Play to Your Strengths - Olympic Leadership Lesson #4 Ice Skating

Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet

Leading Beyond the Spreadsheet
Play to Your Strengths - Olympic Leadership Lesson #4 Ice Skating
Feb 16, 2026
Kris Liebau

Figure skaters know their strengths. If your triple axel is shaky, you feature your lutz. You build your program around what you do best.

Leaders need that same clarity.


But here's what most leaders miss: 
- The very strengths that got you promoted can sabotage your leadership when they run on autopilot.
- Your perfectionism delivered flawless work as an individual contributor. Now you're the bottleneck.
- Being the expert got you the promotion. Now you jump in to solve every problem instead of coaching your team.
- Your hyper-responsibility made you reliable. Now you're working nights and weekends while your team waits for direction.

Great leaders know their strengths AND know when to interrupt the autopilot habits that come with them.

This is part of a four-part Winter Olympics Leadership Series:
🎿 Episode 1: Mogul Skiing - Stay focused when everything's chaos 
πŸ₯Œ Episode 2: Curling - Clear communication makes all the difference 
πŸ† Episode 3: Athlete Stories - Your leadership highlight reel matters 
⛸️ Episode 4: Figure Skating - When your strengths become liabilities 


Want to bring these frameworks to your leadership team? I deliver workshops and lunch-and-learns on Managing Energy for Greater Resilience, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Leading Through Uncertainty, and Recognizing Autopilot Habits.

Learn more at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/contact

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #feedback #communication #stemleadership

Transform your one-on-ones from mundane check-ins to powerful performance drivers!

Grab our free "One-on-One Upgrade Toolkit" and start unlocking your team's true potential today.

Download your guide at https://www.actionandeasecoaching.com/toolkit

Episode Artwork Play to Your Strengths - Olympic Leadership Lesson #4 Ice Skating 0:56 Episode Artwork Honoring Your Journey - Olympic Leadership Lesson #3 Inspiring Stories 0:50 Episode Artwork Role Definition and Clear Communication - Olympic Leadership Lesson #2 Curling 1:46 Episode Artwork Focus Amidst the Twists and Turns - Olympic Leadership Lesson #1 Moguls 1:07 Episode Artwork Are You the Boss People Love or the One They Leave? 26:26 Episode Artwork Stop Choosing: Why Leaders Need Performance AND Wellbeing 15:20 Episode Artwork Why Your Team Resists Change (Even With Perfect Data & Logic) 14:45 Episode Artwork Why Smart Leaders Fail at Buy-In (And How to Fix It) 26:10 Episode Artwork Beyond Business Cards: Networking for People Who Hate "Networking 26:59 Episode Artwork Why We Procrastinate: Breaking the Cycle for High-Performing Leaders 33:02 Episode Artwork The Achievement Trap: How Success Can Be Self-Sabotaging 17:33 Episode Artwork Master Leadership Presence: Building Curiosity Through Improv 34:45 Episode Artwork Tacking Towards Success: A Fresh Look at Project Leadership 26:15 Episode Artwork Tech Leaders Guide to Time Management (Part 2) 18:30 Episode Artwork Tech Leaders Guide to Time Management (Part 1) 18:55 Episode Artwork Expert Bias: Why Brilliant Minds Struggle to Communicate Effectively 33:03 Episode Artwork From Technical Expert to Inspiring Leader: Finding Purpose in Leadership 10:31 Episode Artwork Celebrating Success: An Essential Ingredient to Execution Excellence 13:51 Episode Artwork Workplace Gratitude: The Underappreciated Performance Multiplier 16:05 Episode Artwork How Options Impact Decision Making and Happiness 13:06 Episode Artwork Mastering Your Personal Duty Cycle: Balance Potential and Well-being 18:07 Episode Artwork Mastering One-on-Ones to Transform Team Relationships 9:27 Episode Artwork Cracking the Code: Essential Skills for Data-Driven Leaders 18:32 Episode Artwork Developing Self-Awareness for Workplace Success 16:21 Episode Artwork Unlocking Success with Emotional Intelligence in Engineering Leadership 12:36