The Well-led Podcast Podcast By WRKdefined Podcast Network cover art

The Well-led Podcast

The Well-led Podcast

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
Listen for free

Where professionalism meets imperfection. The Well-led Podcast invites leaders to explore the space where the need to get results meets the reality of managing people. Discover how to demonstrate care, support, and grace for your team–because the workplace needs human leaders. https://www.one23ltd.com Formerly the comfy chairs podcast.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Relationships are how we get work done

    Relationships are how we get work done
    Mar 31 2026
    Why do relationships matter so much at work? In this quarterly synthesis episode of The Well-led Podcast, Kate Johnson reflects on the leadership competency of demonstrating care. Drawing on the past three months of conversations about vulnerability, empathy, and good humor, she explores how these skills combine to build trust, deepen understanding, and create consistency in leadership. Through a candid discussion with her husband Nate—who brings a different leadership background including scouting, military service, and private industry—the episode examines practical leadership questions: Where vulnerability should have boundaries, How empathy works in real workplace situations, and Why good humor can reset difficult moments. Together they explore how relationships enable leaders to connect people, solve problems, and move work forward across teams and organizations. The latest companion toolkit is available to request at https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits, and subscribers receive new toolkits automatically. Key takeaways Demonstrating care is built from three leadership skills: vulnerability, empathy, and good humor. Vulnerability means acknowledging your humanity while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Trust begins when leaders show they are human and imperfect. Empathy requires listening and dialogue to understand other perspectives. People can interpret the same situation in dramatically different ways. Good humor is the ability to respond thoughtfully to difficulty. Consistency in leadership behavior strengthens workplace relationships. Strong relationships help leaders connect people and remove barriers to work. Apologies are one of the most powerful tools leaders have. Leaders can model human leadership even when it is not modeled above them. Timestamps [0:00:00] Setting the Stage: Leading Like a Human [0:02:55] Meet Nate: Real-World Leadership Perspectives [0:05:07] Vulnerability: Making Humanity Visible [0:13:03] Vulnerable, Not Naked: Finding the Line [0:17:33] A Common Example: Practicing Appropriate Disclosure [0:20:01] Empathy on a Jury: Many Views, One Experience [0:23:45] Empathy vs. Consensus: Boundaries and Roles [0:25:45] Good Humor in Action: A Story [0:27:35] Scaling Care: From Small Shops to Large Organizations [0:37:40] The Power of Apology and Closing Reflections Keywords human leadership, leadership vulnerability, empathy in leadership, good humor leadership, mindset, healthy workplace relationships, trust in leadership, organizational effectiveness, leadership emotional intelligence, leadership communication, demonstrating care leadership skill
    Show more Show less
    44 mins
  • Choose your starting point

    Choose your starting point
    Mar 24 2026
    This episode explores how leaders can actively choose a more balanced, effective mindset—what Kate calls “good humor,” also understood as equanimity. You’ll learn how to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns, replace them with more constructive perspectives, and apply simple practices to stay calm, curious, and intentional—even under pressure. The episode also connects mindset work to real leadership behaviors like giving feedback, managing stress, and repairing missteps. The latest companion toolkit, “Leading with Empathy: Practical Techniques for Sustainable Leadership,” is available now. Visit https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits to request your free copy. When you subscribe, you’ll automatically receive future leadership tools and resources from onetwentythree ltd. Please visit these resources, created by The Conscious Leadership Group: Locating Yourself - A Key to Conscious Leadership (video) Locating Yourself: Above or Below? (handout) Conscious Breathing (meditation) Key takeaways Good humor is a practiced leadership skill, not a personality trait Equanimity means staying calm, aware, and engaged under stress Mindsets shape leadership behavior more than intentions alone Writing down your thoughts helps expose limiting beliefs Replacing—not arguing with—unhelpful thoughts creates change Feedback avoidance is often a mindset problem, not a skill issue Visualization and imagination can reshape leadership habits “Above the line” thinking supports curiosity and openness Simple reflection practices can shift your state in real time Recovery after failure requires reflection, grace, and repair Timestamps [0:00:00] Equanimity: The Deeper Meaning of Good Humor in Leadership [0:01:30] Are Leaders Born This Way? Reframing “Natural” Leadership [0:03:00] Tax Season Truths: A Personal Case Study in Mindset Shifts [0:04:00] From “I’m Failing” to “Part of the Story”: Rewriting the Money Narrative [0:05:00] “I’m Bad at Feedback”: The Sneaky Mindset Holding Leaders Back [0:06:30] Four New Feedback Beliefs: Kindness, Practice, and Growth [0:07:49] Above or Below the Line? Locating Your Leadership Mood [0:09:00] More Than Two Possibilities: Staying Open, Curious, and Kind [0:10:30] Play, Rest, and Peak Performance: Caring for the Whole Team [0:12:30] When Good Humor Misses the Mark: Reflection, Repair, and Grace Keywords leadership mindset, equanimity at work, emotional regulation leadership, giving feedback as a leader, leadership self-awareness, mindset shift techniques, conscious leadership above the line, leadership reflection practice, managing stress at work, leadership development tools
    Show more Show less
    17 mins
  • We always have a choice

    We always have a choice
    Mar 17 2026
    Most of the time, we lead in workplaces filled with pressure, uncertainty, and constant change. Do leaders have to approach these circumstances with stress and anxiety? Or is there a different, better choice? In this episode, Kate Johnson is joined by guest Michele Wilson to explore the role of good humor as a leadership capability. Rather than forced positivity or ignoring difficult realities, good humor is described as the ability to face challenges honestly while choosing care, kindness, and constructive action. Leaders who model this mindset help teams navigate difficult decisions, maintain professionalism, and bring their best selves to work even when circumstances are demanding. The latest companion toolkit, “Leading with Empathy: Practical Techniques for Sustainable Leadership,” is available now. Visit https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits to request your free copy. When you subscribe, you’ll automatically receive future leadership tools and resources from onetwentythree ltd. Michele Wilson is an expert in change leadership, healthcare operations, and storytelling. She has worked in patient-facing roles, served as a change practice leader and master facilitator, overseen the operation of multi-site physician practices, and now works as a leader within a consulting firm to guide the success of teams and large-scale change initiatives. Michele Wilson | LinkedIn Key takeaways Good humor is not about jokes or constant positivity—it is a leadership attitude grounded in choice. Leaders must acknowledge reality without catastrophizing difficult situations. Every employee always has choices at work, even if they do not like the available options. Treating employees like adults creates trust and accountability. Leaders influence workplace culture through the attitude they bring to daily interactions. Teams repeatedly cycle through forming, storming, norming, and performing as circumstances change. Leaders must consider both workplace challenges and the personal realities employees bring with them. Assuming positive intent reduces conflict and improves collaboration. Global stress and uncertainty have made grace and patience especially important leadership behaviors. Leadership ultimately centers on helping others bring their best selves to the work. Timestamps [0:00:39] Introduction of the focus on good humor and leadership, and setting the intention for a deeper conversation about attitude and choice. [0:03:59] Working definition of good humor: not forced positivity or denial, but an attitude that embraces both difficulty and capability, grounded in choice. [0:05:21] Exploration of balance: avoiding both catastrophizing and over‑reliance on humor as deflection; recognizing that some situations are serious. [0:08:29] Connection between good humor, choice, and leaders demonstrating care by helping people see and navigate their real options during change. [0:13:09] Explanation of adult‑to‑adult communication in organizations, using return‑to‑office decisions to illustrate how to present expectations and choices. [0:17:54] Example of using a daily gratitude practice (“three things we’re grateful for”) to structure attitude during a disruptive office move. [0:22:25] Discussion of the recurring forming–storming–norming–performing cycle and how changing circumstances and life events repeatedly reshape teams. [0:29:18] Framing recent years as a period of “perpetual amygdala hijack” and the argument for extending grace and lowering reactivity in leadership. [0:39:24] Final mindset takeaway for leaders: the role is to support the people doing the work, centering their success rather than self-focus. Keywords leadership mindset, good humor leadership, leadership attitude, workplace culture leadership, leadership choices, change management leadership, team dynamics leadership, empathy in leadership, leadership communication, bringing your best self to work
    Show more Show less
    42 mins
No reviews yet