Modern leadership is asking the impossible.

Be calm in chaos. Decisive without all the information. Empathetic while still delivering results. And somehow… don’t lose yourself in the process.

In this episode, I am joined by executive coach and advisor Laurie Fainer, for a deeply human conversation about what leadership really looks like behind closed doors.

Together, we dismantle the belief that great leaders must always have the answer.

Instead, we explore a new model of leadership grounded in:

1. Psychological safety
2. Nervous system regulation
3. Servant leadership
4. Trust built through presence, not performance

You’ll hear about:

1. Why leaders feel pressure to be “everything to everyone”
2. How reactivity under stress quietly erodes trust
3. The power of pause in high-stakes moments
4. Why conflict isn’t the problem, and what actually is
5. Provide a simple, practical framework for navigating difficult conversations
6. Learn how real leadership development happens in everyday moments
7. What culture really looks like when behavior doesn’t match values
8. Why AI will make leadership more human, not less

This episode isn’t about becoming perfect.

It’s about becoming present.

It’s about learning how to lead from calm instead of chaos, and discovering that you don’t have to carry it all alone.

Before you move on with your day, pause and ask yourself:

Where can I lead from calm today instead of chaos?

Further Reflection & Resources

If this conversation resonated, you may enjoy exploring the work of:

1. Amy Edmondson on Psychological Safety
2. Brené Brown on courageous leadership
3. Stephen Porges on nervous system regulation
4. Robert Greenleaf on Servant Leadership
5. Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence

These thinkers echo what this episode reveals: Leadership today isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about learning how to stay human in uncertainty.

Connect with Laurie Fainer:

Website

LinkedIn

More from Caroline

Website

LinkedIn

This Best Of episode is not a highlight reel.

It’s a reflection on the conversations that quietly shaped the year. The ones that stayed in the body, not just the mind.

In this episode, I revisit the moments that challenged how we think about leadership, success, and growth, and invite you into a slower, more integrated way of leading that actually sticks.

You’ll hear selected excerpts and reflections from powerful conversations on trust, identity, capacity, grief, and embodiment... followed by a grounding solo reflection to help you close the year without urgency or self-abandonment.

This episode is for leaders who are capable, committed, and sensing that something is shifting.

1. Lisa Rigoli, Episode 32: Trust, change, and carrying the human side of leadership
2. Dr. Anna Levy-Warren, Episode 44: Capacity, overwhelm, and why clarity disappears when the system is overloaded
3. Katie Townsend, Episode 40: Identity, worth, and why success can start to feel heavy when it’s built on proving
4. Chris Mamone, Episode 43: Grief, loss, and being human in positions of responsibility

1. Why balance can stop working... and why that isn’t failure
2. How leaders carry emotional weight quietly, and the cost of doing so alone
3. Why insight alone doesn’t create change. Embodiment and integration do
4. How identity shifts when what once worked no longer fits
5. A gentler way to reflect at year-end without turning your life into a performance review

This episode also marks a transition.

As these conversations unfold, I share why Today’s Balanced Leader is evolving into Today’s Evolving Leader. A space that honours leadership as a mind-body-spirit experience, where change becomes real through presence, embodiment, and integration.

This is not an episode to rush.

It’s one to sit with. To breathe through. And to return to when something inside you feels ready to change... even if you don’t know what’s next yet.

If you’ve ever felt like you're performing leadership instead of living it—this episode is for you.

We’re back after a summer break with one of the most raw and radically honest conversations we’ve had yet—with human behavior strategist and leadership disruptor Brian Bogert.

This is not another productivity hack.

This is a masterclass in nervous system leadership—leading from identity, emotional regulation, and self-trust, not performance or pressure.

“If you don't know who you are, how do you know what you're actually leading?” – Brian Bogert

Brian breaks down why so many high-achievers burn out trying to earn approval through performance—and what it takes to lead with alignment, clarity, and conviction instead.

What We Cover:

• The trauma that rewired Brian’s nervous system—and how he turned pain into purpose
• Why emotional awareness is the gateway to sustainable success
• The hidden cost of performing leadership instead of embodying it
• The truth about self-abandonment and leadership burnout
• The difference between being liked and being aligned

Key Timestamps:

[2:14] – How Brian’s childhood trauma shaped his emotional resilience and identity

[4:13] – The moment he realized pain wasn’t his enemy—it was his teacher

[7:53] – What happens when leaders suppress pain and chase validation

[15:11] – The cost of leadership without embodiment: burnout and disconnection

[18:17] – Why nervous system regulation is the missing piece in performance

[35:18] – Brian’s “awareness equation” to lead without abandoning yourself

[42:39] – Three ways leaders handle emotion—and which one leads to peace

[45:06] – Why Brian stopped using the word “boundaries” (and what he says instead)

[1:02:33] – “I want anybody who’s listening…” Brian’s call to stop outsourcing your identity

Resources Mentioned:

Book Mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Work with Brian:

Brian’s website: https://brianbogert.com/

Flipping the Lid Podcast: https://flippingthelid.com/

Connect with Brian on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube

Work with Caroline:

Join the Soulful Healing Membership

Explore Retreats & 1:1 Leadership Coaching

Email: caroline@carolinebaird.com

My website: www.carolinebaird.com

Connect with Me on Instagram | LinkedIn |