Why Leader also Means Ladder

[00:00:00] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: There’s one German word that quietly changed how I lead. I’ll tell you what it is in a second.

[00:00:08] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: First, hello. My name is Dr. Christiane, and I’m the host of the Happy Healthy Hustle podcast.

[00:00:15] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I’m a professor and a keynote speaker, and I’ve spent years studying one thing: how real results get built through small, steady practice.

[00:00:24] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I call it Petite Practice, and I even gave a TEDx talk about it. I teach it to my students, and I still learn something new every week.

[00:00:36] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So here’s that German word. In German, the word for leader is Leiter. And Leiter also means ladder in English.

[00:00:44] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Same word, same spelling: leader and ladder. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

[00:00:51] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because a ladder exists for one reason: to help someone reach a place they couldn’t get to alone. It holds steady while you rise. And it asks for nothing back.

[00:01:03] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That’s the strange thing. It’s a strange way to think about leadership… and it’s also the truest way I’ve found. It’s the thread running straight through today’s episode.

[00:01:14] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because I sat down with Sammy, my amazing social media student assistant, and this conversation went somewhere I did not see coming.

[00:01:24] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: There’s a moment where Sammy says something that made me stop, think out loud, and just sit with it.

[00:01:32] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And no, I’m not going to spoil it, because you have to tune in and listen. You’ll know it when you hear it.

[00:01:41] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So here’s why this episode matters so much to me right now. This idea, that real leadership lifts other people higher, is the heartbeat of my new book, Petite Practice, coming out August 16.

[00:01:55] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Petite Practice: Small, Steady Steps to a Life of Momentum and Real Change. That’s the ladder… the quiet way the best leaders show up. It runs right through the pages of this book.

[00:02:08] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So stay with me. Get comfortable. Let’s get into this quick conversation with Sammy. I have a feeling it’s going to change the way you lead, too.

[00:02:19] Sammy: Okay, I have to ask… what are you doing standing on the ladder?

[00:02:25] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: It’s so funny that you ask, because this ladder is exactly how I think about leadership.

[00:02:32] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: When I picture the difference between a manager and a leader, this is the image that comes to mind. Not a throne. Not a spotlight. A ladder.

[00:02:43] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And here’s why. In German, the word Leiter means leader. And it also means ladder. It’s the exact same word: Leiter… leader… ladder.

[00:02:53] Sammy: Wait, the same word?

[00:02:55] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I know. It’s kind of a funny thing that ladder, Leiter, and leader are exactly the same.

[00:03:02] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And the more I sat with that, thinking about why German has this connection, the more I realized it might be the very best definition of leadership I’ve ever heard.

[00:03:14] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because a ladder exists for one reason: to help someone reach a place they otherwise couldn’t get to.

[00:03:22] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And that whole job, taking one step at a time to get to a different place, we get it wrong all the time. We think of leadership as being above people.

[00:03:35] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: When in reality, it’s not about having the title or getting the recognition. It’s not even about being the smartest person in the room.

[00:03:45] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: A ladder doesn’t climb for you. A ladder isn’t bragging about how high it goes. It’s simply creating support.

[00:03:53] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And that’s what a great leader does. They create support. They create trust. And they create room for other people to grow and reach new places.

[00:04:03] Sammy: So then what actually makes someone a good leader?

[00:04:07] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That’s a great question. There are three things that make a really good leader. Let me get started.

[00:04:15] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: First, a strong leader creates stability, just like a sturdy ladder. Nobody wants to climb a shaky ladder. And nobody wants to follow a shaky leader.

[00:04:26] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: People need consistency. They need to know that when things get hard, you are still standing there for them, with them.

[00:04:34] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Second, a strong leader supports every step, not just the top step. Every single step. That means growth happens gradually.

[00:04:43] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So when you coach, you encourage. You listen. And you make sure you celebrate progress all along the way, because nobody reaches the top in one single leap. People take those small steps.

[00:04:56] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Third, a strong leader remembers that they are not the destination. They are the pathway. The best leaders don’t create dependence. They create confidence.

[00:05:06] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So don’t ask, how can I get people to follow me? Ask, how can I help people succeed without me? How can they take the ladder, with me just supporting them?

[00:05:19] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because leadership is not about creating followers. It’s about creating more leaders. And that’s what a lot of people get wrong.

[00:05:28] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So Petite Practice is really about that one person who looks out for you. The one person who is there to help you and to give you guidance.

[00:05:39] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: That could be a child. It could be a student, a client, a colleague, a friend.

[00:05:46] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because ask yourself this one question: Who’s really the amazing leader? Am I trying to be in the spotlight? Or am I willing to be the ladder?

[00:05:57] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Because leadership is not measured by how high you climb. It’s measured by how many people can climb higher because of you and the support you give them. You’re serving them.

[00:06:10] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: And maybe the Germans had it right all along. A leader is not someone who stands above you. A leader is someone who is willing to be the ladder.

[00:06:22] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: So if this resonated with you, subscribe to the YouTube channel, leave a comment, and let us know: is there somebody in your life who could be your ladder? What do you think about that fun word?

[00:06:37] Sammy: I love it. I love the whole description of the ladder… how you can grow and climb to reach your dreams and goals. And now you’ve learned another fun German word.

[00:06:49] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Yes. There it is.

[00:06:51] Sammy: Yeah, I had no idea.

[00:06:54] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: Well, thank you so much for being here today. And let’s leave with that one question: Who helped you climb when you couldn’t quite reach the top on your own?

[00:07:06] Dr. Christiane Schroeter: I would love to hear from you. And as always, I’ll see you in the next video.