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The Intentional Leaders Podcast: Helping ambitious leaders gain clarity, communicate with confidence, and lead with intention.
Helping ambitious leaders gain clarity, communicate with confidence, and lead with intention.
Leadership isn’t about titles, authority, or having all the answers—it’s about being intentional.
If you’re ready to move from managing tasks to empowering people, you’re in the right place.
Each week, host Cyndi Wentland, founder of Intentionaleaders, shares actionable tools, real-world stories, and fresh perspectives to help you grow into the confident, respected leader you aspire to be. You’ll learn how to handle tough conversations, inspire trust, build stronger teams, and lead with purpose without burning out in the process.
Whether you’re a first-time manager, seasoned executive, or small business owner, the Intentional Leaders Podcast will help you develop the mindset and skills to create impact that lasts.
Tune in, grow intentionally, and become the kind of leader your team—and your life—deserve.
Episodes
174 episodes
The Cost of Silence in Leadership: Power, Truth, and Missing Data
If the people around you aren’t telling you the truth, you’re not getting the full picture and you’re paying for it in ways you can’t always see. In this episode, we unpack why honest communication so often breaks down at work, even among smart...
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From Reacting to Regulating: Leadership That Holds Under Pressure
Pressure doesn’t just test leaders—it reveals the habits you’ve been running on for years.When deadlines tighten and emotions spike, do you get sharper and more connected… or do you slip into control, avoidance, or resistance?In t...
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Emotional Intelligence: The Multiplier You’ve Been Overlooking—And How to Finally Unlock It
Think your IQ is what limits your influence? The real bottleneck might be your reactions. We pull back the curtain on emotional intelligence and show how it quietly governs decision quality, trust, performance, and the culture your team lives i...
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Lead With Intention, Not Autopilot: How the LEAD Framework Can Change your Career (and life!)
Feeling stuck between your best intentions and your most stressful reactions? We unpack a simple, repeatable way to move from autopilot to intentional leadership using the LEAD framework: Look within, Exercise choice, Act with intention, and De...
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“I See You”: The Most Powerful Phrase in Leadership
Feeling like your leadership playbook was written for a world that no longer exists? We dive into Sawubona leadership, a human-first approach rooted in the Zulu greeting “I see you,” and show how it reframes engagement, accountability, and perf...
Practical Tools To Stay Calm During Stressful Family Gatherings
Holiday cheer gets all the headlines, but the real story often includes tension, old patterns, and big expectations. We get honest about the pressure to make everything magical and offer a simple, usable plan to stay grounded when emotions spik...
When “Tough Love” Is Control: The Hidden Cost of Fear-Based Leadership
Ever worked for someone who made you feel small on purpose? We unpack the rise of fear-based leadership—why it’s suddenly everywhere, how it disguises itself as “tough love” or mission-driven care, and what it costs teams in creativity, trust, ...
Boundaries Build Trust: A Leader’s Guide To Respect And Repair
Trust rarely fails with a crash; it thins out through tiny cuts. We unpack how unclear or ignored boundaries chip away at relationships and show practical ways to rebuild trust with clarity, courage, and compassion. Using Brene Brown’s BRAVING ...
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Why Your OKRs Disappear by Week 3 — And the Leadership Rituals That Keep Teams Focused
Strategy doesn’t fail for lack of ideas—it fails at the handoff to execution. We bring in OKR expert and Wave Nine founder Philipp Schett to show how to close that gap with clear goals, shared rituals, and a culture that trades micromanagement ...
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Transform Your Internal Operating System to Upgrade Your Leadership with Ryan Gottfredson
Ryan Gottfredson explains the transformational journey from being focused solely on doing better to becoming better as a human being, drawing on his research and latest book. He introduces the distinction between our "doing side" (talents, know...
The Meaningful Project That Changes Lives Forever: Inside the Badger Honor Flight
A day that changes lives forever – that’s how veterans describe their experience on the Badger Honor Flight. This mission honors those who served by taking them to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials built in their honor.Flight Operat...
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Collaborative Leadership: What It Means for You as a Leader
Forget everything you thought you knew about collaboration. It's not about getting everyone to agree—it’s about creating something entirely new together. In this eye-opening episode, we explore the misconceptions that hold teams back from pract...
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Find Fulfillment & Purpose in Leadership with Dr. Sharon Spano
Ever feel like something's missing despite all your achievements? You're not alone. This conversation with Dr. Sharon Spano uncovers the fascinating connection between leadership effectiveness and human development that explains why even succes...
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Challenge Complacency to Reignite Your Potential with Chris Robinson
Ever found yourself stuck in a comfortable rut? Turns out, that's not laziness—it's complacency, and it might be the biggest barrier between you and your true potential.Chris Robinson, Executive Vice President of Maxwell Leadership, joi...
Lead with Courage and Inclusivity with Olivia Stewart
What if the most powerful tool for business success isn't a new technology or strategy, but simply creating environments where people can bring their whole selves to work? In this compelling conversation, Olivia Stewart reveals how inclusive le...
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How to Hold Space as a Grounded Leader with Heather Plett
Heather Plett, co-director of the Center for Holding Space, shares her powerful insights on the transformative practice of "holding space" and introduces the concept of being a "grounded guide" in today's leadership landscape.• The prac...
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Master Resilience in Times of Uncertainty
Speed without direction is just wasted energy. That's the powerful truth at the heart of my conversation with Simon Severino, founder of Strategy Sprints and a master at helping leaders master resilience in times of uncertainty by navigating co...
Empower Your Team to Master the Complex Skill of Problem Solving
Problem solving might be the most underrated leadership skill – one we use daily but rarely examine critically. How much time do you spend tackling problems each week? And more importantly, how many of those "problems" are actually legitimate i...
Cultivate a Culture of Connection with Jill Huizenga
In this thought-provoking conversation, Jill, a 14-year entrepreneurship faculty member at Madison College, reveals how traits like resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving create exceptional leaders regardless of their role.With e...
Manage Your Time, Maximize Your Life: A Guide to Mindful Time Usage
DOWNLOAD FREE GUIDE: https://www.intentionaleaders.com/manage-time-maximize-lifeThe quest for perfect time management has led many of us down endless paths searching for the ideal system or tool that will magically organize our chaotic l...
Create a Thriving Workplace Culture with Cheryl Fields Tyler
In this episode of the Intentional Leaders Podcast, host Cyndi Wentland engages in a compelling conversation with Cheryl Fields Tyler, founder and CEO of Blue Beyond Consulting. They delve into the intricacies of building a thriving workplace c...
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Become a Fearless Leader with Dr. Benjamin Ritter
Imagine a world where fear no longer dictates your career choices and leadership potential. Dr. Benjamin Ritter, author of "Becoming Fearless," joins us to unravel the intricate barriers leaders face when aligning their careers with their true ...
Empowering Leaders through Neuroscience with Britt Andreatta, PhD.
Dr. Britt Andreatta, a luminary in leadership and neuroscience, graces our latest episode with her wealth of knowledge. She recounts her transition from academia to the world of corporate learning and development, offering a unique blend ...
Start Crafting Your Leadership Legacy Today
What if your leadership legacy isn't something you leave behind, but something you give away every day? Join me, as we explore how you can start crafting your legacy from day one by focusing on core values, trust-building, and empowering your t...
Embracing the Strengths of Introverted Leadership
Discover the untapped potential of introverted leaders and transform your perception of leadership with our latest episode. Introverts often face misconceptions of being too quiet or uninspiring, but we promise to change that narrative by highl...
