Ever felt the Sunday scaries so deeply it made you question your job altogether? You’re not alone—and that’s exactly where this conversation starts. In this episode, I’m joined by Mary Baird—international workshop facilitator, employee experience strategist, and host of The Simplifiers Podcast. Mary simplifies the chaos of corporate life and brings 18+ years of leadership development experience to the table.

We’re unpacking why employee experience isn’t just an HR checkbox—it’s a leadership credibility strategy. From layoffs to trust gaps to talent wars, today’s leaders need more than perks and pizza parties. They need a clear EX strategy that drives real outcomes and external influence.

Mary breaks down her Employee Experience Flywheel, shows how leadership development must be co-created, and shares bold truths about why most corporate cultures are broken—and how to fix them.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why employee experience is the new leadership advantage

• How to define EX in a way that drives trust and results

• Why traditional leadership development fails (and what to do instead)

• How to build a culture that retains talent and grows credibility

• The direct link between internal culture and external influence

• Tangible actions execs can take this quarter to improve EX

• How to make your leadership presence match your external brand

Mentioned in this episode:

• Visit Mary at https://marybaird.co and follow her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers/

• The Simplifiers Podcast: https://thesimplifiers.com

Your Next Steps:

• Access the white paper: External Influence: The Currency Every Leader Must Carry. https://externalinfluence.us

• Follow Shayna on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/shaynarattler

• Visit our website: https://executivesignalsgroup.com