Shedding the Corporate Bitch

Rowing into Leadership: What Crossing an Ocean Can Teach Us


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She is rowing across the Atlantic all by herself... she's on roughly, Day 44. 

What can a 24-year-old rowing solo across the Atlantic teach seasoned corporate leaders about courage, endurance, fear, and leadership?

More than you think.

In this episode, we explore leadership through an unexpected but powerful lens: crossing an ocean alone. This is not an adventure story—it’s a leadership case study on how to lead when certainty disappears, fear shows up, and endurance matters more than intensity.

If you’re navigating ambiguity, pressure, burnout, or high-stakes decisions, this episode will challenge how you think about strength, courage, and what leadership actually requires today.

⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Opening 
 Leadership when the horizon disappears

02:10 – Why an Ocean Is a Leadership Classroom
 Uncertainty, isolation, and sustained effort

04:45 – Leadership vs. Management
 Why leadership must work without clarity

07:30 – Endurance Over Intensity
 Why you can’t sprint leadership (or an ocean)

11:15 – Burnout and Corporate Myths
 Why exhaustion is not a credential

14:20 – Fear as Data, Not Danger
 How leaders misuse fear—and how to use it properly

18:30 – When Fear Becomes Taboo
 The innovation cost of fear-based cultures

22:10 – Beginner’s Mind and Adaptability
 Why leaders must become students again

25:40 – Solo Doesn’t Mean Alone
 Vulnerability, support, and leadership trust

28:45 – Practicing Courage Daily
 You don’t need an ocean to lead boldly

31:00 – Final Reflection & Call to Action
 What’s the ocean you’re facing right now?


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KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Leadership isn’t proven by certainty—it’s revealed by consistency under uncertainty
 • Endurance beats intensity in long-term leadership effectiveness
 • Burnout is not a leadership credential
 • Fear is information; suppressing it kills innovation
 • Cultures that shame fear create cautious leaders, not bold ones
 • Beginner’s mind is a strategic advantage, not a weakness
 • Vulnerability builds trust without eroding authority
 • Courage is a daily practice, not a personality trait

🎯 CALLS TO ACTION: Reflect on these three leadership questions this week:

1️⃣ Assess your courage
What conversation, decision, or risk are you avoiding?

2️⃣ Become a student again
Where are you relying on past success instead of learning what’s changed?

3️⃣ Model vulnerability
How can you build trust by being honest—not performatively confident?

Leadership isn’t about knowing the way.
 It’s about moving forward anyway—one stroke at a time.


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🎙️ Podcast: Shedding the Corporate Bitch
📍 Host: Bernadette Boas
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Shedding the Corporate BitchBy Bernadette Boas

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