Before you set new goals this year, it might be worth questioning old beliefs—because not every belief you have should come with you into the new year.

Beliefs can be sneaky. They run the show in the background, influencing how we lead, the decisions we make, and how we react—often without us even realizing it. If we don't bring them into the light, they quietly run the program.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/10-Common-Beliefs-Holding-Leaders-Back-and-How-to-Let-Them-Go

The holidays can amplify everything: joy, stress, reflection and different emotions. For leaders, this season often feels like both a gift and a weight.

In this episode, Gayle Lantz explores an often-overlooked quality that strengthens leadership: lightness. Not frivolity, but the kind of lightness that comes from clarity, perspective, and the ability to not take everything so seriously.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Less-Weight-More-Light---How-to-Move-Forward-without-Burning-Out

Many executives average just six and a half hours of sleep a night, yet sleep and rest are essential for sharp thinking, sound judgment, and creativity. The problem? Most leaders treat rest as something to be earned rather than a strategic necessity.

Gayle Lantz challenges the myths and beliefs about rest that keep leaders from getting the restorative downtime they truly need. As she explains, "Rest isn't a reward that you earn by pushing yourself to the brink. It's not lazy."

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Finally-Get-the-Real-Rest-You-Need

The holidays aren't just for catching up, they're a strategic opportunity to accelerate your goals. But many conversations stay frustratingly surface-level, leaving us drained rather than energized.

Gayle Lantz shares why talking about your aspirations out loud during this season could be the most powerful action you take for the year ahead. As she explains, "What you focus on grows. What you talk about grows even faster."

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Voice-Your-Vision---Steering-Conversations-to-Achieve-Your-Biggest-Goals

Leadership development doesn't always happen in a boardroom. Sometimes the most transformational insights come from stepping completely outside your familiar environment and immersing yourself in a radically different way of life.

Gayle Lantz speaks with Oli Raison and Boris Maguire, co-founders of Safarini Leadership. They guide executives on six-day wilderness treks in northern Kenya alongside Samburu warriors and elders.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Inspiring-Your-Transformational-Journey---Leadership-Lessons-from-Africa-with-Oli-Raison--Boris-Maguire

Most of us practice gratitude by looking back, reflecting on the year, mining our memories for moments worth celebrating. But what if gratitude could be a leadership tool that shapes your future instead of just honoring your past?

Gayle Lantz introduces a powerful concept she calls "gratitude forward," the practice of being thankful for what's coming, even when you can't name it yet.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Gratitude-Forward---Thankful-for-Whats-Coming

Change is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and traditional change management approaches are no longer sufficient. Leaders need a new way to navigate constant transformation, one that puts people at the center.

Gayle Lantz speaks with Mohammad Anwar and Frank Danna, co-authors of Love as a Change Strategy. (Other co-authors are Jeffrey Ma and Christopher Pitre.) Together they previously wrote Love as a Business Strategy, which chronicled their culture transformation journey.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Leading-Change-with-Love---A-People-First-Approach-with-Mohammad-Anwar--Frank-Danna

Many leaders feel stuck trying to predict the future and create perfect plans. But the most powerful move isn't necessarily predicting or planning. It’s simply staying open--being willing to explore new and emerging opportunities.

As Gayle Lantz explains, "Sometimes the next opportunity is not in the direction that you assumed it would be. It's in the direction that shows up once you're already moving."

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Stay-Open-to-Unpredictable-Paths-Whats-Your-Next-Move

Many leaders reach a point where transactional success feels empty, and they begin searching for deeper meaning in their work. The shift from transaction to transformation can unlock extraordinary impact not just for yourself, but for entire industries.

Healthcare is at a critical crossroads. While the traditional system focuses on sick care, a new paradigm is emerging that prioritizes root cause healing, prevention, and true health optimization. Leading this kind of change requires courage, clarity, and a big vision.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Transforming-Health-Inspiring-Change---Think-Bigger-with-CEO-Tim-Organ

Fear has a way of shrinking your world and your leadership. Sometimes the fears driving your behavior are ones you can't even see.

In this episode, recorded near Halloween, Gayle Lantz explores the hidden fears that may be limiting your effectiveness as a leader. From the fear of uncertainty to imposter syndrome, from micromanagement to avoiding difficult conversations, these fears show up in subtle ways that can erode trust, kill creativity, and paralyze decision-making.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Unmasking-Fear---Whats-Really-Holding-You-Back-as-a-Leader

Many leaders struggle with the difference between being tactical and being strategic. They spend their days firefighting and reacting to whatever comes up, leaving little time to think about the bigger picture.

But strategic thinking isn't just for annual planning sessions—it's a skill that can and should be practiced regularly.
Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Sharpen-Your-Strategic-Thinking--Todays-Essential-Leadership-Skill-with-Rich-Horwath

If you've ever felt more like a firefighter than a leader, constantly troubleshooting issues instead of focusing on the bigger picture, this episode is for you.

As a leader, some level of troubleshooting comes with the territory. But when it takes over your day—when you're mediating disagreements, smoothing over gossip, redesigning processes on the fly, or shuffling people around to cover gaps—it can drain your energy and lock you into reactive mode.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Tired-of-Troubleshooting-Fix-Your-Fix-it-Fatigue

Fall brings more than changing leaves and cooler temperatures—it offers powerful metaphors for leadership during times of transition and uncertainty.

In this reflective episode, Gayle Lantz draws inspiration from the autumn season, and her personal life experience, to explore how leaders can navigate change, loss, and transformation with greater intention and resilience.

Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Fall-Happens-Leadership-Lessons-from-the-Season-of-Change

Every day as a leader, you step into the unknown. One person you encounter may be upbeat, another frustrated. A meeting you thought would be smooth suddenly turns tense. The difference between thriving in these unpredictable moments and merely surviving them isn't about controlling what's on the other side of the door—it's about controlling the presence you bring with you.
Find the full show notes at:
https://workmatters.com/Meeting-People-Where-They-Are---Your-Doorway-to-Growth--Connection

Confidence isn't something you either have or don't have; it's something you build, just like a muscle. And like any muscle, it grows stronger with consistent training and weakens with neglect.

If you're a leader whose confidence has been slipping lately, you're not alone. Between workplace uncertainty, shifting expectations, and mounting pressures, even seasoned leaders can feel like their authority and impact are being challenged.

Find the full show notes at:

https://workmatters.com/Training-Your-Confidence-Muscle---Building-Unshakeable-Leadership-Strength

Feeling burned out? Before you assume it's about doing too much, consider a different idea. Burnout isn't necessarily about working harder—it's about drifting too far from your center.

Many leaders think the solution to burnout is taking a break or reducing their workload. But what if the real issue is that you're exhausted from not doing the work you're truly meant to do? Or you’re doing it in a way that doesn’t serve you?

Find the full show notes at:

https://workmatters.com/Losing-Your-Center---The-Silent-Driver-of-Burnout

When you start a business with no capital, no employees, and no revenue, most people would run the other way. But some leaders see opportunity where others see impossible obstacles.

The key isn't just having vision. It's knowing your numbers at a level most entrepreneurs never achieve and being willing to embrace the discomfort that comes with real growth.

Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Driving-Growth-by-Running-Toward-Discomfort-with-CEO-Glenn-Phillips

Small communication gaps can lead to big problems. Whether it's a missed instruction in healthcare, a misaligned blueprint in engineering, or a filing deadline that never gets communicated in accounting, these seemingly minor breakdowns can have serious consequences.

The reality is that communication gaps are inevitable. They happen in every business, across every industry. These gaps don't close on their own. You, as a leader, have to get involved.

Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Closing-the-Communication-Gaps-Every-Leaders-Responsibility

What if the very system we rely on to motivate teams and measure success is actually holding us back? Many leaders find their teams can hit targets but still feel stuck, which points to a fundamental flaw in how we approach performance management.

Traditional goal-setting methodologies like OKRs and KPIs, while well-intentioned, often create unintended consequences that work against the very outcomes they're designed to achieve. The incentive structure encourages showing good numbers while sweeping problems under the rug, giving leaders the illusion of progress rather than real visibility.

Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Why-Your-Goal-Setting-Fails-Escaping-the-Performance-Trap-with-Radhika-Dutt

"I'll be happy when..." How many times have you caught yourself saying those words? When the big deal closes, when you finally take that vacation, when you get through this challenging quarter?

The truth is happiness isn't a prize waiting at the finish line. It's something you can generate right now, even in the middle of chaos and unpredictability.

Find the full show notes at: https://workmatters.com/Stop-Chasing-Happiness--Start-Generating-It-to-Amplify-Your-Impact