Who Supports the Leaders Everyone Else Depends On? Women’s Leadership Success Podcast Reaches 1 Million Downloads

One million downloads is a milestone we never imagined when we recorded our first episode in 2007. To mark it, we looked at what leaders need right now, and the research points to a question every organization should be asking. Here is our announcement in full.

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Executive coach Sabrina Braham brings leading authors and business experts together to offer actionable advice on leadership, career advancement and the human side of business.

SEBASTOPOL, Calif. — November 12, 2026 — Organizations count on managers and directors to keep employees engaged, navigate uncertainty and deliver results. Recent research raises an uncomfortable question: how well are those leaders being supported themselves?

As the Women’s Leadership Success Podcast surpasses 1 million downloads, host and executive leadership coach Sabrina Braham, MA, PCC, is calling on employers to examine the demands, development and career support surrounding the people they depend on to lead.

Each episode explores a specific leadership challenge in a detailed conversation with an author, researcher or business thought leader. Braham draws out actionable advice listeners can apply in their next meeting, difficult conversation or career decision. Each episode’s dedicated blog post extends that guidance with key insights and practical takeaways.

Past guests include Faisal Hoque, bestselling author and IMD Executive Fellow; Shelmina Babai Abji, former IBM Vice President, TEDx speaker and author of Show Your Worth; and Ashish Kothari, former McKinsey & Company partner and author of Hardwired for Happiness.

What the research says about today’s leaders

DDI’s Global Leadership Forecast 2027, released October 14, found that only 17% of leaders felt confident anticipating and responding to change. Nearly one in five frequently felt “used up.” The global study drew on responses from more than 11,000 leaders.

Gallup’s August 2026 U.S. findings add another warning: just 29% of managers were engaged at work, while 58% were watching for or actively seeking another job.

“A leader can meet every deadline and still be running out of capacity. When someone keeps delivering, it is easy to assume they are fine. We need to ask what it is costing them to keep delivering—and what would help them lead more effectively.” — Sabrina Braham

For women, strong commitment can coexist with significant strain. Gallup reported in March that women employed full time were more engaged than men, yet more likely to experience frequent burnout.

Career support also matters. McKinsey and LeanIn.Org’s Women in the Workplace 2025 report found that differences in women’s and men’s desire for promotion disappeared when they received comparable career support.

Three changes employers can make

A former psychotherapist with more than 30 years of executive coaching experience, Braham recommends three changes:

• Make priorities negotiable. When adding a responsibility, identify what can stop, shift or wait. Give leaders authority to make the trade-offs their workload requires.
• Make advancement specific. Replace “You’re not ready” with observable expectations, an opportunity to practice and a date to review progress.
• Make support visible. Senior executives should offer candid feedback, open doors to consequential assignments and advocate for capable leaders when opportunities are discussed.

“The question I bring to these conversations is: What can someone actually do differently?” Braham said. “An insight becomes useful when a leader can put it into practice—with their team, their boss or someone who can help them advance.”

20 years, 170 episodes, 1 million downloads

Launched in June 2007, Women’s Leadership Success has published 170 episodes exploring communication, executive presence, emotional intelligence, influence and career advancement. Three episodes have also examined AI integration and its implications for the human side of business.

Now in its 20th year, the independent podcast has exceeded 1 million downloads, measured using Blubrry’s IAB Tech Lab–certified statistics. It ranks in the top 1.5% of podcasts worldwide on Listen Notes and holds a 4.9-star rating across 95 Apple Podcasts reviews.

“We started with a goal of making useful leadership conversations available beyond a coaching engagement,” said Tim Warren, co-founder and executive producer. “Reaching one million downloads is an important milestone for us—and a reason to keep asking what leaders need next.”

About Women’s Leadership Success

Hosted by Sabrina Braham and co-founded with executive producer Tim Warren, Women’s Leadership Success helps women—and the men who champion them—build the confidence, communication and influence to succeed in senior leadership. Expert interviews and accompanying episode articles are available at womensleadershipsuccess.com.

Listen and follow: Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. Ready to step up before you feel ready? Get Sabrina’s free Leading Before You’re Ready playbook.

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