You can feel it in your team: everyone’s nice… but no one’s honest. Real opinions happen in side chats, gossip is normal, and you’re overcommitting and burning out trying to “keep the peace.” If you’ve ever thought, “Why won’t my team just say what they really think?” or “Why am I the only one holding everything together?” — this episode is for you.

In Part 2 of this series on The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership, Desiree and Tessa focus on three to help you stay calm and grounded.

• Speaking candidly (without blowing things up)
  How to pair candor + care so you can say the hard thing while still protecting trust.
• Eliminating gossip
  Why “venting” keeps you stuck and how leaders accidentally encourage it.
• Practicing integrity so you stop overpromising
  Getting real about people-pleasing, overcommitting, and dropping balls.

You’ll also hear:

• The difference between appreciation & validation
• Easy ways to show meaningful appreciation
• How these commitments work together to help your team be honest & direct

After listening, choose one conversation you’ve been avoiding and ask: “How can I bring candor, integrity, and appreciation into this so I feel more in control?”

Links Mentioned:
● The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership
● Radical Candor by Kim Scott
● The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Most leaders want to lead with clarity,but in real life, it’s easy to slip into blame, defensiveness, people-pleasing, or overwhelm. You’re trying your best, yet you’re drained and stuck in the same patterns with your team.

In this episode, Desiree and leadership consultant Tessa break down the first three commitments of Conscious Leadership—taking 100% responsibility, choosing curiosity, and feeling your feelings—and how these shift you from reactive to grounded.

You’ll learn:

• What “above the line vs. below the line” looks like in real conversations
• How to take responsibility without becoming the hero or victim
• How curiosity instantly lowers defensiveness
• Why naming emotions boosts trust and presence

If you want to be a calmer, more intentional leader, these three commitments are the foundation.

Try this:
Pick one current issue and ask:

1. How did I contribute?
2. What am I curious about?
3. What am I feeling right now?

Key Takeaways:

• Responsibility = ownership, not blame
• Curiosity opens the door to real dialogue
• Your emotions don’t disqualify you—avoiding them does

Links Mentioned:
● The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

● The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

● Radical Candor by Kim Scott

● Soundtracks by Jon Acuff

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Most people hear the word “gratitude” and think of journaling or writing lists. But for leaders, gratitude is something much deeper, it’s a shift in how you show up at work, how you navigate pressure, and how you lead your team through tough moments.

The truth is, many leaders operate in constant survival mode. You’re reacting, firefighting, carrying the emotional weight of your team, and trying to stay composed even when you’re stretched thin. And when that becomes normal, confidence drops, relationships strain, and work starts feeling heavier than it should.

In this episode, Desiree Petrich breaks down four ways gratitude strengthens your leadership identity, improves team dynamics, and creates a healthier work environment. These perspectives will help you handle difficult employees, build trust faster, reduce conflict, and lead with more steadiness — without needing to pretend everything is fine or write in a gratitude journal every morning.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How gratitude shifts you out of survival mode so you stop leading from stress and start leading from clarity
• Why gratitude builds self-awareness and helps you see your patterns, your growth, and the moments you should acknowledge in yourself
• How gratitude strengthens executive presence, helping you show up calmer, more grounded, and more influential in meetings
• Why gratitude protects your leadership energy, giving you more capacity to handle team dynamics, conflict, accountability, and tough conversations

If you want to be a more confident leader, build trust, and strengthen the culture around you — gratitude is one of the simplest, most powerful tools you can practice.

When you finish listening:
Choose one moment today to practice active appreciation. Say out loud something you’re grateful for in yourself, in a teammate, or in the effort it took to get through a hard moment. This is where real leadership transformation begins.

1. Gratitude stabilizes your leadership state so you’re not leading from urgency or overwhelm.
2. Gratitude sharpens self-awareness, which improves communication, delegation, and accountability.
3. Gratitude strengthens executive presence and helps you show up calmer and more confident.
4. Gratitude protects your leadership energy so you can handle difficult employees, conflict, and pressure without burning out.

Practice one moment o

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

Love this show? Say thanks by leaving a positive review.

Take the DISC or Working Genius Assessment and get a FREE 20 minutes debrief with Desiree

Get a curated list of Desiree's favorite books in every genre

Connect: Linked In | Instagram | Website