Revealing My 2026 Word of the Year

How Disappointment Can Quietly Erode Trust

Have you ever reached the point where disappointment no longer feels temporary, but starts to change the way you trust? That shift can be hard to name, especially in leadership. In this episode, I return to the conversation on disappointment and take it one step deeper by exploring what happens when repeated disappointment becomes a loss of trust. I share why trust rarely breaks all at once, but instead erodes through small unmet expectations, repeated patterns, and the quiet weight of carrying the emotional burden of repair on your own. Drawing on Brené Brown’s BRAVING framework, Adam Grant’s insights on accountability, and reflections on the difference between covenant and contract, I reveal what trust really requires. With this, we discover how we can begin to discern whether trust is actually being rebuilt or whether we are simply learning to live without it. I close with a reflection on wisdom, integrity, and the courage it takes to lead well when trust feels fragile. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:40) When disappointment turns into distrust (04:08) Understanding the BRAVING trust framework (05:30) How trust begins to erode (07:29) Asking whether trust is being repaired (10:12) How trust works at work and in marriage (12:26) Finding wisdom in whether to stay or leave (14:09) Scripture, reflection, and learning to trust yourself Connect with me: Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/ [https://www.gretchenschott.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ [https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott [https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97 [https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325]  Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work [https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work]

Understanding Disappointment and Learning to Overcome It

Have you ever noticed how easily disappointment slips past our awareness even as it quietly shapes how we lead? We often push through it, minimize it, or tell ourselves we should “just get over it,” but unprocessed disappointment has a way of lingering beneath the surface. In this episode, I reflect honestly on a season of personal and professional disappointment and explore why it’s one of the most common (and least processed) emotions in leadership. I define what disappointment actually is, why it tends to stick around longer than frustration, and how it often shows up quietly as disengagement, over-functioning, or emotional distance. I walk through how disappointment affects our energy, our trust, and our ability to lead with integrity, drawing on psychological insights and leadership research. I also share a simple but powerful framework for moving through disappointment:  naming it, grieving it, reframing it, and releasing it. This way, it becomes a source of wisdom rather than resentment. Finally, I connect disappointment back to hope, inviting you to consider how hope isn’t about pretending you weren’t hurt, but about believing that disappointment doesn’t get the final word. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:45) A personal experience with disappointment (02:28) What’s really behind feeling disappointed (03:06) Why does it linger (06:59) What happens if you don’t get over it (09:03) A framework for processing disappointment (14:03) Hope in the midst of disappointment Connect with me: Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/ [https://www.gretchenschott.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ [https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott [https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97 [https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325]  Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work [https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work]

Revealing My 2026 Word of the Year

Have you ever noticed how often we confuse hope with optimism? They feel similar, but they’re not the same. And in the context of leadership, that difference matters more than we realize. In this episode, I share my one word for 2026 and the practice I’ve followed for over a decade of choosing a single word to guide my year. This year, my word is “hope.” It’s shaped by a season of uncertainty, loss, and learning to trust without clear answers, and I’m excited for it to guide me in the year ahead. I talk about what hope means psychologically, in leadership, and spiritually, and why hope is not passive. I share how I’m learning to receive hope through prayer and stillness, choose it by challenging false beliefs, and extend it through my words, decisions, and presence. Finally, I also invite you into reflection with two guiding questions about where you’ve stopped expecting things to improve and where you’re being invited to hope again.  Timestamps: (00:00) Intro  (01:06) How I chose my word for the year (02:26) The theme for 2026 (04:25) How to build hope (06:32)  Hope in quiet reflection Connect with me: Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/ [https://www.gretchenschott.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ [https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott [https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97 [https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325]  Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work [https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work]

Choosing Clarity Over Pressure in the New Year

Have you ever stepped into a new year and felt the urge to move more slowly, even when everything around you is urging you to rush? Most leaders don’t give themselves permission to do that, but I believe it matters more than ever. In this episode, I invite you to begin the new year a little differently: without pressure, without performance, and without the need to prove anything. I share why I believe true strength in leadership isn’t found in hustle, titles, or always being “on,” but in stillness, wisdom, and genuine care for others. I reflect on how slowing down has shaped some of the most meaningful seasons of my leadership and coaching journey, and why clarity so often comes when we stop pushing and allow ourselves the space to listen. As we begin 2026 together, I offer a set of reflection questions to help you look back with honesty and step forward with intention. Join me as we reflect on not only what lies ahead this year, but who you are becoming, and how stillness can gently prepare you for what’s next. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:31) What the essence of true leadership is (03:21) Gaining strength and clarity from stillness (05:29) Reflection questions before you step into the new year (08:00) Finding purpose in silence and prayer Connect with me: Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/ [https://www.gretchenschott.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ [https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott [https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97 [https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325]  Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work [https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work]

How Love and Loss Shaped My Leadership Journey

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/ [https://www.gretchenschott.com/]  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ [https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/]  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott [https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97 [https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97] Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325]  Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work [https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work]