Conversations for Leaders & Teams

Hosted by Dr. Kelly M.G. Whelan

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Episodes

Latest episode

Jul 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome! Since 2020, the Conversations podcast has been dedicated to advancing leader and team excellence by exploring relevant topics that impact today's corporate, nonprofit, and faith organizations. Get social with us @belemleaders or visit belemleaders.org Check out Christian Coaching Magazine @christiancoachingmag on FB and Instagram, or christiancoachingmag.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 20, 2026Episode 9729 min

E97. What If The Real Fix to Leadership Starts In The Mirror w/ Dorothy & Dr. Garland Vance

Send us Fan Mail In our latest conversation we sit down with Dorothy Wood Vance and Dr. Garland Vance to unpack why business pain points often trace back to leadership choices and blind spots. We talk through the “leash” feeling leaders get when responsibilities outgrow abilities and how to turn that tension into growth. • every problem in business starting as a leadership problem and why that is empowering • leadership as more than a title and why most leaders are made not born • the “leash” concept and the common signals like imposter syndrome and blame • why leaders need a shared definition of leadership to align expectations and hiring • how teams decide whether a leader feels like a hero or a villain • the Decide, Discern, Deliver process for pausing before you act • the seven issues behind most leadership challenges: character, competence, capacity, clarity, community, culture, consistency • why clarity and capacity tend to be the biggest repeat offenders Visit https://advanceleadership.live/freebook , to download the audio version of Unleashed Leadership! Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

June 24, 2026Episode 9650 min

E96. How Leaders Build The Conditions For People To Flourish w/ Scott Mitchell & Dr. Aidin Brown

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Scott Mitchell and Dr. Aidin Brown explore what it really means to flourish at work and why thriving is less about chasing outcomes and more about building the conditions for healthy growth. We connect personal purpose to team dynamics and organizational culture, then get practical about trust, belonging, and the kind of leadership that strengthens people instead of draining them. You'll here about: • defining flourishing as holistic thriving and purposeful living • separating success and achievement from the ongoing process of flourishing • using pruning as a model for growth through hard seasons • building conditions for flourishing through psychological safety and trust • spotting “not flourishing” through micromanagement and low safety • distinguishing flourishing teams through belonging and high-quality interactions • moving from compliance to commitment as a sign of healthy culture • recognizing organizational markers like collaboration, tone at the top, and clear accountability • treating employee development plans as real growth paths, not box-checking Visit Scott @ breakthroughcoaching.life, or on LinkedIn. GS Mitchell-N P O B T. You can find Dr. Aidin Brown @ www.monhars.us, and on LinkedIn. Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

June 5, 2026Episode 9527 min

E95. The Most Expensive Leader In The Organization Is Checked Out w/ Dr. Jamie Hardy

Send us Fan Mail This video is about Dr. Jamie Hardy Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

May 1, 2026Episode 9435 min

E94. Power Literacy: The Leadership Skill No One Teaches but Everyone Needs w/ Kisha Wynter

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with executive coach Kisha Wynter to name the leadership skill almost no one teaches: power literacy, the ability to navigate organizational power dynamics and build influence without formal authority. Kisha breaks down the mystery of why top performers still get stuck and how plugging “power leaks” helps leaders speak up, advocate for their teams, and drive enterprise impact. Plus, we explore and discuss: • power literacy as a core leadership competency beyond hard work and expertise • why cross-functional influence determines promotions and initiative traction • the shared responsibility between leaders and organizations to build this capability • reframing power as values-based and generative rather than destructive • power leaks as learned survival responses, not personal failure • common leaks like hesitation, over-accommodation, weak boundaries, and avoiding visibility • practical ways to plug leaks through preparation, speaking early, and voice practice • decoding the visible org chart versus the invisible influence web • “who influences the influencers” and why decisions happen before meetings • framing, trigger words, and adapting language to organizational context Find this dynamic leader on LinkedIn by @Kisha Winter, or on her website, yourpoweronleashed.com. Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

March 24, 2026Episode 9333 min

E93. Pioneering the Christian Life Coach Network w/ Dr. Justin Tilghman

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Dr. Justin Tilghman of the Christian Life Coach Network and dig into vetting coaches, credibility, collaboration tools, and why Christian coaches can serve churches, nonprofits, and corporate teams without turning every conversation into Christianese. Inside this episode you will find: • the problem of great coaches operating in isolation • why leaders struggle to find a trusted Christian coach online • what “Christian Life Coach Network” means beyond life coaching • the certification check and statement of faith as a credibility signal • how a shared ecosystem raises standards across the profession • collaboration through a coach forum, referrals, and shared tools • resources for business development and coach growth • serving corporate clients while coaching from Christian values • AI messaging support for coach profiles and an AI coach matching tool Visit https://christianlifecoachnetwork.com to find out more. Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

February 27, 2026Episode 9239 min

E92. Leading with Grace: Flourishing Leaders & Thriving Teams w/ Jeremiah Burke

Send us Fan Mail Join Dr. Kelly Whelan with guest Jeremiah Burke to unpack what it means to lead with grace while holding high standards. From self-leadership and honoring a Sabbath to discernment and smart failure, we explore how to move teams from mere compliance to true capacity and flourishing. • redefining leadership as stewardship of influence • strength with grace, not softness or dominance • self-leadership across mind, body, spirit, soul • feedback, humility, and open-door trust • mentors, coaching, and mental health support • Scripture, Spirit, Support as discernment filters • moving teams from compliance to capacity • measuring fruits beyond KPIs and revenue • recognition that fits each person’s motivation • smart failure, innovation, and permission to try • knowing your people and co-creating solutions Get Jeremiah's book @ Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Archway Publishing, and more. Connect on Facebook: Leading with Grace; LinkedIn: Jeremiah Burke; Website: GraceFilledLeadership.com Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

December 15, 202533 min

E91. Activating Your Zone Of Genius w/ Victoria Odekomaya

Send us Fan Mail Join us and explore how mission-driven leaders can show up online without feeling salesy by reframing visibility as service. Lady Boss, Victoria Odekomaya shares practical systems for sustainable content, team collaboration, analytics that matter, and why authentic video beats polish. • reframing self-promotion as service to others • using content to show transformation and build trust • focusing on a clear audience and their language • reducing burnout with lanes, systems and delegation • elevating team voices to reflect the mission • setting goals before analytics and measuring what matters • engaging comments to grow thought leadership and reach • choosing formats by platform intent and repurposing • embracing video, strong hooks and bullet-point outlines • targeting the right viewers over vanity metrics Find out more about Victoria and the good work she does @ www.thelimstudios.com On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaodekomaya/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/limstudios/ Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

November 21, 202541 min

E90. Leading People the Jesus Way w/ Father Daniel Brandenburg

Send us Fan Mail Together we explore how leadership goes far beyond titles, tracing Father Daniel’s mission work and his new book that measures Jesus against top secular models. Practical steps emerge for building aligned teams, treating people with dignity, and making daily prayer a leader’s edge. • leadership as influence rooted in dignity and mission • lessons from global missionary work and local impact • Jesus measured against leading secular frameworks • the power of small-team formation and delegation • culture fit, onboarding, and retention through value • transformation over performance and ego • aligned diversity versus misaligned goals • daily prayer as a practical tool for decisions • simple frameworks for reflection and action You can find Father Daniels book on Amazon.com and then look for Leader Like No Other. You can also find it with a slightly discounted price @ https://www.regnumchristi.com/en/leader-like-no-other-what-secular-leadership-models-reveal-about-jesus/ Learn more about Father Brandenburg @ https://www.frdanielbrandenburg.com/ Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

November 15, 202534 min

E89. Responsible AI for the Modern Leader & Coach w/Colin Cosgrove

Send us Fan Mail Explore how leaders and coaches can adopt AI without losing the human core, turning compliance and ethics into everyday practice. Colin Cosgrove shares a practical arc for AI readiness, concrete use cases, and a clear view of risk, trust, and governance. • journey from big-tech compliance to leadership coaching • why AI changes the leadership environment and decision pace • making compliance human: transparency, explainability, consent • AI literacy across every function, not just data teams • the AI leader archetype arc for mindset and readiness • practical augmentation: before, during, after coaching sessions • three risks: reputational, relational, regulatory • leader as coach: trust, questions, and human skills • EU AI Act overview and risk-based obligations • governance and accountability Reach out to Colin on LinkedIn and check out his website: Movizimo.com . Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!

October 18, 2025Episode 8844 min

E88. Slowing Down w/ Tamara Jackson—Decision-Making, Burnout, and Leading with Wisdom

Send us Fan Mail Join us as we talk with Tamara Jackson about leading with wisdom in a world that rewards speed. She shares the GRASP method for better decision making, how to avoid regret, rework, and relational fallout, and why self-leadership and faith-filled integrity create durable results. • costs of speed culture and why urgency misleads • the three Rs: regret, rework, relational fallout • the GRASP method for confident decisions • 90-day planning and weekly measurement • learning loops that turn failure into insight • spotting burnout and building rest into schedules • modeling self-care as a leadership signal • living faith at work without compartmentalizing • mentors and advisors as leverage for growth • Beaconship and Lead Reviver resources Visit Tamara's websites at beaconship.co and https://leadreviver.pro/ or on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/thebeaconship Support the show Until next time, keep doing great things!