What happens when a group of women step into challenges they’ve never practiced before? During a mountain relay race filled with icy trails, laughter, and unexpected courage, I witnessed the power of women showing up for each other. A reflection on teamwork, growth, and the strength that emerges when we face something new together.

Learned helplessness doesn’t appear overnight. It forms slowly when effort and outcome stop feeling connected. Through lived experience and habit science, this reflection explores how workplaces unintentionally shape disengagement — and how leaders can shift it.