Episode 177: The Art of Caring Leadership: What Stories Do They Tell About You?
Heather Younger's book, The Art of Caring Leadership, offers 9 key aspects to consider, and a free assessment to quantify what appear to be qualifying character traits.
What I love about the book is that the expectation isn't for every leader to be caring in the same way. Heather knows that each of us must be true to ourselves in how we lead, while being self-reflective enough to know when we're getting in our own way, and making gradual, consistent adjustments when necessary.
Heather Younger Demonstrates Care In Everything She Does
How do you describe a caring leader?
Podcast cover art with image of Heather Younger
Heather Younger's book, The Art of Caring Leadership, offers 9 key aspects to consider, and a free assessment to quantify what appear to be qualifying character traits. And to make the book and assessment even more actionable, Heather has created a free community site for people to exchange ideas, ask questions, and share experiences.
What I love about the book is that the expectation isn't for every leader to be caring in the same way. Heather knows that each of us must be true to ourselves in how we lead, while being self-reflective enough to know when we're getting in our own way, and making gradual, consistent adjustments when necessary.
Our conversation might just be what you're looking for to get you thinking about what kind of leader you are, where you can improve, and why it matters.
Heather Younger, Author of The Art of Caring Leadership
Heather Younger is a best-selling author, international speaker, consultant, adjunct organizational leadership professor, and facilitator who has earned her reputation as “The Employee Whisperer.” Her experiences as an entrepreneur, manager, attorney, writer, coach, listener, speaker, collaborator, and mother all lend themselves to a laser-focused clarity into what makes employees of organizations and companies—large and small—tick.
ABOUT SARAH:
Elkins Consulting image of Sarah and book cover
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
Audiobook promo image
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home. The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 176: Her Brave Journey, a Book by Swati Singh
Based on a collection of true stories from a variety of women, Swati Singh's Her Brave Journey is a fictional tale, bringing them together as if one woman experienced it, offering a deeper exploration of how each experience shapes a woman living through abuse, emotional transformation, and eventually discovering her strength and resilience.
Our Stories Shift with Each Telling of Them
Based on a collection of true stories from a variety of women, Swati Singh's Her Brave Journey is a fictional tale, bringing them together as if one woman experienced it, offering a deeper exploration of how each experience shapes a woman living through abuse, emotional transformation, and eventually discovering her strength and resilience.
“Each of us looks at the world through our own cultural lens, molded by parenting, education, economics, politics, religion, and personality. This is a book of profound hardship buffeted by the drive to survive, a rocky journey to a destination of kindness, generosity, and forgiveness… met with success by a brave, intelligent, and strong woman. A hero of her time.” ~ Editors of Her Brave Journey
It's not uncommon for an author to take real life experiences and build a book around them, but to do it in an authentic, powerful voice is uncommon.
Our conversation began as most episodes do, when Swati answered my question about something people might not know about her, something not on her bio or LinkedIn profile. Her answer was unique and somewhat surprising: She worked for her local police department when she was in high school.
Having that experience brought her a completely different perspective and shaped how she saw herself and her place in the world.
Swati mentioned that when she looks back at who she was at that time, it surprises her that she got the job - and even more that she would have even applied for it. She was shy, quiet, and avoided socializing outside of her normal routine.
"I think I underestimate my younger self sometimes."
The conversation took a surprising turn at that, with a deep discussion about how we see our younger selves, and the warped perspective we have of ourselves when we look back.
People who knew us in our younger years would most likely look at us now and say: "Oh yes, you always had this in you, you just didn't know it yet."
To learn more about Swati Singh and to order her book, visit her website, follow her on Instagram, and connect with her on LinkedIn.
ABOUT SARAH:
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home. The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 175: Is Your Team Missing Something? To Find Out, You Must Know What You Have vs. What You Don't
As a Communication & Inclusion Trainer, Alissa guides people in addressing awkward situations, helping them quickly adjust to things out of their control.
In a recent training, when she had to demonstrate that kind of adaptability because of technical glitches, she realized what a gift it ended up becoming for her and for the participants.
Diversity Isn't Enough, We Must Value and Celebrate Differences to Maximize the Extraordinary Benefits of a Diverse Team
As a Communication & Inclusion Trainer, Alissa guides people in addressing awkward situations, helping them quickly adjust to things out of their control.
In a recent training, when she had to demonstrate that kind of adaptability because of technical glitches, she realized what a gift it ended up becoming for her and for the participants.
By having to shift gears quickly and abandon her slides - her plan - she connected more deeply with the audience. They couldn't help but see how she navigated the technical challenge, move through it and adapt, and end up with an even better product in the end.
When she acknowledged the challenge, Alissa demonstrated a level of vulnerability that had a positive impact on her audience, likely far bigger than if everything had gone as planned.
During our conversation, we talked about the situation as an opportunity, a gift, even though in the moment we rarely can see it in that light. But our reality is that lots of lessons happen that way.
We also covered a lot of ground about Strengths, where we've seen our own strengths as talents vs. obstacles, and how we've guided our clients toward valuable self-reflection about where their strengths might also be getting in their way.
Connect with Alissa on LinkedIn, grab a copy of her book, How to Listen and How to Be Heard: Inclusive Conversations at Work, and check out her website, Everything's Not Okay and That's Okay.
ABOUT SARAH:
Elkins Consulting logo with image of Sarah Elkins and book cover
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
Audiobook promotional image
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 174: Rodney's Raptors: Life Changing Birds
This career wasn't part of his life plan as young man, and when you hear what his interests were, what he did when he skipped school, you'll appreciate the trajectory he took.
He was well on his way toward violence and incarceration, selling drugs in his corner of Washington DC. When he started applying for jobs, it wasn't because he needed money, it was because he needed a paystub - proof of consistent, legal income in order to rent an apartment.
They Saved His Life: A Story of an Unconventional Relationship
Rodney Stotts podcast episode 174 cover art with image and quote
He was told not to look a bird of prey in the eyes, that it would be considered aggressive and would damage his relationship with the animal.
But when that gigantic Eurasian Eagle Owl, Mr. Hoots, turned as Rodney went to move him, their eyes met, and neither of them looked away. Rodney described the moment as electric, and when he shared the story, I could practically feel the magnetic gaze they shared, and felt the hairs on my neck rise as he described it.
I met Rodney when I participated in GISH, the Great International Scavenger Hunt this year. He was interviewed as part of the event, and I just loved how he spoke about his animals and his work with young people.
GISH Promotional image with Rodney Stotts
This career wasn't part of his life plan as young man, and when you hear what his interests were, what he did when he skipped school, you'll appreciate the trajectory he took.
He was well on his way toward violence and incarceration, selling drugs in his corner of Washington DC. When he started applying for jobs, it wasn't because he needed money, it was because he needed a paystub - proof of consistent, legal income in order to rent an apartment.
Rodney Stotts episode cover art with image from a Christian Science Monitor article.
His job with Earth Conservation Corps is where his life dramatically changed direction. He realized he had a choice, to spend more time with the raptors in a related program, or to spend more time selling drugs on the street. You can imagine what choice he made.
The rest, as they say, is history, and you're in for a treat with this interview.
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When you're ready to learn more about Rodney's programs for young adults, visit his website, and perhaps you'll feel compelled to contribute. You'll also want to check out the trailer for the movie The Black Falconer, and read this great article on Audubon.com, and this one in the Washington Post.
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ABOUT SARAH:
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songsrecorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 173: If You Want to Make a Positive Impact, Love the People You Want to Influence
"I love you, now get out of here!"
That's how Tammie Schrader sent her 7th grade science students to their next class after the bell rang on the first day of school. And every day after that was the same.
After about 3 weeks, she missed the first part: "Okay, kids, get out of here!" She was gently nudged by her students who didn't stand up from their seats. "Mrs. Schrader, you forgot to start with 'I love you.'"
Stories of a Truly Exceptional Teacher, and What Makes Her That Way
Tammie Schrader podcast episode cover art with image of Tammie.
"I love you, now get out of here!"
That's how Tammie Schrader sent her 7th grade science students to their next class after the bell rang on the first day of school. And every day after that was the same.
After about 3 weeks, she missed the first part: "Okay, kids, get out of here!" She was gently nudged by her students who didn't stand up from their seats. "Mrs. Schrader, you forgot to start with 'I love you.'"
Tammie's students were treated to hands on learning in that classroom, and to an incredibly nurturing, encouraging environment. That's because she knows that the only way people learn is by doing, and the most effective way to teach is to care for - to love - the people you're trying to influence.
My favorite story Tammie shared was about students nearing their final days of middle school before the big graduation ceremony. They were reminded to be on their best behavior because any infraction would result in their not being allowed to participate in graduation festivities. Later that day, students were caught tossing one of their peers high into the air and catching him. When asked what they were thinking, they answered: “I don’t know, it didn’t seem like a big deal. We didn’t hurt anyone, everyone was having fun.”
Tammie asked: “When you were just about to toss your friend high into the air, did you take just a moment to look around the yard to make sure no adults were watching?” They nodded. “Then you knew, guys, you knew this might not be a good idea.”
Her TEDxSpokane talk is what caught my attention a few months ago. The dynamic way she presented her "idea worth sharing" had me compelled to watch and learn. I had to reach out to hear more of this extraordinary teacher's story.
We ran out of time before I could get an important question answered, "why did you leave the classroom?" It seemed like such a huge transition away from her purpose in terms of working with students.
With grace and generosity, Tammie emailed me the answer:
While working as a teacher, I was fortunate enough to have a superintendent, Dr. Michael Dunn, who possessed leadership qualities I had never experienced before. I remember sitting in on the superintendent interviews and recognizing that he was the only one that talked about serving students. This spoke to my heart. The great news is that the Cheney School Board had the thoughtfulness to recognize his incredibleness and hired him. Things in our district shifted immediately.
Dr. Dunn is the kind of man who shares his vision just by being himself. He was in buildings and classrooms all the time. He wrote personal emails wishing teachers well and genuinely cared about each of us. I was once stuck on Snoqualmie Pass on a Friday heading to a conference over the weekend. Monday morning I had an email from Dr. Dunn expressing how grateful he was that I was safe. To this day I have no idea how he knew I had been stuck during snowstorm.
Mike left Cheney to become the superintendent of an organization called an Education Service District (ESD) that serves 59 public school districts and upwards of 40 private schools. 7 years ago he asked me if I would apply to be the science coordinator for his organization. The conversation went something like this:
Me: Mike, I just love my classroom and I love my kids
Mike: Well I’m not asking you to come serve 59 school districts because you don’t love kids!
And I was sold. I will say I cried the whole time I packed my classroom and at least for the year after that. I did go to Mike after a year and told him I missed kids way too much, and his reply was simply: I totally understand and I get it, and I’ll remind you that you have access to 59 school districts full of kids. After that I made it a point to be in classrooms with kids at least weekly. Mike always seems to say the right thing at the right time.
Thanks for asking because you are so correct in knowing that leaving a classroom was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. If it weren’t for Dr. Dunn’s leadership, I wouldn’t have done it. Ever.
You'll want to connect with Tammie on LinkedIn after listening to this episode and watching her TEDx talk!
Podcast cover art with Tammie Schrader quote and image from her TEDxSpokane talk in 2020.
Tammie is the Regional Science and Computer Science Coordinator for Northeast Washington Education Service District 101 in Washington State. She taught science at Cheney Middle School, in Cheney, Washington for 15 years. She's also an adjunct science methods instructor at Whitworth University.
When she taught middle school, her subjects were Life Science, Computer Programming, Gaming Programming, Robotics, as well as coaching the Science Olympiad Team, Robotics Club, SeaPerch Team and Future Business Leaders of America.
She is currently enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate and am writing my dissertation on Leadership and Game Based Education in the Classroom.
In 2013, she was selected as a Hope Street Fellow, working on Education Policy around coding in the classroom, was also awarded a National Science Foundation grant working with Filament Games on Educational Video Games in the classroom, was selected as a 2008-2009 Teacher Fellow for the Department of Education, and was named Pacific Northwest Earth Science Teacher of the Year, among other accomplishments in her career.
ABOUT SARAH:
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songsrecorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 172: When You Engage All of Your Talents, You Can Change the World
The moment I saw Bejanae's face on my Zoom screen, I was filled with relief, comfort, and absolute certainty that she would entertain, add insight, and bring much needed light to my day.
The conversation began with an explanation of her unusual, melodic name, shifted to a discussion about the program her agency sponsored for students in the Atlanta, Georgia region, made its way to the difference between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and STEAM (add Art in there), and back to Bejanae's pivotal moments in her career, which includes the story about the program we discussed earlier in the show.
Bejanae Kareem: Stories of Joy Found in Combining Her Talents to Change the Lives of Teachers & Students
The day of this recording didn't start out great. As a matter of fact, I was feeling seriously low energy - I almost asked my guest to postpone.
Bejanae Kareem podcast cover art
Instead, I got myself an espresso and rallied because I knew I'd spend the rest of the day wondering why I didn't just do what I knew I needed to do.
The moment I saw Bejanae's face on my Zoom screen, I was filled with relief, comfort, and absolute certainty that she would entertain, add insight, and bring much needed light to my day.
The conversation began with an explanation of her unusual, melodic name, shifted to a discussion about the program her agency sponsored for students in the Atlanta, Georgia region, made its way to the difference between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), and STEAM (add Art in there), and back to Bejanae's pivotal moments in her career, which includes the story about the program we discussed earlier in the show.
Bejanae Kareem holds up her notes as we discuss “to do” lists.
Bejanae shared a story of an "ah ha" moment as a young girl, when her teacher talked about "to do" lists. The idea of writing down tasks and crossing them off her list was enlightening to her. She continues to find great value (and entertainment) in writing down and crossing things off her lists. (See accompanying image.)
Bejanae Kareem in the antigravity chamber
During the conversation, Bejanae spoke about her free ebook: 12 Quick Steps to Writing Winning Classroom Grant, and her free Grant Checklist.
This woman exudes intelligence, compassion, wisdom and warmth. You are going to want to connect with her to learn more about her company by clicking on this website link, connecting with her on LinkedIn, and following her on Instagram.
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ABOUT SARAH:
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
Sarah Elkins and her dog, Toblerone on Mt. Helena in Helena, Montana
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.
Episode 171: An Introvert's Guide to Success
Lisa Rangel had been working hard for four years at a hotel in Pebble Beach, California. A self-labeled "people pleaser", she did what was asked of her and did her very well, always exceeding expectations. But she isn't a schmoozer, and was overlooked for promotions.
At some point we have to learn to promote ourselves, we must face the reality that we are all in sales in a way, and getting comfortable with that understanding is the key to making transformative career shifts.
Lisa Rangel Says: Your Success Must Include Embracing Who You Are
Working hard doesn't mean you'll get ahead.
"People didn't necessarily get promoted because they did the work well."
Lisa Rangel had been working hard for four years at a hotel in Pebble Beach, California. A self-labeled "people pleaser", she did what was asked of her and did her very well, always exceeding expectations. But she isn't a schmoozer, and was overlooked for promotions.
At some point we have to learn to promote ourselves, we must face the reality that we are all in sales in a way, and getting comfortable with that understanding is the key to making transformative career shifts.
After completing a degree in hotel management and spending four years in that industry, she was ready for something different. So when Lisa Rangel was told by someone she admired that she'd be great in the world of recruitment, she did what she always did - she worked hard, researched companies, and applied for jobs in the city where she was about to move, New York City.
Chloe was the voice Lisa listened to, she had a message that resonated with Lisa. When a future boss suggested Lisa wouldn't be a good at a particular job, she simply didn't believe him.
This pattern continued; when a potential business partner didn't believe Lisa would be able to make a successful business out of resume writing, she disagreed and took her own path - again.
The people we listen to are the people we believe know us, who see us for who we are. The messenger matters when we're getting guidance or advice, which is why it's so important that we see the potential for positive inspiration vs. limiting, arbitrary boundaries we set for others.
Lisa's career appears to be a complete contradiction or disjointed, going from hotel and food service roles to becoming a recruiter on Wall Street, but when you hear how she describes her magic, what she sees in people and understands about their needs and talents, you'll understand that her career trajectory makes so much sense.
Throughout her career, regardless of her job, she was in a place to fulfill and satisfy her desire to care for people, to serve them by innately understanding their needs.
This conversation was enlightening, here are some highlights from the episode:
When you know your core values, where you find meaning in your relationships and in how you spend your days, and can combine those with your natural talents, you can be satisfied in many different industries and jobs.
The messenger matters. The people who influence us most effectively are the ones who we believe truly know us, who see us for who we are. That makes these relationships critical parts of our lives, and they hold serious responsibility. We must choose to influence by seeing the magic in others, and avoid limiting beliefs and language when we're guiding them.
In interviews and hiring situations, we must approach them less as transactional and hierarchical, and more as an exploration into what each person brings to the table, a time for discovering how these relationships can complement and benefit the organization.
Ready to learn more about Lisa and her work? Connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on Facebook, and visit her website.
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ABOUT SARAH:
"Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision."
In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I’ve realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don’t realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they’re sharing them with.
Your Stories Don’t Define You audiobook promotional image
My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home.
The audiobook, Your Stories Don’t Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available!
Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana.