When the wrong words could cost you trust, credibility, or even your job… how do you speak up anyway?

In this episode, we explore High Stakes Candor, what it means to prioritize the other person’s success over your temporary discomfort, and why that mindset is essential when the stakes are high. Plus, Denise shares about the time she had to decide whether to live up to her reputation for candor or to be “nice” to her boss.

By the end of this episode, you’ll learn how to recognize “coasting” in high-value relationships, avoid the silent avoidance trap most leaders fall into, and calibrate how much candor is the right amount.

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

Courageous leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking the right questions.

In this episode, we explore what courage looks like in practice: creating psychological safety, supporting career development for your employees, and following through on what you say you’ll do (even if it means calling every two weeks for ten months).

You’ll learn why psychological safety is non-negotiable, how to see your team members’ goals through their lens (not yours), what courageous perseverance really looks like in action, and how to set one specific goal that you WILL follow through on this week.

Resources Mentioned:

• Three Keys of Execution
• Everyone Can Lead
• Blaze Performance
• Get Clear Living

About the Guest:

Kent Vaughn is the CEO & Co-Founder of Blaze Performance and Co-Founder of Get Clear Living. Before launching his own companies, he held leadership roles at Kimberly-Clark and Franklin Covey, where he worked closely with executive teams to improve strategy and execution. Over the past 30 years, Kent has partnered with hundreds of organizations to strengthen operational leadership, boost employee engagement, and drive organizational performance. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/kent-vaughn-a75a795).

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

No one brings their A-game to work for a manager who doesn’t “walk the talk.”

In this episode, executive coach Kent Vaughn joins us to explore what it really takes to lead with integrity… starting with yourself. From self-leadership and personal accountability to giving (and receiving) feedback, Kent breaks down the core habits that separate great leaders from the rest.

You’ll learn why intentions don’t build trust, how to use the “mirror test” to stay aligned with your values, why vulnerability accelerates leadership growth, and how strong manager-employee relationships impact both retention and performance.

Resources Mentioned:

• Three Keys of Execution
• Everyone Can Lead
• It’s Your Ship
• Blaze Performance
• Get Clear Living

About the Guest:

Kent Vaughn is the CEO & Co-Founder of Blaze Performance and Co-Founder of Get Clear Living. Before launching his own companies, he held leadership roles at Kimberly-Clark and Franklin Covey, where he worked closely with executive teams to improve strategy and execution. Over the past 30 years, Kent has partnered with hundreds of organizations to strengthen operational leadership, boost employee engagement, and drive organizational performance. You can connect with him on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/kent-vaughn-a75a795).

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

Maggie Carrington is a seasoned HR strategist and business advisor with over 35 years of experience transforming people operations into powerful drivers of performance, culture, and growth. Trusted by executive teams and boards alike, Maggie has helped organizations across industries. In doing so, she has enabled organizations to enjoy optimized, award-winning team performance, achieved cost efficiencies, elevated efficiencies throughout the employee lifecycle, and helped create transformative employee experiences. Known for bridging the gap between people and profit, Maggie brings a data-driven approach to workforce transformation—ensuring people strategy is a true driver of the bottom line.

To broaden her impact, Maggie founded HR Habitude: Making Work A Better Place To Be® to provide fractional and project-based human resources consulting services to organizations and career coaching to professionals.

In 2024, Maggie and Denise, a colleague, launched Candor & Courage At Work® to share lessons they've learned by being candid and courageous as HR leaders to enable professionals of all walks to use those traits in daily work life to be more successful.

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The Empowered Career Woman is presented by Medicare Misty. www.medicaremisty.com.

Email: empoweredcareerwoman@gmail.com

Facebook and Instagram: @emp.career.woman

Produced by: Whitfield Media Group, Chattanooga, TN

Editing: Tyler Owens

About your host: Lisa McCluskey, MBA is a retired Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Physician Sales at CHI Memorial, Chattanooga. She is founder and host of the Silver Divorce Podcast and Empowered Career Woman podcast. Follow the Empowered Career Woman on Facebook and Instagram @emp.career.woman.

This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes and is not intended as legal advice.

More than 30 years after The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People hit the shelves (and cassette players), Stephen Covey’s work still shapes leaders today.

In this episode, rather than walking through each habit one by one, we’re unpacking the deeper mindset shifts the book inspires and why Covey’s ideas remain essential for anyone who wants to lead with integrity and build teams that thrive.

Whether you're revisiting The 7 Habits or discovering them for the first time with us today, this episode will help you think more intentionally about how you lead and how your team works together.

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

• The common barriers for people reentering the job market after a long absence.

• The first steps to take to reenter the job market after a long absence.

• How to approach a long absence from the job market in interviews.

• How to leverage volunteer work and translate it to the work environment.

• Resources to identify your strengths.

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Please follow or subscribe to this podcast; leave a rating and review and share with people you know experiencing the pain of divorce.

Produced by: Whitfield Media Group, Chattanooga, TN

Editing by: Tyler Owens

Email: ⁠silverdivorcepodcast@gmail.com⁠

Facebook & Instagram @silverdivorcepodcast

Title Sponsor: Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics ⁠www.sportmed.com⁠

Show Sponsor: Medicare Misty ⁠www.medicaremisty.com⁠

About your host: I’m Lisa McCluskey, MBA, a retired healthcare executive turned podcaster after being blindsided when my 34-year marriage ended. I interview experts on the Silver Divorce Podcast to help people through the traumatic divorce journey.

This podcast provides education and information and is not intended to replace the advice of a therapist or legal advice.

Having something important to say doesn't mean it's easy to say it.

In this episode we’re tackling listeners’ questions about navigating sensitive conversations without hurting feelings and building the confidence to voice your opinions despite fears of negative reactions.

After listening to this episode, you'll know how (and when) to speak up when it matters most, how to deliver difficult messages with empathy, and specific techniques to overcome the fear of potential backlash when sharing your perspective.

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude

Workplace courage isn’t always about diving straight into the deep end. Sometimes you can wade in, one step at a time.

After listening to this episode, you will know the power of taking calculated risks at work, how they build your confidence, and three specific ways you can practice courage at work (today).

Plus, we answer a listener’s question about a team member who avoids conflict, and Maggie shares her story about confronting an employee she caught stealing… A true case study on practicing courage in the workplace!

Learn more at candorandcourageatwork.com & connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hr-habitude