Break Away Podcast

BREAK AWAY

The Break Away podcast offers a fresh way to engage and connect with the greater Michigan leadership community—a chance to “break away” from the new norms of our daily routines.

Presented by the Michigan Leadership Collaborative, our podcast offers an anthology that magnifies and reinforces the challenges that leaders face today in developing healthy habits that fuel the mind and body. Each of the episodes will focus on various aspects of leadership from a diverse set of voices and perspectives while fostering both a sound mind and body.

We encourage you to use the time to run, walk, roll, or get active while you listen.

Be sure to check out the episode resources for processing questions and more information.

Special thanks to: All of our guests, sponsoring units and listeners. 

Narration and Editing: James McRae, Senior Associate Director, Student Engagement Alumni Association

Have an idea for an episode? Want to talk with us?  Email us at [email protected]

 

M-LEADership Game Code: BREAKAWAY-PODCAST

Season 6:

S3E3p2

Life After College: How does your leadership evolve over time?

DeAnthony Foster, an experienced construction management professional, discusses with Christine and Josh how his time in the Michigan Community Scholars Program (MCSP) at the University of Michigan shaped his understanding and approach to leadership in his career.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How do you navigate career decisions with authenticity?

Yiying Lee, MBA ’23, and Larissa Almeida, MBA ’23, share stories developed at Sanger Leadership Center’s Story Lab. In the podcast, Yiying and Larissa speak to the challenge and importance of choosing authenticity, finding the right mentors, and pushing away naysayers when navigating career decisions..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

Feedback Is Love.

Students at the Barger Leadership Institute talk about the art of giving and receiving feedback. They focus specifically on giving feedback with social identities in mind, and how one can prepare themselves to receive feedback..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

What does good followership have to do with good leadership?

Fatema Haque and Dorine Lawrence-Hughe discuss how they are collaborating to introduce the concept of followership to the Barger Leadership Institute curriculum and how reciprocal leadership and followership skills training is preparing students for professional success and positive community change..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can we promote student leadership in civic engagement?

Leaders of Turn Up Turnout, the University’s student-led voter engagement organization discuss the ways they work to sustain a campus culture of voting through peer-to-peer interaction.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can you value the teachable moments that come from unexpected, brief encounters with others?

Mikeila McQueston and Christine Taft, participants of Sanger Leadership Center’s Story Lab, speak to the importance of valuing the learning that comes from connections with others, regardless of how brief or unexpected those connections might be..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can we engage with land acknowledgements and advocate for Indigenous comunities?

You may have encountered land acknowledgements — formal statements that recognize the Indigenous people that originally lived on the land that we now occupy — but sometimes there’s not enough thought put into the words. In this episode, we interviewed two Indigenous voices within your U of M community.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

A DPE 50th Check-In: What is the campus landscape for student leaders?

What is the campus climate for student leaders today? What role does diversity and inclusion work play in that climate? This brief episode is a check-in of sorts with two students in the Diversity Peer Educator Program..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can you become a compassionate leader–and still get the work done

Monica Worline, PhD, faculty director of the Center for Positive Organizations (CPO) at the Ross School of Business is interviewed by Sarah Kurtz McKinnon (MBA ’18), a senior associate director at CPO, about her research around compassion in organizational contexts...... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How do you learn self-compassion?

What is self-compassion? How do we learn and practice self-compassion? And what challenges can we expect when practicing self-compassion? Elizabeth Rohr and the Fatema Haque discuss the ins and outs of self-compassion.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can stories inspire inclusive change to shift mindsets and transform communities?

Emily Obert, WMBA ’24, and Annie Maguire, MSW ’23, share stories developed at Sanger Leadership Center’s Story Lab. In this podcast, Emily and Annie speak about the challenge and importance of shifting mindsets, driving inclusive change and using storytelling to heal..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

Is There Really Diversity of Leadership in Fraternities & Sororities?

The conversation explores the theme of leadership in the context of Greek life, touching on topics such as promoting inclusivity across diverse councils, debunking common misconceptions about fraternity and sorority membership, and...... Listen Now

S3E3p2

Leadership Outside Supervision: How can we lead right now?

We met with representatives from the LSA Opportunity Hub to discuss leadership outside traditionally recognized leadership roles. What does it mean to fail? How can one lead through failure? How can shifting what we consider leadership.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

Creating a culture of leadership; how can students engage in professional leadership authentically

We met with members of the student staff here at the LSA opportunity hub to discuss leadership in non-supervisory roles, as well as the way all of our experiences can contribute to a holistic view of leadership both within our jobs and in every aspect of our lives…... Listen Now

Season 5:

S3E3p2

How can storytelling humanize and personalize workplace cultures?

Storytelling can connect, inform and inspire. Storytelling can increase confidence in recruiting, presenting, and motivating teams and organizations. Storytelling can humanize and personalize workplace cultures. At Story Lab, students develop executive-level presence and communication skills through storytelling workshops and events.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

DPE 50th: What is the legacy of leadership?

What is the legacy of leadership? How do leaders come consider their legacy? This episode celebrates the Diversity Peer Educator program’s 50th anniversary and legacy of social justice, student empowerment, and campus leadership with two former student leaders, Robert Wilson and Simon Rivers..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

What’s the difference between Feminine and Feminist leadership?

In this episode, two University of Michigan leadership educators, Fatema Haque and Danyelle Reynolds, talk about the differences between feminine and feminist leadership. While feminine leadership calls for inclusion but relies on traditional feminine traits and behaviors, feminist leadership that works to create equitable environments.... Listen Now

S3E3p2

What is the impact and importance of reframing relationships?

Powered by the Sanger Leadership Center, Story Lab focuses on teaching participants the art and architecture of story development and delivery as a means toward positive influence and impact. In this episode, Sanger Program specialist Nick Viviano speaks with Story Lab participants John Regan and Josh T. Ferguson..... Listen Now

S3E3p2

How can we build uplifting and lasting relationships?

Justin Stoddard, the CEO and Founder of “Climbing the Mountain”, discusses how we can build resiliency and how to overcome adversity. Stoddard, a veteran and now a professor at the United States Air Force Academy, discusses with three students Eyda Gu, Ananya Mangla, and Saniya Shahid how to lead through example.....Listen Now

Season 4:

S3E3p2

Inclusive Leadership - How do you become the inclusive leader you want to be?

Steve Bodei hosts a conversation with Askari Rushing, Karishma Collette, Krishna Han, Neeraja Aravamudan about how to be an inclusive leader. During this leadership series discussion, they explore what inclusive leadership looks like in practice, the qualities that define inclusive leadership, and how to cultivate this type of leadership. This episode was recorded as part of the Inclusive Leadership Workshop Series for Graduate Students…... Listen Now

s3e4

What can Scholarship Applications Teach Us About Leadership?

Learn about the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships at U-M. We work with candidates for some of the world’s most famous and prestigious awards. Leadership is one of the most common criteria for these awards. Learn about how applying for one of these awards helps candidates articulate their leadership stories….... Listen Now

Season 4 Episode 3

How does the LeaderShape program set you up to contribute to a more just, caring, and thriving world?

Join Neika White, Aliya Hirji, and Michael Goldberg in a conversation about the benefits of LeaderShape, an ethics-based leadership development experience for University of Michigan students. The three showcase how the 5 day, non-stop self-discovery and learning experience changed the way they see and interact with leadership… Listen Now
Podcast Introduction

How can the Leadership Connection program help you collaborate to further your student organization goals?

Join Izzy Beshouri and Cheyenne Chapman as they discuss “Leadership Connection”, a leadership program where participants get together with student leaders from different student organizations across the Michigan community. The two take us through the nuts and bolts of this unique opportunity. …... Listen Now

Podcast Introduction

How do athletes incorporate service leadership into their everyday lives?

In this episode, hear from our podcast host, and current UMICH student-athlete, Gabby Wilson, and guests Coach Mike Hart, and former student-athlete, Danielle Rauch, for a conversation on servant leadership — What is it? Why is it important in teams? And, How can we lead through service? Listen Now

Season 3:

s3e1

How do you balance well being, the national climate, and DEI as a student leader?

Brooke Tayler, Solomon Lucy, and Alexxus Lige take us through a journey of the ins and outs of student leadership at the University of Michigan. The panelists explore how to become a leader on campus and everything that goes with that new responsibility. Under a lens of DEI, the three show exactly how to navigate student life, personal well being, and the national climate... Listen Now

s3ep2

How do you have productive and compassionate conversations as a student leader?

Based on a counseling tool called “motivational interviewing”, Emily Giovanelli, Marsha Benz, and Christina Gerazounis discuss how to have productive and compassionate conversations. They share skills and techniques that you can use individually or with your team. “If you’ve been interested in building dynamic and thoughtful conversations within the organizations you join, with your friends, other team members, then this might be for you!” Listen Now

s3e1

Heart-Centered Leadership - How will you find your life's passion and purpose

Ram Mahalingam talks with Rebecca Irby who shares her background on how she discovered her life’s passion and purpose and then used her North Star to found and lead an international NGO that received Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. She offers guidance on how to help you find your North Star and learn how to use that as your guide throughout the rest of your time in school and, most importantly, moving forward in an integrated, fulfilled way... Listen Now

S3E3p2

Heart-Centered Leadership - How will you find your life's passion and purpose

Ram Mahalingam talks with Rebecca Irby who shares her background on how she discovered her life’s passion and purpose and then used her North Star to found and lead an international NGO that received Special Consultative Status with the United Nations. She offers guidance on how to help you find your North Star and learn how to use that as your guide throughout the rest of your time in school and, most importantly, moving forward in an integrated, fulfilled way... Listen Now

s3e4

How can students grow the skill of influential storytelling?

To be an effective leader — at work, in the community, or in your personal life — you must be able to communicate with impact. Often this means telling stories that are meaningful to you and others, and doing so in the rich language and expressive style of a seasoned storyteller. In this episode, Sanger Program Coordinator Ben Applebaum-Bauch speaks with MBA student Jessica Liang about her story of advocacy in the face of adversity and the ways her leadership skills have developed since participating in Story Lab... Listen Now

S3E5

How do these Michigan Alumna inspire and uplift students with their stories?

In this episode, 3 Michigan alumna share their stories of success and how they have navigated Michigan and beyond as women in high ranking positions... Listen Now

Season 2:

Season 2 Episode 1

How do you find meaning in life through the guidance of purpose?

On this episode of “Break Away”, Jacque Young, a senior on the University of Michigan’s women’s golf team, interviews Vic Strecher, a visionary leader and expert in the fields of behavior change, digital communication, and wellbeing. The two explore how to find one’s own purpose and how to find meaning in life through the guidance of purpose… Listen Now

Season 2 Episode 2

How do you become a more understanding, effective, and meaningful leader?

In this episode of Break Away, students Emily Welch, Tejal Patel, and Soumya Kulkarni explore the importance of service leadership in the wider context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each plays a vital role in their respective service organizations. They share lessons, stories, and techniques on how to build a better team and to be a more understanding and effective leader Listen Now

Season 2 Episode 3

What does it mean to include DEI in your leadership?

Former Rackham Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion participants Dr. Kristal McGreggor, Dr. Steven Karamihas, and Charlie Groen join Academic Program Specialist Askari Rushing in a conversation around DEI and leadership. Join us in a conversation about the challenges and wins of participating in DEI efforts and how to take care of yourself while engaging in emotionally taxing work… Listen Now

season 2 episode 4

How do you incorporate mindfulness and cultivate interconnectedness in your everyday life?

Doreen and Ram talk about the core principles of mindfulness and how these can be incorporated into your everyday life, work, and relationships to cultivate interconnectedness. Make sure to listen to the end to hear them talk about the importance of being kind to yourself and your imperfections and how that will lead to greater compassion towards others and begin to cultivate a dignity culture around us… Listen Now

season 2 episode 5

How do we overcome stigmas and focus on self-care as leaders?

During this virtual event, we heard from alumni panelists Paul Viera, ’81 and Ryan Mundy, ‘07, as well as  Vice President of Student Life at U-M, Dr. Martino Harmon as they talk about overcoming stigmas of mental health for men of color and how to prioritize your own self care and create balance during a difficult time Listen Now

Season 2 Episode 6

How can you enrich your undergrad experience by building community and leading mindfully?

In this collaboration episode, our host RC communications and outreach specialist Robby Griswold talks with alum Mya Harris and fourth-year student Kaitlyn Colyer about their experiences as students in both the Residential College and the Barger Leadership Institute... Listen Now

Season 1:

Podcast Introduction

Why should you Break Away? (Trailer)

We hope that you turn that question into one for yourself. Why should I break away. Perhaps its to learn something new, hear a different perspective, be outside, take a break from the screen… Listen Now

Episode One Where does your leadership journey begin?

Where does your leadership journey begin?

The Sanger Leadership Center will introduce a 5-step framework to achieve your goals that will lead you to further growth and development as a leader. Leadership is a skill anyone can learn and every single day, … Listen Now

Episode 2 How can you become a more inclusive leader?

How can you become a more inclusive leader?

Dr. Robin Brewer, Assistant Professor of Information joins Devon Keen, Director of Inclusion, Equity and Outreach at the School of Information for a conversation around leadership and accessibility… Listen Now

Episode 3 What is inspiration?

What is inspiration?

What is inspiration? How does it help us act with courage and compassion in the face of great obstacles? Barger Leadership Institute Director and Professor of Psychology Dr. Ram Mahalingam speaks on inspiration and its relevance for mindful leadership… Listen Now

Episode 4 How do you prioritize your own mental health as a leader?

How do your prioritize your own mental health as a leader?

Undergraduate Abby Richburg, and Ed Huebner Assistant Director at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) joins Steve Bodei, Associate Director of M-LEAD to talk about mental health and leadership in our current environment.… Listen Now
Episode 5: How do you create a championship culture through leading yourself?

How do you create a championship culture through leading yourself?

In part one of this two-part episode from the Athletics Leadership Development Team, hear from Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jennifer Klein and two student-athletes Jacque Young of the Women’s Golf team and Adam Wooten of the Men’s Gymnastics team… Listen Now
Episode 5: How do you create a championship culture through leading yourself? Part 2

How do you create a championship culture through leading yourself?

In part two of this two-part episode from the Athletics Leadership Development Team, hear from Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jennifer Klein and two student-athletes Jacque Young of the Women’s Golf team and Adam Wooten of the Men’s Gymnastics team… Listen Now

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