Choose your starting point

This episode explores how leaders can actively choose a more balanced, effective mindset—what Kate calls “good humor,” also understood as equanimity. You’ll learn how to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns, replace them with more constructive perspectives, and apply simple practices to stay calm, curious, and intentional—even under pressure. The episode also connects mindset work to real leadership behaviors like giving feedback, managing stress, and repairing missteps. The latest companion toolkit, “Leading with Empathy: Practical Techniques for Sustainable Leadership,” is available now. Visit https://www.one23ltd.com/toolkits to request your free copy. When you subscribe, you’ll automatically receive future leadership tools and resources from onetwentythree ltd. Please visit these resources, created by The Conscious Leadership Group: Locating Yourself - A Key to Conscious Leadership (video) Locating Yourself: Above or Below? (handout) Conscious Breathing (meditation) Key takeaways Good humor is a practiced leadership skill, not a personality trait Equanimity means staying calm, aware, and engaged under stress Mindsets shape leadership behavior more than intentions alone Writing down your thoughts helps expose limiting beliefs Replacing—not arguing with—unhelpful thoughts creates change Feedback avoidance is often a mindset problem, not a skill issue Visualization and imagination can reshape leadership habits “Above the line” thinking supports curiosity and openness Simple reflection practices can shift your state in real time Recovery after failure requires reflection, grace, and repair Timestamps [0:00:00] Equanimity: The Deeper Meaning of Good Humor in Leadership [0:01:30] Are Leaders Born This Way? Reframing “Natural” Leadership [0:03:00] Tax Season Truths: A Personal Case Study in Mindset Shifts [0:04:00] From “I’m Failing” to “Part of the Story”: Rewriting the Money Narrative [0:05:00] “I’m Bad at Feedback”: The Sneaky Mindset Holding Leaders Back [0:06:30] Four New Feedback Beliefs: Kindness, Practice, and Growth [0:07:49] Above or Below the Line? Locating Your Leadership Mood [0:09:00] More Than Two Possibilities: Staying Open, Curious, and Kind [0:10:30] Play, Rest, and Peak Performance: Caring for the Whole Team [0:12:30] When Good Humor Misses the Mark: Reflection, Repair, and Grace Keywords leadership mindset, equanimity at work, emotional regulation leadership, giving feedback as a leader, leadership self-awareness, mindset shift techniques, conscious leadership above the line, leadership reflection practice, managing stress at work, leadership development tools