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Leadership Lab: Confidence Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Career Growth for Women Leaders
Leadership Lab: Confidence Skills, Emotional Intelligence, and Career Growth for Women Leaders
Leadership Lab is a leadership development podcast for female mid-level managers and emerging women leaders. Hosted by Jamie McKinney, a former C-Suite leader turned executive coach, it offers practical tools for building confidence, emotional intelligence, and authentic self-leadership. Each episode provides warm, actionable advice to help women trade self-doubt for unshakeable confidence. Listeners can practice and apply what they learn in the community at jamiemckinney.com/lab.
Episodes
Meditation, The Secret Habit Behind Every High Performer
You don't need an hour, a cushion, or silence to meditate. Two minutes is enough to change how you show up at work. On this episode of Leadership Lab, host Jamie McKinney talks with Rachel Tenenbaum, NeuroTransformational Executive Coach and founder of I AM Living and co-founder of The Reset Room, about meditation for busy professionals, and what it looks like when your calendar is already ful
Confident Communication: Words to Stop Saying at Work Right Now
That instinct to soften your ask, apologize first, or ask permission before you speak could be costing you the room. Jamie McKinney says confident communication starts with spotting five common forms of powerless speech and swapping them for language that gets you heard.Jamie points to a research from Stanford on performance reviews that shows women often receive vaguer feedback than men, then con
Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills Starting Today With Tactical Empathy
Most negotiation advice tells you to push harder or hold your ground longer. Jonathan B. Smith says the real leverage is empathy.Jonathan is a negotiation expert and trainer with The Black Swan Group. He trained directly under Chris Voss, co-authored the bestseller Fight Less, Win More, and has spent years teaching executives how strong negotiation skills come from understanding the other person b
Why Female Athletes Make Resilient Business Leaders
What do 94% of female C-suite executives have in common? They played sports. On Leadership Lab, host Jamie McKinney talks with Bonnie Bernstein, founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions. Bonnie spent three decades as an Emmy Award-winning journalist covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and college sports for ESPN, ABC, and CBS. She created ABC's The Champion's Edge, a series that follows women a
Executive Presence Tips to Speak With Authority in Any Room
You do not need the deepest voice or the tallest frame to own a room. Executive presence is a skill that can be learned at any stage of your career. Jamie McKinney's guest this week has spent more than a decade teaching it to Fortune 10 leaders, yet he developed those same skills himself as a self-described shy kid who once wanted to disappear.Jeff Davenport, an executive communication coach a
Assertive vs. Aggressive: A Female CEO's Playbook for Being Direct
Women are often told to be clear, confident, and decisive, then questioned the moment they are. Cyre Mercedes Quiñones knows that tension well, and she has built her leadership around proving that direct does not mean aggressive.The CEO of iMasons joins Jamie McKinney on Leadership Lab to unpack assertive vs. aggressive communication, the line so many ambitious women feel they're constantly wa
Positive Intelligence for Women Leaders: How to Name Your Saboteur and Take Back Control
The voice telling you you're not ready? It has a name. And you can stop it.Positive Intelligence for women leaders is the framework Jamie McKinney wished she had found sooner. She found it at the lowest point of her life, and when it worked where everything else had failed, she knew it had to be part of the Leadership Lab.Through the story of Sydney, a driven and capable woman who spent 11 mon
Emotional Intelligence: The Leadership Skill Nobody Taught You
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the gap holding most ambitious women back - not IQ, not strategy, not credentials, not work ethic. Host Jamie McKinney believes EQ is the leadership skill almost no one was taught, and it's quietly keeping talented women from the next step in their careers. The good news? EQ is a skill. You can learn it and grow it.Through the story of Kate, a high performer who
Identifying and owning your gifts
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, labcats! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney dives into one of her favorite topics—uncovering and owning your unique strengths, gifts, and superpowers. Too often, especially for women, we downplay or overlook what makes us truly exceptional, assuming everyone has the same abilities. But as Jamie McKinney reminds us, the qualities and skills that come natural
Financial well-being
Welcome to episode 15 of the Leadership Lab podcast! In this special conversation, Jamie McKinney sits down with financial experts Kathleen Phillips and Chelsea Kessler to tackle a topic that is often overlooked in leadership circles: financial confidence and security. As women who grew up hearing that money talk was taboo, our hosts and guests break down those old paradigms to show how mastering
Leadership vs Management: Mindset Shifts Every Aspiring Leader Should Know
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, the podcast where leadership is approached as an experiment, and growth is the ultimate goal! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes Ryan Castle, co-founder of Level 10 Leaders - a global leadership development system praised for helping leaders focus on what truly matters. With stories from the front lines of leadership transformation, Ryan shares inspir
Impress Top Leaders: A Proven Checklist for Leading Efficient and Effective Meetings
Welcome to the Leadership Lab! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney is joined by Jim Beilstein, Vice President of Global Operations and Supply Chain at Owens Corning’s insulation business. With over two decades of leadership experience across supply chain, manufacturing, and innovation, plus a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, Jim Beilstein brings a deep well of insight on what truly makes meeting
From Stress to Strength: Transformative Nervous System Strategies for Leaders
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, where practical leadership wisdom meets real-world application. In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes nervous system business coach Lindsay Troxell for an insightful conversation on stress, resilience, and how our bodies profoundly shape our leadership capabilities.Did you know that more than half of employees, and especially women, show up to work feeli
How Support Systems Shape Leadership Success and Career Pivots
Welcome back to the Leadership Laboratory podcast! In today’s episode, hosts Jamie McKinney and Katerina Yared dive deep into the art of career mapping and how to truly take ownership of your professional journey. Katerina Yared, a dynamic energy scientist with more than 20 years of experience across the traditional and new energy sectors, shares her powerful story of resilience, curiosity, and pe
Holistic Leadership: Applying Work Skills to Secure Better Healthcare Outcomes
Welcome to another episode of the Leadership Lab podcast, where holistic leadership takes center stage – exploring how self-care outside of work is just as important as leading effectively within the workplace. In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Dr. Maggie Teliska, a trailblazing chemist and senior battery energy storage technical manager at Transgrid Energy. Not only is Maggie
Speaking Up at Work: Strategies for Making Your Voice Stand Out
Welcome to the Leadership Lab podcast! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Dena Lund, a trailblazing retired CEO and chemical engineer with three decades of experience leading organizations through transition and growth in the oil and gas industry. Jamie and Dena dive into the all-too-common challenge of making your voice heard in the workplace, especially when pitching new ideas o
Progress Over Perfection: Experimental Leadership Tools for Real-Life Success
Welcome back to Leadership Lab, where we don’t just talk about leadership theory, we experiment with real, practical steps you can instantly apply. On today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Lauren Palandino, a seasoned continuous improvement professional, to tackle one of the most elusive challenges facing high achievers: work-life balance.But Lauren didn’t just try to chase balance -
The Power of Candid Feedback: Growing as a Leader in Challenging Environments
Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Leadership Lab! In today’s show, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Emily Zanto, a process engineer and project manager at Anvil Corporation, to explore the journey of claiming your seat at the table—especially when the environment can be daunting. Emily opens up about her path from a new engineering graduate to becoming the youngest member of her compan
How Intersectional Data Drives True Gender Equity in the Workplace
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab! In today's episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with the whip-smart and inspiring Katica Roy, a renowned gender economist, former Global 500 executive, and CEO who's making waves on national media and in boardrooms across the country. Katica shares her unique journey, from being the daughter of immigrants and refugees to becoming a LinkedIn Top Voice a
Overcoming Career Static: Building Confidence and Clarity in Your Leadership Path
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab podcast! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney sits down with Missie Hills, an accomplished engineer and strategy leader with more than 16 years in the energy industry. Missie shares her journey of finding clarity in her career path a struggle so many of us face, and how a series of “leadership experiments” helped her cut through the mental noise to identify he
Leadership vs Management: Mindset Shifts Every Aspiring Leader Should Know
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab, the podcast where leadership is approached as an experiment, and growth is the ultimate goal! In this episode, host Jamie McKinney welcomes Ryan Castle, co-founder of Level 10 Leaders - a global leadership development system praised for helping leaders focus on what truly matters. With stories from the front lines of leadership transformation, Ryan shares inspir
Conquering Imposter Syndrome: Four Steps to Tame Self-Doubt and Build Confidence
Welcome to the Leadership Lab! In today’s empowering episode, host Jamie McKinney tackles a familiar foe for so many high-achievers - imposter syndrome. If you’ve ever felt that lurking doubt or questioned whether you truly belong in your position, this episode is your go-to pep talk. Jamie shares relatable stories from the Leadership Lab community and introduces a major reframe: what if it’s not
Progress Over Perfection: Building Confidence and Authenticity in Your Leadership Journey
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab podcast! In today’s episode, hosts Jamie McKinney and Vanessa Bower dive deep into the journey of stepping into your power as a leader—especially when it means getting outside your comfort zone. Jamie introduces Vanessa, ADP’s Talent Practice Lead, who candidly shares her transformation from feeling plagued by imposter syndrome to confidently leading presentation
Challenge Self-Limiting Beliefs and Become the Leader You Are Meant to Be
Welcome back to the Leadership Lab podcast! In today’s episode, host Jamie McKinney is joined by Bonnie Hudson, a trade compliance expert with a diverse background in aerospace, government regulations, and languages, who brings a passion for putting people first and influencing change through emotional intelligence. Together, they dive into the concept of “career ownership” and why it’s so crucial
Breaking Barriers: How Jamie McKinney Became a Voice for Confident Women in Business
Welcome back to Leadership Lab! In this episode, we turn the spotlight on our host, Jamie McKinney. Interviewed by Lane Taylor, Jamie shares her personal journey from being one of the only women in the automotive refinish and energy industries to becoming an award-winning empowerment coach and author. You’ll hear how workplace challenges, unexpected pivots, and powerful moments of learning shaped
Launching Leadership Laboratory: Building Confidence and Community for Women Leaders
Welcome to the very first episode of the Leadership Lab, where leadership is not a destination - it's an experiment. In this launch episode, Lane Taylor sits down with the host, Jamie McKinney, to unpack what listeners can expect from this brand-new show designed for both seasoned and aspiring leaders. Jamie shares her vision for the Leadership Laboratory: a supportive space to try out new lea
Welcome to Leadership Laboratory with Jamie McKinney
Coming Thursday, August 28th! Leadership Laboratory is hosted by Jamie McKinney and designed for ambitious working women and forward-thinking organizations ready to transform the way they lead.In this trailer episode hear the vision for the podcast—sharing lessons from inspiring leaders who have experimented with their own leadership styles, tested bold strategies, and embraced both their successe
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