Transformative Leadership Conversations with Winnie da Silva The Biology Behind Effective Leadership with Martin Redigolo and Jan-Philipp Martini
"Chronic stress is anti-correlated with all the things you want to have as a leader. It's anti-correlated with empathy, it's anti-correlated with creativity, and it's anti-correlated with complex decision making.” - Jan-Philipp Martini
“If you can get more insight into what drives you, you can handle yourself — and your leadership — much better.” – Martin Redigolo
Stress has a funny way of showing up long before we notice it - our bodies feel it first, and our calendars catch up later.
In this episode, I bring Martin Redigolo and Sapiens founder Jan-Philipp Martini together so we can connect the dots between the science, the story, and the real human experience of leading under pressure. Martin actually went through the full Sapiens Stress & Resilience Diagnostic, and he shares what the process was like, what surprised him, and how the results shifted the way he understands himself as a leader.
And because Jan-Philipp is with us too, we dig into the “why” behind the data - how stress shows up in the body, what most leaders overlook, and how small, realistic habit shifts can make a huge difference in how you feel and how you perform.
This conversation pulls the whole series together in a way that’s super grounded, practical, and honestly… eye-opening.
You’ll hear me discuss:
- How Martin’s diagnostic unfolded and the parts of the process that were surprisingly simple (and surprisingly revealing)
- The moments when the data challenged what he thought he knew about his own stress
- How the ECG and cortisol analysis make invisible stress completely visible
- The three core questions the Sapiens report answers for every leader
- The subtle patterns in your day that can drive fatigue or restlessness without you realizing it
- Why it matters to work with your biology before trying to change your mindset
- How chronic stress quietly undermines things like empathy, creativity, and decision-making
- The shifts Martin is making now - at work and at home - because of what he learned
- a few habit changes that are simple, doable, and grounded in real science
- what sustainable leadership actually looks like when you’re aiming for excellence without exhaustion
Resources
Jan Philipp Martini on Sapiens | LinkedIn
Martin Redigolo on Web | LinkedIn
Book a 15-minute free demo consultation - Link
Research: How We Measure Stress Using Body Data and Self-Assessments: Read here
Winnie da Silva on LinkedIn | On the Web | Substack | YouTube | Email - winnie@winnifred.org
Learn More About Sapiens
- Overview of Sapiens
- A short video introduction to Sapiens and their mission to help people in intense jobs manage stress and sustain performance.
- Video: The Diagnostics Journey
- See what it’s like to go through the full Sapiens Stress & Resilience Diagnostic and Human Performance Journey.
- Sneak Peek: Sapiens Workshop
- Get a behind-the-scenes look at a real Sapiens workshop with a CFO team.
Mentioned Studies
- Impact of long exhales on down-regulating the nervous system and improving mood
- Impact of microbiome composition on social decision making
- The connection between stress and empathy
- Link between empathy and inflammation
Special Offer for Listeners
Jan-Philipp Martini, founder and CEO of Sapiens, is offering Transformative Leadership Conversations listeners a 20% discount on the Sapiens Stress & Resilience Diagnostic and Habit-Change Program, valid through the end of 2025.