Courage Made Simple is a podcast for anyone who leads—at work, at home, or in everyday life.
Hosted by Courageous Leader Trainer Margareta Kull, this show offers honest conversations, practical tools, and personal stories to help you navigate the moments that matter most—with clarity, confidence, and courage.
Whether you’re guiding a team, setting boundaries with the people you love, or making long-term decisions in organisations driven by short-term results—this podcast is here to support you.
Expect simple, grounded insights to help you grow—not just as a professional, but as a courageous leader in every part of life.
And if you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated, or unsure of your next step… you’re not alone. You’re in the right place.
#10 What leaders can learn from high-control systems and cults
In this second of their two conversations, Margareta Kull and Jackie Johnson (Executive Director of ICSA) focus on what leaders can learn from high-control systems and cults. Drawing on Jackie’s work with organisations, government and cult recovery, they explore how fear, pressure and manipulation can take hold in workplaces. They discuss early warning signs, the cost of ignoring discomfort, and how curiosity, self-reflection and listening are essential to creating healthy environments. Courage, they argue, often begins with pausing, seeing reality clearly, and deciding what to do when you sense something is off.
Want to get in touch with Jackie? Contact us here and we’ll connect you. Jackie has changed her email since these episodes were recorded, but she’s still with ICSA in the USA.
To learn more about our Courageous Leader™ Process Programme, click here. You can also download our programme’s introduction package here.
Follow me on Social Media @margaretakull
17 Dec 2025
#9 Growing up in high-control systems and cults
In the first of their two conversations, Margareta Kull and Jackie Johnson explore courage under control. Jackie shares what it was like growing up in Jehovah’s Witnesses—loss, rules and scrutiny—and why one clear breaking point helped her finally leave. The next episode focuses on what leaders can learn.
Interested in the Courageous Leader™ Process programme, you can find more information through the link provided here.
If you’d like to get in touch with Jackie, please note that she has updated her email address since the recording of this episode. If you’d like to connect with her, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be happy to pass your message along.
This is the organization we’re talking about in the podcast. International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA)
Follow Courageous Leader™ and Margareta Kull in social media @margaretakull
10 Nov 2025
#8 United Nations in Afghanistan: Part 2, Speak up wisely.
When your voice feels muted and there are layers above you, how do you speak up wisely? Host Margareta Kull talks with Peter Sonerell (HR Manager, United Nations Development Programme, Afghanistan) about how managers and HR can lead in all directions—not by rank, but by responsibility. Practical moves for deliberate courage (stop, reflect, choose, act): open with a walk-and-talk, use I-language, make a clear ask, then build buy-in layer by layer and more.
Reflection: Which conversation are you postponing — and when will you have it this week?
Visit our website: courageous-leader.com
Download the free guide: couragemadesimple.com/freeguide
If you would like to know more about our latest Self-Study program: courageous-leader.com/pages/groupselfstudy
Next episode will be released in mid-december.
13 Oct 2025
#7 United Nations in Afghanistan: Courage under pressure. Part 1
What gives you courage when the pressure is high? In this episode, HR manager Peter Sonerell (United Nations in Afghanistan) shares practical lessons from a high-stakes context: be deliberate—stop, reflect, choose, act; build trust; say “I don’t know” and follow up; set boundaries without burning bridges; and make wiser decisions together in multicultural teams. A warm, grounded conversation about finding courage in relationships and values, plus a short reflection you can use today.
🧑🎓Interested in our new self-study program for groups?Click this link to explore it! You’ll find, among other things, an introduction package that includes the first chapter of the book, a few videos, and other useful resources.
If you work in HR, you might also be interested in our Case Builder – click here to learn more.
📚 Want to get the book?It’s available as a printed book, e-book, and audiobook. Follow the link to purchase your preferred format.You can also listen to the first chapter as an audiobook – just download it here if you’d rather listen than read.
15 Sept 2025
#6 The cost of broken trust.
What happens when trust breaks — in your team, your relationships, or even your country? From political betrayals to silent exits at work, this episode explores the deep cost of broken trust. Not just emotionally, but in energy, loyalty, and self-worth. Whether you've felt that cost yourself, or want to understand the unintended impact your actions might have as a leader — this one’s for you. Courage often begins by accepting what is — not fixing the past.
Follow us on social media. LinkedIn, Instagram, Youtube
Download the free guide to the Courageous Leader Process here.
1 Sept 2025
#5 Courage, Choice, and Staying Human — with Thomas Franzén
What does it mean to stay human when life shakes you?Thomas Franzén has lived with cancer for most of his life. And yet, he has raised children, built teams, and led in complex organisations. In this episode, Thomas and I explore how courage shapes the way we show up — in conversations, in choices, and in life’s hardest moments.
We talk about fear and the defenses we hide behind, about feedback as an act of generosity, and about the real choice we always face: accept, change, or leave.
📥 Download the Courageous Leader™ Guide here.
Visit my website Courageous Leader™ at www.courageous-leader.com for more information about what we do.
23 Jun 2025
#4 Drowning in urgency? Here’s how to regain clarity.
This episode explores how leaders regain clarity by aligning values with reality, focusing on purpose, and using four questions to stay grounded amidst urgency.
9 Jun 2025
#3 Fear in Disguise: Bullying in Politics, at Work, at Home, and at School.
This episode examines how fear drives bullying across various environments, including politics, workplaces, homes, and schools, while highlighting the importance of courage in addressing it.
26 May 2025
#2 The 4-step process that helps you act with courage. At work. And at home.
Host Angie McArthur introduces a four-step Courageous Leader Process, providing listeners with relatable stories and practical examples for acting with clarity in challenging situations.
12 May 2025
#1 What courage really looks like
Laurie Kehler and the host explore courage through boundaries and honesty, revealing how choosing what's right, even when uncomfortable, defines true bravery.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
780
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
9
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
0
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