Every leader has saboteurs. The question is — are yours running the show?
In this episode of Power Hour, host Eugene Shatsman sits down with Natalie Siston, international speaker, bestselling author, and Lead Presenter at Positive Intelligence, to unpack one of the most transformative frameworks in leadership today: mental fitness.
While much of leadership advice focuses on strategy, performance, or systems — this conversation goes deeper. It addresses the real root of stalled growth, fractured team dynamics, and burnout: your mindset. Natalie introduces the Positive Intelligence model that’s helped thousands of professionals retrain the way they think, respond, and lead, especially when things get hard.
At the heart of this episode is the concept of “saboteurs” — those automatic, inner thought patterns that sabotage your clarity, productivity, and relationships. Eugene even takes the Positive Intelligence assessment live and shares his own results, making this episode as personal as it is practical.
If you’ve ever:
- Spiraled after a one-star review,
- Left a team meeting frustrated but unsure why,
- Or struggled to understand what’s really blocking performance…
…this episode offers the insights you need to break through.
Together, Natalie and Eugene explore a four-part framework for identifying your mental triggers, re-centering in the moment, reframing challenges, and leading with a calm, clear, and productive mindset.
Whether you’re an optometrist, office manager, or just someone who wants to grow as a human and leader, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about how you show up, and how to create space between stimulus and response.
Key Takeaways
- Saboteurs in the Driver’s Seat: Learn how inner critics like the Judge, Hyper-Achiever, and Controller silently steer your leadership, and how to take the wheel back.
- Mental Fitness is Your Edge: Discover how Positive Intelligence isn’t just mindset work — it’s a science-backed system for reducing stress and increasing performance.
- From Reaction to Response: Use a 4-part framework to interrupt emotional spirals, reframe tough moments, and lead with clarity, even when the pressure’s on.
- Better Culture Starts in Your Head: Understand how your mental patterns shape team dynamics, communication, and even hiring outcomes.
- Soft Skills, Hard ROI: Find out why emotional intelligence isn’t fluff — it’s what separates burnout from breakthrough, and good leadership from great.
In This Episode
- 00:00 – Introduction
- 03:10 – What is Positive Intelligence?
- 07:00 – The 10 Saboteurs
- 12:00 – Eugene’s Live Assessment
- 17:20 – The 4-Part Mental Fitness System
- 23:00 – What to do when Patient Interactions or Team Moments Trigger You
- 29:00 – Performance, Burnout, and Culture
- 35:00 – Rewiring Your Mindset
- 40:00 – Leading with Empathy and Clarity, Even Under Pressure
- 46:00 – Final Takeaways: Small Shifts That Make a Big Leadership Difference
Contact Information
Connect with Natalie Siston:
Natalie Siston is a Certified Professional Coach and Lead Presenter at Positive Intelligence, Inc., where she helps leaders develop critical mental fitness and emotional resilience.
With over 20 years of experience coaching leaders across corporate, higher education, and non-profit sectors, Natalie uniquely blends Silicon Valley insights with small-town wisdom, having grown up in Republic, Ohio and now running Small Town Leadership.
As the bestselling author of Let Her Out: Reclaim Who You Have Always Been, she focuses on helping professionals dismantle self-sabotaging “saboteurs” — inner thought patterns that erode confidence, productivity, and team cohesion
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliesiston/
Website: https://smalltownleadership.com/
Connect with Eugene Shatsman:
Website – https://www.eugeneshatsman.com/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneshatsman