By: Rebecca Stone

Leadership often gets framed as visibility. The person at the front of the room. The one making the final call. For Jennifer Schielke, the real work of leadership happens somewhere less obvious. It shows up in how people are treated when no one is watching, in the tone of everyday conversations, and in the choices made when the easy option is not the right one.

Jennifer’s earliest influences were leaders who combined strength with humility. They held firm beliefs but never lost respect for the people around them. What stayed with her was not just their confidence, but their consistency.

“What they said, what they believed, and how they treated others always aligned,” she reflects. “That integrity created safety, trust, and a deep sense of purpose.”

That idea of alignment still guides how she leads today. For Jennifer, influence is not something claimed. It is something earned through repeated, reliable action.

When Pressure Tests What You Stand For

Most leaders can talk about their values. Living them when pressure rises is a different challenge. Jennifer believes values become meaningful only when they are tested.

She encourages leaders to decide who they want to be before a difficult moment arrives. That sense of identity becomes an anchor when the stakes are high, and emotions run strong.

“In those moments, clarity of values acts as a compass,” she says. “It helps you slow down long enough to ask if this decision reflects who you say you are.”

Repetition, accountability, and reflection are what turn those questions into habits. Over time, values move from being statements on a website to behaviors that shape meetings, feedback, and conflict.

Letting Go to Lead Better

One of the hardest shifts for high-performing leaders is learning to let go of control. Many rise through the ranks by being fast problem-solvers and dependable decision-makers. That strength, Jennifer notes, can become a limitation when leadership becomes more people-focused.

“Learning to step back and develop others’ voices instead of being the loudest one in the room is often the most transformational change,” she explains.

Trusting others to carry responsibility does more than lighten a leader’s load. It builds confidence and ownership within the team. It creates a culture where people feel invested in the outcome, not just accountable to it.

Choosing the Harder Path

There have been moments in Jennifer’s career when walking away from an opportunity felt like the wrong move on paper. Alignment, ethics, or transparency did not sit right, and the short-term cost was real.

Yet she sees those decisions as some of the most valuable she has made. Integrity, she believes, has a way of protecting relationships and opening doors that would never appear through compromise.

The long-term impact shows up in trust. In reputation. In the quiet confidence that comes from knowing the path chosen reflects something deeper than convenience.

Trust in the Small Moments

Organizational culture is often discussed in big terms. Mission statements. Values posters. Town halls. Jennifer focuses on something simpler and more demanding.

Trust is built in the small, daily moments.

It shows up in whether leaders follow through on their promises. In how they respond when a mistake is made. In how they handle uncomfortable conversations and share credit for success.

“Trust lives in how meetings are run, how feedback is given, and how conflict is handled,” she says.

These choices, repeated over time, create an environment where people feel safe to speak honestly and take meaningful risks. Without that sense of safety, even the best strategies struggle to take hold.

Staying Grounded in the Noise

Leadership brings a steady stream of expectations. From teams. From boards. From markets that never seem to slow down. When that noise becomes overwhelming, Jennifer returns to her purpose and her faith.

She views leadership as stewardship rather than ownership. That shift changes how pressure feels.

“Prayer, reflection, and time with trusted advisors help recalibrate my perspective,” she shares. “When I remember that my role is to serve, not to perform for approval, clarity returns.”

This grounding allows her to respond rather than react. To lead from a place of intention instead of urgency.

Listening as Influence

In fast-paced environments, listening is often the first thing to disappear. Jennifer sees it as the foundation of real influence.

Being fully present, asking thoughtful questions, and resisting the urge to prepare a response while someone else is speaking can reveal insights that no dashboard can provide.

Leaders who make space for different perspectives, especially when time feels tight, often uncover risks and opportunities others miss. Listening, in this sense, becomes a strategic advantage as well as a human one.

A Different Measure of Legacy

When Jennifer talks about legacy, she rarely mentions scale or market share. She talks about people.

A healthy leadership legacy, in her view, is visible in the confidence and integrity of those who continue the work after a leader steps away. It is seen in a culture that holds its values even when the original voice is no longer present.

For emerging leaders, she offers a simple shift in mindset. Move from proving to improving. Focus on learning, serving, and building credibility through consistency rather than chasing validation.

The Question That Guides Every Decision

If Jennifer had five minutes with every CEO before their next major decision, she would ask one question.

“Does this align with who you are, the values you claim, and the legacy you want to leave behind?”

For her, that question sits at the heart of leadership. When strategy, character, and purpose move together, influence becomes lasting. Impact lives on in people, not just in results.

Learn More and Get the Book

Explore Leading for Impact: The CEO’s Guide to Influencing with Integrity on Amazon.

Visit Jennifer’s official website for insights, speaking, and leadership resources: https://jenniferschielke.com/