Becoming Unshakable

Soft Landings and Hard Truths in Team Building

What does it take to lead with heart in one of the most demanding, misunderstood public service sectors? In this episode of the Leadership With Heart Podcast, I spoke with Billie Jo McCarley, Deputy Director of Operations at the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department.  From the moment I saw her speak on a panel, I was drawn to her clarity, purpose, and grounded approach to leading in a system that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves. Her words were honest, her tone firm, and her leadership style deeply human. Billie Jo shares her journey from a union kid in upstate New York to a Marine Corps officer, and now to her executive role overseeing one of the largest utilities in the country. She brings a refreshingly straightforward style to leadership, one rooted in ownership, structure, and service. What resonated most was how she balances military precision with a deep sense of emotional intelligence and faith. Her mantra is simple: understand people, respect their uniqueness, and make hard decisions without ever stripping someone of their dignity. We explored how she builds high-performing teams by focusing on talent, alignment, clarity, and trust. She described her people as "scrappy builders," but also reminded us that every person comes with a story, and our job as leaders is to create a space where that story matters. Whether shifting someone to a better-fitting role or navigating tough conversations with fairness and compassion, Billie Jo never loses sight of the mission: to serve the people of Miami-Dade County with integrity and purpose. Her belief that leadership is not about softening expectations but elevating them through care stayed with me. You can be clear, direct, and firm, and still lead with a heart full of compassion. That's the real balance we're all trying to strike, especially in times of uncertainty, change, and disruption. So here's my question: What does leadership with heart look like in your world, and how are you holding space for others while still pushing them to grow? I would love to hear your thoughts. Share your reflections with me, and let's continue the conversation.  

Faith Bigger Than Fear: Finding Ground in an Unsteady World

In this episode of the Becoming Unshakable podcast, I sit down with Neri Karra Sillaman, and this conversation stayed with me long after we stopped recording. I first met Neri at the Thinkers50 event in London, where she was recognized as a Radar Award winner. The moment she spoke about her work and her life, I knew I had to learn more. This episode is the result of that instinct. Neri shares her powerful journey as an immigrant entrepreneur and refugee, forced to leave Bulgaria at the age of eleven with her family and only two suitcases. She takes us inside what it means to rebuild life from a refugee camp, to navigate shame, loss, faith, and survival, and to carry those experiences into adulthood. What struck me most was how she reframes being unshakable, not as being unbreakable, but as being flexible, grounded in truth, and willing to live authentically even when life does not go as planned. We talk deeply about faith, worthiness, and the unseen forces that carry us through moments when the future feels impossible to imagine. Neri opens up about the scars that never fully heal, the role of self-awareness in leadership, and how community and compassion can serve as the foundation for both personal healing and business longevity. Her story behind writing Pioneers: Eight Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs reveals how sometimes the work we resist is the work we are meant to do. This conversation is about resilience, but it goes beyond pushing through. It is about receiving as much as giving, about understanding your own worth, and about how early hardship can shape a deep capacity for connection, storytelling, and leadership. It is also a reminder that even in chaos, we can hold a vision for something greater. As you listen to Neri's story, I invite you to reflect on this. What part of your own story, especially the parts shaped by struggle, might actually be pointing you toward the life and leadership you are meant to live?  

Signal Up: The Secret Language of Unshakable Teams

What are the signals your team is receiving from you every single day, even when you think you are not sending any at all? In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, I reflect on my recent work facilitating deep listening sessions inside organizations and what those moments quietly communicate to employees. Again and again, I hear the same response. Something feels different. Something feels like it is shifting. The signal is not a speech or a strategy deck. It is presence. It is being seen. It is knowing someone is actually listening. I talk about why listening is one of the clearest expressions of caring leadership and how intentional signals can change culture faster than most formal initiatives. When people feel heard, they invest more. They stay engaged. They support one another. And they find strength even when work feels heavy or uncertain. This episode also turns inward. I explore the signals our own bodies send us every day and what happens when we ignore them. Unshakable does not mean unhurt or unaffected. It means grounded. It means having tools such as reframing, breathing, and self-awareness that help us steady ourselves before we crumble. As you listen, I invite you to consider this. What signals are you intentionally placing for your team, your family, and yourself? And what might change if you slowed down long enough to truly receive them?  

Resilience is More Than Grit

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to talk about resilience as if it is a single gear we should keep turning forever? That question has been sitting with me for a while. I have spent years teaching leaders how to build resilience and how to stay steady when life shakes the ground under their feet. I believe in that work with my whole heart. But lately something has shifted in me. I have been rethinking the way we treat resilience as endless forward motion, almost like we are supposed to sprint through every storm without ever stopping to breathe. In this solo episode, I share an honest look at my own evolution. I talk about the moment I realized that resilience without nourishment becomes a slow drain on our spirit. I describe the trap of powering through, the belief that toughness alone will carry us, and why I am moving toward something I call resilience plus. It is the space where grit meets care, where perseverance is paired with grounding, and where the ability to rise again is strengthened by the willingness to rest, pray, listen, and refill ourselves. I walk through the lessons that hit me during a retreat in Toronto, the ones that helped me see how nourishment is not a luxury but a condition for real resilience. I share what it feels like to stand in front of a room of people who are fully present, fully open, and fully human. I talk about the people who hold me, the friends and family who steady me, and why leadership requires us to build circles where we can be honest, soft, tired, hopeful, and strong in the same breath. This conversation is an invitation to explore your own understanding of resilience. It is a reminder that you can be powerful and weary, strong and tender, grounded and growing. You can fall and rise, and you can take a breath before you do it. And I would love to hear from you. What does resilience plus look like in your own life, and where are you finding the nourishment that helps you stay unshakable?  

The Two Traits Every High-Impact Leader Must Master

Have you ever met someone in a fleeting moment and instantly sensed there was a deeper conversation waiting to happen? That is precisely what happened when I met Grantley Morgan at Thinkers50 in London. It was my very first time in the city, and there he was, tucked away in the corner, trying to enjoy a quiet bite before the next wave of conversations. Of course, I walked right up to him, probably catching him mid-chew, and within minutes, we were deep into a discussion about the kind of leadership people return to when the world around them feels uncertain. In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, Grantley and I explore a theme that leaders often overlook. Reliability. We talk about it as something steady, almost quiet, yet absolutely foundational. Grantley calls it positive predictability. That grounded presence where people know how you show up, they see the bar you hold for yourself, and they trust that your intentions match your actions. He describes how this connects with a second trait that leaders often talk about but rarely live consistently. A personal quality bar that never drops, even when pressure mounts. Our conversation moves through the realities of consulting culture, the pressure to prove yourself, the temptation to rush, and the personal work involved in shifting from competition to curiosity. Grantley shares moments where he pushed too hard, went too fast, and learned the hard way about the limits of carrying everything alone. His honesty around pressure, emotional regulation, and the need for shared accountability invites all of us to rethink how we use our influence. What I loved most was the way he frames leadership through clear intention. The idea of stepping away for fuel, stepping back for perspective, and stepping forward once curiosity returns. The way he holds failure as a sign of courage rather than incompetence. And the reminder that reliability has nothing to do with being safe or dull. It is the quality that lets people take bigger risks because they trust the leader beside them. Grantley left me thinking about the future of leadership and how each of us can create the conditions where our teams thrive. What would happen if reliability and excellence coexisted more often in our workplaces? What would it change about how we show up, how we collaborate, and how we carry our own emotional load? I would love to know what this conversation brings up for you. Which part resonates with your own experience of leading or being led? Share your thoughts with me.