The Risk Mindset That Changes Everything | Tamara Laine

The Risk Mindset That Changes Everything | Tamara Laine

Author: Bill April 3, 2026 Duration: 41:59
In this episode of the 40% Better Podcast, Tamara Laine shares her unconventional leadership journey from teaching dance at a young age to working in documentaries, journalism, and eventually leading in the tech world.

Tamara breaks down how taking risks, embracing failure, and building resilience shaped her career and leadership style. She explains why confidence is built through repetition, how communication is a learned skill, and why breaking big goals into micro tasks is essential for success.
The conversation also explores leadership in startups, building effective systems, and how great leaders empower their teams while staying adaptable. Tamara shares practical insights on overcoming fear, developing strong communication skills, and creating a mindset that turns challenges into opportunities.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
How an unconventional career path can lead to strong leadership
Why repetition and practice build confidence and communication skills
The importance of breaking goals into small, actionable steps
How to overcome fear and social anxiety through systems
Why risk-taking is essential for personal and professional growth
How to build and lead high-performing teams in startups
The role of systems and structure in execution and productivity
Why failure is a critical part of long-term success
Key insights:
“I’d rather try and fail than not try at all.”
“You have to put the reps in.”
“Failure is a step toward the destination.”
“Surround yourself with the right people.”
“Chase what makes you happy.”
This episode is perfect for founders, leaders, and professionals looking to grow through resilience, improve communication, and build a mindset that embraces risk and opportunity.
Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and performance.
#Leadership #PersonalGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Mindset #Resilience #CommunicationSkills #CareerGrowth #BusinessGrowth #40PercentBetter

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly. – Bill and the 40 % Better podcast team

Connect with Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wblennan/ 
Visit the 40 Percent Better website here: https://40pb.com/

Listen to 40 % Better on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qkqdMPkR9BqYPM7UPa4P0
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/40%25-better---engineering-leadership/id1709546347 
Amazon Podcasts: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01ad162e-7a33-4df4-8c29-04c4af0405fc/40-better---engineering-leadership

#40PercentBetter #BillLennan #Leadership #TeamPerformance #EmployeeEngagement #PsychologicalSafety #BusinessGrowth #Kaizen #EngineeringLeadership #Coaching The 40% Better podcast with Bill Lennan unlocks previously unheard-of performance levels in teams and leaders. Bill Lennan, founder of 40 Percent Better, interviews experts on employee engagement, psychological safety, engineering leadership, and actionable mental models. Learn how to foster high-performing teams, improve team productivity, and achieve sustainable success in business through a focus on human-centered systems. 
#technologyleadership #productmanagement #engineeringleadership #leadershipdevelopment #careergrowth #podcast

Hosted by Bill, 40% Better-Engineering Leadership is a conversation for those who build and guide technical teams. This isn't about abstract theory; it's a practical dialogue focused on the tangible mechanics of morale, motivation, and output. Each episode features a single expert in employee engagement, and together we dissect the specific strategies that lead to measurable leaps in performance. You'll hear detailed explorations into what actually moves the needle for engineers and their managers, translating research and experience into actionable leadership techniques. The goal is straightforward: to provide the insights that can help your team operate at a significantly higher level of effectiveness and satisfaction. Tune in for a focused, deep-dive podcast that cuts through the noise of generic management advice, offering concrete ideas you can apply directly to the unique challenges of engineering leadership.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

40% Better - Engineering Leadership
Podcast Episodes
ExecutiveBlindSpots - Episode 42 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:54
Executives are talking but the rank and file are not responding. This is not a language barrier problem - it's a blind spot problem. Execs think their audience understands them - but they don't. What to do?
Ernesto Gomez - it's all about the people - Episode 41 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:04
Ernesto is a lifelong learner.He studied social communications and has completed executive programs at leading institutions, including Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan School of Management, Wharton Business School, Kellogg School…
Why Leadership Training Fails - Episode 40 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:25
Applying critical thinking to the obvious problem: with all the leadership books and training out - why aren't we seeing better engagement and performance?
WorkPositive with Dr. Joey - Episode 39 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:34
Dr. Joey Faucette transforms companies from a negative “Kevin Culture” to a positive work culture that increases productivity and profits.He is the culture architect of the Work Positive framework, certified Executive Co…
BarbedWire - Episode 38 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:23
Eighteen months ago barbed wire terrified me.Last weekend, I ran another 100+ feet.What happened in the last year??
HR, Leadership, and Avoiding Traps - Episode 37 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:31
Lisa-Maree Blumenfeld, has 20+ years of HR experience.We had a wide ranging conversation around HR, people at work, and avoiding pitfalls. Prior to starting Retain, Lisa was the VP of People at Expa, where she led a cent…
Devil is in the Details - Episode 36 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:18
Effective leadership isn't a philosophy - it's a stack of behaviors driven by tiny details. Overlooking these details is why we have so many disengaged and low performing employees. Details matter when you want a high pe…
Pillars of Team Leadership - Emotional Resilience - Episode 35 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:41
When people ask me "how do you do that?", the answer is often "by overcoming emotional friction". At the core, that's what Emotional Resilience is - overcoming emotional friction. Often team leads are stopped from doing…
Business Leverage - Episode 34 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:26
Leverage - using somethign to the maximum advantage One of my early mentors taught me the importance of Individual Contributors for company revenue, product development, and client happiness.And how team leads had the mo…
Asking Better Questions - Episode 33 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:39
Ask more questions. Ask different questions. You can learn a lot from and about your team by asking questions - and getting them what they want.