I’m joined in this episode by Margie Cobb, Director of Branches Worldwide, an organization I’m also proud to be a part of. Margie has a wealth of views on a global scale working with leaders and entrepreneurs from all over the world and at all stages of business in her role at Branches.

Margie and I talk about the importance of recognizing and considering your own lens on resilience, leadership, impact, and community, how her own faith and beliefs shape how she thinks about leadership, tapestry as a metaphor for a career journey, and the difference between healthy resilience and just surviving.

Margie Cobb serves as the Director of Branches Worldwide, where she equips global entrepreneurs to grow in faith, leadership, and community impact. With over 30 years of experience in leadership development, Margie is deeply passionate about servant leadership and the power of strong, Christ-centered communities.

Originally from Texas, Margie now lives in Wooster, Ohio with her husband Bruce. Together, they have three adult children and two wonderful grandchildren.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why long-term support and community are essential to transformational leadership
• How leadership development has been a consistent thread in the tapestry of Margie’s career
• The elements of entrepreneurship and leadership that cross language, culture, and geography
• Why helping business owners create community impact is a core part of mentorship at Branches Worldwide
• How everyone benefits from sharing space and ideas with people at various stages of their businesses and careers

Learn More About Margie Cobb:

• Branches Worldwide: https://www.branchesworldwide.org
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margiecobb3/

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated: https://www.talentelevated.org

What if creating a great culture has less to do with programs and more to do with how we lead every day?

In this conversation, I talk with Kristen Fox about what it really takes to create a workplace where people can thrive. Kristen shares why curiosity and vulnerability are such powerful leadership tools, how to build the trust needed for honest feedback, and why leaders need to take responsibility for creating the conditions for their people to succeed.

Kristen Fox is a senior human resources executive with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate growth, transformation, and cultural change. Her career has spanned healthcare, higher education, and some of the world’s largest and most complex operations.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How moving from “expert” to curious leader can unlock the talent around you
• Practical ways to build trust so people feel safe giving honest feedback
• The powerful lesson Kristen learned from her rowing coach about putting people in the right “seat”
• How to create psychological safety by meeting your team where they are
• Why leaders can save time by involving the people who created an outcome in solving the problem
• How to discern between issues with performance, fit, or a lack of the right supports

Learn More About Kristen Fox:

• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-fox-hr-executive/

Learn More About Heather Smith and Talent Elevated:

• Talent Elevated: https://www.talentelevated.org

What does leadership require of us when the old story of work no longer works?

That’s the question I explore in this conversation with Jonathan David Lewis, president and partner at McKee Wallwork and author of The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need.

Jonathan and I talked about how dramatically the world of work has changed and how many of the assumptions that shaped previous generations no longer resonate with today’s workforce. If we’re trying to solve new problems with an old story, we’re going to struggle to find the right solutions.

One of the ideas that really stayed with me is Jonathan’s metaphor of “getting behind the stroller.” Leadership means recognizing that we have a responsibility to the people and communities around us, even when we didn’t choose the circumstances we’re leading through.

I loved this conversation because Jonathan doesn’t pretend that the changes we’re navigating are easy. Instead, he offers a different way of looking at them: things may be crumbling, but that doesn’t mean they have to stay that way. We can rebuild.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why today’s workforce is experiencing what Jonathan calls “transactional, futureless suffering”
• The leadership challenge of this moment
• What leaders need to create instead of optimizing everything for efficiency
• Why our people need a quest—a meaningful challenge and a future they can believe in
• What organizations look like when they rediscover their identity and get their “mojo” back
• What it means to answer the call to become a rebuilder

Mentioned:

• The Rebuilders: Daily Foundations for the Leaders We Need
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't, Jim Collins
• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Simon Sinek

Learn More About Jonathan David Lewis:

• McKee Wallwork
• Connect on LinkedIn

Learn More About Heather Smith:

• Talent Elevated