Making Space for Effective Leadership: TLP011
The Leadership Pause
In this episode of The Leadership Pause, Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich mark the podcast’s one-year anniversary with a timely exploration of how physical space shapes leadership, culture, and performance. As organizations continue to navigate hybrid work, return-to-office pressures, and shifting employee expectations, the conversation invites leaders to consider the often-unseen ways the built environment communicates values, power, and belonging. Joined by Rachel Casanova, Executive Managing Director of Total Workplace Consulting for the Northeast at Cushman & Wakefield, the...
info_outline
Navigating the Double Bind: TLP010
The Leadership Pause
In this episode, organizational psychologists Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich explore the concept of the "double bind" in workplace leadership—those contradictory messages that leave employees frozen and confused. A double bind occurs when leaders send mixed messages, saying one thing while their actions communicate something entirely different. Common examples include organizations declaring "we're family" while conducting layoffs, asking employees to "bring your whole authentic self" while expecting conformity, or promoting "empowerment" while maintaining tight control over...
info_outline
Serving a Purpose: TLP009
The Leadership Pause
Welcome to Episode 9 of The Leadership Pause," where Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich dive into the essential concept of leading with meaning and purpose. This episode unpacks "the why" through personal anecdotes and professional insights. Neil shares a poignant Pause of the Month reflecting on connection and meaning after a loss, while Taylere discusses a coaching success where a client harnessed her power during organizational upheaval, sparking a valuable conversation about the nuanced role of power in leadership. They explore how purpose, while intrinsically felt...
info_outline
Money Talks - Leadership's Hidden Scripts: TLP 008
The Leadership Pause
In this insightful episode of The Leadership Pause, hosts Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich delve into the topic of money psychology and its profound influence on leadership. The hosts begin by sharing their own money scripts, the psychological narratives around finances formed in their childhoods. Their personal revelations set the stage for an illuminating conversation with guest expert Dr. Kathleen Gounaris, an executive coach and clinical and financial psychologist with over 25 years of experience specializing in behavioral finance. Dr. Gounaris explains how financial psychology...
info_outline
Leadership in Unexpected Places: TLP007
The Leadership Pause
In this episode of The Leadership Pause, host Neil Jacobs turns to an unexpected source for insights about leadership - the world of animal behavior. Listen as he explores the learning human leaders can derive from non-humans with guest Dr. Robert Shumaker, evolutionary biologist and CEO at the Indianapolis Zoo. Gain rare insights into how understanding animal behavior and cognition can enhance human leadership and recognize the parallels and distinctions with your own ways of leading. Explore the dynamic interplay of collaboration and self-interest, inspired by the majestic...
info_outline
You Really, Really Like Me: TLP006
The Leadership Pause
In this episode, hosts Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich discuss the upsides and pitfalls of pursuing likability in leadership. They are joined by HR executive Deeena Goodman, Vice President and HR Business Partner at PGIM Real Estate. Deena shares her insights and experiences on the topic from a number of vantage points including her work in the People function and her background as a licensed clinical social work and a singer-songwriter. The episode addresses the significance of likability in the context of leadership, its implications on influence and power, and how it interacts...
info_outline
Do I Have To? The Art & Science of Hard Conversations: TLP005
The Leadership Pause
Join us for Episode 5 of The Leadership Pause as we explore the pivotal role of difficult conversations in leadership, featuring insights from our esteemed guest, Dr. Robin Dean. Listen in as we navigate the necessity and impact of these challenging dialogues both professionally and personally. We start with our show hosts sharing their Pause of the Month. Neil Jacobs highlights a transformative team exercise where leaders took time to explore their best selves and unlock their potential. Meanwhile, Dr. Taylere Markewich shares a story of a client who strategically paused to consider long-term...
info_outline
Pulling the rug out from 2024: TLP004
The Leadership Pause
What if embracing the role of a scientist could transform your leadership style? Join us as we unravel the unexpected events of 2024, a year that raised big questions about leadership across the globe. We kick off the conversation talking about the year's patterns and trends in leadership and organizations - what we thought would happen and what did happen. We discuss the evolving role of AI, for now not the job-stealing menace predicted at the start of the year. 2024 was the year of elections with half the world’s population going to the polls. Reflecting on the global political...
info_outline
So Whose Team Are You On? TLP003
The Leadership Pause
Hosts Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich, PhD welcome guest Tessa Breslin to The Leadership Pause to discuss the ins and outs of being on more than one leadership team. Tessa is an organizational psychologist and an expert in leadership, consulting to iconic organizations around the world. Prior to starting Breslin Consulting in Northern Ireland she was a Managing Director and on the board of a global leadership consulting firm. She is the Vice Chair of Queen’s University Foundation and a non-executive director. Tessa shares her unique insights drawn from 25 years coaching...
info_outline
Not too tight, not too loose - TLP002
The Leadership Pause
Balancing the line between structure and freedom in leadership can feel like walking a tightrope. In this episode we explore the concept of "not too tight, not too loose," as it applies to leadership development, organizations, and communities. We dive into the ways leaders can foster environments that are open yet grounded, and how self-awareness, reading your environment, and intentionality play a crucial role in this balance. Our conversation also takes a historical turn, tracing the evolution of communal living from the experimental communes of the 1960s to the gated communities of...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Leadership Pause, Neil Jacobs and Dr. Taylere Markewich mark the podcast’s one-year anniversary with a timely exploration of how physical space shapes leadership, culture, and performance. As organizations continue to navigate hybrid work, return-to-office pressures, and shifting employee expectations, the conversation invites leaders to consider the often-unseen ways the built environment communicates values, power, and belonging.
Joined by Rachel Casanova, Executive Managing Director of Total Workplace Consulting for the Northeast at Cushman & Wakefield, the discussion moves beyond aesthetics to examine workplace design as the “body language” of an organization. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Rachel shares insights on evidence-based design, the risks of aspirational spaces that outpace lived culture, and why congruence between leadership behavior and physical environment is essential for trust, engagement, and change.
Together, Neil, Taylere, and Rachel explore the successes and failures of open offices, hoteling, and hybrid models, as well as how space has become a critical lever in the competition for talent. The episode challenges leaders to pause and ask what their workplaces are truly signaling and whether their organizations are prepared to embody the culture those spaces promise.
Show Order
00:00 Introduction to Leadership Pause
00:49 Reflecting on a Year of Leadership Pause
01:06 Exploring Organizational Space and Design
01:49 Pauses of the Month
05:33 Impact of Office Design on Work Culture
14:26 Guest Introduction: Rachel Casanova
15:39 Rachel Casanova on Workplace Consulting
21:44 Design Principles and Cultural Fit
26:05 Future-Proofing Office Design
27:06 Hoteling and Hotspotting Trends
28:40 Challenges of Office Hoteling
29:10 Activity-Based Working and Technology
29:59 Real Estate and Organizational Behavior
30:31 Emerging Workplace Technologies
31:04 Employee Privacy Concerns
33:46 Evidence-Based Design in the Post-Pandemic World
35:38 The Importance of Physical Presence
37:53 Designing for Organizational Effectiveness
41:58 Organizational Network Analysis
48:34 The Role of Space in Leadership
50:46 Practical Tips for Leaders
52:34 Conclusion and Wrap-Up
About Our Guest
Rachel Casanova is Executive Managing Director of the Total Workplace Consulting Practice for the Northeast at Cushman & Wakefield. With nearly 30 years of experience, she helps organizations transform real estate from a cost center into a strategic business tool aligned with culture, performance, and human experience.
A graduate of Cornell University’s College of Human Ecology, Rachel is widely recognized for integrating organizational behavior, business strategy, and evidence-based design to create workplaces that are both functional and future-ready.