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12MinuteLeadership
12MinuteLeadership
Author: Elise Boggs Morales
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© 2026 12MinuteLeadership
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Welcome to the 12 Minute Leadership podcast where in 12 minutes or less I’ll share small things that you can put into immediate practice that will make a BIG difference in your leadership effectiveness.
I’m your host, Elise Boggs Morales, leadership professor, consultant, and coach. For the last 17 years, I have helped thousands of leaders level up their influence and achieve remarkable results! If you want to trade compliance for true commitment and create your dream team, you are in the right place.
Get ready for a quick hit of practical wisdom to increase your team’s engagement, inspire top performance and retain your best talent.
34 Episodes
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Great leadership isn’t always obvious. In fact, the most reliable signs of strong leaders are often the quiet ones we overlook. In Episode 33 of 12MinuteLeadership, we unpack five leadership green flags you shouldn't ignore that predict trust, healthy teams, and sustainable results—long before someone gets a title. In this episode, you’ll learn how to spot leaders who: Listen deeply and facilitate progress (not dominate the room)Lead with coachability and character—not egoUse emotional intell...
Small problems don’t start as crises—they start as orange flags. In Episode 33 of 12MinuteLeadership, we shine a light on the early leadership behaviors that quietly weaken culture and results long before anyone calls them “problems.” In this episode, we break down five orange flags leaders can’t afford to ignore: Leaders who stop seeking feedback—and how 360s can become fuel, not fearDoing everything yourself and why it creates bottlenecks instead of resultsConflict triggers that escal...
Planning for 2026? Leadership development doesn't happen by intention alone... it happens by design. In this week's episode, I break down how to build a focused, high-ROI leadership development strategy—one that prioritizes what actually matters and drives performance, trust, and retention. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Identify the leadership capabilities that actually move business results Avoid common “check-the-box” development traps Focus time and resources on g...
December doesn’t need more hustle — it needs a reset. In Episode 31 of 12MinuteLeadership, I share 12 simple leadership reset practices to help you finish the year well—without exhausting yourself or your team. Year-end pressure doesn’t create momentum... CLARITY, CLOSURE, and CONNECTION do! In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Name what truly matters (and clearly say what won’t happen this year) Reduce mental clutter with a “Not Now” list Reflect in ways that actually change beh...
The holidays should feel meaningful—yet with deadlines, family expectations, and nonstop to-dos, even the joyful stuff starts to feel like maintenance. This week’s episode offers a better path: twelve tiny, intentional practices that reset your presence, build connection, and help your team finish strong without burning out. Inside the episode you’ll hear how to: Incorporate small, but meaningful traditions to make this busy season fun and lightAdd low-effort rituals that boost energy K...
In this week's episode, Elise shares how gratitude functions as a practical leadership strategy that builds trust, boosts creativity, and strengthens commitment. Then, she highlights unexpected ways gratitude shows up at work and gives simple tools you can use this week. You'll learn: • why gratitude interrupts problem-focused thinking • how appreciation increases commitment, not complacency • the difference between compensation and connection • gratitude for effort, not just outcome...
Stop choosing between people and profit. In this episode, we dig into why the best-performing teams are built on engagement, leadership development, and purpose—and how those three levers translate into measurable gains in productivity, retention, and customer loyalty. The fastest route to better results runs straight through your people. We start by dismantling the myth that attention to people pulls focus from outcomes. Engaged employees don’t just complete tasks; they take ownership...
Ready to breathe new life into the meetings you are leading? Today's episode provides four simple keys to turn meetings many dread into a tool for clarity, trust, and results. Four simple keys—purpose, agenda, motives, and ground rules—show how to design conversations that people want to attend and that move work forward. In this episode we cover- • defining a clear outcome and attendee list • building and sending an agenda 24–48 hours ahead • designing for people, performance, and process ...
Change doesn’t stick because leaders fixate on what’s broken. We take a different route: ask better questions, unlock real energy, and turn strengths into results. In this fast, practical walkthrough, we break down appreciative inquiry—the strengths-based approach that transforms organizations, teams, and one-on-one coaching—using four simple phases that anyone can apply today. In this week's episode, Elise shares a strengths-based approach for leading strategic change that creates energy, b...
If there’s one skill that defines modern leadership, it’s the ability to lead through uncertainty. Whether it’s navigating normal organizational change, disruptions in your market, or unexpected global events, like COVID — uncertainty has become something leaders are having to navigate like never before. And yet, some leaders manage to not just survive uncertain times — they actually help their people thrive through them In this episode, I talk about what uncertainty looks like for lea...
Think inspiration requires charisma? We unpack a different model of leadership—one built on purpose, integrity, emotional connection, and real empowerment—so your team gives its best by choice, not by pressure. Elise Boggs Morales draws on 17 years of coaching thousands of leaders to explain how small, repeatable behaviors convert compliance into commitment and keep people engaged when change hits hard. We start by grounding performance in a clear why. When you connect day-to-day work to mis...
When deadlines pile up and your calendar leaves no breathing room, purpose is usually the first thing to slip. Episode 23 of 12MinuteLeadership is a short, practical reset to bring you—and your team—back to center. We walk through four anchors that restore focus and energy: Lead with a mission: Separate job from calling and use your “why” as a decision filter and retention magnet.Create meaningful change: Let frustration become “divine discontent”—fuel for improving what’s stale or broken.Ach...
In this episode, I break down how to make tough conversations easier by building trust, adapting to conflict styles, and using simple frameworks that keep feedback factual and fair. I also share practical phrases, a clear prep checklist, and a reframe that turns calling out into calling up. Here are the key takeaways: • building relational equity to create trust for hard talks • reading conflict styles: accommodate, assert, analyze • adapting tone, pacing, and content to their motive • prep...
In this episode, I identify five qualities that make leaders hard to follow, then show practical alternatives that raise trust, engagement, and results. Based on my 17+ years coaching and training leaders and analyzing hundreds of 360 results, there are some clear themes that make leaders "difficult" to follow and some clear actions that can put them back on course. Topics covered in this episode are: • micromanagement and delegating for development • emotional regulation and modeling ...
Ever feel like you're speaking a different language with that one difficult team member? You're not alone. Leadership effectiveness hinges on our ability to influence across differences, yet most of us instinctively label challenging people rather than seeking to understand them. In this practical episode, I unpack what truly makes someone "difficult" and why that label often masks a simpler truth: they're just different from us. Whether you're dealing with the perpetually negative team memb...
Big transformations often start with small, strategic shifts. In Episode 19 of 12minuteleadership, you’ll hear how three leaders used executive coaching to create ripple effects across their organizations: Jennifer cut stress and earned a promotion by setting strategic boundaries. Alan prevented costly turnover by choosing empathy over rigid policy.Catherine mastered capacity management, accomplishing more without burnout.Each gained clarity, empathy, and practical tools—and the co...
Executive coaching is misunderstood as a remedy for struggling leaders when in reality it's a strategic tool used by top performers to maintain their edge and accelerate growth. Coaching delivers measurable ROI through improved decision-making, stronger team alignment, and prevention of leadership plateaus. • Myth: Coaching is only for struggling leaders • Truth: The best leaders use coaching to stay at the top of their game and scale themselves effectively • Myth: Coaching takes too much ti...
Have you ever wondered why some leaders experience exponential growth while others remain stuck in incremental improvements? The difference often lies not in working harder, but in adopting powerful mindset shifts that transform how we approach challenges and opportunities. When I hired my business coach in 2023, I couldn't have imagined the profound impact her guidance would have. Within just one year, after struggling with infertility for over five years, I finally conceived my daughter. I...
Leadership is a journey best not traveled alone. After nearly two decades as both a leadership coach and someone who benefits from coaching, I've witnessed firsthand the remarkable transformation that happens when leaders invest in professional guidance. The numbers speak volumes – coaching delivers an average ROI of seven times the investment. My personal experience confirms this: I accomplished more in one year with a coach than in the previous five years combined. From writing a book to l...
Leadership development can be a maze of options, but after 17 years helping thousands of leaders achieve remarkable results, I've discovered one training that consistently delivers transformative outcomes. Core Strengths isn't just another leadership program—it's a comprehensive solution that reveals what truly motivates people, improves communication instantly, prevents conflict, builds stronger teams, and offers immediate practical application. At its heart, Core Strengths introduces the t...



