He sat in his car for forty-five minutes after signing the papers that handed his company to his son. Everything had gone right. He still didn't know who he was.This episode is about the season nobody prepares high-capacity leaders for — the wilderness between an ending and a beginning. We talk about why the wilderness is formation, not failure; the four ways leaders try to skip it; and what it actually means to steward this season instead of just surviving it.For the leader whose role has ended — but whose identity hasn't caught up yet.

The Tension Lab with Rudy Swigart Most leaders are running on empty — but nobody's talking about it. The Tension Lab is the podcast for high-capacity leaders who are tired of performing fine while quietly burning out. Hosted by Rudy Swigart — burnout prevention coach, organizational consultant, and founder of the Relational Impact Institute — each episode goes beneath the surface to explore what it actually costs to lead at this level, and what it takes to sustain it. Rudy brings a rare combination of clinical insight, business acumen, and personal faith to conversations about identity, relational health, emotional resilience, and the pressure that high-capacity people too often carry alone. Whether you lead a corporation, a nonprofit, or a faith community, this show is your permission to stop white-knuckling it — and start stewarding the tension instead. Episodes feature honest conversations, practical frameworks, and the kind of truth-telling that most leadership content is too polished to offer. You don't have to be broken to get better. You just have to be willing. The Tension Lab — because the most important work happens under pressure.