Podcast Summary: "The Power of Choice: Owning Your Leadership Journey with Margie Warrell"

Podcast: What Are You Made Of?

Host: Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Guest: Margie Warrell
Date: January 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco sits down with internationally recognized leadership coach and author Margie Warrell to explore what it truly means to own your leadership journey. Through the lens of Margie’s personal experiences—including her resilience in the face of trauma, her global career, and her deep study of human behavior—the conversation delves into the core ingredients that forge resilient and courageous leaders. Margie shares insights from her latest book, “The Courage Gap,” unpacking a five-part framework for leadership, self-mastery, and the power of choice, offering listeners actionable guidance to bridge the gap between where they are and who they are capable of becoming.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are You Made Of? — The Energy of Being Human

• Margie’s Essence: Margie describes herself as being “made of energy, in many forms.” She highlights that being human is to manage and master this energy.
  • "I think at the heart of it I am made of all of the traits that make up what it is to be human. And all of that is about energy." — Margie [00:28]
• Balancing Energy: Some days are filled with passion and courage, others with self-doubt. Success requires becoming aware of and mastering these energetic states.

2. Leadership Begins With Self-Leadership

• Early Influences: Margie draws inspiration from thinkers like Wayne Dyer, Scott Peck, Stephen Covey, Amy Edmondson, and Daniel Kahneman.
  • “All leadership starts with self leadership.” — Margie [02:33]
• Personal Journey: Her leadership exploration began not by leading others, but by learning to lead herself, especially during her time living in Papua New Guinea—observing how even highly capable people could be undermined by self-sabotaging beliefs.

3. The Power of Choice & Owning Your Story

• Priors and Unconscious Decisions: Both speakers discuss how early life experiences create deep-seated beliefs and “priors” that unconsciously guide future behavior.

  • “Sometimes it's like, I don't know why... it may be something happened that's beyond what we're consciously aware of, but it's still really imprinted on us.” — Margie [04:22]

• Victim vs. Ownership Mindset: Margie shares the challenge—and importance—of taking ownership, even in the face of adversity.

  • "But we always get to choose our response to it... how do I choose to respond?" — Margie [08:45]

• Notable Personal Story: She recounts surviving an armed robbery and miscarriage while living in PNG, and how the choice not to be defined as a victim was a turning point.

  • “I do not want to be defined as a victim... I want to just really operate from a place of choice and power.” — Margie [10:29]

4. The Five-Point 'Courage Gap’ Framework

I. Intention: Focus on What You Want, Not What You Fear

• Clarify your highest commitment to reduce the influence of fear or external distractions.
  • "The commitment to a positive outcome has to exceed the fear of a negative outcome." — Margie [13:32]
• Importance of a strong ‘why’ to communicate vision and overcome resistance.
  • “Set a bold vision with a big why... people need to know the why.” — Margie [16:07]

II. Rescripting Limiting Beliefs

• Challenge and update limiting mental maps and false assumptions.
  • “Beliefs are the operating system of behavior.” — Margie [17:01]
  • Cites Daniel Kahneman: "Nothing matters more in the moment than what you tell yourself is true." — Margie [17:24]

III. Transform Fear into Courage

• Move from the psychology of fear to the physiology of courage using awareness and regulation of the nervous system.
  • “Fear starts in the brain, but it lives in the body.” — Margie [19:48]
  • Recommends breathwork and somatic awareness to reset and harness body energy.

IV. Step Toward Discomfort

• Growth only happens outside the comfort zone.
  • “Growth and comfort can’t ride the same horse.” — Margie [24:10]
• Shares a childhood story—training a wild horse—as a metaphor for ‘training the brave.’ [23:15]

V. Find the Treasure When You Trip: Embracing Failure

• Reframe mistakes as opportunities for learning and growth.
  • “Failure is an event, not a person. And what is the learning in here for you?” — Margie [25:43]
• Highlights self-compassion as a key to resilience.

5. Creating Cultures of Courage & Bravery in Leadership

• Leadership's Impact on Others: Building cultures where people are not afraid to make mistakes, speak up, or challenge the status quo unlocks collective potential.

  • “How do we make sure everyone knows we've got their back? How do we make it safer for people to try things even though they're afraid they're going to mess up?” — Margie [27:17]

• Modeling Vulnerability: Leaders must model bravery and openness, embedding psychological safety in culture.

6. Integrity and Courage in Political Leadership

• Politics vs. Business: Margie runs programs for political leaders and contrasts the additional fears and tradeoffs of public office, especially concerning voter perception and funding.
  • “Be led by your values and not emotions... are you able to look in the mirror and feel okay about what you've done, what you've said... and be reconciled with that?” — Margie [29:24]
• On Political Integrity: She believes most politicians are in it for the right reasons but acknowledges the complex tradeoffs.
  • “I actually believe that the more than not truly are trying to do the right thing... Not all of them, but a lot of them.” — Margie [31:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Sometimes we need reminding of what we already know.” — Margie [08:20]
• “The right decision is always the right decision. The truth is the truth.” — Mike [12:35]
• “Growth and comfort can’t ride the same horse.” — Margie [24:10]
• “Failure is an event, not a person.” — Margie [25:43]
• “If you don't know how to pick yourself up, you're not going to risk the fall.” — Margie [26:50]
• “How do we make sure everyone knows we've got their back?” — Margie [27:17]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:28] Margie shares what she’s made of: “energy”
• [02:33] Emphasizes self-leadership as the foundation
• [04:22 – 05:35] Discussing subconscious “priors” and self-sabotage
• [08:45 – 11:32] Margie’s story of trauma & the power of personal agency
• [12:43 – 17:01] Introduction and discussion of the “Courage Gap” five-part framework
• [19:48] Transforming fear into courage through physiological awareness
• [23:15 – 24:10] Story: Training a wild horse and learning bravery
• [25:18 – 26:50] On embracing failure and self-compassion
• [29:24 – 31:18] Courage and integrity in political leadership

Resources & Connect

• Margie’s Website: MargieWarrell.com
• Podcast: The Live Brave Podcast
• Socials: Margie Warrell (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)

Final Thoughts

This episode is a rich, actionable guide on leadership as an inside job—rooted in courageous choice, conscious self-mastery, and a commitment to helping others do the same. Margie Warrell’s insights, grounded in research and lived experience, offer empowering frameworks and memorable stories—from the farm in rural Australia to boardrooms and Capitol Hill. Whether you’re a business leader, an entrepreneur, or on your personal development journey, you’ll walk away with both inspiration and practical tools to step courageously into your next chapter.

For More: Listen to Margie Warrell on "The Live Brave Podcast" and explore her books, especially “The Courage Gap.”