202 - How to Lead When Everything Feels Unsettled
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
How do you keep your team from becoming overwhelmed when everything around them feels uncertain? In this episode, we talk about one of the most important things leaders can provide in times of change: consistency. When the workplace feels unsettled, people look to leaders for stability. We’ll explore three ways to ground your team: Align around mission and vision — give people clarity on where you’re headed. Create consistency in decision-making — build confidence through a steady process. Stabilize communication — reduce anxiety through clear, transparent communication. The...
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201 - Closing the Gap Between Who You Are and Who You Lead As
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
Remember that one leader who made an impact on you? What if you could do the same for those you lead? So where are you on your leadership journey this year? You already know what good leadership looks and feels like. The question is—are you living it? Take a moment to evaluate: 1. Your ideal self What’s your vision? What impact do you want to make—and by when? 2. Your real self Where are you today? Give yourself an honest score. 3. Your actions What’s the one area that, if improved, would elevate everything else? Pick it. Make it a behavior change. Define the impact. Decide how...
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200 - 7 Ways We Unintentionally get in Our Own Way
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
Been a frustrating year? Not progressing the way you expected? It might not be your environment… it might be you. In this week’s video, I pulled a few insights from Leadership Unblocked by Muriel Wilkins and focused on 7 ways we unintentionally get in our own way: “I need to be involved in everything.” “I need it now—everything is a priority.” “I’m always right.” “No defects—no mistakes allowed.” “If I can do it, you can do it.” “I can’t say no.” “I don’t belong here.” If any of those hit a little too close to home—you’re not alone. But here’s...
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199- How Do You Know If You're the Problem?
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
Sometimes the biggest barrier to our growth as leaders… is ourselves. So how do you know if you’re the problem? The reality is—you’re getting signals all the time. You just have to pay attention. A simple framework to identify it: 1. Anxiety Where do you feel it? Certain people, meetings, or situations? Anxiety is often a signal that something deeper is off. 2. Actions How do you respond in those moments? Do you control more, avoid, rush decisions, or shut down? 3. Reflections & Reactions Afterward, what do you think and feel? Do you justify your behavior, second-guess yourself, or...
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198 - What If You're the Bottleneck?
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
“What If You’re the Bottleneck?” Feeling frustrated at work? Before blaming external factors, take a hard look in the mirror—you might be part of the problem. Start by identifying where the frustration is showing up. Where are you not making the impact you expect? Then break it down: Emotions: Name exactly what you’re feeling—be specific. Frustration, resentment, impatience? Perspective of Others: How are people actually experiencing your leadership? Not how you think—how they feel working with you. Time & Triggers: When does this show up? Pinpoint the exact situations or...
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197 - Imposter Syndrome is Blocking Your Leadership
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
You’ve been in the role for a couple of months. You thought you’d feel confident by now—but you don’t. That nagging feeling? It’s imposter syndrome, and it’s holding you back more than you realize. At its core, imposter syndrome isn’t just a feeling—it’s a mindset that drives behaviors that limit your leadership growth. To overcome it, focus on three areas: Define Your Role: Get crystal clear on what success looks like. What are you actually responsible for? Own It: Stop waiting for permission. You were put in the role for a reason—start leading like it. Make Adjustments:...
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196 - Score Your Leadership
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
Score Your Leadership Podcast Notes: At the end of each week, give yourself a leadership score from 1–10. 1 means it wasn’t your best week. 10 means you showed up as the leader you want to be. That score usually comes down to one or two specific moments that shaped how you felt about your leadership. To learn from those moments, focus on three concepts: Reflection – This is where the real learning happens. Take time daily to think about your actions and decisions. Defining Moments – Small moments happen every day that trigger a reaction or require a leadership...
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195- Preparing for Your Next Performance Review
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
Preparing for Your Next Performance Review Imagine walking out of your annual review feeling confident—like you received the exact feedback you needed and have complete clarity on where you’re going and what to do next. That outcome doesn’t happen by accident. You can prepare for it. How to take control of your next performance review: Identify your top two areas for feedback Choose the two areas where you most want honest input and growth. Build your own self-assessment Evaluate your performance in those areas and define what “excellent” or “perfect” performance would look...
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194 - The Sunday Night Test- Are You (or Your Team) Burning Out?
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
The Sunday Night Test — Are You (or Your Team) Burning Out? What does Sunday night feel like for you? A wave of negativity? Exhausted before Monday even starts? Cynical or detached? Feeling ineffective? Those aren’t just “bad moods.” They’re classic symptoms of burnout. The Three Core Signs of Burnout: Exhaustion – Physical, emotional, mental depletion Negative Feelings – Cynicism, detachment, irritability Lack of Efficacy – Feeling like what you do doesn’t matter The Causes (Leadership-Influenced): Burnout isn’t random. It’s usually connected to: ...
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193 - Presidents Day or George Washington's Birthday?
Leadership Fitness in 5 Minutes with Gary Slyman
History of George Washington’s Birthday The official federal holiday is George Washington’s Birthday — not “Presidents Day.” George Washington was born on February 22, 1732. The U.S. began celebrating his birthday as a national holiday more than 80 years after his death. February 22 became a federal holiday in 1879. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved several federal holidays to Mondays to create three-day weekends. Washington’s Birthday was shifted to the third Monday in February — but the name remained the same. So where did “Presidents Day” come...
info_outlineEvery leader has a leadership brand—not just senior leaders.
The key question isn’t who we think we are as leaders, but how our leadership is actually experienced by others.
There are two areas to reflect on:
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How are you experienced as a leader?
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How do you make people feel?
Everyone who works with you experiences your leadership in a specific way.
It’s the reality of what it’s like to work with you—and how people walk away from interactions with you.
As leaders, we often focus on who we want to be.
But the better question is: How am I actually being experienced?
Leaders are the only people who don’t experience their own leadership—which means we have to intentionally gather that data.
This week, take time to observe and ask:
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What is it really like to work with me?
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What do people say—and how do they say it?
Next week, we’ll talk about how to intentionally and deliberately set your leadership brand.