The Reflective Leader

In the fifth episode of The Reflective Leader, Krista Johnson explores the emotional weight many leaders quietly carry and why leadership can feel isolating in moments of complexity, uncertainty, and constant responsibility. Drawing from personal reflection, executive coaching work, and insights from the Women in Retail Leadership Summit, the episode examines the invisible emotional labor leadersh...

In the fourth episode of The Reflective Leader , Krista Johnson explores the quiet needs teams often carry but rarely say out loud, and the responsibility leaders hold in recognizing and responding to them. Rather than viewing leadership as simply directing work or managing performance, the episode reframes leadership as stewardship of human experience, the responsibility leaders hold for the peop...

In the third episode of The Reflective Leader , Krista Johnson explores visualization as a grounded, powerful practice for achieving goals and shaping how we live and lead. Rather than treating visualization as wishful thinking, the episode reframes it as rehearsal, one that aligns thought, emotion, and action. Key themes include: • Why emotion is the key that brings visualization to life • The ne...

In the second episode of The Reflective Leader, Krista Johnson revisits a core leadership lesson and takes it deeper. Drawing from her lived experience, including chronic stress and migraines, she explores why self awareness alone is not enough, and why leaders need regulative and reflective practices to lead with intention. This episode is a personal reflection on nervous system regulation, breat...

In the very first episode of  The Reflective Leader , Krista Johnson looks back on a decade of life and leadership as she approaches 40. Drawing from her work in organizational psychology, executive coaching, and her own lived experience, she shares six leadership lessons she is still living into. This episode is a personal starting point for the podcast and an invitation to slow down, reflect, an...