Building Confidence as a Skill with Angela Stopper

Empowerment without structure doesn’t create innovation — it creates noise. In the latest episode of #LeadershipLevers, Joshua Miller, CP-FS, Founder of Remarkable Academic Foods, shares a hard-earned lesson: when leaders give freedom without clarity, even high-trust teams can drift into operational chaos. This conversation unpacks a critical truth culture leaders often miss: Culture isn’t just about trust — it’s about clarity and direction. You’ll hear how: • Well-intended empowerment stalled execution • Process — not people — was the real constraint • One-on-one listening restored clarity without breaking trust • Psychological safety and structure work together, not in opposition. For leaders serious about building cultures that perform — not just feel good — this episode is essential listening. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/g4ykuuNj #CultureThinkTank #Leadership #OrganizationalCulture #Execution #PsychologicalSafety

Had a great time recording this episode of Consulting Leaders with Guillaume Jouvencel, where I broke down why leadership transitions are the make or break moment for high performers and how I support leaders through those first intense months. I shared the story that pushed me into leadership coaching in the first place: being 21, leading a team of 15 in a big corporate environment, and trying to figure it out with zero support. That experience stayed with me and it’s why my work today focuses on helping leaders step into new roles with clarity, confidence, and healthy boundaries. Here are three lessons I shared that matter for every consultant and leader stepping up: • The first 3 to 6 months in a new role can feel like hell, so don’t “tough it out” alone, get the right support early. • LinkedIn and events rarely close deals directly in consulting, but they build credibility when decision makers look you up mid process. • Real growth comes from relationships and care: focus on the person, not the slides, and the work expands naturally. Our conversation also goes into why culture change in big organizations takes time, what I’m building next, and how I think about long-term trust in high-stakes consulting. Links to the episode are below.

👊 Middle Managers Don’t Need Thicker Skin. They Need Stronger Inner Leadership. 💫 ⁉️ In many organizations, the most exhausted leaders aren’t executives. They’re middle managers. Pressure from above. Expectations from below. And no space to process either. 👉 In a recent workshop, a leader said something I hear far too often: “I feel like I’m constantly translating stress.” That single sentence explains so much. 😐 Middle managers become emotional shock absorbers — taking on urgency that isn’t theirs, carrying frustration so others don’t have to, and slowly disappearing in the process. 👊 What changes things isn’t authority or a new role. It’s inner leadership. 👉 When leaders learn to arrive before responding, separate responsibility from emotional load, and make one conscious choice under pressure, the external reality may stay the same — but exhaustion no longer runs the day. That’s what being ON SELF START looks like. ❤️ Not because life is calm. But because your inner leadership is online. 🎧 This clip is from Episode 22 of Her BOSS Brain: Stress to Success The Year Didn’t Break You: How to Lead From Within, Activate Your BOSS Brain, and Start 2026 ON SELF START. 👉 Full episode linked in the comments. #leadership #middlemanagers #innerleadership #leadfromwithin

As we wrap up 2025 today, many of us are reflecting on the year behind us and setting intentions for 2026. If you’re looking for one leadership "tune-up" to take into the New Year, this is it. Kirk Langford and I revisited an insight from one of our instructors, Emily Nichols, P.Eng. on the Accelerating Operational Performance Rewind episode: Take the work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously. This isn't about diminishing the importance of what we do; the work still has to get done and it still matters. And leadership isn't about being perfect or never messing up. So when you admit what you don't know or own your mistakes, you make it safe for your team to do the same. This moves the focus from "blame" to "improvement". The sign of a great leader entering 2026 isn't someone who never says the wrong thing; it’s someone who recognizes they aren't perfect but is constantly trying to get better. As we head into the New Year, let's resolve to be more "attainable" leaders. Let's create environments where our teams feel empowered to solve problems because they aren't afraid of the "perfect" boss. What’s one leadership lesson from 2025 that you’re carrying into the New Year? Happy New Year from all of us at Unique Training & Development Inc.! #NewYearsEve #LeadershipDevelopment #OperationalPerformance #FrontlineLeadership #ManufacturingLeadership #ContinuousImprovement #PsychologicalSafety

Is leadership really lonely? or have we made it that way? We often hear “It’s lonely at the top.” But is that because leadership demands isolation, or because we believe it does? For years, many leaders felt pressure to be the strong, unshakable figure who never needed help. That mindset created distance. But I think times are changing. I believe that society is starting to see emotional intelligence and vulnerability as strengths. Great leaders know they can’t, and shouldn’t, do it all alone. Yes, there are times that a leader will be, and needs to be alone. Solitude can be useful for reflection, and distance can provide benefits. But isolation? Is that optional? Gareth Southgate summed it up perfectly on the High-Performance podcast when asked how he handled the pressure of being England’s head coach: “I had a great team around me.” We see this in military, sport, business, and family leadership. Whether it’s a Navy captain with an XO, a head coach surrounded by assistant coaches, a CEO leaning on their Chief of Staff or executive team, or parents supporting other parents. Leadership works best when supported. Today, support networks are even broader: peer groups, leadership circles, coaches, and online communities. These spaces allow leaders to share ideas, challenges, and solutions. Reducing the feeling of isolation. Practical takeaway: Leadership doesn’t have to be lonely, unless you choose to make it so. Build your circle. Seek out mentors, coaches, and peers. Join communities where you can share and learn. Have you ever felt lonely as a leader? What did you do to overcome it? #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipandFollowership #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipCommunity

Great leaders don’t just think big. They care about the details that make strategy real. Too often, leadership conversations elevate vision and ambition while overlooking the nuanced choices that determine whether plans actually land with teams and translate into results. Three takeaways resonated with me: 🔹 Clarity before execution. Leaders who invest in clear expectations and shared understanding reduce confusion and unlock discretionary effort from their teams. 🔹 Details build trust. People follow leaders who understand the work, can explain the why, and show up with aligned actions day in and day out. 🔹 Systems enable outcomes. Strategy without operational clarity is a promise unfulfilled. Performance, accountability, and innovation all depend on thoughtful design of repeatable work, not just big ideas. In coaching conversations with executives and emerging leaders, I see this pattern again and again. Leaders who bridge vision and practice, who make the implicit explicit, build stronger teams and more resilient organizations. If you want to explore this idea further, visit https://www.drpennino.com/ and read the Harvard Business Review podcast “Why Great Leaders Focus on the Details,” with insights from Scott Cook, the cofounder and former CEO of Intuit, who makes the case that leadership excellence lives as much in the small, everyday choices as it does in the big strategic moments. Here's the article: https://lnkd.in/gDsB7R_m #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #StrategyExecution #TeamPerformance #HBR #DetailsMatter #PublicSectorLeadership

NEW EPISODE 🎙️🔥 “Leading From the Inside Out with Natasha Skolny" What does real leadership look like in a world that’s constantly shifting? In this week’s episode of Wake Up with Joni, I sit down with leadership coach and CHRL leader Natasha Skolny of The Leadership Cabin to explore confidence, resilience, emotional intelligence, and the deeper human skills modern leaders desperately need. Natasha’s journey spans competitive sport, adult learning, corporate HR, and transformational coaching — and the wisdom she shares is truly next-level. ✨ Leadership beyond ego ✨ How to build grounded confidence ✨ Why failure is your greatest teacher ✨ The moment people “wake up” in coaching ✨ The future of conscious leadership This conversation is powerful, practical, and soul-aligned. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gqFY5_n2

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻— 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆… 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳? In this clip from 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗻 shares where the 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 journey began. Not in the boardroom— but in 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝘆. Highly educated people. Different expertise. No “boss” to fall back on. 👉 That’s where 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 becomes essential. The idea became the foundation of the 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 (𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴) Because when leadership isn’t positional, it has to be 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹. And that’s exactly where impact starts. 🎙️ Watch the full episode → 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dyWQsEZX 🌐 Learn more about Excellent Leadership → 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ehBBXbrr 🚀 Join the Excellent Leadership Community (FREE) 🚀 We’re also working with 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ready to boost their bottom line through excellent leadership. 📩 Want to be considered? Email: info@Excellent-Leader.com 📚 Explore the Excellent Leadership Book Series → 🔗 https://lnkd.in/efugkz4t ▶️ This clip with Dutch & English subtitles → 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d_AVWuvb #ExcellentLeadership #PersonalLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #NonHierarchicalLeadership #ModernLeadership

"I don't know the answer to that." For many school leaders, especially new ones, admitting uncertainty feels like admitting incompetence. But Shane Leaning argues the opposite is true. In this Education Leaders episode, Shane shares a three-part transparency framework that builds trust in character whilst you're still developing competence. Instead of "I'll think about it and get back to you," try walking people through your reasoning: what you're weighing up, what you're leaning towards, and when you'll decide. Instead of avoiding admitting knowledge gaps, try three simple sentences: "I don't know. Here's how I'll find out. Here's when I'll get back to you." The episode explains why transparency is so powerful: it builds character trust quickly, it actually protects your competence because honesty matters more than having every answer, it reduces your cognitive load, and it models the behaviour you want from your team. School leaders will find a practical framework they can implement immediately. Link in comments. #SchoolLeadership #LeadershipCommunication #EducationalLeadership #SchoolCulture

We're excited to launch the Leadership Book Club! Leadership development is at the core of what we do. Whether we're working with individual executives navigating critical transitions or with teams building collective capability, we see every day how the right insights at the right time can transform how leaders create impact. For our inaugural episode, Amy Mills, PhD, shares insights from her favorite leadership book: The Leadership Pipeline by Ram Charan and colleagues. As an industrial-organizational psychologist and certified coach, Amy has worked with countless executives struggling with one of the most challenging transitions in any career: moving from technical expert to strategic leader. The pattern is consistent. Leaders are promoted because of their exceptional technical skills. Then they struggle because they continue doing that technical work rather than shifting to building team capability. They're exhausted, working harder than ever, but not creating the impact their role requires. In this episode, Amy discusses concepts from the book, including the 95% rule that reframes leadership effectiveness, the time allocation exercise that surprises leaders 99% of the time, and why the most common resistance she hears is "But I like doing that work." Whether you're navigating a leadership transition yourself, developing leaders on your team, or building succession pipelines for your organization, this conversation offers practical insights and a framework for making these critical passages successfully. Watch the full episode and let us know what leadership books and topics you'd like to explore in future episodes - Link in comments. #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #Leadership #HealthcareLeaders #TeamPerformance