Episodes

Want greater influence at work? Learning how to advocate for yourself is part of becoming a more effective—and more visible—leader. But speaking up doesn't mean being demanding, self-promotional, or always getting your way. Effective self-advocacy is knowing when to use your voice, what to communicate, and how to do it strategically. In this encore episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're exploring how managing up creates the relational foundation that makes self-advocacy more effective—and why...

Are you waiting to feel ready before making your next move? Whether you're considering a career opportunity, stepping into greater responsibility, launching something new, or pursuing a goal you've been putting off, waiting for confidence and certainty can keep you standing still. In this encore episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're exploring the connection between readiness, confidence, and self-doubt—and challenging the belief that you have to feel ready before you act. Sometimes preparat...

Executive presence can influence whether you're trusted with bigger opportunities, invited into important conversations, or seen as ready for the next level. But what exactly is executive presence—and how do you develop it? In this encore episode, we're moving beyond confidence and looking at the external behaviors that shape how others experience your leadership. If you want to increase your influence at work, strengthen your leadership presence, or be seen as a leader before receiving the tit...

Are you developing your team—or unintentionally standing in the way of their growth? Leadership development requires more than coaching and encouragement. Leaders also have to create the access, exposure, and opportunities employees need to gain experience and prepare for greater responsibility. In this episode, we're exploring how leaders can unintentionally delay employee growth by holding onto work, limiting exposure, or waiting until someone is "ready" before giving them opportunities to de...

How do you develop good judgment in your team? As a leader, coaching and delegation can build capability and ownership—but eventually, your employees must be able to make sound decisions when you're not there to give them the answer. In this episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're exploring how leaders can help employees strengthen their judgment, use knowledge and experience to evaluate what's in front of them, and recognize when something deserves another question. We'll also look at the ro...

Learning how to delegate effectively is an essential leadership skill—but delegation isn't just about managing your workload. Used intentionally, delegation can be a powerful tool for developing employees, building ownership, and strengthening your team. In this episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're looking beyond the traditional idea of delegation as simply getting work off your plate. You'll learn how the right assignment can become a development opportunity, why explaining the "why" behin...

Coaching employees is one of the most important—and often overlooked—responsibilities of leadership. Great leaders don't just solve problems, set expectations, and hold people accountable. They develop people who can think, make decisions, and solve problems for themselves. In this episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're exploring what coaching really looks like in leadership and why always having the answer may actually be limiting your team's growth. Using the familiar idea of "teaching som...

Accountability in leadership isn't just about addressing poor performance—it's about having the courage to deal with problems before they become someone else's responsibility. When leaders avoid difficult performance conversations, tolerate missed expectations, or fail to follow through, the problem rarely goes away. It usually gets bigger. I share lessons from my own leadership experiences, including inheriting an employee whose performance issues had gone largely unaddressed for years and coa...

Difficult conversations at work are an unavoidable part of leadership. Whether you're addressing employee performance, giving feedback, reinforcing accountability, or confronting missed expectations, how you handle uncomfortable conversations can shape your team's trust, performance, and culture. In this episode, we're moving beyond the theory of leadership and into the practice of it. I'll share real examples from my own leadership experience and explore why avoiding a difficult conversation r...

Are you a new leader or first-time manager wondering why leadership feels harder than you expected? Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leader requires more than making decisions and sitting in meetings—it demands a new leadership mindset. If you've recently been promoted to manager or are preparing for a leadership role, this episode will help you understand why the strengths that earned your promotion aren't necessarily the strengths your new role requires most. Many new leaders...

Why does visibility matter at work? If you're doing great work but still feel overlooked for promotions, leadership opportunities, or high-impact projects, visibility may be the missing piece. In this episode, we'll discuss why visibility isn't self-promotion—it's an essential leadership skill that helps others recognize your value, your thinking, and your potential. Many professionals believe that if they simply work hard, their results will speak for themselves. While great work builds credib...

Have you ever felt like you're waiting for someone to recognize your potential, offer you an opportunity, or finally choose you? In this episode, we're exploring why so many capable women wait for permission to move forward—and how confidence, leadership, and personal growth begin when you stop waiting and start choosing your next step. Whether you're waiting for a promotion, putting off a career change, delaying a difficult conversation, or holding back on a dream you've been carrying for year...

Executive presence is one of the most talked-about leadership skills—but what does it actually mean? If you've ever wondered how to develop executive presence, increase your influence at work, or be seen as a leader before receiving the title, this episode is for you. In this episode of Crossroads & Catalysts, we're moving beyond confidence and into the external behaviors that shape how others experience your leadership. You'll discover why executive presence isn't about charisma or perfection—...

Why isn't your great work leading to more leadership opportunities? If you're wondering why you're not getting promoted or how to increase your leadership visibility, this episode explains what leaders look for when making promotion decisions—and why exceptional performance alone isn't enough to earn the next opportunity. Many high-performing professionals believe their results will naturally earn them the next opportunity. But leadership decisions aren't based solely on what you've accomplishe...

Why does your confidence at work seem to disappear—even when you're performing well? If you've ever received performance feedback that didn't match your experience, questioned your value after a review, or struggled with self-doubt despite strong results, this episode is for you. Discover why workplace confidence isn't built by competence alone—and what you can do when your contributions aren't being reflected back to you. I explore what I call the Confidence Disconnect—a powerful concept that ...

Why do competent women struggle with self-doubt, even after years of success? If you've ever questioned your confidence, overthought a decision, or stayed silent despite knowing the answer, you're not alone. This episode explores why competence and confidence don't always grow together—and how that disconnect can quietly influence your leadership, career growth, and the choices you make. Rather than accepting self-doubt as part of who you are, you'll discover a different way to understand it so...

Readiness, confidence, and self-doubt are often more connected than we realize. Whether you're considering a career move, launching a new venture, having a difficult conversation, or pursuing a goal that's been sitting on the sidelines, this episode challenges the belief that confidence must come before action. We'll talk about why the pursuit of readiness can sometimes become a form of avoidance and offers a different perspective on what it means to move forward when certainty is nowhere to be ...

Do you struggle with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or waiting until you feel more confident before speaking up, applying for opportunities, setting boundaries, or stepping into leadership? In this episode, you'll learn why confidence isn't the prerequisite for action—it's the result of it. Discover how courage, not confidence, is the true starting point and how taking small, intentional actions can help you build lasting confidence and influence. You'll learn: Why confidence is a result, not ...

Are you constantly saying yes when you really want to say no? Many leaders struggle with people-pleasing without realizing the impact it's having on their effectiveness, confidence, and well-being. Learn how people-pleasing can lead to overwork, overwhelm, burnout, poor boundaries, and leadership fatigue. Through a timeless fable and practical leadership insights, you'll learn why the need for approval can undermine your decision-making, how people-pleasing may function as a learned coping mec...

This leadership podcast for new managers explores how imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and limiting beliefs quietly interfere with leadership performance and decision-making. In this episode of Crossroads and Catalysts, Shenita B. shares practical new leader strategies to help you recognize the difference between healthy self-assessment and destructive self-doubt. Many professionals are not underperforming because they lack skill or competency. They are underperforming because doubt is disrupting...

Transitioning from peer to leader is one of the most overlooked — and emotionally complex — shifts in leadership. In this episode of Crossroads and Catalysts, a leadership podcast for new leaders, Shenita B. discusses straightforward new leader strategies you can apply today as you navigate the challenges that come with leading former coworkers, establishing credibility, and adjusting to changing workplace dynamics. This conversation explores the leadership mindset shift required when moving in...

Managing up is one of the most underrated new leader strategies — and a core self-advocacy skill. If you're a new leader looking for strategic thinking frameworks that in the real world, this episode is for you. I pick up where Part 1 left off, diving deeper into how learning to speak up in meetings and in the workplace is one of the most important leadership presence moves you can make — and why most people were never taught how to do it strategically. You'll learn how managing up creates the ...

Managing up is one of the most underrated new leader strategies — and a core self-advocacy skill that most people learn too late. Yet it's one of the highest-leverage moves you can make for your career and your team. In this episode, we're breaking down what it actually looks like to manage up with intention — not to impress your boss, but to create real alignment, communicate for impact, and close the gaps before they become problems. Because the leaders who move forward aren't just doing good...

What happens when the traits that make you successful at work… start working against you at home? In this episode of Crossroads and Catalysts, we’re unpacking a tension many high-achieving women experience but rarely name—the disconnect between how you show up in leadership and how you show up in your relationships. If you’ve ever been called “too much,” “too controlling,” or “too opinionated” outside of work, this conversation will challenge you to take a closer look at how your leadership mi...