When leaders don’t define decision guardrails early, decisions drift upward, risk feels unsafe, and teams stop building the muscle to decide for themselves.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Olesya Govorun, who leads organizational development and culture transformation at Pfizer, to unpack why ineffective decision-making is one of the most costly (and fixable) leadership challenges today.

Drawing on her work at Pfizer, including efforts to empower expert-level decision-making during the rapid development and launch of the COVID-19 vaccine, Olesya shares what it actually takes to move decisions closer to the work without sacrificing alignment or trust.

Together, they explore why decision rights often remain unclear, how over-involving leaders slows momentum, and what leaders can do to shift from being the final approver to building confident, capable decision-makers across their teams.

Whether you’re leading in a complex organization, navigating high-stakes change, or trying to speed up execution without losing rigor, this episode offers practical frameworks and mindset shifts to help you redesign how decisions get made and unlock better outcomes at every level.

Timestamps:

1. [00:16:40] Establishing Decision Guardrails Early – Olesya introduces the principle of Decision Guardrails - clarifying and agreeing upon which decisions can be fully owned, who gets to decide, and when a decision needs feedback or approval.
2. [00:19:34] Decision-Making as a Learnable Skill – Emily and Olesya explore how leaders can reduce the fear and risk tied to decision-making by adopting a learner’s mindset and providing the right supports like coaching, training, hands-on experience, and real-time feedback.
3. [00:22:31] Making It Safe for People to Make Decisions – Emily and Olesya unpack how psychologically safe teams create norms around risk-taking, having disagreement, and challenging ideas (not people) to make better decisions faster.
4. [00:26:11] Shifting the Role of the Leader from Decision Makers to Decision Builders – Olesya articulates that one of the most critical roles of leadership today is building others’ confidence and capability to decide.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

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Every leader faces it… the moment you realize someone on your team just isn’t cutting it..

Too often, leaders hold onto struggling employees out of compassion, hope, or fear of being “too harsh.” But avoiding hard decisions can quietly drain energy, stall team performance, and create bigger problems down the line.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Mary Beech, Chief Growth Officer at Thorne, to explore one of leadership’s toughest balancing acts: managing performance with clarity and care and knowing when it’s time to call it. Together, they unpack how to recognize when coaching isn’t enough, how to make confident calls under pressure, and how to support your high performers. Mary shares personal lessons she learned the hard way, from holding on too long, to learning that accountability is an act of empathy.

Whether you’re a new manager navigating difficult conversations or a seasoned leader looking to sharpen your performance management skills, this episode offers practical tools and mindset shifts to help you lead with clarity, fairness, and heart.

Timestamps:

• [00:01:15] Acting with Empathy and Accountability in Tough Decisions –Underperformance isn’t a relationship issue. It’s a team issue. As leaders, our job is to protect the business and the team, not just preserve one relationship. Mary describes how delaying difficult performance decisions can quietly erode trust, credibility, and team morale.
• [00:07:32] The Sprint vs. Marathon of Managing Performance – Be very intentional about which people you spend your time on. Treat your coaching and attention like a portfolio. Emily and Mary unpack when it’s appropriate for leaders to overinvest time with certain team members, and how leaders can leverage strategies to balance time between both high and low performers.
• [00:13:09]: Evolving Roles from Generalists to Specialists – As your business evolves, not everyone will still fit the needs. What worked in an early, generalist-heavy stage may not work in a more specialized, scaled environment. Emily and Mary discuss how sometimes the most caring choice is to clarify the new expectations and support someone to shift roles or move on.
• [00:22:22] Feedback as a Lifelong Skill – Giving clear and timely feedback gives you credibility and reinforces you as the leader. Mary reflects on why feedback isn’t a box to check but a practice to keep refining, even for experienced executives. They discuss real-time coaching and how ongoing conversations strengthen your credibility, align the broader leadership team, and give the individual a real chance to adjust.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s

What if the key to high performance isn’t pushing harder, but knowing when to pause?

In leadership, the line between ambition and burnout is thinner than we think. True performance isn’t about doing more; it’s about creating the boundaries that protect your energy, wellbeing, and focus.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Janet N. Ahn, PhD, behavioral science expert and experimental social psychologist, and Founder of Perilla & Co., to explore how leaders can balance performance and wellbeing in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. Together, they unpack how prioritizing wellness can transform the way we work and help us lead from a place of wholeness rather than depletion.

Whether you’re a high performer on the edge of burnout or a leader trying to build healthier team dynamics, this conversation will help you reimagine what balance and wellbeing really look like in modern leadership, and how to lead without losing yourself.

Timestamps:

• [00:03:49] Redefining Success for High Performers – Janet opens up about the pressure to constantly achieve and why redefining what “success” looks like is essential for balancing performance and wellbeing in fast-paced roles.
• [00:10:41] When Effort Doesn’t Equal Impact – Emily and Janet discuss how leaders often confuse activity with progress and how focusing on meaningful outcomes, instead of endless action, helps teams stay energized and effective.
• [00:16:04] Boundaries as Leadership Signals – Emily and Janet unpack the subtle signals that tell you a boundary has been crossed (like resentment, exhaustion, tension within the team), and how leaders can reset expectations without losing compassion.
• [00:21:59] The Power of Choice – Janet challenges the “I have to” mindset so many high performers fall into, reminding leaders that reclaiming choice is the key to sustainable energy and self-trust.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show.

Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

What if we reframed our dislike of office politics and saw it instead as a way to help our teams get the recognition they deserve?

In complex organizations, politics and strategic networking aren’t distractions. They’re often the hidden drivers of influence, credibility, and career growth.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Audrey Greenberg Venture Partner and Chair of Business Development at Mayo Clinic, to explore how leaders can navigate politics with integrity, build meaningful networks, and advocate for themselves and their teams.

Together, they unpack why sponsorship outpaces mentorship, how to “pre-wire the room” before decisions, and what it takes to balance transparency with influence when the stakes are high.

Whether you’re aiming for a promotion, championing a rising star, or working to break silos, this episode will reshape how you view politics at work and reveal why relationships may be your most powerful leadership tool.

Timestamps:

• [00:08:03] Sponsors, mentors, and visibility – Audrey and Emily unpack why career growth requires mentors (guidance), sponsors (advocacy when you’re not in the room), and intentionally created visible moments so your work isn’t left to chance.
• [00:19:29] Negotiating from abundance, not scarcity – Practical negotiation guidance: lead with gratitude, present evidence/benchmarks, ask for shared-success outcomes, and consider levers beyond immediate cash (equity, review cadence, bonus).
• [00:23:05] Beyond salary: creative levers of recognition – A focused discussion on alternatives to immediate pay increases: equity, title changes, flexibility, PTO, and other levers that can retain and recognize people (and often cost less than cash).
• [00:31:07] You can be both human and high-performing – Audrey challenges the myth that you have to choose between being human or high-performing, showing how presence and performance actually fuel each other.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show.

Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

What if your credibility as a leader had more to do with curiosity than confidence?

In fast-moving industries, learning isn’t optional, it’s your edge.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Karen Giberson, President & CEO of the Accessories Council, a nonprofit that represents the hundred-billion-dollar accessories industry, to explore how a thirst for learning keeps leaders relevant, connected, and credible in fast-moving industries.

They unpack what learning actually looks like at the executive level, from staying close to trends and team culture, to rolling up your sleeves and showing up side-by-side with your people.

Whether you’re leading a creative team, steering through industry change, or just trying to stay sharp while managing it all, this episode is a reminder that staying curious is your most strategic move.

Timestamps:

• [00:03:22] Learning never stops at the top – Emily and Karen discuss why great leaders never “graduate”, and how staying in learning mode builds trust, credibility, and relevance.
• [00:07:20] The power of proximity: learning with your team – Karen shares stories about showing up on the ground, staying close to the work, and why it matters for connection and leadership effectiveness.
• [00:10:24] Mentorship as mutual learning – They explore why the best mentoring relationships are two-way, and how teaching can sharpen your own thinking.
• [00:20:07] Adapting with curiosity, not fear – Karen reflects on how curiosity helps leaders respond to change with openness instead of resistance, and why being a learner keeps your edge.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show.

Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!

Bringing new ideas to life at work shouldn’t feel like pushing a boulder uphill. But too often, it does.

Leaders say they want innovation. Teams try to deliver it. But without the right conditions, innovation at work stalls. Mismatched expectations, siloed communication, and rigid structures can quietly kill momentum before anything new has a chance to take hold.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily is joined by Jessica Begley, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Very, a fully distributed IoT company, who has cracked the code on turning bold thinking into real execution, to unpack what innovation really looks like day-to-day, and how leaders can create the right environment for new ideas to gain traction. They explore how to pitch ideas, get buy-in from leadership, and build a team culture where experimentation and accountability can coexist.

Whether you’re trying to lead change, drive innovation at work, or simply make your ideas stick, this episode offers practical leadership strategies to influence up, reduce friction, and make meaningful progress.

Timestamps:

• [00:04:42] Creating the conditions for innovation – Emily and Jessica discuss why so many good ideas stall in organizations, and how leaders can create the right environment for innovation by fostering psychological safety and beginning with the end in mind.
• [00:14:10] Getting leadership buy-in – The conversation turns to influencing up, including how to pitch ideas in a way that aligns with executive priorities and how to clarify what “innovation” actually means to different stakeholders.
• [00:23:37] Balancing execution and experimentation – Jessica shares how to build systems that allow teams to move fast while still making space for experimentation, and how to operationalize innovation without burning people out.
• [00:33:58] Leading change from the middle – The episode closes with insights on the unique role that people leaders can play in leading change from inside the system.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple...

Time is one of the most precious resources we have — and one of the most mismanaged in modern leadership.

Teams today are stretched thin, constantly reacting to urgent demands, and struggling to stay focused. The result? Chronic overwhelm, declining team productivity, and a work culture that rewards busyness over progress. But better time management isn't just about your calendar, it's about how you lead.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Kiera Gannon SVP and Global GM of Ralph Lauren Brands at Delta Galil, to explore how leaders can manage their time more strategically, set clearer priorities, and create space for deep, meaningful work. They unpack why workplace norms often breed burnout, how to structure your time for impact, and what it takes to lead with clarity, transparency, and trust.

Whether you're feeling overworked, overwhelmed, or just ready to improve your leadership efficiency, this episode offers practical time management strategies to help you reclaim your time, and lead your team more effectively.

Timestamps

• [00:06:02] Reframing your relationship with time – Emily and Kiera explore how being fully present can make time feel more expansive, and why structuring your day around meaningful work changes your sense of productivity.
• [00:15:27] Saying no without shutting down – The conversation turns to boundary-setting, offering practical strategies for how to say no with solutions and communicate overload in ways that still build trust and show ownership.
• [00:25:34] Balancing fires with long-term focus – Kiera reflects on how to juggle urgent daily demands while building systems and structure that support future strategy, clarity, and sustainable progress.
• [00:34:09] Breaking patterns of unsustainable leadership – Emily and Kiera close the episode with a powerful exchange on what leadership should look like now: transparent, human, and rooted in learning rather than control.

Access the episode transcript.

As an added bonus, head to arosegroup.com/resources to grab your complimentary guide to building moments of groundedness into your daily work life and leadership practice.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts,

You can’t lead well if you’re not well.

Too many of us today are struggling to lead while running on fumes. And when we think about wellbeing, it often becomes just another thing on the list, something we turn to only after burnout hits.

In this episode of Let’s Talk, People, Emily sits down with Rosemary Mancino, President of Meridian Brands and Founder of The Wisdom Collective, to reframe wellbeing as a leadership competency, not a nice-to-have. They talk about what wellbeing really looks like beyond massages, gym workouts, and vacation days and why it’s about showing up whole so you can lead with clarity, make sound decisions, and create space for others to thrive.

Whether you’re holding too much, moving too fast, or haven’t paused to check in with yourself, this conversation is a grounded invitation to lead from a place of sustainability and self-awareness.

Timestamps

• [00:06:05] Making space for yourself – Rosemary shares how giving yourself permission to pause is an essential part of showing up with clarity and presence.
• [00:15:40] Wellbeing as a leadership skill – Emily and Rosemary reframe wellbeing not as a luxury but as a leadership practice that sustains decision-making, energy, and trust.
• [00:26:18] Honoring your season – Rosemary reflects on how personal and professional rhythms shift over time and why sustainable leadership requires pacing and perspective.
• [00:35:02] Modeling wellness at work – The conversation closes with a look at how leaders can normalize wellbeing by living it themselves and making space for others to do the same.

As an added bonus, head to arosegroup.com/resources to grab your complementary guide to prioritizing your wellbeing at work.

Access the episode transcript.

Join the Conversation: This year we’re taking audience questions! Send in your toughest people management and leadership challenges, and we’ll anonymize them and tackle them in an upcoming episode. Email Abigail on our Let’s Talk, People team with your situation as a written note or voice memo to abigail@arosegroup.com.

Connect with Emily Frieze-Kemeny on LinkedIn and Instagram or explore her work through AROSE Group’s website.

If you'd like to receive new episodes as they're published, please subscribe to Let’s Talk, People in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts. It helps others discover the show.

Thanks for listening to Let’s Talk, People!