The Modern Manager

About 95% of people believe they’re self-aware, but research shows only 10–15% actually are. And that gap matters, especially for managers.
Self-awareness shapes how we communicate, make decisions, handle conflict, and interpret others’ behavior. When we don’t understand what’s driving our reactions or how our actions land, we risk creating friction, bias, and misunderstanding on our teams without realizing it.
Fortunately, this week’s guest helps us unpack what true self-awareness really is, where it comes from, and how managers can develop it in practical, grounded ways.

Dr. Helen Fagan is a leadership development expert and author of Lead Like People Matter. Drawing on neuroscience, intercultural research, and decades of coaching leaders, Helen explains how our values, cultural conditioning, and unconscious brain systems shape how we show up at work and what it takes to interrupt patterns that no longer serve us.

In this conversation, we explore how to notice emotional reactions before they hijack us, how to give feedback without attacking identity, and how managers can build self-awareness in themselves and their teams without it feeling awkward.
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
(02:20) What self-awareness actually means (and common misconceptions)
(04:02) How culture and values shape workplace behavior
(07:41) Why different work styles aren’t “wrong,” just different
(10:13) How unconscious beliefs influence leadership decisions
(12:56) Using emotional reactions as data, not direction
(16:46) Recognizing physical signals of stress and reactivity
(19:40) Naming emotions to reduce conflict and improve communication
(33:37) Helping someone build self-awareness without making it personal
(39:29) [Extended Episode] System 1 vs. System 2 thinking and emotional hijacking
(42:14) [Extended Episode] Practical ways to re-engage logic during emotional moments

📚 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/1UYUZ9dQXgxgvbwBKbhAd5DmmwMBMQbEzT8v4UQRVIh4/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨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 Dr. Helen Fagan

- Connect with Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drhelenfagan/
- Visit her website: https://helenfagan.com
- Listen to the Because People Matter podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/because-people-matter/id1752004691
- Check out her new book, Lead Like People Matter: https://a.co/d/50tCCbw

Guest Bonus: 50% Discount on IDI Assessment and Debrief

Take the IDI Assessment, which is a psychometric assessment tool that we use for people to gain self-awareness for how they navigate human differences. Get the assessment, your results, and a meeting with one of our Qualified Administrators to better understand their results, as well as a development plan for how to use your results moving forward.

Normally priced at $400, get this incredible offer for only $225!
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
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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!

You already have a personal brand, whether you’ve chosen it or not. And every meeting, email, and interaction at work is quietly shaping it.

Many managers assume personal branding is about being visible online or promoting yourself. But in reality, it’s about how you show up, how others experience working with you, and what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s essentially your reputation.

This week’s guest helps us unpack what personal brand really means at work and how to be intentional about it without feeling inauthentic, salesy, or self-promotional.

Andy Storch is a keynote speaker, author of Own Your Career, Own Your Life and Own Your Brand, Own Your Career, and host of multiple podcasts. He works with leaders and managers to help them build reputations that earn trust, influence stakeholders, and attract opportunity. In this episode, we explore how your internal behaviors, external presence, and everyday choices combine to shape your brand and how small shifts can make a big difference over time.

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.

If you want more influence, stronger relationships, and greater career opportunities without becoming an “influencer,” this conversation will help you lead with clarity and intention.

Join the conversation now!

Conversation Topics
(00:00) You already have a personal brand
(02:07) What a personal brand really is (and why it matters at work)
(04:54) Internal vs external brand: how reputation is formed
(07:01) How small behaviors quietly shape how others see you
(10:29) The balance between humility and visibility
(12:50) How to assess your current brand with self-reflection and feedback
(17:49) Why building your brand isn’t fake; it’s intentional
(22:01) Appearance, perception, and owning your choices
(27:11) What great leaders are remembered for long-term
(35:27) [Extended Episode] Using values to guide what you share publicly
(36:08) [Extended Episode] How celebrating your team strengthens your leadership brand
(38:12) [Extended Episode] Networking, relationship-building, and long-term opportunity

📚 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/1CyrOt9hWfHFy54Dg6px0nJZOFChrfNcEXsZ0rF4k1Xg/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨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 Andy Storch

🔸 Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/
🔸 Visit Own Your Career, Own Your Life (book) here: https://ownyourbrandbook.com
🔸 Explore Andy’s work and podcast here: https://andystorch.com

Guest Bonus: FREE Digital Copy of Own Your Brand, Own Your Career

Andy Storch and Mike Kim—two seasoned experts in career development, personal branding, and thought leadership—show you how to position yourself for lasting success strategically. Drawing from decades of experience helping corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders around the world, they reveal how to:
→ Identify and clarify your unique value, story, and message
→  Build credibility and visibility inside and outside your organization
→  Use modern platforms and tools to share your expertise effectively
→  Create opportunities for promotions, career pivots, and business ventures
→ Stay authentic while amplifying your impact

Packed with real-world examples, step-by-step frameworks, and actionable exercises, this book will equip you to take control of your professional reputation and future—before someone else defines it for you.
To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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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!

#PersonalBrand #ReputationManagement #Leadership #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #CareerAdvice #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceSuccess #InfluenceAtWork

Hiring a friend can feel both generous and like a leadership landmine waiting to explode.
Good intentions aren’t enough when power dynamics shift, boundaries blur, and personal relationships collide with professional expectations. The risk isn’t just losing a friendship; it’s undermining trust, fairness, and team culture if the situation isn’t handled thoughtfully.
Fortunately, this week’s guest helps us unpack how to navigate one of leadership’s most uncomfortable decisions with clarity and integrity.

Dr. Cindi Baldi is the founder and CEO of Culsure, a management science firm, co-host of the Management Muse podcast, and co-author of the Uncertainty Playbook. From blackjack dealer to PhD in organizational behavior, Cindi has seen the full spectrum of workplace behavior. Now she helps leaders across the country understand their people better through data and decades of consulting experience. Cindy explains when hiring a friend can work, when it absolutely won’t, and how to protect both the relationship and the organization if you decide to move forward.

You’ll learn how to say no to a friend without damaging the relationship, what boundaries must be set upfront if you do hire them, and why conflict style in friendships is a strong predictor of workplace behavior.
In the extended conversation, Cindy goes deeper into the hidden risks of managing friends, including what must be off-limits once a friend reports to you, how oversharing personal information can undermine fairness and trust, and how to lead with integrity when professional and personal lines start to blur.
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) The hidden risks and rewards of hiring a friend
(03:03) Why friendships change once power dynamics enter the picture
(06:00) Using social capital responsibly when recommending friends
(12:42) What you can legitimately vouch for when referring someone
(15:11) When hiring a friend actually makes strategic sense
(17:03) The bias trap leaders fall into with people they like
(20:25) How to protect fairness when making the hiring decision
(22:36) Setting expectations before your friend starts the job
(27:02) Power dynamics that make hiring a friend a bad idea
(30:31) [Extended Episode Only] What to do when your friend applies but isn’t a good fit
(36:29) [Extended Episode Only] Preventing personal boundaries from bleeding into work

📚 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/1bDdd0ol67WBTmohak12Nyi8XKXUOvWjVWfG4edyXDvo/edit?usp=sharing
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨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 Cindi Baldi

🔸 Connect with Cindi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindibaldi 

🔸 Follow Management Muse on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/management-muse-podcast/ 

🔸 Subscribe to Management Muse on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ManagementMusePodcast 

🔸 Follow Management Muse on Instagram: https://instagram.com/managementmuse 

🔸 Follow Management Muse on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/managementmusepodcast 

Guest Bonus: 3 Book Giveaway: The Uncertainty Playbook: 14 Strategies for Work Success in a Chaotic World

There is a blizzard of uncertainty—technological, geopolitical, demographic, climate-related, and more—impacting us at work today, and it is only accelerating.  Drawing on two decades of research and practice by organizational scientists Geoffrey Tumlin and Cindi Baldi, this book equips readers with essential strategies to grow and even flourish in unstable times.

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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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!

Salary conversations are inherently complex and challenging, filled with hidden traps. They are high-stakes, deeply personal, and blend factors like budgets, fairness, expectations, and emotions. Since these discussions are infrequent, many managers lack the necessary practice, which adds to the difficulty.

Fortunately, this week’s guest breaks down exactly how to navigate compensation conversations with confidence, clarity, and leverage, without damaging relationships or risking the offer.

John Gates is an author and founder of Salary Coach, where he helps C-suite executives and senior leaders negotiate higher compensation packages without risking their job offers or future relationships. John’s unique approach, born from his extensive experience in corporate recruiting, consistently helps his clients secure 10-20% more in their pay packages, even in challenging job markets.

In this episode, we explore the biggest mistakes candidates and managers make when discussing pay, how to respond to the dreaded “What are your salary expectations?” question, and how to negotiate thoughtfully before an offer is on the table. If you want to avoid losing great candidates and negotiate with confidence, this conversation is for you.

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
(02:05) Why salary conversations feel so intimidating
(05:48) The biggest mistake candidates make early in the process
(08:41) How recruiters decide whether to move you forward
(12:10) A smarter way to answer “What are your salary expectations?”
(17:06) Why giving a range protects your leverage
(21:42) The danger of accepting an offer too quickly
(26:09) Common fears that stop people from negotiating
(30:12) How effective negotiation actually works
(33:16) [Extended] The exact script for handling salary screeners
(37:59) [Extended] Gender differences in negotiation fears
(45:02) [Extended] Using trade-offs and benefits to close compensation gaps
📚 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/1R7mD2jYo8pYIIohhkBWaoi9fHLnj1yp24F7bPl00-LY/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨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 John Gates
- Connect with John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngates-salarycoach/

Guest Bonus: Free PDF download of Chapter 5 of his book: Use a Range, not a Number.

John is providing members of podcast+ a PDF download of Chapter 5 of his book: Use a Range, not a Number. In this chapter, he provides actionable advice and plug-and-play scripts for how to talk about a salary range so you avoid getting screened and don’t end up leaving money on the table.

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!

#SalaryNegotiation #CareerGrowth  #JobSearchTips #LeadershipDevelopment #ProfessionalGrowth #SalaryExpectations #PayNegotiation #InterviewTips #CareerAdvice #JobInterview

When disruption hits your team, confidence often drops, communication gets messy, and progress slows. But disruption isn’t the problem; how we respond to it is.

Fortunately, this week’s guest offers a clear, practical framework for leading with steadiness even when everything around you is shifting. And just as importantly, he explains how we can become positive disruptors in order to facilitate a brighter future.

Patrick Leddin is a global speaker, former Army Ranger, Vanderbilt professor, and bestselling author of Disrupt Everything and Win. He shares how managers can help their teams stay focused, take smart risks, communicate clearly, and build healthier relationships during periods of uncertainty.

If you want to lead with more clarity and confidence when change hits, this conversation gives you the tools to do it.

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) Rethinking disruption as opportunity rather than threat
(02:17) Why mindset shapes everything
(03:30) How disruptions show up at work and in life
(09:59) The danger of avoidance, “waiting it out,” and living in survival mode
(11:11) What it means to be a positive disruptor
(14:27) The 5 Positive Disruptor Roles 
(24:10) The 4-step disruptive leadership cycle
(26:30) The 16 disruptive strengths 
(31:03) Keep up with Patrick
(38:20) [Extended] Creating conditions for positive disruption inside your team’s culture
(39:08) [Extended] Clarifying decision authority so your team knows when they can act
(40:35) [Extended] Disrupting unhealthy workplace relationships

📚 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/1Gn-X2Pv1G3algfHWZDD0Vf9hDscJxW6gIKfivGVUY9Y/edit?usp=sharing
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamieks/ 

✨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 Patrick Leddin
- Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickleddin/
- Visit his website: www.patrickleddin.com

Guest Bonus: 2 Book Giveaway!

Patrick is giving away two copies of his new book, Disrupt Everything and Win: Take Control of Your Future. Every day, we are confronted with sudden pivots at our workplace and in the job market, with changing technology such as artificial intelligence, unexpected crises, and a culture of chaos, and with that sinking feeling that we are losing control of our lives. This book is about taking back control. It's easy to follow and easy to turn into lifelong habits. It has been thoroughly researched and examined. 

You must enter the drawing by January 9th, 2026. 

To get this bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.
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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!