Don’t Feed the Critic. Train the Coach: How to Rewire Negative Self-Talk and Lead Better

Entrepreneurship demands resilience, but too many founders rely on pressure and self-criticism as their fuel. Mike Robbins joins Sarah Lockwood to unpack why most business leaders treat self-worth as a scoreboard metric, praising achievement while ignoring wellbeing. He draws a clear line between recognition (results-based approval) and appreciation (inherent value), making the case that positive self-talk is foundational to sustainable leadership.

Mike shares how losing his professional baseball career forced him to confront a brutal truth: he had spent years chasing success without ever appreciating himself along the way. His philosophy of self-compassion isn’t about lowering standards, it’s about upgrading your mindset from harsh critic to effective coach. Entrepreneurs don’t need more pressure; they need healthier internal leadership.

The discussion then turns to feedback, another place where leaders misinterpret signals. Instead of defaulting to defense or shame, Mike suggests receiving feedback with curiosity rather than judgment. That small shift turns critique into growth material instead of evidence of failure.

This conversation reframes business success as an inner game as much as an external one. When wellbeing and performance are treated as allies rather than opposites, leaders become both more effective and more human.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Entrepreneurs Struggle with Self-Talk

01:14 The Leadership Mindset Shift

05:41 Mike Robbins’ Baseball Story and the Cost of Self-Judgment

09:34 How to Build Self-Compassion Without Losing Your Edge

14:07 Receiving Feedback Without Crumbling or Getting Defensive

18:37 How to Ask for Better Feedback (and Actually Grow from It)

22:05 Balancing High Performance with Humanity in Leadership

24:10 Evolving as Entrepreneurs Beyond Grit Alone

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