Big shoes to fill. It's the phrase everyone uses when you step into a major role. But what if the real trap isn't living up to the last leader — it's trying to walk in their footsteps at all?
In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony Sanders sits down with Michelle Baker, Chief People Officer at Forum Credit Union and co-host of the Career Dreams Podcast, to unpack what it actually takes to lead in your own identity — not someone else's shadow.
Michelle opens up about stepping into a role previously held by someone with 40 years of tenure, the head trash that comes with comparison, and the moment a friend told her something that changed everything: "Acknowledge the shoes, but create your own footprint."
This conversation goes beyond mindset. It's about agency, clarity, and the daily habits that build leaders — not the workshops or the titles, but the reps you take when no one's watching.
What you'll learn:
• Why trying to replicate the leader before you is a losing strategy
• The difference between being energized by opportunity and being overwhelmed by responsibility
• How context filters shape the way we see every situation — and how to shift yours
• The 70-20-10 learning framework and why most development happens outside the classroom
• How Michelle launched a podcast as both a development tool and a recruiting engine
• Why modeling behavior matters more than setting expectations
• What it means to have agency over your own career — and why no one else is coming to do it for you
If you're stepping into a bigger role, leading through comparison, or wondering how to develop your people while moving fast, this episode will give you a new lens to lead through it.
Guest: Michelle Baker — Chief People Officer at Forum Credit Union and co-host of Career Dreams Podcast
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:56 Energized vs Overwhelmed: Reading Your Team's Reality
00:01:50 The Context Filter: How Your Mindset Shapes Your Experience
00:04:33 Big Shoes to Fill: Leading in Your Own Identity
00:06:43 The Career Dreams Podcast Origin Story
00:08:55 Leading at the Speed of Growth Without Losing People
00:11:42 More Is Caught Than Taught: Modeling Leadership Through Action
00:14:11 Agency Over Your Career: Taking Ownership of Your Growth
00:14:43 The 70-20-10 Framework: Where Real Development Happens
00:17:15 It's All About the Reps
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