A Year in the Making: Reflecting on the Journey to Unfolded
Welcome to the Leadership Vision Podcast, our show helping you build a positive team culture. Our consulting firm has been doing this work for the past 25 years, ensuring that leaders are mentally engaged and emotionally healthy.
As Unfolded: Lessons in Transformation from an Origami Crane launches this week (June 4, 2025, get your copy here!) Dr. Linda and Brian Schubring take a moment to reflect on the winding, emotional journey that brought their book to life. In this special episode of The Leadership Vision Podcast, recorded just after a meaningful week at a lakeside home in Minnesota, they share the behind-the-scenes story of how this project began, evolved, and came full circle.
The Power of Place and Process
A year ago, Linda and Brian found themselves at a turning point. At a lake house in Minnesota—near where Linda’s grandparents once lived—they finalized the manuscript for Unfolded. The space, the quiet, and the support of their families sparked deep creativity. “Each day Linda rewrote and worked with the chapters I had written,” Brian recalls. “By the time the day was over, we had a finished chapter.”
This collaborative effort—marked by trust, vulnerability, and mutual respect—shaped the book and their working relationship. As Linda puts it, “Unfolded is a reflection of how we work with clients, inspire leaders, and interact with our family.”
Celebrating Full Circle Moments
Fast-forward to this year: the book is in hand, the publishing journey complete, and the same lake once again serves as the backdrop for celebration. Linda and Brian reflect on the significance of physically handing the book to their family members—those who inspired and supported them along the way. “To share it with our loved ones and say thank you, with tears and gratitude—that was a full circle moment,” says Linda.
They also acknowledge the bittersweet transition of completing a significant creative endeavor. Brian notes, “One circle has gone all the way around…and a new one is beginning—with anticipation and fear.”
Living What They Teach
This conversation is a living example of what Unfolded is about: embracing transformation, sitting in tension, and acknowledging that “both can be true.” High-stakes collaboration can be thrilling and exhausting. Endings can be celebratory and sad. And growth almost always requires us to let go of what was.
“What I mistakenly thought in some of my early dreamings of being an author is how much it would’ve been completely reliant on me… That is definitely not the case.”
Call to Action
- Pick up your copy of Unfolded wherever books are sold.
- Take a photo with the book and share your reflections online.
- Listen to the full episode for a deeply personal look at how transformation takes shape.
Action Steps for You
- Share this episode with a friend who’s in a season of transition.
- Reflect on a full-circle moment in your life. What did it teach you?
- Write down something you want to “Unfold” in the next year.
About The Leadership Vision Podcast
The Leadership Vision Podcast is a weekly show sharing our expertise in the discovery, practice, and implementation of a strengths-based approach to people, teams, and culture. We believe that knowing your Strengths is only the beginning. Our highest potential exists in the ongoing exploration of our talents.
Please contact us if you have ANY questions about anything you heard in this episode or if you’d like to talk to us about helping your team understand the power of Strengths.
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