Playing Full Out™ with Rita Hyland

When you are a leader who operates with integrity, being blindsided by someone above you who is scared and reactive, taking it out on you, is one of the most disorienting experiences you can have. You didn't do anything wrong. And yet here you are, managing the fallout of someone else's emotional immaturity while trying to protect your reputation, relationships, and your own steadiness. In this ep...

When you are a person who carries a lot of responsibility, your attention is your most valuable asset, and it's also the first thing the world tries to take from you. You've learned to multitask, to stay available, to keep the tabs open. And because you're still producing, still delivering, still showing up, no one tells you what it's actually costing you. In this episode, I'm sharing why presence...

When you're a high performer, you learn to endure. You adapt, take on more, carry a lot for others, and figure it out. And because nothing breaks, you keep going on momentum and autopilot. But there's a moment that quietly determines your next decade, one that doesn't look like failure or feel like a crisis. It's when the internal alignment between your life and who you are today has quietly expir...

When you're moving at full speed, it's easy to cross the finish line of one goal and immediately sprint toward the next. High performers do this constantly, accomplishing meaningful things, then dismissing them because they "should have happened sooner." But that pattern costs us more than we realize. We're discarding the very evidence that could accelerate everything we want in the year ahead. In...

When leadership feels heavy, even the most seasoned executives can lose sight of themselves in the pace, pressure, and expectations of everyday decision-making. Stepping onto the Inca Trail gave me a rare chance to slow down, listen inward, and see my leadership with a fresh perspective. In this episode, I'm sharing the seven leadership lessons this journey revealed. These lessons aren't about hik...

When decision fatigue sets in, even the most capable leaders can find themselves circling the same questions, waiting for a sense of certainty that never seems to arrive. The mind calls it preparation and responsibility, but often it's hesitation in disguise. In this episode, I share a 3-step practice that helps you identify and disassemble overthinking so you can take your next best action with c...

If you think leadership is about the title on your résumé, the results you deliver, or the strategies you execute, it's easy to see why. We've been taught to measure great leadership by performance. However, the truth is that people often don't follow the title. They follow the energy.  In this episode, I share 10 brain-backed practices that rewire your brain for joy, resilience, and connection wh...

If you think effective leadership is all about having the perfect plan, the most compelling pitch, or racking up a list of accomplishments, you're not alone. Most of us have grown up believing that confidence, strategy, and performance are what distinguish the best leaders from others. However, the truth is that people don't follow the strategy. They follow the energy. In this episode, I am going...

I've got a big question for you today… one I'm betting no one's asked you in a while: What does success mean to you now? Not the version you scribbled in a vision statement 20 years ago. Not what your parents wanted. Not the one culture that flashes at you with big vacations and busy calendars. I'm talking about your definition. Right now. In this season. With the life you actually have—not the on...

You've achieved everything you were supposed to: a successful career, a full family life, the ability to get things done. And yet, you find yourself asking… Why don't I feel more satisfied? Why am I still not at peace? In this deeply personal episode of Playing Full Out, I step away from the quick tips and high-performance tools to share the truths we often don't talk about—the emotional toll of a...

Do you ever find yourself reacting in the heat of the moment, only to regret what you said or did just minutes later? Whether at home with your kids, in the meeting room, or even behind the wheel, our instinctual "first thoughts" can often lead to unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding. In this episode, I'm sharing something simple and powerful that can truly improve your connection with others...

Do you find yourself compulsively moved to action even when you want to rest? You promise yourself you'll slow down after you get just one more thing knocked out. But then something else needs to be accomplished or fixed – and well aren't you the person to do that?  For many of us today, the way we are approaching our life and work is dysregulating our performance and nervous systems. What worked...

How do you feel about disappointment? Or the better question is how do you bounce back after people let you down? Recently, I've been thinking of this topic, specifically because I hear a lot of conversations about people letting us down and the ongoing fallout of those disappointments. In this episode, I'm sharing the four-step process to understand your emotions with disappointment and help you...

Do you think you're a good listener? Most leaders do, but research shows that we only retain about 25% of what we hear. That means distractions and assumptions get in the way. But what if you could train yourself to become a 5-star active listener and  stronger leader? In this episode, I'm sharing powerful active listening techniques to boost your workplace productivity and strengthen your relatio...

Hey there, friends! Can you believe it? Another year has passed, and it's time to prepare for a fresh start. Congratulations on all you've accomplished in 2024! If you're like most, you're ready to hit the reset button and dive into the next chapter with clarity and inspiration. In this episode, I'm sharing a simple and intentional approach to resetting your goals that are emotionally connected to...

As we approach the end of 2024, it's tempting to dive straight into setting new goals for the new year without reflecting on the past. But what if a simple 10-minute practice of leveraging the wisdom from the past twelve months can transform into powerful future action?  In this episode, I'm sharing one of my all-time favorite practices, the Year-End Review. For over a decade, this practice has gu...

Many high achievers and busy individuals find themselves running the ultimate "Holiday Race," trying to fit even more transactions into their already packed schedules. As a result, the end of the year becomes a whirlwind of labor and to-dos that can feel overwhelming and stressful.  But what if this year, instead of accelerating, we interrupted our normal busyness and slowed things down? What if w...

Are you at a point where you're questioning everything about your life right now? Maybe you're feeling uncertain, like the ground beneath you is shifting, and nothing feels as stable as it once did. You thought life was headed in the right direction until it didn't.  Stop for a moment and listen to what your inner shakedown is trying to tell you. Because here's a liberating truth: that unsettling...

Have you ever found yourself saying, "There's a part of me that feels this or that behaves like this, and I don't know why?" Or perhaps you've reacted in ways that even surprise you, leaving you wondering where those feelings or behaviors come from. If you do, you are not alone. In this episode, I dive deep into unmasking these patterns of behaviors that up until now may have been viewed as an int...

Imagine you're working on a crucial project, and suddenly, your computer crashes, wiping out hours of work, or your best worker quits. Panic sets in, right? But what if you could remain calm, view the situation objectively, and even turn it to your advantage? When faced with obstacles, many of us crumble under pressure, consumed by stress and anxiety. Yet, our ability to navigate through life's hu...

Ever wondered how to better prepare for your important projects's success? Planning is often seen as the cornerstone of success. Yet, even the most meticulously crafted plans can encounter unforeseen obstacles. So, how can we better prepare for these inevitable bumps in the road? In this episode, I share an exercise called the pre-mortem, which can help you flip the script and plan for potential p...

Have you ever felt paralyzed by the fear of rejection or failure? These setbacks are universal experiences that often stall us from pursuing our dreams. But what if I told you that rejection could be your greatest ally in achieving your future success?  Imagine turning every "no" into a powerful stepping stone that propels you forward. By accurately assessing what is holding you back and redefinin...

​​How do you engage in pressured situations while maintaining your best self? What do you do to manage and prevent stressful situations from negatively impacting your behavior? In an ideal world, we don't feel pressure at all—we hold boundaries, disarm conflict, and let things roll off our back. But we know that's not reality all the time, right? We are complex creatures with emotions and past exp...

We're back with Part 2 of the incredibly insightful conversation with Leslie Neugent about The Enneagram! The Enneagram can greatly improve your leadership abilities and your relationships. I always say self-awareness is our greatest advantage and that is on full display in this conversation. As you realize more about yourself and those around you, you are able to easily approach all relationships...

You already know relationships are the foundation to a life well lived. Yet most of our relationships with our spouse, kids, siblings, parents, colleagues and clients are left wanting for something more. Since our relationships matter so much doesn't it make sense that we become better at them?  [Enter the Enneagram.] The Enneagram can greatly improve your leadership and your relationships. I know...