Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

Pressure reveals who you really are as a leader. Brian Aquart, Vice President of Workforce and Community Education at Northwell Health, shares how a defining moment during the first wave of COVID reshaped his understanding of purpose, responsibility, and ethical leadership. Deploying staff into high-risk areas forced him to wrestle with the weight of decisions that could either expose people to harm or help save lives.  

You’ll hear...

Growth doesn’t stall because leaders lack ideas. It stalls because execution gets messy. Andrea Jones, former Intel process engineer and MIT Sloan MBA, turned a painful early career experience into a mission: help organizations execute growth projects with clarity and confidence. That moment of public criticism—driven by unclear expectations—sparked what she now calls Executagility and shaped her definition of DONE leaders: those w...

Great leadership is revealed in the moments when pressure makes it easiest to abandon your values. Steph Brady shares how falling into management at 21—without training or support—forced her to lead in high-stress situations where her instincts didn’t always align with her values. Those early mistakes became the foundation for a powerful leadership principle: meet people where they are, especially when it’s hardest to do so. 

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Most nonprofits fail for one simple reason: they don’t run like businesses. Dr. Sharon Elefant learned this firsthand and built her company, The Nonprofit Plug, to help founders close that gap. After beginning her career in hospital administration and later being laid off while finishing her doctorate, she turned her gift for connecting people to resources into a thriving consulting firm with 14 team members serving nonprofits acro...

What if being yourself at work wasn’t a risk—but your greatest strength? In this deeply moving conversation, you’ll meet Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and author of Be Yourself at Work. Her presence alone reminds you what leadership can feel like when it’s rooted in humanity, courage, and care. 

As you listen, you’re invited to slow down and reflect on who you are beneath the roles you play, especially in moments whe...

What does it really take to lead well when the world—and the workplace—feels deeply divided? You’re invited into a thoughtful, grounded conversation with Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, as we explore how trust, character, and everyday leadership behaviors shape cultures where people can thrive, no matter their differences. 

You’ll hear why great leadership isn’t about perks or slogans, but about how consistently leaders...

What does it really mean to trust someone—and how intentional are you about the choices you make every day? You’ll rethink trust from the inside out as Charles Feltman challenges the idea that trust is vague or emotional and reframes it as a conscious decision to make something you value vulnerable to another person’s actions. 

You’ll learn how trust works in both directions and why being trustworthy isn’t enough if you’re unwilling...

What if leadership isn’t about confidence or visibility—but about building systems that expand access for others? In this episode, you’ll meet Jiayuan Tian, a social entrepreneur and graduate student at Columbia University SIPA, whose journey through global education reshaped how he understands inequality, opportunity, and leadership. After studying at Minerva University and living across cities around the world, Jiayuan discovered...

What if the future of leadership isn’t about choosing between people or technology, but learning how to lead both with intention? In this episode, you’ll hear from Gena Hoxha, PhD, Chief People & AI Officer at Ignitium, who is helping organizations embrace AI in a way that strengthens—not replaces—the human side of work. 

You’ll discover how Gena’s own leadership journey shaped her belief that AI transformation must be human-fir...

What does it really mean to thrive, especially when success still doesn’t feel satisfying? Kamin Samuel, PhD, brings a grounded, deeply human perspective to thriving—one rooted in self-leadership, self-trust, and releasing the quiet belief that you’re “not enough.” You’ll hear why so many capable leaders, particularly women, undervalue their experience and resilience, and how that habit quietly drains confidence, ambition, and joy....

What does it really take to lead with courage in environments that were not built for you? Gretchen Gagel, PhD, a trailblazer with four decades of experience in the construction industry, shares what she has learned about unconscious bias, the importance of male allies, and what it takes to create truly safe and inclusive workplaces. 

We also explore Gretchen’s concept of grounded self-leadership, rooted in courage, humility, and cr...

What if the feedback you’re most hesitant to receive is actually a gift? In this solo episode, I share what 360-degree feedback really is—and what it is not—drawing on more than 30 years of experience helping leaders use feedback as a tool for growth rather than judgment. I explain how 360 feedback works, why it must always be developmental, and how it helps people see both their strengths and their blind spots through the eyes of ...

What if the greatest leadership breakthroughs begin with owning your truth? In this conversation with Joe Machicote about his book, Own Thy Stuff, we explore what it really means to take responsibility for your impact—on yourself, your relationships, and the culture at large. Joe shares deeply personal and practical insights from decades of leadership, all rooted in his lifelong commitment to leaving every person and situation bett...

What happens when leadership development is built on ethics, values, and genuine human dignity, not just performance metrics? Brian Peckrill, Executive Director, describes how the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund is investing in leaders who want to make a meaningful difference. You’re invited to look at your own leadership through the lens of impact, responsibility, and the kind of intentional choices that move organizations—and ...

Are your team members clear about what you really expect from them? In this compelling conversation, you’ll hear Megan Robinson share how confusion and unspoken assumptions can erode trust and productivity—and what leaders can do to prevent that.  

You’ll hear how Megan helps leaders transform vague expectations into specific, teachable behaviors that drive growth. She also reveals why “professional guilt” often holds leaders back a...

What if love—not control—was the driving force behind your leadership? In this thought-provoking conversation, Trevor Timbeck invites you to explore leadership through the lens of “loving as a verb.” Co-author of The Power of Love with Steve Chandler, Trevor explains how viewing love as an action, rather than a static feeling, can transform the way you lead, parent, and connect with others. He shares how a simple question—“What wou...

Did you know that 40% of executives fail in their new roles within the first 18 months…and it’s rarely due to lack of technical skills? In this insightful conversation, you’ll hear from Navid Nazemian, an executive transition coach and author of Mastering Executive Transitions. He shares the real reasons leaders derail during role changes and what can be done to dramatically improve their odds of success. 

Navid describes the cultur...

What if young people learned to lead by tackling real-world problems instead of waiting for “someday”? In this inspiring conversation, you’ll meet Erin Lewellen, CEO of Tilting Futures, an organization that empowers youth around the globe to step into leadership through immersive, purpose-driven experiences. Erin shares how her own background—as a coach, educator, and social entrepreneur—shaped her belief that true learning happens...

Have you ever wondered why so many well-designed strategies fail in execution? Tim Ohai reveals that the real problem isn’t poor planning, it’s poor decision-making. Drawing on decades of global experience, he shares how strategy is best understood as a series of decisions rather than as a static plan. You’ll learn how clarity at every handoff—from leadership to teams—determines whether people can actually deliver on what’s expecte...