Grounded and Aligned

The podcast for people in senior roles who carry real responsibility - budgets, teams, visibility, and pressure - that doesn’t switch off at the end of the day.

If your role has grown faster than your comfort zone…

If you’re managing up, setting boundaries, delegating, and absorbing more than you used to…

If you care about being effective and human (without being inauthentic or pushing yourself past your limits), this show is for you.

 

No hype.
No generic advice.
Just grounded conversations for navigating complex roles with composure and self-trust.

65. Say The Actual Thing Mar 25, 2026

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen examines something most senior leaders do but rarely admit: assuming the people around them already know what they need.

No...

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64. Leading People Starts With Leading Yourself [2026 Leadership Series] Mar 20, 2026

In this Leadership Advisor series, Karen talks to experts on the challenges and opportunities for leaders in 2026.

Guest: Kris Plachy, CEO Life Coach

Leadership conversat...

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63. Positioning Yourself for Promotion at Senior Levels Mar 18, 2026

 

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen examines a recurring situation at senior levels: leaders who consistently deliver, operate at the next level, and still d...

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62. Strategy, AI, and the Modern CEO Mandate [2026 Leadership Series] Mar 13, 2026

In this Leadership Advisor series, Karen talks to experts on the challenges and opportunities for leaders in 2026.

Guest: Nick Herinckx, founder and CEO of Oxygen

The ope...

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61. Powerful Work Relationships Mar 12, 2026

At senior levels, execution alone rarely determines results. Most decisions, promotions, and initiatives depend on how effectively you work with other people.

In this epi...

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60. Voice, Visibility, and Senior-Level Influence [2026 Leadership Series] Mar 06, 2026

In this speaker series, Karen is talking to experts on the challenges and opportunities for leaders in 2026.

Guest: Laurie-Ann Murabito

In this episode of Grounded and Al...

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59: On Being Right Mar 04, 2026

 In senior roles, you are expected to have a point of view.

You are promoted for judgment and decisiveness. But there is a structural risk that emerges at VP and SVP leve...

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58. Leadership Superpower #3: Leading with Focus Amid Uncertainty and Noise Feb 25, 2026

In this episode of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen Gombault addresses a pressure most senior leaders recognize immediately: how to stay focused when the organization feels uns...

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57. Leadership Superpower #2: Emotional Regulation Feb 18, 2026

In senior roles, pressure is constant. Decisions are visible. Stakeholders bring urgency, frustration, and competing priorities into the room. You cannot control those inpu...

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56. Leadership Superpower #1: Not Taking Things Personally Feb 12, 2026

At senior levels, challenge is constant, questions are direct, assumptions are tested in real time, and comments are brief and often ambiguous.

In this episode of Grounde...

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55. Improving Daily Effectiveness in Senior Roles Feb 04, 2026

If you’re operating with sustained responsibility, constant decision flow, and expanding scope, overwhelm often shows up not because of poor time management, but because of...

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Ep. 54: Identity Shifts Required for Expanded Leadership Scope Jan 28, 2026

 

In Episode 54 of Grounded and Aligned™, Karen examines a recurring challenge among executives who have recently stepped into broader or more senior roles. While early st...

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