The Modern Manager

Empathy is often talked about as a “soft skill,” but in reality, it can be one of the most powerful leadership strategies for building trust, improving collaboration, and helping teams perform at their best.

When leaders understand the experiences and stories that shape how people think, communicate, and respond under pressure, they can lead in ways that make team members feel truly seen and supported. But empathy at work isn’t just about being kind or having surface-level conversations. It requires curiosity, listening, and taking action based on what you learn.

This week’s guest shares practical ways leaders can bring empathy into everyday workplace interactions, from asking better questions to creating small moments where team members can share their stories and build stronger connections.

Leilani Garrett spent more than two decades in corporate sales and leadership, navigating high-stakes environments, leading teams, and closing multi-million-dollar deals. Today, she’s a creative force redefining leadership, connection, and culture through storytelling. Her work bridges personal growth and organizational impact, helping leaders and teams break down silos, build trust, and show up more fully human.

In this conversation, we explore how empathy strengthens leadership, why curiosity is essential for understanding your team, and simple activities managers can use to create deeper trust and collaboration.

Join the conversation now!

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:29) What empathy really means at work
(04:19) Recognizing our shared humanity
(06:46) Creating space for honest conversations with your team
(08:50) Why listening matters more than relating
(12:11) Identifying procedural roadblocks that affect your team
(15:47) Why curiosity is essential for empathetic leadership
(17:59) Recognizing and celebrating quiet contributors
(19:46) Building trust by repeating what people say
(22:18) Why teams stop sharing personal stories over time
(26:03) Examples of empathetic leadership in practice
(31:39) [Extended Episode Only] Questions that spark meaningful conversations
(33:16) [Extended Episode Only] Using stories to bring empathy into decisions

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s24gnyedl7h6XumSMgQSaT9489bw661mUCOBlfqAgEQ/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Keep up with Leilani Garrett

- Connect with Leilani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilanigarrett/

- Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lahhnee/

Guest Bonus: 20% Off Leilani’s Services

Leilani provides leaders and teams with tools to communicate more honestly, lead more empathetically, and thrive collectively. 

Learn more about her services here. 

Discount is available through August 2026.
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

#Leadership #EmpathyInLeadership #ManagementSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #TheModernManager #MamieKanferStewart #LeadershipPodcast

Change is constant. But too often, leaders treat change as a project instead of a core leadership skill.

That’s when teams disengage, resistance grows, and initiatives stall. The problem isn’t the change itself. It’s how it’s led.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a powerful new approach to help leaders guide their teams through uncertainty, build trust, and turn resistance into meaningful progress.

Yvonne is a Change Management Strategist & Advisor, Founder of The Change Leadership, Author, and a Change Leadership Advocate with over 20 years of experience helping professionals and organizations lead and navigate change in today's disruptive environment.

In this conversation, we explore the difference between change leadership and change management, how empathy and adaptability drive adoption, and why resistance is one of the most valuable signals leaders can receive.

Get FREE mini-episode guides with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.

Join the conversation now!

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(01:34) Change leadership vs. change management
(04:24) Core change leadership skills every manager needs
(06:50) Adaptive leadership and the head, heart, and hand model
(09:42) Empathy and understanding how others hear change
(11:36) Leading AI adoption and understanding impact first
(14:50) The change curve and why people react differently
(18:55) Involving stakeholders early to avoid failure
(21:48) Transparency, trust, and early communication
(24:26) Why resistance to change is valuable feedback
(27:29) Designing better communication through real questions
(29:26) The role of trust in strong leadership relationships
(31:22) [Extended Episode] Avoiding performative change
(36:45) [Extended episode] Driving change adoption
(39:19) [Extended Episode] When feedback creates insight

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BO4nUYvWB6iEJDa1tMiJzBI-xL_d1TtcIVx53OS8fAs/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Keep Up with Yvonne Akpoveta
- Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneakpoveta/
- Access free resources here: https://oliveblue.com/resources
- Visit her website: https://thechangeleadership.com/

Guest Bonus: Discount on your virtual or in-person ticket to Change Leadership Conference 2026

At this one-day event, you’ll gain practical strategies, build peer connections, and elevate your credibility as a change leader in a world of constant disruption.

Members get $150 off In-person tickets and $45 off Virtual tickets. Promo codes expire April 30th.
The Change Leadership Conference is on May 27, 2026.
Get your ticket here: https://thechangeleadership.com/change-leadership-conference-2026#tickets
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

#ChangeLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementSkills #TeamLeadership #ResistanceIsAGift #TheModernManager #MamieKanferStewart #OrganizationalChange #FutureOfWork

Many leaders assume communication is about clarity. But the real challenge is getting people to truly understand, care, and take action.

Too often, managers jump straight into slides, updates, or instructions without thinking about the impact of their message. As a result, even important communication falls flat, creates confusion, or leaves teams unsure what to do next.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a simple yet powerful framework for making every message more intentional, engaging, and effective.

Andy Freed is the Chairman of Virtual Inc., a strategic consulting and professional services firm that supports mission-driven organizations across technology, healthcare, and financial services. With more than 30 years of experience leading teams through growth and transformation, Andy is known for helping leaders communicate in ways that spark alignment, action, and trust. He’s also the author of Lead Like The Boss: The Bruce Springsteen Framework to Elevating Your Leadership.

In this conversation, we explore how leaders can craft messages that stick, why consistency matters more than novelty, and how to bring energy and authenticity into everyday communication.

Get FREE mini-episode guides with the week’s episode's big idea delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.

Join the conversation now!

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:42) Leadership lessons from Bruce Springsteen
(04:25) The Think, Feel, Do communication framework
(06:59) Why unclear messaging creates unintended consequences
(09:35) The power of consistency in leadership communication
(13:18) Crafting a clear central message
(18:06) How energy influences engagement and impact
(23:23) Leadership as performance even offstage
(25:07) Tone, technology, and communication mistakes
(28:58) Why PowerPoint often fails leaders
(31:56) [Extended Episode Only] Preparation and technology in modern communication
(34:19) [Extended Episode Only] How AI can support stronger messaging

📚 Additional Resources:

✨Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cnls8gh0b00TR70jIO6KojI4WsaD_zaNslXfM1VQkx8/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Keep Up with ​​Andy Freed
- Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfreed/
- Visit his website: https://andyfreed.com/
Guest Bonus: 3 Book Giveaways: Lead like the Boss: The Bruce Springsteen Framework to Elevating Your Leadership

Following the arc of Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen's legendary stage performances, this book demonstrates how to communicate your ideas to your followers and colleagues in ways that are authentic, intentional, and effective. 
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

#LeadershipCommunication #CommunicationSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagerSkills #ExecutiveCommunication #PublicSpeakingTips #BusinessCommunication #ManagementSkills #InfluenceAndPersuasion #ProfessionalCommunication #WorkplaceCommunication #PresentationSkills #PowerPointTips #StorytellingInBusiness #CommunicateClearly #LeadershipGrowth #FutureOfWork #AIInLeadership #ManagerTraining #TheModernManager

Many managers believe pressure drives performance. Others focus heavily on support. But high-performing teams don’t choose one or the other. They operate with both.

When expectations are high, but support is low, people become defensive, stressed, and disengaged. 

When support is high but expectations are low, performance suffers. The real challenge for managers is learning how to balance intensity with kindness so teams feel both challenged and supported.

Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a practical and grounded approach to building this balance. 

Evan Marks, a mental performance coach who has worked in high-stakes environments, explains why people don’t rise to the occasion but fall to their level of training. He also shares how structure, emotional regulation, and clear communication help teams perform under pressure.

In this conversation, we explore how to create psychological safety without lowering standards, how to shift from feedback to “feedforward,” and why leaders must model ownership and emotional control if they want their teams to do the same.

Get FREE mini-episode guides with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.

Join the conversation now!

💡Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:06) The gap between expectations and preparation
(04:48) Structure vs. wishing for performance
(08:15) Autonomy inside strong guardrails
(11:22) Psychological safety in high-performance environments
(15:03) Intensity with kindness
(19:26) Feedforward instead of feedback
(23:40) Leadership, ownership, and accountability
(27:12) Language, emotional control, and awareness
(29:43) [Extended Episode Only] Elevating team mental performance
(33:31) [Extended Episode Only] Building psychological safety without lowering standards
(37:39) [Extended Episode Only] Ownership, trust, and team culture

📚 Additional Resources:

✨Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+. Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zN2YyAMYJXogkS7Pv1zh_zTFLw19q_K5ZPwa20qq0GU/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernmanagerpodcast

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Keep up with Evan Marks

- Connect with Evan on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanmarks-m1/ 
- Explore website here: http://www.m1performancegroup.com/ 

📢 Guest Bonus: The 20-Minute Evening Reset

This 5-Step Evening Reset gives you the foundation for peak performance. This reset combines breathwork, journaling, goal setting, and clearing mental clutter so you wake up as your most focused, composed self.
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Many teams struggle with the same invisible problem: unspoken norms that quietly undermine collaboration, performance, and trust. 

Even when leaders want better behaviors, more ownership, healthier boundaries, and stronger collaboration, change often stalls because no one has named what’s actually happening.

Fortunately, this week’s guest helps managers put language to the hidden norms shaping their teams and offers a practical way to replace judgment-based practices with norms that help people do their best work.

Nilofer Merchant is a bestselling author, speaker, and thought leader on innovation, collaboration, and organizational culture. In her work, she focuses on helping leaders identify the outdated norms holding teams back and redesign work in ways that unlock human potential. She is the author of Our Best Work and founder of The Intangible Labs.

In this conversation, we explore how managers can surface unspoken norms, talk about them without defensiveness, and create shared ownership for cultural change. We also discuss why real change requires choice, not control, and how small shifts in language and process can cascade into healthier team dynamics.

Get FREE mini-episode guides with the week’s episode's big idea delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.

Join the conversation now!

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:18) Why unspoken norms quietly shape team behavior
(06:04) Naming judgment-based practices that limit performance
(10:41) Replacing judgment with encouragement at work
(15:36) How language gives teams permission to change
(19:58) Connecting team values to everyday behaviors
(24:27) Why do people resist change even when they want it
(29:02) Creating choice instead of control to enable real change
(30:02) [Extended Episode Only] How to talk openly about norms as a team
(33:12) [Extended Episode Only] Using shared ownership to sustain new behaviors
(37:57) [Extended Episode Only] Designing work that supports flexibility and trust

📚 Additional Resources:

✨Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Gi5EaI0UEf6AAUlTP56KXuQWU2Uv_tLNoq1ciyKI4Jg/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Keep up with Nilofer Merchant
- Connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilofermerchant/ 
Guest Bonus: Early Access to the Growth Assessment

Intangibles now drive 84% of value creation, yet most managers are flying blind. This early access gives you visibility into the invisible drivers of growth and data on what actually happens when you address what matters. 

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
---------------------

The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

#Leadership #Management #WorkplaceCulture #TeamCulture #OrganizationalCulture