How Confidence Is Built in the Stretch: From White-Knuckling to Grounded Leadership with Kate Tansey Chevlen

Episode 9

Welcome back to Life from Within. This is the final episode of the year, and I am so grateful for all of my guests and listeners who made this podcast possible.

What happens when you land your dream promotion and realize on day one that you don’t speak the technical "language" of the room? In today’s episode, I am joined by Kate Tansey Chevlen, a Vice President at Amgen with a 17-year tenure at the company.

Kate shares the raw, honest story of a career transition - moving from a marketing director to a franchise leader overseeing multi-billion dollar contracts. She opens up about the white-knuckle months, the physical toll of trying to be a different kind of leader, and the specific steps she took to reclaim her authenticity and empower her team.

🔑 Key Takeaways for Leadership & Personal Growth

• To master her new domain, Kate sought out trusted partners for intensive deep dives into their mastered skill.
• Kate initially tried to copy the boisterous, high-energy style of her predecessor. This led to white-knuckling, physical stress, and a team that felt unsupported.
• A moment of exhaustion during a business trip forced Kate to stop performing and start advising authentically. The result was immediate clarity for her team and liberation for herself.
• Kate discusses her "Trust but Verify" framework - knowing when to delegate and empower experts through full delegation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background of Kate Tansey Chevlen

02:07 Transitioning to Different Leadership Roles at Amgen

04:35 Navigating Leadership and Multi-billion Dollar Contracts

07:18 Building Trusting Relationships in Decision Making

09:51 The Impact of Leadership Style on Team Dynamics

11:07 Finding Your Authentic Self in Leadership Roles

13:00 Embracing Personal Leadership Style

17:49 The Journey to Self-Discovery

20:23 How to Find Your Own Way to Manage Stress

22:45 Building Confidence Through Challenges

24:22 Applying Confidence in Leadership

26:19 The Art of Delegation and Trust

30:03 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership

31:17 Outro

Guest

Kate Tansey Chevlen has been a commercial leader at Amgen for 17 years and is currently serving as the Vice President, Global Marketing and Therapeutic Area Head of Inflammation.

Prior to joining the Global Inflammation team, Kate led the US Patient Access and Reimbursement team, where she oversaw efforts to help patients start and stay on Amgen medications.

Kate’s prior experience at Amgen spans across marketing, sales, and market access leadership. Kate has worked across the US and global side of Amgen’s commercial business, and across all major therapeutic areas, including oncology, nephrology, cardiovascular, bone, neurology, and inflammation. She has led multiple franchises at Amgen, including the nephrology and respiratory businesses in the US.

Prior to joining Amgen, Kate served as a gubernatorial appointee for the State of California, where she managed healthcare and economic development public policy. She also worked in local government in California, managing economic development public policies.

Kate holds a BA in Politics and French from Brandeis University, an MBA from the Johnson School at Cornell University, and an executive coach certification from the Hudson Institute of Coaching.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-tansey-chevlen-4953391/

Host

Kelly Dwyer is an executive coach and...