Have you ever noticed how easily disappointment slips past our awareness even as it quietly shapes how we lead? We often push through it, minimize it, or tell ourselves we should “just get over it,” but unprocessed disappointment has a way of lingering beneath the surface.

In this episode, I reflect honestly on a season of personal and professional disappointment and explore why it’s one of the most common (and least processed) emotions in leadership. I define what disappointment actually is, why it tends to stick around longer than frustration, and how it often shows up quietly as disengagement, over-functioning, or emotional distance.

I walk through how disappointment affects our energy, our trust, and our ability to lead with integrity, drawing on psychological insights and leadership research. I also share a simple but powerful framework for moving through disappointment:  naming it, grieving it, reframing it, and releasing it. This way, it becomes a source of wisdom rather than resentment.

Finally, I connect disappointment back to hope, inviting you to consider how hope isn’t about pretending you weren’t hurt, but about believing that disappointment doesn’t get the final word.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) A personal experience with disappointment

(02:28) What’s really behind feeling disappointed

(03:06) Why does it linger

(06:59) What happens if you don’t get over it

(09:03) A framework for processing disappointment

(14:03) Hope in the midst of disappointment

Connect with me:

Official website: https://www.gretchenschott.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenschott/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadingwell_inspirations/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadingwellgretchenschott

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ojq9yQUf71e3flr68JI9I?si=a9a423cc8e6b4a97

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leading-well/id1838799325 

Get Joy@Work: When Women Lead: https://www.gretchenschott.com/shop/p/joy-at-work

Folgen-ID: 1000749219642

GUID: ed196aaa-9f25-44c3-9343-b1305a24f975

Erscheinungs­datum: 11.2.2026, 11:00:00