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Artwork for The Hard Skills

The Hard Skills

Dr. Mira Brancu
Leadership
Leadership Development
Workplace Politics
Organizational Culture
Team Dynamics
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity and Inclusion
Performance Management
Human Resource Development
Cultural Fit
Inclusive Leadership
Women In Leadership
Feedback Mechanisms
Employee Retention
Employee Engagement
Mentorship
Time Management
Organizational Change
Change Management
Sponsorship

Welcome to “The Hard Skills” podcast, a practical and research-driven show that explores the core leadership skills needed to fuel leadership to activate real change, such as creating inclusive and healthy workplaces.

Through expert interviews and live coaching calls, we challenge the notion of "soft skills," question long-held but inaccurate leadership development beliefs, and offer real, practi... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes129Founded3 years ago
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Artwork for The Hard Skills

Latest Episodes

Tired of over-proving yourself and still feeling like it’s "never enough"? It’s time to stop reacting and start leading with a 5-stage strategic framework that actually sticks.

In this final part of the "Leading with Agency" series, Dr. Mira Brancu ... more

Most high achievers don’t fail because they’re lazy, they fail because they’re doing too much of the wrong things. Are your best leadership traits actually stress responses keeping you exhausted? It is time to break the cycle of "never enough" and st... more

If you’re always working harder but still feel like it’s never enough, this episode will hit hard. Here’s the hidden cycle that keeps high achievers stuck, burned out, and constantly doubting themselves.

In this episode of The Hard Skills, Dr. Mira ... more

Great coaching goes far beyond simply listening. Whether you’re a leader trying to improve how you show up at work, or a coach or consultant looking to sharpen how you support others, this episode is designed for you. 

If you moved into leadership b... more

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Recent Guests

Michael Woody Woodward
BetterUp's Chief Coaching Officer
BetterUp
Episode: The Science and Future of Great Coaching, with BetterUp’s Chief Coaching Officer, Dr. Woodward
Sharon Hull
Founder and CEO of MetaSolutions; author of Professional Careers by Design
MetaSolutions
Episode: How to Build a Career That Actually Serves Your Life, with Dr. Sharon Hull
Rebecca Jenkins
Revenue architect and former FTSE 250 sales director
RJen.co.uk
Episode: Culture Isn’t Soft: How it Fuels Scalable Growth, with Rebecca Jenkins
Jeffrey Greene
Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Episode: "Spicier Things": Talking Leadership and Learning Over a Hot Sauce Lunch
Matt Paddock
Director of Recruiting at AKQA
AKQA
Episode: Career Storytelling: 20 Years in the Talent Trenches, with Matt Paddock
Peter Schein
Consultant, author, and keynote speaker
Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute (with Ed Schein)
Episode: Why Your Best Advice Backfires (and How Humble Inquiry Can Help), with Peter Schein
Dr. Jill Goldenziel
Leadership coach, speaker, strategic advisor; CEO of JG Strategy
JG Strategy
Episode: How to Lead Strategically When the World is On Fire, with Dr. Jill Goldenziel
Julie Fischer
Transformation coach, well-being consultant, host of Nine to Thrive
Nine to Thrive / The Flourishing Center
Episode: From Surviving to Thriving Using Micro-Adjustments, with Julie Fischer
Wayne Williams
Founder of Prospective Tech; AI and human-centered design expert
Prospective Tech
Episode: Beyond Productivity: The Missing Piece to AI Adoption, with Wayne Williams

Host

Dr. Mira Brancu
Host of The Hard Skills Podcast; clinical and organizational development psychologist with extensive leadership experience.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 44 ratings
  • CEO

    Mira takes such great care to select people who have something concrete and productive to offer, and then treating them with great respect while asking thoughtful and provocative questions to deepen the listener’s experience. I highly recommend this podcast for anyone who is a leader in her field. Great stuff!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bchrmer
    United States3 months ago
  • Great insights

    Mira makes being a guest on the show effortless and enjoyable. She's done her homework on each guest and topic, and it shows. Best of all she adds a case-based approach to her interview style that force guests to share authentic experiences and insights, not fluff.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mapdock
    United States3 months ago
  • Improves my life!

    Every time I listen I get insights I still think about days later or tips that improve my life. Great show!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JillGZ
    United States5 months ago
  • on the pulse

    So timely and fantastic researched based work, without the buzzfeed garbage slop that is most of the hack leadership advice ALL over the internet. This is the REAL REAL, that folks in the HR space should be influenced by!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Dr Hendrick
    United States5 months ago
  • Great format

    Enjoy the conversations!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MitaM13
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Clear, actionable leadership insights with rigorous, research-backed questions.
Guests are handled with respect and depth, making the conversations feel authentic.
Listeners praise practical tips that translate into real workplace improvements.
The host fosters nuance and avoids fluff, which keeps episodes substantive.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How to Build a Career That Actually Serves Your Life, with Dr. Sharon Hull
Q: Can you describe the five strategies for lifelong career satisfaction?
They are: be the CEO of your life, keep your top 10 list updated, cultivate a circle of mentors and friends who support your goals, think creatively to meet those needs, and invest in strong negotiating skills to expand opportunities.
Career Storytelling: 20 Years in the Talent Trenches, with Matt Paddock
Q: What makes career storytelling so critical in interviews and layoffs?
The host and Matt agree that storytelling builds sense-making and future orientation, helping others understand where you're going and why you're valuable, especially when change is rapid or during organizational disruptions.
Why Your Best Advice Backfires (and How Humble Inquiry Can Help), with Peter Schein
Q: What are the practical pitfalls when giving or receiving feedback, and how does humble inquiry help?
Don't focus on yourself or your ego; instead, explore what's really going on with the other person, using questions to uncover context, fit, and potential underlying issues. This approach makes feedback more constructive and reduces defensiveness.
Why Your Best Advice Backfires (and How Humble Inquiry Can Help), with Peter Schein
Q: What would you say to leaders who want to slow down and invest in humble inquiry despite pressure to break things and move fast?
The primary benefits are richer information gathering and stronger relationship building, which lead to better decisions and psychological safety. Slowing down prevents premature certainty and creates openness for disconfirming information, ultimately supporting long-term effectiveness.
The Science and Future of Great Coaching, with BetterUp’s Chief Coaching Officer, Dr. Woodward
Q: How do you see AI integrating with coaching to preserve the human connection while expanding impact?
AI is envisioned as an assistant that captures data, provides insights, and enables role-plays when a human coach isn't available, while the human coach remains central for empathy, judgment, and tailoring to context; the goal is a braided approach where technology and human expertise reinforce each other.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Interests
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Hard Skills

What is The Hard Skills about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on practical, research-backed leadership development, reframing traditional “soft skills” as core capabilities for navigating uncertainty, workplace politics, burnout, and organizational change. Episodes feature in-depth conversations with executives, coaches, and researchers, plus live coaching views, to surface actionable strategies for building inclusive cultures, strengthening trust, and driving performance in fast-paced environments across healthcare, technology, and academia. A standout trait is its rigorous approach to complex leadership challenges, paired with case-based questions and real-world applications that appeal to senior practitioners seeking tangible improvements in their teams and organizations.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Hard Skills?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Hard Skills. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Hard Skills and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Hard Skills get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Hard Skills?

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How many subscribers and views does The Hard Skills have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Hard Skills has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Hard Skills?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Hard Skills:

1. ReThinking
2. The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant
3. The Ezra Klein Show
4. The Mel Robbins Podcast
5. The Daily

How many episodes of The Hard Skills are there?

The Hard Skills launched 3 years ago and published 129 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Hard Skills?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Hard Skills?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Hard Skills from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Hard Skills. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Hard Skills?

Recent guests on The Hard Skills include:

1. Michael Woody Woodward
2. Sharon Hull
3. Rebecca Jenkins
4. Jeffrey Greene
5. Matt Paddock
6. Peter Schein
7. Dr. Jill Goldenziel
8. Julie Fischer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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