Every day as a leader, you step into the unknown. One person you encounter may be upbeat, another frustrated. A meeting you thought would be smooth suddenly turns tense. The difference between thriving in these unpredictable moments and merely surviving them isn’t about controlling what’s on the other side of the door—it’s about controlling the presence you bring with you.

Gayle Lantz draws from her personal experience caring for her mother (now in her nineties) who is recovering after a difficult surgery. Gayle also reflects on her experience many years ago caring for her dad who suffered from Alzheimer’s. She was given good advice then: “Every time you go visit, imagine that you’re putting the key in a door and you turn the knob and you just walk into their world, whatever that is.”

This wisdom extends far beyond caregiving—it’s transformative for leadership.

Too often, leaders push to change or fix others before truly understanding where they’re coming from. 

Real leadership begins with the willingness to enter someone else’s reality first, to understand how they see the world and why they’re acting as they are.

But how do you prepare yourself to show up steady, calm, and ready to lead, no matter what awaits you?

Gayle shares practical techniques for the inner preparation that happens before you even walk through the door—from activating optimism and breathing exercises to grounding your confidence and using mantras that actually work. She also provides concrete examples of what it looks like to meet different types of team members where they are: the new hire still learning the ropes, the high performer ready for more, the skeptic resistant to change.

The episode includes a valuable bonus: access to the ” The Doorway Reset — The Leader’s One Minute Preparation Tool: “—a simple reference guide to help you prepare intentionally before stepping into any situation.

Remember: Leadership isn’t about controlling the room you walk into. It’s about controlling the presence you bring with you. When you learn to meet people where they are, you don’t just become ready for whatever awaits—you create the conditions for others to be at their best too.

This episode covers:

• Why real leadership begins with understanding others’ reality first
• Simple practices to prepare yourself before challenging situations
• Specific breathing techniques and confidence-building strategies
• How to suspend judgment and resist labeling
• Concrete examples of meeting different team members where they are
• The importance of showing adaptability while maintaining standards
• Why everything is temporary and you determine what makes a good or bad day