Have you ever looked back on a year and realized that love and pain were growing in the very same places?

Most leaders don’t talk about that part, but we all live it.

In this episode, I share the word that shaped my entire year: Love. I talk about how it showed up in both the brightest and hardest moments of my life. From publishing my book, Joy@Work, and coaching dozens of leaders, to watching my kids step into new seasons of adulthood, I open up about the growth that filled my year with purpose.

But I also speak honestly about the shadow that walked with me this year: losing my dad. Feeling his absence in birthdays and holidays stayed with me, and somehow, that grief stretched my heart and deepened the way I understand love.

Join me as I share questions that helped me reflect and understand what was blooming in me this year, and what might be preparing me for the next.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:47) Reflecting on a year of love

(02:27) Loving the work and letting it love me back

(03:40) How love showed up in our family’s biggest moments

(05:09) Learning how grief shapes the way we love

(08:16) A year-end practice to help you love yourself better

(10:51) An invitation to grow, love well, and lead with intention

Connect with me:

Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325

Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work

Hope isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we build. It’s both a mindset and a practice that anchors us in what’s possible, even when we can’t see it yet.

In this episode, I talk about what it means to cultivate hope, especially when leadership or life feels heavy.

I share how hope engages our brain’s prefrontal cortex, the part that helps us plan, imagine, and take purposeful action. From a faith perspective, hope is a confident expectation rooted in God’s goodness. It’s not denial or blind optimism. It’s the courage to declare that light still exists, even in the dark.

I close with a prayer from Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” It’s a reminder that hope isn’t found, it’s formed one prayer, one breath, and one step at a time.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:56) Cultivating hope in the hard seasons of leadership

(02:00) What hope really means for leaders

(04:06) Practical steps to cultivate hope

(06:14) The power of reflection in cultivating hope

Connect with me:

Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/

Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work

In this episode, I talk about what it really means to balance confidence and humility as a leader. Leading with love takes more than drive or ambition; it takes self-awareness, reflection, and a genuine desire to serve others while staying grounded in who you are.

I share how leaning too far into humility can sometimes hold us back, especially when we downplay our strengths or shy away from recognition and tough decisions. I also walk through what healthy humility looks like, checking your motives, listening to learn, and finding your center through practices like journaling, prayer, and reflection.

I close by sharing one of my favorite prayers, The Litany of Humility, and how it’s shaped my own journey as a leader. It’s a reminder that confidence comes from knowing yourself, and humility grows from loving yourself and others.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:32) What humility looks like in leadership

(01:37) When being too humble holds you back

(02:59) Practicing healthy humility with confidence

(03:59) The Litany of Humility and reflection

(08:08) Two questions for your own leadership growth

Connect with me:

Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/

Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work