Overdrive to Overflow: Leadership, Self-Care & Supporting Others Without Burning OutOverdrive to Overflow: Leadership, Self-Care & Supporting Others Without Burning Out
Naturally High
Jeanne Foot and leadership coach Kimberly Snyder talk about self-care, addiction and emotional safety in leadership, contrasting real support with rescue mode. The conversation looks at boundaries, agency and practical ways leaders can protect their own wellbeing while still showing up for others.
49:37•8 Jul 2026
From Overdrive to Overflow: Leadership, Self-Care and Letting Go of Rescue Mode
Episode Overview
- Leaders do not need perfect words; listening, presence and good questions matter more than advice-giving.
- Self-care and self-soothing are very different, and numbing with alcohol or other habits undermines clear thinking and leadership.
- Psychological safety means people can say they are struggling, while still keeping clear boundaries around what a leader can and cannot do.
- True support focuses on agency and pointing to resources, not rescuing others or carrying their consequences.
- Regular strategic thinking time and honest, guilt-free rest help shift from constant crisis mode into a more sustainable, overflow state.
“The role of the leader is to not have the perfect words. I would even say, be quiet, listen, ask questions.”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction? Quite a lot, especially about how leaders handle pressure, people, and their own wellbeing. This Naturally High episode brings together host Jeanne Foot and leadership coach and HR consultant Kimberly Snyder for a straight-talking chat about leadership 911 moments, self-care, and why rescuing everyone is a fast track to burnout.
Kimberly explains her “Overflow” philosophy, born during the pandemic from a client who was secretly hiding overflowing wine bottles in the recycling. That story opens up a bigger conversation about the difference between self-soothing and genuine self-care, and how alcohol and other numbing habits creep in when high achievers are trying to hold everything together.
You’ll hear them unpack common leadership crises: feeling responsible for fixing every problem, hunting for the “perfect words”, and quietly carrying staff members’ personal struggles home at night. Kimberly is clear: "The role of the leader is to not have the perfect words. I would even say, be quiet, listen, ask questions." Jeanne adds the importance of psychological safety, flattening hierarchy in tough conversations, and giving people agency rather than taking over their recovery or life decisions.
They talk about emotional intelligence, nervous system overload, and that familiar amygdala hijack when everything feels urgent. Practical ideas include booking weekly “strategic thinking time”, treating emotional health like a broken leg that needs accommodation, and recognising that manicures and rushed appointments are grooming, not genuine self-care. This episode is ideal if you’re a manager, HR professional, business owner, or anyone leading humans at work or at home.
You’ll come away questioning where your responsibility ends, where someone else’s begins, and what one small change you could make this week to move from overdrive to overflow. So, what are you going to do differently for yourself and your team?
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