The Leader's Journey Podcast

In this episode, Trisha and Nate talk about how to get the most out of a coaching relationship. They explore what makes coaching effective, why it requires active participation, and how clients can show up in ways that lead to real growth. From setting the agenda to asking better questions, they offer practical insights for both new and experienced coaching clients.
 
Conversation Overview
Coaching Requires Active Participation

Curiosity Over Expertise

Focus on Your Own Actions

Coaching is a Conversation

Finding Value in Required Coaching

 
Resources
 
The Leader's Journey Podcast: Being Coachable 
 
Nate Pyle - The Leader's Journey

*This episode was originally published in July, 2023. 
In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Chuck DeGroat to talk about the natural reactivity we have to anxiety. We've talked a lot about fight and flight, conflict and distancing, but we don't always add two other instinctive reactions: freeze and fawn. 
We may aspire to peace-making but we often settle for peace keeping and people-pleasing. When we can see our fawn response, we can stop hiding and courageously choose genuine connection instead.
Conversation Overview: 
Chuck's tweet that inspired this conversation
How does the fawn response mimic healthy connection while also undermining it?
How does the fawn response show up in leadership?
How do we connect the fawn response to anxiety?
What might we do instead of fawning?
References: 
Link to Chuck's Tweet
Chuck Degroat Website
https://twitter.com/chuckdegroat
@chuckdegroat on Threads
Janina Fisher 
The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization
Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

Asking a question seems simple, but it's often where communication breaks down. In this episode, Trisha focuses on how the way we ask questions shapes the responses we get, the relationships we build, and the outcomes we experience. She explores the difference between genuine curiosity and hidden agendas, how poorly formed questions can create confusion or defensiveness, and what it looks like to ask questions that invite clarity, trust, and deeper understanding in real-life situations.
 
Conversation Overview
Why asking questions is harder than it seems
The difference between curiosity and control in questions
How assumptions shape the questions we ask
The impact of tone, timing, and intent
Questions that open vs. questions that shut down conversation
Practicing better questions in everyday leadership and relationships
Resources
 
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier
 
Change Your Questions Change Your Life: 12 Powerful Tools for Leadership, Coaching and Life by Marilee Adams, PhD
 
Find Us on YouTube
 
Explore the Series: 
 
Episode One  - How to Have a Conversation
Episode Two - Moving Past the Memo - Conversations in Organizations
Episode Three - When Talking Isn't Enough

In this episode, Trisha sits down with Mac to explore what happens when dialogue has run its course, and agreement still is not possible. While healthy organizations value conversation, listening, and discernment, there are moments when leaders must move forward even when consensus cannot be reached.
Together, they examine two common leadership traps. Some groups skip meaningful dialogue and rush to decisions. Others stay in conversation indefinitely, believing that enough discussion will eventually produce agreement. Trisha and Mac discuss how leaders can avoid both extremes by creating clear processes for decision making, defining responsibility, and building the maturity required to remain connected even when people disagree.
Throughout the conversation, they reflect on the deeper work that takes place in these moments. Leadership is not only about making good decisions but also about who people become as they navigate conflict, disappointment, and differing convictions together.
 
Mac is a pastor and leadership team member with The Leader's Journey. His work focuses on helping church leaders grow in emotional maturity, navigate difficult conversations, and develop healthier leadership cultures within their organizations.
 
Conversation Overview
Two Common Ditches in Dialogue

When Consensus Becomes a Barrier

Defining Yourself Without Demanding Agreement

Deciding How Decisions Will Be Made

Authority, Responsibility, and Leadership Clarity

Staying Connected When Disagreement Remains
 

References and Resources 
 
Mac McCarthy - The Leader's Journey
Register for the "When Dialogue Isn't Enough" conversation on March 26
Find Us on YouTube

In this episode, Trisha sits down with Rick to talk about how communication really works inside organizations. They move beyond announcements and memos to look at communication as an ongoing cultural process that shapes trust, clarity, and effectiveness. Together, they explore how messages change as they move through layers of leadership, why first-line supervisors matter so much, and what makes listening across teams challenging, especially in times of change. Throughout the conversation, they return to a simple idea: communication gets better when leaders pay as much attention to what they are hearing as to what they are saying.
 
Rick Rarick is a leadership coach and former Human Resources and Management Development executive with Levi Strauss, the Coca-Cola Company, Fiserv, and Invesco. During his professional career, Rick was responsible for helping his organizations define their vision and purpose, develop talent pipelines, and create cultures where people were committed to their work and each other. His work with clients is grounded in coaching the whole person: including the mental, emotional, and spiritual self. His approach to leadership is about taking initiative, defining a vision, and helping those around you be successful.
 
Conversation Overview
Communication as Culture, Not an Event

Continuous Flow vs. Big Announcements

The Critical Role of Supervisors and Context

Listening and Feedback

Communication Across Levels and Silos

Leadership Self-Awareness and Assumptions

 
Resourses
Rick Rarick at The Leader's Journey
The Leader's Journey Blog
https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersjourney