Executive Culture Coach at Blue Agile GmbH | Empowering leaders to foster a culture of excellence and innovation through coaching executives, enabling teams to surpass their potential and achieve remarkable results.

I’m Eva Gysling, a three-time Olympic swimmer and executive/team leader with 35+ years in complex organisations. I know real pressure - on the starting block and in the boardroom - and how much potential gets wasted when culture is left to chance, systems are poorly designed, and leadership behaviour goes unchallenged.

My work sits where Olympic mindset, executive leadership, culture and corporate mental health meet. Burnout isn’t an individual weakness, and “tough” leadership doesn’t justify daily micro-suffering - especially when it’s driven by bad behaviour. High performance without psychological safety is a contradiction. If people pay with health or dignity, it’s not performance, it’s system failure and a culture problem.

That’s why I created The Executive Edge - ASPIRE: a clear six-module framework for senior leaders who build healthy high-performance cultures on purpose. ASPIRE turns intent into standards, rituals and tools across:

• Pressure design
• Accountability
• Resilience
• Strategic agility
• Team confidence
• Culture anchoring

Purpose:
Design pressure, behaviour and collaboration so people can deliver ambitious results while staying healthy, respected and appreciated.

Who I work with (DACH)
• Senior leaders in tech, healthcare and other disruptive environments (and their leadership teams)
• People & Culture / HR leaders responsible for culture, mental health and leadership quality
• Interprofessional bridge leaders (Product, IT, Ops, Clinical/Service) living in the friction between silos
• Selected consultants, coaches and executive-education partners who want an Olympic-tested, tool-rich system to plug into their work

Together, we redesign how pressure, workload, behaviour, collaboration and culture are handled so leaders don’t have to choose between results and system health.

What I don’t do:
I don’t train people to “be more resilient” so they can tolerate the intolerable. No glossy wellbeing without accountability. No treating bad leadership as a private issue. Psychological safety is infrastructure, non-negotiable, measurable, and owned.

What working with me feels like:
Calm under pressure; direct, respectful and appreciative; Olympic-level standards with high respect for people. We install small, robust rituals/behaviors that hold when things get tough: clearer decisions, fairer load, healthier teams, and more honest collaboration. Proof, not slogans.

If this sounds like your world, let’s explore whether ASPIRE can help you build the healthy high-performance culture you actually want to own.

Eva Gysling, OLY

Most people remember one leader from their career.
Not the title → The feeling...

That feeling came from:
→ being trusted early.
→ before confidence felt solid.
→ before everything was figured out.

And also sometimes...

✅ A responsibility handed over sooner than expected.
✅ A decision made without someone stepping in.
✅ Support shown publicly when things got uncomfortable.

Those moments stay.

↳ They change how people think about themselves.
↳ They stop waiting for permission.
↳ They start taking responsibility.

This is where leadership actually shows up.

Power moves work forward in the moment.

Empowerment builds people who move work forward again and again.

That difference compounds over time.

- People think deeper.
- They own outcomes.
- They solve problems without being asked.

And eventually:

+ Teams become stronger.
+ Cultures become clearer.
+ Results stop depending on one person.

Leadership scales through the people around it.

The strongest leaders understand this.
Their focus shifts from control to capability.
From directing work to developing judgment.

The impact lasts longer than any role or title.

Leadership shows up in the people who grow under it.
That’s how leaders become great.

Repost now with others
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3x Olympian | Executive Sparring Partner for Senior Leaders in D-A-CH | The Executive Edge - ASPIRE: High performance that protects people’s health and dignity

You don’t need more time.

You need fewer decisions.

Most people exhaust themselves
deciding what to do next.

That’s not productivity.
That’s friction.

Here’s my personal blueprint for focus and flow - simple, practical, repeatable:

1️⃣ The Anchor Task
Forget the endless to-do list.

Pick one non-negotiable task each day.
Finish it and the day counts.

Everything else is extra.

2️⃣ Energy Mapping
Stop managing hours.

Start managing energy.

High energy → deep, creative work.
Low energy → admin, emails, chores.

Match the task to your state, not the clock.

3️⃣ The 2-Minute Rule
If it takes under 120 seconds, do it now.

Tiny tasks create invisible stress.
This clears it before it stacks.

4️⃣ Digital Fortressing
Focus is a finite resource.

Treat it like one.

Phone in another room.
Messages checked at set times.

Constant availability is not a performance metric.

5️⃣ The “Clear the Deck” Ritual
End the day on purpose.

Last 10 minutes:
– Tidy your space
– Close the tabs
– Write tomorrow’s Anchor Task

Future-you starts calm, not behind.

Time management isn’t about control.

It’s about design.

Repost now with others
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Dr. Chris Mullen

👋Follow for posts on personal growth, leadership & the world of work 🎤Keynote Speaker 💡 inspiring new ways to create remarkable employee experiences, so you can build a 📈 high-performing & attractive work culture

👋 Hey, I’m Chris.

𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

I’m a pracademic, someone who lives at the intersection of research and real life. I study the future of work, leadership, and human behavior, then translate those insights into practical ideas leaders can actually use.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

❌ Performance doesn’t improve when people just do more
❌ Burnout is often a boundary problem, not a motivation problem
❌ Most workplace challenges trace back to how people experience work

The truth is simple:
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.

That belief sits at the center of 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞, my newsletter, keynote work, and upcoming book. It’s about reducing burnout, setting better boundaries, and building habits that make work and life feel more intentional.

I’m a LinkedIn Top Leadership Voice, and my work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Inc., MSNBC, and NBC News.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩

1️⃣ 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
One short, thoughtful email each week.
A simple, actionable idea to help you work better, lead better, and live better, without adding more to your plate.
👉 Sign up free: https://chrismullen.org/newsletter

2️⃣ 𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠
I partner with organizations and leadership teams to rethink culture, performance, and employee experience.
Research-backed, practical, and designed to spark real change.
👉 Learn more: https://chrismullen.org/speaking

3️⃣ 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 → 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤
A clear blueprint built from PhD research and years of hands-on work with leaders across industries, designed to help you build a life that actually fits the season you’re in.
If you want to be the first to know when it’s released, the newsletter is the best place to start.
👉 https://chrismullen.org/newsletter

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭.

Founder and CEO

Empowering people to maxim their potential and fully step into who they are. It's time to ELEVATE YOURSELF!

Check out my website - www.chrismullen.org

Responsible for providing executive leadership coaching, organization development, and training to a range of companies from non-profits to higher education to a bestselling author and entrepreneurs.

A supportive workplace isn't a luxury.

It's the foundation of a thriving career.

Everyone thinks securing a job is the ultimate goal.

But I believe the workplace culture is just as important.

Here's why:

Early in my career,

I focused solely on landing a job.

I didn't consider the workplace environment.

One day, I found myself in a toxic workplace.

It drained me mentally and emotionally.

That's when I realized the value of a supportive work culture.

Now when I look for a job, I focus on the company culture.

3 things I look for:

1. Respect and Trust
↳ Is there mutual respect among colleagues?
↳ Do they foster a trustworthy environment?
↳ Are ideas and concerns openly shared?

2. Opportunities for Growth
↳ Do they offer training programs?
↳ Are there mentorship opportunities?
↳ Can you see a clear path for advancement?
↳ Mental Well-being

3. Do they support mental health initiatives?
↳ Is there a good work-life balance?
↳ Do they provide resources for stress management?
↳ Reflect on your core values.

Align your career choices with supportive environments.

You're not just seeking a job, you're seeking a culture.

A nurturing workplace accelerates your career and enriches your life.

A toxic workplace can have the opposite effect.

❓What does a supportive culture look like to you right now?

__________
♻️ Repost if you believe culture is a career decision, not a perk.
👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) for more practical guidance on choosing workplaces that help you grow and subscribe to BETTER AT LIFE to build better habits and better leadership: https://lnkd.in/gJTcghKK

Helping leaders work better, lead better, live better • Author, Better at Life • Keynote speaker

You don’t need a title to lead.

You need trust.

For a long time, I thought leadership was something you arrived at.
A role. A promotion. A line on a profile.

It isn’t.
Most people chase success.
That’s why it keeps outrunning them.

We get stuck because:
❌ We optimize for personal wins instead of shared progress
❌ We measure growth by titles instead of impact
❌ We hoard information to stay “needed”

But real success doesn’t respond to chasing.
It responds to service.

Here’s what actually works:

1/ Make others look good
↳ Credit loudly. Praise publicly.
↳ Let their wins speak before yours.

2/ Share what you know early
↳ Don’t wait until you feel “ready.”
↳ Hoarded insight helps no one.

3/ Remove friction
↳ Solve problems people don’t have time to name.
↳ Make progress easier, not louder.

4/ Coach without keeping score
↳ Help even when there’s no upside.
↳ Impact compounds when motives are clean.

5/ Be useful before being impressive
↳ Competence compounds faster than ego.
↳ Trust is built through consistency.

Success isn’t a finish line.
It’s a byproduct.

Most careers are built by people you never get to properly thank.

❓Who helped you long before you were ready?

__________
♻️ Repost if helping others win has shaped your career.
👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) and subscribe to BETTER AT LIFE, one intentional idea each week to live and lead better: https://lnkd.in/gJTcghKK

Most toxic leaders aren’t promoted because they’re toxic.

They’re promoted because they survive broken systems.

I’ve seen this up close, sitting in leadership reviews where the numbers looked great, deadlines were hit, and no one asked why entire teams kept quietly leaving.

Here’s why leaders like this keep rising:

1/ They step up when others hesitate.
↳ Urgency gets rewarded, even without empathy.
↳ Speed is mistaken for leadership.

2/ They absorb pressure from above.
↳ Executives feel relief.
↳ Teams feel the weight.

3/ They look strong in crisis
↳ Decisiveness gets praised.
↳ Damage gets deferred.

4/ Their teams stop speaking up
↳ Fear kills feedback.
↳ Silence gets mistaken for alignment.

5/ Executives rarely feel the damage
↳ Burnout doesn’t show up in reports.
↳ Turnover lags behind performance.

6/ Kind leadership is harder to notice
↳ It doesn’t demand attention.
↳ It compounds quietly over time.

7/ The system rewards outcomes, not impact
↳ How results are achieved gets ignored.
↳ Culture pays the price later.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:

We don’t promote the best leaders.
We promote the best performers under stress.

And those are not always the same people.

Most people reading this have worked under a leader like this.
What kept you quiet wasn’t weakness, it was self-protection.

Leadership should build people, not burn them out.

________
♻️ Share if culture should matter as much as results.
👋 Follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) if you believe leadership should build people, not burn them out. One idea a week via BETTER AT LIFE. https://lnkd.in/gJTcghKK

Most people see rest as a luxury.

Not from lack of energy.
But from pressure.

Thanks to César Solís for these important truths!
(Give him a follow)

Rest isn’t avoidance of growth.
It’s fuel for it.

You don’t recover by stopping completely.
You recover by returning to what restores you.

❓ When was the last time you rested without guilt?

__________
♻️ Repost this as a reminder to your future self.
🔔 Follow César Solís Solis and Dr. Chris Mullen for leadership that values longevity over burnout.

The Importance of Rest

People don’t quit speaking up.

They quit feeling safe.

A leader once told me, “My team won’t speak up.”
Five minutes later, he interrupted someone mid-sentence.

Here’s the truth too many leaders miss:
You can’t demand high performance from a team that’s afraid to tell you the truth.

Silence isn’t alignment.
It’s fear.

6 ways leaders accidentally shut people down and how to fix it:

1/ Talking more than listening
↳ Ask one question, then count to 5.
↳ End meetings by summarizing their words.

2/ Reacting defensively
↳ Swap rebuttals for: “Tell me more.”
↳ When triggered: “Give me a moment to process.”

3/ Rewarding agreement
↳ Praise healthy pushback.
↳ Try a “challenger of the week.”

4/ Only hearing from the loudest voices
↳ Actively invite input from those who rarely speak and protect their airtime.
↳ Use round-robins to equalize airtime.

5/ Treating mistakes like failures
↳ Normalize learning conversations: “What did this teach us?”
↳ Share your own lesson of the week.

6/ Allowing interruptions
↳ Rule: Let them finish.
↳ Redirect interruptions gracefully.

High performance lives or dies on psychological safety.

If people don’t feel safe, they won’t speak up.
And if they won’t speak up, you don’t get the truth you need.

❓What’s a small habit leaders can start today to help people speak up more?

__________
♻️ Repost if you believe high performance starts with trust.
👋 If building safer, stronger teams matters to you, follow me (Dr. Chris Mullen) and get one practical leadership habit each week: https://lnkd.in/gJTcghKK

Image credit: George Stern

You don’t need more skills

You need better self-talk.

Thanks to George Stern for these important truths!
(Give him a follow)

The biggest bottleneck in your career isn't skill,

It's this:

You can have all the experience, training, and opportunities.

And still stay stuck if your mindset holds you there.

The good news is you can fix that.

The shift starts small:
A few words you swap in your own head.

Small edits with massive impact.

These 7 mindset shifts change everything:

1/ I'm not ready → I'll learn as I go
↳ Readiness is a myth. Momentum makes you capable
↳ Action: Write down the first 2 messy steps and do them before you feel ready

2/ This is a problem → This is a puzzle
↳ One feels heavy, the other invites curiosity
↳ Action: Ask, "What are 3 possible ways this could work?" before labeling it stuck

3/ What if I mess up? → I've practiced for this
↳ Fear shifts to focus when you see the reps behind you
↳ Action: Keep a "reps list" of past situations you handled well and reread it before big moments

4/ I don't know how → I can learn how
↳ A skill gap is temporary. A fixed belief is permanent
↳ Action: Block 20 minutes to watch or read one resource today

5/ This won't work → I'll find a way
↳ A test, not a dead end
↳ Action: List one fallback option before you start - now you have safety to move

6/ This is a risk → This is an opportunity
↳ Same facts, different emotional weight
↳ Action: Write the best case scenario on paper. Keep it visible while you decide

7/ I failed → I learned
↳ A mistake shows you what to fix, it doesn't define you
↳ Action: After any setback, ask: "What's the 1 thing I'd do differently next time?"

Big changes usually start with small mental edits.

❓ Which of these do you need most right now?

_________
♻️ Share this to inspire others to shift their mindset.
🔔 Follow George Stern and Dr. Chris Mullen for more leadership and mindset strategies that actually work in real life.

George Stern - 7 Mindset Shifts

The best problem-solvers.

Aren’t always the loudest ones.

Thanks to Eric Partaker for this helpful post!
(Give him a follow)

"Quiet people have the loudest minds." – S. Hawking.

Too often, we mistake silence for weakness.

But quiet team members are often the
strongest performers in the room.

They're just not shouting about it.

If you’re a CEO, founder, or team lead…
This is your cheat sheet.

Save it. Share it. Lead better with it.

Quiet people = Untapped potential

They think deeply.
They work with focus.
They see what others miss.

Yet many leaders accidentally overlook them.

Every personality draws energy differently:
➟ Introverts recharge in solitude
➟ Extroverts thrive in social settings
➟ Ambiverts balance both

Don’t mistake quiet for disengaged.
It’s often strategic focus in action.

8 quiet strengths to look for:

1/ Deep Thinkers: excel in creative problem-solving.
2/ Empathetic Leaders: understand team emotions.
3/ Focused Workers: able to concentrate deeply.
4/ Effective Listeners: listen for the root cause.
5/ Calm: serene presence in tough situations.
6/ Observant: an eye for details & insights.
7/ Independent: operate autonomously.
8/ Prudent: well-thought-out choices.

Become aware of these strengths,
so you can make the most of them!

7 Ways to Empower Quiet Talent:

✔️ Create quiet workspaces
✔️ Leverage their strengths
✔️ Encourage written input
✔️ Offer more prep time
✔️ Acknowledge quietly
✔️ Meet one-on-one
✔️ Actually listen

Quiet people often bring the deepest insights,
strongest focus, and most thoughtful leadership.

Recognize them.
Support them.
And your whole team wins.

❓ What’s one thing your workplace could change to help quiet contributors shine more?
⬇️ Let’s talk in the comments.

_______
♻️ Share this your culture becomes stronger when every voice feels valued.
🔔 Follow Eric Partaker and Dr. Chris Mullen for more leadership insights that elevate team performance.

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The Battle

Eva Gysling, OLY

Dr. Chris Mullen

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The Battle

Eva Gysling, OLY

Dr. Chris Mullen

Followers

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