels - beyond words, beyond responses, and beyond the internal dialogue that competes for our attention. Barbara reminds us that curiosity is not just a mindset - it’s a disciplined leadership practice. When we intentionally suspend judgment and choose curiosity instead, we create space for trust, insight, and genuine connection.
In the episode, we’re digging into:
How suspending judgment transforms conversations and strengthens rapport
Why curiosity is the antidote to assumption
Simple, practical steps to quiet a busy mind before and during a conversation
How both speaker and listener benefit when presence is intentional
What to consider before a one-on-one conversation when “fixing” isn’t the goal
One of the biggest insights? When leaders enter conversations without the pressure to solve or fix, something powerful happens. Clarity emerges. Trust deepens. And both parties feel heard and valued. Sometimes the most impactful leadership move is not offering the answer - it’s offering your full attention.
Barbara’s sage advice offers practical tools you can apply immediately: pausing before responding, checking your intention, naming what you’re noticing, and consciously choosing curiosity over certainty. These simple shifts can radically improve the quality of your leadership conversations.
There is so much to hear and reflect on in this episode. If you are committed to building trust, strengthening relationships, and leading with intention, you will find this conversation truly insightful.