Ever feel like your team keeps dropping half-finished work at your feet… then staring at you like your dog does when it wants you to throw the slobbery toy again?

If so, friend—you’re in the right episode.

In Part 3 of our Accountability in Action series, we’re digging into the real reason your team won’t take ownership… and why it’s not because they’re lazy, uninterested, or incapable. In fact, most employees simply haven’t been taught how to own their work—and leaders are often unintentionally training them not to.

In this episode, Velma Knowles breaks down:

If you’ve been carrying too much… fixing too much… or secretly doing everyone’s job “just to survive the week,” you’ll walk away from this episode lighter, clearer, and equipped.

And because leadership shouldn’t feel lonely—Velma shares a free bonus resource inside her weekly newsletter, The Leader’s Lift:

👉 The Ownership Ladder: 5 Levels to Move Your Employee from Waiting to Willing

(Only inside the newsletter!)

Subscribe to the newsletter and claim your bonus here: https://velmaknowles.com/newsletter

This episode is your invitation to break the cycle, elevate your team, and finally stop being the workplace “professional parent.”

Pull up a chair, press play, and let’s get your team owning their work like pros.

Connect at https://VelmaKnowles.com 

Are you secretly doing your team’s job? 👀

If you’re drowning in late nights, fixing mistakes you didn’t make, and carrying the weight of everyone’s workload… this episode is your rescue rope — and guess what? You’re not the one grabbing it anymore.

Today, we’re exposing the real reason accountability keeps slipping through your team’s fingers — and how your good intentions might be teaching them not to own their work. Ouch, right?

You’ll learn:

✔ The #1 leadership habit that kills ownership

✔ How to stop rescuing and start coaching

✔ 3 simple steps your team will actually respond to

✔ How to build accountability that doesn’t require micromanaging (hallelujah!)

Imagine leaving work at 5 PM (on time!) because your team delivered — not because you swooped in. That’s the freedom you deserve. And it starts today.

🎙️ This is Part 2 of our “Accountability in Action” series — subscribe so you don’t miss the rest!

Want your team to step up — without you stepping in?

Join The Leader’s Lift, my weekly no-fluff newsletter packed with quick wins to boost ownership, improve results, and help you lead with confidence.

👉 Subscribe & start leading smarter this Saturday: www.velmaknowles.com/newsletter

Ever feel like you spend more time chasing your team than actually leading them?

You set deadlines, give instructions, follow up… and still end up doing the work yourself.

Frustrating, right?

In this episode of Leaders Pathway, we are kicking off the Accountability in Action series where I show you how to set expectations that actually get met—without nagging, micromanaging, or quietly picking up the pieces late at night.

You’ll learn practical, actionable strategies to:

Define “done” so your team knows exactly what success looks like

Get your team to repeat back the plan (and really understand it)

Connect their tasks to the bigger purpose so they own it

Plus, if you want to go deeper, The Valuable Leader series, Books 1 & 2, gives you step-by-step methods to build a team that takes initiative, follows through, and frees you from unnecessary stress.

➡️ Grab your books here: velmaknowles.com/books

And while you are on the website... Subscribe to the Lead Better Newsletter... so you can get access to more strategies that only  Insiders get today —because we can't put everything in the podcast. 

💡 Bonus: Grab Books 1 & 2 of The Valuable Leader series for deeper strategies to lead with influence, clarity, and confidence. Your team—and your sanity—will thank you.

📌 Get the books here: velmaknowles.com/books

📌 Get the books here: velmaknowles.com/newsletter

Your team is reflecting you—whether you realize it or not.

Stressed, scattered, or short-tempered? They’ll mirror it.

Calm, focused, and steady? They’ll mirror that too.

In this final episode of the From Boss to Leader series, Velma Knowles shares heartfelt stories (with humor and honesty) about leaders who modeled confidence in crisis—and how you can use the “mirror effect” to shape culture, trust, and lasting influence.

connect: www.velmaknowles.com

When was the last time you actually did the job you ask your team to do?

Reports and dashboards show numbers, but they’ll never show the real frustrations—or sparks of inspiration—your team experiences daily.

In this episode of From Boss to Leader, Velma Knowles shares stories from Southwest Airlines’ Herb Kelleher and her own frontline experience to reveal why walking in your team’s shoes transforms trust, decisions, and influence.

connect here: www.velmaknowles.com

Ever notice how the loudest voice in the room usually gets the most attention?

Meanwhile, the quiet contributors—the ones holding everything together—often get overlooked.

In this episode of From Boss to Leader, Velma Knowles unpacks the power of invisible advocacy: championing the unseen talent on your team.

With stories of Oprah’s game-changing support for overlooked voices and Velma’s own journey of being quietly advocated for, you’ll learn why true leaders lift others in ways that often go unseen—and how it multiplies loyalty, trust, and influence.

connect: www.velmaknowles.com

Ever sat in a meeting where your boss just… keeps talking… and by the end, no one knows what to do? Yeah, me too. 😅

In this episode of From Boss to Leader, I’m sharing the game-changing leadership move that sets great leaders apart: lead by writing, not speaking.

Spoken words inspire in the moment, but written words guide, clarify, and stick long after the meeting ends.

You’ll hear how Winston Churchill’s memos shaped history, how a tiny note from my own leader changed my career, and why leaving a trail of written clarity can make you the most trusted, effective leader in the room.

I’ll also give you three actionable steps to start leading with writing this week—no war room required.

Whether you’re guiding a team at work, a family at home, or even yourself, this episode will help you influence, inspire, and be unforgettable.

🎧 Tune in and discover how to stop filling the air with noise and start leaving a trail your team can actually follow.

contact:  www.velmaknowles.com

Ever wonder why some bosses seem untouchable… until reality hits?

Radical transparency isn’t about oversharing.

Admit what you don’t know and invite collaboration

Share professional struggles without losing authority

Celebrate lessons from failure to inspire loyalty

You’ll hear why Howard Schultz of Starbucks leaned into transparency during tough expansions and how his honesty created trust and commitment from his team.

Stop pretending perfection is leadership.

#leadership #radical transparency #trust building  #credibility #HowardSchultz  #influence #leadershiptips #FromBosstoLeader  #leadershipdevelopment #authenticleadership

Most leaders think it’s the big speeches or bold strategies that define them. Truth is, it’s the tiny, invisible micro-actions—your tone, body language, hallway interactions—that tell your team whether you’re just a boss or a true leader.

In this episode of From Boss to Leader, Velma breaks down how these overlooked moments either build trust or quietly chip it away. You’ll hear:

A surprising story of how Nelson Mandela used micro-actions to inspire trust and loyalty.

The science behind why body language speaks louder than words.

Three practical steps you can use today to harness micro-actions and lead with confidence.

If you’ve ever wondered why your team doesn’t fully trust, follow, or respect you—this episode gives you the invisible fix most leaders miss.

👉 Press play and discover how small actions can make a big impact on your leadership.

connect at: www.VelmaKnowles.com

#FromBossToLeader 

Are you a boss who’s busy but not inspiring? Most leaders obsess over calendars and to-do lists—but here’s the secret nobody talks about: energy, not time, drives influence.

In this first episode of From Boss to Leader, I reveal how mastering your energy can transform you from a task-focused boss to a leader who inspires action, creativity, and focus.

Hear the little-known story of Thomas Edison’s energy strategy—and why even the busiest leaders can lead without burning out.

If you’re ready to stop bossing and start leading—without overworking, stressing, or surviving on coffee—this episode is your blueprint.

Connect at: www.VelmaKnowles.com

#LeadershipTips