In this episode of The Leader’s Lab, Kristine reflects on a pivotal chapter of her career, when she made a decision that surprised almost everyone around her: turning down the security of a traditional full-time opportunity in favor of a contractor role that offered something she valued even more, freedom, autonomy, and the opportunity to learn.

Drawing on her experience working across France and the CIS region, she shares how cultural differences shaped her perception of work, why she never viewed contractor and full-time roles through the same lens as many people around her, and what she learned from navigating international business environments, complex team dynamics, and career-defining choices.

Kristine also opens up about one of the most challenging workplace experiences of her career: feeling isolated inside a team, struggling to understand unspoken tensions, and learning how to stay focused on the work even when the environment around her felt uncomfortable.

This conversation explores career decisions, workplace culture, international leadership, resilience, office politics, personal growth, and the importance of building a career based on your own values rather than other people’s expectations.

Because sometimes the opportunities that shape us the most are the ones that make the least sense to everyone else.

Don’t forget to follow Kristine for more insights, stories, and leadership inspiration: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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