In this Season 2 opener of The Fosgail Mindset, Myka Kennedy Stephens names how control‑focused, top‑down leadership is eroding trust and fragmenting community in libraries, higher education, and other mission‑driven institutions. Drawing on a recent committee meeting and wider political patterns, she connects today’s leadership dysfunction to the crisis that prompted Robert Greenleaf’s Servant Leadership—and explains why that model’s servanthood vocabulary is now too limited to address power and context.​

Myka then introduces Attendant Leadership as a more holistic, power‑aware framework rooted in practices of service, justice, and peace, and outlines the eight‑part series that will explore its two dimensions of relationality and five expressions: healer, sage, emissary, companion, and steward. Listeners are invited to reflect on where autocratic patterns show up in their own contexts and to join an ongoing conversation about what a more attendant way of leading might look like.

Read the companion blog article: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2026/01/22/2026-01-22_disrupting_autocracy/ Join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org Subscribe to Fosgail’s biweekly newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

In this special extended episode, host Myka Kennedy Stephens sits down with Jessica Zairo to explore how embracing the value of sharing can positively impact communities. Drawing heavily on Jessica's experiences with open-source software support and development, particularly with the Koha integrated library system, this conversation highlights the power of collaboration, reciprocal giving, and community building in the library world.

Jessica Zairo serves as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at ByWater Solutions, where she builds relationships with libraries and open-source communities. Her career spans various roles in library and information services, including: - Member services coordinator at Tampa Bay Library Consortium (128 member libraries) - Information manager at Everlove and Associates (legal reference and research services) - Creator and host of the popular "Monday Minutes" educational video series

Key Takeaways 1. The power of reciprocal giving extends beyond individual transactions to build stronger communities 2. Collaborative competition ("co-opetition") can drive innovation while maintaining community values 3. Inclusive participation in open-source communities strengthens the entire ecosystem 4. Knowledge sharing through accessible documentation benefits users worldwide 5. Successful migrations require involving all stakeholders in the transition process 6. Trust building through transparency and community recognition is essential for open-source adoption

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/10/05/2025-10-05_embracing-the-value-of-sharing/

Koha-US User Group: https://koha-us.org/

Koha Community website: https://koha-community.org/

Monday Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV_OXyJ1D3BgKovtgSBoFcQNb7IhixDKO

Sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

Join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Recorded August 19, 2025 with Descript.

In this episode of The Fosgail Mindset, host Myka Kennedy Stephens explores the nuanced role of **sharing** as a leadership virtue. Drawing from life experience, organizational theory, and research, Myka challenges both the old command-and-control mindset and the pitfalls of excessive, boundary-less sharing. Discover why the real answer lies in **collaborative leadership**, a balanced approach where intentional communication, clear expectations, confident guidance, and continual professional development foster empowered, adaptive teams.

Listeners will hear practical strategies for navigating the middle ground between withholding and oversharing, gain actionable tips on fostering collaboration without sacrificing authority, and learn why investing in leadership skills across the whole team benefits organizations of all sizes—especially during times of change.

Whether you’re grappling with how much to share as a leader or eager to deepen your collaborative practice, this episode offers insight, reassurance, and real-world steps for your leadership journey.

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/09/12/2025-09-12_sharing-in-leadership/

Book a coaching chemistry call with Myka: https://appointments.fosgail.org/#/chemistry-session

Join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Sign up for Field Notes, our monthly newsletter: https://fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

In this episode of The Fosgail Mindset, host Myka Kennedy Stephens sits down with Neil Mackinnon, a seasoned leadership and executive coach whose journey from professional musician to creative industry leader offers a wealth of inspiration. Neil discusses powerful lessons from his transformative 12 years at London’s Southbank Centre. Together, Myka and Neil unpack what genuine creativity means in practice; not just as a spark of inspiration, but as an engine for cultural change, social activism, and bold organizational transformation. Neil reflects on his career across leadership and executive coaching, and the importance of letting strong ideas lead the way, with structures shaped to nurture creative possibility instead of limiting it. This conversation blends personal stories, practical leadership wisdom, and a passionate call to prioritize creativity as the heartbeat of meaningful impact. Tune in for insights that will inspire you to adopt a creative approach when moving from big ideas to lasting change.

Contact Neil Mackinnon: https://neilmackinnon.net

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/08/02/2025-08-02_invitation_to_creativity/

Sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

Join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Recorded June 3, 2025 with Descript.

Have you ever wondered how to engage elected representatives to advocate for a cause you feel passionately about? In this special extended episode of The Fosgail Mindset, Myka Kennedy Stephens sits down with author and non-partisan activist Cynthia Changyit Levin to explore how advocacy can unlock personal and collective potential, even amid uncertainty and political polarization. Cynthia shares her journey from new mom to seasoned advocate, offering practical strategies for engaging in effective, bridge-building activism—whether you're new to advocacy or a seasoned organizer. The conversation highlights the power of community, the importance of organizing, and the unique strengths that caregivers, especially mothers, bring to advocacy work. Cynthia also addresses the emotional realities of activism, including anger, grief, and joy, and offers self-care practices to sustain long-term engagement. Special attention is given to librarians and others facing challenges in today’s political climate, with actionable advice for organizing, storytelling, and leveraging existing resources to defend vital institutions. The episode wraps with a preview of Cynthia’s upcoming handbook, Advocacy Made Easy, designed to empower anyone to take impactful civic action, and an invitation to connect for further advocacy resources and community support

Contact Cynthia Changyit Levin: https://www.changyit.com/contact

Order From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started: https://www.changyit.com/books

Cynthia’s Advocacy Made Easy blog: https://ccylevin.substack.com/

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/06/15/2025-06-15_advocacy-as-path-to-potential/

Sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

Join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Recorded May 20, 2025 with Descript.

This episode explores the nuanced relationship between potential, possibility, and purpose, and how understanding these concepts can empower individuals and organizations—especially in libraries, theological education, and higher education—to cultivate professional wellbeing and inspire positive change.

Quote of the Episode: “Potential is, full stop. And potential will always be there no matter which choices we're presented with and which decision we ultimately make. Potential, that extant capacity to become something in the future, persists and changes shape as our future changes shape through our choices and decisions.”

Key Themes:

• Potential vs. Possibility: Myka distinguishes between potential (the inherent capacity to develop in the future) and possibility (the paths that become available when potential is activated). Possibility flows out of potential, but both need to be grounded in a clear sense of purpose to lead to meaningful transformation.
• The Role of Purpose: Purpose acts as the anchor that gives meaning to both potential and possibility. Myka shares her own journey clarifying Fosgail’s purpose and how this clarity has shaped the firm’s direction and methodology, including the development of the FLIP-R coaching approach.
• Opening Possibilities: Opening possibilities is not just about envisioning what could be, but about connecting to purpose, exploring present potential, and intentionally choosing which paths to pursue. Myka emphasizes that potential is ever-present and shaped by context, not diminished by past choices or current limitations.

Reflective Questions: Myka offers five reflective questions to help listeners recalibrate their thinking around purpose, potential, and possibility:

1. Where is the unexplored potential in this situation?
2. What possibilities can you imagine?
3. What would it take to open new possibilities?
4. How does your purpose align with the situation, and where are the points of friction?
5. With greater awareness, how might you connect with potential to open those possibilities?

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/06/10/2025-06-10_reflecting-on-3-ps/

To sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

To join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Recorded June 10, 2025 with Descript.

In this extended episode, Kelly Campbell and I have a conversation about the Leadership Development for Theological Librarians program that we co-facilitate. This has been a unique opportunity for theological librarians to grow in self-awareness and connect with other librarians in a 10-month cohort experience that combines mentoring workshops, 1:1 executive coaching, and an in-person retreat experience in Atlanta. Funding for the first two years of this program was generously provided by the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion.

Hosted by Myka Kennedy Stephens. Recorded April 22, 2025 with Descript.

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/05/06/2025-05-06_fostering_growth_in_leaders/

Learn more about our leadership development offerings: https://www.fosgail.org/leadership-development/

To sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

To join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

In this episode, I share a personal story that illustrates how disruptive changes—invited or not—can become catalysts for growth and self-discovery. Reflecting on both the challenges and unexpected gifts of disruption, listeners are invited to consider how experiences of disruption can help us to clarify our priorities, anchor ourselves in the present, and transform chaos into creative opportunity.

Read the companion blog post: https://www.fosgail.org/blog/2025/05/04/2025-05-04_disruption_as_opportunity/

To sign up for the Fosgail Field Notes newsletter: https://www.fosgail.org/discover-more/newsletter/

To join the Fosgail Community: https://community.fosgail.org

Recorded May 4, 2025 with Descript.