Hello Moxie

Adrienne Guerrero, Michelle Obama, The Power of Pause and Respectful Courage

Nicole Donnelly Season 2 Episode 20

Host: Nicole Donnelly
Guest: Adrienne Guerrero – Founder of Positive Delta, Leadership Coach, and TEDx Speaker 

In this powerful episode, Adrienne Guerrero joins Nicole Donnelly to explore what it truly means to pause — in leadership, in decision-making, and in life. With over two decades of experience in corporate learning, talent management, and change leadership, Adrienne shares how the simple act of slowing down can lead to greater clarity, stronger teams, and more authentic leadership.

Adrienne introduces her PAUSE Framework, a model designed to help leaders move from reaction to reflection — making better decisions grounded in self-awareness, data, and humanity. Through real-world stories and deep insights, she and Nicole dive into the importance of curiosity, integrity, and “respectful courage” in creating healthy organizational cultures.

Together, they unpack:

  • Why slowing down can make you a stronger, more effective leader
  • How behavioral assessments help uncover what truly drives team performance
  • The balance between following data and trusting intuition
  • What it means to speak up with “respectful courage”
  • How to realign culture and leadership with human-centered values

Adrienne’s message is clear: when you care for your people and lead with authenticity, transformation follows — for both individuals and organizations.

🧭 The PAUSE Framework

Adrienne’s PAUSE model empowers leaders to navigate change and complexity with intention:

  • P — Pause and take a breath
  • A — Assess: What is true? What needs to be true?
  • U — Understand your options (your “U-turns”)
  • S — Start small: take one thoughtful action
  • E — Evaluate and adjust

💬 Favorite Quote

“If you take care of your people, your people will take care of your customers — and that’s what drives your business results.”
 — Adrienne Guerrero


📣 Connect with Adrienne

✨ Final Thoughts

Adrienne reminds us that leadership isn’t about speed — it’s about presence. When you take the time to pause, reflect, and lead with respectful courage, you create space for others to do the same.

“It’s okay to not have all the answers. Take a breath. Be curious. Lead with heart.” — Adrienne Guerrero


 📣 Lead with Heart in the Hello Moxie Cohort

Ready to deepen your leadership practice and grow alongside other women who lead with courage, clarity, and heart?

Join the next Hello Moxie Cohort, launching November 11.
✨ Enrollment is open until October 28Hell

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