Lead Well! with Christine Schickinger

Hosted by Christine Schickinger

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144

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the ”Lead Well!” podcast, a unique exploration into Health-Promoting Leadership, leading with mental fitness at its core. Discover how to excel in leading yourself and others through a blend of mental and, physical fitness, purpose, and psychological safety. Drawing from an eclectic background in corporate leadership, innovative coaching methods, naturopathy, and animal care, we’ll share practical insights for leaders (with animal inspired lessons) to foster healthier, more productive environments. Join us on this journey of transformational leadership!

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60 recent

October 20, 202621 min

Ep 144 How to Stay Calm When You Can't Control What Happens

I recently spent six and a half hours waiting for surgery, including ninety minutes right outside the operating room. And to my own surprise, I wasn't nervous or impatient. I was remarkably calm. In this episode, I share what helped me, from practicing the physiological sigh to connecting with the nurse who stayed beside me, and why I believe regular micro-resilience exercises made a difference. I also talk about the extraordinary kindness I experienced from hospital staff, the difference between surrendering control and giving up responsibility, and a moment several days later when some of my old health anxiety unexpectedly returned. Because staying calm isn't about never experiencing fear. It's about developing the ability to recognize our reactions and respond differently. A personal reflection on self-regulation, trust, acceptance, human connection, and what it really means to lead yourself when life doesn't go according to plan.

October 13, 202612 min

AI and Coaching: What Clients Value Beyond Answers

AI can offer useful answers, but what do clients value beyond them? I reflect on my own use of AI and why warmth, feeling heard, and support in difficult moments still matter in my coaching work. As demand for expertise changes, what do people seek from you that goes beyond an explanation?

October 6, 202612 min

Ep 142 Getting Older: When “Someday” Becomes “No Longer”

What happens when something you’ve always imagined doing “someday” becomes something you can no longer do? Since turning 60, I’ve been noticing how getting older changes my view of the future. Some opportunities are closing, and some goodbyes carry more weight. At the same time, I’m learning to become a dog trainer, returning to the piano after about 40 years, and spending time with kittens at an animal shelter. In this personal episode, I reflect on aging, relationships, loss, and the possibilities that remain. I also explore a question that matters at any age: Is something truly no longer possible, or have we simply assumed it is? We can acknowledge what we miss and still give attention to what we want to learn, experience, or begin. What is one meaningful “not yet” in your life?

September 29, 202622 min

Ep 141 When Fear Masks Your Talent

What happens to your judgment when you feel you have to prove that you belong in the room? Consultant and author Alan Weiss joins me to discuss self-worth, confidence, and leadership under pressure. He shares the story of a decisive meeting with a CEO and explains why he believes fear, stress, and guilt can mask our talent. We also explore how to recover from setbacks, whose feedback to trust, and what accountability looks like when a leader has limited authority. I ask him about the cost of unpopular decisions, and what to do when pressure makes your mind go blank. Alan’s forthcoming book is The Courage of Your Talent. Learn more at https://alanweiss.com/

September 22, 202613 min

Do I Want This, or Am I Afraid of Missing Out?

Fear of missing out doesn’t always mean wanting something you’ve never considered. Sometimes, someone else’s decision makes what you’re already doing feel like it isn’t enough. When a friend started studying psychology, I immediately began looking for a degree program myself. I was already learning about psychology through reading and training, but suddenly I wanted the qualification too. A closed enrollment window gave me time to remember something I had wanted for much longer. In this episode of Lead Well! Yourself and Others, I explore FOMO, social comparison, and the pressure to keep achieving, even when part of you is content with where you are. I draw on Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory to look at how genuine interest and internal pressure can influence the same decision. We’ll also look at what social media adds to that pressure, how to notice what your inner voice is saying, and what you can do when something matters to you but time or money is limited. A personal reflection on choosing what matters to you when there will always be more you could do.

September 15, 202620 min

Ep 139. Your Inner Voice Is a Recording, Not the Truth

What if the voice telling you that you are not good enough is not the truth, but an old recording? Nasheer Mohammad grew up with epilepsy and gradually came to believe that he was broken and would always be limited. Years later, during his first corporate presentation, his mind went blank and the familiar message returned: “You are not good enough.” That moment helped him recognize how strongly his inner dialogue was shaping his choices. Today, Nasheer is an author, speaker and coach, as well as the author of The Silent Saboteur. In this conversation, we explore where the inner critic comes from, what it may be trying to protect us from, and how to distinguish destructive self-criticism from useful reflection. Nasheer also shares a simple three-step practice: stop, breathe and choose your response. Because the inner critic may never disappear completely, but we do not have to believe or obey everything it says.

September 8, 202628 min

Ep 138. What Are You Chasing, and Why?

What are you chasing, and why? For years, Sonny Garg had an impressive answer to the first part of that question. Harvard, a White House Fellowship, executive leadership and ever greater professional success. But eventually he realized that achievement had become closely tied to his sense of self-worth. Sonny is the author of *Desi 2.0: My Family’s American Dream and the Cost of Never Being Enough*. In this conversation, we talk about achievement addiction, inherited expectations and what happens when external success no longer feels like success. We explore the difference between ambition and the need to prove yourself, how our identity shapes the way we lead, résumé virtues versus eulogy virtues, and Sonny’s concept of the “Minimally Viable Me.” Perhaps the most important idea is that Sonny did not become less ambitious. He changed what his ambition was for. A conversation about success, agency, leadership and learning to define your worth from the inside rather than waiting for the world to define it for you.

September 1, 202616 min

Ep 137. The Comfort Of Blame

Why do we so quickly look for someone to blame when something goes wrong? I started thinking about this after the devastating glacier collapse in Nepal. While scientists were still trying to understand exactly what had happened, explanations and accusations were already spreading online. And it made me wonder: Why is “we don’t know yet” so difficult for us? In this episode, I explore the psychology behind blame and why having a culprit can sometimes feel more comfortable than living with uncertainty. We look at the difference between fear and anger, what happens when we lose our sense of control, and why our minds are so quick to create a story that explains what happened. I also bring this back to everyday life and leadership. When a project fails, a colleague disappoints us or something simply does not go as expected, are we really looking for understanding? Or are we looking for someone who can carry the blame? And, as so often, working with animals has taught me something important here too: to come back to what is actually happening before adding my interpretation. A reflection on blame, accountability, uncertainty and what it means to stay curious long enough to see clearly.

August 25, 202611 min

Ep 136. Before You Judge the Behaviour, Get Curious

We see behaviour and almost instantly create a story around it. The aggressive horse. The difficult employee. The defensive manager. The uncooperative teenager. But what if the behavior is real, while the story we tell ourselves about it is not? In this episode of Lead Well!, I share what struck me while watching Trust Technique creator James French work with horses in Mongolia and, more recently, with elephants in Nepal. Animals considered difficult or even dangerous began responding very differently when the interaction itself changed. That raises a much bigger question, one that applies far beyond animals: What happens when we slow down, observe before interpreting, and become curious about what might be underneath the behavior? Because behavior is not identity. And giving another being a voice also means being willing to hear the answer.

August 18, 202629 min

Ep 135. The Truth Only Hurts Once: Leadership Without Self-Abandonment

When does professional adaptation become self-abandonment? Self-leadership coach Ruth E. Andermatt joins Christine to explore what it takes to preserve your integrity when expectations are high and your position may be at risk. Ruth recounts a defining leadership decision. She refused an order to dismiss an employee unfairly, choosing instead to tell him the truth and give him the opportunity to step up. Within 90 days, his store was performing at the top of the country. The conversation also examines quiet leadership, honest feedback, conflict avoidance and the responsibility leaders have to connect with people who think and communicate differently from them. Ruth argues that avoiding the truth creates “death by a million paper cuts.” Difficult honesty may hurt, but it also creates clarity, movement and the possibility of genuine connection. An episode about leading with conviction without hardening, adapting without disappearing, and knowing what you are no longer willing to sacrifice for success.