Leveraging Leadership

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Podcast by Emily Sander

Leveraging Leadership

Are you ready to up your leadership game? Tune in to Leveraging Leadership, where Chiefs of Staff, executives, and business professionals find the tools, strategies, and insights they need to excel. Hosted by Emily Sander, a C-suite executive turned leadership coach, this podcast delivers practical and tactical takeaways every week.

Whether you're tackling tough conversations, fine-tuning your KPIs, or mastering delegation, this show offers new perspectives and actionable advice to help you feel confident and thrive in your role.


Each Monday, enjoy interviews with leaders from diverse fields—primarily business, but also from military, politics, and higher education. Every Wednesday, catch a solo episode where Emily shares concise, actionable insights on a specific topic you can apply immediately.

If you appreciate relatable, informal conversations that pack a punch with no fluff, you’re in the right place. While especially valuable for Chiefs of Staff and their Principals, the insights are useful for any leader aiming to grow.

Don’t miss your chance to advance as a leader.

Latest episodes

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18 December 2024

Speaking in Tweets: Effective Strategies for Communicating with a Rapid-Fire Boss

Emily shares a story about her coaching client who struggled with his fast-paced, detail-averse boss. She explains how they adapted by using short, bullet-point emails, formulating yes/no questions, and using Google Notes for quick information recall. These adjustments helped improve the boss-client communication despite different styles.Links Mentioned:Clarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklist Chief of Staff Skills Assessment ChecklistA Day in the Life of a Chie...

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16 December 2024

UN Peacekeeper's Lessons on Radical Humility and Leadership

Emily Sander talks with Urs Koenig about his book, "Radical Humility: Be a Badass Leader and a Good Human." They discuss his experiences, including how tough feedback can piss people off but still foster growth. Urs shares leadership tips like "eyes on, hands off," referencing US Women’s Soccer Team Captain Carla Overbeck's style, and a new twist on feedback called "feedforward." He mentions that one of the most powerful things a leader can say is, "I screwed that up." They also touch on trai...

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11 December 2024

Using Questions to Balance Analytical and Emotional Leadership

Emily Sander discusses the importance of understanding if your team members are in thinking or feeling mode. She provides practical examples, like asking, “How do you feel about launching this product?” to balance overly analytical thinking or “What else comes up when you think about protecting your team?” to address emotional defensiveness. Emily also shares tips on using deep breaths to help calm high emotions.Links Mentioned:Clarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklis...

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09 December 2024

An Expert Explains Enneagram Types and Their Impact on Personal and Professional Growth

Libby Cole shares insights about the Enneagram, focusing on motivation and vulnerability. For example, Eights are determined and goal-oriented but often misunderstood due to their direct nature. She describes characteristics of other types like Nines, who avoid conflict, and how the Enneagram helps in personal growth. Libby offers workshops and coaching on communication and conflict management through her company, Expand Coaching and Consulting.Links Mentioned: Libby Cole's WebsiteClarit...

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04 December 2024

Transforming Leadership with Virtue-Based Feedback Techniques

Emily introduces a feedback framework that starts and ends with recognizing an individual's virtues, illustrated by examples like Matt, an employee who needs to address his outbursts in meetings. She offers techniques for highlighting strengths, even by discussing virtues with others, and explains how the framework applies to managing up, such as a Chief of Staff prompting a principal to provide team feedback. Practical insights include providing specific examples and knowing when to pause fo...

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02 December 2024

Paternity Leave Insights: Chief of Staff on Work-Life Balance as a New Father

Eric Williams talks about balancing life while being a dad to a four-month-old and working multiple roles, including Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer. He shares tips on creating systems to run a business smoothly, avoiding burnout, and maintaining sustainable growth. Eric also highlights the importance of flexibility and systematizing business processes for effective delegation.Links Mentioned:Eric Williams' WebsiteClarity Call with EmilyFree Resources:Strategic Planning Checklist&n...

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