The Manager Track

​Too many managers walk into their year-end review hoping their work speaks for itself.

But it rarely does. The meeting moves fast, details get lost, and ​much is about the past, not the future.

When that happens, the conversation stays tactical instead of helping your manager understand the value you created this year and the direction you want to take next.

This week’s episode of The Manager Track podcast breaks down how to prepare in a way that gives you a stronger footing in that conversation.

A little structure can make the difference between a routine check-in and a discussion that actually moves your career forward.

You’ll learn how to:

- Present your impact with concrete examples

- Link your work to themes your manager cares about

- Ask for what you need to grow next year

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

- Episode 136 - Becoming the Boss & How to Lead in a Multigenerational Workplace - With Lindsey Pollak

- Episode 121 - 5 Often Overlooked Steps When Onboarding a New Employee

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

This week on The Manager Track podcast, we're talking about one of the biggest role misunderstandings in management. Most managers think their job is to organize, divide, and execute the work. It feels productive and responsible, but it also keeps them stuck operating way below the level where real leadership value is created.

Because the true job of a manager is not just delivering output. It is deciding which work is worth doing, why it matters, and when to change direction entirely based on evolving context and capability. 

This is the shift that separates managers who stay busy from managers who become strategic value creators.

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• See your team as a portfolio of bets instead of a backlog of tasks
• Think in time horizons, value multipliers, and capability creation
• Avoid defaulting back to IC execution mode when pressure shows up

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 185 - Ownership Mindset
• Episode 221 - How to Spot and Overcome a Victim Mindset

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

If you've ever tiptoed around a leader's ego, reworded feedback ten different ways, or held back a good idea just to avoid a blow-up, this episode is for you.

We're pulling back the curtain on executive ego fragility: what causes it, how to spot it, and how to deal with it without losing your mind (or your voice).

Here's what you'll take away:

• The root causes behind fragile egos in leadership (hint: it often starts long before the corner office)
• The subtle and not-so-subtle signals you should watch for
• Tactical ways to work with someone whose ego might be getting in the way of good decisions, feedback, or, you know... basic human interaction

And if you're thinking, "Why do I have to adapt to their fragile ego? Why isn't it on them?"... yep, we cover that too.

If you've ever said, "I can't say that, they'll take it the wrong way," this one's for you. 

And if you haven't and don't expect to ever run into ego-driven leaders, then just send it to a friend who has. They'll thank you.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 231 - When The Ego Dictates Your Priorities
• Episode 73 - How Great Leaders Control Their Egos

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

We all want to be seen as kind leaders. But too often, we confuse kindness with niceness.

In this week's episode of The Manager Track, I talk with leadership strategist and executive coach Andrea Wanerstrand, founder of A3 Culture Lab. Andrea spent more than 25 years inside Microsoft, Meta, and T-Mobile studying what helps leaders earn trust and build strong teams and what quietly erodes it.

We unpack why niceness often comes from our own need to be liked, how that habit shows up in feedback conversations, and what it takes to replace "people-pleasing" with courage, clarity, and care. Andrea also shares her A3 framework that helps teams grow without the manager becoming a bottleneck.

If you've ever softened feedback to keep the peace or avoided a hard conversation to protect a relationship, this one's worth your time.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Andrea Wanerstrand's website: https://a3culturelab.com
• Andrea Wanerstand's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand
• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 215 - How to Transform Good Teams Into Excellent Ones - With Rusty Komori
• Episode 127 - How to Lead a Thriving Team with Kirstin Moorefield

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

This week on the Manager Track podcast, we're tackling a moment nearly every leader will face: receiving hard-to-hear feedback. Not the kind you can brush off or fix with a quick tweak, but the kind that hits a nerve, stirs up emotion, and sticks in your head.

What you do next matters more than you think. In this episode, Ramona walks through what happens in your brain when criticism lands, and why your reaction in the moment-and afterward-can shape how others see you as a leader, sometimes more than the behavior that led to the feedback in the first place.

You'll hear practical tools, exact phrases to use, and a clear framework to help you:

• Stay grounded in the moment, even when the feedback stings
• Turn a tough conversation into a growth opportunity
• Avoid common traps that quietly damage your reputation over time

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 214 - 3 Feedback Models Every Leadership Should Master
• Episode 129 - Creating a Feedback Culture - With Harrison Kim

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

Most of us enter leadership with a quiet script already playing in our heads.

Be calm. Be confident. Be likable. Never micromanage. Always have the answer. We carry those ideals with us until reality shows us that they don't always work.

And in some cases, they do more harm than good.

In episode 284 of The Manager Track, Ramona Shaw challenges the assumptions many first-time managers carry into leadership roles. The truth is, some of the most effective leaders don't match the textbook version of what a great manager should be.

This episode invites you to rethink your version of "good management" and replace it with something far more effective. 

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Executive Presence Intensive: archova.org/executive-presence-program 
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 278 - Lonely at the Top: Why Leadership Feels Isolating
• Episode 248 - Mental Traps That Keep Leaders Stuck

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

Have you noticed the widening gap between how we expect leaders to behave in the public sphere versus in corporate organizations?

In episode 283, Ramona Shaw tackles two timely and important questions: What is happening to leadership and how do we keep our standards intact?

From headlines of public leaders dodging accountability to viral social media figures equating leadership with dominance, we’re seeing a shift in what some people perceive as “strong leadership.” But in our companies, those signals don’t fly. And they shouldn’t.

Inside this episode, we unpack:

• Why public and corporate leadership are governed by two different sets of standards
• The seven shared expectations we have of leaders
• What happens when we don’t, with real-world cautionary tales from WeWork, Wells Fargo, and Kroger
• Why leaders today need to be more explicit than ever about the values they uphold and the behavior they expect

When organizational standards get fuzzy, cracks form; slowly at first, then suddenly. Misalignment, disengagement, and broken trust are often symptoms of leaders failing to walk the talk. 

This episode unpacks what’s at stake and why now is the time to reestablish what good leadership looks like before external norms start seeping in.

🎧 Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Executive Presence Intensive: archova.org/executive-presence-program 
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Let us know what you think by sending an email to [email protected]
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 277 - Frustrated at Work? How to Lead Without Blowing Up or Bottling Up
• Episode 256 - The Leadership Identity Shift: From Executor to Influencer

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

You want to grow as a leader, but your team can’t function without you.

You’re stuck in the weeds because delegating feels risky.

You know you should make space for creativity, but the urgent stuff always comes first.

Sound familiar?

This week’s episode is all about deliberate leadership and why it’s the non-negotiable factor in company success.

Larry R. Armstrong, former CEO and Chairman of Ware Malcomb, shares what he learned leading an international firm for nearly three decades, and why he believes leadership should be built as intentionally as architecture.

Inside, we dig into:

• Why training your replacement is the only way to move up
• Delegation vs. abdication, and how to strike the right balance
• How vulnerability and trust at the top ripple through the whole organization
• The role of creativity in solving problems and fueling long-term growth

Tune in and hear directly from a CEO who’s been in the trenches and shares what worked, what didn’t, and how he built leaders by design.

🎧 Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Connect to Lawrence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrencearmstrong/
• Get Lawrence's Layered Leadership Book: https://layeredleadershipbook.com/
• Learn more about Lawrence here: https://waremalcomb.com/our-team/lawrence-r-armstrong/
• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Executive Presence Intensive: archova.org/executive-presence-program 
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 211- Navigating Perfectionism in Leadership
• Episode 93 - The Importance of Trust in Leadership - With Brian Harman

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

You reschedule a meeting and feel the need to explain exactly what happened.

You set a boundary, then wrap it in 3 paragraphs of justification.

You say no to a project and immediately start listing all the reasons why.

Sound familiar?

This week’s episode is all about overexplaining, including why we do it, how it shows up in subtle ways, and how it chips away at our leadership presence over time.

Ramona breaks down a real story from an executive who thought she was communicating clearly… but left her team confused and uncertain.

Inside, we dive into:

- The real reason so many capable leaders feel the need to justify themselves

- How to know if you’re overexplaining or just communicating well → the red flags to watch out for

- The 4 steps to break the overexplaining habit

🎧 Tune in, reflect on your own habits and start rewriting your default responses, whether that's in your emails or meetings.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Executive Presence Intensive: archova.org/executive-presence-program 
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 276- Biohacking Executive Presence: Signals That Shape Perception - With Scott Hutcheson
• Episode 273- Behind the Scenes of Growth: Coaching Insights for Leaders on the Rise

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

When two equally capable managers get very different outcomes…

We’ve all seen it (maybe lived it, too). Two people with:

• Similar skills
• Similar résumés
• Similar results

Yet one gets tapped for the big meeting, lands the promotion, and becomes the go-to voice in high-stakes moments while the other gets a pat on the back and stays in the same position.

This week's episode is about the invisibles that drive careers. More specifically, we're talking about Executive Presence. How you show up when it counts, how others experience you, and why that perception accelerates (or stalls) your career.

This isn't about office politics or putting on a show. It’s about specific, learnable signals you send in interviews, in rooms with decision-makers, and under pressure.

You’ll hear a tale of “Sarah vs. Mike” and a real interview debrief that reveals what leaders actually look for beyond your résumé. Then we break down the fixable gaps that can erode credibility.

If you’re smart, capable, and still not being fully seen and rewarded for the level you operate at, this one’s for you.

What we’ll talk about:

• The self-awareness gap: when your intent and others’ experience don’t match and what to do about it
• The problem with hedging and over-explaining, and how to project conviction without pretending
• How to evolve your style for bigger scope without becoming someone you’re not
• Emotional steadiness and non-verbals: the signals you're sending without meaning to

Check it out on our Webpage, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

👉 Ready to level up? Learn more about our Executive Presence Intensive starting in October.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

• Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
• Executive Presence Intensive: archova.org/executive-presence-program 
• Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
• Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE. 
• Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

• Episode 219 - Executive Communication
• Episode 213 - Executive Mindset

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.