CEO on the Go

Becoming a more effective leader doesn’t require a total reinvention. It could be just one small, intentional shift. Gayle Lantz challenges listeners with a simple but powerful question: what's one small thing you could improve about yourself over the next six months that would make you a more effective leader? Not ten things. Not a complete overhaul. Just one. Find the full show notes at: https:/...

As we celebrate the Fourth of July and watch fireworks light up the sky, Gayle Lantz invites leaders to think about a different kind of spark, not the one overhead, but the one quietly flickering inside. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Follow-Your-Inner-Spark---Dont-Let-Doubt-Put-It-Out

A year after a tree crashed through her roof, Gayle Lantz has finally moved back into her fully reconstructed home. But when the restoration crew asked if everything should go back exactly the way it was, she surprised herself by saying no. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/The-Midyear-Rebuild---Reconstructing-Your-Life-and-Work

We often think of attention as something that just happens to us, pulled by distractions, demands, and the noise of daily life. But what if noticing were actually a choice? Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/What-You-Choose-to-Notice-Changes-Everything

When stress runs high and teams start operating on edge, the instinct for many leaders is to push harder, communicate more forcefully, or demand better behavior. But that approach makes things worse. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/De-Escalate-to-Lead---The-Neuroscience-of-Emotional-Control-with-Doug-Noll  

Most organizations say they want collaboration, but many are still operating in deeply divided ways. Departments protect their turf, communication stays fragmented, and teams work around each other instead of with each other. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Breaking-Down-Silos-Before-They-Break-Your-Organization  

Graduation season is a powerful reminder that the most meaningful transitions in life don't always come with a diploma; they come with growth. In this thought-provoking solo episode, Gayle Lantz reflects on what it truly means to graduate as a leader. Not just once, in cap and gown, but repeatedly throughout your career and life, graduating from old thinking, outdated identities, limiting beliefs,...

We live in a world that rewards efficiency. Every moment feels like it should produce something, especially when you're a leader with a packed schedule and a plane to catch. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/When-Work-Can-Wait---What-Presence-Makes-Possible

Many leaders look like they've got it all together. But behind the polished exterior, many are quietly running on empty, exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering how much longer they can keep going at this pace. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/What-Leaders-Really-Carry-Beneath-the-Surface

When life brings loss, transition, or unexpected disruption, it often prompts a deeper question: What really matters, now? But this isn’t only a question for difficult times. It’s one leaders and all of us can ask anytime we need greater clarity, renewed focus, or a better way forward. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/What-Really-Matters-Now-A-Leadership-Question-Worth-Asking

We live in a world that loves to amplify everything. Every issue feels urgent. Every misstep feels catastrophic. And if you're not careful, you can get swept right along with it. But not everything deserves the weight we give it. And some things deserve far more. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/How-to-Lead-When-Problems-Seem-Too-Big

As a leader, you’re trained to lean in, dig deep, and solve problems. But what happens when zooming in too closely is making the problem bigger? Gayle Lantz introduces the concept of the "proximity trap" and why so many leaders unknowingly fall into it. When you're too close to a problem, you can lose perspective, clarity, and even confidence. The solution may be simpler than you think. Find the f...

If life lately has felt like a blur at work, at home, or both, you're not alone. And you're probably being told to slow down, take a break, and clear your head. But that may not always be what you need. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/When-Everything-Feels-Like-a-Blur---Finding-Clarity-in-the-Chaos

You've heard it before: Get out of your comfort zone. But what if that's the wrong way to think about it? In any kind of leadership role, you will experience some form of discomfort at some point. And being told "just do it" or "get over it" doesn't actually help, and sometimes it makes you feel more stuck, not less. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Choose-Expansion-Not-Escape-...

What does it take to reach 300 episodes and actually mean it when you say every single one was an experiment? This milestone episode takes a personal look at what committing to an experimentation mindset over time truly unlocks for a podcast, for a leadership practice, and for a life. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/The-Experimentation-Advantage---Why-Trying-Beats-Overthinking

Have you ever noticed how quickly your mind fills in the blanks about a situation, about another person, or about yourself? Almost instantly, your brain writes a story. And most of the time, you don't even realize it's happening. But those stories shape everything: how you lead, what you believe is possible, and how far you're willing to go. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Is-...

Executive presence is no longer a "nice to have"; it's a defining factor in how leaders are perceived, how far they advance, and how effectively they inspire those around them. But despite how widely the term is used, there are still significant misconceptions about what executive presence actually means, and most leaders don't know which specific behaviors are holding them back. Find the full sho...

We track our sleep, our steps, our heart rate, our productivity. It seems we track everything…except our joy.  We obsess about longevity. But what about joyevity? It’s the kind of joy that fuels your work, leadership and your life. So in this episode, Gayle Lantz shifts the conversation from simply enduring the pressures of leadership to something equally essential: experiencing genuine fulfillmen...

How many tabs do you have open right now on your browser, and in your brain? If you're like most leaders, it's probably more than you'd care to admit. And while it's easy to blame a packed schedule, the real issue isn't time. It's attention. In this episode, Gayle Lantz reframes one of the most common challenges she sees in her work with leaders: not time management, but attention management. Usin...

The pressure of leadership has never been greater. But what if the habits you rely on most are actually working against you? Gayle Lantz speaks with Dr. Amar Dhall, a psychotherapist and leadership researcher based in Australia who uncovered hidden patterns that drive burnout, disconnection, and dysfunction at the top. Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Leading-Under-Pressure---B...

We're surrounded by messages about winning and losing, especially now during the Olympic games. But what if the real win isn't about getting first place? Gayle Lantz challenges leaders to examine a critical question: What game are you actually playing? Because if you don't define it, culture will define it for you, and culture tends to define winning as more money, more status, more recognition, m...

Leading can feel heavy. Today executives are under more pressure than ever. If you've ever thought "this is harder than I expected" or "I'm not sure I even want this anymore," you're far from alone.  Recent studies show that 70% of C-suite executives are seriously considering leaving their roles for the sake of their well-being, and more than half are expected to exit within two years. Even more t...

Digital transformation projects continue to fail at alarming rates, 70% for digital initiatives and over 90% for AI transformations. The problem isn't technology. It's how organizations approach change and where they look for solutions. Most leaders believe transformation starts at the top, but the real answers often lie in the middle of the organization with people who see what works, what doesn'...

Many leaders are trained to believe that progress requires adding more effort, more meetings, more strategies, more pressure. But often, the real work of leadership is like curling: sweeping away friction so momentum can build naturally. Gayle Lantz challenges the "badge of honor" mentality around working harder and introduces a different approach, leading with a broom, not a bulldozer. As Gayle e...

Leaders today face a critical challenge: how to leverage AI effectively without losing their authentic voice or the trust of their teams. Some are avoiding AI entirely, while others are over-relying on it at the expense of their own critical thinking and expertise. AI should enhance communication, not replace it. When used strategically, AI can actually help leaders become more authentic. Gayle La...