Dr. Stephanie Schoss has spent almost 15 years working closely with senior executives at the University of St. Gallen - often in small, confidential settings where CEOs say the things they would never admit in public.
What she has observed challenges the image of the powerful, self-assured leader. Behind the polished exterior, many struggle with loneliness, fear of failure, self-doubt and the pressure to always appear in control. And paradoxically, Stephanie has found that even highly armoured executives often deeply welcome vulnerability once it feels safe enough to show it.
The conversation explores what these moments reveal about trust, leadership and the hidden cost of always having to be the strong one. Why do leaders ask others to trust them while struggling to trust their own teams? Why does vulnerability so often create relief rather than weakness? And what happens when a CEO finally stops performing certainty and tells the “naked truth”?
At its core, the episode asks: what can we learn about leadership from the things top CEOs only reveal when the armour comes off?
02:05 Introductions & Why A Full Life Can Still Feel Like Too Much
03:52 When Doing More May Be Holding You Back
07:16 Why You Need a Deeper Relationship With Yourself
09:55 The Leadership Belief Schoss Had to Unlearn
15:09 What a Crisis Can Teach You About How You Lead
18:48 Why You Can’t Build Trust Without the “We”
24:11 Why You Only Open Up When You Feel Truly Safe
33:39 Looking Weak Strengthens Your Leadership
35:49 The Culture Change Has to Start With You
39:43 Why the System Keeps Pulling You Back
41:57 You May Be Rewarding the Wrong Leadership Traits
43:58 The 50,000 Feet Perspective That Changes Everything
47:52 Why Your Biggest Insights Often Don’t Last
52:56 Can Altered States Change How You Lead?
56:35 You May Need a More Human Way to Lead
01:02:41 What to Remember When Leadership Feels Lonely
01:04:34 Outro
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