Podcast
Shameless Leadership
Hosted by Sara Dean · EN
Welcome to Shameless Leadership! This show is for women, transgender people, non-binary folks, and allies who are committed to advancing their leadership and the leadership of those around them. In this space, we believe everyone deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our mission is to help you foster these feelings within your own circles of influence to build trust, psychological safety, and a culture of belonging.
In each episode, we dive into essential topics impacting women in leadership - everything from shutting down your inner critic and imposter syndrome to overcoming perfectionism to using your voice in new ways to advocate for yourself, your ideas, and other folks carrying marginalized identities. You'll hear practical tips, effective strategies, and inspiring stories that will not only enhance your leadership skills but also broaden your perspective to become a more confident, thoughtful, and empathetic leader.
Our stories come from people carrying identities who are often underrepresented, underestimated, and excluded. By sharing their experiences, we aim to provide you with invaluable lessons that will transform your leadership journey. We are thrilled to have you join this community of Shameless Leaders who are actively creating a world where everyone, regardless of gender, can intentionally lead through a more curious, compassionate, and inclusive lens.
41episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
1000: 10 years. 1000 episodes. What I Never Saw Coming.
2d ago00:47:11Tap to summarizeFor the 1000th time, I sat down and hit record. This is a goal I have worked toward for 10 years. When I launched the podcast on March 15, 2016, my goal was to “feel this out.” I wanted to see if I liked podcasting as a medium for coaching, community building, and exploration. I quickly knew this was going to be my jam. If you don’t know the origin story of this show, you might be surprised to learn that this little show that could largely exists as it does today because I was hit with a cease & desist within 48 hours of launching. The way that situation transpired lit a fire underneath me. In that messy moment of panic, I knew that if someone was going to try to take me down, I was taking this show TO THE TOP. The show became a Top 10 show in multiple categories on Apple Podcasts. Today, in a sea of 3.4 million podcasts, our show is ranked in the top 0.5% globally. The show has been downloaded over 7 million times in over 140 countries. It is currently a Top 30 Management show - a category of over 30,000 shows. These numbers are fun for me to see. But the story behind the numbers is so much more impactful. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of the show. From that cease & desist to building an international community of women, to landing on international stages to speak, to Glennon Doyle Zoom bombing our membership community, to a global shutdown, to failed IVF, PTSD/Anxiety/ADHD diagnoses, rebranding and renaming the show, a Masters Degree, returning to my roots in healthcare, and supporting Fortune 10 companies, this has been a wild ride I could have never predicted. The impact of the show is so much bigger than me. And, that was always the plan. That was the goal. You all showed up and listened. You did the work. You got uncomfortable. You changed your behavior. You made your life better. You modeled to others how to make their lives better. Collectively, we have changed lives. Thousands, if not millions, of lives impacted across 7 million downloads and 5.25 million hours of listening. For my fellow math nerds, that’s 600 YEARS of continuous listening. I set out to do this alone. But I am never actually alone. At any given moment, someone somewhere is listening in. In every moment, one of you is with me. We are constantly in this together. And that means everything to me. In this with you. Always. Links Mentioned: Early Bird Enrollment is open for my Aligned Leadership Incubator! Save $500 if you apply by June 30th: saradean.com/aligned Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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999: The Most Underrated Leadership Skill: Why Having FUN Drives Results | Leadership Strategies
1w ago00:30:49Tap to summarizeI’ve worked with high-achieving women for over two decades. I think I attract high-achieving women because this is an attribute I deeply relate to - sometimes to my own detriment. One of the things I’ve noticed my clients and I can struggle with is FUN. High achievers tend to take things seriously. Like, very seriously. We are intense and motivated to make everything great, if not perfect. This drive can suck the life right out of what otherwise might have been a footloose and fancy-free experience. Rather than embracing fun as a birthright, high-achieving women in leadership have a tendency to treat fun only as a reward - which must be earned after a remarkable and noteworthy win. It’s as if somewhere along the way, we convinced ourselves that fun belongs to others but not to us. But here's what I've learned: when you connect fun only to rewards and achievement, you aren't just flirting with leadership burnout; you're leaving one of the most underrated leadership skills on the table. Fun isn't a reward or a distraction from the work of female leadership — it's an essential emotional intelligence practice that sharpens decision-making, deepens connection, and builds sustainable leadership. In this episode, I break down the essential elements that make something truly fun (hint: it's not just scheduling a happy hour), why high-achieving women are particularly prone to forgetting how to access it, and why reframing fun as a leadership strategy — not self-care, not a luxury, not an afterthought — changes everything. We will also walk through a simple 5-step process for reconnecting to your version of fun — not the Instagram version, not what your team thinks sounds good, but the kind of fun and joy that actually replenishes you. Because the most powerful leadership development tool often isn't another productivity system or another personal development book - it's remembering how to be fully alive and in your joy while you lead. Links Mentioned: Early Bird Enrollment is open for my Aligned Leadership Incubator! Save $500 if you apply by June 30th: saradean.com/aligned Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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998: 4 Management Mistakes That Are Trapping Leaders Right Now | Leadership Tips
2w ago00:37:52Tap to summarizeMiddle managers are getting squeezed from both directions right now. While this isn’t entirely new, the pace of change amid constant adaptation and uncertainty makes this season uniquely challenging. While you’re trying to keep senior leaders happy, your team needs clarity, support, and meaningful leadership. This can feel overwhelming, to say the least. In this episode, I'm breaking down four management mistakes that are quietly trapping even the most well-intentioned leaders: the Task Trap, the Communication Trap, the Reactivity Trap, and the Talent Trap. While these aren’t new problems, the pace of today's workplace has made them far more expensive to ignore. If you find yourself questioning how to uphold effective leadership, this conversation will help you gain clarity on how to cultivate enduring, productive, and rewarding relationships that advance collaboration and positive outcomes with those you lead. We will talk through how to bridge the gap between management and leadership, ensuring you’re more than just a project manager, but also a people developer. We will dig into how to avoid reactive leadership habits that impede the strategic thinking and action-taking your team actually needs from you. And we will discuss how to communicate to create clarity instead of more. This episode will open your eyes to leadership mistakes to avoid when you find yourself in the midst of constant change and uncertainty, and help you take an honest look at where middle-management pressure meets real leadership development. You'll walk away with a clearer sense of which trap is costing you the most right now and what to do about it before it costs you your best people. Links Mentioned: Early Bird Enrollment is open for my Aligned Leadership Incubator! Save $500 if you apply by June 30th: saradean.com/aligned Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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997: Stop Holding Yourself Back: How to Become the Most Referred Voice in Your Industry | Leadership Mindset
3w ago00:27:57Tap to summarizeDoes visibility follow opportunities, or do opportunities follow visibility? The (perhaps hard) truth is that the opportunities you desire likely require visibility first. And… Creating that visibility lands squarely on you. Most people aren’t randomly discovered for their talent and unique perspective. The people who are platformed and promoted have intentionally and strategically made themselves visible enough to be discovered. Do you find yourself thinking: I'd like to have a greater impact I'd like to be recognized for my expertise I'd like to be considered for bigger opportunities I'd like more influence I'd like to be known for something I’d like to be seen as the hands-down best candidate for a new role Right now, the leaders who are getting invited into bigger conversations aren't necessarily the smartest, most credentialed, or most decorated people in the room. They're often the people who have done the work of clarifying what they stand for, what they know, and how they want to contribute. In this episode, I walk you through the exact steps to become more of a go-to voice in your industry. You may be thinking you need more experience or education before positioning yourself as an expert in your field. Nope. You’re already ready. Promise. I have no doubt your unique blend of education/experience/talent/perspective qualifies you to stand out in some way. So, let’s figure out how you can leverage that, shall we? Using my 5-step Authority Ascension Framework, you will move from Competence (owning your expertise, experience, and unique POV) to Clarity (your unique thought leadership framework) to Contributing (actually becoming more visible in various ways) to Confirmed Credibility (becoming known and trusted by others), and finally, to Called Upon (people coming to you with opportunities!) We will also spend some time digging into how women miss the mark with visibility and leave the door wide open for others to take up the spaces they are ready and qualified to fill. This will help you see and understand the (likely arbitrary, if not completely made up) rules you are letting hold you back. Major opportunities are often built from dozens of small visibility moments. This episode will help you position yourself for those little and not-so-little moments, from building your own content and frameworks to facilitating different kinds of conversations to speaking at events to mentoring others to getting interviews to getting published and more. Links Mentioned: June 24th Free Workshop: The Future-Proof Leader: Why Your Thought Leadership Matters Significantly More in the Age of AI: https://saradean.com/future/ Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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996: What Will You Be Known For (That AI Can’t Replace) | Leadership Strategies
Jun 1600:30:49Tap to summarizeIn the age of AI (yes, I kind of roll my eyes when I say that), you have a massive opportunity to double down on YOU. You are an original - literally one in eight billion… I want you to be strutting your stuff like that means something to you. Because if it means something to you, it will mean something to those around you, too. AI cannot replicate you. No version of AI can create the unique overlap of your lived experiences, trained skills, innate talents, professional judgment, values, and unique points of view to create another you. While AI can generate endless information, it cannot replace the wisdom you've gained throughout your career or the way you connect ideas, solve problems, and influence others. This episode will help you solidly step into your unique expertise, experiences, and insights that contribute to your personal leadership brand and make your contributions uniquely valuable in the future of work. It is time for you to define what you want to be known for. You have an opportunity to decide how you will be seen and how you will be valued as someone who is irreplaceable and indispensable. In this episode, I will walk you through my thought leadership formula: (Knowledge x Lived Experience x Unique POV) + Communication = Thought Leadership. Understanding how to leverage this formula will become increasingly important in the age of AI. This will help you future-proof your career and remain relevant in a rapidly changing environment. I also tackle the often uncomfortable topic of visibility and why leadership visibility matters more than ever. For many women in leadership, being seen can feel vulnerable, yet visibility is often the bridge between expertise and influence. Whether you're focused on building your leadership legacy, increasing your impact, or becoming more intentional about how you show up professionally, this episode will challenge you to think differently about how you choose to be seen, what you want to be known for, and how your thought leadership can create meaningful influence for years to come. Links Mentioned: June 24th Free Workshop: The Future-Proof Leader: Why Your Thought Leadership Matters Significantly More in the Age of AI: https://saradean.com/future/ Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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995: Thought Leadership in the Age of AI: The Skill That Protects Your Career | Leadership Tips | AI, Thought Leadership
Jun 900:37:28Tap to summarizeThere is no denying that artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we work, communicate, and lead, leaving many professionals wondering how to future-proof their career in an increasingly automated world. While AI can generate information in seconds, we desperately need leaders who can make meaning of information, influence others, and inspire action. This is the work of thought leadership. In this episode, I explore why thought leadership has become one of the most important leadership skills leaders can develop and why leadership in the age of AI requires far more than simply knowing things or technical expertise alone. Many women leaders hear the phrase thought leadership and assume it means becoming an influencer, author, or keynote speaker. In reality, becoming a thought leader is about increasing your influence, visibility, and credibility by sharing your unique perspective and expertise. For women seeking greater impact, stronger executive presence, and access to new opportunities, thought leadership is one of the most powerful leadership skills for women to develop, regardless of industry, role, or career stage. In the age of AI, your expertise alone is no longer enough. Information is everywhere. The leaders who create the greatest value are those who can interpret information, connect ideas, challenge assumptions, spot patterns, and help others navigate uncertainty. AI can summarize data and generate content, but it cannot replicate your lived experiences, professional judgment, values, intuition, or ability to lead people through change. In an era of constant digital transformation, these human capabilities are becoming more valuable, not less. Listen in to hear how thought leadership can support your leadership development and create long-term career resilience. If you're looking to strengthen your influence and develop the leadership skills that will matter most in the future, this episode will help you better understand the evolving relationship between AI and leadership and how to position yourself for lasting success. Links Mentioned: June 24th Free Workshop: The Future-Proof Leader: Why Your Thought Leadership Matters Significantly More in the Age of AI: https://saradean.com/future/ Denise Brosseau and The Thought Leadership Lab: https://thoughtleadershiplab.com/what-is-a-thought-leader/ Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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994: Sage Hobbs: Naked Communication: Courageously Create the Relationships You Really Want | Leadership Strategies
Jun 200:51:49Tap to summarizeSage Hobbs is an author, facilitator, and coach whose work combines her background in counseling psychology with a passion for helping people communicate with clarity, courage, and compassion. She empowers leaders and teams to navigate challenges, build trust, and strengthen the relationships that drive personal and professional success. Sage began her career as a school counselor. This experience shaped her understanding of complex communication and reinforced her belief that our happiness and success are tied to the quality of our relationships. She has since worked with schools, districts, nonprofits, and global organizations to foster emotional intelligence, positive culture, and effective leadership. Sage is the author of Naked Communication: Courageously Create the Relationships You Really Want and the host of the Principal Pep Talks podcast, bringing candid conversation to the real challenges of leadership. With a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Sage is also a proud mom of two, a cancer survivor, and a lover of humor, books, and the occasional kitchen dance party. Listen in to hear Sage share: Why facilitating connection is a critical leadership skill How rewarding leaders for having all the “right” answers has undermined connection in leadership What missed opportunities for connection cost leaders and organizations Why people avoid hard conversations and why moments of discomfort in communication are imperative for leadership growth The distinction between leadership and management when it comes to communication How to leverage curiosity, clarity, and compassion in communication as a pathway to connection Four things you can do today to improve your communication and ability to connect in a meaningful way Links: Connect with Sage: https://sagebhobbs.com/ Get Sage’s Book: Naked Communication: Courageously Create the Relationships You Really Want Sage on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sagebhobbs/ Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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993: Vulnerability in Leadership: Are You Armored or Daring? | Leadership Tips
May 2600:26:12Tap to summarizeWe all have gaps in our leadership skills and capabilities that can be tough to spot on our own. But once seen, we cannot unsee these gaps, and we know we must take responsibility for our own growth and development. In this episode, I'm digging into Brené Brown's framework of Armored Leadership versus Daring Leadership from her book Strong Ground, with the hope that you will be able to spot some of your gaps in your leadership habits. I break down the 11 aspects of armored leadership, those self-protective behaviors that feel like safety but actually keep us stuck, and explore what shifts when you choose daring leadership instead: vulnerability, authenticity, and real growth. We talk about what drives armored leadership in the first place, from scarcity mindset and social conditioning to past trauma, and how those patterns show up in organizational culture without us even realizing it. Then we flip the lens to daring leadership, where leading proactively and strategically rather than reactively becomes possible. We talk about values in leadership, the role of failure, and how building a belonging culture starts with the willingness to be vulnerable as a leader. This is leadership development that meets you where you actually are, for better or worse. This is an invitation to take an honest look at where armor and your need for self-protection are costing you. As I share in the episode, leadership is an act of service, and daring leadership asks you to show up fully, armor down, and lead from a place ot humility, curiosity, and authenticity. Links Mentioned: Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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992: Three Grad School Takeaways That Might Help You as Much as They Helped Me | Leadership Stories
May 1900:28:29Tap to summarizeI’m five days out from graduating with my Master’s in Organizational Leadership. I’ll be honest, I am tired. Like, bone tired. I think the last four months have been a never-ending adrenaline rush to get to the finish line of grad school while also managing a full-time (and fully intense) work schedule and parenting during a busy baseball season. It’s been a lot. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a lot of great things. I’m so grateful and truly elated for all I have experienced over the last two years. But I’m feeling the comedown, and it’s leaving me wiped out! While I think I’ll be processing the last two years for quite some time, I wanted to share a few nuggets with you right away. I’m walking away from this grad school experience with some important lessons learned that are immediately applicable for me — and might be for you, too! In this episode, I’m sharing three big takeaways from my grad school experience. First, I’m sharing a philosophy I learned in one of my first classes in the program on how to “see and see again.” This philosophy challenges us to look past assumptions, judgments, and biases and peel back the layers that might not be obvious at first glance. Second, I’m talking about how to be a leader who is for others. I’ve always known that leadership is not only about power, and leaders who get this confused are destined to become toxic, highly dysfunctional leaders (i.e., rulers or dictators). There are specific ways to embrace and embody leadership as a leader who is for others, and this is the kind of leadership we need to develop in one another. Third, I opted to get a concentration in Change Leadership as part of my Master’s program. My first few classes in change leadership felt a little dry and didn’t totally resonate with me. While the content felt helpful from an informational standpoint, it didn’t light a fire in me. Then I ended up in a change leadership class that completely flipped my notion of change leadership on its head, and I had this glaring realization that I am a change leader and have been for years (decades??). I was just looking at myself and my work through the wrong lens. When you hear my story about this, I think you might be able to see yourself and your change leadership capabilities through a new lens, too! The last two years have been an incredible ride. Thank you for your words of support and encouragement, as well as your many congratulations on social media and via email over the last week. I appreciate you!! If you have any questions about going back to school as a middle-aged, full-time working mom, please reach out. I’m an open book! Links Mentioned: Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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991: Emily Scherberth: Why Leaders Are Afraid to Ask For Feedback | Leadership Stories
May 1200:44:15Tap to summarizeI had the pleasure of meeting Emily Scherberth when we were in an Organizational Change & Transformation class in our Master’s in Organizational Leadership program. I knew right away that Emily was whip smart and someone I wanted to geek out with and learn more from. When Emily shared her recent research on feedback, vulnerability, and leadership - and the glaring gender differences, I knew I wanted to do a deep dive with her. This conversation is that deep dive. I’m so grateful to Emily for doing this important work and bravely sharing it with the world. Emily Scherberth is the Founder and CEO of Turas Leadership Consulting, Inc. She serves as a partner and strategist for executives, teams, and organizations that are ready to transform their cultures and lead with purpose. With nearly 30 years of experience in corporate strategy, communications, leadership, qualitative research, and facilitation, Emily created Turas Leadership to realign more intentionally with her own purpose: to help actualize the potential in others. As the creator of the Leader-First Transformation™ model and a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths® coach, Emily synthesizes decades of direct leadership experience with forward-thinking research and evidence-based methods to help clients increase performance and find meaning in their work. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Loyola Marymount University, a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge, and is completing a second Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. Listen in to hear Emily share: How she made a pivot from a 30-year communications career into leadership consulting How to assess and develop your leadership capacity by identifying connectedness within yourself and within the systems in which you lead Her recent research on the vulnerability of receiving feedback and being challenged The surprising data on leaders wanting to be challenged The dramatic gender differences in her data, and how to account for these differences How current organizational systems are limited in their capacity to provide psychological safety on a systemic level, and the problem with only addressing psychological safety on the team or department level What capacity building means in leadership, and why leadership development needs to focus more specifically on capacity building How you can own and honor your leadership capacity while also challenging yourself to advance your current capacity Links Mentioned: Connect with Emily and Turas Leadership: https://turasleadership.com/ Follow Emily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyscherberth/ Turas Leadership Article and Research: The Leadership Paradox: Leaders Want Feedback but Fear the Cost of Asking for It Emily on Medium: The Leadership Journey: https://medium.com/the-leadership-journey Hire Sara to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with Sara: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with Sara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks Watch Shameless Leadership episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saradeanspeaks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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