Everyone wants to talk about leadership.

Leading teams.

Managing conflict.

Influencing decisions.

Driving results.

But before any of that comes self-awareness.

And if we're honest, that's often the part we skip.

In this episode of The Climb Podcast, we're kicking off a four-part series on Emotional Intelligence by exploring the foundation of it all: self-awareness.

Because you cannot lead others effectively if you don't understand yourself.

You cannot change what you refuse to acknowledge about yourself.

We spend so much time evaluating everyone else—our managers, our coworkers, our teams, and the systems around us—that we rarely stop to ask:

Why did I react that way?

What triggers me?

What stories am I telling myself?

How do other people actually experience me?

For women of color, this conversation is especially important. Many of us have become experts at reading the room, adapting, and navigating environments that were never designed with us in mind. But somewhere along the way, we may have forgotten to read ourselves.

In this episode, I share lessons from my own leadership journey, the blind spots I had to confront, and why introspection is one of the most underrated leadership skills you'll ever develop.

Because leadership doesn't start when people begin following you.

Leadership starts when you begin understanding yourself.

In This Episode

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of leadership

• The difference between self-confidence and self-awareness

• How pressure reveals your true leadership patterns

• Understanding emotional triggers and internal narratives

• Why introspection requires accountability

• Three practical ways to strengthen your self-awareness

Reflection Question

What is something about yourself that you may be avoiding acknowledging?

Sit with it.

Because growth often begins where avoidance ends.

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Because we are not just climbing careers.

We are building ladders. ✊🏾