A Wicked Mess: A Guide To Leading Through Chaos

Building Trust in a Toxic Environment

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535392/fan_mail/new] In this raw and personal episode, Stephanie sits down with former colleagues Kristin Ginter and Kurt Wuerfele to talk about what it takes to build trust inside an unhealthy system. Together, they explore protective leadership, ethical tension, managing up, client advocacy, and the real cost of holding a team together when the larger culture is misaligned. This conversation is for HR and Talent leaders, middle managers, external coaches and consultants, and anyone who has ever wondered whether they are carrying too much for a broken system. It offers a candid look at what practitioners can learn about boundaries, ethics, client care, and the difference between helping a system function and enabling it to avoid accountability. Host: Stephanie Licata, M.A. A.C.C. | Learning & Leadership Consultant  Contact: stephanie@stephanielicata.com Join Stephanie Thursday July 30th  from 11am-12:30pm EDT for a Live-Virtual Masterclass: Consultative Selling for Coaches, Consultants & People Development Pros LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE: https://luma.com/d9alz1p6 Schedule a Call with Stephanie [https://go.oncehub.com/SLicata_Scaling_Smarter] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-licata-m-a-a-c-c-1ab8573/] | Website  [https://stephanielicata.com/] Guests Kristin Ginter | Partner & Co-Founder, ATX Potential LinkedIn  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinginter/]| Website [https://atxponential.com/] Kurt Weurfele, PCC, CPC | Coach & Founder, Life Pass Coaching & Visioneering LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtwuerfele/]| Website [https://www.lifepasscoaching.com/]

Containing Leadership Risk At The Top

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535392/fan_mail/new] What do you do when a toxic or ineffective leader is causing harm, but cannot be removed immediately? In this episode of No Jerks Allowed: Real Talk on Leadership, Stephanie Licata is joined by Ellie Holbert, founder and principal advisor of Empact Advisory Services, to explore how organizations can contain leadership risk at the top. We discuss why damaging leaders often stay in place, the difference between an underdeveloped leader and a power-protective leader, and why coaching is not always the right strategy. This conversation is for CEOs, CHROs, talent/HR leaders, coaches, and consultants navigating leadership behavior that everyone can feel, but few are willing to name. Host: Stephanie Licata, M.A. A.C.C. | Learning & Leadership Consultant  Contact: stephanie@stephanielicata.com Join Stephanie Thursday June 25th  from 11am-1pm for a Live-Virtual Interactive Workshop: Beyond Breakout Rooms: How to Facilitate Engaging Live Virtual Trainings.  LEARM MORE & REGISTER HERE: https://luma.com/a1roa5f1 Schedule a Call with Stephanie [https://go.oncehub.com/SLicata_Scaling_Smarter] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-licata-m-a-a-c-c-1ab8573/] | Website  [https://stephanielicata.com/] Guest: Ellie Holbert | Founder & Principal Advisor, Empact Advisory Services LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-holbert-1b661147/]

Standing Up for Values Without Burning Out

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535392/fan_mail/new] What do you do when your values no longer align with the culture around you,  but speaking up comes with a cost? In this episode of No Jerks Allowed: Real Talk on Leadership, Stephanie Licata talks with Shweta Kelkar, CEO and Founder of the Work360 Foundation, about moral courage, toxic work environments, values-based leadership, and the fine line between standing up for what matters and burning yourself out. They explore how to pause before reacting, choose the right moments to speak up, build allies, protect your energy, and recognize when a system may not allow healthy influence. For talent leaders, coaches, consultants, and anyone questioning whether to stay, speak up, or walk away, this is a grounded conversation about integrity, restraint, and what Shweta calls principled pragmatism. Host: Stephanie Licata, M.A. A.C.C. | Learning & Leadership Consultant  Contact: stephanie@stephanielicata.com Join Stephanie June 3rd from 11am-12:30pm for a Live-Virtual Interactive Workshop: From Coach to Facilitator: Create Trainings Organizations Will Pay For REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/Coach2Facilitator [https://bit.ly/Coach2Facilitator] Schedule a Call with Stephanie [https://go.oncehub.com/SLicata_Scaling_Smarter] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-licata-m-a-a-c-c-1ab8573/] | Website  [https://stephanielicata.com/] Guest: Shweta Kelkar | Sr. IT Transformation Leader & Founder, The Work360 Foundation LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shweta-kelkar/] | Website [https://www.thework360foundation.com/]

A Wicked Mess: A Guide To Leading Through Chaos

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535392/fan_mail/new] In this episode of No Jerks Allowed: Real Talk on Leadership, Stephanie Licata talks with leadership advisor and organizational designer Chelsea Lewis about how leaders can navigate “wicked messes,” complex challenges with no clear definition, easy answer, or clean finish line. Together, they explore why traditional top-down leadership often falls short in chaos, how capable leaders can become the unofficial 911 department, and why real communication requires more than email. This conversation offers practical insight for leaders trying to create clarity, stability, and trust when the path forward is anything but simple. Host: Stephanie Licata, M.A. A.C.C. | Learning & Leadership Consultant  Contact: stephanie@stephanielicata.com Schedule a Call with Stephanie [https://go.oncehub.com/SLicata_Scaling_Smarter] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-licata-m-a-a-c-c-1ab8573/] | Website  [https://stephanielicata.com/] Guest: Chelsea Lewis, PMP | Founder & Principal Advisor at Loomrise Advisory LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseamlewis/] | Schedule a Call With Chelsea [https://calendly.com/chelsea-loomriseadvisory/meeting-with-chelsea-lewis?month=2026-04]

Trauma-Informed Leadership: What It Is (and What It Isn’t)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2535392/fan_mail/new] In this episode of No Jerks Allowed: Real Talk on Leadership, Stephanie Licata talks with Stephanie Lemek, Founder and CEO of The Wounded Workforce, about what trauma-informed leadership really looks like in practice. They explore how leaders can build trust, avoid harm, support accountability, and respond more effectively to stress behaviors at work, without stepping into therapy territory. A grounded conversation for leaders who want to create safer, healthier, higher-functioning teams. Host: Stephanie Licata, M.A. A.C.C. | Learning & Leadership Consultant  Contact: stephanie@stephanielicata.com LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-licata-m-a-a-c-c-1ab8573/] | Website  [https://stephanielicata.com/] Guest: Stephanie Lemek, SPHR, MBA, CTSS, TIWP | Founder & CEO @ The Wounded Workforce® LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanielemek/] | Website [https://www.thewoundedworkforce.com/] Save 15% on Trauma Informed Workplace Certifications from The Wounded Workforce ® with the code: NOJERKS15 Click here to explore various programs! [https://www.thewoundedworkforce.com/trauma-informed-certifications]