Home Podcasts Strong Leaders Serve with Teri Schmidt
Strong Leaders Serve with Teri Schmidt

Strong Leaders Serve with Teri Schmidt

Teri Schmidt | Leadership Coaching & Teambuilding | Creating More Just & Compassionate Workplaces Through Leadership 215 episodes Oct 28, 2026

Strong Leaders Serve with Teri Schmidt is a podcast for compassionate leaders who feel they have outgrown old approaches. Hosted by executive leadership coach Teri Schmidt, it helps leaders navigate complexity, ambiguity, and overwhelm without relying on simple fixes. Episodes focus on regaining clarity and confidence, developing the people who follow you into leaders, and leading in a way that sustains you rather than wears you down.

Episodes

204.  Steady Leadership in Unsteady Times
204. Steady Leadership in Unsteady Times Oct 28, 2026 19:11 Ever had a leader who made you calmer just by being in the room? Most of the leaders I work with want to be that steady leader. But in a chaotic, uncertain environment, especially in a stretch moment like a promotion, RIF, or AI Implementation, it gets hard. You’re pulled in many directions, working harder than ever, and still not gaining traction.  Under that kind of pressure, even capable leader
203. How Survival-Mode Leadership Makes Capable Leaders Feel Incompetent
203. How Survival-Mode Leadership Makes Capable Leaders Feel Incompetent Oct 14, 2026 16:27 Ever feel like you’re working harder than ever, but somehow feeling less competent at your job?That’s one of the most common things I see in the capable, reliable leaders I work with, especially when they’re in a stretch moment like a promotion, a reorg, or a role that suddenly looks very different. Usually it doesn’t mean they’ve lost their ability. It means the job changed around them, and they’
202. Stop Chasing: Justin Jones-Fosu on Leading With Alignment instead of Applause
202. Stop Chasing: Justin Jones-Fosu on Leading With Alignment instead of Applause Sep 30, 2026 46:09 Have you ever been the one everyone counts on, and still wondered whether anyone actually sees what you contribute?That's Tano, the tortoise at the center of Justin Jones-Fosu's new fable, Stop Chasing, Start Creating. His chase for recognition pulls him into swirl, and he quits the race before he ever sees the finish line.Justin and I talk about moving from external validation to intern
201.  Why I stopped talking about leadership and why I'm back
201. Why I stopped talking about leadership and why I'm back Sep 16, 2026 13:17 Ever feel like you're moving faster and faster but you're not sure what you're actually working toward? That's the survival mode I've been seeing in so many of the leaders I work with, and it's part of why I'm relaunching Strong Leaders Serve after a longer break than planned since Episode 200. In this personal opener, I talk about stepping away from a saturated
200.  Best of Strong Leaders Serve
200. Best of Strong Leaders Serve Nov 5, 2025 17:25 To celebrate our 200th (!) episode, we're revisiting some of our favorite conversations from the last 100 episodes.  Connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-m-schmidt/ or via email teri@strongleadersserve.com.Get 1-on-1 leadership support here: https://www.strongleadersserve.com/coaching
199. Going beneath Authenticity, Autonomy & Accountability with Andrea Wanerstrand
199. Going beneath Authenticity, Autonomy & Accountability with Andrea Wanerstrand Oct 22, 2025 41:24 Have you ever wondered what truly sets great leaders apart in today’s fast-paced workplaces? In this episode, I talked with Andrea Wanerstrand, whose career spans Microsoft, Meta, T-Mobile, and more, to dig into the real meaning behind authenticity, autonomy, and accountability. Andrea shares eye-opening stories about breaking out of comfort zones, fostering trust, and the mindset shift needed to
198. Rethinking Imposter Syndrome
198. Rethinking Imposter Syndrome Oct 8, 2025 12:43 Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re broken or unqualified.It often means your world has grown faster than your sense of self. In this episode we go beneath the buzzword of imposter syndrome.We look at it in a different way, as a signal that your identity is expanding. You’ll learn why fighting it with frantic action rarely works, and what to do instead to grow into steady, grounded confid
197.  Two Simple Practices to Build Real Psychological Safety with Jade Garratt
197. Two Simple Practices to Build Real Psychological Safety with Jade Garratt Oct 1, 2025 53:58 What does psychological safety really mean beneath the buzzword? In this episode, Jade Garratt, co-founder of Psych Safety and colleague of past guest Tom Geraghty, shares practical ways leaders can move past misconceptions and create environments where teams feel safe to learn, speak up, and perform at their best.Resources:Psych Safety websitePsychological Safety Course: Train the Trainer (highly
196. Transparency under pressure: leading with stability
196. Transparency under pressure: leading with stability Sep 24, 2025 9:37 What does it really mean to be transparent as a leader, especially when you can’t share everything or when you don’t agree with the direction of change?In this episode, we go beneath the buzzword of transparency. If you’ve ever struggled with how open to be with your team during times of change, this episode will give you practical ways to lead with honesty, courage, and care.Resources:Lisa Earle
195. What Leaders Can Learn from Sports Reporting with Jen Mueller
195. What Leaders Can Learn from Sports Reporting with Jen Mueller Sep 17, 2025 45:06 We’ve all heard the advice to “be an effective communicator.” But what does that really mean beyond the buzzword? In this episode, veteran sports reporter and Talk Sporty to Me founder Jen Mueller shares lessons from 25 years on the sidelines, where conversations happen under pressure, in the heat of wins and losses. Together, we explore how those lessons translate into clearer, more courageous co
194. Empower, Don't Abandon
194. Empower, Don't Abandon Sep 10, 2025 9:49 Empowerment sounds good on paper, but in the workplace it often falls short.Especially in leadership stretch moments, like promotions and novel, high-stakes projects, what leaders call empowerment can feel like abandonment to the person on the receiving end. In this episode, we look at the history of empowerment in organizations, explore how the brain reacts in stretch moments, and share practical
193. From Chaos to Calm: Agility that Inspires Hope
193. From Chaos to Calm: Agility that Inspires Hope Aug 27, 2025 9:21 Agility is one of today’s favorite leadership buzzwords, but too often it gets reduced to simply moving faster. In this episode, we go beneath the buzzword to explore what true agility really means: the ability to adapt wisely and steadily in the face of uncertainty. Drawing on Gallup’s latest global research, we’ll look at why hope is now the number one thing people need from their leaders, and h

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