The Power of "With": How Vulnerability Fuels Leadership
Why you should listen:
Most leaders obsess over the "what." What goals? What metrics? What strategy? Damon Young argues we're missing the real work: discerning the "why" and the "how." In this season premiere, Damon shares how journaling, shedding old beliefs, and building learning cultures (not knowing cultures) changed everything for him. If you've ever felt depleted by your own ambition, this conversation is your permission slip to slow down and lead from a different place.
Key Takeaways:
The Three Rs: Revelation without relationship becomes burnout. Responsibility without community becomes isolation.
Trade-In, Don't White-Knuckle: Damon's practice of "trading in" limiting beliefs offers a gentler, more sustainable model for growth.
Control vs. Growth: Craig Groeschel's binary question and how Damon applied it to board leadership, community work, and personal life.
Offense as the #1 Blocker: Why unresolved offense keeps organizations (and entire communities) from moving forward.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
Julia and the Wired to Lead podcast team
Connect with Julia Lefevre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaklefevre/
Visit the Brave Restoration website here: https://braverestoration.org/
Listen to Wired to Lead on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1hed3JQ5LGi5sQcAXBCYk5
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wired-to-lead/id1818563028
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e45fe954-ce5e-43d9-92ac-cee721d8dc5c/wired-to-lead
#WiredToLead #JuliaLefevre #LeadershipPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #MindfulnessAtWork #ResilientLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipGrowth #WomenInLeadership #MentalHealthAtWork #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceWellness #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #TeamLeadership #MotivationalPodcast #LeadershipTips
Wired to Lead, hosted by Julia Lefevre, explores the intersection of neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Each episode dives into practical strategies and inspiring stories designed to help leaders build self-awareness, resilience, and authenticity in their leadership style. Whether you’re an emerging leader or an executive, Wired to Lead provides tools to develop emotional intelligence, improve team dynamics, and lead with greater clarity and purpose.
20 Apr 2026
Why the Best Leaders Stop Trying to Be Perfect
Why you should listen:
Julia and Michael met in a process group. He was the one who stopped calling her "Julie" and started calling her "Julia." That small act of recognition became a turning point in her leadership journey. In this deeply personal episode, they pull back the curtain on identity, CliftonStrengths, and why the nervous system matters more than any strategy deck. If you've ever felt like your greatest strengths were the things people punished you for, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.
Key Takeaways:
All Communication Is Identity Negotiation: The stress at work isn't about the project. It's about who you're being told you need to be.
CliftonStrengths on Steroids: Michael's "Core Clarity" approach goes deeper than top-5 lists. It shows how talents interact and gives leaders permission to be great at some things and not others.
Neural Leadership: How the brain is physically shaped by relationship, and why this is "next gen" leadership development.
Cultural Headwinds: Women leaders with strengths like competition and significance face unique resistance. Michael names it directly.
I hope you enjoy this episode!
Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
Julia and the Wired to Lead podcast team
Connect with Julia Lefevre on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaklefevre/
Visit the Brave Restoration website here: https://braverestoration.org/
Listen to Wired to Lead on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1hed3JQ5LGi5sQcAXBCYk5
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wired-to-lead/id1818563028
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e45fe954-ce5e-43d9-92ac-cee721d8dc5c/wired-to-lead
#WiredToLead #JuliaLefevre #LeadershipPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #SelfLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #GrowthMindset #MindfulnessAtWork #ResilientLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipGrowth #WomenInLeadership #MentalHealthAtWork #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceWellness #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #TeamLeadership #MotivationalPodcast #LeadershipTips
Wired to Lead, hosted by Julia Lefevre, explores the intersection of neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Each episode dives into practical strategies and inspiring stories designed to help leaders build self-awareness, resilience, and authenticity in their leadership style. Whether you’re an emerging leader or an executive, Wired to Lead provides tools to develop emotional intelligence, improve team dynamics, and lead with greater clarity and purpose.
17 Dec 2025
The "Loser Move of the Week" That Built Psychological Safety
What if HR leadership wasn't about compliance but about building belonging, trust, and psychological safety?
Jennifer Golynsky has spent decades in HR leadership, and her approach goes far beyond compliance. In this episode, she and Julia explore the neuroscience of belonging, the power of curiosity as a practiced skill, and how to build workplaces where people feel safe enough to fail. From hybrid work strategies that actually work to the importance of not taking rejection of advice personally, Jennifer shares hard-won wisdom for anyone navigating the complexities of leading people.
In This Episode You'll Discover:
The #1 belief about HR that executives need to unlearn
Why celebrating failure builds psychologically safe teams
How to stay regulated when someone comes to you dysregulated
Hybrid work strategies that increased employee engagement by 42 out of 43 metrics
Why curiosity is a practiced skill, not just a mindset
How coaching conversations unlock more potential than directive leadership
Career advice: Find your village and don't take rejection personally
Key Quote: "It's not your job to convince people. It's better to build the relationship so that when you need something, they ask, 'How can I help?' not 'What do you want?'"Jennifer Golynsky
Connect with Julia:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaklefevre/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaklefevre/)
Website: https://braverestoration.org/
(https://braverestoration.org/)
About Wired to Lead: Hosted by Julia Lefevre, Wired to Lead explores the intersection of neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Each episode provides practical strategies to help leaders build self-awareness, resilience, and authenticity.
Who has been a guest on Wired to Lead
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Scott Makin
Teresa Turner
Lacy Gunnoe
Mark Wessner
Tricia Cooper
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
103
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
41
Social presence
0
YouTube
64
Engagement
0
Contact Wired to Lead
Guest appearances
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