Kathrin Schoeßler wins Excellence Award for leadership self-management talk

Kathrin Schoeßler won the Excellence Award on July 3, 2026, at the International Speaker Slam in Mastershausen for a talk on healthy self-management as a core leadership skill. Her message centered on how leader well-being can shape team culture, reduce burnout risk, and support business performance.

Why it matters: - Schoeßler’s message links leader self-care to company performance, employee retention and innovation. - The talk frames healthy self-management as a core leadership skill, not a private wellness topic. - The approach aims to help managers prevent burnout before productivity and health decline.

What happened: - Kathrin Schoeßler, a mentor for executives, received the Excellence Award on July 3, 2026, at the International Speaker Slam in Mastershausen. - Schoeßler spoke about the central role of self-management in modern leadership. - The event brought together speakers from 21 nations. - Participants had 240 seconds on two stages to persuade both the audience and an expert jury. - The Speaker Slam has previously taken place in New York, Vienna, Frankfurt, Dubai, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Las Vegas, Wiesbaden and Munich.

The details: - Schoeßler argued that healthy self-management by managers creates high-performing and appreciative corporate cultures. - Schoeßler said leadership self-care becomes more important as psychological strain at work rises. - The talk placed a manager’s ability to manage energy and mental clarity at the center of effective leadership. - Leaders who neglect their own resources risk burnout and help spread a culture of overload. - That overload can hurt employee retention and innovation. - Schoeßler said conscious self-management can increase sovereignty, energy and authenticity. - She said those qualities support a clearer, healthier and more human leadership style. - Such leadership can build trust and psychological safety. - Schoeßler said those conditions help teams stay engaged, creative and resilient when markets change. - She presented that as the foundation for an organization that can remain successful and adaptable over time. - Schoeßler highlighted nature as a support tool in coaching. - She described nature as a mirror, a teacher and a place for reflection. - In that setting, leaders can step away from operational pressure and view complex challenges differently. - Schoeßler connected the method with established leadership theory and resilience research. - Schoeßler’s closing message was: “Führung verändert sich in dem Moment, in dem wir erkennen: Die wichtigste Person, die wir führen müssen, sind wir selbst.” - More information is available on Kathrin Schoeßler’s website and her LinkedIn profile.

Between the lines: - The award suggests the leadership conversation is expanding beyond strategy and execution into personal energy management. - The nature-based coaching angle positions Schoeßler’s work at the intersection of leadership development, resilience and reflection. - The talk also reflects a broader focus on mental health and sustainable performance in organizations.

What's next: - Schoeßler’s framing could resonate with companies looking for practical ways to reduce stress and improve team stability. - The emphasis on preventive leadership suggests continued demand for coaching that connects well-being with business outcomes.

The bottom line: - Schoeßler’s award-winning pitch was simple: leaders who manage themselves well are more likely to build healthier, more resilient organizations.