Lead Well! with Christine Schickinger

Why do we so quickly look for someone to blame when something goes wrong?

I started thinking about this after the devastating glacier collapse in Nepal. While scientists were still trying to understand exactly what had happened, explanations and accusations were already spreading online.

And it made me wonder: Why is “we don’t know yet” so difficult for us?

In this episode, I explore the psychology behind blame and why having a culprit can sometimes feel more comfortable than living with uncertainty. We look at the difference between fear and anger, what happens when we lose our sense of control,...

We see behaviour and almost instantly create a story around it.

The aggressive horse. The difficult employee. The defensive manager. The uncooperative teenager.

But what if the behavior is real, while the story we tell ourselves about it is not?

In this episode of Lead Well!, I share what struck me while watching Trust Technique creator James French work with horses in Mongolia and, more recently, with elephants in Nepal. Animals considered difficult or even dangerous began responding very differently when the interaction itself changed.

That raises a much bigger question, one that applies far beyond animals:

What happens when...

When does professional adaptation become self-abandonment?

Self-leadership coach Ruth E. Andermatt joins Christine to explore what it takes to preserve your integrity when expectations are high and your position may be at risk.

Ruth recounts a defining leadership decision. She refused an order to dismiss an employee unfairly, choosing instead to tell him the truth and give him the opportunity to step up. Within 90 days, his store was performing at the top of the country.

The conversation also examines quiet leadership, honest feedback, conflict avoidance and the responsibility leaders have to connect with people who think and communicate differently...

What happens when criticism reaches your nervous system before your thinking mind has time to catch up?

A critical comment can trigger an immediate urge to explain, defend yourself or push back. The response may take only seconds, but it can leave both people feeling uncomfortable and create tension that later needs to be repaired.

In this episode, I share an insight from a recent coaching conversation and connect it with a principle used in dog training: impulse control is first practiced under manageable conditions, before the level of distraction is gradually increased.

You’ll learn:

• why criticism can activate...