Before anyone gives you a title or a team, people are already watching how you lead yourself—how you handle stress, keep your word, and respond when things go wrong.

In this episode of Built to Grow, Valdet breaks down what self‑leadership actually looks like day‑to‑day so you can become the kind of person others naturally trust to lead.

Across three practical pillars—self‑feedback, decision hygiene, and repair after mistakes—you’ll learn how to tell yourself the truth without crushing your confidence, make clearer decisions (and communicate them better), and handle dropped balls in a way that builds credibility instead of quietly eroding it. This is a grounded, no‑fluff solo episode you can revisit whenever you feel the gap between who you are right now and the leader you want to become.

You’ll learn how to:

• Build a simple weekly self‑feedback loop that actually leads to behavior change
• Spot and upgrade the hidden stories you tell yourself after wins and failures
• Make cleaner decisions and communicate them so people know what to expect
• Recover from mistakes through honest repair, not over‑explaining or disappearing
• Practice self‑leadership now, even if you don’t have an official leadership title yet

The immigration system is more than just policies—it's a web of human rights violations, private profits, and systemic abuses you're unlikely to know about. In this eye-opening episode, Carlos Alberto Yañez Navarro, a PhD candidate and human rights advocate, exposes how detention centers are operated by private corporations driven by profit, often holding individuals in inhumane conditions with little accountability.

Discover how for-profit prisons, legal contradictions, and executive overreach fuel mass detentions, deportations to dangerous third countries, and even international crimes like torture and genocide.

You'll learn about the expanding reach of immigration enforcement beyond undocumented populations—targeting legal residents, citizens, and the very fabric of democratic rights. Carlos shares harrowing stories from detention centers, sheds light on how private companies manipulate laws for financial gain, and explains how constitutional rights—such as due process, free speech, and protections against unreasonable searches—apply to everyone on U.

What happens to memory when your brain is in survival mode? And what does that mean for how we listen to survivors of abuse — including the victims of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring?

Key takeaways:

• Why trauma disrupts memory and makes recall fragmented, delayed, or out of order.
• How cultural myths about “perfect memory” fuel doubt toward Epstein survivors and other victims of abuse.
• Concrete shifts you can make to respond in a more survivor‑centered, trauma‑informed way — in your conversations, online, and in your own community.

In this trauma‑informed episode of Built to Grow, Valdet Selimaj breaks down how trauma changes the way memories are formed, stored, and recalled — and why “messy,” fragmented, or delayed memories are not proof that nothing happened. Using the Epstein case as a central example, we explore what it’s actually like for survivors to come forward in a hostile culture that expects perfect courtroom‑style recall.

You’ll learn how the brain and body respond to overwhelming events, why timelines and details can shift over time, and how our collective misunderstanding of trauma too often turns into victim‑blaming. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with practical ways to respond to survivors with empathy, not interrogation.

Content note: This episode references sexual abuse, exploitation, and the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking ring. There are no graphic details, but please listen in whatever way feels safest for you.

Is MAGA just another political brand—or something closer to a cult?

In this solo episode of Built to Grow, we unpack the MAGA movement through classic cult dynamics: the charismatic leader at the center, the us‑vs‑them story, the alternative media universe, loyalty tests, moral inversion, and the sense of belonging that keeps people locked in. We keep nuance front and center: not every Trump voter is in a cult, but the core of the movement operates with strikingly cult‑like patterns.

You’ll learn how these dynamics pull in people who feel angry, left behind, or threatened; why they’re so dangerous for democracy and relationships; and what you can actually do if someone you love is deep in MAGA. We’ll talk about how to set boundaries, where not to waste your energy arguing, and small, concrete ways to strengthen pro‑democracy culture in your own life.

When the people at the top seem larger than life, it’s easy to mistake charisma for character. In this episode of Built to Grow, we use the dark triad of personality—narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy—as a lens to understand Donald Trump’s public leadership style and what it reveals about power, followers, and fragile institutions.

Drawing on psychological research and public commentary (not clinical diagnosis), we break down how traits like grandiosity, manipulation, and callousness can help a leader rise to power while quietly corroding trust, norms, and shared reality underneath. We also look at the systems around these leaders: why so many people are drawn to strongman figures in times of uncertainty, how institutions bend or break in response, and what healthier leadership looks like by contrast.

By the end, you’ll have a sharper toolkit for spotting dark‑triad patterns in politics, business, and your own organizations—so you can make better choices about who you follow, what you tolerate, and which guardrails really matter.

You’ll learn:

• What psychologists mean by the “dark triad” and how it shows up in real‑world leaders
• How Donald Trump’s public behavior illustrates dark‑triad dynamics without resorting to armchair diagnosis
• Why so many people find strongman leaders psychologically appealing
• How dark‑triad leadership reshapes institutions, culture, and everyday political life
• What healthier leadership and stronger guardrails look like in practice

Check out my blog to learn more!

https://www.valdetselimaj.com/the-psychology-of-leadership-the-dark-triad-and-donald-trump/

Smart, educated people really do tend to lean left on a lot of issues—but the story behind that pattern is way more interesting than "one side is smarter." In this episode of Built to Grow, Valdet digs into what the research actually says about intelligence, education, and political beliefs, and why different kinds of minds get pulled toward different worldviews.

You’ll learn how core personality traits—things like openness, need for order, and sensitivity to threat—quietly nudge people toward more liberal or conservative positions, and how both sides can drift into their own versions of authoritarianism. Along the way, we’ll explore how fear, identity, and group loyalty can hijack good intentions and turn any movement rigid, intolerant, or extreme.

Most importantly, this episode is about personal growth. You’ll walk away with practical ways to:

• Understand your own psychological wiring and political instincts.
• Spot where you might be vulnerable to authoritarian pulls, no matter your views.
• Build habits of critical thinking, emotional regulation, and intellectual humility so you can stay grounded, curious, and hard to manipulate.

Whether you’d call yourself liberal, conservative, or politically exhausted, this conversation will give you a clearer map of what’s shaping your beliefs—and how to keep growing beyond the labels.

If ICE shows up at your door, your job, or on the street, what are your rights — and how do you actually use them without making things worse?

In this episode, we walk through what undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens need to know before, during, and after an ICE raid so you can stay calmer, protect yourself, and have a plan for your family.

This is not individualized legal advice. Immigration law changes often and every case is different. Always speak with a qualified immigration lawyer or trusted legal aid organization about your specific situation.

What we do cover here is a practical, plain‑language guide based on commonly shared know‑your‑rights materials from immigrant rights groups across the U.S. You’ll learn:

• The difference between ICE and local police — and why that matters in a raid.
• What a real warrant looks like vs. papers that do not give ICE the right to enter your home.
• What to do if ICE comes to your door — including why you should usually talk through the door, not open it.
• Your rights at work and in public — including when you have to identify yourself and when you can ask, “Am I free to leave?”
• How to use your right to remain silent in a calm, clear way.
• Why you should not sign documents you don’t understand or agree with.
• How U.S. citizens and bystanders can safely support friends, coworkers, and neighbors during enforcement actions.
• A simple family preparedness plan so kids, partners, and loved ones know what to do if someone is detained.

Check out my blog for additional info: https://www.valdetselimaj.com/know-your-rights-what-to-do-if-you-encounter-ice-for-undocumented-immigrants-and-american-citizens/

Radicalization doesn’t start with hate — it starts with pain.

In this episode of Built to Grow, Valdet Selimaj breaks down the psychology of radicalization and how ordinary people get pulled toward extreme beliefs without realizing it’s happening. This isn’t a political episode. It’s a human one.

We explore why intelligence doesn’t protect us, how unmet needs like belonging and certainty are weaponized, how algorithms accelerate extremism, and why shame only pushes people deeper into rigid thinking.

If you’ve ever wondered how people you once knew became unrecognizable — or how any of us could drift toward extremes — this episode offers clarity, nuance, and uncomfortable truth.

Check out the blog post here: https://www.valdetselimaj.com/the-psychology-of-radicalization-how-ordinary-people-get-pulled-to-extremes/

🎙️ Built to Grow with Valdet Selimaj
Development that delivers.

In this episode, Valdet challenges the common belief that all workplace gossip is toxic. Drawing from research and real-world consulting experience, he breaks down the difference between harmful gossip and positive information sharing—and explains how the latter can strengthen relationships, reduce turnover, improve mental health, and create natural accountability on teams.

You’ll learn:

• Why positive gossip acts as “social glue” in organizations

• How informal conversations reduce burnout and turnover

• The clear line between healthy and harmful gossip

• What leaders can do to shape a healthier communication culture

This episode is a must-listen for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone who wants to build healthier, more human workplaces.

🎧 Listen. Reflect. And rethink everything you thought you knew about gossip.

When you clock in each day, you don’t stop being human — but too many workplaces act like you do.

In this episode of Built to Grow, host Valdet Selimaj breaks down the human rights every employee is entitled to at work — and why understanding them is essential for protecting your dignity, safety, and wellbeing.

We explore what workplace human rights actually look like in real life, including:

• Freedom from discrimination and harassment

• Fair and equitable compensation

• Psychological and physical safety

• Privacy in the digital workplace

• Freedom of expression, belief, and identity

• What to do when your rights are violated

This isn’t a legal lecture. It’s a real, human conversation about power, culture, and the systems that shape our daily work lives.

Whether you’re early in your career, a seasoned professional, or a leader responsible for shaping culture, this episode will help you recognize red flags, advocate for yourself and others, and contribute to workplaces where people can truly thrive.

Because no one should have to choose between their livelihood and their humanity.

🎙️ Built to Grow — honest conversations about leadership, culture, and growth.
DevCore Consulting — Development that delivers.