Épisodes

  • 70 - The Future of Competitive Advantage with Doug Stephens

    70 - The Future of Competitive Advantage with Doug Stephens
    Jul 10 2026
    Plan for the future, episode 70 of Leadership Kung Fu is here! Today Jen and Sandi welcome Doug Stephens to the show to talk about his latest book The Future of Competitive Advantage: A Business Plan to Save Your Customers, Your Company, and Democracy and how to navigate a leadership role in an uncertain business world. Join them in their dive into the texts and discuss: Doug's accolades as an author and futuristHow workplaces are changing as political and economical climates changeHow silence is no longer considered "neutral"An example of Patagonia and Bear's Ears Monument as an act of defending a value core to the brandDoug's 3 main ideas in his newest novelWhat collective prosperity looks likeWhat "stoking white male anxiety" has done to workforces over the decades of different workforcesDEI and the role in male anxietyWhere the workforce has trended due to these factorsBryce Hoffman's American IconThe difference between fairness and equality and much more! Thank you so much for joining us on Leadership Kung Fu, Doug! You can connect with Doug on LinkedIn, check out his blog, and his business website! As a business owner or leader, are not alone in your fears for our society and the future. Knowing that there are other business leaders and executives out there who are just as concerned as you, who are seeking to learn more about how they and their organizations can become part of the solution to saving democracy. Doug recommends establishing or joining a community of like- minded business leaders. Here are few places he suggests you might start: https://leadershipnowproject.org/ Leadership Now Project (U.S.): A membership organization of business leaders who believe democracy is the foundation for a thriving economy and a politically engaged citizenry. LNP invests in leaders, influences policy, responds to risks, and partners to drive solutions. LNP's membership is national, with members in more than 25 states and chapters in 8, drawing on extensive business and alumni networks to drive local and national impact. https://www.wfd.org/ The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (U.K.): WFD is a public body dedicated to strengthening democracy around the world. Through its programs, expertise, and international partnerships, WFD helps solve problems of democracy so that democracies can address challenges, from climate change to corruption. https://www.bfa.us/ Business for America (U.S.): Business for America is a nonpartisan nonprofit business organization that focuses solely on improving America's civic health by increasing civic participation and voter turnout, restoring trust in elections and democratic institutions, reducing gridlock and polarization, and setting a positive example for business engagement in the political sector. https://www.civicalliance.com/ Civic Alliance (U.S.): The Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of businesses united by a commitment to democracy. The Civic Alliance supports its member companies as they inspire their employees and consumers to engage in civic life and their communities. https://www.isdglobal.org/ Institute for Strategic Dialogue (U.S. and Europe): This group is dedicated to safeguarding democracy and human rights by reversing the rising global tide of polarization, extremism, and authoritarianism. https://defenddemocracy.eu/about/mission/ Defend Democracy: Defend Democracy is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit civil society organization with the mission of strengthening and defending democracy against foreign, domestic, and technological threats. Defend Democracy is registered as a non-profit foundation in The Hague, the international city of peace, justice, and security, and while most of its day- to- day work is done in Brussels, it engages both European and transatlantic allies. https://www.samaracentre.ca/ Samara Centre for Democracy (Canada): This nonpartisan charity produces research and holds events that advance a vibrant culture of civic engagement across Canada. The Samara Centre works to support a resilient democracy with responsive institutions, shaped by an engaged public. Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel! Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!® Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc! Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@dramafreeworkforce.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn.
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    56 min
  • 69 - Leadership and All This Uncertainty: Do Better

    69 - Leadership and All This Uncertainty: Do Better
    Jun 4 2026

    Welcome to episode 69 of Leadership Kung Fu!
    When times feel uncertain and people are dealing with so much both in and outside of the workplace, where does that put leadership? Jen and Sandi say "Do better!"
    Join them on this episode as they tackle:

    • The role of the passing of time
    • Why it's a non-HR issue
    • What influences decision-making and the impact it can have
    • Value vs. price increase
    • The corporate spin
    • What goes first in tough times or when you're ill-prepared
    • Fairness vs. sameness
    • Measuring capacity and cognitive load
    • External and internal pressures
    • What optimism can truly do when capacity is measured correctly

    and more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@dramafreeworkforce.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn.
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    45 min
  • 68 - Disagree and Commit: Real Dissent, Psychological Safety and Accountability in Action

    68 - Disagree and Commit: Real Dissent, Psychological Safety and Accountability in Action
    May 7 2026

    Let's create space, it's episode 68 of Leadership Kung Fu!
    How do you like our new art and look?
    Many workplaces feel like disagreeing is stopping progress, when in reality, it can be the beginning of it! Jen and Sandi sit down in episode 68 to encourage you to make room for dissent by discussing:

    • Why creating space is currently not happening in workforces
    • The role of Psychological Safety in creating space
    • Identifying where the insecurity lives within the workforce
    • Setting up a space with intention
    • The "meeting after the meeting" actions
    • How prep work might be your most important work
    • The worth of being vulnerable
    • What silence can mean versus what it should mean
    • Levels of agreement
    • The effects of holding back
    • What alignment actually is compared to what we think it is

    and more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@dramafreeworkforce.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn.
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    38 min
  • 67 - Expectation Drift: How Vague Leadership Breaks Execution

    67 - Expectation Drift: How Vague Leadership Breaks Execution
    Mar 31 2026

    Welcome to episode 67 of Leadership Kung Fu!
    If you've ever come up empty-handed when searching for answers from a leader, or your team is divided on what they thought the project completion standard was, you might have experienced Expectation Drift! Sandi and Jen jump in to tackle this topic to help teams and leaders identify and get ahead of a potential problem. Listen along as they discuss:

    • What IS Expectation Drift and how it happens
    • Employee engagement rates and other statistics around misalignment
    • What happens when leaders don't know what expectations are
    • Leaders as learners
    • The role of accountability in expectation drift
    • Micromanaging vs. checking in
    • A rock analogy
    • How to get in front of the Drift and own it

    and much more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@own-up.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn. If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!
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    41 min
  • 66 - Stop Outsourcing Thinking: Rebuilding Your Team's Problem-Solving Muscles

    66 - Stop Outsourcing Thinking: Rebuilding Your Team's Problem-Solving Muscles
    Feb 27 2026

    It's critical that you know that Episode 66 of Leadership Kung Fu is here!

    Welcome to February's topic of what outsourcing thinking actually does to your team and how your practices can keep the problem-solving muscles healthy. Sandi and Jen dive right into:

    • How the cost of time with critical thinking is a lie
    • Low accountability and leaderned helplessness
    • The role of psychological safety
    • System 1 and System 2 thinking
    • The importances of exploring your problem-solving tools
    • Critical Thinking and A.I.
    • Leadership self-reflection and the role it plays
    • Managing discomfort
    • How many places you might have abandoned thinking

    and much more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@own-up.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn. If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!
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    43 min
  • 65 - Strategy is Not a Slide Deck

    65 - Strategy is Not a Slide Deck
    Jan 22 2026

    Starting off 2026 strong, it's episode 65 of Leadership Kung Fu!

    Join Sandi and Jen in this new year as they revisit the topic of strategy in the workplace and how to get it unstuck from your meeting slide deck and out in action in your workforce. Listen along as they discuss:

    • Strategy to action
    • How strategies from Q4 are looking in Q1
    • Personal anecdotes
    • The importance of your "No" list
    • Facing the fears of "what if"
    • Real risk vs. risks we THINK are real
    • What strategy is and is not
    • Operationalizing
    • How alignment is an ongoing conversation
    • What happens when everything is deemed important
    • What each level of leadership needs to do with the strategy from the top
    • The importance of choosing the right words
    • Strategy upkeep and metrics
    • How strategy can die and what happens if it does
    • The effect of run-time on strategy
    • The 5 take-aways of strategy

    and more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@own-up.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn. If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!
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    37 min
  • 64 - Your New Leader Isn't Ready (Yet!)

    64 - Your New Leader Isn't Ready (Yet!)
    Nov 28 2025

    Start making plans, episode 64 of Leadership Kung Fu is here!

    Jen and Sandi are thinking about the future on today's episode and discussing workplace succession plans! What happens when your CEO has a medical event? Can someone easily take over if your manager has a family emergency? Who steps in when retirements are announced? Join Sandi and Jen as they cover how you and your team can think ahead as well as:

    • Succession success rate statistics
    • Where you should start planning and who can do what in the planning process
    • How strategy is involved
    • The role bias plays
    • Where training comes in and types
    • The benefits of assessments in leadership
    • PXT Select®
    • What Future Fit means
    • PrinciplesYou and EverythingDiSC®
    • What defining potential entails
    • What should be on your succession checklist
    • Red Teaming: How Your Team Can Conquer the Competition by Challenging Everything by Bryce G. Hoffman

    and more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video over on the Leadership Kung Fu Youtube Channel!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@own-up.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn. If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!
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    39 min
  • 63 - Strategic Momentum: The Discipline of Aligned Action

    63 - Strategic Momentum: The Discipline of Aligned Action
    Oct 31 2025

    Our actions have aligned to bring you Episode 63 of Leadership Kung Fu!
    Join Sandi and Jen as they excitedly tackle the topic of aligned action and how your teams' strategies can hinge upon it. Dive in with them as they cover:

    • What gets in the way of aligned action
    • Fragmented ownership
    • Working in silos vs. moving forward collectively
    • Decisions vs. feedback
    • Where incentives knock you out of alignment
    • Dashboards
    • Fighting stagnant policies/standards
    • The curse of unwillingness
    • Leadership drift
    • Giving strategy a chance to breathe
    • Buy-in vs. agreement
    • Movement based on workplace agility
    • Chance of success based on aligned action

    and much more!

    Thank you so much for listening! If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform, and make sure to check out the video cast under the "Videos" tab!
    Connect with Jen on LinkedIn and visit her website Own Up!®
    Connect with Sandi on LinkedIn and visit her website Satori Consulting, Inc!

    Have a comment, question, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Email us at podcast@own-up.com or leave us a comment on LinkedIn. If you like what you hear, leave us a review on your favorite listening platform!
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    37 min