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Small Brave Moves
Learn how to be braver in leadership and in life for exceptional results with Master Certified Executive Coach, Best Selling Author, and Certified Speaking Professional, Nicole M. Bianchi.
Small Brave Moves is a podcast for mid-level to c-suite leaders who own their growth and development, know there is always room for improvement, and are ready to start making the Small Brave Moves to achieve their goals, unlock their full potential, and lead with confidence, clarity, and authenticity.
Small Brave Moves
The Inner Leadership Work Even a CEO Title Can't Prepare You For with Patricia Kearns
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
She spent 24 years building one of the country's most respected rehabilitation organizations, earned the CEO title, then walked away from it — only to discover that the hardest leadership work of her career had nothing to do with running a company. It was learning to lead herself.
In this episode of the Small Brave Moves Podcast, Nicole Bianchi sits down with Pat Kearns — former President and CEO of QLI and current COO at Immanuel — for a conversation about what happens when a high-achieving leader steps out of the role that defined them and into the uncomfortable, necessary work of starting over.
Pat gets honest about the grip of control, the identity wrapped up in having all the answers, and what it actually feels like to be the newcomer in the room after decades at the top.
She and Nicole dig into the real cost of controlling outcomes, why avoiding tough conversations early always costs more later, and the one mindset shift that has carried Pat through every major leadership transition of her career — choosing to see uncertainty as opportunity instead of threat.
You'll leave this episode knowing how to:
- Recognize when control is quietly becoming the ceiling on your team's growth — and what to do before it costs you your best people
- Navigate a major leadership transition with patience and intention instead of defaulting back to old habits
- Understand why preparation — not just courage — is what makes a tough conversation actually work
Whatever transition you're navigating right now — a new role, a new chapter, or just a newer version of yourself — this conversation is your permission to lead through it without having it all figured out first.
Let Nicole know you're interested in attending a future Brave LeadHERship Retreat👇
Follow along with Pat's journey👇
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📖Check out Nicole Bianchi's books, Small Brave Moves and Five Tough Talks
Find Nicole Bianchi👇
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