Claim OwnershipThe Path To Leadership
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© 2026 The Path To Leadership
Description
Leadership should not feel like a lecture. It should feel like a conversation you actually want to be part of.
Welcome to The Path to Leadership, where Dr. Katie Ervin and creative strategist Rhonda Jolyean Hale team up to bring you real talk, real tools, and real transformation. Think of it as your weekly coffee date where leadership development meets creativity, brain science, humor, and the beauty found in both breakthroughs and breakdowns.
Dr. Katie brings the research, the practicality, and her signature no-fluff honesty. Rhonda Jolyean brings the creativity, the reinvention energy, and a fresh perspective on how your brain, your story, and your environment shape who you are as a leader. Together, they explore what it takes to grow, adapt, inspire, and stay human in a world that never slows down.
If you are leading people, leading projects, leading at home, or simply leading your own next chapter, this podcast gives you the mindset and momentum to do it with clarity, courage, and joy.
Because leadership is not about being perfect. It is about showing up, getting curious, and choosing who you want to be today.
Connect with the hosts:
Dr. Katie Ervin
www.katieervin.com
www.linkedin.com/in/katieervin/
Rhonda Jolyean Hale
www.jolyean.com
www.linkedin.com/in/rhondajhale/
99 Episodes
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Send a text Change doesn’t fail because people are stubborn; it fails because uncertainty flips the brain into threat mode and leaders often respond with more slides instead of more humanity. We dive into the real reasons transformations stall and unpack practical ways to lead people through messy, uncertain shifts with clarity and care. We start by naming the core drivers of motivation—autonomy, competence, and belonging—and show how each one gets squeezed during change. Then we examine the...
Send a text What if leadership wasn’t something granted by a title but something you practice in small, consistent ways that people can feel? We dive into the difference between authority and influence and share concrete moves that build trust, safety, and momentum even when your job title doesn’t say “manager.” We start with the everyday behaviors that make people want to follow you: integrity that matches your words, outreach that lowers anxiety for new teammates, and presence that replace...
Send a text Tired of the same old takes about Gen Z, AI, and “resistance to change”? We open the inbox and tackle the questions leaders whisper about but rarely answer out loud—how to lead when you don’t have all the answers, how to keep teams from turning inward, and how to reinvent without torching your energy. We start by reframing Gen Z at work. Instead of clichés about office hours, we look at what this generation has witnessed—burnout, volatility, and rapid disruption—and why they choo...
Send a text What if the fastest way to raise engagement isn’t another dashboard, but a better-feeling room? We explore the powerful, practical intersection of neuroscience, beauty, and creativity—showing how light, color, sound, space, and story shape trust, focus, and performance before a single word is spoken. Rhonda shares her path from burnout to a creative sabbatical, then connects it to the growing research on neuroaesthetics and neuroarts: why our brains calm with art, how cortisol dro...
Send a text Pressure keeps rising while teams feel less heard, less equipped, and less trusted. We tackle that gap head‑on by breaking down why “leadership development” can’t be a checkbox and how real behavior change, measured over months, transforms culture and profit at the same time. Rhonda puts Katie in the hot seat to dig into the origin of Catalyst, the skills gap she saw across organizations, and the shift from promoting top performers into people leadership without training to build...
Send a text Ever wondered why a test that “describes you perfectly” can still box you in? We take a candid, practical tour through assessments—what they illuminate, where they mislead, and how to use them to build healthier teams and careers. From CliftonStrengths and Enneagram to Myers‑Briggs, DISC, and Working Genius, we compare personality, behavior, and productivity tools so you can match the right lens to the right problem. We start with the big caution: assessments are snapshots shaped...
Send a text If you’ve ever looked at your winding path and wondered whether it “counts,” this conversation is your green light. We trade birthday cake for straight talk about nonlinear careers, hard-won leadership lessons, and the boundaries that keep purpose intact when the world pushes for more, faster, always. We start with early ambition—the kind that outruns experience—and the moment confidence meets humility. From switching majors and industries to rejecting career shame, we unpack why...
Send a text Growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens on messy days, under tight deadlines, and in the middle of real emotion. We’re unpacking growth, fixed, and neutral mindsets with honest stories about fear, feedback, and the quiet work of choosing action when your brain begs for safety. No slogans. Just practical ways to lead yourself when the stakes feel high. We start by separating growth mindset from toxic positivity. Growth isn’t cheerleading; it’s learning with intention, especi...
Send a text Start 2026 with a steadier compass, not a louder calendar. When the world feels heavy and noisy, we dig into how leaders can stay grounded by pairing a real growth mindset with practical, intentional choices that cut through uncertainty. Instead of sugarcoating hardship, we redefine growth mindset as curiosity over judgment—asking what can be learned, where grace belongs, and how to move forward when confidence wobbles. We talk candidly about the hidden cost of negativity and dis...
Send a text Ever feel like celebration is something you’ll “get to” after the next deadline? We flip that script and show how pausing to celebrate is a leadership competency that fuels momentum, creativity, and culture. Katie and Rhonda break down why so many of us skip recognition—productivity myths, minimizing mindsets, and unhelpful cultural norms—and how the brain reads constant urgency as safety while seeing stillness as a threat. The fix isn’t confetti; it’s intentional, well-timed paus...
Send a text Clarity gets easier when you can name what you stand for. We’re launching our Leader Briefs with a fast, practical guide to defining three to five personal values and turning them into simple behaviors you can practice when stakes are high and time is short. Instead of vague aspirations, we walk through a concrete flow: capture peak moments across your life, translate the feelings and patterns you notice into candidate values, and refine a long list down to a focused core you can ...
Send a text Burnout doesn’t fade because we work harder; it eases when we design our lives around values, play, and small, compounding wins. We unpack a realistic blueprint for thriving that starts with identity: not “What should I do this year?” but “Who do I want to become?” From there we map daily rhythms that honor sleep, movement, and connection—and we show why creative experiences lower stress and make growth stick. We dig into the science and story behind play, including the rise of n...
Send a text Success isn’t a finish line you cross; it’s a practice you live. We dig into what it really means to create your own path—beyond titles, paychecks, and other people’s expectations—and share the tools that make it doable day after day. Katie and Rhonda compare goals‑driven hustle with a values‑driven approach, showing how acceptance, integrity, relationships, legacy, and creativity can become a practical compass for leadership decisions when the pressure is on. We talk candidly ab...
Send a text Ever feel like your inbox is a novel and your day is a string of tiny decisions that drain the joy out of leading? We dig into a practical way forward: using AI to cut noise, spark ideas, and protect your judgment. Not to replace your voice—only to amplify it. From summarizing walls of text into crisp actions to turning messy thoughts into structured plans, we share specific prompts, ethical boundaries, and everyday wins that make leadership lighter and your work more creative. W...
Send a text A messy, beautiful October turned into a bigger move: adding Rhonda as our new co‑host and doubling down on leadership that feels human, not performative. We open the door to our coffee-table conversations and invite you into a space where creativity, neuroscience, and lived experience meet practical tools you can use right away. Rhonda brings a joy-driven approach to transformation that rejects rigid change management and embraces experimentation, play, and presence. Together, w...
Send a text The way we finish the year decides how we start the next. Instead of coasting through December and losing a month of momentum, we walk through a clear, practical strategy for treating quarter four as the bridge to a stronger quarter one. We share the leadership moves that matter most right now: set a focused rallying cry, narrow your must-do list, celebrate wins early and often, and support your team with real flexibility and thoughtful boundaries through the holidays. We dig int...
Send a text Ever wonder what happens when a leader intentionally designs workplace culture instead of letting it evolve by chance? Mark Stewart, President and CEO of Agriculture Future of America (AFA), reveals the transformative power of "culture by design, not by default" in this enlightening conversation. Mark's leadership journey began with closed doors that ultimately guided him to his purpose. "The reason I am where I am today is because of at least two or three doors that were shut," ...
Send a text Welcome back to Season 3 of the Path to Leadership! After an extended summer break filled with family transitions, academic pursuits, and professional growth, we're excited to dive into new leadership insights. • Moving into the "wonderful chaos era" as empty nesters while both children pursue their educational journeys • Returning to school at 49 to pursue an MBA with a focus on data science, addressing gaps in business knowledge • Launching "Leadership on Course," a program con...
Send a text Summer often calls us to pause and realign our priorities, which is exactly why I'm announcing a brief hiatus from "The Path to Leadership" podcast. Despite the momentum from recent episodes on authenticity and overnight success that sparked meaningful conversations, this intentional break allows me to focus on significant personal and professional developments. Family transitions take center stage as my son prepares to begin his journey as an airplane mechanic and my daughter in...
Send a text Have you ever watched someone seemingly burst onto the scene out of nowhere and wondered, "How did they get so successful so fast?" The truth is far more complex and fascinating than what meets the eye. Success isn't a sudden event but a culmination of years—sometimes decades—of consistent work, learning, failures, and resilience that happened quietly behind the scenes. Drawing from my own 26-year journey before starting Catalyst Development, I pull back the curtain on what truly...
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