From Founder to Leader: The Psychology of Letting Go (Dr. Jena Booher)

The behaviors that make a founder successful can eventually hold them back. Business psychologist **Dr. Jena Booher** explores why leadership growth can require an identity shift—and how coaches can help clients let go of old patterns, redefine their value, and become the leaders their companies need. In each episode of *Neuroscience of Coaching*, host **Dr. Irena O’Brien** explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices. **“Leaders, especially at the top, don't get any feedback. As they're stepping into a new identity, they need you to tell them when things are going well.”— Dr. Jena Booher** **Guest Bio:** Jena Booher, PhD, is a business psychologist, executive coach, and adjunct professor teaching leadership at Rutgers Business School. She works with founders, CEOs, and executive teams navigating the psychological demands of scaling organizations, with a particular focus on judgment, courage, and leadership under pressure. Before becoming a psychologist, Jena spent nearly a decade on Wall Street at JPMorgan, including through the 2008 financial crisis. Her work today sits at the intersection of psychology, business, and human behavior helping leaders understand how they think, adapt, and make decisions when the stakes are high. **Host Bio:** Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience. She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit. Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a PhD in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University. **Resources mentioned in this episode:** Mirasee Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School Dr. Jena Booher’s website: www.jenabooher.com Dr. Jena Booher’s LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/jenabooherphd **Credits:** Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien Producer: Andrew Chapman Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario Executive Producer: Danny Iny Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio **Music credits:** Track Title: **Sneaker Smeaker** Artist: Avocado Junkie Writer: Sander Kalmeijer Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION Track Title: **Coo Coos** Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo Writer: Matthew Wigton Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION Track Title: **In This Light** Artist: Sounds Like Sander Writer: Sander Kalmeijer Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION **Special effects credits:** 24990513\_birds-chirping\_by\_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market. To catch the great episodes coming up on *Neuroscience of Coaching*, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people. **Episode transcript: From Founder to Leader: The Psychology of Letting Go (Dr. Jena Booher) coming soon.**