The Leadership Break

Episode 18: What You're Carrying That Isn't Yours Many leaders are carrying more than their role actually requires—and over time, that weight becomes invisible. In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores the difference between responsibility and over-responsibility , and how taking on too much can lead to burnout, blurred boundaries, and decreased effectiveness. If you've ever felt t...

Episode 17 | Becoming the Leader You Trust At some point in leadership, growth isn't about learning more—it's about trusting yourself with what you already know. In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores the difference between confidence and self-trust , and why even experienced leaders hesitate when making important decisions. If you've ever found yourself second-guessing, seeking...

Episode 16 | What It Actually Looks Like to Choose Differently Awareness is powerful—but it's not enough. In this episode, we move from insight to action. What does it actually look like to choose differently in the moment—when you're triggered, challenged, or feeling defensive? Through real examples and practical language, we explore how leaders can stay in the conversation without losing themsel...

Episode 15 | The 5 Seconds That Define Your Leadership There's a moment most leaders overlook—the few seconds right before they react. It's not the big decisions that define your leadership. It's the small, almost invisible moments where emotion rises and you choose what happens next. In this episode, we explore how quickly leaders can lose themselves under pressure—and how to begin noticing the p...

Episode 14 | Viewing Feedback as a Gift (Without Pretending It's Easy) You've probably heard the phrase "feedback is a gift." But sometimes it feels more like a brick. In this episode of The Leadership Break, Paula explores how leaders can receive feedback with curiosity rather than defensiveness—and why discernment is just as important as openness. Not every piece of feedback is perfect, but thou...

Episode 13 |  Why Feedback Feels Like a Threat (and Why Leaders Get Defensive) Receiving feedback is part of leadership—but that doesn't mean it's easy. In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores why even thoughtful, well-intentioned leaders sometimes feel defensive when feedback is offered. Defensiveness isn't a character flaw—it's often a natural response to feeling that our compet...

Episode 12 | When You're Leading and You're Not the Boss - Part 2 Staying, Speaking, or Leaving With Integrity When leadership above you falls short, leaving can feel like relief. Sometimes it is the right choice. But what happens when leaders leave without ever claiming their voice? In this second episode of the series, Paula explores the deeper discernment leaders face when working under weak le...

Episode 11 | When You're Leading and You're Not the Boss - Part 1 Many capable leaders find themselves leading without the title, authority, or support that usually comes with that role and they find themselves doing their boss's job. They're steadying teams, holding standards, and absorbing tension—often quietly. In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores the most common mistake lea...

Episode 10 | The Radical Act of Doing Something That Goes Somewhere—Slowly In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula reflects on a simple but challenging practice: creating a temperature blanket, one row at a time, over the course of a year. What begins as a hobby becomes a lesson in patience, restraint, and sustained commitment. For leaders in the quiet middle, progress is rarely dramatic—b...

Episode 9 | Mentorship without a Pedestal – Guiding while still Becoming Mentorship is often portrayed as a polished exchange of wisdom — the expert guiding from a place of certainty. But real mentorship rarely looks like that. In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores a more honest, human approach to mentoring: guiding others while you're still growing yourself. This conversation i...

Episode 8 | The Power of Staying: Leading When the Work Feels Ordinary In a culture that constantly celebrates what's new, bold, and next, choosing to stay can feel uncomfortable — even irresponsible. Especially for leaders. We're often told that growth means movement, reinvention, or a big leap forward. But what if that's not always true? In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula explores t...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 7 - The Moment You Outgrow a Role Episode Summary: How do you know when it's time to grow, shift, or step into a new chapter of leadership? In this episode, Paula explores the subtle signals that show up long before we consciously realize we've outgrown a role — the restlessness, the quiet fatigue, the sense that our work no longer stretches us in the ways it...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 6 - Tiny Shifts, Big Difference: Staying Steady in Leadership Episode Summary: In the messy, everyday middle of leadership, the most powerful shifts are often the smallest ones. In this episode, Paula shares simple, real-life micro-practices and tiny resets that help you stay grounded, present, and focused while leading others. From a single deep breath to a...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 5 — When the Inner Critic Evolves Episode Summary: In this episode, Paula explores how self-talk changes as we grow in leadership. Rather than disappearing, the inner critic becomes quieter, more sophisticated, and often more believable. Paula shares why this matters, how to work with your inner voice, and a simple 4-step framework to shift self-talk from sel...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 4 – The Hidden Joys of Leadership Episode Summary: We've talked about the stretch and the invisible labor of leadership—but today, we're pausing to notice something else: the quiet joys that come with leading. In this episode, Paula highlights the overlooked moments that remind leaders why the work matters. From the small breakthroughs to the gratitude that l...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 3 – The Cost of Carrying It All: Finding Energy in the Middle Episode Summary: In this episode of The Leadership Break, Paula Chapulis explores the unseen toll of leadership when you're no longer new, not yet done, and carrying more than anyone notices. We talk about the hidden cost of "carrying it all," and practical ways to sustain energy in the middle stre...

The Leadership Break Season 2, Episode 2 – What It's Like to Lead from the Middle Episode Summary: In this episode, Paula explores the often-unseen stretch of leadership known as "the middle"—where you're not new, not done, and carrying more than most realize. Through anonymous stories from education leaders, managers, and nonprofit founders, she shines a light on the invisible labor leaders take...

Season 2, Episode 1 – The Myth of Balance Welcome back to The Leadership Break ! Season 2 opens with a new theme: Quiet Leading Through the Middle.  It's the stretch of leadership no one prepares you for, when you're not brand new, not done, and carrying more than most people see. In this episode, Paula unpacks one of the most common leadership struggles: balance. What if balance isn't the goal at...

Welcome to the Season 1 wrap-up of The Leadership Break . I'm Paula Chapulis, leadership and mental health coach, and in this episode, I'm reflecting on what this season has meant for me, and maybe for you too. We've explored: How to redefine success on your own terms What to do when imposter syndrome creeps in How to lead through burnout, grief, and doubt Why vulnerability isn't weakness, it's wi...

Episode 13: Behind the Break: Something to Leave Behind Summary: In this deeply personal Behind the Break episode, Paula reflects on the real reason behind The Leadership Break podcast—not just to share leadership insights, but to leave something meaningful behind. Something her daughters can return to. Something that captures the essence of what she believes about courage, leadership, and being a...

Episode 12 - Hard Conversations & Money Wounds: What I'm Learning Lately Summary: In this episode of The Leadership Break , Paula shares what she's been reflecting on while reading The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher and Make Money Easy by Lewis Howes. From navigating tough conversations to healing money wounds, she offers personal stories and coaching insights that connect the dots between...

The Leadership Break – Episode 11: Delivering Difficult Feedback with Compassion Host: Paula, Leadership and Mental Health Coach Episode Summary: Welcome back to The Leadership Break ! In today's episode, we're diving into a challenge every leader faces but few feel equipped to handle: delivering difficult feedback. Paula shares real coaching insights and introduces a practical, human-centered app...

Episode Summary: Welcome back to The Leadership Break – the podcast for people who serve, support, and lead others… and sometimes just need a moment to breathe. In this special Behind the Break episode, Paula steps out from behind the mic to share a raw and honest moment from her own leadership journey. Ever found yourself whispering, "I can't do this anymore" ? This episode is for you. Paula open...

Podcast Show Notes: Grief and Growth: A Leader's Journey (Part 2) Episode Summary: Welcome back to The Leadership Break ! In this episode, we continue exploring leadership through grief, focusing on how to support a team member navigating their own grief journey. We'll discuss how to foster both personal growth and team well-being, offering flexibility, connecting with resources, and maintaining t...

The Leadership Break Episode: Leading Through Grief – A Leader's Journey (Part 1) Host: Paula Chapulis, PCC - ICF Certified Leadership and Mental Health Coach Episode Overview: Navigating leadership while experiencing personal loss is one of the toughest challenges a leader can face. In today's episode of The Leadership Break , I share my personal experience of leading while grieving, as well as p...