Struggling with hard conversations on your team?

In this episode, we’re talking about vulnerability, and what it actually looks like at work.

Not oversharing.
Not making things uncomfortable.

But the kind of vulnerability that helps managers build trust, improve communication, and handle conflict more effectively.

Because when vulnerability is missing:

• feedback gets avoided
• tension builds
• and small issues turn into bigger problems

If you’re working on your leadership development, this is one of the most practical leadership tips you can apply right away.

In this episode:

• What vulnerability actually looks like in team management
• Why teams avoid hard conversations
• How vulnerability helps you handle conflict at work
• Simple ways to start using this as a manager

Resources

The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Connect with Tessa Kampen

If this episode helped you think differently about your team, share it with another manager.

Follow the show for weekly leadership tips on team management, communication, and leadership development.

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Have you ever felt like you’re putting in the work… but not seeing the results yet?

Maybe you’re trying to grow as a leader.
Trying to build a stronger team.
Trying to improve communication, delegation, or team accountability.

And after a few days… or even a few weeks… it feels like nothing is changing.

This is where most leaders start to question themselves.

Is this working?
Am I doing the right things?
Should I just go back to what’s easier?

But here’s the truth… you can’t hurry results.

In this episode, Desiree shares a simple but powerful reminder using a real-life story from teaching a group fitness class. Just like building strength physically, leadership development doesn’t show up overnight.

In fact, the work often feels hardest right before the results start to show.

Whether you're a new manager trying to build confidence, or an experienced leader working on team dynamics, this episode will help you stay consistent even when the results feel slow.

Because leadership isn’t about quick wins.
It’s about doing the work long enough to see the impact.

By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:

• Why leadership development and team growth don’t show immediate results
• How to stay consistent when leading feels hard or unclear
• What it really takes to build stronger teams and long-term leadership success

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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If your team isn’t speaking up, it’s easy to think it’s a communication issue.

But most of the time… it’s not.

It’s a safety issue.

Have you ever been on a team where…

People are nice… but not always honest?
Meetings happen… but nothing really changes?
Something feels off… but no one’s saying it out loud?

This is one of the most common challenges in teams right now.

Not because people don’t care.
Not because they aren’t capable.But because it doesn’t always feel safe to speak up at work.

In part one of this three-part “we read so you don’t have to” series on The Culture Code, we’re breaking down psychological safety at work and how it impacts team communication, leadership, and overall team performance.

Key Takeaways

• Why your team isn’t speaking up at work
• What psychological safety actually looks like on a team
• How leaders impact team communication without realizing it
• Simple ways to build trust and improve team performance

Read The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Have you ever felt like if you can’t give 100%, it’s not worth showing up at all?

As a leader, it’s easy to fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking. You think you need to be fully energized, fully prepared, and fully “on” to show up well for your team. But the reality is, some days your energy just isn’t there.

And when that happens, most people either push themselves into burnout… or they don’t show up at all.

In this episode, I’m sharing a simple lesson from a workout that completely shifted how I think about effort, energy, and consistency. Because leadership development isn’t about being perfect every day. It’s about showing up with what you have and building trust with yourself over time.

This is your reminder that you don’t need 100% to make progress. You just need to start.

Key Takeaways

• You don’t need 100% energy to show up and make progress
• Consistency in leadership matters more than perfection
• Being honest about your energy builds trust with yourself and others

Check out Millionaire Hoy on Youtube!

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Struggling to fill leadership roles on your team? The answer might not be hiring - it might be developing. In this episode, learn how to turn your current team into confident leaders through intentional leadership development.

Have you ever looked at your team and thought… we just don’t have anyone ready for leadership?

Not because they’re not capable.
But because no one feels quite ready yet.

This is one of the most common conversations happening in organizations right now. Teams are looking outside for leadership… while overlooking the potential already sitting in the room.

And to be fair, this isn’t something most teams are doing wrong.
It’s just something most teams haven’t been shown how to do intentionally.

Because leadership development doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when we slow down long enough to see people differently.

In this episode, I’m sharing two real conversations I’ve had with executive teams recently. Both were facing leadership gaps. Both assumed they needed to hire.

But what shifted everything…
was realizing they already had the people.

They just needed a more intentional approach to developing them.

Key Takeaways

• Why leadership gaps often come from a lack of development, not a lack of talent
• How to identify leadership potential on your current team, even if no one feels ready yet
• What intentional leadership development actually looks like in real teams

Do you want help developing a Leadership Development strategy?

Email: desiree@intentionalaction.net or visit intentionalaction.net

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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It’s easy to underestimate the impact of small actions.

A smile.
A compliment.
A simple “thank you.”

But those moments don’t stop with the person in front of you. They carry.

In this episode, I share a real-life story that reminded me how quickly positivity can spread and how one interaction can completely shift the tone of a day.

The question becomes:

What kind of ripple effect are you creating?

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

• How small actions create a positive ripple effect in life and leadership
• Why your energy impacts more people than you think
• Simple ways to create more positivity in your everyday interactions

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Do you ever feel like the emotional thermostat of your team?

If you're stressed, they feel it.
If you're overwhelmed, it spreads.

Most leaders think happiness at work is about perks.

Ping pong tables.
Free lunches.
Better benefits.

But what if workplace happiness is actually a leadership skill?

In this episode, Greg Kettner, founder of WorkHappy, shares how happiness directly impacts productivity, stress levels, and team performance.

With 27 years in sales and leadership at companies like Nike, SAP, and the NHL, Greg now helps organizations reduce stress and create healthier team cultures.

This conversation is practical.
It’s human.
And it’s leadership development at its core.

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

• Why happiness increases productivity and reduces burnout
• Three simple strategies to lower stress as a leader
• How to support mental health at work without becoming the therapist

If you lead people, this one is for you.

Connect with Greg Kettner

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

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Tune in every Monday for your weekly Leadership Tip

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In this week’s leadership tips episode, we’re talking about something simple that many leaders overlook: checking your surroundings.

Whether you’re at work, leading a meeting, interacting with customers, or simply talking with coworkers, social awareness matters. The conversations we have and the way we include (or unintentionally exclude) the people around us can shape how others experience our leadership.

Sometimes it’s as small as noticing when someone is being left out of a conversation. Other times it’s recognizing when a conflict or discussion might be happening in the wrong place or at the wrong time.

Strong leadership isn’t just about what you say. It’s about being aware of how your actions affect the people around you. Taking a moment to check your surroundings can help you build better communication, stronger relationships, and a more thoughtful workplace.

Check back every week for your weekly leadership tips on life and leadership.

Taking Intentional Action: How to Choose the Life You Lead

Liked this episode? Share it with a fellow podcaster!

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Tune in every Monday for your weekly Leadership Tip

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

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Connect: Linked In | Instagram | ...