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Better Understanding with Susan MacKenty Brady

Better Understanding with Susan MacKenty Brady

Written by: Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership
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 Explore new ways to live, lead, and collaborate more effectively with Susan MacKenty Brady.Copyright 2026 Better Understanding with Susan MacKenty Brady Careers Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Success Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Less Is the New More: Leading with Clarity in an Overloaded World

    Less Is the New More: Leading with Clarity in an Overloaded World
    Feb 9 2026
    In this episode of The Better Understanding, leadership expert Juliet Funt shares a simple but powerful idea: doing less can help you achieve more. Today’s leaders are ambitious and hardworking, but constant busyness can drain energy, creativity, and focus. Juliet explains why the “always-on” mindset - made even more intense by AI and nonstop communication - keeps many leaders stuck in reactive mode. She offers practical ways to reclaim your time and headspace, including: Building white space wedges—small pauses between meetings to reflect, process, and plan. Cutting out tasks, meetings, and obligations that aren’t adding value. Simple strategies for managing email, meetings, and endless to-dos. Tips for leaders at every stage—from those just starting out to senior executives under heavy pressure. Juliet shows how giving yourself even a few minutes of margin each day can boost clarity, creativity, and influence. This episode is packed with actionable insights for any leader who wants to work smarter, not just harder.
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    30 mins
  • Breaking Barriers at the Top of the Game: A Conversation with Kim Davis

    Breaking Barriers at the Top of the Game: A Conversation with Kim Davis
    Feb 3 2026
    In this episode of the Better Understanding Podcast, host Susan MacKenty Brady sits down with Kim Davis, Senior Executive Vice President of the National Hockey League and the 2026 Helen G. Drinan Visionary Leader Award recipient. Kim reflects on a career shaped by disruption—from navigating mergers early in financial services to leading large-scale cultural change in professional sports. She shares how learning to operate amid ambiguity prepared her to balance results and humanity, accountability and connection. Throughout the conversation, Kim offers practical leadership wisdom, including her “Three P’s” framework—Preparation, Passion, and Purpose, her distinction between mentors and sponsors, and her conviction that inclusion is not charitable—it is a growth strategy. She speaks candidly about patience, resilience, and protecting personal energy, as well as what it means to lead authentically as a woman of color in traditionally homogeneous executive spaces. This episode is a masterclass in values-based leadership—illustrating how trust is built through vulnerability, how influence compounds over time, and why connection is not a soft skill, but a core leadership capability tied directly to performance.
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    33 mins
  • Beyond Good Intentions: How Men Can Be True Allies for Women at Work

    Beyond Good Intentions: How Men Can Be True Allies for Women at Work
    Sep 2 2025

    Too often, men want to support women in the workplace—but don’t know how. In this episode, Brad Johnson and David Smith break down the myths, fears, and missed opportunities that hold men back from being effective allies. They share data-driven insights and real stories about what women say makes the difference, and how mentorship and sponsorship can open doors that change careers—and cultures.

    3 Takeaways You’ll Learn:

    • Why allyship isn’t just good for women—it makes organizations stronger.
    • How to move past fear and hesitation to take meaningful action.
    • Simple, powerful practices of listening, humility, and courage that all leaders can adopt.

    This conversation is a call to action for leaders everywhere: to listen with humility, lead with courage, and actively create workplaces where women can thrive.
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    38 mins
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