What kind of world would we be living in if those in power weren’t leading from unhealed wounds?

Raj Sisodia, co-author of Healing Leaders Now, joins me on the Live Brave Podcast to explore the profound connection between personal healing and leadership impact. Whether we realize it or not, what we have not healed within ourselves shapes the way we lead, influence, decide, and connect.

Unresolved trauma does not stay private. It gets amplified.

Raj shares his deeply personal journey of what he calls his “year of conscious awakening,” a period that included silent retreats, spiritual journeys, coaching, and confronting buried wounds he didn’t even know were there. That inner work reshaped not only his life but his philosophy of leadership.

We explore why minimizing our wounds keeps us stuck, how unconscious patterns derail even the most senior leaders, and why healing is not self-indulgent; it is a leadership responsibility.

Resources:

Read my latest book, The Courage Gap: ⁠https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/⁠

Transform discomfort into bold, confident action: The LinkedIn Course ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/learning/activating-courage-transform-discomfort-into-bold-confident-action

About Raj Sisodia

Described as an “Intellectual Shaman” in a book with that title, Raj Sisodia has been on a mission to bring caring, humanity, and healing to business and capitalism since the 2007 publication of his groundbreaking book Firms of Endearment: How World Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose. A founding member and Chairman Emeritus of the Conscious Capitalism movement

Raj is co-author of the New York Times bestseller Conscious Capitalism (2013) and Wall Street Journal bestseller Everybody Matters (2015)

Book: Healing Leaders 7 Steps to Recovery of Self

Website: https://rajsisodia.com/

Disappointment hurts. It arrives when what we hoped for collides with what actually happened—when people fall short, plans unravel, or a future we were counting on quietly disappears. And yet, disappointment isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s evidence of care.

In this episode, I explore the anatomy of disappointment—why it cuts so deeply, especially when it involves people we trusted or outcomes we were attached to. She unpacks how our expectations, often unexamined, intensify our pain—and how learning to hold hope without gripping too tightly can help us move forward with a wiser heart, not a closed one.

You’ll learned why disappointment with people so often hurts more than disappointment with events, how unrealistic expectations quietly set us up for heartbreak, and how to look inward with honesty without self-blame. Margie draws a crucial distinction between optimism and attachment, trust and naivety —offering language and insight for moments when trust has been shaken or broken.

This is not about lowering your standards or giving up on people or life. It’s about growing wiser without losing compassion. Guarding your heart without hardening it, transforming disappointment into refining discernment rather than diminishing hope.

Because while disappointment will visit us all, it doesn’t get the final word.

In this episode, I will help you trust that the dots connect backward, and that sometimes the disappointments we think are ruining our path are actually revealing it.

Resources:

Read my latest book, The Courage Gap: https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/

Transform discomfort into bold, confident action: The LinkedIn Course https://www.linkedin.com/learning/activating-courage-transform-discomfort-into-bold-confident-action

Our identity - as people and leaders - isn’t forged in one defining moment. It’s built over time, through small choices that test our values long before the stakes feel high. In this conversation with JoAnne S. Bass, the first Asian American and first female to serve as Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force where she was responsible for nearly 800,000 serviceman, we discuss how practicing courage in small ways early in our careers expands our capacity to exercise courage in big ways when the stakes are greater as our careers progress and influence grows.

JoAnne shares her journey from trying to blend in early in her career to embracing her identity as a leadership strength, even when it risked disapproval. We talk about the decisions that strengthened her integrity and why values matter more than certainty. If you’ve ever hesitated to speak up or wondered what leadership is asking you to grow into, this episode invites a more honest look at the moments shaping you now.

Get my book The Courage Gap: https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/

Transform discomfort into bold, confident action: The LinkedIn Course https://www.linkedin.com/learning/activating-courage-transform-discomfort-into-bold-confident-action

About Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne S. Bass

Joanne Bass made history in 2020 when she became the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force—the first woman to serve as the highest-ranking enlisted leader in any branch of the U.S. military responsible for over 780,000 servicemen and women. Her appointment marked a transformative moment for the armed forces and for leadership at large. Over her 31-year career, she has been a relentless trailblazer. Today, she advises organizations, serves on nonprofit boards, and speaks globally on leadership, culture, and service.

JoAnne S. Bass on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-bass/

Like it or not, change is coming. The question is: will you participate in it consciously, or spend your energy resisting what's already in motion?

Whether change arrives as a disruption you didn't choose or as a quiet whisper you can't ignore, both ask the same thing of you—let go of what's familiar. And that can shake your sense of who you are. Who are you without the roles, routines, or identities that have defined you up until now?

My recent trip to Egypt reminded me that even the most enduring structures don't stay the same. The pyramids are still standing, but they've been shaped by thousands of years of weather, time, and human touch. Part of us craves permanence and certainty. Another part of us is always being invited to grow, evolve, and step forward. That tension lives in all of us—especially when we're standing at a threshold.

In this episode, I share three practical ways to move through change with more courage and emotional clarity:

• How naming what you're resisting actually loosens its grip

• Why fear of loss drives more resistance than fear of change itself

• Why discomfort isn't a warning sign—it's an invitation to grow into a bigger version of yourself

Change might feel threatening, but it also carries the seeds of renewal, resilience, and deeper alignment with who you're becoming.

Join me for the Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/courage-is-calling-reset-on-your-bravest-path/

Get my book The Courage Gap: https://margiewarrell.com/thecouragegap/

"There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." A line from Leonard Cohen's 1992 song Anthem that feels especially true when purpose starts to feel unclear.

So many people hit a point where the clarity they once had around their purpose begins to crack. What felt certain starts to crumble, and it's easy to think you've somehow lost your way or that something's gone wrong with you.

But here's what takes courage to see: those cracks aren't signs of failure. They're often where purpose gets to re-form itself—not through figuring it all out alone in your head, but through honest conversation, real reflection, and the brave souls willing to walk the uncertain path alongside you.

In this Live Brave podcast episode, I sit down with Richard Leider—whose bestselling book The Power of Purpose, now in its 4th Edition - to explore why disillusionment might actually be an invitation. Not to give up on purpose, but to let it evolve into something truer and more alive.

Join me in February for the Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/courage-is-calling-reset-on-your-bravest-path/

✉️ Stay connected https://margiewarrell.com/newsletter/

About Richard Leider

Richard Leider, founder of Inventure – The Purpose Company, is one of America’s preeminent executive-life coaches. He is ranked by Forbes as one of the “Top 5” most respected executive coaches, and by the Conference Board as a “legend in coaching.” Richard has written twelve books, including three best sellers, which have sold over one million copies and have been translated into 20 languages. The Power of Purpose (4th edition) is considered a classic in the personal growth field.

Get Richard’s books

Learn more about Richard.

Website: https://richardleider.com/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardjleider/

What happens when trust in leaders and institutions breaks down? In this episode, I'm joined by journalist and speaker Mariana Atencio, who grew up in Venezuela and witnessed firsthand what happens when trust slowly erodes across government, media, and social systems. That lived experience reshaped her understanding of courage, purpose, and self-trust. Her story isn't just about politics. It's about what we can all learn when certainty disappears and fear starts shaping decisions.

We explore why self-trust is foundational to great leadership, how personal adversity can clarify purpose, and why authenticity is so vital in a fractured and polarized world. Mariana shares her concept of a "signal audit" to help leaders stay grounded when external validation falls away, and the power of giving ourselves permission to be imperfect to lead with greater courage and humanity. This conversation is an invitation to trust yourself more deeply and to lead bravely, even when the ground feels unsteady.

Sign up for Mariana's Substack, PERMISSION TO BE by Mariana Atencio:
https://substack.com/@marianaatencio?r=56ynk2&utm_medium=Click

About Mariana Atencio

Mariana Atencio is a Peabody Award-winning Venezuelan American journalist,
bestselling author, and keynote speaker who helps leaders build trust and lead high-
performing teams in times of change. A former Univision anchor and NBC News
correspondent, she reported for over a decade from high-stakes environments where
truth is tested and courage is essential. Mariana also teaches executive
communication—helping professionals speak with clarity and confidence when it
matters most. Her TEDx talk "What makes YOU special?" has over 25 million views.
She writes PERMISSION TO BE by Mariana Atencio on Substack—an honest,
practical space for anyone ready to give themselves permission to speak, lead, and be
fully themselves.

Join me in February for the Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/courage-is-calling-reset-on-your-bravest-path/

✉️ Stay connected https://margiewarrell.com/newsletter/

Leadership today is more complex, faster-paced, and more uncertain than ever before, and I see how that's leaving many capable leaders stuck between playing to win and playing not to lose. In this episode of the Live Brave Podcast, I'm joined by Alan Guarino, who I worked alongside for many years, and together we reflect on what modern leadership truly demands when clarity is elusive and the stakes feel higher.

Drawing on decades of advising senior leaders and insights from his new book Greatness Code, Alan shares a practical framework for sustained success built on social capital and five essential qualities: stamina, courage, resilience, persistence, and passion. Together, we explore how leaders can redefine success beyond titles, prepare for life after peak roles, and build leadership capacity that lasts across an entire career.

This conversation offers a grounded look at leadership as a long game, shaped by character, relationships, and the choices we make when certainty isn't guaranteed.

Alan's book: Greatness Code

Alan Guarino is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1982. His father immigrated to the United States in the 1920's, and then left school after the eighth grade, Alan was raised by working class parents to value service, and strive to achieve. Like many Baby Boomers, he has lived the American Dream—rising from humble beginnings to become a trusted advisor to global leaders.
Over the course of his career, Alan has advised and recruited hundreds of top executives—guiding careers, transforming boards, and helping organizations around the world execute their strategies.

Join me in February for the Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/courage-is-calling-reset-on-your-bravest-path/

✉️ Stay connected https://margiewarrell.com/newsletter/

So often we tell ourselves that growth will come once we feel more confident, more prepared, or more certain. But what I've learned, through my own life and through conversations like this one, is that growth usually begins much earlier than that.

I sit down with Lisa Nichols to explore what happens when we stop waiting and start saying yes. Yes to what's already within us. Yes to the next step, even when it feels unfamiliar. And yes, to using our gifts, rather than focusing on what we think we lack.

Lisa shares the deeply personal story behind her book Something Extra, inspired by her daughter Allie, and how that journey reshaped the way she thinks about courage, leadership, and possibility. Together, we talk about comparison and how easily it pulls us off course, the quiet ways we hold ourselves back, and why stepping forward before we feel ready is often the very thing that changes us.

This conversation is an invitation to notice where you might be sitting on the sidelines of your own life and to consider what could shift if you simply said yes and stepped in.

My question for you:

Where are you being invited to say yes right now, even if a part of you would rather wait until you feel more ready?

Get Lisa's book Something Extra: https://somethingextrabook.com/

Join me in February for the Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/courage-is-calling-reset-on-your-bravest-path/

✉️ Stay connected https://margiewarrell.com/newsletter/