The Dips of Doubt

Empathy is one of the greatest strengths a leader can carry, and it can also be one of the most quietly exhausting. In this episode, Susan and Tessa explore the real and often unspoken cost of caring deeply as a leader, shining a light on compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma and why so many dedicated leaders find themselves feeling numb, irritable, or emotionally depleted without fully understa...

What do you do when the person who is supposed to lead you suddenly seems to disappear? In this episode, Susan and Tessa take a deeper dive into one of the most disorienting leadership experiences an employee can face, working under a ghost boss who is physically or emotionally absent from the team. They explore the many reasons a boss might go quiet, from personal hardship and burnout to disengag...

Most leaders would never describe themselves as a bad boss, and yet even the best leaders can quietly slip into habits that frustrate, disengage, or undermine the very people they are meant to lead. In this episode, Susan and Tessa invite listeners to hold up a mirror and honestly examine whether they recognize themselves in some of the most common leadership traps, from the perfectionist who shut...

In the middle of a busy leadership season, when was the last time you allowed yourself to simply be still? In this special episode, Susan and Tessa explore the power of silence as a mental health strategy, and what it truly means to pause, reflect, and let the mind rest. They unpack the very real challenge leaders face when trying to sit in stillness, and why our brains naturally drift, wander, an...

How you leave a position says just as much about you as how you lead in it. In this episode, Susan and Tessa tackle the season when many school leaders begin exploring new opportunities, and why leaving with grace, character, and intentionality matters more than most people realize in the moment. They discuss the unintended consequences of burning bridges on the way out, from bad-mouthing supervis...

200 episodes. Two years. Countless late nights, technical glitches, and moments of wondering if anyone was really listening. In this milestone celebration, Susan and Tessa step away from their usual leadership topics to reflect on the biggest lessons from their podcasting journey, complete with the dips of doubt that nearly made them quit and the timely messages from listeners that kept them going...

How do you hold your team accountable without dropping the hammer too hard or pretending you never noticed the missed deadline? In this episode, Susan and Tessa unpack a practical four-step framework for building accountability into your leadership without micromanaging or losing your sanity. They walk through how to build checkpoints into the process from the start, protect those checkpoints from...

What do you do when the typical self care advice just does not have enough left in you to try? In this episode, Susan and Tessa get honest about stress, burnout, and the moments when even good intentions go out the window. Tessa shares a deeply personal story of reaching a breaking point and the low bandwidth brain hacks she discovered to regulate her nervous system without adding one more thing t...

You cannot fill other people's cups if you are running on empty. In this episode, Susan and Tessa take a lighthearted but practical look at breakfast and how what leaders put into their bodies in the morning directly impacts their focus, energy, and cognitive performance throughout the day. They explore the various schools of thought around morning nutrition, from protein-forward starts to intermi...

What if your biggest leadership mistakes could become your best teachers instead of your worst nightmares? In this episode, Susan and Tessa unpack the gut punch of getting it wrong, from bad calls to missed conversations, and how easily these moments can send leaders into a spiral of self doubt. They explore why we extend grace to students but speak harshly to ourselves, offering practical strateg...

What makes some people go above and beyond to solve your problem, while others just say “nope”? In this episode, Susan and Tessa use a hilarious customer service story about a printer cord bundled with an unwanted printer to explore how leaders can build teams that deliver real service. They share four norms for creating a culture of initiative: defining what service looks like, embedding it in da...

What if a quick daily “huddle” could transform how connected your team feels? In this quirky episode, Susan and Tessa take a fresh look at team huddles, moving them from hokey to powerful as a simple way to check the pulse of your leadership team each morning. They describe how short, structured touch points focused on big picture needs, rumors to clear up, and one thing you are grateful for can b...

What if one simple practice could help you keep more of the people you most want to stay? In this episode, Susan and Tessa explore “stay interviews” as a proactive way to reduce turnover by truly listening to current staff rather than waiting for exit interviews. They discuss how intentional check ins, honest feedback about blind spots, and questions about growth, advancement, and satisfaction can...

How do you know if a candidate is truly right for your team, not just right on paper? In this important episode, Susan and Tessa explore the question “Are we a fit?” by breaking hiring decisions into three key buckets: knowledge, skill, and disposition. They discuss how to look beyond resumes and interview polish to understand what someone already knows, what they can actually do, and how their at...

What if your leadership could help others chip away everything that is not their masterpiece? In this episode, Susan and Tessa share the Michelangelo Effect, where the sculptor saw David inside flawed marble and simply removed what was not needed. They apply this to leadership by helping team members reveal their true potential instead of adding fixes or expecting perfection. Listeners will hear h...

What if your body held the key to stronger leadership? In this enlightening episode, Susan and Tessa explore self awareness through a clever framework from Paul Thornton that maps leadership qualities to body parts—from brain for strategic thinking to heart for sharing passion. They discuss using eyes for vision, ears for listening, spine for tough decisions, lungs for energizing teams, muscles fo...

Are you unknowingly trying to lead like a one person show? In this episode, Susan and Tessa unpack why “you can’t do it alone, so don’t pretend you can” is more than a quote—it is a requirement for healthy, sustainable leadership. They explore how surrounding yourself with thought partners, inviting honest perspectives, and growing your own skills multiplies value for everyone you lead. Listeners...

Do you step in to “fix” everything, or are you actually trying to stay in control? In this episode, Susan and Tessa unpack the subtle line between being a helpful problem solver and a controlling leader who accidentally disempowers the team. They reflect on early leadership years spent trying to know and do it all, then explore how staying in your lane, sharing ownership, and letting others strugg...

What if adaptability was your superpower instead of your stress response? In this episode, Susan and Tessa dig into why flexibility has become a non negotiable leadership skill in a world of constant pivots, shifting expectations, and rapid change. They explore how adaptable leaders move from firefighting to responding with calm, using images like the outfielder who stays ready for any fly ball th...

Have you noticed more team members crumbling under stress or pointing fingers instead of solving problems? In this episode, Susan and Tessa tackle fragility in the workplace, where leaders often shoulder blame while staff avoid responsibility. They explore how to build resilience by normalizing mistakes, encouraging ownership, and helping people reframe stories to see their role in solutions. List...

What if your New Year goals came with a built in “rerouting” button instead of a shame spiral? In this thought provoking episode, Susan and Tessa use the GPS metaphor to reframe broken resolutions and missed intentions as normal detours, not failures. They talk about ditching all or nothing promises, choosing smaller time bound goals, and doing honest status checks to ask what is working, what is...

Have you ever felt buried under drama, emails, and constant demands, unsure what actually deserves your attention? In this episode, Susan and Tessa explore the difference between “noise” that drains leaders and “signals” that clarify what truly matters. They unpack how reactivity grows when you let every complaint, policy twist, or rumor set the agenda, and how intentional leaders instead slow dow...

What if the questions you ask could completely change the conversations you have with your team? In this episode, Susan and Tessa explore the power of well chosen questions to reveal real obstacles, surface unspoken concerns, and invite deeper reflection. Drawing on favorites like: “What is one obstacle slowing you down this week?”, “What are we not talking about that we should be?” And “If you we...

Feeling endlessly busy but not truly productive? In this “Work Smarter, Not Harder” episode of the Dips of Doubt series, Susan Rosenthal and Tessa Brock walk leaders through a practical four step audit to rethink their daily work, separate legal and mandated tasks from self imposed routines, and identify what can finally come off the plate. Using insights from Dr. Cota’s leadership work, they expl...

What would your team say it feels like to be led by you? In this reflective episode, Susan and Tessa invite leaders to step into their employees’ shoes and honestly consider how their presence, stress, clarity, and care are experienced day to day. Inspired by a Daily Dad article and classroom memories, they explore questions about fairness, transparency, gratitude, and whether leaders truly grow o...