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The Well-led Podcast

The Well-led Podcast

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
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 Where professionalism meets imperfection. The Well-led Podcast invites leaders to explore the space where the need to get results meets the reality of managing people. Discover how to demonstrate care, support, and grace for your team–because the workplace needs human leaders. https://www.one23ltd.com Formerly the comfy chairs podcast.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Be positive at the start

    Be positive at the start
    Mar 3 2026
    What does it mean to choose your attitude as a leader? In this episode, you’ll learn how good humor is a leadership skill rooted in choice, mindfulness, and care—not forced positivity. Through personal stories and practical tools, this conversation explores how your mood shapes your team’s experience and how to respond intentionally instead of reacting on autopilot. You’ll walk away with concrete questions and strategies to help you lead with steadiness, awareness, and humanity. The latest companion toolkit, Leading with Empathy: Practical Techniques for Sustainable Leadership, is available now. Visit https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits to request your free copy. When you subscribe, you’ll automatically receive future leadership tools and resources from onetwentythree ltd. Key takeaways Leaders have a daily choice about their attitude and mood. Good humor is not about being funny; it is about intentional response. Your mindset can shape your entire day. Even in a crisis, you can choose your attitude. Good humor requires awareness of your influence on others. Simple self-questions can interrupt reactive behavior. Engaging your prefrontal cortex helps override fight-or-flight responses. Toxic positivity damages trust and psychological safety. Modeling emotional choice empowers your team to do the same. Good humor balances realism with care, kindness, and accountability. Timestamps [0:00:01–0:00:53] – A story about creating family house rules [0:01:06–0:01:43] – Introducing “good humor” as a leadership skill [0:01:43–0:02:06] – Welcome to the Well Led Podcast & series context [0:02:06–0:02:49] – An accident and a decision about attitude [0:03:08–0:03:52] – Defining “good humor” vs. simple laughter [0:03:52–0:04:57] – Historical “four humors” explanation [0:05:33–0:06:46] – Humor and choice-making as leadership skills [0:06:46–0:08:06] – Managing the “lizard brain” and regaining choice [0:08:06–0:10:02] – Reflective questions to guide your mood and behavior [0:08:06–0:09:20] – Reflective questions to guide your mood and behavior [0:09:20–0:11:10] – Good humor vs. toxic positivity & impact on teams Keywords leadership attitude, good humor in leadership, how to choose your mood, emotional regulation for leaders, toxic positivity at work, psychological safety, leadership self-awareness, fight or flight response at work, mindful leadership skills, demonstrating care as a leader
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    12 mins
  • Empathy is a disciplined effort

    Empathy is a disciplined effort
    Feb 24 2026
    In this episode, you will learn how empathy strengthens accountability and improves performance at work. Kate Johnson explains why empathy is not leniency, how mindset shifts shape leadership behavior, and what empathetic accountability looks like in real workplace moments. You will also hear practical guidance for supporting neurodivergent employees and understanding the Double Empathy Problem, so you can lead diverse teams with clarity, trust, and measurable results. The companion toolkit, Leading with Empathy: Practical Techniques for Sustainable Leadership, is now available from onetwentythree ltd. The worksheets are designed to help you put these ideas into practice immediately and strengthen your leadership habits. Established subscribers receive this and future leadership toolkits automatically. Looking to learn a little more about empathy and neurodivergence? Here are a few articles to get you started: Theory of Mind | Psychology Today "I Promise I'm Not Trying to Be Inconsiderate" | Psychology Today The double empathy problem Key Takeaways Empathy is the disciplined effort to understand another person’s experience. Empathy includes both affective empathy (emotional response) and cognitive empathy (perspective taking). Listening and presence are the foundation of empathetic leadership. Empathy strengthens accountability rather than weakening it. Accountability is a support structure, not punishment. Empathetic accountability combines care with clear expectations. Mindset shifts directly influence leadership behavior and performance. Neurodivergent employees may experience and express empathy differently. The Double Empathy Problem explains barriers between differing lived experiences. Small, mindful acts of curiosity and clarity drive sustainable leadership results. Timestamps [0:00:01] – Defining empathy in leadership [0:00:26] – Recap of previous weeks on empathy [0:01:40] – Core empathetic mindsets for leaders [0:03:05] – Introducing the Leader’s Toolkit [0:05:42] – Empathy and accountability connection [0:07:20] – “Empathetic accountability” defined [0:08:55] – Neurodivergence and empathy [0:11:35] – The double empathy problem [0:13:20] – Practical leadership takeaways [0:15:25] – Closing and preview of next topic Keywords leadership empathy, empathetic accountability, empathy and performance, how to hold employees accountable, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, emotional intelligence at work, neurodiversity in leadership, Double Empathy Problem, improving team performance
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    16 mins
  • Striving to understand

    Striving to understand
    Feb 17 2026
    In this episode, you will learn how to practice empathy as a leadership skill in real workplace situations. Kate Johnson is joined by Katharine Manning, author of The Empathetic Workplace, to explore what empathy actually looks like in action. They discuss how leaders can move beyond good intentions and develop practical behaviors that build trust, strengthen psychological safety, and improve performance. You will walk away with clear steps for responding to employees who are struggling, handling trauma-informed conversations at work, and building a culture where people feel seen, heard, and supported—without lowering standards or sacrificing results. If this episode prompts you to think more deeply about trust and connection, download the current free Vulnerability and Leadership Toolkit available from onetwentythree ltd. The worksheets are designed to help you put these ideas into practice immediately and strengthen your leadership habits. Katharine Manning is a speaker, author, and trainer who has spent more than 25 years working at the intersection of trauma and leadership—first as a DOJ attorney advising on responses to crises like the Boston Marathon bombing and the South Carolina AME Church shooting, and now as an expert and thought leader on empathy at work. Her book, The Empathetic Workplace, provides clear direction and support for leaders who want to respond to trauma on the job with compassion, calm, and confidence. Join Katharine’s text list by texting “blackbird” to 833-975-1945 for weekly messages on empathy, leadership, and taking care of ourselves as we take care of others. Katharine Manning - Blackbird | LinkedIn Blackbird Katharine Manning Key takeaways Empathy is a striving to understand another person’s experience, not standing in their shoes. Leadership empathy requires both thought and feeling—cognitive and affective empathy working together. Listening and acknowledging are the foundation of any empathetic response. Psychological safety increases when leaders check in regularly with their teams. Adapting your communication style is part of demonstrating care. Empathy is a powerful risk management tool because trust fuels transparency. Most adults have experienced trauma, so leaders should assume someone on their team may be carrying something heavy. The LASER method (Listen, Acknowledge, Share, Empower, Return) provides a practical framework for responding to trauma disclosures at work. Modeling vulnerability is different from venting; leaders must maintain healthy boundaries. Empathy strengthens accountability and performance rather than weakening it. Timestamps [0:00:05] Framing the conversation: empathy in the workplace [0:01:43] Working definitions of empathy and empathetic leadership [0:04:50] Empathy as a rigorous leadership skill, not a “soft” extra [0:10:06] Shifting from theory to action: what empathy looks like day‑to‑day [0:10:40] Practical tool #1: Regular check‑ins and psychological safety [0:13:28] Practical tool #2: Team “vernacular” (numbers/weather) for honest check‑ins [0:19:50] Trauma‑informed leadership and the “paper cut vs knife wound” metaphor [0:26:01] The LASER technique introduced (Listen, Acknowledge, Share, Empower, Return) [0:32:03] Empathy for self, vulnerability, and the “full cup spills over” idea [0:40:30] Empathy as a risk‑management tool and closing resources for leaders Keywords workplace empathy, empathetic leadership, psychological safety, trauma informed workplace, leadership communication skills, cognitive empathy, affective empathy, accountability and empathy, leadership trust building, LASER method
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    43 mins
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