The Healthy Leader Podcast

Traci Fisher
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Mental Health

The Healthy Leader Podcast is about being healthy personally and professionally while living a full life. We explore how leaders build the internal capacity to stay clear, steady, and consistent under pressure, and how leading yourself well creates healthier teams, cultures, and organizations. Lead yourself first. Lead others better.!

  1. Jul 29

    Ep#64: The Confident Mind | Dr. Nate Zinsser

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Expert Forum, Traci Fisher is joined by sports psychologist and former Director of the Performance Psychology Program at West Point, Dr. Nate Zinsser, to explore a foundational pillar of high-stakes leadership: building unshakable internal confidence. This conversation isn't just about athletic or military achievement. It’s a practical, deep dive into how top performers from Super Bowl champions and FBI agents to executive leaders protect their mental bandwidth and execute with calm under extreme pressure. Pulling from Dr. Z’s battle-tested book, The Confident Mind, they strip away the myths of innate talent to examine how confidence is actively constructed through intentional daily discipline. In Today’s Session, You’ll Discover: Experience vs. Internal Certainty: Why having a stacked resume doesn't automatically grant confidence, and how to actively filter your past experiences to build true self-belief. The Mental Bank Account: How every thought, memory, and internal narrative acts as a deposit or withdrawal that dictates your performance potential under stress. The "ESPN" Reflection Framework: The simple 5-minute daily practice (Effort, Success, Progress, Next) that acts as a mental deadlift for strengthening self-certainty. Constructive vs. Destructive Self-Talk: Why the brain struggles to process negations like "don't fail," and how to reframe your inner monologue toward positive execution. Multi-Sensory Envisioning: How to move beyond basic visualization into immersive mental rehearsal to prime your nervous system for high-stakes situations. Anchoring Calm in Volatility: Practical strategies for maintaining poise and clarity when navigating unpredictable, complex environments. 📘 Dr. Nate Zinsser’s Book: The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance is available to pre-order. Purchase from Here 🔗 Connect with Dr. Nate Zinsser: Website: https://www.natezinsser.com Contact: nate.zinsser@gmail.com 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: What deposits are you making into your mental bank account today, and are they building the certainty you need when the pressure hits? (To watch the episode on YouTube, click here) If you're enjoying this conversation, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select Write a Review.

    Ep#64: The Confident Mind | Dr. Nate Zinsser

  2. Jun 23

    Ep#63: The Conflict Within | Mylinh Brewster Shattan

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Expert Forum, Traci Fisher is joined by her West Point classmate, Army veteran, and author MyLinh Brewster Shattan to explore a territory every leader eventually faces: The Hardest Conflict Is the One Within. This conversation isn't about the military. It’s a raw, honest look at what it actually takes to keep choosing well when the conflict is the one no one else can see. Pulling from MyLinh’s powerful memoir, Raising Athena, they strip away the outer armor of leadership to examine what happens when the rigid stories we tell ourselves finally collide with reality. In Today’s Session, You’ll Discover: The Harder Right: Why West Point asks eighteen-year-olds to commit to a standard before they understand what they're choosing and how we spend decades uncovering what we actually signed up for. The Cost of Supposed to Be: How the hidden narratives we carry about who we are supposed to be as leaders quietly drain our energy, and how to get a sharper read on what they are costing you. The False Resolution: Why deep internal friction cannot be fixed or resolved with another promotion, another credential, or another year of white-knuckling the work. Confronting the Untold: The profound leadership shift that occurs when we stop hiding our past and face the stories we’ve spent decades avoiding. The Unlearned Skill: The exact thing MyLinh spent thirty years learning to do, and the practical steps you can take to start doing it today. The Power of Fellow Travelers: Why true self-leadership requires stepping out of the expert persona and learning to look at your internal terrain with absolute honesty. 📘 MyLinh Brewster Shattan’s Book: Raising Athena: A Mother and Daughter Attend West Point Thirty Years Apart is available wherever books are sold (Traci's personal recommendation, not a sponsorship). 🔗 Connect with MyLinh: LinkedIn: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mylinh-shattan-80b41b129/?skipRedirect=true] 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: What stories are you still telling yourself about who you're supposed to be as a leader, and what are they costing you right now? (To watch the episode on YouTube, click here) If you're enjoying this conversation, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select Write a Review.

    Ep#63: The Conflict Within | Mylinh Brewster Shattan

  3. May 20

    Ep#62: Leading with a Builder's Mindset | Doug Crandall

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Expert Forum, Traci Fisher is joined by Doug Crandall to explore the deceptively simple question that defines every leadership legacy: Are you building others up, or are you diminishing them? This conversation is a raw, honest look at the invisible mark leaders leave on their teams. It’s a shift away from complex leadership formulas toward a single, powerful "condition of the heart" that transforms how we communicate, how we trust, and how we drive excellence. In Today’s Session, You’ll Discover: Building vs. Diminishing: Why there is almost no neutral ground in leadership every interaction is either a deposit or a withdrawal. The Builder’s Standard: How the most effective leaders stay unapologetically demanding and relentlessly positive" at the same time. The Anxiety Trap: Why high expectations without a communicated belief in potential only creates a culture of fear. The Selflessness of Trust: Why you can’t tactically build trust; you have to genuinely inhabit a state of putting others first. The Power of Being a Fellow Traveler: Why moving away from the leadership expert persona creates the safety for teams to actually perform. Reflective Discipline: Practical examples of how small shifts like closing a laptop or skipping a cheap joke compound into massive cultural trust. What, So What, Now What: A simple framework for moving past the theory and turning reflection into immediate, corrected action. Leading for the Legacy: How a leader’s state of being becomes the floor that their team stands on. 📘 Doug Crandall’s Book: Building or Diminishing (Coming Summer 2026). All net proceeds go to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. 🔗 Connect with Doug: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-crandall-44b41b4/ 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: When you leave the room, are the people in it better off, or are they smaller and quieter than they were ten minutes ago? (To watch the episode on YouTube, click here) If you're enjoying this conversation, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select Write a Review.

    Ep#62: Leading with a Builder's Mindset | Doug Crandall

  4. Apr 27

    Ep #61: Clarity Drives Culture And Performance | Dr. Rodney Agan

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Expert Forum, Traci Fisher is joined by Dr. Rodney Agan to explore the subtle but massive energy leak that occurs when leaders wait for permission to lead. This conversation is a deep dive into the Identity Gap, the space between who you are and the persona you perform to feel chosen. It’s a shift from the exhausting cycle of seeking external validation to leading from a place of grounded, internal certainty. In Today’s Session, You’ll Discover: The Pick Me Loop: Why many high-performers are still waiting for permission to sit at the table they already own. Performance vs. Leadership: How managing your perception steals the bandwidth you need to manage the mission. The Origin of the Gap: Why the stories you formed about your worth decades ago are still quietly running your behavior today. Recognizing the Static: How to spot the physical and mental signs that you are "performing" your identity instead of leading from it. Managed Confidence: The difference between projecting strength and being truly grounded in who you are. Closing the Gap: Practical steps to move from insecurity-driven leadership to aligned, authentic presence. The Biology of Identity: How shifting your internal state allows for clearer execution and less decision fatigue. Leading from Being: What happens to your team when you stop looking for a win and start looking for the truth. 📘 Dr. Rodney Agan’s Book:https://www.amazon.in/Pick-Me-Insecurity-Confidence-Contribution/dp/B0GSVPRC5L 🔗 Connect with Rodney:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodneyagan/X (Twitter): https://x.com/rodneyagan 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: Are you leading the mission, or are you just performing the role? (To watch the episode on YouTube, Click here) If you're enjoying this conversation, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

    Ep #61: Clarity Drives Culture And Performance | Dr. Rodney Agan

  5. Apr 15

    Ep#60: Fear, Love, & The Leader Between

    In this episode of The Healthy Leader Podcast, Traci Fisher explores the invisible gap between who we want to be and how we actually show up when fear takes the driver’s seat. This conversation is a deep dive into the biology of leadership moving past strategy and skill gaps to address the physiological reality of stress. Traci shares a personal gut-punch moment from her own life and the powerful story of a cardiac surgeon to illustrate why even the most elite experts can be hijacked by their own nervous systems. It’s an exploration of how to stop performing calm and start building the capacity to choose love and courage in the moments that matter most. In Today’s Podcast, You’ll Discover: The Dropped Stomach Biology: Why your brain treats a difficult email or social threat exactly like a physical predator.                                                                                                                                    Fear vs. Love: The simple, neurological paradigm that dictates every decision you make. The Cardiac Surgeon’s Gap: A real-world example of why expertise isn’t enough when the nervous system is dysregulated. Heart Math & Performance: The science of heart-brain communication and how positive states actually rewire your brain.  The 3 Whys Process: A practical tool to get to the root of your professional pet peeves and reactive triggers. Unlearning Fear: Why most of what keeps you stuck isn't original equipment and how to train your response. The Leader in Between: How to stand in the space where fear is beating loudly and choose your vision anyway. Courage as a Force: Moving from the Latin cor (heart) to lead with honor, persistence, and presence. 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: In the quiet moments between feeling the fear and taking the action, which version of you is driving the truck? (To watch the episode on YouTube, Click here.) If you're enjoying this podcast, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select Write a Review.

    Ep#60: Fear, Love, & The Leader Between

  6. Mar 24

    Ep#59: Leadership Under Pressure and Uncertainty | Bryce Hoffman

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Podcast, Traci Fisher is joined by Bryce Hoffman to explore what effective leadership looks like when the stakes are high and the path forward isn’t clear. This conversation is both strategic and grounded in real-world application, focusing on how leaders can navigate uncertainty, make better decisions under pressure, and avoid the common traps that derail teams in critical moments. It’s a shift from reactive leadership to disciplined thinking in complex environments. In Today’s Podcast, You’ll Discover: Leadership in Uncertainty: Why clarity isn’t always available and how great leaders operate anyway. Pressure and Decision-Making: How stress impacts judgment and what to do when the stakes are high. Challenging Assumptions: Why the biggest risks often come from what leaders think they already know. Red Team Thinking: A structured way to test ideas, uncover blind spots, and strengthen decisions. The Cost of False Confidence: How overconfidence can lead to poor outcomes in uncertain environments. Creating Thinking Teams: Why strong leaders build teams that question, not just execute. From Reaction to Intentionality: How to slow down your thinking without losing momentum. Leading When It Matters Most: What separates leaders who thrive under pressure from those who don’t. 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: When uncertainty rises, does your leadership become clearer or more reactive? (To watch the episode on YouTube, Click here.) If you're enjoying this podcast, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

    Ep#59: Leadership Under Pressure and Uncertainty | Bryce Hoffman

  7. Mar 11

    Ep#58: Potential to Kinetic Energy

    There is something you know you need to do. You've known for a while. And it just sits there, like a little black cloud that follows you around, stealing your energy even when you're not thinking about it. This episode is about that moment. Not the plan. Not the big overhaul. The split second where you decide to be different. Where potential energy becomes kinetic. In Today's Podcast, You'll Discover: Why high achievers struggle most with the one thing they know they should be doing   The physics concept that explains exactly what's happening when you can't get started Why the shift from zero to one is more powerful than any big plan What self-leadership actually looks like in a micro-second and why that's where everything changes Three practical choice points you can use today to start closing the gap between knowing and doing Why celebrating might be the most skipped (and most important!)  step in building real momentum 🎧 What's one thing that's been sitting in potential energy for you — and what would it look like to move it just one degree today? (To watch the episode on YouTube, click here.) If you're enjoying this podcast, please consider leaving a review! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review."

    Ep#58: Potential to Kinetic Energy

  8. Feb 18

    Ep#57: The Neurochemistry of Leadership | Dr. Michael Frisina on Neuroscience & Self-Regulation

    In this episode of the Healthy Leader Podcast, Dr. Michael Frisina is joined by Traci Fisher to dismantle the standard models of leadership and replace them with a powerful, neurobiological approach. This conversation is a technical and personal guide to bringing your prefrontal cortex back "online". It’s a shift from status-quo training to a be-know-do philosophy where leadership isn't just a list of traits, but a practiced state of neurophysiological awareness. In Today’s Podcast, You’ll Discover: The Neurochemical Bartender: Why leaders are responsible for the cocktail of chemicals they mix in their team's brains through their daily behavior. The Yerkes-Dodson Bell Curve: A visual map for understanding the Upper Brain of performance versus the Lower Brain of survival. The Allostatic Load: Identifying the exact tipping point where your brain hits capacity and shuts down your critical reasoning. Believe the Behavior: Why your actions are the only true measure of leadership and why the behavior doesn’t lie. The E+R=O Formula: How to ensure your Response capacity always stays higher than the magnitude of the Event. Tactical Pauses and Resets: Practical strategies like the 3 R's (Reframe, Recover, Reset) to pull yourself back from the edge of burnout. The 30-Second Gratitude Hack: A simple, science-backed way to force your prefrontal cortex back online in the middle of a high-stress meeting. Psychological vs. Physical Threat: Why your brain can’t tell the difference between a deadline and a predator, and how to manage that reflex. 🎧 Listen to the full episode, and consider this: Are you leading from your Upper Brain today, or is your leadership currently offline? (To watch the episode on YouTube, Click here) If you're enjoying this podcast, please consider reviewing here! Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.”

    Ep#57: The Neurochemistry of Leadership | Dr. Michael Frisina on Neuroscience & Self-Regulation
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5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

The Healthy Leader Podcast is about being healthy personally and professionally while living a full life. We explore how leaders build the internal capacity to stay clear, steady, and consistent under pressure, and how leading yourself well creates healthier teams, cultures, and organizations. Lead yourself first. Lead others better.!

Information

  • Creator
    Traci Fisher
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 @TheHealthyLeaderGroup
  • Show Website
    The Healthy Leader Podcast

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