You’re a good leader. You might even be a great one. Whether you’re leading a team of one, two, or three thousand, how you lead determines whether you survive or thrive in the workplace. I’m Kathy Andrews, and this is the For Leaders, By Leaders podcast. We’re here for insightful conversations with real leaders, sharing inspiration and practical advice to help you unlock the best in yourself and those around you.
When you face those moments where you ask yourself, “What do I do?” or “How can I do better?”, this podcast is here to guide you. With interviews from influential leaders across industries—CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors, and thought leaders—we’ll dive into their personal stories, pivotal moments, and the strategies that led to their success. Each episode explores real-world scenarios, leadership challenges, and offers practical, actionable tools that you can apply immediately.
Think of this as a leadership coach in your pocket.
Join us on your favourite platform, and take your leadership to the next level.
On A Coach’s Mindset/ Guest: Sarah Barclay – The University of British Columbia
Sarah Barclay draws on 18 years of fundraising leadership and a background in varsity athletics to explore what high-performance sport teaches us about leading teams at work.
With training in CTI executive coaching layered onto her sport background, Sarah shares how unlearning the instinct to instruct opened up a far more powerful leadership approach, one built on curiosity, powerful questions, and creating space for people to find their own answers and build lasting confidence.
In this episode, we explore:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:53) From high school captain to varsity athlete and early coach
(06:55) Unlearning sport coaching to become a better executive coach
(09:39) What elite athletics teaches leaders about performance pressure
(12:10) Balancing direct feedback with a coaching approach at work
(17:05) Breaking big goals into manageable milestones for your team
(20:57) How listening less and questioning more builds real confidence
(24:26) A coaching tool to shift perspective and unlock possibility
(31:31) Why culture is built through behaviour, not motivational speeches
(33:30) Three tips for sustaining high performance: communication, trust, and curiosity
Connect with Sarah Barclay here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-barclay-402316a/
Interested in developing more effective leadership skills? Connect with Cinga today here.
3 Sept 2026
On Leading Authentically/ Guest: Vicki Heron – VP Environmental Management, BC and Yukon - WSP Inc
Vicki Heron shares how authentic leadership is built like a collage, not copied from someone else's playbook. Drawing on over twenty years of leading multidisciplinary teams in environmental consulting, she unpacks why consistency, clarity, and care matter more than charisma.
From navigating male-dominated environments to leading through major acquisitions at WSP, this episode reveals how the environment shapes authenticity, why being liked is a trap, and how clear expectations make accountability possible without compromising empathy.
In this episode, we explore:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:07) Defining authentic leadership as a standard, not a buzzword
(05:23) What inauthentic leadership costs trust and performance
(07:25) Pitfalls young leaders fall into and how to avoid them
(11:07) How the environment shapes your ability to lead authentically
(16:09) Letting people see the human behind the role
(18:37) Balancing empathy with unwavering accountability
(20:29) Why bringing your true self can become emotional leakage
(25:10) Coaching employees who overshare at work
(27:45) Onboarding practices that flip the conversation
(35:21) Lightning round: values over voice in authentic leadership
Connect with Vicki Heron here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicki-heron-b604676b/
Interested in developing more effective leadership skills? Connect with Cinga today here.
6 Aug 2026
On Dignity and Inclusion without the Politics/ Guest: Elizabeth Cooke – CEO, Dignii Technologies Inc.
Elizabeth Cooke reveals how layering demographic data with engagement metrics exposes hidden disparities and creates targeted solutions. Her approach moves beyond political discourse to focus on measurable human dignity and workplace performance.
Through real-world examples and practical frameworks, this episode demonstrates how evidence-based engagement transforms DEI from a compliance checklist into a sustainable cultural practice – helping leaders create genuine belonging through curiosity, consistency, and courage.
In this episode, we explore:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:53) Why data reveals who's engaged and who's not
(06:53) How DEI became over-politicised and lost focus on human experience
(08:10) The business case versus moral imperative for inclusion
(12:30) Pandemic insights: why engagement improved for marginalised groups
(14:13) Leading with consistency, curiosity, and courage
(16:57) Practice over posture: small behaviours drive cultural change
(21:49) Supporting trauma and mental health while maintaining performance standards
(23:23) Inclusion as a daily leadership practice, not an initiative
(23:45) The power of asking: help me understand your experience
Connect with Elizabeth Cooke here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-cooke/
Website: https://dignii.com/
Interested in developing more effective leadership skills? Connect with Cinga today here.
Inside a recent episode
On Inclusion/ Guest: Denise Hamilton
Published 23 Oct 2024 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Yeah, I mean, you know, I think about I think about this work like a football team. Somebody has to be the quarterback. Somebody has to be the kicker. Somebody's got to be the water boy. Really, I think that we need everybody to be touching a different part of this particular elephant. The point is that you're doing some work. And for some people, it is very focused around a particular group and advocating for that group. And that work is wonderful. For some people like me, I take a slightly different approach. I kind of address the system as a whole. Like, how do we think about differences? How do we philosophically approach inclusion? […]
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