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.
44episodes
Episodes
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973: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: The “Ambition Gap” is Gaslighting Women. Again.
Jan 600:27:19Tap to summarizeThe Lean In and McKinsey & Company Women in the Workplace 2025 report claims that, for the first time, women are less likely than men to want a promotion, stating that 80% of women want to be promoted to the next level, compared to 86% of men. They label this development an “ambition gap”, stating that women are currently less ambitious than men. This label is wildly inaccurate, deeply offensive, and grossly irresponsible. Calling these findings an “ambition gap” is strategic reframing that places blame back on women, per usual, while letting broken systems (and the power players who uphold them) off the hook. When powerful institutions confuse correlation with causation and misdiagnose the problem like this, women pay the price. Again. These kinds of reports shape policy, leadership decisions, funding priorities, and how women are talked about at work. This label is not ok. It is harmful. The report assumes ambition is singular and linear, defined by traditional corporate ascent, and treats women’s slower advancement or disengagement as a personal failure instead of a rational response to inequitable systems and poor resource allocation. Most critically, the report ignores caregiving realities entirely. You cannot meaningfully analyze women’s ambition in 2025 without examining care infrastructures - or lack thereof. Choosing to ignore this is a distortion of reality. In other words, this is gaslighting. In this episode, I highlight other voices and data that were conveniently ignored. This counter data shows us what we already know - women are more ambitious than ever. Rather than seeking out a deeper understanding of the data, Lean In and McKinsey opted to report dirty diagnostics. What we know about data analysis is that to get to the real why, you have to dig deeper, think critically, and ask crucial questions of the actual people impacted. This didn’t happen with this reporting. When you actually talk to women, the situation is clear. We are no longer willing to self-abandon inside systems that refuse to evolve. We know that to get to the reported 80%, we were required to work exponentially harder with fewer resources. This is proof of our ambition, resilience, and talent, not lack thereof. The headline is not about an ambition gap. The headline is that women are growing, evolving, and working smarter while institutions largely are not. In reality, what we are seeing is an institutional gap, a patriarchal gap, and a systems gap. The bottom line is this… If we want to truly understand the evolution of women’s ambition, we need to start by examining the systems that punish it. Links Mentioned: Lean In and McKinsey & Company Women in the Workplace 2025: https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace Blessing Adesiyan on the Care Gap:https://thecaregap.substack.com/ More about Blessing Adesiyan: https://blessingadesiyan.com/ Chief and Harris Poll Data on Women’s Ambition: https://chief.com/articles/calling-bs-on-the-myth-of-womens-fading-ambition [Open Enrollment] Join Sara’s Aligned Leadership Incubator: 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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972: Jennifer R. Hudson: Leadership, Loss, and the Quiet Power of Midlife Transitions
Dec 3000:53:25Tap to summarizeIn early 2025, my dear friend Jennifer started telling me about how she was preparing for her youngest child to leave for college. She was celebrating this parenting milestone while also preparing for the grief. Simultaneously, she was watching her father’s health deteriorate. She knew 2025 would be a year of massive change. And, it most certainly was. I had the opportunity to connect with Jennifer throughout the year, and when she felt ready, I was honored to invite her to the show to discuss the overlap of life, grief, work, and the magical opportunities that arise for midlife women. Professionally, Jennifer R. Hudson is an award-winning communications leader with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations strengthen and grow their brands through strategic, effective communication. She has led communications programs, facilitated workshops, launched businesses, and secured high-impact media coverage for both corporations and nonprofits. Before founding ThinkBeyond Public Relations, Jennifer served as Vice President of Communications at British Airways, overseeing internal and external communications across 18 markets, and held senior communications roles at Sabre and American Airlines, where she was a Spanish-speaking spokesperson. Jennifer is an accredited public relations professional (APR), a certified mentor and coach supporting entrepreneurs and social impact leaders, and a past president of PRSA Greater Fort Lauderdale. She was named PRSA Greater Fort Lauderdale’s 2024 Communicator of the Year. Most notably, Jennifer is the proud mom of two grown children who still love coming home to visit their mom on a regular basis. Listen in to hear Jennifer share: The difference between mentally preparing for change, loss, and grief and actually enduring them How navigating change and life transitions has improved her leadership focus and personal and professional goals Practices that help leaders stay centered and purposeful when personal life changes collide with professional responsibilities The unique opportunities that come out of hard seasons to create new and transformational experiences How vulnerability builds leadership trust and perfectionism erodes it The importance of giving yourself time to reflect on 2025, release what needs to be released, and claim what you want to own and carry forward from 2025 The PR framework leaders can use to sustain visibility and consistency in their communications without burning out or losing themselves in the process Links: Learn more about Jennifer and ThinkBeyond: wethinkbeyond.com Reach out to Jennifer: jen@wethinkbeyond.com Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenrhudson/ Connect with Jennifer on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thinkbeyondpr/ [Open Enrollment] Join Sara’s Aligned Leadership Incubator: 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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971: LEADERSHIP TIPS: 6 Rules I’m Breaking in 2026
Dec 2300:23:22Tap to summarizeAs we head into a new year, I’m just as focused on breaking rules as I am on setting goals. In this episode, I share six leadership “rules” most of us have followed for years that I’m consciously unlearning as I step into 2026. These are the quiet, normalized rules that fuel burnout, decision fatigue, over-functioning, and self-silencing - especially for women and especially in midlife. This episode is both a reflection and an invitation to question the rules you’ve inherited, absorbed, or outgrown, and to decide what actually serves the person you are choosing to become as you step into a new year. I walk through productivity rules that say more output equals more value, and share why I’m shifting toward tracking energy instead of hours, creating more white space, and protecting time for thinking and breathing (I’m really bad at breathing). I unpack confidence rules like needing to “feel confident” before speaking up and the belief that strong leaders shouldn’t show doubt. We also dig into communication rules that tell women to soften their message to keep others comfortable, and visibility rules that limit us to who people think we’ve been rather than who we are becoming. Finally, I challenge the midlife career rules that say you should have it all figured out by now and legacy rules that tell us impact only “counts” if it’s big, visible, or measurable. The truth is that midlife can absolutely feel like expansion, not a plateau. For the next year, I’m focused on my 2026 legacy rather than a lifetime headline. I’m doing this by doubling down on upholding my values, challenging myself, making meaning, and defining success on my own terms. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on this question: “In 2026, I’m breaking the rule that says ______.” Links Mentioned: [Dec 9th and Jan 8th] Shameless Rising: a 2-part workshop series to release the noise, reclaim your voice, and reignite your vision in 2026: saradean.com/rising [Open Enrollment] Join Sara’s Aligned Leadership Incubator: saradean.com/aligned Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me 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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933: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: 3 Steps To Improve Your Emotional Intelligence
Apr 1, 202500:23:36Tap to summarizeCould you benefit from improving your emotional intelligence? If so, do you know how you can go about this? It seems there are constant references to the benefits of higher emotional intelligence, but actually attaining that is more elusive. In fact, it might even feel daunting if building a stronger connection to your emotions feels vulnerable to you. As I’ve been speaking recently, I’ve been sharing some simple ways leaders can advance their emotional intelligence while also helping those they lead do the same. This work is important and doesn’t have to be difficult. Developing your emotional intelligence is the way you can build better bridges to meet other people where they are. If you excel at this, you can supercharge your leadership. In this conversation, I dive into the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership. I share the importance of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and empathy as key components of emotional intelligence and provide practical strategies for you to enhance your emotional intelligence while fostering a supportive environment for your teams. At the end of the day, emotional intelligence isn't soft – it's strategic. It's not a weakness; it can absolutely be your greatest strength and secret weapon as a leader.Episode Highlights: 00:00 Introduction to Emotional Intelligence 02:51 The Importance of Self-Awareness 07:01 Emotional Regulation Strategies 12:38 Cultivating Empathy and Social Awareness 18:07 Building Authentic Connections Links Mentioned: Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks/ Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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932: LEADERSHIP TIPS: Your Leadership Doesn’t Have to Be Loud to Be Heard
Mar 25, 202500:23:13Tap to summarizeI'm here to share something that might give you great relief. Your leadership doesn’t have to be loud to be LOUD.When I’m working with leaders and people who are developing leadership skills, there is a common misconception that you have to get louder in volume to be heard. By volume, I mean auditory volume and quantity. People assume they have to speak in a louder voice and/or say more things all the time. To become a better leader, you might not need to do either of these things. Instead, you need to determine what style of leadership is authentic for you in this season of life. When I owned my gym, I became a better leader by quieting my voice to make space for my trainers to showcase theirs. I sat back and let them shine by teaching more classes than me and by letting each of them find their own voice and leadership style in their classes. As a result, I was able to work behind the scenes to focus on expanding our membership community, create more programming and offers, and build out a strong and stable backend to the business so that my trainers had job security and our members felt supported by all the leaders on my team instead of feeling reliant solely on me for their success. In this season, I was also a new mom. My quieter, BTS leadership allowed me to be home and present with my son. This was an incredible season of growth for my business, my trainers, and our community. And, I didn’t have to get louder. I just had to get more clear on my role in leading my trainers so they could help me build a phenomenal community. Which they did! Instead of thinking about how you need to become some loudest-in-the-room, always-speaking-up, and being-seen-doing-all-the-things kind of leader, perhaps you could think about: What is the impact you want to have? What do you want to build? Who do you want to empower to build with you? What values do you most want to uphold in this season? What is your leadership secret sauce (that thing about the way you lead that calls people in and keeps them motivated to work alongside you)? As you consider how you want to grow as a leader, think about the skill sets and mindsets you need to develop. Maybe this is getting louder. But, maybe it’s about getting more quiet? Maybe it’s about getting more clear about where you want to go and how you want to get there.Episode Highlights: 00:00 Redefining Loud Leadership 02:55 Authenticity in Leadership Styles 06:09 Empowering Others in Leadership 08:59 The Importance of Collaboration 11:47 Finding Your Unique Leadership Voice 15:10 Building a Leadership Legacy Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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931: LEADERSHIP MINDSET: Upgrade Your Internal Dialogue Defaults
Mar 18, 202500:26:22Tap to summarizeOver the last couple of months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak on communication confidence at a handful of leadership events. One of the things that has been really eye-opening for attendees is learning about the connection between their internal communication and external communication. So, I thought this would be a helpful (and fun!) topic to dig into on the pod. Let’s start with defining each of these terms. Internal communication is how you communicate with yourself. This includes the words and phrases you use and the tone of voice you use. When you're in a tough moment, do you speak to yourself with kindness, compassion, and respect? Or, do you have a tendency to beat yourself up and talk to yourself in a way you would never talk to someone else who is struggling? When you are on the cusp of making a big decision or going for something new and big, do you champion yourself by reminding yourself of your strengths, talents, and qualifications? Or, do you tell yourself you’re probably not qualified, and you probably won’t get what you want out of the situation? External communication is how you communicate with others. When you are entering a high-stakes situation, do you show up with confidence and grace? Do you speak up, share ideas, and stand up for the people and issues that matter most to you in a way that calls people to take action and/or work beside you? Or, do you sit back, stay quiet, or run away the moment you sense anything uncomfortable, unpredictable, or challenging? Or, maybe you get defensive and aggressive when things don’t go your way - perhaps taking on a my-way-or-the-highway attitude? As you may suspect, our internal communication greatly impacts our external communication. If you don’t have your internal communication dialed in, your external communication will probably be pretty poor, even harmful in high-stakes moments. Our internal communication patterns and habits are likely defaults that have been with us for years if not decades. In this episode, I talk through 5 ways to begin to shift your internal communication defaults in order to positively impact your external communication habits. Bottom line… Your internal communication must be rock solid if you want your external communication to get you closer to your goals and dreams! Resources: Join Aligned, my leadership incubator for values-driven women leaders: saradean.com/aligned Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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930: LEADERSHIP TIPS: The Hidden Costs of Women Masking at Work
Mar 11, 202500:32:52Tap to summarizeCan we talk about women masking at work?I spend a lot of time in conversation with women who are the only woman or one of very few women in the room at work. There is a fatigue and malaise that comes from being in this position long term - even if you enjoy and respect many of the men you’re sitting beside.When a person is notably different from the majority of the people around them, they mask themselves to fit in, be taken seriously, gain a competitive advantage, and maintain safety. Here are some of the ways many women routinely mask in male-dominated workplaces: Altering vocal pitch and language Modifying speech patterns to avoid feminine speech markers and amplify masculine ones Dressing to look “good” but also professional, well kept, not too showy, not too sharp Having hair and makeup done in a way that suits the room vs suiting comfort Suppressing natural emotional reactions Avoiding vulnerability Maintaining a calm and demure demeanor no matter how heated others are getting Controlling facial expressions Laughing at jokes even if uncomfortable Participating in meaningless conversations (sports, tech, male-dominated hobbies) Dismissing or hiding personal interests and hobbies Avoiding or downplaying family situations Positioning self as “one of the guys” Avoiding asking questions or seeking help Many women are so conditioned to masking that they don’t know they are doing it until they are in an environment where they no longer have to do it.One of the reasons I have built so many group coaching programs for women over the last decade is because of how deeply impactful it is when women come together and drop their masks. In these containers, deep growth and transformation transpire.No facades. No faking it. Only full transparency. All you. All out. THIS is the key to your future as a woman leader.In this episode, I talk through what masking looks like, what masking is costing you, and how you can start to drop your mask to show up more fully as you. All you. Episode Highlights: 00:00 Understanding Masking in Women at Work 02:46 The Impact of Masking on Emotional Well-being 06:01 Navigating Gender Dynamics in Professional Spaces 09:06 Recognizing and Supporting Masking Behaviors 11:48 The Costs of Masking: Emotional and Professional 15:06 Strategies for Unmasking and Authenticity 18:00 Creating Supportive Spaces for Women 21:08 How You Can Take Action on This Episode Links Mentioned: Join Aligned, my Women’s Leadership Incubator for values-driven women leaders looking to be more loud in their leadership in 2025: saradean.com/aligned Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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929: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: How to Show Up for Your Emerging Leaders
Mar 4, 202500:31:10Tap to summarizeI’ve recently had multiple conversations with women leaders who have expressed their desire to intentionally build part of their leadership legacy around supporting emerging leaders. Of course, this makes my heart sing. As someone who has benefited from the guidance of women who came before me, I know firsthand how impactful it can be when just one person shows they believe in you.In this episode, I explore how women leaders can effectively support and nurture emerging leaders within their organizations. I discuss the importance of modeling authentic leadership behaviors and providing strategic support that empowers the next generation of women in leadership. Through practical guidance and actionable strategies, leaders will learn how to create environments where emerging talent can flourish and reach their full potential.Modeling Leadership Behaviors That MatterAuthentic leadership begins with vulnerability and transparency. By normalizing failure and making it safe, you create a culture where innovation thrives and emerging leaders feel empowered to take calculated risks. Modeling imperfection reinforces that leadership isn’t about being flawless—it’s about how you respond to challenges and learn from mistakes. When you openly pursue growth, you demonstrate that learning is a lifelong process. This transparency dismantles the intimidating facade of leadership and encourages emerging leaders to embrace their own development journey with confidence.Strategic Support That Empowers GrowthSupporting emerging leaders requires intentional investment in their future. Start by having meaningful conversations about their aspirations and where they see themselves in five to ten years. Demonstrate your commitment by investing in their development through both free resources and high-value opportunities, such as professional development conferences and coaching. Regularly communicate the strengths you see in them that should shine more brightly, as well as the areas where they have room to grow. These conversations, combined with your explicit belief in their potential, create a strong foundation for their development.Recognition is also a crucial element of support. Acknowledge their successes and check in when something seems off. Show them that you genuinely care.Creating a Legacy Through Leadership DevelopmentThe most significant impact of your leadership may not be what you personally achieve, but who you develop along the way. By intentionally cultivating emerging leaders, you create a lasting legacy that extends far beyond your immediate sphere of influence. When women leaders commit to supporting other women, they help break down systemic barriers and open new pathways to leadership for women and other marginalized groups. This ripple effect transforms not only individual careers but also entire organizational cultures. Your investment in emerging leaders today shapes the inclusive leadership landscape of tomorrow, ensuring that diverse perspectives continue to drive innovation and success at every level.Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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928: LEADERSHIP MINDSET: The Myth of Filling Your Cup
Feb 25, 202500:21:40Tap to summarize“You can’t pour from an empty cup!”There is this long-standing narrative that women should practice filling their cups so they have something in their proverbial cups to pour out and share with others in the form of time, energy, love, and/or care. This narrative reinforces that women should take care of themselves for the purpose of being better caretakers of others. Because, as the cultural narrative goes, caretaking at home, at work, and in our communities is a woman’s primary role. We are trained from a very young age to be self-sacrificial at every turn like martyrs marching through life every damn day. I led a training last week on how women leaders can support their teams during these extraordinarily challenging times. I kicked off the event by explaining that while the training was an opportunity for attendees to learn how better to take care of their teams during this time, I was first and foremost concerned with them taking care of themselves and filling their own cups. But… NOT for the sake of pouring into someone else’s cup. You deserve to fill your cup just for the sake of having a full cup. Not for the sake of sharing anything in our cup with anyone else. You deserve a full cup that is just for you. There are enormous costs when we fill our cups only to pour into others. Over time, our physical and mental health are compromised. We find ourselves constantly on the brink of burnout, if not in full-blown burnout. We miss out on opportunities for advancement because we are so busy helping to advance others. In this episode, I share examples of what it looks like to fill your cup just for you, how to break lifelong patterns of self-sacrifice and self-abandonment, and how filling your cup opens the door for others to pour from theirs (and why this is so important!) Links Mentioned: Join ALIGNED - my 6-monthWomen’s Leadership Incubator. We are currently accepting applications on a first-come, first-served basis. This incubator runs from April through September. Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Leadership Podcast? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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927: LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES: 6 Steps to Be More Seen as a Woman Leader
Feb 18, 202500:27:24Tap to summarize"I see you pulling a Beyoncé here,” I said to my client who was really tapping into her own inner Bey. I’m referring to how Beyoncé broke the mold and rewrote the rules for herself—without anyone’s invitation or permission—to win her recent Grammy for Album of the Year. I saw the same thing with this client: breaking the mold and rewriting the rules for herself, without waiting for anyone’s invitation or permission.In fact, a number of the women leaders I work with are doing incredible work to figure out how to create new leadership opportunities for themselves because old-school systems and structures have kept them confined in their current roles for far too long. In the work I’m doing with these women leaders, there are a few key steps I designed for them to take as part of a larger leadership growth strategy. These are steps anyone can take when they are ready to forge a new path in leadership development - without waiting for an invitation or permission:1. Define your top 5 leadership values.2. Actively embrace your leadership values to amplify your leadership brand.3. Advance your thought leadership to think more expansively about what is possible outside of your current role.4. Identify opportunities to BE SEEN in places and spaces outside your current role.5. Start making connections with leaders who openly embrace the same leadership values you do.6. Position yourself for invitations to show up as a subject matter expert in your field.This is how Beyonce was able to rewrite the rules and forge a new path to her Grammy success – and how you can do the same thing. In this episode, I share with you exactly how to integrate these strategic steps into your current work. When you are stuck inside a system that doesn't work for you, it can be really challenging to see outside of the system. There are often multiple concentric circles of power (if not systems of oppression) that put a massive buffer between you and new opportunities. To cut through the junk (old school systems), you must take strategic steps over time to circumvent the systems that are holding you back. Of course, you can do this with a coach (Hi, that's me!). Or, you can start on your own by following the steps above to channel YOUR inner Beyoncé!Links Mentioned:Women Leaders! Join me for Rooted & Rising: Grounded Leadership for Turbulent Times on February 19th. This free workshop is a virtual workshop to connect with other women leaders and gain new tools and insights to carry you through this challenging season of leadership. Register for free at saradean.com/rising. Interested in becoming a sponsor of the Shameless Mom Academy? Email our sales team at sales@adalystmedia.com.We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://shamelessleadership.com/sponsor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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