Welcome to Season 2 of Leadership Explored — We’re Back

Hosts: Ed Schaefer and Andy Siegmund

Episode: Season 2, Episode 0

Runtime: Approximately 29 minutes

Release Date: February 10, 2026

Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

Episode Description

Leadership Explored is back for Season 2. After a strategic (and necessary) pause, Ed and Andy return to talk candidly about why they stepped away, what they’re seeing in the workplace right now, and what this next chapter will focus on.

They unpack the current “wait-and-see” mood across corporate America—driven by volatility, AI hype vs. reality, layoffs, and eroding trust—and make the case for a different kind of leadership content: not polished “highlight reels,” but a practical sanity check for leaders navigating the messy middle.

You’ll also hear the Season 2 direction: deeper conversations about real-world leadership friction—where best practices break down, politics complicate decisions, and leaders have to adapt without losing their values.

In This Episode, Ed & Andy Discuss

* Why taking a break can be a leadership decision, not a failure

* The “messy middle”: where theory meets real life (and things get complicated fast)

* Why so many leaders and teams feel stuck in cautious paralysis

* How layoffs + “record profits” messaging erode trust

* Why vulnerability and real communication matter more than polished corporate speak

* A leadership “audit” you can run this month: stop doing what’s performative and draining

* A simple journaling technique to let your brain solve problems overnight

Episode Highlights (Timestamps)

⏳ [00:00] — Season 2 kickoff: why the pause was strategic and necessary⏳ [02:25] — Season 1 was “exploring the landscape”; Season 2 goes into the messy middle⏳ [03:35] — Plans are useless, planning is useful: where theory bends in the real world⏳ [06:43] — The current mood: cautious, volatile, wait-and-see⏳ [08:29] — Why uncertainty creates decision paralysis (and what it does to teams)⏳ [10:27] — The widening range of “acceptable” leadership behavior and styles⏳ [11:22] — Trust erosion: record profits… then layoffs… and the cultural fallout⏳ [13:26] — The podcast as a “sanity check” for leaders who feel like something’s off⏳ [17:23] — The podcast as a mirror: using episodes to audit your own leadership habits⏳ [19:29] — Season 2 preview: projects, teaching, stoicism (not “broicism”), reading, and more⏳ [21:35] — “Define your season”: push season vs. recovery season vs. survival season⏳ [24:00] — Permission to stop: run a calendar/meeting audit and reclaim energy⏳ [27:16] — Overnight journaling technique for solving problems you’re stuck on

Your Move This Week (Listener Challenge)

Look at your leadership rhythm: Are you grinding on autopilot—or is it time to declare a new season?

* What needs to change (meetings, cadence, priorities, expectations)?

* What needs to stop because it’s performative, draining, or just “we’ve always done it”?

Connect With Us

* Email: leadershipexploredmail.com

* Website: leadershipexploredpod.com

* New episodes every other Tuesday