Be Bold with Ari DeGrote| Leading Upward & Inward - Unlocking Human Potential in Corporate

🎙️ Ep. 23 – Be Bold with Ari DeGrote (Founder of Upward & Inward)

Welcome back to the Corporate Cliché Podcast — where Jess and Jen bring real, unfiltered watercooler conversations about the corporate world we all know too well.

This week, we’re diving into a powerful conversation on courageous leadership, human-centered workplaces, and unlocking your full potential — with the incredible Ari DeGrote, Founder of Upward & Inward LLC. Ari is an Impact Leadership Catalyst who helps leaders and teams stop surviving and start truly thriving through purpose alignment, flow science, and whole-human leadership.

If you're seeking more meaning, connection, and authenticity at work… this episode is your permission slip to Be Bold.

🔥 Episode Highlights

✨ Redefining Leadership From the Inside Out
• Why true leadership begins with inner work, self-awareness, and meaning
• How “Impact Leadership” transforms how we lead, connect, and inspire

🧠 The Science Behind Human Flourishing & Flow
• How flow science, positive psychology & behavior change fuel peak performance
• Practices to help leaders reduce burnout and elevate well-being

🤝 Creating Brave & Collaborative Work Environments
• The role of psychological safety in innovation
• Why conflict can be productive when handled with intention

🌱 Growth Isn’t Always Pretty
Ari unpacks the powerful seed metaphor:

“For a seed to reach its greatest expression, it must come undone.”
Growth requires discomfort, vulnerability, and letting go of old versions of ourselves

💛 Meaning & Mattering
• The difference between being valued for what you do vs. who you are
• A real story of a team unlocking potential through purpose alignment

🧭 Reconnecting With Purpose
• How everyone — not just leaders — can reignite fulfillment at work
• Micro-rituals to regulate your nervous system, stay grounded & avoid burnout

📚 Resources Mentioned

Book recommendations to add to your Corporate Book Club:
• An Everyone Culture
• Group Genius
• The Happiness Advantage

💬 Key Takeaways

• You don’t need a title to lead with impact — leadership starts with bold choices
  • Meaning and mattering are essentials for thriving teams, not “nice to have” perks
  • Corporate culture changes from the inside out — one conversation at a time
  • Bold leadership is human-centered leadership

👇 Connect with Ari

IG: @upwardandinward
LinkedIn: Upward & Inward LLC
Website: upwardandinward.com

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