What does leadership look like when the playbook breaks down?

In this episode of The Leadership Tea Podcast, Shelby and Belinda reflect on what crisis management requires from leaders when events are unfolding in real time.

Drawing from their own experience in high-pressure environments, they discuss calm under pressure, executive presence, hard personnel decisions, internal communication, and the practical ways leaders can keep teams steady when everything feels uncertain. They also highlight the importance of knowing your people before a crisis begins and accepting support when the usual playbook no longer applies.

This is a grounded conversation about leadership, resilience, and what it takes to move people to action when the stakes are high.

Reach out for Coaching

The Leadership Tea Podcast is brought to you by Grounded and Global Advisory, LLC. Grounded and Global is led by two former senior U.S. diplomats with 50 combined years of experience managing crises in the world's most complex environments. Our services include executive and leadership coaching (see here for our premier Centered Leader Program), crisis management consulting, strategic advisory, and workshop facilitation. We serve high-performing individuals who operate in unique spaces, such as athletes, universities, small businesses, and non-profits. Please contact us at hello@stirringsuccess.com.

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AI is moving fast, but leadership still requires judgment.

In this episode, Shelby and Belinda are joined by Nadeen Matthews, Founder and CEO of Crescent Advisory Group, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership in the age of AI.

Rather than focusing on hype or tools alone, Nadeen explains why leaders need to connect AI to business strategy, customer impact, employee readiness, and organizational risk. She also breaks down what executive AI fluency really means, why bias and fairness remain critical concerns, and why women must take their seat at the AI table.

This episode is a practical, human-centered look at how leaders can engage AI with more wisdom, responsibility, and clarity.

NOTE: Since this episode's recording, Claude has surpassed ChatGPT in terms of Apple store downloads; some other data mentioned in this episode may have changed.

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Hard conversations are part of the job, and avoiding them costs more than most leaders realize.

In this episode, Shelby and Belinda share a practical framework for navigating difficult conversations at work with clarity, boundaries, and discernment. They share executive-level strategies for adapting communication styles across different contexts, setting boundaries without overexplaining, and using silence as a powerful tool. Shelby also introduces a practical framework for hard conversations, clarifying the What, the Why, and the How, so leaders can prepare intentionally instead of reacting in the moment.

The episode also explores the limits of chat-based communication and why leaders must choose the right tool for the message to build trust and real community.

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We publish new episodes every other Wednesday.

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