Lead Well! with Christine Schickinger

Hosted by Christine Schickinger

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Episodes

126

Latest episode

Jun 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

June 16, 202624 min

Ep 126. How Trauma Patterns Shape Identity And How Awareness Creates Choice

In this episode, Christine speaks with Keri Lefave about trauma, identity, triggers, and the daily work of choosing a different response. Keri describes how early experiences of restriction and abuse shaped her sense of self, her relationships, and her ability to speak up. She also shares the turning points that helped her recognize repeated patterns, leave an abusive relationship, and begin rebuilding her identity from the inside out. The conversation goes beyond personal story. It explores how patterns persist, how triggers show up in everyday life, how the body can signal old responses, and why awareness creates the possibility of choice. Topics include: how trauma can shape identity and relationship patterns why understanding a pattern is not the same as changing it how silence and shrinking can become body-based warning signals why vulnerability can become a strength how gratitude can shift fear-based thinking what it means to move from victimhood toward learning and choice Keri also talks about her two memoirs, Unfinished and The Chrysalid, and the spiritual perspective that now shapes how she understands life, pain, and growth.

June 9, 202621 min

Ep 125. How Authenticity Builds Trust and Personal Brand

What creates trust? According to Brittni Cosgrove, it is not visibility, marketing tactics, or having the perfect message. Trust grows when people consistently experience authenticity and alignment. In this conversation, Brittni shares her perspective on personal branding as an expression of who we are rather than a performance we create. We discuss the difference between authenticity and role-playing, the importance of vulnerability, and how pressure and perfectionism can pull us away from ourselves. We also explore: What authenticity actually means Why vulnerability does not require giving up privacy The role of presence during stressful situations Internal versus external sources of pressure How consistency creates trust Why comparison often undermines personal brands Practical advice for people who are afraid of visibility At its core, this episode is about showing up as yourself, building trust through alignment, and finding a way of communicating that feels genuine rather than performative.

June 2, 202622 min

Ep 124. Why Good Intentions Don't Create Workplace Equality

Many workplace equality initiatives focus on helping women adapt. Geeta Sidhu-Robb argues that this approach misses the bigger issue. In this conversation, we explore how organizational systems, workplace structures, cultural expectations, and leadership norms continue to shape outcomes for women, often regardless of talent or capability. Geeta shares her perspective on why many diversity initiatives fail to create meaningful change, why return-to-office debates may be driven by incentives that are rarely discussed openly, and why measurable progress requires focusing on specific metrics rather than broad intentions. We also discuss the personal experiences that led her to found WCorp, her work supporting women-led businesses, and her belief that change requires courage from both women and men. Topics include: System design versus individual responsibility Why many equality initiatives struggle to create results Return-to-office policies and hidden incentives Venture capital funding for women founders Leadership, courage, and social change The role of families, organizations, and culture in shaping opportunity A thoughtful conversation about leadership, systems, and what meaningful change actually requires.

May 26, 202627 min

Ep 123. Why Knowing Better Isn’t Enough to Change

Why do intelligent, capable people struggle to change behaviors they know are not serving them? In this episode, I speak with Sharissa Bradley about chronic stress, habit formation, health, and self-responsibility. Sharissa shares her personal journey from growing up in a deeply stressful family environment to developing autoimmune illness herself, and the moment she realised she was heading toward a version of life she did not want. What makes this conversation particularly relevant is that it moves beyond motivational advice into the mechanisms behind behavior. We discuss: how survival mode affects decision-making and health why habit change requires significant cognitive energy the relationship between stress, digestion, and physiology how self-talk shapes recovery and resilience why many people fail not because they lack discipline, but because they lack capacity One idea stood out strongly: sustainable change often begins not with doing more, but with creating enough space for change to become possible. A thoughtful conversation about healing, behavior, and what real change actually requires.

May 19, 202627 min

Ep 122. When a Relationship No Longer Fits Who You’ve Become

What happens when a relationship no longer reflects who you’ve become? In this episode, Christine speaks with Michele Heffron, certified relationship and divorce coach, about major life transitions, identity change, fear, and the difficult decisions people sometimes avoid for years. The conversation explores a growing phenomenon often called “gray divorce,” where long-term relationships end later in life, often after decades together. But the deeper theme is broader. This episode is about what happens when people slowly lose themselves inside a situation that no longer feels aligned. Topics include: chronic relationship misalignment fear-based future thinking self-worth and internal narratives identity shifts after separation decision-making under emotional stress navigating major transitions with intention rather than reactivity Michele also shares her own experience of rebuilding life after emotional and financial abuse, and what surprised her most about who she became on the other side. A thoughtful conversation about relationships, transitions, and the courage required to step into uncertainty.

May 12, 202625 min

Ep 121. How Trauma Changes Us, and What Helps Us Heal

In this episode of Lead Well!, I speak with author Steve Borodkin about survival, abuse, healing, vulnerability, animals, art, and what honesty really requires. Steve’s memoir Street Level tells a deeply personal story of trauma and survival. But what struck me most in this conversation was not only what he went through. It was the fact that he emerged with remarkable warmth, empathy, and humanity. We explore: Why trauma processing is not a one-time event The role of therapy, honesty, and long-term inner work Why vulnerability is especially difficult for men How animals can become a source of healing and connection What art and music make possible when words are not enough Why how we carry pain matters as much as what happened This conversation also touches on something I often see in leadership work: Unprocessed experiences shape behavior. Not always visibly. But reliably. If safety, trust, or emotional regulation are missing, behavior changes. In humans and in animals.

May 5, 202628 min

Ep 120. Communicate So People Actually Hear You

Communication is often treated as a skill. In reality, it is a relational process shaped by awareness, intention, and internal state. In this episode, Christine speaks with Andrew Blotky, executive coach and former communications leader at Meta and Johnson & Johnson. The conversation explores how leaders can communicate with clarity and authenticity, especially in times of uncertainty. A central idea runs through the episode: communication is not defined by what is said, but by what is received. This shifts the focus from output to alignment. From message delivery to audience understanding. Key themes include: Why communication requires clarity of intent before expression How presence and nervous system regulation influence how messages land The limits of scripted communication and the value of conversational navigation The role of middle managers as “honest brokers” in complex organizational dynamics How storytelling creates meaning beyond facts and data Why listening, curiosity, and audience awareness are foundational leadership capabilities The episode also connects communication to broader questions of leadership under uncertainty. When external conditions are unstable, leaders need an internal anchor. Values, experience, and self-awareness become the basis for clear and credible communication. This is not a conversation about techniques. It is a conversation about mechanisms.

April 28, 202623 min

Ep 119. Why You Feel Stuck (Even When Life Looks Right)

In this episode, Christine speaks with Shamayne Olivia about identity, self-alignment, and the often invisible cost of living a life that no longer fits. The conversation explores how many people, especially women, grow into roles shaped by expectations rather than conscious choice. Over time, this creates a gap between external success and internal experience. Shamayne shares her personal journey of questioning long-standing patterns, setting boundaries, and rebuilding her identity from the inside out. A central element of her work is the metaphor of “shoes”, representing different aspects of personal development, including foundation, past experiences, support systems, voice, and connection. The discussion highlights: The psychological impact of long-term misalignment Why change often triggers resistance in others The role of self-questioning in personal transformation How boundaries contribute to identity clarity Why expression and visibility are essential for well-being This episode adds an important dimension to the broader conversation on leadership: sustainable performance requires not only regulation, but alignment.

April 21, 202631 min

Ep 118. How Great Leaders Build Trust Without Micromanaging

In this episode, Christine speaks with Steven Howard, creator of Humony Leadership, about what it really means to lead people rather than manage them. The conversation starts with a simple distinction: tasks, processes, and policies need management, but people need leadership. Steven argues that many leaders still operate as if their role is to have all the answers, control the process, and tell others how to think. In today’s work environment, that approach limits creativity, ownership, and sustained results. A central idea in this conversation is that trust should not be treated as a reward people have to earn over time. Steven suggests the opposite. Start by making it clear that trust is already present, then define clearly what breaks it. From there, leadership becomes visible through transparency, consistency, listening, and honest communication. The episode also explores: - why specific reinforcing feedback is essential for motivation - why fear of micromanaging can lead to abandonment instead of leadership - how mentoring differs from coaching - why leaders should separate announcing change from discussing execution - how people-centric leadership can begin at team level, without waiting for the whole organization to change The result is a practical conversation about trust, accountability, motivation, and culture. Not soft leadership. Effective leadership.

April 14, 202625 min

Why Asking for Help Feels So Hard. Mentoring, Grief, and the Power of Being There

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring, and why does that difference matter so much when someone is grieving or struggling? In this episode, Christine speaks with Doug Lawrence, founder of TalentC® and an experienced mentoring practitioner, about mentoring as a trusted two-way relationship that can help people shift thought patterns, change behavior, and find support in difficult times. The conversation moves into grief, the barriers that make asking for help so hard, and the kind of support that is actually useful when someone has suffered a major loss. A few key threads in this conversation: - why mentoring is often misunderstood and confused with coaching - how grief often leaves people unable to ask directly for help - why listening and hearing matter more than having the right words - how mentors can serve as a bridge when professional support is delayed - why leaders and mentors need many of the same qualities, including compassion, non-judgment, and follow-through - how to protect your own capacity when supporting someone in pain This is a thoughtful conversation about grief, support, leadership, and what it means to walk beside another person when life becomes very hard.