Unstuck with Jay Abbasi

The biggest leadership problems aren't solved by choosing sides. Meet Hector. As the general manager of a wholesale building materials company, Hector expects accountability and results. But the harder he pushes for performance, the quieter his team becomes. Sales blames operations. Managers avoid difficult conversations. Hector is beginning to wonder if great leadership really requires choosing between caring about people and driving results, or if there's another way. Today, Jay sits down with Michelle Troseth and Dr. Tracy Christopherson, co-founders of Missing Logic, co-authors of Polarity Intelligence, and hosts of the Burnout Proof Leadership podcast. Together, they explore why the biggest leadership challenges aren't problems to solve, but polarities to manage. and how embracing both perspectives leads to stronger teams, healthier cultures, and better decisions. Notable Quotes "It's not a problem you can solve. You need both performance and people." — Michelle Troseth "Most of what we deal with are interdependencies, not separate problems." — Michelle Troseth "Your preference becomes the environment your team works in." — Dr. Tracy Christopherson "You have to differentiate a problem from a polarity." — Michelle Troseth About Our Guests Michelle Troseth and Dr. Tracy Christopherson are the co-founders of Missing Logic, co-authors of Polarity Intelligence, and internationally recognized experts in leadership, burnout prevention, and organizational culture. Through their research, coaching, and consulting, they help leaders move beyond either-or thinking, navigate competing priorities, and build healthier, higher-performing organizations. Resources & Links Michelle Troseth Missing Logic Website – https://www.missinglogic.com/ Polarity Intelligence Book – https://www.polarityintelligence.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelletroseth Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/michelletroseth/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@missinglogicllc Dr. Tracy Christopherson Missing Logic Website – https://www.missinglogic.com/ Polarity Intelligence Book – https://www.polarityintelligence.com/ LinkedIn – https://linkedin.com/in/tracy-christopherson YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@missinglogicllc Jay Abbasi Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time Join Jay on Friday as he explores what it truly means to lead with courage. You'll learn how courageous leaders navigate difficult conversations, make hard decisions without losing compassion, and build trust while still holding people accountable. If you want to become a leader who inspires confidence instead of fear, you won't want to miss this episode.

Avoiding conflict doesn't create peace. It creates distance. Meet Amy. Three months into her new role as Senior Director of Quality, she's already exhausted. Every attempt to improve processes is met with resistance from a fellow leader who ignores her emails, avoids collaboration, and publicly undermines her in meetings. Amy wants alignment, trust, and results, but instead finds herself bracing for the next conflict. What she wants most is to lead with confidence without constantly feeling like she's fighting an uphill battle. Today, Jay sits down with Jenn Whitmer, leadership expert, TEDx speaker, and creator of Joyosity. Jenn helps leaders navigate conflict, strengthen communication, and build healthier workplace cultures. Together, they explore why avoiding difficult conversations creates "fake peace," how to handle challenging personalities, and what it takes to create genuine collaboration. Notable Quotes "If you avoid conflict, you manufacture fake peace." — Jenn Whitmer "Sandpaper people will always be around." — Jenn Whitmer "Everything good is on the other side of a hard conversation." — Jenn Whitmer About Our Guest Jenn Whitmer is a leadership expert, TEDx speaker, author, and founder of Joyosity. She helps organizations create healthier cultures by improving communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. Drawing on her background in education and leadership, Jenn teaches practical strategies that help teams thrive through change and complexity. Resources & Links Jenn Whitmer Joyosity Book – https://jennwhitmer.com/books Website – https://jennwhitmer.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennwhitmer/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2-DJeF4oY7ImMFDryRZZ-A Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jenn_whitmer/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@jenn_whitmer Jay Abbasi Website – https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Join Us Next Time Join Jay on Friday as he guides listeners through a powerful mid-year reflection and planning exercise. Whether 2026 is going exactly as planned or feels completely off track, this episode will help you assess where you are, realign your priorities, and build momentum for the second half of the year. If you want to finish 2026 strong, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Most people think confidence is performance. It’s actually presence. In this solo episode, Jay explores a surprisingly simple but powerful shift that can dramatically improve confidence, presence, and communication. Rather than focusing on techniques to appear more confident, he explains why true confidence is built through presence and awareness. Drawing from mindfulness principles and personal experience, Jay shares a practical exercise that helps quiet insecurity, reduce overthinking, and bring your attention fully into the present moment. If you’ve ever struggled with self-consciousness, fear of judgment, or feeling “in your head,” this episode offers a grounded and effective path forward. Notable Quotes “When you're in the moment like this, you're not worrying about what other people think.” — Jay Abbasi “Confidence is about presence.” — Jay Abbasi “Be present, observe what’s happening right here, right now, without judgment.” — Jay Abbasi Resources and Links Jay Abbasi Website: https://jayabbasi.me/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayabbasi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayabbasi_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejayabbasi/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayabbasipodcast Get Featured on “Unstuck” Want to have your story featured on “Unstuck”? Submit your story through the link below, and Jay may choose to highlight your story on a future episode and offer you personalized advice on how to overcome any challenge. Submit Your Story Join Us Next Time On Monday’s episode, you’ll meet Ava, a senior designer who feels called to leave her job and build something of her own, but fear keeps holding her back. Jay is joined by Diane Allen, nationally recognized speaker, mentor, and author, to explore how high-achieving professionals can trust themselves, reconnect with their intuition, and step into a more authentic path.