The Grey Areas Podcast with Kelsey Donlon
The Grey Areas Podcast with Kelsey Donlon is ready to disrupt corporate America! This is a space for candid conversations and deep dives into the complexities of the workplace. The mission: to empower women with transparent, inspiring narratives and challenge the status quo in corporate culture.
Grey Areas is a safe, non-judgemental digital platform, podcast and community that inspires and empowers women to navigate the grey areas in the workplace. So what does that mean? Well, the ‘grey area’ is an ill-defined situation…or in other words, it’s murky AF. Kelsey is here to help make this vague situation, much clearer. This community and podcast will hold corporations, executives and Human Resources accountable by leveraging legal education, transparency, and shared stories to drive change.
Each episode will tackle aspects of the grey area; managing anxiety in the workplace, tension between coworkers or managers, understanding employer boundaries, working with HR in an appropriate and effective way, navigating job loss, and so much more. So tune in, to hear Kelsey and her guests share a wealth of information and to be part of a safe space for people who have a hard time navigating the toxic workplace.
Let’s navigate grey areas, together!
The Grey Areas Podcast with Kelsey Donlon
Navigating The Complexities of Leadership Without Losing Yourself with Connie Gao
Welcome back to the Gray Areas podcast! This week, we’re joined by Connie Gao, a leadership coach dedicated to helping smart, driven, and empathetic leaders unlock their full potential. With a background rooted in research-backed frameworks from Columbia Business School and real-world experience in both startup and corporate environments, Connie brings a structured yet empathetic approach to leadership development.
In this episode, we dive into burnout recovery, the gray areas of leadership, and how to balance empathy and accountability. We also explore the fine line between being a supportive leader and avoiding burnout yourself, plus why being the “cool boss” can sometimes backfire.
Highlights include:
• 2:00 - Connie shares her journey from corporate roles to becoming a leadership coach and what inspired the transition.
• 8:00 - Recognizing the early signs of burnout and how leaders can address them before it's too late.
• 19:30 - Setting effective boundaries as a leader without compromising authority or approachability.
• 23:30 - How to give negative feedback effectively using the SBI (Situation-Behavior-Impact) framework.
• 30:00 - Navigating ruthless prioritization with your team.
• 39:45 - Common leadership traps in startups and how to avoid them.
This episode is packed with actionable insights for leaders at every stage. Tune in to hear Connie Gao’s expert advice on navigating the complexities of leadership without losing yourself in the process!
Connie’s Links:
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/conniegaocoaching/
Tiktok- https://www.tiktok.com/@conniegaocoaching
Email- connie@conniegaocoaching.com
Kelsey's Links For You:
Website
Grey Areas Instagram
Kelsey's Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
