Podcast
The Career Refresh with Jill Griffin: Leadership Strategy for Senior Professionals
Hosted by Jill Griffin · EN
The Career Refresh is a Top 2% globally ranked leadership podcast hosted by executive leadership strategist Jill Griffin.
Leadership has changed. Most leadership advice hasn’t.
This is the podcast for experienced leaders, executives, and ambitious professionals who are ready for their next era of leadership—whether that’s leading with greater influence where they are, stepping into executive leadership, or making a strategic career move.
Each episode explores what it really takes to lead in today’s complex workplace, where the stakes are high, change is constant, and certainty is rare. You’ll learn practical leadership strategies for navigating organizational politics, leading through ambiguity, building executive presence, making better decisions, managing career transitions, and creating sustainable success without losing yourself in the process.
Hosted by Jill Griffin, an executive coach and leadership strategist with more than 20 years of experience advising senior leaders at organizations including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Samsung, The Federal Reserve, Meta, Google, Hilton Hotels, and Notion Labs, each episode combines practical leadership insights with real-world coaching conversations to help you lead with greater clarity, discernment, and conviction.
Because the next level of leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about becoming the kind of leader others trust to navigate what’s next.
This is Next Era Leadership®.
About Your Host
Jill Griffin is a leadership strategist and advisor whose work has been featured on Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast and published in Forbes, Fast Company, HuffPost, and Metro UK. She has also been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Departures, and Ad Age. Connect with Jill on LinkedIn or learn more at GriffinMethod.com.
36episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Feeling Stuck? Here's How to Network Without Feeling Awkward
3d ago00:14:36Tap to summarizeNetworking doesn't have to feel awkward, transactional, or like you're asking for a favor. In this episode, I share a practical approach to reaching out with confidence, making it easier for people to say yes, and building relationships that last beyond a single conversation.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why networking is about genuine connection, not finding the perfect words. • The overlooked incentive that often motivates people to make introductions: employee referral bonuses. • How to make one clear, specific ask that increases your chances of getting a response. • The simple mindset shift that makes networking feel more natural and less uncomfortable.Support the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Leadership Blind Spots: Seeing Beyond the Surface
1w ago00:20:19Tap to summarizeSome people, companies, and opportunities look impressive at first glance but don't hold up under closer inspection. In this episode, Jill Griffin explores why even experienced leaders get drawn to polish over substance and how to sharpen your ability to tell the difference before you commit your time, energy, or reputation.In this episode:• Why we're naturally drawn to confidence, polish, and compelling stories, even when substance is missing• The questions that help you distinguish real capability from a good presentation• How to make better decisions about people, partnerships, and opportunities by looking beyond first impressions• Why this skill matters even more in an AI world, where separating what's real from what's manufactured takes more mental energy than everShow NotesThe Gray Area podcast, The end of the human internet Support the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Direct vs. Rude: What Leaders Need to Know About Communication Style and Impact
2w ago00:16:49Tap to summarizeDirectness is prized in some organizations and penalized in others. But the gap between direct and rude isn't personality. It's a choice. In this episode, Jill Griffin breaks down: What actually happens when communication gets misreadHow to calibrate if you've been told you're too directLearn to separate content from deliveryWhat to do if someone's communication style is triggering you Support the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Why "Executive Presence" Is Broken and the Leadership Identity Framework That Replaces It
3w ago00:13:24Tap to summarize"Executive presence" is one of the most repeated, and most problematic, phrases in leadership. After ten years and hundreds of clients, Jill Griffin has stopped using it and built something better.The Leadership Identity Framework is Jill's approach to what EP was trying to measure, done right. In this episode, she's breaking down one of its core pillars and why it changes how you lead.In this episode:Why "executive presence" measures the wrong thingsWhat leadership identity is and how Jill developed itHow to build presence rooted in who you actually areSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Silence in Meetings: Why People Aren't Speaking
Jun 2300:16:11Tap to summarizeSilence in meetings costs everyone. It silences voices, stalls accountability, and signals that thinking isn't happening in real time. But silence isn't inevitable. It's a leadership choice. In this episode, Jill Griffin breaks down what silence actually means, why AI-generated content is training us to consume instead of engage, and the specific moves leaders and peers can make to bring people into the conversation. Leadership is a lifestyle and an inside job. Here's how to show up.You're in a meeting and nobody's talking. What's actually happening?The silence in your meetings is costing you more than you realize.Most leaders have it backwards about what silence means in the room.Show Notes: Workslop: The Hidden Cost of AI-Generated BusyworkSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Strategic Communication for Leaders: Stop Hedging, Start Leading
Jun 1600:16:31Tap to summarizeEvery leader has them... the language habits that undercut authority before anyone pushes back. This episode Jill Griffin names them, breaks them down, and gives you a way to unlearn yours. The five communication patterns quietly signaling uncertainty, and how to spot them in real timeWhat leaders and colleagues can do when they see it happening in the roomWhy this is a learned pattern, and exactly how to start unlearning itSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →The Thinking Trap That Burns Out High-Performing Leaders And How to Break It
Jun 900:14:00Tap to summarizeHigh performers often fall into thinking patters that burn them out. In this episode Jill Griffin breaks down one of the most common and least talked about patterns she sees in senior leaders under pressure, including:Why overfunctioning, stress, and burnout are the shadow side of the traits that made you successfulThe telling sign you've stopped solving and started rationalizing — and don't know it yetThree cognitive resets that interrupt the loop and open up new options fastSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →How to Be Seen, Known, and Valued with Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton
Jun 200:35:07Tap to summarizeIf you've ever felt hard to explain who you are o what you do this episode is for you. Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton breaks down why professional identity is complex, and how to finally articulate your full value. Jill Griffin and Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton discuss: Why capable professionals struggle to explain who they are even when they know they bring real valueHow job titles flatten your identity and leave others seeing only part of what you offerA research-backed framework to describe yourself beyond roles, skills, and keywordsGuest bio: Dr. Sarabeth Berk Bickerton is a professional identity researcher, TEDx speaker, and author of More Than My Title, helps mid-career professionals articulate who they are beyond job titles and be fully seen at work.Mentioned on the show: Listen: The Great Reassessment: Preparing Your Mindset, Managing Perfectionism, Ageism, and the New Midlife CrisisRead: Jill's Forbes.com article on grieving lost opportuntiesSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Equity Is a Career Strategy with Celeste Warren
May 2600:32:08Tap to summarizeCeleste Warren spent 28 years institutionalizing equity at a Fortune 100 company. Now she's breaking down what equity actually means for your career navigation and leadership presence. In this episode we discuss: Why equity is a career navigation strategyThe difference between being included and being influential, and how to close that gapWhat managers owe their talent beyond performance reviews and how to work the system when yours falls shortShow notes:Visit: Celeste Warren ConsultingRead: The Truth About EquityConnect: LinkedInSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
Transcribe →Why You’re Overperforming But Not Advancing
May 1900:11:32Tap to summarizeYou’re delivering at a high level but your influence isn’t keeping pace. In this episode Jill Griffin breaks down the thinking patterns that keep high performers stuck and how to shift into strategic leadership that actually advances your career.What you’ll learn: The hidden pattern that keeps you overperforming but under-recognized Why effort doesn’t translate into influence at senior levels How to shift from execution to strategic leadership in real timeSupport the showJill Griffin, is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and host of The Career Refresh. She works with senior leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen teams, and lead with greater clarity and intention.With 20+ years of experience at companies like Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Hilton, and Martha Stewart, Jill brings a practical, real-world lens to leadership, decision-making, and career strategy. Visit GriffinMethod.com to learn more about working together:The Next Era Leader An 8-week cohort for women leaders ready to expand their capacity and lead through complexity with clarity and intentionExecutive Coaching & Leadership Advisory 1:1 strategic partnership for leaders navigating growth, transition, and what’s nextConnect with Jill for Leadership Development for Organizations and Speaking & WorkshopsInstagram: @JillGriffinOffical
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