Stop Winging It: A Resilience Plan (with Dr. MH Pelletier)

Chapter one of my guest's book is called "You're Fabulous and At Risk," and that's basically the resilience plan talk your inner high-achiever needs. Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, a psychologist, executive coach, and author of The Resilience Plan, spends her career telling capable, driven leaders the thing they don't want to hear: being good at your job is not, on its own, a resilience plan. Marie-Hélène has a doctorate in psychology and an MBA, and she translates between the corporate world and the mental health world for a living. We get into why leaders assume they don't need support because they're paid more and get to make the decisions, her winter-driving analogy for why high performers underestimate risk right up until they're stuck in the ditch, and the very concrete difference between hoping you'll be resilient and actually having a plan. You'll walk away with a question worth asking before the next demand hits: is your current "I've got this" actually a plan, or just a habit you haven't been tested on yet? Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxREMeXw5xg In this episode Why "winging it" works right up until it doesn't, and why high-performing leaders are usually the last to notice The "You're Fabulous and At Risk" mindset: how competence and burnout risk can both be true at the same time Dr. Pelletier's winter-driving analogy for why leaders underestimate demands they're actually unprepared for Why leaders assume they don't need support because they're paid more and get to make the decisions, and why that's backwards How to build a personal resilience plan instead of just hoping you'll cope when the next crisis hits Why framing change as energizing instead of threatening starts with having enough margin to absorb it Timestamps (00:01) Welcome and meet Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, psychologist and author of The Resilience Plan (04:15) Bridging psychology and business, and why she focused on resilience specifically (07:45) What's different about the resilience leaders need versus everyone else (11:58) Why high performers wait too long to invest in their own mental health (15:27) The problem with "I'll just wing it when I get there" (20:00) The winter-driving analogy: having the tools before you need them (25:20) "You're Fabulous and At Risk": the story behind the chapter title (31:05) Change as a chronic demand, and building margin instead of burnout (32:39) Reframing change as energizing instead of a threat (35:23) Where to find Dr. Pelletier and The Resilience Plan About Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier is a psychologist, executive coach, and author of The Resilience Plan, with over 20 years of experience as a leadership psychologist and senior leader in the corporate, insurance, governance, and healthcare sectors. She is a member of the Global Clinical Practice Network of the World Health Organization and a past director on the boards of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology. Learn more at The Resilience Plan, or connect with her on LinkedIn. Favorite quotes "We're fabulous and at risk if we don't have a plan." —Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier "This is Olympic level. We need to pay attention to those choices on a daily basis." —Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier "We cannot bank on natural factors or conditions to appear when we need them." —Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier Resources mentioned The Resilience Plan by Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier: drmarie-helene.com/book Free strategic-resilience-plan worksheets Dr. Pelletier offers listeners (mentioned in the episode; no direct link was provided in the source content) Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier on LinkedIn Related episodes From Adversity To CEO: Victoria's Path to Leadership: another leader's take on resilience, this time from Victoria Pelletier's "Iron Maiden to Turtle" journey (a different guest, same last name). How to Spot Burnout Before It's Too Late: pairs with Dr. Pelletier's warning about high performers who don't notice they're at risk until they're stuck. How to Reclaim Your Energy When You're Burned Out: practical next step for anyone who recognized themselves in the "winging it" pattern. Subscribe & connect If this episode gave you something to sit with, follow Phoenix and Flame so you never miss an episode: all apps in one place, or jump straight to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube. And if it moved you, leave a review; it's the easiest way to help another listener find the show. Learn more about Phoenix and Flame, connect with Dana, and listen to more episodes here. Curious where your own boundaries stand? Take my free Work Boundaries Quiz: danaskaggs.com/quiz