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/
Website: 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.

Ever been told you're "too different" for your industry? Brandon Stanchok turned that feedback into his leadership superpower. He joins Julia to explore how childhood permission to be himself shaped his contrarian style, why he intentionally seeks failure for perspective, and how understanding the neuroscience of insecurity can unlock breakthrough performance. From two years of imposter syndrome to building a thriving culture of "growth-ish" mentality, this episode is essential for leaders ready to drop the corporate mask.

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

Summary
In this conversation, Julia LeFevre speaks with Heather Howell, CEO of Greater Than, about her journey in leadership, particularly in male-dominated industries like beverages and banking. They discuss the importance of innovation, authenticity, and the unique perspective women bring to leadership roles. Heather shares her experiences at Jack Daniel's and her transition to a health-focused startup, emphasizing the need for supportive workplace cultures and psychological safety. The conversation highlights the significance of collaboration, the power of female perspectives in consumer markets, and the importance of creating environments where everyone can thrive.

Takeaways

• Innovation in leadership is about reshaping industries, not just products.
• Women bring unique insights as primary consumers in the market.
• Authenticity is crucial for female leaders to earn credibility.
• Creating a supportive culture enhances employee performance.
• Psychological safety is essential for fostering creativity and innovation.
• Surrounding yourself with the right people is key to success.
• Women should not be asked questions that would not be posed to men.
• Investing in a culture of safety yields dividends for businesses.
• Embracing change is necessary for brand evolution.
• Collaboration between men and women is vital for progress.

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.

Bennett Maxwell scaled Dirty Dough from one cookie shop to over 450 franchises in under three years, while learning that success without inner peace is hollow. In this conversation, he shares how he lost 130 pounds, rewired his relationship with work, and discovered that the best leaders don't work the most hours. If you've ever wondered whether there's more to leadership than grinding harder, this episode will shift your perspective on what actually drives sustainable success.

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/

You can't think your way into better leadership. Robert Feeney, creator of Ring-a-Ring habit formation technology, explains why information alone fails to create transformation and what actually works instead. After losing two brothers to suicide, Robert dedicated his life to understanding what causes someone to take action in the heat of the moment. This raw, science-backed conversation explores brain patterns, belonging, and how leaders can build the neural capacity to stay curious under pressure instead of reactive.

Guest: Robert Feeney, Founder of Knowledge as a Service and Creator of Ring-a-Ring

Topics Covered:

• Why knowing what to do doesn't equal being able to do it
• The "heat of the moment" and what's happening in your brain
• How habit formation actually works (hint: it's about patterns, not willpower)
• The three core human needs: autonomy from the past, belonging in the present, power to create the future
• Building neural capacity vs. accumulating knowledge
• Why belonging is as essential as food, water, and shelter

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.

What if the real engine of your company's growth wasn't strategy or sales, but the people who make it run? Shelley Maas Hernandez has built her career proving exactly that.

As a senior HR executive, Shelley has transformed workplaces by designing people-first strategies that increased retention by over 50% and saved organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars. But her journey started in an unusual place—going undercover in companies to expose HR nightmares, from inappropriate workplace behavior to missing documentation that could cost millions in lawsuits.

In this conversation, Shelley reveals how she turned HR from a cost center into a strategic advantage. You'll discover why retention starts before the interview ends, how getting buy-in for new systems is as simple as explaining "the why," and what it really means to lead with a servant's heart. From sitting at the front desk when her team needs coverage to admitting when she's wrong, Shelley models leadership that's both humble and transformational.

If you're ready to rethink what HR and leadership can be, this episode will challenge and inspire you to create workplaces where people truly thrive.

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.

What happens when a top-arresting police officer realizes handcuffs aren't solving homelessness? Meet Officer Nate Schwiethale, whose radical shift from enforcement to empathy created a national model for community policing. After watching the same people cycle through jail day after day, Nate pioneered the Homeless Outreach Team, helping 1,500 people find housing and reducing arrests by 84%. In this episode, discover the mindset shifts, vulnerable moments, and partnership strategies that transformed not just his approach, but an entire system. From coffee runs to housing vouchers, Nate proves that building trust beats building statistics every time.

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.

What if the real engine of organizational success isn't strategy, it's people?

In this transformative episode, seasoned HR leader Laura Golembieski shares 20+ years of wisdom about what truly drives performance: genuine human connection. From managing retail teams 30 years her senior at age 22 to partnering with C-suites at global brands, Laura has discovered that the most successful organizations don't just have better strategies—they have leaders who understand the science of connection.

Join host Julia LeFevre as she explores:

• Why weekly one-on-ones aren't optional (and the neuroscience that proves it)
• How your team's "brain tank" must be filled before their thinking brain can perform
• The "Christmas Eve Sunday night" vision that transformed workplace culture
• Why listening without action destroys trust
• How to lead when you're not the smartest person in the room (and why that's actually your superpower)

Laura reveals her non-negotiable practice of spending one hour weekly with each direct report—not for status updates, but for genuine connection. Discover why this investment yields the highest ROI in team performance, innovation, and retention.

Plus, Julia breaks out her famous blue brain model to demonstrate the neurological reality behind why connection must come before cognition—a game-changer for anyone who thinks relationship-building is "soft."

Whether you're a new manager or seasoned executive, this conversation will fundamentally shift how you think about Monday mornings and the true role of leadership.

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.