Even the most seasoned leaders face moments when their work feels overwhelmingly difficult—when self-doubt creeps in, motivation fades, and the usual strategies to "push through" no longer seem to work. In this episode of Second Crack – The Leadership Podcast, we explore what to do when leading starts to feel truly hard.

Join us as we reflect on the emotional, mental, and physical toll that leadership challenges can take—especially in today's volatile and high-pressure corporate environments. We talk about how to recognize when it's time to take a break versus when persistence might carry you through. And we discuss why one-size-fits-all advice often falls short in these moments.

The conversation introduces the Healthy Mind Platter, a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. David Rock. This simple but powerful framework outlines seven essential daily activities that support mental well-being: focus time, play time, connecting time, physical time, time in (for reflection), downtime, and sleep time. We share how leaders can use this model not only to sustain their energy and focus, but also to develop the clarity and resilience required to lead through tough times.

Beyond practical tools, this episode invites you to reflect more deeply on personal values, your "inner compass," and whether your current leadership path aligns with what truly matters to you. Sometimes the answer lies in small adjustments; other times, it may require bigger, more fundamental changes—for instance, changing jobs.

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• When you feel a lack of motivation or start doubting yourself, ask yourself: What is this telling me? What can I learn from it?
• And when a situation is feeling just too hard: Do I simply need a break and some rest—or is something fundamentally wrong? Are my daily actions still aligned with my inner compass? And do I even know clearly in which direction my compass is pointing?
  
  

About Second Crack
More information about us and our work is available on our website: secondcrackleadership.com. Contact us now to explore how we can support your leadership development in a company-wide initiative or with individual executive coaching: hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

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Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer