Her Resources Podcast

What kind of workplace makes engagement possible? In Episode 89 of the Her Resources Podcast, host Linda Misegadis welcomes Dr. Rosalind "Roz" Cohen, founder of Socius Strategies and author of The Engagement Dilemma: How to Create a Culture of Belonging, for a timely conversation about employee engagement, inclusive leadership, and the future of work. For decades, organizations have invested in engagement surveys, culture initiatives, wellness programs, and leadership development. Yet many employees still feel disconnected from their work, their leaders, and one another. Roz invites leaders to look beyond engagement as discretionary effort and consider the conditions that allow people to contribute at their best. At the center of the conversation is Roz's engagement trifecta: I think, I feel, I belong. Employees need work that engages their minds, an environment where they feel valued, and a culture where they can connect with others while still being recognized for who they are. Linda and Roz also discuss how AI is changing the way organizations define contribution, why HR must be involved in workforce decisions, how the leadership say-do gap erodes trust, and why managers will need stronger human skills as technology takes on more routine tasks. This episode offers practical insight for HR professionals, people leaders, and anyone trying to create a workplace where people feel seen, heard, trusted, and able to belong. Key takeaways: - Engagement must evolve as AI changes tasks and measures of contribution. - Connection and belonging are related, but they are not the same. - Employees are more invested in solutions they help create. - Trust depends on consistent, honest communication when plans change. - Managers need training in coaching, inclusion, and human connection. - Change communication should begin with why the change is happening and how it may affect people. Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/NlNEWv17z5I Connect with Dr. Roz Cohen: Website: https://drrozcohen.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosalindfcohen/ The Engagement Dilemma: https://www.amazon.com/Engagement-Dilemma-Create-Culture-Belonging/dp/1969679085 Connect with Her Resources Podcast: Website: https://www.herresourcespodcast.com/ Podbean: https://herresourcespodcast.podbean.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HerResourcesPodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/her-resources-podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herresourcespodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@her.resources.pod All links: https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast Produced by LJM Productions.

 

00:00 Why engagement and belonging matter now

03:22 Meet Dr. Roz Cohen

03:50 Rethinking employee engagement in the age of AI

08:53 The difference between connection and belonging

12:00 Individual rewards, teamwork, and workplace culture

13:35 The engagement trifecta: I think, I feel, I belong

16:56 Clarity, purpose, and meaningful work

19:18 Inclusive leadership behaviors that create stability

21:12 Listening tours during organizational change

23:53 Employee voice, agency, and shared responsibility

26:47 Trust and the leadership say-do gap

28:59 Radical connection and a sense of purpose

31:03 How organizations create connected cultures

33:08 Why managers need better training and support

34:06 Will AI replace middle managers?

35:42 Vulnerability as a leadership strength

37:46 Human connection during major change

40:13 The first thing leaders should communicate in change

41:54 Change champions, skeptics, and communication

43:49 Why engagement is earned, not mandated

46:25 Three takeaways for leaders, employees, and HR

47:16 Connect with Dr. Roz Cohen

47:52 Final reflection: Would your team feel they belong?

Only a small percentage of employees strongly believe leadership communicates effectively. So what is creating the gap between what leaders think they are saying and what employees actually understand?

In this episode of the Her Resources Podcast, Linda sits down with Heather Redfearn to talk about leadership communication, transparency, trust, employee feedback, change management, AI in communications, and why context matters so much during moments of uncertainty.

Heather shares practical insight into why leaders often overestimate their clarity, how HR and communication teams can help close the trust gap, and why treating employees like adults means giving them the information they need to understand the “why” behind decisions.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why communication is a leadership skill, not just a personality trait
• How leaders can ask for feedback without making employees feel tested
• Why preparation and authenticity can work together
• The role of frontline managers in building trust
• How to communicate difficult changes with humanity and respect
• How AI can support communication without replacing strategy or judgment

Listen now for a thoughtful conversation on corporate communication, employee trust, psychological safety, change leadership, and what it really means to communicate with clarity.

Connect with Heather Redfearn: 

https://heather-redfearn-eng.my.canva.site/internal-communications#home

https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherredfearn/

 

#LeadershipCommunication #HRLeadership #EmployeeExperience #ChangeManagement #WorkplaceTrust #InternalCommunications #HerResourcesPodcast

 

00:00 - The leadership communication gap
03:07 - Heather Redfearn joins the conversation
03:38 - Why leaders overestimate their communication skills
06:17 - Why preparation does not mean losing authenticity
07:56 - The perception gap between leaders and employees
11:07 - Feedback loops, HR, comms, and trusted truth-tellers
16:38 - Why manager effectiveness is a communication barrier
18:36 - Her Resources guest invitation message
19:27 - Preparing managers for difficult conversations
20:27 - Treating employees like adults during change
23:19 - Intent versus impact in leadership communication
28:24 - Why leaders need to explain the why
33:14 - Sponsor message
34:07 - Why leaders filter information
39:51 - Communicating layoffs and major organizational shifts
47:13 - Her Resources sponsorship message
49:34 - AI and the future of communication work
54:24 - The biggest communication blind spots leaders have
55:39 - One immediate shift leaders can make
58:16 - Heather’s one communication rule for leaders
60:01 - How to connect with Heather
60:50 - Final takeaways for leaders and HR teams

In Episode 87 of Her Resources, Linda talks with Ben Tasker about AI, change management, workforce development, and the human side of the future of work.

This conversation explores why AI adoption cannot succeed without people, trust, communication, skills development, and thoughtful leadership. Linda and Ben discuss AI as augmentation rather than replacement, the importance of upskilling and reskilling, the shift toward skills-based learning, and why human skills like empathy, flexibility, adaptability, and leadership matter even more in an AI-enabled workplace.

Connect with Ben: https://www.bentaskerai.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentaskerai

 

00:00 - Who is the future of work being designed for?
03:16 - Welcome Ben Tasker
03:43 - Ben’s path into AI, data, and human-centered change
07:12 - Why AI requires communication, trust, and plain language
12:30 - AI as augmentation, not replacement
14:11 - The AI “between times”
15:32 - Why AI implementations fail without change management
20:17 - Data, systems, and “garbage in, garbage out”
23:00 - People-first AI vs. productivity-only AI
28:41 - Workforce development, upskilling, and reskilling
33:28 - Education, AI, and changing learning models
42:09 - Focus on skills, not job titles
43:33 - The human skills AI cannot fully master
46:54 - How leaders can communicate the why
49:11 - Building a skills-based culture before systems catch up
52:02 - Why optimism still belongs in the AI conversation
53:11 - Rapid-fire takeaways for leaders, employees, and HR
55:40 - The one thing listeners should remember
55:56 - Closing reflection and community CTA

Leadership is not simply about strategy, performance, or position. Every decision a leader makes affects the culture, wellbeing, and lives of the people they lead.

In Episode 86 of the Her Resources Podcast, host Linda Misegadis speaks with international leadership strategist, author, and ICTN founder Fay Niewiadomski about restoring the human side of leadership.

Drawing from five decades of global experience, Fay explains why truly effective leadership requires competence, courage, and compassion. She also shares the deeply personal turning point that caused her to leave a university deanship, rebuild her life, and dedicate her career to developing better leaders.

Linda and Fay explore:

• Why leadership is not defined by a title or position
• The connection between emotions, decisions, and business results
• How “sticky floors” keep talented women from advancing
• Why corporate values often conflict with employees’ lived experiences
• The seven elements of Business EQ
• How self-awareness helps leaders adapt their behavior
• Why high resilience can sometimes increase the risk of burnout
• The consequences of “bankrupt leadership”
• How purpose creates genuine resilience
• Why women need a trusted support system outside the workplace
• Four questions that can help you reassess your life
• A practical framework for communicating boundaries with confidence

Fay also discusses her book, Decisions That Matter: Rethink, Reimagine, Reset Your Life, and challenges listeners to consider who they are when their titles, positions, and other symbols of success are taken away.

Learn more about Fay Niewiadomski:

Fay on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayniewiadomski/

ICTN:
https://www.ictn.com/

Decisions That Matter:
https://www.amazon.com/Decisions-That-Matter-Rethink-Reimagine/dp/1918097054

The Leadership Vault on Substack:
https://fayniewiadomski.substack.com/

ICTN on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ictn-international-consulting-and-training-network/

ICTN on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom9MPMP1osilR8ZIB0TUzA

Connect with the Her Resources Podcast:

Website:
https://herresourcespodcast.com/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@HerResourcesPodcast

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/her-resources-podcast/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/herresourcespodcast/

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@her.resources.pod

All Her Resources links:
https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast

Produced by LJM Productions.

 

Chapters

00:00 The human side of leadership
02:13 A new chapter for the Her Resources Podcast
03:40 Fay’s multicultural leadership journey
05:39 How emotions influence leadership results
06:46 Leadership beyond titles and positions
09:01 How childhood stories shape women’s beliefs
11:36 Challenging inherited beliefs
12:05 Glass ceilings and “sticky floors”
15:25 Decisions That Matter
17:09 What separates exceptional leaders
18:35 When corporate culture is only a slogan
19:23 What workplace culture really means
20:13 Burnout and outdated workplace systems
21:26 Reassessing success in mid-career
25:04 When 17 years of work disappeared
26:10 Who are you without your title?
27:24 Choosing a new life and purpose
28:42 From education to leadership transformation
29:30 Communication, influence, and self-awareness
32:05 Why powerful leaders resist feedback
32:49 Charisma, impression management, and manipulation
34:46 Why women do not need to be strong all the time
36:15 Creating a circle of trust
41:03 The seven elements of Business EQ
43:54 How resilience can contribute to burnout
46:43 Your personality is given; your behavior is a choice
48:50 Adapting your behavior as a leader
50:37 Why our definition of leadership is flawed
52:10 The bankruptcy of leadership
54:03 Purpose and the real source of resilience
55:38 Three habits every leader should develop
57:57 Four questions for reassessing your life
01:02:16 Telling the truth with confidence
01:03:07 A four-part framework for setting boundaries
01:08:03 How to connect with Fay
01:09:27 Final reflections

In this powerful episode of the Her Resources Podcast, host Linda Misegadis sits down with Kisha Wynter, executive coach, author, speaker, and former Fortune 50 HR leader, for a conversation that challenges one of the most common pieces of advice women receive at work: “Just be more confident.”

Kisha reframes the conversation by explaining why confidence alone is not enough. Women are showing up, delivering results, and doing the work — but performance by itself does not always lead to advancement. The missing piece is power literacy: understanding how influence, visibility, relationships, decision-making, and organizational dynamics really work.

Together, Linda and Kisha explore why high-performing women often feel stuck, how “power leaks” show up in everyday language and behavior, why the invisible org chart matters just as much as the formal one, and how women can reclaim their power without compromising their values or integrity.

This episode is for women in leadership, HR professionals, emerging leaders, and anyone who has ever wondered why working harder was not enough to move forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why “be more confident” is incomplete advice
• How power differs from confidence
• The role of invisible organizational influence
• Why performance alone may keep you employed but not necessarily promoted
• How women unintentionally give power away through power leaks
• Why relationships should be built before you need them
• How to navigate power without becoming political or manipulative
• What it means to multiply power and bring others with you

Connect with Kisha Wynter:

Website: https://www.yourpowerunleashed.org/
Book: https://www.yourpowerunleashed.org/booklaunch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisha-wynter-338323138
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kishawynter/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KishaWynter

Connect with Her Resources Podcast:

Website: https://www.herresourcespodcast.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HerResourcesPodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/her-resources-podcast/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herresourcespodcast
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@her.resources.pod
Email: info@herresourcespodcast.com

 

00:00 The confidence myth for women at work
02:32 Welcome to Episode 85 with Kisha Wynter
03:16 Why “be more confident” became the default advice
06:37 Working inside systems that were not designed for everyone
12:59 The difference between confidence and power
18:03 Why titles do not automatically create influence
19:53 Hard work, meritocracy, and the limits of performance
22:28 The visible org chart vs. the invisible power chart
25:34 How to read your organization and its language
28:07 Why senior leaders must shift from execution to alignment
32:37 Why high-performing women still get overlooked
36:53 Power leaks: shrinking, hesitating, and over-accommodating
42:15 Multiplying power and helping others rise
43:50 Power, politics, manipulation, and values
48:07 The likability tightrope for women leaders
52:24 Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated
54:47 Why incomplete advice does not scale
56:15 Three things women can do to reclaim power now
59:26 Doing the pre-work before the meeting
1:03:00 Kisha’s story behind Your Power Unleashed
1:07:26 Linda’s key takeaways
1:08:18 Where to find Kisha Wynter
1:09:02 Closing thoughts

In Episode 84 of the Her Resources Podcast, Linda Misegadis welcomes Stacey Lewis, Founder and CEO of HR Interrupted, for a direct and human-centered conversation about AI, HR leadership, reskilling, layoffs, employee responsibility, and the future of work. Together, they ask the question every organization should be wrestling with right now: as work changes, who is the future actually being designed for?

AI is changing work quickly, but Stacey Lewis reminds us that the future of work cannot be built on efficiency alone.

In this episode of the Her Resources Podcast, Linda Misegadis sits down with Stacey Lewis of HR Interrupted to talk about HR’s role in shaping the future of work, the tension between employers and employees, why transparency matters during change, and how leaders can use AI as a tool without losing the human side of work.

This conversation explores reskilling, layoffs, return-to-office tension, employee responsibility, leadership accountability, and why HR must move beyond transactional work into strategic, human-centered decision-making.

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and episode framing
01:51 Stacey Lewis returns to the Her Resources Podcast
03:15 Where HR sits in the AI conversation
05:23 AI as a tool, not a replacement for human touch
06:17 The growing tension between employers and employees
11:29 Are we losing the spirit of work?
13:30 HR’s role in layoffs and human-centered decisions
15:33 Her Resources guest invitation break
16:05 Why AI job disruption needs guardrails
20:35 The need for honesty with the workforce
22:00 Work is a relationship
24:23 Real reskilling, not performative reskilling
27:25 Preparing the next era of workplace leaders
29:31 LGM Productions break
30:03 Skilled trades, frontline work, and workforce gaps
33:47 How HR can pivot like consulting firms have
35:04 The IKEA example and human-centered redesign
39:06 Why HR is not “everybody else” in the organization
41:37 HR’s responsibility to protect and serve the workforce
43:12 Better ways to handle layoffs
46:28 Stacey’s PSA for HR leaders: get a coach and therapist
49:17 Her Resources sponsorship break
50:20 Why dehumanizing layoffs damage trust
54:20 HR must track trends and understand the business
56:57 Future HR skills: data, technology, and engagement
58:45 What true reskilling requires
01:00:17 Reskilling for the industry, not only one company
01:03:40 Rethinking when and how work gets done
01:08:50 Flexibility comes with responsibility
01:09:27 The future of work is everyone’s responsibility
01:10:34 Designing the future of work with intention
01:13:21 Final reflections and how to connect with Stacey

Relevant Links
Stacey Lewis / HR Interrupted: https://hrinterrupted.com/
About Stacey: https://hrinterrupted.com/about/
Stacey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceyvarnadolewis/
HR Interrupted Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrinterrupted/
HR Interrupted Linktree: https://linktr.ee/HRInterrupted
Her Resources Podcast: https://www.herresourcespodcast.com/
Her Resources Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast

In this episode of the Her Resources Podcast, Linda welcomes Lily Zheng, FAIR strategist, consultant, and author of Fixing Fairness: 4 Tenets to Transform Diversity Backlash into Progress for All, for a timely conversation about what it really takes to build fairer workplaces.

Lily challenges the idea that good intentions are enough and explains why many DEI efforts fail when they focus on optics, one-time training, or individual self-reflection without changing the systems that shape workplace outcomes. Linda and Lily discuss the FAIR framework, how HR leaders can reduce discrimination through better processes, why “hiring the best candidate” requires examining the actual hiring system, and how leaders can communicate fairness as a win-win for everyone.

This conversation is practical, honest, and especially relevant for HR leaders navigating backlash, polarization, and the pressure to create meaningful change without performative fluff.

 

Show Notes Links
Lily Zheng’s website: https://www.lilyzheng.co/
The FAIR Framework: https://www.lilyzheng.co/fair-framework
Lily’s authorship and book links: https://www.lilyzheng.co/authorship
Fixing Fairness publisher page: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803298/fixing-fairness-by-lily-zheng/
Lily Zheng on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilyzheng308/
“How FAIR Is Your Workplace?” diagnostic, shared by Lily: https://tinyurl.com/FAIRDiagnostic
HBR article, “What Comes After DEI?”: https://hbr.org/2025/01/what-comes-after-dei
Her Resources Podcast website: https://www.herresourcespodcast.com/
Her Resources Podcast on Podbean: https://herresourcespodcast.podbean.com/
Contact Her Resources: https://www.herresourcespodcast.com/contact
Sponsorship or guest inquiries: contact@herresourcespodcast.com

 

00:00 Welcome and episode introduction
02:31 Meet Lily Zheng
03:03 Lily’s journey from activism to organizational strategy
07:25 Why traditional DEI efforts often miss real impact
11:11 “Fear of Finding Out” and why measurement matters
14:25 DEI as marketing versus meaningful workplace change
16:18 What hiring discrimination data reveals
18:28 How centralized hiring can reduce discrimination
20:17 Why Lily wrote Fixing Fairness
22:17 The Cobra Effect and when good intentions backfire
27:51 Moving from blame and shame to shared solutions
30:21 The FAIR framework
31:35 Why systems matter more than self-help
36:38 “Hiring the best candidate” and the reality of hiring systems
41:18 Why fairness problems are solvable
45:29 Lily’s take on unconscious bias
49:44 DEI backlash and what remains when the language disappears
51:56 The FAIR tenet organizations struggle with most
53:39 Practical steps HR leaders can take today
55:55 The mindset shift leaders need around fairness
58:09 AI as a multiplier in workplace systems
1:02:01 Closing reflections
1:02:54 Where to connect with Lily
1:03:27 Wrap-up and listener CTA

Why do we keep falling back into the same patterns, even when we know we want something different?

In this episode of Her Resources, Linda sits down with Katherine Flechaus, LCSW and founder of Aligned Core Life Coaching, to talk about the deeper patterns behind overcommitting, overexplaining, people-pleasing, and struggling to set boundaries.

Katherine introduces the idea of “safeguards,” patterns of behavior that may have developed to protect us, help us belong, or keep relationships feeling safe. But over time, those same patterns can start costing us our energy, confidence, voice, and well-being.

Together, Linda and Katherine explore why awareness alone is not always enough, how old beliefs can keep us stuck, why change often feels uncomfortable at first, and how to begin interrupting automatic responses with more compassion and curiosity.

If you have ever felt like “the reliable one,” said yes when you meant no, or wondered why setting boundaries brings up so much guilt, this conversation will help you see yourself with more grace and clarity.

Resources mentioned:

Katherine Flechaus Counseling and Consulting:
https://www.katherineflechauscounselingandconsulting.com/

Safeguard Pattern Mapping Worksheet:
https://site.alignedcorelifecoaching.com/safeguardpattern-herresources

 

Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 Why this conversation builds on “the reliable one”
02:14 Meet Katherine Flechaus
04:09 The gap between knowing and doing
06:09 What safeguards are and why we develop them
07:24 How women are conditioned to be nice, quiet, and accommodating
09:34 Why old patterns once helped us feel safe
12:18 Reframing the question from “what’s wrong with me?”
16:19 Why normalizing patterns removes shame
17:17 Looking at your origin story without blame
20:12 Turning old survival skills into strengths
21:47 Why we default back to old behaviors
22:09 Katherine’s Google Maps analogy for thought patterns
24:51 What are you protecting: belonging, identity, or relationships?
26:06 The cost of being the reliable one
28:43 Noticing burnout, resentment, and missed opportunities
29:37 Core beliefs and why old thoughts still feel true
33:36 Gathering evidence for a new belief
37:09 How stress and old patterns show up in the body
40:10 Why mantras alone may not create lasting change
41:29 Why change takes longer than we want it to
43:17 Building resiliency when old beliefs get triggered
46:43 Why relapse can be part of change
50:17 What we owe other people when we start setting boundaries
51:57 Teaching people how to respond to the new version of us
54:29 Starting with one small “no”
56:21 A practical pause for interrupting the pattern
57:15 Katherine’s worksheet for mapping your safeguard pattern
58:28 Questions to ask in the moment
01:00:45 Katherine’s reminder: you are not broken
01:03:30 Key takeaways from the episode
01:04:44 Connect with Katherine and download the worksheet