While this is directed about leadership in business settings and can be valuable for those of us in that environment, explore if some of these skills would help in family situations. After all, we parents are leaders of our families. Thank you Irene van der Zande, founder of KidPowerfor sharing! Credits at the end! Parmalee
“I am excited to share with you Leadership Trainer Claire Laughlin’s profound insights from her podcast interview with our Community Education Director Erika Leonard on Erika shares how the framework that Safetypowers and Kidpower have used for all ages and abilities for over 37 years can be applied to preventing and solving common workplace problems.
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- Be Aware — Self-awareness is the foundation. Are your habits still serving you, or have they become automatic and ineffective? Staying reflective keeps you from leading on autopilot.
- Take Charge — And not over people, but with them. Taking charge in relationships means creating space for genuine two-way conversation — not downloading your frustration or doing the work yourself.
- Get Help— Leaders often suffer in isolation, unsure what to do or afraid to ask. Building community and seeking out what’s working for others is a leadership skill, not a weakness.
The Difference Between a Good Conversation and a Great One
Erika walks us through real video scenarios from the Workpower for Employers course that show the same workplace conversation at three levels — from breakdown to breakthrough. The difference between them isn’t dramatic. It’s a shift in intention. One small question — a caring Is everything okay? instead of an annoyed What are you doing? — can completely change the outcome.
Repair is an Underrated Leadership Skill
We’re all going to make mistakes. The question is what we do next. Erika and I talk about why repair — the skill of addressing miscommunication and making it right — is one of the most overlooked and most powerful tools in a leader’s toolkit. When leaders model repair well, it strengthens the whole team.
The Question Every Leader Should Be Asking
Before you assume you know why someone is distracted, disengaged, or underperforming — pause. Ask yourself: How do I know? That shift from assumption to curiosity is where real connection begins.
Are You Missing the Gold?
One of the most thought-provoking questions we discussed for employers: could your standard hiring process be filtering out exactly the people you need? Erika shares practical ways to open up your recruitment approach — from offering multiple application formats to rethinking the traditional face-to-face interview — so you don’t miss the “shining pieces of gold” who just don’t shine in conventional settings.
To go deeper, listen to the full episode, Rethinking How We Lead, Listen, and Connect with Erika Leonard, now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Safetypowers.org’s free video-based training — Workpower Leadership and Communication Strategies for Employers — is one of the best resources I’ve come across in a long time. Real scenarios, real outcomes, zero lecture. Check it out at safetypowers.org/employers, free thanks to funding from Ability Central.
Share this resource with a fellow leader who could use a fresh perspective. They’ll thank you for it.
I’m cheering for you — and for every conversation you’re brave enough to approach with a little more curiosity than certainty.”
– With warmth, Claire
Back to Irene…
I am honored to have Claire as a dear friend and colleague, who has been part of Kidpower International for over 35 years.
She is a dynamic and engaging leadership and communication Trainer and Consultant who uses experiential, innovative, and transformative methods to help business leaders, organizations, and teams create high-energy high-trust workplaces. To learn more about her work, visit clairelaughlin.com.
And, as our Community Education Director and a talented Safetypowers and Kidpower trainer, Erika Leonard is also a treasured part of our organization – and our friendship is also a huge gift in my life.
I know you will enjoy listening to these two remarkable women on Claire’s podcast.
Creating communities of safety, respect, and trust, together,
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