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Leadership That Liberates
Lena Papadopoulos
25 episodes
2 days ago
What if the barriers to liberation aren’t the systems we live within, but the ways in which those systems live within us? In this podcast, Lena Papadopoulos—anthropologist, leadership coach, shadow work expert, and award-winning intercultural educator—unpacks the relationship between self-suppression and systems of oppression. She guides listeners on a courageous quest to unearth the root cause of the divisions within us and between us, building our capacity to lead true change in our lives and in our world. Because until we’re really willing to face our pain, we’ll create more of the same.
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Self-Improvement
Education
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All content for Leadership That Liberates is the property of Lena Papadopoulos and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
What if the barriers to liberation aren’t the systems we live within, but the ways in which those systems live within us? In this podcast, Lena Papadopoulos—anthropologist, leadership coach, shadow work expert, and award-winning intercultural educator—unpacks the relationship between self-suppression and systems of oppression. She guides listeners on a courageous quest to unearth the root cause of the divisions within us and between us, building our capacity to lead true change in our lives and in our world. Because until we’re really willing to face our pain, we’ll create more of the same.
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Self-Improvement
Education
Episodes (20/25)
Leadership That Liberates
What Patterns of Pain Taught Me About Trust, Justice, and Liberation

Last week, I shared the story of a past relationship that went horribly wrong. In this week’s episode, I highlight the eye-opening realizations and life-changing lessons that followed. 

I unpack the narcissistic abuse cycle and how it can lead even the most intuitive, intelligent people to question their reality, distrust their body’s signals, and lose themselves in a void of distortion and self-doubt.

I share what this experience revealed about the wisdom of the body, rebuilding self-trust, and recognizing relationship patterns that mirror our earliest wounds—leading to a difficult but necessary choice I made for my own mental and emotional well-being. 

I also explore the connection between personal pain and collective healing, and why revolutionary social change requires us to face what hurts—in ourselves and in our world.

*If you missed last week’s episode, start there to get the full context for this week’s content*


This is the last episode of the year. The podcast will be back in 2026! Share your feedback.


Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠⁠Explore 1:1 coaching⁠.

Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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2 weeks ago
49 minutes 48 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Love, Lies, and Losing Myself in an Illusion

In this week’s episode, I share the deeply personal story of a relationship that broke me but ultimately led me back to myself.

At first, it seemed too good to be true—and it was. Over time, I lost myself in the illusion as love bombing, gaslighting, and emotional manipulation distanced me from my inner knowing, distorted my sense of reality, and left me unraveling a web of unbelievable truths that felt more like a Netflix docuseries than my own life. 

If you’ve ever found yourself in a similar dynamic, I hope my story helps you see your own experience with more clarity and compassion. Too many of us have experienced manipulation masquerading as love. You are not alone, and it is not your fault.

Next week, I’ll unpack what this experience taught me about intuition, somatic memory, trauma bonds, and the unconscious drivers that keep us trapped in familiar, yet painful patterns.


Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Explore 1:1 coaching.

Visit my ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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3 weeks ago
56 minutes 39 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Moral Absolutism, Purity Politics, and the Absence of Humanity in Activism

We can’t lead ourselves and one another to liberation if we’re still operating from the logic of oppression.

In this episode, we unpack the shadow side of activism—exploring how moral absolutism and purity politics lead to fear-based fawning and dynamics that silence and suppress.

I talk about how these dynamics show up in our activism and advocacy work, reproducing the same rigid, hierarchical, and fundamentalist structures and ideologies we claim to resist. We examine how fear, shame, and ego can transform activism into a kind of authoritarianism—turning courage into fear, curiosity into compliance, and authenticity into performance. 

When activism becomes about being seen or proving our goodness, our need to be “right” eclipses our capacity to be real while the fear of moral imperfection cuts us off from curiosity, connection, and growth.

Out beyond ideas of rightdoing and wrongdoing, there is a field (Rumi)—a field we cannot reach until we’ve humbly faced the shadows within us that reflect the systems around us.


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Explore 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.


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1 month ago
34 minutes 22 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Your Unique Blueprint for Living and Leading With Purpose

In this episode, I guide you through my Purpose Blueprint process—a framework designed to help you weave together the deeper threads connecting your lived experiences, authentic self-expression, and the unique contribution you’re here to make in the world.

Together, we’ll explore how to align who you are with what you’re here to do, so that your life and leadership reflect what feels most true, resonant, and meaningful to you.

You’ll be invited to reflect on:

  • The ideal world you envision and what needs to shift to make it possible

  • The experiences that have shaped how you see and move through life

  • The values, lessons, and strengths that guide your leadership

  • What success means to you—beyond societal definitions

  • How you can serve others with your unique gifts 

Whether you’re clear on your purpose or still searching for direction, this process will illuminate how your personal journey of evolution mirrors how you can make a difference.

Get the Purpose Blueprint guide


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Explore 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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1 month ago
32 minutes 11 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Navigating Our Relationship to Uncertainty in Chaotic Times

Life is always uncertain, but in times like these it feels especially heavy. Political extremism, climate crisis, economic instability, and the rise of authoritarianism worldwide can understandably leave us spiraling in fear of what might go wrong or what the future might hold. 

But what if we related to uncertainty differently? In this episode, I explore our collective relationship to control and surrender, unpacking how our cultural conditioning shapes the way we show up in the space between what has been and what is yet to be.

Together, we traverse the tender terrain of the unknown, examining the deeper roots of our fear, how attachment styles impact our response to uncertainty, and why practices like presence and gratitude can help us anchor into truth and trust when the world feels chaotic. 

This isn’t about creating the conditions for certainty—which I don’t believe we can do—but rather about how we build the courage and capacity to trust that even in the unraveling, we are held and supported.


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Explore 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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1 month ago
36 minutes 10 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
The Hidden Power (and Danger) of Identity

Our identities are often tied to pride, meaning, and belonging—but they can also box us in, cut us off from authentic self-expression, and fuel the divisions between us.

In this episode, I explore how personal, social, and cultural identities shape our self-concept, why categorical labels create inner incongruence, and how collective attachments to identity drive division, conflict, and even war.

Drawing on personal experiences as well as my research on religious and national identity, I examine the double-edged nature of identity and how it can offer connection while also perpetuating separation. 

What identities are shaping who you believe yourself to be? To what extent are they limiting your personal growth or reinforcing collective divides? And how might letting go of rigidity create space for more freedom—both within us and between us?


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 3 months of 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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1 month ago
31 minutes 50 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Holding Complexity Without Losing Conviction

How can we hold both conviction and compassion in a world that demands we choose sides?

In this episode, I wrestle with my own inner conflict around maintaining objectivity while simultaneously honoring the truths that live in my heart. I share my own journey of being deeply opinionated as a child, to being shaped by anthropological training that demanded neutrality, and how the tension between the two shows up for me now.

Together, we explore the gray area between and beyond binaries—that sacred and oftentimes unsettling space where nuance and complexity collide with clear conviction and our desire for justice.

I don’t know if there’s an answer. Maybe this dilemma is simply an invitation to deepen into life’s big questions. 

How do we hold space for our shared humanity without collapsing into the trauma-led impulse to separate right from wrong, victim from villain?

And how can we meet the pain in ourselves and in one another with more love?


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 3 months of 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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1 month ago
43 minutes 7 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Spirals, Loops, and Leading Ourselves Through Life Lessons

Are you moving through a growth spiral or stuck in a repetitive loop?

This episode dives into the difference between spirals and loops—the ways we revisit life lessons for deeper integration versus the cycles we get stuck in when we circle round and round the same lesson rather than meeting it head on. 

I unpack why it’s so uncomfortable to face the parts of ourselves that keep us trapped in repeating patterns, how our unconscious self-protective mechanisms perpetuate loops, and why taking accountability for the role we play in our own suffering is critical to our personal (and collective) liberation.

I also share some reflection questions to help you identify where and why you might be circling without resolution, and how to step into your power and break free of needless repetition.


Subscribe to my mailing list to receive weekly messages and reflection questions (like the ones mentioned in this episode)

Stuck in a loop? Get my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies: ⁠Apply for 3 months of 1:1 coaching.

Visit my ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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2 months ago
33 minutes 2 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Online Shaming, Cancel Culture, and the Illusion of Justice

What if the ways we pursue justice are keeping us trapped in the very dynamics we seek to dismantle?

In this episode, I explore the rise of shaming, punitive policing, and cancel culture—particularly in the online space—and share why I see these practices as reflections of colonialism, capitalism, and white supremacy.

If shame is at the center of why we self-suppress and oppress others, then what happens when we weaponize shame in the name of liberation? I think there are deeper unmet needs beneath our desire for punishment, the parts of us that take pleasure in others’ pain, and why it feels easier to choose exile over compassion, courage, and connection.

But if we’re serious about liberation, we have to move beyond false binaries and quick fixes and learn how to meet one another in our full humanity. That starts with examining the oppression we’ve internalized and taking responsibility for how we replicate harm. Real accountability means choosing the harder, braver work of relational repair, restoration, and reconciliation over the ease of blame and banishment.


Join the waitlist for my signature RootWork program.

Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 3 months of 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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2 months ago
33 minutes 57 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Witnessing Atrocity, Honoring Grief, and Holding Onto Hope

How do we stay anchored in hope when the weight of the world is too much to hold?

In this episode, I reflect on the impact of witnessing ongoing atrocity—especially the genocide in Gaza—and the heartbreak, helplessness, and hopelessness that can so easily consume us.

We explore how trauma is inherited from generations before us, how it lives in our bodies and bloodlines, and what it really means to nurture our nervous systems and harness hope while holding so much despair in our cells and in our souls. 

We each have a critical part to play in the web of collective change, but none of us can play every part. I invite you to reflect on how you can show up, both in this moment and in devotion to a long-term vision for liberation. I also share some of the ways I take action in solidarity with a free Palestine.

For a list of the people, resources, and actions referenced in this episode, visit this document.

ICYMI: The podcast will be on pause for a few weeks. We’ll return September 3rd with a new episode on Shaming, Policing, and Cancel Culture. 

Please fill out this form to share your feedback on the podcast and shape the content of future episodes. I'd really love to receive your insights and input! 


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 6 months of 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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3 months ago
39 minutes 25 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Neocolonial Narratives and the Hidden Harm in Global Aid

What if the global systems created to “do good” are actually rooted in extraction and exploitation?

Building on last week’s conversation about how martyrdom and saviorism show up in our personal relationships, this episode zooms out to examine how those unconscious patterns play out in global systems shaped by the same ideologies that fueled and justified colonialism.

I share reflections from my time teaching in Tanzania and unpack how neocolonial narratives are embedded in international development and humanitarian aid, reinforcing problematic power dynamics while undermining the agency and autonomy of local communities.

Is it even possible to reform these systems? And what does it mean to decolonize ourselves and reshape the narratives we’ve internalized about who needs to be saved and who is meant to do the saving?


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 6 months of 1:1 coaching.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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3 months ago
36 minutes 45 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
When Being “Good” Causes Harm

What if our conditioning around being a “good” person actually does more harm than good? 

In this episode, I explore how our ideas of what it means to be “good” have been shaped by oppressive systems—religion, colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism—and how internalized shame and scarcity shape our sense of self and show up in the ways we try to show up for others. 

I unpack the shadow expression of martyrdom and saviorism—archetypes we may fall into when trying to “help”—and the unconscious ways we seek to have our needs met, often at the expense of ourselves and those we care about.

This is an invitation to reflect on the ways goodness can manifest as performance and what becomes possible when we choose self-sovereignty over self-sacrifice.


Visit my ⁠⁠website⁠⁠ to learn about my organizational offerings or to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your institution.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? ⁠Apply for 6 months of 1:1 mentorship⁠.

Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ to catch the next episode. Please leave a rating and/or review if you find this content insightful, meaningful, or useful. 

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠.

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4 months ago
31 minutes 6 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
The Astrology of Life Lessons, Leadership, and Liberation

What if your core challenges reflect the very medicine you're meant to share through your leadership?

Understanding our soul’s purpose through the lens of evolutionary astrology reveals how past life patterns, early childhood experiences, and intergenerational traumas show up in our unconscious beliefs and behaviors, shaping how we show up in our lives and leadership.

In this episode, I unpack why the deepest desires of our soul often lead to obstacles in our life and work—and how both our personal evolution and collective contribution invite us to transform our relationship with fear, insecurity, and resistance.

To give you a clear and concrete example of how this can play out, I share my own soul’s purpose according to evolutionary astrology, highlighting how past life themes of control, manipulation, and dependency show up in my life as rejection wounds, fear of receiving, and financial instability—and how this is reflected in the work I do and the people I serve.

Maybe your pain is a portal into your power. Maybe your wounds are the source of your most potent wisdom. And maybe your life’s journey is an invitation into liberation—for yourself and for us all. 


Curious to learn how this is playing out in your own life? Book a soul purpose astrology reading.

Want my support in unearthing and transforming your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? Apply for 6 months of 1:1 mentorship.

Connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or visit my ⁠website⁠ to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your organization.

Follow the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple⁠ to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠YouTube⁠.

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4 months ago
42 minutes 52 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Shadow Projections and Distorted Perceptions

What if our judgments of others are actually just a mirror? What if the people who annoy, irritate, or frustrate us are simply reflecting the parts of ourselves we haven’t yet faced?

In this episode, I explore the concept of shadow projections—the unconscious ways we assign meaning to others based on the parts of ourselves we've denied, rejected, or disowned.

I share how projections shape our development, how feedback from others can mirror our insecurities or reveal our shadows, and why our reactions often have less to do with others and more to do with what remains unresolved within us.

We also look at how unexamined projections contribute to division, polarization, and cross-cultural conflict—and why personal integration is essential for collective transformation.


Want my support in unearthing your unconscious beliefs, protective patterns, and survival strategies? Apply for 6 months of 1:1 mentorship.

Connect with me on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or visit my ⁠website⁠ to request a custom-created leadership workshop, program, or retreat for your team.

Follow the podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple⁠ to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my ⁠YouTube⁠.

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4 months ago
32 minutes 15 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Breaking Cycles of Vengeance and Victimhood

When we begin to peel back the layers of our unconscious patterns, what we often find beneath the surface is unresolved harm and a deep-rooted desire for justice.

In this episode, I explore how traumatic experiences often distort our desire for resolution, leading to cycles of victimhood or vengeance that keep us locked in loops of powerlessness and retaliation.

These patterns don’t just shape our personal lives and relationships; they ripple outward, reinforcing destructive dynamics that shape the systems we live within.

Though these cycles are rooted in disempowerment, we do have the power to disrupt them.

By anchoring into self-sovereignty and taking radical responsibility for the role we play in creating these patterns, we can break free from blame—and step into real, lasting change.


Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website to explore ways we can work together.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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4 months ago
44 minutes 4 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
The Power of Love as the Path to Liberation

If the love of power divides us, could the power of love set us free?

Building on last week’s episode, we’re continuing the conversation about love—this time, exploring love as power and the role it plays in both leadership and liberation.

I share my current spiritual worldview, what I believe to be our purpose on this Earth, and where love fits into it all. We explore what it means to return to love, to lead from love, and to embody love as power. Amidst collective collapse, love might be the most radical and revolutionary choice we can make. 

I also want to acknowledge that this perspective may feel inaccessible or invalidating for those who have been most violated, abused, and oppressed, and who have good reason to feel righteous rage. We’ll unpack this more next week…

So maybe this is really a 3-part series. The truth is, it’s all connected. And that’s exactly why we need conversations that explore complexity and contradiction—both for our personal lives and for our collective reality.  

Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube.

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4 months ago
37 minutes 20 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Reclaiming Love After Leaving Religion

What role does love play in leadership and liberation?

In this 2-part series, we’re exploring what it really means to live and lead from love. 

Love is central to my worldview, my leadership approach, and my deeper intention behind this podcast. And yet—for me—love comes with a lot of baggage. So before I can share why love is at the heart of life and liberatory leadership, I first have to tell you about my own relationship with it.

In this episode (part 1), I’m revisiting one of the most disorienting and definitive experiences of my life—my decision to cut ties with Christianity. I lost my community, my connection to God, and my trust in the Divine. And in the process, I lost my love for Love. 

For the past decade, I’ve been rebuilding my relationship with Spirit and redefining what love means to me. 

Join me next week for part 2—love as the root of power and the path to liberation. 

Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube.

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5 months ago
30 minutes 25 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
The Shadow Side of Podcasting

I knew I'd eventually share the shadow work emerging through this podcast…I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain and taking you behind the scenes of my podcasting journey so far.

What started as a way to share my body of work has quickly become a mirror—reflecting fears, insecurities, and parts of myself I’m still learning to love.

From my shadows taking center stage to the raw vulnerability of sharing hard truths and asking even harder questions, I’m opening up about what happens when my inner critic meets the mic. 

This isn’t just an update—it’s a personal practice in building the courage and capacity it takes to show up for ourselves and for each other. 

Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube.

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5 months ago
31 minutes 3 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Aquarius, Jesus, and Revolutionary Leadership

In today’s episode, we explore the archetype of Aquarius and what it can teach us about being a human-centered, liberatory leader amid systemic collapse. As a misunderstood misfit and innovative idealist, Aquarius invites us to embrace our uniqueness, disrupt the status quo, and trust in our vision for the future—even when we’re the only ones who can see it. 

We also look to one of the most powerful examples of Aquarian leadership—Jesus. A rebel revolutionary rooted in radical love, his life and teachings offer us a blueprint for boldly challenging what is while leading ourselves and others toward what could be. 

Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube.

My 6-week shadow work program is becoming a 6-month mentorship. Enroll by the end of May to lock-in access to the current structure and price point.

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5 months ago
22 minutes 57 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
Politics and Polarization

Why do political conversations make us so uncomfortable, and what is our avoidance of that discomfort costing us? 

In this week’s episode, I explore the roots of political polarization and how our discomfort with difference only deepens our divides. Avoiding conflict might feel easier, but it often causes more harm than good.

I also share a practical tool to help you approach polarizing conversations with more empathy, curiosity, and self-awareness. These practices aren’t about changing someone’s mind or winning a debate—they’re about cultivating our capacity to find common ground and face the parts of ourselves we’d rather avoid.

I’ll be honest—this one felt edgy. But sometimes, it’s important to say the hard thing, even (or especially) when that thing is controversial. The hardest conversations are often the ones we need most. I hope this episode invites you into deeper reflection—and more courageous, compassionate dialogue.

Connect with me on LinkedIn or visit my website.

Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple to catch the next episode.

Prefer this content in video form? Subscribe to my YouTube.

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5 months ago
31 minutes 51 seconds

Leadership That Liberates
What if the barriers to liberation aren’t the systems we live within, but the ways in which those systems live within us? In this podcast, Lena Papadopoulos—anthropologist, leadership coach, shadow work expert, and award-winning intercultural educator—unpacks the relationship between self-suppression and systems of oppression. She guides listeners on a courageous quest to unearth the root cause of the divisions within us and between us, building our capacity to lead true change in our lives and in our world. Because until we’re really willing to face our pain, we’ll create more of the same.