Leading Well

Have you ever reached the point where disappointment no longer feels temporary, but starts to change the way you trust? That shift can be hard to name, especially in leadership. In this episode, I return to the conversation on disappointment and take it one step deeper by exploring what happens when repeated disappointment becomes a loss of trust. I share why trust rarely breaks all at once, but i...

Have you ever noticed how easily disappointment slips past our awareness even as it quietly shapes how we lead? We often push through it, minimize it, or tell ourselves we should “just get over it,” but unprocessed disappointment has a way of lingering beneath the surface. In this episode, I reflect honestly on a season of personal and professional disappointment and explore why it’s one of the mo...

Have you ever noticed how often we confuse hope with optimism? They feel similar, but they’re not the same. And in the context of leadership, that difference matters more than we realize. In this episode, I share my one word for 2026 and the practice I’ve followed for over a decade of choosing a single word to guide my year. This year, my word is “hope.” It’s shaped by a season of uncertainty, los...

Have you ever stepped into a new year and felt the urge to move more slowly, even when everything around you is urging you to rush? Most leaders don’t give themselves permission to do that, but I believe it matters more than ever. In this episode, I invite you to begin the new year a little differently: without pressure, without performance, and without the need to prove anything. I share why I be...

Have you ever looked back on a year and realized that love and pain were growing in the very same places? Most leaders don’t talk about that part, but we all live it. In this episode, I share the word that shaped my entire year: Love. I talk about how it showed up in both the brightest and hardest moments of my life. From publishing my book,  Joy@Work , and coaching dozens of leaders, to watching...

Hope isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we build. It’s both a mindset and a practice that anchors us in what’s possible, even when we can’t see it yet. In this episode, I talk about what it means to cultivate hope, especially when leadership or life feels heavy.  I share how hope engages our brain’s prefrontal cortex, the part that helps us plan, imagine, and take purposeful action. From...

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to balance confidence and humility as a leader. Leading with love takes more than drive or ambition; it takes self-awareness, reflection, and a genuine desire to serve others while staying grounded in who you are. I share how leaning too far into humility can sometimes hold us back, especially when we downplay our strengths or shy away from recogn...

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt yourself shrink? Even the strongest women do. In this episode, I share two moments in my career when I let myself feel small—one shaped by my own inner critic, and another by someone else’s words.  From skipping a team dinner early in my career to being called “intimidating” on a new team, I open up about how those experiences made me question my...

“We can’t lead others unless we lead ourselves.” In this episode, I explore why true leadership starts with inner clarity. When you know what matters most at the center of your life, it shapes your values, your choices, and the way you influence others. I share a personal moment from moving my son into college, when he placed my book, Joy@Work: When Women Lead, on his dorm shelf. That simple act r...

Leading Well is a short, impactful podcast for executive women, and the men who support them, who want to lead with purpose and show up well in every part of their lives. Through 10–15 minute solo episodes, leadership coach and speaker Gretchen Schott shares insights, practical tools, and personal reflections that help you navigate people problems, lead with authenticity, and grow your confidence...