Space to Lead

What if the biggest challenges facing your organization aren't individual problems, but systemic ones?In this episode of Space to Lead, David LeBlanc is joined by leadership consultant, executive coach, and Collaborative Coaching Group co-founder Suzanne Fox for a conversation about the growing complexity facing leaders and organizations today.Together, they explore why so many organizations struggle despite having talented people, strong intentions, and dedicated teams. From competing priorities and organizational silos to avoidance, people-pleasing, and unresolved tensions, David and Suzanne discuss the hidden dynamics that often get in the way of collaboration and performance.The conversation also introduces Collaborative Coaching - an approach that builds on the foundations of coaching, team coaching, facilitation, and systems thinking to help leaders, teams, and stakeholders work together more effectively. Sometimes described as "team coaching on steroids," Collaborative Coaching moves beyond the boundaries of a single team and focuses on the broader system in which people operate.Throughout the episode, David and Suzanne share insights from their own partnership, discuss the value of co-coaching, and explore how organizations can build greater awareness, alignment, and capacity for collaboration.In this episode:Why leaders are becoming experts at functioning while depletedThe impact of complexity, ambiguity, and constant changeHow avoidance and people-pleasing create organizational frictionWhy traditional approaches can miss important system dynamicsThe difference between team coaching and collaborative coachingThe power of co-coaching and real-time observationBuilding the capacity for productive disagreement and healthy tensionHelping teams move from transactional work to meaningful collaborationStay ConnectedThis episode marks the beginning of a new series exploring the principles and practices of Collaborative Coaching. In upcoming episodes, David and Suzanne will dive deeper into topics such as systems thinking, psychological safety, productive conflict, stakeholder alignment, collaborative readiness, leadership dynamics, and creating healthier organizational cultures.To learn more about Collaborative Coaching and the work of the Collaborative Coaching Group, visit:https://collaborativecoachinggroup.caIf you're leading a team, navigating organizational change, or working in a complex stakeholder environment, we'd love to connect and continue the conversation.

SHOW NOTES — Space to LeadStepping Into Your Power: A Conversation on Confidence, Transition, and Leadershipwith Sarah ZahariaWhat happens when you finally see yourself the way others have seen you all along? In this powerful episode, Sarah joins David to explore the internal shifts, bold risks, and subtle mindset changes that helped her step into a larger, more confident version of herself—and reshape her career in the process.Sarah opens up about leaving the public sector after nearly two decades, navigating the complexity of a major career transition, leading in a high-pressure environment, and maintaining relationships with intention and grace.This conversation is an invitation: to challenge the beliefs that hold you back, to rethink what confidence actually looks like, and to step more fully into the leader you’re becoming.🌟 In This Episode, We Explore:✨ The moment Sarah realized she was underestimating herselfand how a simple reframing helped her step into a senior leadership mindset.✨ Why language shapes leadership—from apologetic qualifiers to declarative confidence.✨ The hidden emotional work of transitionsand how to move from one chapter to the next with intention and integrity.✨ How women can stop self-limiting and support each other more powerfullyincluding the importance of bold conversations and strong female community.✨ Why “work-life balance” is a mythand how to rethink balance across months (or even years).✨ What it takes to leave a role without burning bridgesand how those relationships can fuel your success later.✨ The surprising power of space, reflection, and self-care(and why you can’t lead well from an empty cup).🔥 Why This Episode Matters (and Might Hit You Hard)This is one of those rare episodes that feels like listening in on the exact conversation you didn’t know you needed.Sarah speaks with honesty, vulnerability, and grounded clarity about:The fear and excitement of reinventionThe expectations placed on women leadersThe tension between ambition and wellbeingThe reality of leading through high-pressure seasonsThe courage required to say “I’m ready for more”Whether you’re contemplating a transition, looking to reclaim your confidence, or craving leadership conversations that go deeper than buzzwords—this one is going to resonate.🔑 Key Quotes From the Episode“I didn’t realize I was already further ahead than I thought. I just needed someone to hold up the mirror.”“How you leave a role says more about you than how you enter one.”“You can’t pour from an empty cup—and you can’t lead from one either.”“Women supporting women is one of the most powerful forces in leadership.”“Work-life balance doesn’t always show up daily. Sometimes it shows up over a year.”💬 If You Enjoy This Episode… Share It.Someone in your network is sitting on the edge of their next big step—and this conversation could be the permission or perspective they need.🔍 Episode SEO Keywords :women in leadershipleadership transitioncareer change storiesconfidence at workexecutive coachingpublic to private sector transitionimposter syndromeworkplace confidenceprofessional reinventionleadership podcast CanadaSpace to Lead podcast🙌 Connect With UsHost: David LeBlanc Leadership Coach • Team Coach • Founder, LeBlanc Leadership Group www.SpaceToLead.ca | www.LeBlancLeadership.caGuest: Sarah Zaharia Communications Leader • Infrastructure SectorFollow Space to Lead for more conversations that create clarity, courage, and growth in leadership.

🪞 Episode SummaryWhat happens in that moment after someone says something that hits you wrong? Before the judgment, before the reaction—there’s a pause. And in that pause lies the possibility for understanding.In this episode of Space to Lead, David LeBlanc explores the power of language, how certain words—like “sissy”—carry history and emotion, and how our reactions often reveal as much about us as they do about the word itself.This is a conversation about words as both weapons and bridges, about sensitivity and awareness, and about the practice of pausing before we decide what’s right, wrong, or off-limits.In This EpisodeThe story behind why a single word in a previous episode stayed with DavidHow language carries history, identity, and emotionThe psychology of reaction—what’s happening in your body when a word triggers youHow to pause and reflect before judgmentWhy curiosity, not censorship, builds understandingWhat leaders, coaches, and teams can learn about communication through awareness of languageKey TakeawaysWords are never neutral—they live in relationship and context.Our reactions are often shaped by memory, identity, and experience.The pause between stimulus and response is where reflection and growth happen.True inclusion isn’t just about policing language—it’s about staying open to dialogue and difference.When we replace judgment with curiosity, we open the door to empathy.Reflective Prompts for ListenersWhat words have power for you?When you react strongly to something someone says, what might that be telling you about your story?How can you create more space to pause, reflect, and respond rather than react?Connect & Explore📰 Read the companion article: The Power of Words: Pausing Before We Judge – TEAMshift Magazine🎧 Listen to past episodes of Space to Lead🌐 Visit www.leblancleadership.ca for leadership and team development resources💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn — share your reflection using #SpaceToLead #TEAMshiftMagazine #LiveLearnGrow🕊️ Episode Quote“Maybe the answer isn't in making a list of forbidden words - maybe it's in practicing curiosity.”🎵 CreditsHost: David LeBlancProduced by: LeBlanc Leadership Group – The LIVE. LEARN. GROW. CompanyFind more at: The Space to Lead Podcast

Gabi Space: Self-Differentiation - The Lifelong Practice of Being "Separate and Connected"In this insightful episode of "Gabi Space," join us for a profound conversation with Gabby as we explore self-differentiation, a concept critical for leaders and for navigating our daily lives.Gabby introduces self-differentiation, rooted in family systems theory, as the lifelong practice of being "separate and connected". It's about recognizing our individual distinctness while acknowledging our constant interaction with and need for others. This isn't a destination, but an ongoing journey with "no arriving".Key themes and insights from our conversation include:• Understanding Your Experience: We often get into trouble by blaming others for our feelings, saying things like "you make me so upset". A core part of self-differentiation is asking: "Who is actually creating the upset here, or the joy, or the happiness?".• The Model of Experience: Gabby shares a helpful model from Jervis Bush's "Clear Leadership," which breaks down our experience into observations, thoughts, feelings, and wants. A common challenge highlighted in coaching is confusing our feelings with our thoughts, often using phrases like "I feel that" or "I feel like" followed by a thought. The practice encourages slowing down to access the distinct energy and sensation in our bodies.• Slowing Down and Creating Space: This intentional pausing is a crucial "doorway to self-differentiation". It allows us to connect with our whole selves, not just our heads, understanding that our entire body is engaged in our experience.• The Breath as a Reset Button: A simple yet elegant tool, the breath serves as a universal reset button, inviting the parasympathetic system to shift our internal state and move us from reactivity to a more thoughtful response.• Attentive Listening and Responsibility: Self-differentiation extends to how we listen. It means seeking to understand another's experience—their thoughts, feelings, and wants—without feeling responsible for changing it or rushing to "fix" things. This helps us discern how our experiences differ from others'.• "Saying I When You Mean I": A powerful practice is using "I" when talking about our own distinct experience, rather than assuming a collective "we" in tight relationships. Gabby shares an insightful story about her nephew learning it's "not okay to have a different experience," highlighting how deeply ingrained patterns can make it difficult to assert our individual voice. This practice helps us avoid becoming our ideas or emotions in a reactive "addictive loop".• Cultivating Awareness in Busy Lives: The episode addresses the challenge of being "addicted to how busy we are" and viewing pauses as "indulgent". However, Gabby notes a growing trend of leaders embracing mindfulness practices and "moments of arrival" to build "connection before content" in meetings and create space to notice and address the energy in the room.Gabby's Challenge for You: As a final thought, Gabby encourages us to "be willing to say I when you mean I" and become an "I specialist". We invite you, over the next week, to notice how many times you use "I," "we," or "you" when expressing yourself.Join us next time on Gabi Space for more transformative conversations!

In this episode of Space to Lead, we explore self-leadership with Linh Nguyen, a self worth and leadership coach, and author of SELF-RECKONING: Embracing the Journey Beyond Forty and Divorce. You can learn more about Linh and her work at https://thewiseheart.ca/ and on Instagram @the.wiseheart

In this episode of Space to Lead, Susan Goebel shares some key insights on leadership, as well as the role of a Fractional COO. You can learn more about Susan and her work by visiting www.scalinggrp.com. And, if you would like to learn more about the Eisenhower Matrix, reach out to us (hello@teamshiftmagazine.ca) with Eisenhower Matrix in the subject line, and we will send you a pdf with more details about this tool. Be sure to follow "Space to Lead" on your podcast provider so you don't miss an episode!

In this episode of Space to Lead, we talk with Michelle Degroot, a leader in the health field in British Columbia. Learn how Michelle has incorporate coaching into her leadership practice, and how this has benefitted both her and her team.

An engaging conversation with Janet Davie, MCC and her experiences working with senior leaders and executives.

In this episode of Space to Lead, Shoko Masuda gives a glimpse into the world of the Japanese Tea Ceremony and how this timeless practice related to leadership.

An exploratory conversation if we took all we knew about TEAMS and turned it upside down (or right side up!)