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The Modern Manager

The Modern Manager

By: Mamie Kanfer Stewart
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Host Mamie Kanfer Stewart shares practical approaches to help you be a great manager. Learn more at: https://themodernmanager.com/ Solo episodes are like mini-courses, providing actionable tips based on experience and research. Guest episodes are engaging conversations that elicit insights and suggestions for how to apply the ideas. Learn more about effective meeting practices, communication skills, managing conflict, team building, time management, group dynamics, goal setting and accountability, team competencies, productivity and collaboration technologies, organizational culture, and more. Be sure to follow the podcast on your favorite platform so you never miss a new episode!© 2021 The Modern Manager Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 400: Tackle the Five Sources of Stress at Work with Amy Leneker

    400: Tackle the Five Sources of Stress at Work with Amy Leneker
    Mar 24 2026
    Stress is something every manager experiences. Tight deadlines, constant decisions, competing priorities; it can feel like pressure is simply part of the job.Most leaders treat stress like one big, unavoidable force. In reality, stress isn’t just one thing. It appears in different forms, and each requires a different response. When leaders don’t understand the source of their stress, they often try to solve the wrong problem or end up stuck in cycles of overthinking and burnout.Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a practical framework for understanding stress and turning it into something leaders can actually manage.Amy Leneker is a former C-suite executive, a leadership advisor to Fortune 100 companies, and the author of Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy. Her work focuses on helping leaders identify the sources of stress in their work and create simple systems to reduce it while increasing clarity and joy.In this conversation, we explore the different types of stress leaders experience, how stress flows through teams, and practical ways managers can help their teams talk about stress more openly and productively.Conversation Topics(00:00) Introduction(01:34) Why isn't all stress the same, and why that matter for leaders(04:12) The different types of stress managers experience at work(07:25) Why identifying the source of stress is the first step to solving it(10:48) How unmanaged stress quietly spreads through teams(14:22) Why leaders often underestimate the stress their words create(18:36) Helping teams talk about stress without judgment(22:41) Why unclear priorities create unnecessary stress for teams(27:18) Practical ways leaders can reduce stress while improving clarity and trust(30:02) Simple leadership habits that create more moments of joy at work(33:01) [Extended Episode Only] The three-step “unstressing” method for identifying and solving stressors(36:21) [Extended Episode Only] A powerful team exercise that revealed 73 hidden stressors(41:58) [Extended Episode Only] Avoiding toxic positivity and creating real moments of connection on your team📚 Additional Resources:✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nZOOgSIPaHiVT4PukpfR74wy8Drp-Lzah9AHMhadf3s/edit?usp=sharing ✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ ✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle ✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Keep Up with Amy Leneker- Follow Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy.leneker/- Check out her book Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy. https://www.amazon.com/Cheers-Monday-Surprisingly-Simple-Method/dp/1394388802Guest Bonus: Book Giveaway 3 Copies of "Cheers to Monday"Amy is giving away 3 copies of her new book, Cheers to Monday: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Lead and Live with Less Stress and More Joy. You must enter the drawing by April 17th.To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!#Leadership #TeamLeadership #WorkplaceStress #LeadershipSkills #ManagementTips #LeadershipDevelopment #BurnoutPrevention #TeamManagement #ManagerTips #FutureOfWork
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    34 mins
  • 399: How to Build Radical Trust Through Better Listening with Leilani Garrett

    399: How to Build Radical Trust Through Better Listening with Leilani Garrett
    Mar 17 2026
    Empathy is often talked about as a “soft skill,” but in reality, it can be one of the most powerful leadership strategies for building trust, improving collaboration, and helping teams perform at their best.When leaders understand the experiences and stories that shape how people think, communicate, and respond under pressure, they can lead in ways that make team members feel truly seen and supported. But empathy at work isn’t just about being kind or having surface-level conversations. It requires curiosity, listening, and taking action based on what you learn.This week’s guest shares practical ways leaders can bring empathy into everyday workplace interactions, from asking better questions to creating small moments where team members can share their stories and build stronger connections.Leilani Garrett spent more than two decades in corporate sales and leadership, navigating high-stakes environments, leading teams, and closing multi-million-dollar deals. Today, she’s a creative force redefining leadership, connection, and culture through storytelling. Her work bridges personal growth and organizational impact, helping leaders and teams break down silos, build trust, and show up more fully human.In this conversation, we explore how empathy strengthens leadership, why curiosity is essential for understanding your team, and simple activities managers can use to create deeper trust and collaboration.Join the conversation now!Conversation Topics(00:00) Introduction(02:29) What empathy really means at work(04:19) Recognizing our shared humanity(06:46) Creating space for honest conversations with your team(08:50) Why listening matters more than relating(12:11) Identifying procedural roadblocks that affect your team(15:47) Why curiosity is essential for empathetic leadership(17:59) Recognizing and celebrating quiet contributors(19:46) Building trust by repeating what people say(22:18) Why teams stop sharing personal stories over time(26:03) Examples of empathetic leadership in practice(31:39) [Extended Episode Only] Questions that spark meaningful conversations(33:16) [Extended Episode Only] Using stories to bring empathy into decisions📚 Additional Resources:✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s24gnyedl7h6XumSMgQSaT9489bw661mUCOBlfqAgEQ/edit?usp=sharing ✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ ✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle ✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Keep up with Leilani Garrett- Connect with Leilani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilanigarrett/- Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lahhnee/Guest Bonus: 20% Off Leilani’s ServicesLeilani provides leaders and teams with tools to communicate more honestly, lead more empathetically, and thrive collectively. Learn more about her services here. Discount is available through August 2026.To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!#Leadership #EmpathyInLeadership #ManagementSkills #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #TheModernManager #MamieKanferStewart #LeadershipPodcast
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    30 mins
  • 398: Become a Change Leader, Not Just a Change Manager with Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta

    398: Become a Change Leader, Not Just a Change Manager with Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta
    Mar 10 2026
    Change is constant. But too often, leaders treat change as a project instead of a core leadership skill.That’s when teams disengage, resistance grows, and initiatives stall. The problem isn’t the change itself. It’s how it’s led.Fortunately, this week’s guest shares a powerful new approach to help leaders guide their teams through uncertainty, build trust, and turn resistance into meaningful progress.Yvonne is a Change Management Strategist & Advisor, Founder of The Change Leadership, Author, and a Change Leadership Advocate with over 20 years of experience helping professionals and organizations lead and navigate change in today's disruptive environment.In this conversation, we explore the difference between change leadership and change management, how empathy and adaptability drive adoption, and why resistance is one of the most valuable signals leaders can receive.Get FREE mini-episode guides with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Join the conversation now!Conversation Topics(00:00) Introduction(01:34) Change leadership vs. change management(04:24) Core change leadership skills every manager needs(06:50) Adaptive leadership and the head, heart, and hand model(09:42) Empathy and understanding how others hear change(11:36) Leading AI adoption and understanding impact first(14:50) The change curve and why people react differently(18:55) Involving stakeholders early to avoid failure(21:48) Transparency, trust, and early communication(24:26) Why resistance to change is valuable feedback(27:29) Designing better communication through real questions(29:26) The role of trust in strong leadership relationships(31:22) [Extended Episode] Avoiding performative change(36:45) [Extended episode] Driving change adoption(39:19) [Extended Episode] When feedback creates insight📚 Additional Resources:✨ Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BO4nUYvWB6iEJDa1tMiJzBI-xL_d1TtcIVx53OS8fAs/edit?usp=sharing ✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ ✨Upskill your team: https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle ✨Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Keep Up with Yvonne Akpoveta- Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneakpoveta/- Access free resources here: https://oliveblue.com/resources- Visit her website: https://thechangeleadership.com/Guest Bonus: Discount on your virtual or in-person ticket to Change Leadership Conference 2026At this one-day event, you’ll gain practical strategies, build peer connections, and elevate your credibility as a change leader in a world of constant disruption.Members get $150 off In-person tickets and $45 off Virtual tickets. Promo codes expire April 30th.The Change Leadership Conference is on May 27, 2026.Get your ticket here: https://thechangeleadership.com/change-leadership-conference-2026#ticketsTo get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!#ChangeLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementSkills #TeamLeadership #ResistanceIsAGift #TheModernManager #MamieKanferStewart #OrganizationalChange #FutureOfWork
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    33 mins
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