Special rebroadcast episode: Mark Ethier founded iZotope and built it into an award-winning audio technology powerhouse by prioritizing empowerment, innovation, and purpose. In this conversation, Mark reveals the insights and lessons he learned about modern leadership, organizational transformation, and why genuine empowerment is the secret to sustainable innovation and high performance.

Discover how Mark navigated co-founder relationships, Agile transformations, subscription-model shifts, and how he redefined accountability and the manager’s role at iZotope.

Episode page: https://www.humanizingwork.com/rebroadcast-how-mark-ethier-built-a-high-performing-organization-through-empowerment-and-purpose/

Share your challenges or episode ideas: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

Most Product Owner advice is built for market-facing roles—helping visionary products succeed in the market. But internal Product Owners operate in a very different world.

If you're working on internal systems, platforms, or tools, you've probably felt caught in the middle—between shifting priorities, competing stakeholders, and unclear authority. And you've probably noticed that most product guidance doesn't fit your context.

In this episode, we explore what internal Product Owners actually need. You'll learn:

• Why most standard PO advice falls short for internal roles
• Three categories of practices that do work: foundational, amplified, and adapted
• Practical tools for stakeholder interviews, value modeling, assumption testing, and more

If you want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and impact in an internal-facing role, this episode is for you.

Episode page: https://www.humanizingwork.com/internal-product-owner-advice/

Send us your questions or episode ideas: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

Do we really need this part of Scrum?

It’s a common—and valid—question. Scrum can feel heavy or mismatched for some teams. In this episode, we look at each part of Scrum through a practical lens: what purpose it serves, what advantages it brings, and what trade-offs come with skipping it.

Whether you’re using all of Scrum, parts of it, or just trying to figure out what’s worth keeping, this episode will help you make those decisions with more clarity and confidence.

Full episode and links: https://www.humanizingwork.com/which-parts-of-scrum-are-essential[/](https://www.humanizingwork.com/?p=9160&preview=true)

Share a challenge or suggest a topic: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

Too many team meetings are dominated by the same few voices, leaving others hesitant to speak up. In this episode, we share how small breakout groups create space for everyone to contribute, leading to better outcomes individually and for the team. We'll share the rules we follow for using breakouts effectively, the research on why they work, and a real-world example of using breakouts to help a team break through on a tough, high-stakes decision.

Episode Page: https://www.humanizingwork.com/using-breakouts-in-team-meetings

Have a challenge or an episode idea? Email us: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

One hard conversation changed how Peter showed up at work—and improved collaboration and creative output on the team. In this episode, Peter and Richard unpack a moment of honest, uncomfortable feedback and the ripple effects it set in motion.

They share the emotional reality of both giving and receiving feedback, how it built deeper trust, and why moments like this can unlock a kind of productivity flywheel on any team.

Whether you’re a team member, manager, or leader of leaders, this episode will help you see feedback not as a risk—but as an investment.

Full show notes and resources at: https://www.humanizingwork.com/tough-feedback-creates-a-productivity-flywheel/

Share a challenge or episode idea: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Connect with Humanizing Work: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

When a team gets stuck—circling the same ideas without progress—the pressure is on the facilitator to do something. In this episode of the Humanizing Work Show, we share one of the most effective moves we’ve found to break that cycle: using a wildcard.

You’ll hear two real stories of teams that were stuck for weeks—one from Intel’s leadership in the 1980s, and one from Peter’s own experience coaching a Scrum team. In both cases, it wasn’t brute force or analysis that created the breakthrough—it was a surprising new input that shifted the team’s thinking.

We’ll explain what wildcard techniques are, why they work from a brain science perspective, and how you can start using them in your meetings right away. If you're a Scrum Master, Agile coach, or facilitator, this one's for you.

Resources from this episode:

• Episode page: humanizingwork.com/wildcards-episode
• Want to share a challenge or suggest a topic? Email us at mailbag@humanizingwork.com
• Connect with us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork

Want to be a more effective leader without overhauling your entire approach?

Research from the Leadership Circle Profile reveals three specific competencies that are most highly correlated with great leadership:

• Purposeful Visionary
• Fosters Team Play
• Mentoring & Developing

In this episode, we break down what each of these means, why they matter most, and how you can start practicing them in just 5 minutes a week—right inside the meetings you’re already leading.

Episode resources: humanizingwork.com/top-3-traits-of-successful-leaders

Send us a challenge or idea: mailbag@humanizingwork.com

Learn more: humanizingwork.com/cracking-the-code-of-effective-leadership-with-the-leadership-circle

• (00:00:00) - Intro: Leadership Models Are Everywhere
• (00:00:49) - The Problem: Too Many Competencies, Not Enough Time
• (00:01:56) - What Really Works: The Power of the Leadership Circle
• (00:02:45) - This Episode’s Promise: 3 High Leverage Skills
• (00:03:11) - Quick CTA: Subscribe + Free Resources
• (00:03:49) - The 3 Competencies That Predict Leadership Success
• (00:04:56) - The Research: Why These 3 Rise to the Top
• (00:05:44) - Overview: Each Skill + a 5-Minute Habit
• (00:05:50) - Skill 1: Purposeful Visionary
• (00:07:07) - Real Example: Framing a Meeting with Purpose
• (00:08:44) - Free Resource: Purposeful Visionary Worksheet
• (00:08:59) - Skill 2: Fosters Team Play
• (00:10:07) - Story: Ben Zander and Collaborative Feedback
• (00:11:10) - 5-Minute Habit: Ask for Team Feedback
• (00:12:03) - Skill 3: Mentoring and Developing
• (00:13:25) - Reframing 1:1s for Growth
• (00:13:53) - 5-Minute Habit: Use the Empowering Development Scorecard
• (00:14:07) - Wrap Up: Why These 3 Matter Most
• (00:14:37) - Your Challenge: Pick One and Practice
• (00:15:10) - Want More Help? Coaching, 360s, and Workshops
• (00:15:35) - Outro: What Are You Practicing?

Giving feedback is hard—and most of us get it wrong. In this episode, we share a practical framework for giving feedback that’s more likely to be true, useful, and kind. Learn how to ground feedback in what actually happened, say it clearly and at the right time, and share it in a way that builds trust instead of tension. Whether you're a manager, team member, or coach, this approach will help you turn awkward conversations into real growth. View the episode page to view the transcript and links to other resources: https://www.humanizingwork.com/how-to-give-feedback-thats-true-useful-and-kind/ Share a challenge or episode idea: mailbag@humanizingwork.com Connect with Humanizing Work: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humanizingwork