Podcast
The Leadership Dance
Welcome to The Leadership Dance, where Alissa Hsu Lynch—former world-class dancer turned global business executive—shares insights and inspiration from visionary leaders who are breaking barriers in the arts and business worlds. Tune in to discover how to step into your star power and confidently choreograph your own leadership dance.
- Episodes
- 50
- Releases
- Every two weeks
- Typical length
- 39 min
- On air since
- 2024
- Latest episode
- 1 week ago
Episodes
50 episodes, newest first
-
51 min
Ep. 48: Expanding Paul Taylor's legacy, with Michael Novak
Season 5, Episode 48
Show notes
"Fail fast. Take the risk, learn from it. Listen to your elders, but don't sacrifice your gut."
Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about his path from a childhood outside Chicago to leading one of the world's top modern dance companies. Dance became his way to communicate when he developed a severe stutter at age 10, and he later found modern dance after an injury led him to step away from the stage and enroll at Columbia. He was about to move to Los Angeles when a mentor told him about a Paul Taylor audition, and he got the job. In 2018, while he was planning his exit from performing, Paul Taylor named him his successor.
Michael also talks about learning to stay steady in the studio when the creative process gets hard, guiding the company through its founder's death and the pandemic, why he leads as a coach on the studio floor, and what audiences can expect from the company's Lincoln Center season.
Don't miss this conversation about trust, reinvention, and the power of live performance.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
A steady presence in the room gives others space to do their best work
•
Every job you take, even the ones that seem unrelated, can prepare you for what comes next
•
A crisis puts everyone on equal footing, which makes room for new ideas
Photo Credits:
Erin Baiano, Jordan Matter, Laspata DeCaro, Paul B. Goode, Rachel Neville, Steven Pisano, Whitney Browne, Paul Taylor Dance Company
Connect with Paul Taylor Dance Company:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/paul-taylor-dance-company
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paultaylordance/
Website: https://paultaylordance.org/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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34 min
Ep. 47: Leaping to new heights, with Takumi Miyake
Season 5, Episode 47
Show notes
"Just go and do whatever you feel like, but do it with a hundred percent energy and do it consistently."
Takumi Miyake, Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a career that started in his family's ballet studio in Kagawa, Japan, where he is the fourth generation to dance. At 13, he won first place at the Youth America Grand Prix and left home on a full scholarship to the Royal Ballet School. After two ankle surgeries during COVID kept him out for a year and a half, he emailed ABT Studio Company director Sascha Radetsky and asked to join the audition class. He left New York with a contract and was promoted to soloist after his first year in the corps de ballet.
Takumi also opens up about staying motivated through injury, stepping into his first acting role as Lensky in Onegin, and what it's like to share both life and the stage with his girlfriend and fellow ABT soloist Yoon Jung Seo.
Don't miss this conversation about ambition, resilience, and going after what you want.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Opportunity often goes to the people who ask for it
•
Recovery happens day by day, so do what you can and keep pushing
•
Leadership starts with asking questions and helping the people around you
Media Credits: E'production, Gene Schiavone, Rosalie O'Connor, Skylar Brandt, Zordan Photography, certain photos courtesy of American Ballet Theatre
Connect with Takumi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taku.ballet/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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41 min
Ep. 46: Revealing the data behind the dance, with Elizabeth "Liza" Yntema & Nancy Dobbs Owen
Season 5, Episode 46
Show notes
"There appears to be some sliver of time somewhere between 32 and 55 where it's okay for women to be successful."
Elizabeth 'Liza' Yntema, founder and president of Dance Data Project®, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch alongside Nancy Dobbs Owen, DDP's communications lead, to talk about a career built on law, philanthropy, and a belief that dance is an economic sector hiding in plain sight. Liza founded DDP after a night at the ballet made her realize the audience, donors, and dance schools were mostly women, yet no one behind the curtain was. DDP has since published 75 reports exposing pay gaps and leadership disparities across the dance world, one company at a time.
Liza and Nancy also get personal about building careers that don't follow a straight line, overcoming outdated attitudes, and why your best work might come decades after others expected you to peak.
Don't miss this conversation about disruption and reinventing an industry from the inside.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Reinvention doesn't erase who you are, it just changes how you show up
•
Skills you build in one chapter of your career will show up again later, often when you least expect it
•
Progress isn't owed to you, so keep asking, keep pushing, and keep showing up
Connect with Liza and Nancy:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedataproject/
Website: https://www.dancedataproject.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dance-data-project/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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55 min
Ep. 45: Stop waiting for permission, with Lisa Shalett
Season 5, Episode 45
Show notes
"I realized I was allowing other people to be my source of confidence."
Lisa Shalett, co-founder of Extraordinary Women on Boards, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a career that spans equities, compliance, crisis communications, and the boardroom. A former Goldman Sachs partner, she spent twenty years at the firm reinventing herself across roles most people wouldn't have the courage to take, including managing Goldman's brand through one of the worst crises in Wall Street history. When she left, she turned her attention to a problem she kept hearing from women in boardrooms everywhere and, with her co-founder Lisa DeCarlo, built a 1,000+ member community to solve it, which grew entirely by word of mouth.
Don't miss this conversation about reinvention, confidence, and what it means to stop waiting for permission.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
If you don't tell your own story, others will tell it for you
•
Agility is a skill, and steep learning curves are worth running toward
•
The most important shift in Lisa's career came when she stopped looking to others for approval and became her own source of confidence
Connect with Lisa and EWOB:
Lisa's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisashalett/
EWOB's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/extraordinary-women-on-boards/
EWOB's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ewobnetwork/
Bruce Feiler's Book: A Time to Gather: How Ritual Created the World— and How It Can Save Us: https://a.co/d/0aTg2V9I
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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51 min
Ep. 44: Dancing into her destiny, with Alexandra Hutchinson
Season 5, Episode 44
Show notes
"The things that make me different are why I am who I am."
Professional ballerina Alexandra Hutchinson joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a journey that began as a "miracle baby" and led to performing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem on stages around the world. She trained at the Academy of the Dance, Washington School of Ballet, and Indiana University, where she earned a B.S. in Ballet with an outside field in arts management. Now in her eighth season with DTH, she recently performed the title role in John Taras' The Firebird and made history as the first Black ballerina to guest as a principal dancer with New York City Ballet.
Don't miss this conversation about identity, representation, and pursuing your dreams.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Seeing someone who looks like you doesn't just feel good; it makes the path forward feel possible
•
Start from the inside: work from within, and then go out
•
Gratitude is a performance ritual and a life practice
Photo credits:
Nir Arieli
CLU Images
Luca Crudeli
Rachel Neville Studios
Rachel Papo
Cherylnn Tsushima
Connect with Alexandra:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_ballerina_/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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42 min
Ep. 43: Dancing with whales, with Karim Iliya
Season 4, Episode 43
Show notes
"The first time you swim with a whale, you realize your place in the world — that not everything revolves around us humans."
Karim Iliya, photographer, filmmaker, and whale swimming guide, joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a life built on curiosity and constant motion. He grew up moving every two to four years across the Middle East and Asia, taught himself photography at 13, and eventually found his way beneath the surface. He free dives with humpback whales, filmed orcas for Netflix, and has photographed volcanoes from Hawaii to Guatemala. His work has been featured by National Geographic, BBC, and Netflix in over 55 countries. Today he guides people into the water with whales through Dance with Whales, and co-founded Kogia, a conservation nonprofit with a free media library used in over 65 countries.
Don't miss this conversation about conservation, creativity, and building a life by following what you can't stop doing.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Why saying yes to everything is one of the fastest ways to lose focus on what actually matters.
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The importance of protecting personal projects alongside client work, and why those are the ones that define a career.
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How giving people a direct experience of something they care about is one of the most powerful tools for changing behavior and perspective.
Connect with Karim:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karimiliya/
Website: https://karimiliya.com/
Company website: https://www.kogia.org/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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43 min
Ep. 42: Two hundred percent of a person, with Clive Chang
Season 4, Episode 41
Show notes
"I think music was a way of me finding identity, of finding purpose."
Clive Chang, President and CEO of YoungArts, joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a career that began as an immigrant in Canada, bonding with his twin sister and their first piano teacher over music when neither spoke the other's language. He went on to earn degrees in both music and finance, adding an MFA in musical theater writing from NYU and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He's held leadership roles at Lincoln Center and Disney Theatrical Group, where he learned how to flex his artistic muscles in business. Today he leads YoungArts, the national foundation that identifies exceptional young artists aged 15 to 18 and commits to supporting them for life.
In this episode, Clive talks about what it means to lead like an artist, why nonprofits deserve the same rigor as any Fortune 500 company, and what a conductor actually knows about reading a room that no MBA program teaches. He also makes the case for why every corporate board should have an artist in the mix.
Don't miss this conversation about identity, authenticity, and finally finding your dream job at 39.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Why nonprofit organizations deserve the same operational rigor as any for-profit company.
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How a single intervention at an early age can change a young artist's entire trajectory.
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The case for being 100% artist and 100% business person at the same time.
Connect with Clive:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clivechang/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clivechang/
Company website: https://www.youngarts.org
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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38 min
Ep. 41: From dancer to director, with Sonja Kostich
Season 4, Episode 41
Show notes
"I don't think ballet ever left me. Ballet has had my heart since I was a child."
Sonja Kostich, Executive Director of Houston Ballet, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to trace a career that began at 17 when Mikhail Baryshnikov personally recruited her to American Ballet Theatre. She went on to perform with San Francisco Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and the White Oak Dance Project, and co-founded her own contemporary dance company OtherShore. Then, at 42, she walked away from the stage, earned a business degree, and landed at Goldman Sachs.
But ballet never left her. Today, Sonja leads one of America's premier dance companies, partnering with Co-Artistic Directors Julie Kent and Stanton Welch to bring Houston Ballet's "best kept secret" to the world. She talks honestly about the fear of starting over, what it felt like to walk into Goldman Sachs without ever having owned a suit, and why not knowing what comes next is sometimes exactly the right condition for discovery.
Don't miss this conversation about reinvention, courage, and the winding path that leads to your dream job.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
The skills that make a great dancer, including discipline, rapid learning, and teamwork, are also what make a great leader.
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Why the path forward doesn't have to be a straight line.
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How Houston Ballet is taking a modern approach to ensuring ballet remains relevant for global audiences.
Photo credits: Julieta Cervantes, Chris Lee, Andrea Mohin, Dave Rossman, Marty Sohl, Michelle Watson, Quinn Wharton
Connect with Sonja:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonja-kostich-51249a1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonja.kostich/
Website: http://www.houstonballet.org
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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41 min
Ep. 40: Bend, don't break the rhythm, with Matt West
Season 4, Episode 40
Show notes
"The goal isn't to avoid change. It's to bend without losing yourself."
In this episode of The Leadership Dance, Matt West, executive coach, facilitator, speaker, and author of Bend, Don't Break, shares how his years as a professional jazz musician shaped the way he thinks about leadership, change, and human connection. From touring the world as a trombonist to coaching leaders at some of the world's most recognized organizations, Matt reflects on the lessons that came from rewriting his own story and learning how to stay grounded in times of uncertainty.
💡Key Takeaways:
•
Why adaptability is more than flexibility and is really a practice, not just a trait.
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Why frozen expertise shows up when the things that once made us successful become the things that hold us back.
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How critical thinking, empathy, judgment, and taste remain essential human skills in the age of AI.
Connect with Matt:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/westpractices/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewwest/
Website: https://matt-a-west.com/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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46 min
Ep. 39: Choreographing with changemakers, with Yemi Dele Akinyemi
Season 4, Episode 39
Show notes
What does it take to build a career across continents, art forms, and social movements?
Yemi Dele Akinyemi, Czech-Nigerian entrepreneur, choreographer, and founder of the Moonshot Platform, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to trace a path from dancing in front of a communist-era TV to choreographing for Kanye West, advising a robotics company, and mobilizing young changemakers from over 100 countries. He also reflects on growing up as the only Black child in his city, being separated from his father for 18 years, and how movement became his first language for belonging.
Don't miss this wide-ranging conversation about leading from the inside out and why the most important distance any leader will ever cross is the one between their head and their heart.
💡 Key Takeaways:
•
Why embodied leadership, integrating head, heart, and gut, produces decisions grounded in values rather than pure transaction
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How working with Kanye West taught Yemi that real artistry means being willing to be naked in your creative process
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Why structure and freedom aren't opposites and how the walls of a pool are what make a wave possible
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What Moonshot Platform is doing differently by betting on young changemakers at the very moment their ideas are just beginning to hatch
Connect with Yemi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yemia1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yemialchemist/
X: https://x.com/YemiAlchemist
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YemiAlchemist/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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39 min
Ep. 38: Rising through rejections, with Samantha Hope Galler
Season 4, Episode 38
Show notes
What does it take to rise to the top at one of America's leading ballet companies, after dozens of rejections, a serious injury, and a recession?
Samantha Hope Galler, Principal Dancer at Miami City Ballet, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to share the resilience and self-belief that carried her through 30+ auditions and years of setbacks, including a near career-ending injury. She also reflects on founding Fifth Position Path, a mentorship platform for dancers, earning her Master of Science from Northeastern University while performing professionally, and navigating pregnancy as a dancer.
Don't miss this honest conversation about processing rejection, betting on yourself when no one else will, and building a career on your own terms.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Why rejection is often the best teacher and how to process it without losing momentum
How discipline, visual learning, and problem-solving skills from dance translate to any career
Why mentorship matters and how Fifth Position Path is filling a critical gap for dancers and their families
Photo credits: A Iziliaev, Daniel Azoulay, Danny Cardoza, Jonathan Taylor, Juliet Hay, Melissa Dooley, Philip Galler
Connect with Samantha:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-hope-kunstadt/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeisadebut/ and https://www.instagram.com/fifthpositionpath/
Website: http://www.fifthpositionpath.com
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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34 min
Ep. 37: Championing women's voices, with Jenna Segal
Season 4, Episode 37
Show notes
Jenna Segal is writing women into the history books in arts and entertainment. Women make up more than 75% of theater audiences, yet are rarely in the decision-making seats. Jenna has stepped in to change that narrative. She is an Emmy, Tony, and Clio award-winning producer of Broadway hits including Hadestown, Gigi, and Six, as well as the visionary behind The 31 Women Collection of remarkable female artists. In this episode of The Leadership Dance, she discusses how she moved from CNN and MTV to Broadway, why she insists on supporting women in leading roles, and how she built an amazing career by just saying yes.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Ask who's missing from the room and make space for women in decisions, not just in the audience.
Say yes before you feel ready and follow your curiosity.
Build a life and career you're proud to "lose money on" because it aligns with your values.
Connect with Jenna:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gathererent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gathererent/
Website: https://gathererenterprises.com/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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39 min
Ep. 36: Taking the lead, with Chloe Misseldine
Season 4, Episode 36
Show notes
Spotlight, pressure, and the power of example. In this episode of The Leadership Dance, Chloe Misseldine, Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre, talks about her surprise promotion on stage after her debut as Odette/Odile at The Met, how she prepares for the technical and emotional demands of taking on leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, and Sylvia, and what she's learned about artistry, setbacks, and confidence along the way.
She also reflects on growing up with a mother who danced with ABT, performing through injury, being named to Forbes 30 Under 30, and the importance of staying humble — especially when younger dancers are watching.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Kindness is a form of leadership. How you treat people matters, whether that's in the studio, at the stage door, or online.
Do the work so you can trust yourself. Preparation allows you to step on stage with freedom instead of fear.
Confidence grows over time. Sticking to the basics, staying humble, and trusting the process builds lasting strength.
Connect with Chloe:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloemisseldine
Photo Credits: Emma Zordan, HELI, Laura Sukowatey, LK Studio and Jennifer Curry Wingrove, Nir Arieli, Quinn Wharton, Rosalie O'Connor
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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48 min
Ep. 35: Cancer, risk, and resilience, with Lawton Cummings
Season 4, Episode 35
Show notes
Who gets funded depends on who's deciding. In this powerful episode of The Leadership Dance, Lawton Cummings, General Partner at Capital Factory, shares why women in venture capital matter—and how her experience navigating cancer has influenced her approach to life. Lawton gets vulnerable about navigating breast cancer twice while continuing to work and raise a family, and what survivorship taught her about rest, energy, and letting go of perfection. She also shares her nonlinear career journey: from practicing law to serving as a legal analyst for Fox News (while simultaneously serving on an ACLU board of directors) to now investing in tech startups. The conversation explores representation in decision-making and how curiosity and resilience shape leadership over time.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Resilience isn't always pushing through. Sometimes leadership means resting, recalibrating, and being honest about your limits.
Careers don't have to be linear to be successful. Following curiosity and depth can open doors that rigid paths never will.
Representation shapes outcomes. Diverse perspectives drive better outcomes and stronger innovation.
Connect with Lawton:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawtoncummings/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawtoncummings/?hl=en
Website: https://capitalfactory.com/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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35 min
Ep. 34: Performing like a fighter pilot, with Christian "Boo" Boucousis
Season 4, Episode 34
Show notes
What can leaders learn from fighter pilots about performing under pressure?
Former fighter pilot and CEO Christian "Boo" Boucousis joins The Leadership Dance to share how elite performers make decisions in chaos, execute with clarity, and stay calm when it matters most. From cockpit-tested leadership habits to practical tools like plan–brief–execute–debrief, this episode breaks down what it means to perform like a fighter pilot. From a five-year-old boy mesmerized at an air show to one of fewer than 400 fighter pilots trained over four decades, Boo's journey reveals how his air force training taught him to value time in seconds and put the mission above ego. This candid conversation explores friction, burnout, digital overload, and how to move from reactive days to truly flawless execution.
💡 Key Takeaways:
High performers don't just have good ideas; they turn decisions into action.
The fighter pilot mindset is relentlessly growth-oriented: define what success looks like today, then get slightly better tomorrow.
Calm is a leadership advantage. In chaos, people look to the calmest people in the room.
Connect with Boo:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-boo-boucousis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianbooboucousis/
Website: https://callmeboo.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fewpodcast
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉 Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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43 min
Ep. 33: Creativity is a leadership muscle, with Tina Wells
Season 3, Episode 33
Show notes
"Curiosity is a cure for stagnation." Tune in to meet mover and shaker Tina Wells, an author, entrepreneur, and trend spotter, as she shares her insights on what it takes to design a life and career you love across multiple chapters. Her incredible journey from teen founder to agency leader, product designer, and bestselling writer reflects her approach to embracing curiosity in all its manifestations. Tina discusses how a "happy accident" at 16 grew into a powerful youth insights company, why she ultimately chose to close a successful business, and how that bold move opened the door to writing more than 20 books, developing Target-exclusive products, and a new chapter centered on content and creativity. This conversation is a candid look at taking risks, reinvention, and how aligning your work with your values can change not just your business, but your whole life.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Creativity isn't a personality trait; it's a practice
What makes Gen Z tick and what business leaders misunderstand about younger generations
Why people are craving deeper, more meaningful, and more analog experiences, and why artists and creators have an important role to play right now
Connect with Tina:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinawells/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinawells/
Website: http://www.tinawells.com
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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29 min
Ep. 32: Delivering impact with affirming care, with Liana Guzmán
Season 3, Episode 32
Show notes
What does it mean to lead with values when the political landscape makes inclusion harder, not easier? In this episode of The Leadership Dance, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, to explore what real leadership looks like when rhetoric, risk, and responsibility collide. Liana shares her personal journey growing up in Puerto Rico and the mainland U.S., her nonlinear career across marketing, fintech, and healthcare, and why she's committed to building a future of LGBTQIA+ affirming care that prioritizes outcomes over optics. Together, they unpack how leaders can stay anchored to what's right and why affirming care isn't about statements but about access. Liana introduces a powerful leadership framework that balances right, righteousness, and effectiveness, and offers practical guidance for leaders navigating tradeoffs without losing their North Star.
💡 Key Takeaways:
How leaders can "change the words, not the work" when it comes to equity and inclusion
What affirming care means for the LGBTQIA+ community
Why first-principles thinking is essential for transforming entrenched systems like healthcare
Connect with Liana:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/folxhealth/
Website: http://www.folxhealth.com
Substack: https://futurerx.substack.com/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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2 min
2025 Highlights, with Alissa Hsu Lynch
Season 3, Episode 32
Show notes
A little over a year ago, I launched The Leadership Dance podcast to shine a light on amazing people who don't fit the conventional mold - people who are choreographing their own leadership dances. Over the past year, this podcast has grown into a global community through honest conversations with trailblazers across business and the arts. As we head into the next year, I'm excited to continue exploring the art of leadership, creativity, career reinvention, and what it means to choreograph your own leadership journey with more inspiring voices and real-world lessons. Thank you for listening and watching! ✅ Sign up for newsletter: https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance 👉 Links to listen and connect: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance Music from InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ "Catwalk Queen"
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32 min
Ep. 31: From SNL to producing her next act, with Lindsay Shookus
Season 3, Episode 31
Show notes
Former Emmy award-winning SNL producer Lindsay Shookus shares the trust-building strategies, people skills, and leadership lessons that carried her from two decades at Saturday Night Live into a powerful next act as a speaker and executive coach. In this candid conversation, she opens up about resilience, reinvention, and the transformational relationships that shaped her career, and how you can apply the same tools in your own leadership journey. Drawing on stories from booking A-list guests and surviving high-pressure live TV, Lindsay discusses how thoughtfulness, a relentless work ethic, and treating celebrities like humans (not idols) helped her build deep trust. She now applies those same skills to help leaders identify their superpowers, stay grounded in chaos, and navigate the inevitable "wobbles" of career pivots.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Build transformational relationships, not transactional ones.
Leadership is dealing with the hard stuff, not just the good stuff.
Stay true to who you are, even when your industry tests your boundaries.
Connect with Lindsay:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-shookus-7869212aa/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shookusshookus
Website: http://www.lindsayshookus.com
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
Video credit for Alex vs. A-Rod (2025): Home Box Office, Inc. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03G0WfDiGEU
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39 min
Ep. 30: Creating a high-performing culture, with James & Krista White
Season 3, Episode 30
Show notes
What does it really take to build an organization where people thrive - especially in a world transformed by technology, generational change, and new expectations? In this energizing episode, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with James D. White, renowned board leader and former Jamba CEO, and his daughter Krista White, rising workplace culture strategist and writer. Together, they share how their experience as a father-daughter team powered their new best-selling book, Culture Design, and reveal why transformation starts with rethinking culture from the inside out. Tune in for actionable stories on creating workplaces that are resilient, purpose-driven, and ready for the future, from practical rituals to the "big misses" in AI readiness, and the surprising power of middle managers.
💡 Key Takeaways:
Every company has a culture, whether by design or default. When leaders are intentional, they build organizations that perform and endure.
Millennials and Gen Z are shifting workplace priorities. For them, flexibility, meaningful work, and being valued as whole individuals matter more than just compensation, redefining what creates loyalty and engagement.
Rapid advances in technology and AI are changing how work gets done, but empathy remains a uniquely human advantage.
Connect with James and Krista:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristawhite3/ AND https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-d-white-086ab2153/
Instagram: @thekristawhite
Website: https://www.jdwhitedesignlabs.com/
✅ Sign up for the newsletter:
https://theleadershipdance.substack.com/s/the-leadership-dance
👉Listen and follow: https://linktr.ee/theleadershipdance
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