Stepping Into your Leadership
by The Leadership Program
Are you ready to step into leadership with clarity, confidence, and authentic impact? Stepping into Leadership is your go-to podcast for practical strategies, real-life insights, and inspiring stories that empower you to lead with intention. Hosted by leadership mentor Christine Courtney, each episode blends genuine warmth, relatable experiences, and actionable advice designed to help leaders navigate challenges and embrace growth. You’ll gain fresh perspectives, tools for real-world scenarios, and a supportive framework to turn bold ideas into tangible results—bridging vision and execution seamlessly. Whether you're an experienced leader or stepping up for the first time, this podcast equips you to drive meaningful change in your life, your team, and your organization. Subscribe now and step confidently into your next level of leadership! See <a style='col
Episodes
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The Third Element: Why Emotions Belong in Leadership
What happens when the emotions you’ve spent years pushing aside start showing up in the way you lead? Christine Courtney sits down with physicist, engineer, entrepreneur, and author Randy Lyman to explore the intersection of emotional awareness, high achievement, and leadership. Randy shares his...
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The Human Connection: Why People-First Leadership and Marketing Work
What do great marketing and great leadership have in common? They both start with understanding people. Christine Courtney sits down with Sally Mildren, founder and CEO of Commonwealth Marketing, to explore how neuroscience, human connection, and a little strategic courage can transform the way...
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Leading Without Authority: How to Manage Up and Sideways
Leadership isn't just about managing the people who report to you. Some of the most challenging relationships at work are with the people you don't have authority over. Christine Courtney welcomes back Greg Shamie to explore how to manage up and sideways—from adapting to a new boss's leadership...
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Leading with Purpose: People, Projects, and the Power of Relationships
What does it take to lead complex projects, navigate tough conversations, and build a successful career without losing sight of the people behind the work? Christine Courtney sits down with Mariela Abreu, Partner at DBI Projects, to explore the experiences that shaped her approach to...
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What Do You Want? The Question at the Heart of Leadership
What do you want? It’s a simple question, but according to leadership strategist and business coach Julian Lighton, it may be one of the most important questions a leader can ask. In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney sits down with Julian to explore how leaders and...
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You Can't AI Your Way Through a Room
What happens when AI can write the perfect presentation — but you still have to walk into the room and deliver it? Christine Courtney sits down with longtime collaborator Greg Shamie, a facilitator, coach, and leadership development expert who has spent decades helping leaders become more...
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The Human Edge: Presenting in the Age of AI
As AI becomes increasingly capable of writing proposals, presentations, talking points, and executive summaries, a new question emerges: What happens when you’re the one who has to stand up and deliver it? In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney welcomes back…
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Four Careers, One Through-Line: Joy Brown Kirst on Reinvention and the Skills That Travel
What does it look like when every career you've had was quietly preparing you for the one you're building now? Joy Brown Kirst spent 23 years in executive search, earned an MBA from Rice, became a trained skincare formulator, and launched Modern Age Skin — a brand built for perimenopausal and...
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The Leadership Alignment Problem No One Wants to Fix
What if the reason your AI adoption — or any major transformation — is stalling has nothing to do with the technology? Betsy Kauffman has spent 25 years leading large-scale tech transformations across Fortune 500 companies. And time after time, the same thing happened: the teams got it. The...
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Stop Faking it: Authentic Branding, Burnout Recovery, and Intuitive Leadership
In a world obsessed with data, metrics, and AI-generated everything, Elizabeth Rosenberg is making the case for something radical: trusting yourself. Elizabeth is a serial entrepreneur, PR strategist, intuitive medium, and founder of two platforms — The Good Advice Company, a C-suite personal...
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Right People, Right Moment: How Beth Ward Studios Uses Working Genius to Lead Better
What happens when a founder with Wonder and Invention leads a growing team — and finally names what's actually going on? Christine sits down with Beth Ward (Founder & CEO) and Marjolein Westerbeek (COO) of Beth Ward Studios to talk about how Working Genius transformed their leadership dynamic,...
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Meetings Are Broken. Let’s Fix Them.
Meetings before meetings. Meetings that run over. Meetings where no one knows why they’re there. Sound familiar? Christine Courtney and Tom Armstrong take on one of the biggest frustrations in today’s workplace—ineffective meetings—and begin a practical, no-nonsense series on how to change them....
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Human Connection in AI Buzz Everywhere
What happens when efficiency goes up… but connection starts to slip? In this episode, Christine sits down with Erica Petrelli-Bayh4 to explore one of the biggest tensions leaders are navigating right now: how to embrace AI and remote work without losing the human connection that actually drives...
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Stop Reading Slides, Start Moving People
Most leaders spend hours perfecting their slides… and almost no time practicing how they show up. In this episode, Christine sits down with Greg Shamie, communications expert and Senior Director of People Development at Leadership Development Partners, to unpack what actually makes someone...
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What Great Leaders Do When Average Thinking Takes Over
What does it take to stand out as a leader when everyone has access to the same tools, the same information, and now, the same AI? In this episode, Christine sits down with Scott Goodson, founder and chairman of Strawberry Frog, to explore how leaders build momentum, challenge average thinking…
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Team Building That Actually Works, No Ropes Course Required
When you hear “team building,” do you immediately picture trust falls and ropes courses, then quietly try to escape the calendar invite? In this episode, Christine is joined by her longtime facilitation partner Greg Shamie to break down what actually builds a strong team quickly, especially when...
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Be Different-er, How Everyday Leaders Build Legendary Brands
What makes a person, company, or idea truly unforgettable? In this episode, Christine sits down with Mark DiMassimo, founder and creative director of DiMassimo Goldstein, to explore how everyday leaders can build legendary brands by standing out with purpose, personality, and courage. Drawing on...
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Working Genius in Real Life, A Live Team Coaching Session
What really happens when a team understands how each person works best? In this episode, Christine sits down with the three co-founders of The Menopause Monologues, Carrie Vanhouten, Lisa Anne Morrison, and Lulu Braunstein, for a live and very real conversation about collaboration, creative...
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The Human Side of Leadership and Brand Building
In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine sits down with Toni Clayton-Hine, Chief Marketing Officer for EY Americas, to talk about what it really takes to lead at a high level in fast-moving, high-stakes environments. Toni shares how she balances creativity with data, why...
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When You See It, Say It, Leadership in Real Time
What do you do when you notice the same old pattern in a meeting, the interruptions, the credit-swapping, the quiet expertise getting skipped? In this episode, Christine sits down with Ali Mercier for a grounded conversation about leadership as active advocacy. Not big speeches. Not perfect...
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How Great Leaders Create Experiences That Last
What can leaders learn from great bars? A lot, actually. In this episode, Christine sits down with Julie Reiner and Susan Fedroff to explore how welcoming spaces, strong culture, long-term team loyalty, and creative experimentation all shape an unforgettable experience. They talk about building...
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100th Episode
This one is a celebration and a toolkit. Episode 100 of Stepping Into Your Leadership was our first live episode, and we made it an awards show. We revisited the best leadership tips from the first 100 episodes, welcomed finalists back into the studio, and let the audience vote on the winners. If...
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#99. Scaling Teams and Culture in Biotech and AI, with Jacob Tourjeman
Christine Courtney welcomes Jacob Tourjeman, Chief of Staff and Head of Operations at Invert, company transforming how life scientists work by unifying bioprocessing data and using analytics and AI to help teams experiment faster, optimize more accurately, and scale more reliably. Christine and...
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Credibility on Command, Communicating When Stakes Are High
Christine Courtney sits down with veteran journalist, longtime anchor, and journalism professor Monica Malpass for a lively conversation on what leaders can learn from life in the spotlight. Monica shares how she built a specialty by asking for opportunities, how she prepared for high-stakes...
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Stay at Baseline: Emotional Intelligence for Real-World Management
New role. New pressure. Now what? In this conversation, Christine sits down with senior leader and coach Tom Armstrong to get practical about the first season of management—where emotional intelligence meets everyday execution. They unpack why your ability to hold “baseline” under stress changes...
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Leading with Legacy: A Mother–Daughter Story of Reinvention and Continuity
In this episode, we sit down with a mother–daughter leadership team whose story captures what this show is all about, how leaders grow, evolve, and hand forward a legacy with intention. Susan White Morrissey founded White & Warren nearly 30 years ago with a simple idea, make beautiful, lasting...
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Stop Performing, Start Leading, Power Presence in Real Life
What separates the leaders who keep climbing from the ones who plateau? Discipline, structure, and the ability to show up when motivation fades. In this episode, Christine sits down with Dre Baldwin, former pro basketball player turned entrepreneur, author, and founder of Work On Your Game...
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Management 101, The Real First Rule: Become the Student
What do new managers actually need to learn first, before the meetings, the metrics, the awkward feedback conversations, and the pressure to “prove” they belong in the role? In this episode, Christine is joined by crowd favorite Erica Petrelli-Bayh for a back-to-basics conversation on the...
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Stop Debating RTO, Start Designing the Experience
We’re back for 2026 with a new focus: leaders must stop debating return-to-office like it’s a policy issue and start treating it like an experience issue. Christine shares why culture is built in moments, not perks, why the next generation needs more intentional connection, and one bold action to...
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Start With a Story: The Leadership Skill That Changes Everything
n this special episode of our Storytelling Summer Series, Christine Courtney unpacks one of the most underestimated leadership tools: the power of story. From a high-stakes Department of Education pitch to team-building icebreakers that actually work, Christine shares why storytelling isn’t just…
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Retreats With ROI: Make the Time Count
Planning a retreat or offsite? This episode kicks off our special series on how to design experiences that actually shift your team’s energy, connection, and clarity. Christine is joined by Greg Shamie to unpack the real ROI of offsites—what works, what doesn’t, and how to make the time (and…
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Culture by Design, Not Default: Leadership Lessons with Delise Simmons
Culture by Design, Not Default: Leadership Lessons with Delise Simmons 📄 Episode Show Notes: What if your culture isn’t just an HR buzzword—but your organization’s most powerful performance lever? In this conversation, I sit down with Delise Simmons—keynote speaker, culture strategist, and…
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The Visibility Revolution: Reclaiming Your Voice at Every Stage of Life
What does it mean to feel invisible—and how do we reclaim our voice when it happens? In this powerful conversation, I welcome back listener favorite Erika Petrelli-Bayh to explore a topic that resonates with so many women: visibility. From the “messy middle” of life—menopause, caregiving, career...
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The Invisible Employee & the Art of Managing Sideways
What do you do when a well-liked manager’s team is floundering—or when your executive leader is too swamped to move your project forward? In this live episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney throws real-world scenarios at guests Greg Shamie and Tom Armstrong with zero prep…
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Clear Goals, Dirty Hands: Coaching the Managers Who Mean Well
In this candid and constructive episode, Christine throws two real-life leadership dilemmas at Greg Shamie and Tom Armstrong—without any prep—and the results are both insightful and refreshingly real. First up: What do you do when a well-liked, competent manager has a team that’s…
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Managing the Room: Real-Time Strategies for Common Leadership Challenges
In this lively and unfiltered episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney is joined by Tom Armstrong and Greg Shamie for a round of real-world manager conundrums—answered live, without prep, and with full candor. Recorded in person and infused with group energy, this conversation...
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Motivation That Moves People: How Great Leaders Spark Energy, Engagement, and Excellence
In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, Christine Courtney is joined by coach and facilitator Greg Shamie to break down one of the most powerful—and elusive—skills in leadership: motivation. Together, they unpack what motivation really means in the workplace, how to distinguish between...
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#84 - Reclaiming Your Leadership Superpowers
What if the traits that make you a powerful leader aren’t skills to build—but superpowers to reclaim? In this energizing conversation, Christine welcomes back communications and leadership coach Corena Chase, co-author of The Five Lost Superpowers: Why We Lose Them and How to Get Them Back....
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Leading from the Heart of the House with Bill Bonbrest
What if the key to unforgettable customer experiences isn’t your product—but your people? In this energizing conversation, Christine sits down with hospitality powerhouse Bill Bonbrest, former executive at TAO Group and now founder of Bonbrest Advisory. From his early days growing up between...
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When Results Mask Dysfunction: Leading High-Performing but Toxic Teams
What do you do when a team hits its numbers—but the culture is crumbling from the inside? In this candid roundtable episode, Christine Courtney is joined live in the studio by longtime collaborators Blanca and Tom to tackle two leadership conundrums that managers everywhere will recognize: the...
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Managing Invisible Burnout and Impossible Expectations
What happens when your star employee starts slipping—and swears they’re “fine”? Or when leadership hands you KPIs that would break the very culture you worked so hard to build? In this live roundtable episode of Stepping Into Leadership, Christine is joined in-studio by two fan-favorite...
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Imposter Syndrome Isn’t Just in Your Head:
Christine welcomes leadership coach Blonka Winkfield back to her show for this powerful episode which explores imposter syndrome under its preferred name of “imposter feelings.” The discussion investigates the widespread occurrence of self-doubt among successful leaders by examining both the…
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The Expressive Advantage: Leading with Energy, Emotion & Self-Awareness
What’s it like to manage—or be—the loudest voice in the room? In this episode, Christine sits down with Greg Shamie to explore the expressive social style: the high-energy, idea-sparking, people-centered leaders who light up meetings, connect quickly, and often get mislabeled as “too much.”...
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2: Creating Psychological Safety: Strategies for Fostering Trust and Inclusion in the Workplace
During this episode, we will be focusing on the power of curiosity and the art of asking questions as a means to better understand and serve others as leaders. We'll explore how asking questions can reveal and resolve issues, and how it can lead to more effective performance and better results.…
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RECAST: Psychological Safety: The Game Changer for High-Performing Teams
Psychological safety is the secret ingredient of the most successful teams. It’s what allows people to speak up, take risks, challenge ideas, and truly contribute—without fear of judgment or punishment. In this episode, Greg Shamie and I dive deep into what psychological safety is, why it’s...
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Communicating with Impact: Trust, Clarity & Tough Conversations
In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, host Christine Courtney sits down with Amanda Meeson, Executive Director of the Sterling Community Center, to dive deep into the art of communication in leadership. Amanda, a dynamic leader who has transformed organizations through strategic…
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Situational Leadership (Part 2): Moving from Theory to Practice
In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, host Christine Courtney and producer Tatiana Dominguez take a deep dive into Situational Leadership—one of the most powerful leadership models for managers and rising leaders. Leadership isn’t one-size-fits-all. The Situational Leadership Model...
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Decoding the Analytical Mind: How to Work with Detail-Oriented Thinkers
In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, host Christine Courtney brings back an old friend and former colleague, Ray Vicencio, to dive deep into the analytical personality type in the workplace. As a former CFO and controller, Ray embodies the traits of an analytical...
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How AI Can Supercharge Your Work & Business
AI is changing the game in business, and it’s happening fast! In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, host Christine Courtney sits down with Vince W., founder of Econify, to discuss how AI is transforming workflows, productivity, and business strategy. Vince shares his experiences…
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The Power of Storytelling in Sales
https://ledevpartners.com/the-power-of-storytelling-in-sales Podcast Episode Description: The Power of Storytelling in Sales 🎙️✨ In this episode of Stepping Into Your Leadership, we dive deep into how storytelling can transform sales conversations and client presentations. Research shows that...
About this show
Are you ready to step into leadership with clarity, confidence, and authentic impact?
Stepping into Leadership is your go-to podcast for practical strategies, real-life insights, and inspiring stories that empower you to lead with intention. Hosted by leadership mentor Christine Courtney, each episode blends genuine warmth, relatable experiences, and actionable advice designed to help leaders navigate challenges and embrace growth.
You’ll gain fresh perspectives, tools for real-world scenarios, and a supportive framework to turn bold ideas into tangible results—bridging vision and execution seamlessly. Whether you're an experienced leader or stepping up for the first time, this podcast equips you to drive meaningful change in your life, your team, and your organization.
Subscribe now and step confidently into your next level of leadership!
See <a style='col
Hosted by
The Leadership Program
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