The Impact List

007: You Don't Build Trust in Easy Moments. On Leadership & Finding Your People | Michael Murphy

You know the person who's working against you? The one where the tension is real, the dynamic is off, and neither of you is saying it out loud? Michael Murphy was that person for Laurie. And instead of letting it become permanent, they named it. What happened next shaped the kind of leader Michael became and the kind he now deliberately builds around him. Michael Murphy is a Partner and AI Operating Model Lead at ADAPTOVATE, a global consultancy helping large organizations build the agility to drive transformation. He spent two decades inside some of the most complex change environments in North America and Europe, including senior roles at Deloitte's Human Capital practice where he led agile transformations across Canada, the US, and Germany and co-authored Deloitte's Global Adaptable Organization Methodology. In this episode, they get into his "Consulting Scared Straight" framework, what the apprenticeship model looks like when AI is reshaping the entry-level path, and why the legacy that actually matters has nothing to do with the PowerPoints. In this episode, you'll discover: * Why the leaders who admit failure build more trust than the ones who pretend they don't have it * Why the entry-level consulting path looks fundamentally different in the AI era * The General McChrystal decision-making approach * What "finding your people" has to do with followership, retention, and the kind of legacy worth leaving * Why humour is a trust-building tool and how to use it deliberately without losing the room We talk about: * 00:00 Where Michael and Laurie started * 05:00 The pressure cooker of early consulting life and the bad behaviors it breeds * 10:00 Learning to have the trade-off conversation: saying no without losing credibility * 12:00 The "Consulting Scared Straight" deck: what it is, who sees it, and why Michael built it * 15:00 Why the apprenticeship model is broken in a virtual world and what replaces it * 20:30 Modeling vulnerability, running retros, and the social contract of rolling up your sleeves * 22:00 Using humor deliberately to build trust and diffuse threat inside client organizations * 28:00 What the consulting apprenticeship path looks like now compared to when Michael started * 30:00 Why AI won't kill consulting, and what it will kill * 33:00 The messy human work that technology still can't do * 35:00 The legacy that actually matters (hint: it's not the PowerPoints) Connect with Michael * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmurphyto/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmurphyto/]  * Website: https://www.adaptovate.com/ [https://www.adaptovate.com/]  Connect with me * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors [https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors]  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/] * Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/]  * Website: https://amplified-authenticity.com/ [https://amplified-authenticity.com/]  Music created and produced by Riley Fouchier, DarkSky Productions

006: You Can't Lead From Empty. What Burnout & the Nervous System Are Telling You | Caroline Baird

What if the most powerful thing a leader can do... is stop? In this episode of The Impact List, Laurie Fainer sits down with Caroline Baird, HR executive, leadership strategist, and holistic coach with more than 30 years of experience inside some of the largest organizations in North America. Caroline has held senior HR leadership roles inside multi-billion dollar companies, sat at the table for complex culture challenges, and now runs her own practice working with executives and leadership teams at the intersection of strategy, culture, and what she calls somatic leadership. This conversation gets into what's actually happening to leaders right now - the exhaustion that gets misread as burnout, and why we've spent decades training people to carry more without teaching them how to lead without losing themselves. Caroline breaks down what the body signals before the mind has words for it, what white space actually looks like inside a real calendar, and why the leaders who slow down are often the ones who lead best. Because leadership, as Caroline sees it, is always a choice, even when the choices are hard. In this episode, you'll discover: * Why the exhaustion most leaders are carrying isn't a workload problem and what it actually is * What your body signals before your mind has words for it * The cost of burnout * What white space actually looks like * How to reclaim your calendar * How to push back on an organizational culture that runs on urgency and availability * What agency actually looks like when you don't love your options We talk about: * 00:00 Introduction * 05:00 Showing up with abundance in entrepreneurial spaces and why it matters * 07:00 The legacy question: what kind of leader do you want to be? * 11:00 The cost of "do" culture and what it takes to stop * 15:00 The nervous system, fight-or-flight, and what it means to feel safe as a leader * 17:00 Shifting beliefs, not just behaviors * 24:00 White space as strategy and what it looks like in practice * 28:00 The calendar audit * 31:00 Leading inside a culture that doesn't support you slowing down * 36:00 Agency, choice, and the truth about where your power lives * 39:00 The three leaders who shaped Caroline's trajectory Connect with Caroline * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinebaird1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinebaird1/]  * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caroline_baird_coaching/ [https://www.instagram.com/caroline_baird_coaching/]  * Website: https://carolinebaird.com/ [https://carolinebaird.com/]  Connect with me * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors [https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors]  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/] * Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/]  * Website: https://amplified-authenticity.com/ [https://amplified-authenticity.com/]  Music created and produced by Riley Fouchier, DarkSky Productions

005: When Leadership Feels Stuck. What's Really Happening Beneath the Surface | Numrah Irfan

Most leaders are trained to treat a stall as a failure signal - something to push through, smooth over, or explain away. Numrah Irfan sees it differently. In this episode of The Impact List, Laurie Fainer sits down with Numrah Irfan, founder of Wren Ave Consulting and former Deloitte leader with over two decades of experience inside large-scale transformation. Numrah makes a case that the moments where progress seems to stop are often where the most important work is actually happening - if you're willing to name what's underneath rather than keep moving. This conversation is practical and honest. It covers what actually blocks transformation (hint: it's rarely the strategy), how Numrah has built confidence without needing to have all the answers, and why she believes relationship building is the golden key to everything. In this episode, you'll discover: * Why progress that feels stuck is often a signal, not a failure * What leaders are really saying when they go silent in the room * Why human dynamics - not strategy - are almost always the real blocker * How to build confidence as a leader without needing to have the answer * The difference between having the answer and helping build the path * Why the relationships you invest in now will come back tenfold We talk about: * 00:00 Intro * 04:30 Letting go of perfection and redefining priorities * 08:30 Why leadership is messy, and why that matters * 12:00 Reframing “stalls” as opportunities for alignment * 16:00 The human side of transformation and decision-making * 20:00 Taking risks and building confidence without certainty * 24:30 You don’t need all the answers to lead effectively * 28:00 The power of relationships, mentorship, and community * 32:00 Leadership lessons from experience, both good and bad * 36:00 Defining impact, results and human connection Connect with Numrah * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/numrah-irfan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/numrah-irfan/]  Connect with me * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors [https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors]  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/] * Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/]  * Website: https://amplified-authenticity.com/ [https://amplified-authenticity.com/]  Music created and produced by Riley Fouchier, DarkSky Productions

004: The Best Leaders Don’t Have the Answer. Here’s What They Do Instead | Hannah Yardley

The best leaders don’t have all the answers, and the ones who think they do often hold their teams back. In this episode of The Impact List, Laurie Fainer sits down with Hannah Yardley - who has spent two decades advising Fortune 500 companies, leading people strategy at a global SaaS platform, and earning a seat at some of the most consequential executive tables in tech -  to explore the leadership mindset shift from expert to leader, and what great leaders do instead.  She’s also back in school, in a room with 47 strangers: defense workers, oil refinery managers, school teachers, people who are - right now -  shaping how she leads today. That’s not a contradiction. That’s the point. As your career grows, so does your experience. One of Hannah's most important discoveries is that the more experience you accumulate, the more intentional you have to be about when to use it - stepping back, asking better questions, and trusting others to think, decide, and lead. This is the shift from being the smartest person in the room to building rooms full of capable people. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why the best leaders don’t rely on having all the answers * How a strong leadership mindset is built through curiosity, not control * Why perfection is one of the biggest barriers to effective leadership * How to create clarity and structure without micromanaging your team * The role of emotional intelligence in modern leadership * How to build trust and psychological safety within your organization * Why strong leadership skills require letting go of control We talk about: * 00:00 Leadership starts with how you think * 02:30 Finding perspective and staying grounded as a leader * 04:00 Curiosity vs judgment in leadership * 05:30 The importance of flexibility in leadership roles * 08:30 The shift from giving answers to asking better questions * 11:30 Decision-making and leadership clarity at the executive level * 13:00 Defining roles and responsibilities in leadership teams * 15:00 Why structure and boundaries improve performance * 17:00 Letting go of control while maintaining direction * 21:00 Unlearning the need to have all the answers * 22:30 Building confidence and capability within your team * 26:00 The importance of peer support in leadership * 28:00 Why leadership doesn’t have to be isolating Connect with Hannah * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahyardley/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahyardley/]  * Website: https://www.achievers.com/ [https://www.achievers.com/]  Connect with me * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors [https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors]  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/] * Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/]  * Website: https://amplified-authenticity.com/ [https://amplified-authenticity.com/]  Music created and produced by Riley Fouchier, DarkSky Productions

003: Kindness Is Not a Soft Strategy. How Simona Costantini Builds Businesses That Actually Care

What if you’re not burnt out… you’ve simply outgrown the life you built? In this episode of The Impact List, Laurie Fainer sits down with Simona Costantini, Founder and CEO of VOLT Productions, to talk about what it actually looks like to build a business rooted in values - not as a mission statement, but as a daily operating decision. Simona's values are kindness, care, and connection. She doesn't just say that. She turns away clients who don't reflect them. She doesn't care when her team works as long as the work gets done. She leads a podcast production agency supporting more than 20 shows a week from a place of genuine investment in the people around her. This conversation gets into the leadership she wished she'd had, what she unlearned from corporate, and the question she comes back to constantly: are you adding more good into the world, or more noise? The answer shapes everything. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why burnout is often misidentified misalignment * The identity shift required to move from employee to entrepreneur * Why overgiving is one of the biggest risks in leadership * The role of self-awareness in building a sustainable business * Setting boundaries without losing kindness or connection * How corporate environments shape behavior and what to unlearn * Why emotional regulation is a critical leadership skill * Creating a culture where people feel seen, heard, and valued We talk about: * 00:00 Intro * 02:00 The reminder that life can change at any moment * 04:00 Entrepreneurship, leadership, and holding both life and business * 09:00 Becoming the leader you needed * 10:30 Building a business rooted in kindness, care, and connection * 14:00 Language, leadership, and removing hierarchy * 18:00 Unlearning overgiving and redefining “enough” * 23:00 Emotional regulation and perspective * 26:30 Creating cultures where people feel seen and heard * 33:00 Choosing yourself and building a life on your terms Connect with Simona * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simona__costantini [https://www.instagram.com/simona__costantini] * VOLT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volt.productions [https://www.instagram.com/volt.productions] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simona-costantini-25653a30/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simona-costantini-25653a30/] * Website: https://www.voltproductions.co [https://www.voltproductions.co]   Connect with me * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors [https://www.instagram.com/dynamicalchemyadvisors]  * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamic-alchemy-advisors/] * Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriefainer/]  * Website: https://amplified-authenticity.com/ [https://amplified-authenticity.com/]  Music created and produced by Riley Fouchier, DarkSky Productions