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What’s the real difference between a strong leader and a tough one?
In this solo episode, I’m unpacking one of the biggest shifts in leadership today — moving from command-and-control to human-centered leadership.

After 30 years in corporate leadership, I’ve seen both styles up close. The truth? The leaders who build loyalty, trust, and high performance aren’t the ones barking orders — they’re the ones balancing clarity, accountability, and empathy.

In this episode, you’ll learn the five key shifts that separate strong leaders from tough ones — and how to apply them to your own leadership style:

1. Empathy is a strength, not a softness
2. Clarity and accountability are non-negotiable
3. Dependability builds trust
4. Flexibility drives results
5. Fallibility fuels growth

We’ll explore how these traits define modern leadership — especially as we move into a more technology-driven, AI-powered workplace where human connection matters more than ever.

If you’re leading a team, running a company, or shaping culture from any seat — this episode will help you lead with strength that inspires, not fear that controls.

💡 Join the FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series kicking off November 11: culturecoachwendy.com/webinarseries

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

In this episode of The Culture Coach, Wendy sits down with Janelle Miller Moravek, a nonprofit leader and mental health advocate who has led Youth & Family Counseling as Executive Director since 2009.

Janelle’s leadership journey offers a masterclass in balancing compassion with strategy. She shares how trust is built over time — and how that trust becomes the foundation for psychological safety. Together, Wendy and Janelle unpack what it looks like to create a manageable workload, support your team’s well-being, and model what it means to care for yourself while caring for others.

One of Janelle’s most powerful reminders?

Whether you lead clinicians, a small business, or a growing team, this conversation will help you pause, reflect, and lead with more clarity, empathy, and intention.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• How to build trust over time and create psychological safety
• Why protecting your energy helps you lead with greater impact
• The importance of setting boundaries and creating manageable workloads
• How mental health awareness strengthens teams and organizations
• Ways to model healthy leadership in emotionally demanding environments

🧭 Ready to Create a Healthier Culture in 2026?

Join Wendy for the FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series — a 3-part live training designed to help you stop reacting to culture and start shaping it.

You’ll learn how to:
✅ Protect your energy and eliminate workplace drains
✅ Bring clarity to chaos with a proven framework
✅ Reset your values, rituals, and habits for a strong start to 2026

👉 Save your seat at: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

In this episode of The Culture Coach podcast, I sit down with Grant Harris to explore neurodiversity and inclusion in the workplace. Grant shares his journey of discovering his own neurodistinct identity, the strengths that come with it, and how leaders can create more inclusive cultures that unlock hidden brilliance on their teams.

We cover:

- The difference between being neurodiverse, neurodivergent, and neurodistinct

- Why curiosity is one of the most powerful leadership tools

- Simple, cost-free adjustments leaders can make to support employees

- The RACE framework (Recognize, Acknowledge, Cultivate, Engage) and how it helps organizations move from awareness to action

- How communication, transparency, and empathy can transform your culture

Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or manager, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to make your workplace more inclusive and high-performing.

Connect with Grant Harris

Website: compliancetocommunity.com
Email: grant@compliancetocommunity.com

Resources & Next Steps

Want to start building a more intentional culture in your organization?
👉 Join me inside The Culture Strategy Lab—a monthly membership where CEOs and HR leaders get access to research, frameworks, and live strategy sessions to operationalize culture in 30 days or less.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

What does it really take to lead with confidence in the age of AI? And how can leaders embrace innovation without burning out themselves—or their teams?

In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy sits down with Victoria Mensch, Founder and CEO of the Silicon Valley Executive Academy, to explore the intersection of AI, leadership, and workplace culture.

Victoria shares her perspective on why AI adoption isn’t just a technical challenge—it’s a leadership competency. She explains how executives can cultivate agility, emotional intelligence, and a culture of experimentation to help their organizations thrive in times of disruption.

You’ll also hear Victoria’s practical strategies for preventing burnout, including her Micro Joy Method for bringing more energy, resilience, and balance into daily life.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why AI transformation is less about technology and more about people and culture
• How to embrace a culture of experimentation without fear of failure
• The leadership traits that will matter most in the next 5 years
• Why boundaries, gratitude, and micro-joys are essential to fighting burnout
• How leaders can model self-leadership to create burnout-proof organizations

Resources & Links

• Learn more about Victoria Mensch and the Silicon Valley Executive Academy: SV Executive Academy Website
  
  
• Check out Wendy's CEO RESET, a FREE mini-course to help you experience a leadership reset.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

What can leaders learn from comedians? As it turns out—quite a lot.

In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand sits down with Kevin Hubschmann, founder of Laugh.Events and author of the Laugh Rx newsletter, to explore how laughter and improv translate into powerful leadership and culture skills.

Kevin shares his journey from being one of the first employees at a SaaS company to building a career in comedy—and eventually creating team-building experiences that blend fun and professional development. Along the way, he discovered that the very skills comedians use on stage—listening, curiosity, collaboration, and resilience—are the same ones that help leaders and teams thrive.

You’ll learn:

• How laughter and improv build trust and psychological safety on teams
• Why active listening and curiosity are essential leadership superpowers
• What comedians can teach us about failing forward and building resilience
• Simple improv-inspired exercises you can bring into meetings to energize your team
• The connection between laughter, stress reduction, and improved workplace wellbeing

Whether you’re a CEO, HR leader, or team manager, this conversation will inspire you to see humor not as a distraction, but as a tool for culture transformation.

Connect with Kevin Hubschmann

• Website: https://www.laugh.events/
• Newsletter: https://laughrx.laugh.events/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hubschmannn/
  
  

✨ If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a leader who could use both a laugh and a new perspective on culture. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of The Culture Coach Podcast.

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

What does it take to keep your people’s fire alive—and build organizations where everyone can thrive?

In this episode of The Culture Coach Podcast, Wendy Brand sits down with Telle Whitney—computer scientist, co-founder of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, former CEO of the Anita Borg Institute, and author of Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive.

Telle brings decades of experience leading in technology and building communities for women in computing. Together, we explore:

💡 Why so many employees enter organizations with passion and leave a few years later feeling burned out or undervalued
💡 Telle’s Six Cs of Culture—creativity, courage, confidence, curiosity, communication, and community—and how leaders can bring them to life
💡 How to move beyond the numbers and create environments where people’s best ideas can flourish
💡 The critical role of storytelling, collaboration, and belonging in driving innovation
💡 Practical ways leaders can model curiosity, encourage courage, and design more inclusive workplaces

If you’re a leader who wants to build an intentional culture that keeps people engaged, inspired, and performing at their best, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Telle Whitney

🌐 Website: tellewhitney.com
📖 Book: Rebooting Tech Culture

Connect with Wendy Brand

🌐 Website: culturecoachwendy.com

📧 Subscribe to the Culture Compass Newsletter for weekly strategies on intentional culture
🎙️ Follow The Culture Coach Podcast on your favorite podcast platform

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

In this episode, Wendy Brand unpacks why clarity and focus are the quickest wins for CEOs and culture leaders. Without them, even the best teams slip into misalignment, decision fatigue, and constant firefighting. With them, leaders reclaim their energy, teams align around what matters, and culture becomes the system that drives results.

You’ll hear:

• Why clarity is the foundation of every thriving culture
• The difference between clarity and focus—and why you need both
• The hidden costs of operating without clarity (and how to stop paying them)
• A simple 3-step practice to reclaim clarity and focus in just 30 days

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of your business alone, this episode will show you how clarity creates momentum and focus protects it.

✨ Ready to put this into action?
At the end of September, I kick off two programs designed to help you operationalize culture and lead with energy, clarity, and confidence.

Sign up today!

• The Empowered CEO – A 6-month accelerator for women CEOs ready to stop being the bottleneck and start building a self-managing culture. https://culturecoachwendy.com/ceo/
• Culture Strategy Lab – A quarterly implementation community for CEOs, HR leaders, and founders who are done talking about culture and ready to build it into their systems. https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/

Send us a text

This week, I break down each of the five biggest reasons culture transformations fail—straight out of the latest Harvard Business Review article and echoed in my own work with organizations.

Learn practical ways leaders can avoid these pitfalls and build an intentional culture that actually sticks.

And if you’re ready to go deeper:
👉 Join the Culture Strategy Lab ($57/month community launching Sept. 29) for coaching, frameworks, and real-world solutions. https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

👉 Explore Culture Strategy Sprints (3-month group intensives) if you want to map and execute your next culture initiative. https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategysprints

👉 Or, for CEOs ready to lead from the front, The Empowered CEO opens in September with a strategy retreat in Texas Hill Country this January. https://culturecoachwendy.com/ceo/

Culture isn’t a side project. It’s your strategy.
How are you making sure yours doesn’t fail?

____________________________
With 25+ years of leadership experience, spanning multiple roles across corporations and non-profits, I have gained a wealth of experience in understanding what makes organizations successful.

FREE Culture Roadmap Webinar Series: http://CultureCoachWendy.com/WebinarSeries

FREE DOWNLOAD - The Culture Strategy Audit:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/cultureaudit/

Online Community - The Culture Strategy Lab:
https://culturecoachwendy.com/strategylab/

FREE Online Mini Course - The C.E.O. Reset:
https://culturecoachwendy.mykajabi.com/offers/zqP7fYvR/checkout

CONNECT WITH ME
Website: CultureCoachWendy.com
LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/wendybrand/
Instram: Instagram.com/culturecoachwendy
YouTube: YouTube.com/@CultureCoachWendy

The CultureCoach Podcast Page: CultureCoachWendy.com/podcasts/