Grounded and Aligned™

67. You Don't Have to Choose Between Integrity and Influence

Most senior leaders who avoid the informal conversations — the individual check-ins, the quiet conversations before a decision needs to be made— aren't doing it because they're lazy or disorganised.They're doing it because it doesn't feel right.It feels like politics. Like pre-managing the outcome. Like their work should be strong enough to stand on its own.And that instinct, as understandable as it is, is quietly costing them.In this episode, Karen looks at what happens when strong work meets an audience that wasn't brought along and why the leaders who build the most genuine influence are also the most deliberate about their relationships.In this episode:Why a concern raised in private stays manageable — and the same concern raised in public becomes a positionHow your peers are forming a read on you, whether you're actively shaping it or notThe difference between being politically aware and compromising your integrityOne reframe and two practical things to do before your next significant askIf you've ever walked out of a meeting wondering what happened — this episode is worth your time.Next steps:Follow Karen on Substack where she writes about power, politics and influence: https://karengombault.substack.com/Connect with Karen on Linkedin: Karen Gombault | LinkedIn

66. From Compliance to Commitment in Team Performance [2026 Leadership Series]

Organizations often respond to performance challenges by adding more accountability: additional metrics, more reporting, and closer monitoring. Yet in many cases, these efforts do not solve the underlying problem.In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen speaks with leadership researcher and author Patrick Veroneau about the difference between accountability and ownership in high-performing teams. Drawing on two decades of work with leaders and teams across industries, Patrick explains why many organizations struggle with engagement even while emphasizing accountability.The conversation explores a structural pattern Patrick has observed repeatedly. Teams that struggle, teams that perform at an average level, and teams that consistently excel all engage in three behaviors: they support each other, celebrate each other, and challenge each other. The difference lies in the sequence.Great teams begin with support. When people trust that others have their backs, challenge becomes constructive rather than defensive, and accountability shifts from external pressure to internal ownership.For leaders, the implication is significant. Engagement, ownership, and performance are not created through tighter oversight. They emerge when leaders create the conditions where people choose to take responsibility for the shared mission.Key discussion points:Why organizations that focus primarily on accountability often miss the deeper issue of ownershipThe three behaviors all teams demonstrate — support, celebrate, challenge — and why the sequence mattersHow the CABLES model builds trust and credibility through consistent leadership behaviorsThe five levels of the Accountability Staircase and how language signals where a team is operatingWhy compliance creates average teams, while commitment creates high-performing onesHow small improvements and declines compound over time through the “1% principle”High-performing teams rarely emerge from pressure alone. They form when individuals feel supported, valued, and connected to the mission. At that point accountability no longer needs to be imposed from the outside. People begin to take ownership for the success of the team itself.Connect with Patrick here:Patrick Veroneau website: www.emeryleadershipgroup.comFree leadership resources and downloads (CABLES model, team assessments, etc.): Resources - Emery Leadership Group - Portland, MECABLES model: CABLES Leadership ModelBook: The Missing Piece: What Great Teams Do That Others OverlookBook: The Leadership BridgeLinkedin: Patrick Veroneau, MS | LinkedIn

65. Say The Actual Thing

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen examines something most senior leaders do but rarely admit: assuming the people around them already know what they need.Not because they're conflict-averse. Not because they're passive. But because at senior levels, asking can feel like a signal that something has gone wrong.The result is a pattern that quietly damages relationships in both directions — with the boss who doesn't know what support you need, and with the team working hard on the wrong version of what you wanted.Karen looks at:Why senior leaders avoid being direct about what they need and the specific belief driving itWhat the silence actually costs, with your boss, with your team, and in the relationships that matter mostThe difference between being direct and being blunt and why that distinction matters at this levelWhat it actually sounds like to ask clearly: the language, the framing, and the two things that make it workWhy most relationship friction at senior levels isn't conflict — it's accumulated assumptionAt senior levels, the people around you are busy, under pressure, and managing their own complexity. They are not going to guess correctly. Clarity is not a sign of weakness. Ambiguity is.Next steps:If you are postponing a conversation — with your boss, with a key stakeholder, or with someone on your team — and you want to think it through before you have it, book a Focus-15.In 15 minutes, you will clarify what you actually need to say, how to frame it, and what outcome you're working toward. You will leave with a clear direction and the confidence to move forward.https://www.karengombault.com/scheduleFollow Karen's writing on Substack, where she examines the structural importance of relationships and alignment at senior levels. https://karengombault.substack.com🤝 Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/karengombault/

64. Leading People Starts With Leading Yourself [2026 Leadership Series]

Leadership conversations often focus on strategy, growth, and organizational change. Yet the daily reality of leadership still comes down to something more fundamental: how effectively leaders manage people and themselves.In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen speaks with leadership coach Kris Plachy about what has — and has not — changed in leadership as we move into 2026. Drawing on three decades of work with female founders and CEOs, Kris argues that the fundamentals remain the same: leaders set direction, clarify expectations, and hold people accountable for results.What has changed is the environment in which those fundamentals now operate. Leaders are managing teams with shorter attention spans, greater emotional volatility, and increasing distraction. At the same time, many leaders struggle with the very conversations required to maintain accountability.The discussion explores why emotional regulation is not a “soft skill,” but a core leadership requirement. When leaders cannot manage their own emotional responses, they lose authority in difficult conversations and allow behavior patterns that ultimately undermine results.For senior leaders, the implication is direct: leadership effectiveness is less about new frameworks and more about mastering the internal mechanics that determine how you respond in pressure moments.Key takeawaysWhy the fundamentals of leadership have not changed, even as the external environment has become more complexThe growing challenge leaders face managing teams in a culture of distraction and shortened attentionWhy many leaders avoid accountability conversations, even when performance expectations are clearHow emotional regulation determines whether leaders maintain authority in difficult momentsThe connection between self-leadership, organizational performance, and business outcomesHow changing the way leaders interpret situations can transform both business results and personal freedomLeadership ultimately reveals how well someone can lead themselves. When leaders learn to regulate their emotional responses, they regain the ability to address problems directly, set clear expectations, and make decisions that serve the organization rather than their discomfort. That shift often changes both the trajectory of the business and the life of the leader.Connect with Kris:Kris Plachy website: https://thevisionary.ceoBook, The One Hour Leader: https://thevisionary.ceo/onehourleader Kris Plachy books :How to Coach a Difficult Person in Six StepsFive Truths for Thinking About Difficult PeopleLinkedIn: Kris Plachy | LinkedIn

63. Positioning Yourself for Promotion at Senior Levels

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen examines a recurring situation at senior levels: leaders who consistently deliver, operate at the next level, and still do not get promoted.The issue is not capability or performance. It is how promotion decisions are actually formed inside large organizations.If you are operating at Director, VP, or SVP level and relying on execution to carry you forward, this episode focuses on what sits outside your direct output: how decisions are shaped, who influences them, and how your positioning is interpreted when you are not in the room.Karen looks atThe structural gap between strong execution and weak positioning in promotion discussionsHow promotion decisions are formed collectively, and why individual performance is insufficient at senior levelsThe difference between being known and being relevant to decision-makers’ prioritiesThe role of advocacy, sponsorship, and silence in shaping promotion outcomesHow early relationship-building influences credibility long before opportunities are formally discussedWhat happens when leaders opt out of political dynamics and how that affects their visibility in decision processesAt senior levels, progression is determined less by what you deliver and more by how your work is carried into decision-making forums by others. If your scope is already expanding but your positioning is not, the gap will become visible when promotion decisions are made.Next steps:If your scope has recently expanded and you are operating with greater visibility and stakeholder complexity, a short, structured reset can materially improve how you deploy your time and authority. Book a Focus-15. In 15 minutes, you will clarify what requires your attention now, what no longer does, where to focus to reinforce authority, and one concrete adjustment to implement immediately. You will leave with a clear direction for the next 30 days.https://www.karengombault.com/scheduleFollow Karen’s writing on Substack, where she examines the structural importance of relationships and alignment at senior levels.https://karengombault.substack.com🤝 Connect on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/karengombault/