Let’s be honest, most leadership advice still centers on productivity hacks and performance metrics and ignores the actual humans doing the work.

But if you want to lead a team that’s engaged, resilient and driving real results, you need more than dashboards and deadlines. You need clarity, curiosity and a set of metrics that actually reflect what matters.

This week, I’m joined by executive coach and transformation consultant Kate Gory to talk about the KPIs no one’s tracking—but every high-impact leader should be.

We get into:

🔍 Why most teams are disengaged (and how leaders are accidentally fueling it)

🧠 The overlooked leadership skill that builds psychological safety on repeat

📊 How to track culture and communication the way you track revenue

🛑 Why foosball tables and pizza parties aren’t solving your leadership gaps

🚀 The fastest way to create more trust, more impact, and less burnout

If you're a leader who’s tired of the surface-level stuff and ready to actually change how work works—this conversation gives you the tools to start. Today.

Want to lead with more clarity and less chaos?

→ subscribepage.io/SkKCOT

This isn’t your average newsletter. It’s your weekly leadership power-up: clear, confident, human-first strategy that actually works (even on hard days).

Done with burnout leadership?

→ https://a.co/d/80lZRdY

The Happy Leader Playbook is your go-to guide for building a work life that fuels you—not drains you.

Want to know how you're really showing up as a leader?

→ www.kate-gory.com

Take Kate’s free Leadership Effectiveness Audit to find out where you’re empowering your team and where you might be the bottleneck.

Let’s talk about one of the most overlooked forces in your leadership: your relationship with money.

In this episode, I sit down with Micah James—nonprofit leader, financial coach and deeply human guide—to unpack why financial clarity is foundational for confident, compassionate leadership. Because the truth is, you can’t show up fully for others if you’re weighed down by stress, shame or confusion about your own finances.

This conversation isn’t about budgeting tips or spreadsheets. It’s about emotional power, self-trust and how doing money differently helps you lead with more confidence, presence and peace.

Inside, we explore:

💸 Why financial stress quietly erodes leadership energy—and what to do about it

🔥 How to shift from shame to ownership when it comes to your money story

💡 The 3 first steps to take when your financial world feels overwhelming

🧠 Why emotional intelligence applies to money just as much as it does to people

💥 How empowered finances unlock freedom and choice—for you and your community

Happy leaders don’t avoid hard conversations—they lean in with curiosity, clarity and compassion. This is one of those conversations.

If you’ve ever felt behind or broken when it comes to money, this episode is your reminder: you’re not. You’re human. And you’re capable of leading yourself through it.

Now it’s your move. Ready to create a life that works for you?

🔥 Start building your momentum (even on hard days).
→ subscribepage.io/SkKCOT – This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s your weekly power-up: clarity, confidence and real-life leadership support straight to your inbox.

📘 Grab the go-to tool for reclaiming your time, energy and impact.
→ https://a.co/d/80lZRdY – The Happy Leader Playbook is your practical, proven guide for designing success on your terms.

🎁 Want to clean up your money story? Start here.
→ empoweringfinancialcoaching.com/free – Micah’s free tools will help you take that first brave step with confidence.

👋 Let’s keep the conversation going.

Share what landed for you—or pass this episode to someone who needs it.
Real change starts when we talk about the hard stuff out loud.
And you don’t have to do it alone.

You’ve got the power. Let’s make it work for you.

If you're still believing emotional intelligence is a soft skill, this conversation will flip that script for good.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Manoj Krishna—former spine surgeon and founder of the HappierMe app—to unpack one of the most overlooked leadership levers of our time: your emotional mind. This isn’t just about mindfulness. This is about learning to lead without the emotional chaos that’s costing you energy, connection and clarity.

We get into:

🔥 Why stress isn’t the enemy—but your reaction to it might be

🧠 How unconscious emotional patterns sabotage your decisions (and how to break them)

🚨 The 3-word question that can immediately shift your leadership presence

💥 What happens when high-performers stop outsourcing peace and start mastering it

📲 How the HappierMe app gives you daily reps to strengthen your emotional leadership muscle

I believe emotional mastery is no longer optional—it’s a non-negotiable skillset for anyone building meaningful impact. And if you’re not leading yourself clearly, you’ll keep bleeding time, energy and influence in ways you can’t afford.

🎯 Your Power Move Today

Notice your next emotional trigger—and pause. Don’t explain it away. Don’t numb it. Just ask: “What’s really happening in me right now?”

That pause? That’s leadership in action.

Want the edge most leaders are missing?

Start your free trial of the HappierMe app and build emotional mastery one powerful pause at a time: https://happierme.app/

Lead Smarter, Live Happier.

⚡ Grab 50 Free Power-Ups to elevate your team: https://thesuperchargedworkspace.com
📕 Ready to rewire how you work? Grab The Happy Leader Playbook: https://a.co/d/gGWEHik

Hosted by Jessica Lyonford, best-selling author of The Happy Leader Playbook

Let’s be real: you can have the planner, the title, the goals—but if you’re still second-guessing yourself every step of the way, you’re not actually leading. You’re performing.

This episode is a full-body permission slip to stop outsourcing your power—and start trusting the voice that matters most: your own.

I’m joined by transformational coach and self-exploration expert Bex Bassin for a truth-filled, energy-rich conversation about reclaiming your intuition, quieting the noise and leading with radical alignment—whether you’re running a business, a household, a team or a whole damn movement.

🔥 Inside the episode:

• Why self-trust is the real flex of modern leadership
• How to stop defaulting to people-pleasing and start hearing your inner brilliance
• The role of energy and embodiment in clear, powerful decision-making
• Practical ways to strengthen your self-trust (without waiting for the next crisis)
• What shifts when you lead with love, not fear

This is leadership at the deepest level—the kind that changes not just how you move through the world, but how you feel in it.

⚡ Ready to come home to yourself? Start here:

🧭 Bex’s Free Decision-Making Guide: Learn how to tap into your body’s wisdom and make soul-aligned decisions → coachbex.com
💌 The Happy Leader Newsletter: Weekly clarity boosts, confidence resets, and the real-talk leadership support you actually need → subscribepage.io/SkKCOT

📘 The Happy Leader Playbook: Your go-to guide for building a life that works for you → https://a.co/d/gGWEHik

👋 Let’s keep the conversation going.

Share what landed for you—or pass this episode to someone who’s ready to stop second-guessing and start trusting themselves again.

Real change starts when we stop outsourcing our wisdom and finally listen to what’s already within.

You don’t have to prove yourself to lead powerfully.

You just have to trust yourself.

Too often, we get stuck waiting—waiting to feel motivated, waiting for circumstances to change, waiting for someone else to make the first move. But what if we flipped the script? What if we built the psychological flexibility to adapt, take ownership, and move forward—no matter what life throws our way?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Carrie Johansson, a psychologist, speaker, and author who helps people develop the mental agility to navigate life’s ups and downs with confidence and clarity. She breaks down how psychological flexibility isn’t just about resilience—it’s about actively choosing your response to life’s challenges.

In this conversation, we explore:

✔️ Why psychological flexibility is the key to navigating uncertainty with confidence
✔️ How to shift from feeling stuck to taking action—even when motivation is low
✔️ The power of choice architecture—setting yourself up for success
✔️ One simple shift you can make today to take back control of your life

"Motivation comes at the end of action. It does not predate action." – Dr. Carrie Johansson

If you’re ready to stop waiting and start leading your life with intention, this episode is for you.

✨ Your action step: When faced with a challenge, swap “Why me?” for “What’s my next best move?” Even the smallest action moves you forward.

🎧 Tune in now and start building your psychological flexibility!

📖 Grab Dr. Carrie’s book, Self Help on the Go, and explore more of her work here: SelfHelpOnTheGo.com

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🚀 Supercharge Your Leadership & Team 🚀

💡 Get 50 free Power-Ups to boost energy and engagement in your workplace → ⁠thesuperchargedworkspace.com⁠

📖 Buy The Happy Leader Playbook: A science-backed guide to supercharging energy and impact → ⁠https://a.co/d/gGWEHik

In a world that often pushes individual success over collective growth, how do we create communities that truly support and uplift us?

In this episode, I sit down with Megan Bozzuto, President of the International Association of Women (IAW), to explore what it means to build purposeful community—one that fosters connection, collaboration and confidence.

Megan shares her unexpected journey into leadership, the power of showing up authentically and how we can create psychologically-safe spaces where they feel seen, valued and supported.

Listen in as we discuss:

✔️ The power of connection and how to build a strong, supportive network

✔️ Why asking for help is a leadership strength, not a weakness

✔️ How to balance authenticity with professionalism in community spaces

✔️ The importance of giving first and how it strengthens your network

✔️ A simple yet transformative way to step into community today

If you're ready to build deeper, more meaningful connections—without the pressure of perfection—this conversation is for you.

Action step: Find a community that aligns with your values and start by giving. Whether it’s sharing a resource, offering support, or making a connection, giving is the first step toward meaningful relationships.

🌎Learn more about the International Association of Women:https://www.iawomen.com/

🔗Connect with Megan on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/megbozz/

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🚀 Supercharge Your Leadership & Team 🚀

💡 Get 50 free Power-Ups to boost energy and engagement in your workplace → thesuperchargedworkspace.com

📖 Buy The Happy Leader Playbook: A science-backed guide to supercharging energy and impact → https://a.co/d/gGWEHik

What if leadership wasn’t about doing more but about energizing more?

In this special episode, bestselling author and publishing expert Suzanne Doyle-Ingram flips the script and interviews me, Jessica Lyonford, founder of Project More Happy and author of The Happy Leader Playbook. Together, we dive into the science of happiness in leadership and why positive energy is the ultimate competitive advantage.

Suzanne, who has helped over 1,000 professionals write and publish books, brings her curiosity and communication expertise to this powerful conversation on rethinking leadership, workplace culture, and personal fulfillment.

In this episode, we explore:

✅ Why happiness isn’t a luxury—it’s a leadership strategy backed by science

✅ The surprising ways your energy impacts engagement, productivity, and success

✅ How small, intentional actions create lasting change (no massive overhauls needed!)

✅ The eight essential skills (pillars of happiness) that fuel high-impact leadership

✅ Real-world strategies to design workplaces—and lives—where people thrive

If you're ready to lead with energy, intention and impact, this conversation is for you.

🔥 Action step: Shift your focus from efficiency to energy. Take a moment to map where your energy flows and drains throughout the day. What activities fuel you? What depletes you? Prioritize what gives you energy and explore ways to shift or delegate what doesn’t. Happy leadership starts with leading your own energy first.

📖 The Happy Leader Playbook is officially out now! Grab your copy here → https://a.co/d/e0n4CwB⁠

📚 Learn more about Prominence Publishing → ⁠https://prominencepublishing.com⁠

✨ Get Happy Leader resources → ⁠https://jessicalyonford.com⁠

What if you could transform every relationship in your life—starting with the one you have with yourself?

In this episode, I sit down withWendy Watson, a spiritual relationship mentor and fifth-generation entrepreneur, to explore howconscious connection can reshape the way we experience love, communication, and even success.

Relationships aren’t just about other people—they include your relationship withmoney, emotions, fear, and even yourself.

Wendy shares her powerfultaco analogy for building strong, intentional relationships and explains why leading with love is the key to creating alasting love legacy.

In this conversation, we explore:
✅ The surprising way yourinner thoughts shape your external relationships
✅ How to redefine your relationship withfear, judgment, and self-worth
✅ Whymoney trauma can hold you back—and how to break free
✅ Thetriangle of relationships and how it influences your happiness
✅ Practical steps todesign relationships on your terms and create a life you love

🎧Tune in now and learn how to build relationships that truly serve you—wherever you stream your favorite podcasts!