137: The Seasons of Your Career: How to Stop Burning Out and Start Being Strategic This Summer

1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,679 SPEAKER_00: Hey Lady Leader, welcome back. 2 00:00:01,840 --> 00:00:05,919 Or if you're new here, I am so glad that you found us. 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:06,719 I'm Dr. 4 00:00:06,799 --> 00:00:11,119 Nicole Bryan, your host and your biggest cheerleader. 5 00:00:11,279 --> 00:00:14,560 I'm a leadership coach, a psychologist, and a former 6 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,839 Fortune 500 Human Resources Executive. 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,160 And I created this podcast specifically for you, the 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,960 ambitious, introverted black woman who knows she's meant for 9 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:27,280 more. 10 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,879 Here we talk about getting you promoted to the executive level, 11 00:00:31,199 --> 00:00:36,479 growing into the leader your title requires, and building a 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:38,960 team that actually performs. 13 00:00:39,039 --> 00:00:43,119 And we do all of it without you having to shrink yourself to 14 00:00:43,119 --> 00:00:46,399 fake extroversion or hustle yourself into the ground. 15 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,920 If any of that sounds like what you need, then definitely stay 16 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:50,240 tuned. 17 00:00:50,399 --> 00:00:55,200 Now, before we get into today's episode, especially for anyone 18 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,600 who is new here, I want to take a moment to share exactly what 19 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,520 we do and who we do it for. 20 00:01:01,679 --> 00:01:04,959 I work specifically with ambitious Black introverted 21 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:06,079 women leaders. 22 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,799 And the work I do with them centers around three core 23 00:01:10,799 --> 00:01:11,280 problems. 24 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:15,760 Problem one is getting you your executive level promotion 25 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,159 because that path is not always clear and it is almost never 26 00:01:20,159 --> 00:01:21,200 handed to you. 27 00:01:21,519 --> 00:01:25,040 We build the strategy to get you there together. 28 00:01:25,519 --> 00:01:30,159 Problem number two is closing the skill gap between being a 29 00:01:30,159 --> 00:01:34,640 strong manager and being a true executive leader. 30 00:01:34,879 --> 00:01:38,640 Those are two very different jobs, and the transition 31 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,120 requires new capabilities, new thinking, and honestly, a whole 32 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:44,959 new leadership identity. 33 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:49,280 And problem number three is setting up your new team or your 34 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,239 new department for high performance. 35 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,680 Because getting the seat is only the beginning. 36 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,159 What you do once you're in that seat determines everything that 37 00:02:00,159 --> 00:02:00,799 comes next. 38 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,799 If any of those three things describe what you're struggling 39 00:02:04,799 --> 00:02:07,920 with right now, you are in exactly the right place. 40 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:09,919 Now, let's get into today's episode. 41 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,000 We are coming up on June 21st, which is the official day of 42 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:14,639 summer. 43 00:02:14,879 --> 00:02:17,759 And I want to do something a little different today. 44 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:20,080 I don't want to teach you something. 45 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:24,479 I want to invite you into a conversation, a real 46 00:02:24,479 --> 00:02:28,000 conversation, the kind we actually should be having more 47 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:28,240 of. 48 00:02:28,479 --> 00:02:31,919 Because here's what I know about the women who listen to this 49 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,360 podcast women like you and women like me. 50 00:02:35,599 --> 00:02:36,800 You're ambitious. 51 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:38,159 You have big goals. 52 00:02:38,319 --> 00:02:40,159 You are not here by accident. 53 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,080 You're here because something in you is hungry for more. 54 00:02:44,319 --> 00:02:48,000 And that hunger, that is one of your greatest assets. 55 00:02:48,159 --> 00:02:51,840 But I also know this that same hunger, when it's not managed 56 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:53,520 well, it can work against you. 57 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,599 It can drive you into burnout, into work addiction, into a kind 58 00:02:57,599 --> 00:03:00,560 of relentless pushing that leaves you depleted, 59 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,159 disconnected, and somehow further away from what you 60 00:03:04,159 --> 00:03:07,360 actually want, even as you're working harder than ever to get 61 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:07,599 it. 62 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:11,360 So today, as we approach the first day of summer, I want to 63 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,039 talk about seasons, the seasons of your career. 64 00:03:15,199 --> 00:03:18,719 And more importantly, I want to ask you a question that I think 65 00:03:18,719 --> 00:03:20,400 you need to sit with for a minute. 66 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,360 What season are you in right now? 67 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:25,759 And is it a choice? 68 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,000 Here's something I want you to think about. 69 00:03:28,159 --> 00:03:31,120 Everything alive on this earth grows. 70 00:03:31,439 --> 00:03:34,319 There is nothing living that does not grow. 71 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,000 But growth doesn't always look the same at every moment. 72 00:03:38,159 --> 00:03:42,240 Growth is not constant, it's not linear, and it's not always 73 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,560 visible from the outside either. 74 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,599 Think about a tree in winter. 75 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:50,879 From the outside, it looks like nothing is happening. 76 00:03:51,039 --> 00:03:54,400 The leaves are gone, there is no visible output. 77 00:03:54,639 --> 00:03:57,840 If you didn't know any better, you might think the tree was 78 00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,520 dead or it was dying. 79 00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:04,400 But underneath the surface, the root system is actually 80 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:05,199 deepening. 81 00:04:05,439 --> 00:04:09,039 The tree is resting, it's consolidating, it's preparing 82 00:04:09,039 --> 00:04:10,319 for what comes next. 83 00:04:10,639 --> 00:04:14,319 That winter stillness is not absence of growth, it's a 84 00:04:14,319 --> 00:04:17,120 different kind of growth, and it's necessary. 85 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,519 And then spring comes, and that same tree explodes. 86 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,639 Your career kind of works the same way. 87 00:04:24,879 --> 00:04:28,639 There are seasons where you are in full bloom, you're visible, 88 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,720 you're producing, you're expanding. 89 00:04:30,959 --> 00:04:34,560 But then there are seasons where you are going deep underground, 90 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,480 building roots, doing the invisible work that makes the 91 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,079 next explosion possible. 92 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,920 There are seasons of harvest where you are reaping what you 93 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:44,959 already planted. 94 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,399 And then there are seasons of rest where the most productive 95 00:04:48,399 --> 00:04:50,399 thing you can do is stop. 96 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:52,560 None of those seasons are wrong. 97 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,399 All of them are necessary. 98 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,639 The problem isn't the season. 99 00:04:56,879 --> 00:05:00,800 The problem is when you are in one season, but telling yourself 100 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,759 and everybody else around you that you're in another. 101 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,519 Let me give you some language for this because I think one of 102 00:05:07,519 --> 00:05:11,519 the reasons we get into trouble is that we don't have a 103 00:05:11,519 --> 00:05:14,879 framework for naming what is actually happening to us. 104 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,680 In my experience, working with women across industries, across 105 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:24,399 career levels, and having lived my own corporate career, there 106 00:05:24,399 --> 00:05:26,959 are four primary career seasons. 107 00:05:27,199 --> 00:05:29,920 The first season is the lean-in season. 108 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,920 Now, this is the season where you are fully pressed in. 109 00:05:34,079 --> 00:05:36,079 You are energized by the work. 110 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,360 You're excited about what you're building, you're raising your 111 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,959 hand for the high visibility projects, you're showing up 112 00:05:42,959 --> 00:05:47,600 early, you're staying late, not because you have to, but because 113 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,079 you genuinely, genuinely want to. 114 00:05:50,319 --> 00:05:54,240 Your long-term goals are at front and center in your mind, 115 00:05:54,319 --> 00:05:56,959 and everything you are doing is in service of them. 116 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,720 This is a growth season, a planting and building season. 117 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,800 And when you're in it, it can feel almost electric. 118 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,160 The second season is the positioning season. 119 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,360 Now, this is a more strategic version of leaning in. 120 00:06:11,519 --> 00:06:14,800 You're not just doing great work, you're making sure that 121 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,839 the right people know you are doing great work. 122 00:06:18,079 --> 00:06:21,279 You're building, you're deepening relationships with 123 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:24,800 decision makers, you're having the conversations that need to 124 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,519 happen, and you're building your business case. 125 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:31,120 This is the season you go into when you're preparing for 126 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:35,040 something specific, maybe a promotion or a salary 127 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,759 negotiation or a role change. 128 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,399 Everything you do is deliberate here. 129 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:42,079 Everything is intentional. 130 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,480 You're playing chess, not checkers. 131 00:06:44,639 --> 00:06:47,120 The third season is the lean back season. 132 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,680 Now, this is the season where you pull back, you do what is 133 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:52,720 required of you. 134 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:57,120 You meet your obligations, you show up, but you're not going 135 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:58,879 above and beyond right now. 136 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,480 Maybe you're recovering from something, or maybe something is 137 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,600 happening in your personal life that requires your full 138 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:06,560 attention. 139 00:07:06,879 --> 00:07:10,480 Or maybe the company is going through something and you have 140 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,480 already made a conscious decision not to pour your best 141 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:18,720 energy into the environment or into an environment that is in 142 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:19,279 chaos. 143 00:07:19,519 --> 00:07:22,720 You're not quitting and you're not quiet quitting in the way 144 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:26,000 that phrase gets used pejoratively, but you are being 145 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,680 intentional about your energy and you're resting the field. 146 00:07:29,839 --> 00:07:32,319 And the fourth season is the pivot season. 147 00:07:32,399 --> 00:07:36,560 This is the season where you are actively reconsidering your 148 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:37,199 direction. 149 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,399 Maybe it's a career change, or maybe you're thinking about a 150 00:07:40,399 --> 00:07:44,399 company change, or perhaps it's a function change within your 151 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:47,519 current organization, but something is shifting. 152 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,560 And this season requires a different kind of energy. 153 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:54,560 It requires exploration, reflection, honesty with 154 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:58,319 yourself about what you actually want, and the courage to start 155 00:07:58,319 --> 00:08:02,480 moving in a new direction before you can fully see where you are 156 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:02,800 going. 157 00:08:03,519 --> 00:08:05,120 Those are four seasons. 158 00:08:05,279 --> 00:08:09,120 And at any given point in your career, you are in one of them. 159 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,839 The question is, do you know which one? 160 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,199 Now, here's something important that I want you to understand. 161 00:08:15,839 --> 00:08:18,560 Sometimes you choose your season. 162 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,120 You look at your life, your career, your goals, your energy, 163 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,839 and you make a deliberate decision. 164 00:08:26,079 --> 00:08:29,360 You'll say something like, This summer, I'm gonna lean in. 165 00:08:29,519 --> 00:08:32,720 This season, I'm gonna position myself for that promotion. 166 00:08:32,879 --> 00:08:36,399 This quarter, I am pulling back because I need to rest. 167 00:08:36,639 --> 00:08:38,000 That is agency. 168 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:41,679 That is self-leadership at its highest level. 169 00:08:42,159 --> 00:08:46,320 But other times, and this is the part that nobody wants to talk 170 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:48,960 about, the season chooses you. 171 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,039 Maybe you're having a baby. 172 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:53,600 Maybe you are caring for an elderly parent. 173 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,360 Maybe there is an illness in your family, or you yourself get 174 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:58,000 sick. 175 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:01,440 Perhaps there's a leadership change at your company and the 176 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:03,600 new direction does not inspire you. 177 00:09:03,759 --> 00:09:07,600 Or maybe they were layoffs and your closest colleagues and 178 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,000 allies are gone, and you are grieving that even as you are 179 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:14,080 still showing up every day. 180 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,840 Maybe your boss is making your life miserable, and you've 181 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,360 decided, consciously or unconsciously, that you are not 182 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,679 giving them the best of you right now. 183 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,799 Life happens, lady leader. 184 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,799 And when it does, it moves you into seasons you did not 185 00:09:30,799 --> 00:09:32,159 necessarily plan for. 186 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:33,679 And that's okay. 187 00:09:33,919 --> 00:09:35,039 That is human. 188 00:09:35,279 --> 00:09:37,279 Neither is right or wrong. 189 00:09:37,519 --> 00:09:38,720 Both are real. 190 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,840 But, and this is the key point, you have to know which one is 191 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:44,320 happening. 192 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:49,039 Because whether your season is chosen or imposed, awareness is 193 00:09:49,039 --> 00:09:49,519 everything. 194 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,120 I also want to talk about what happens when you're in a season, 195 00:09:53,279 --> 00:09:54,720 but you're not aware of it. 196 00:09:54,879 --> 00:09:58,799 Or when you're in one season, but you're pretending to be in 197 00:09:58,799 --> 00:09:59,759 another. 198 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,480 This is where misalignment lives. 199 00:10:02,639 --> 00:10:07,200 And misalignment, not ambition, not introversion, not even a 200 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:08,159 difficult boss. 201 00:10:08,399 --> 00:10:13,360 Misalignment is what I see derail more careers than almost 202 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:14,720 anything else. 203 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:18,000 Here's what misalignment looks like in real life. 204 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:20,559 You are in a lean back season. 205 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,879 Your energy is completely depleted. 206 00:10:23,039 --> 00:10:24,799 Life has demanded too much. 207 00:10:25,039 --> 00:10:27,039 You are running on empty. 208 00:10:27,279 --> 00:10:31,519 But you keep telling yourself and everyone around you that you 209 00:10:31,519 --> 00:10:35,279 are fully committed, you're fully available, fully pressed 210 00:10:35,279 --> 00:10:35,519 in. 211 00:10:35,759 --> 00:10:39,840 So you keep saying yes to things you don't have the capacity for. 212 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:42,720 You keep showing up to rooms where you are physically 213 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,759 present, but mentally you're not there. 214 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:50,320 And the people around you, your boss, your team, your peers, 215 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:51,679 they feel that. 216 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,799 They can't name it necessarily, but they feel it. 217 00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:59,200 And it slowly erodes the trust and the reputation you spent 218 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:00,080 years building. 219 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,559 Or maybe you're in a positioning season. 220 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,279 You know what you want, you want that promotion. 221 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,960 But you are behaving like you're in a lean back season. 222 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,240 You're not having the necessary conversations, you're not 223 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,279 raising your hand, you're not building the relationships. 224 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:20,559 And then Q4 comes and your name does not come up in the room, 225 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,799 and you're blindsided. 226 00:11:23,039 --> 00:11:24,320 But were you really? 227 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:27,519 Because the season you were actually living in told a 228 00:11:27,519 --> 00:11:30,879 different story than the outcome you said you wanted. 229 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:35,440 Misalignment between what you say you want and how you are 230 00:11:35,440 --> 00:11:38,000 actually showing up, that is the recipe. 231 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:39,919 That's the recipe for stress. 232 00:11:40,159 --> 00:11:42,159 That is the recipe for burnout. 233 00:11:42,399 --> 00:11:45,679 It's the recipe for demand, it's the recipe for damaged 234 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:46,480 relationships. 235 00:11:46,639 --> 00:11:50,240 It's also a recipe for a career that feels like it's moving in 236 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,320 slow motion or not at all. 237 00:11:52,639 --> 00:11:55,759 And the antidote is not more hustle. 238 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:58,240 The antidote is more honesty. 239 00:11:58,399 --> 00:12:03,120 So let me bring this back to right now, to today, to the 240 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,279 approachment of the first day of summer in 2026. 241 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:11,279 Most people treat summer like a soft season for their career. 242 00:12:11,519 --> 00:12:16,159 Things feel slower, people are on vacation, the office energy 243 00:12:16,159 --> 00:12:18,879 is lighter, and so they match that energy. 244 00:12:19,039 --> 00:12:22,480 They pull back, they delay decisions, they give themselves 245 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,159 and their work longer timelines and further out deadlines. 246 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:30,080 And look, if you have made a conscious decision that this is 247 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,679 your lean back season, great, that's valid. 248 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,080 And that is a real and legitimate choice. 249 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,679 Rest is productive and recovery is strategic. 250 00:12:39,919 --> 00:12:43,279 There is nothing wrong with protecting your energy for a 251 00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:44,080 season. 252 00:12:44,799 --> 00:12:50,240 But if you are in a positioning season, if your name needs to be 253 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:53,919 in the rooms by Q4 because you want to get promoted or you want 254 00:12:53,919 --> 00:12:57,200 to negotiate your compensation, or maybe you want to change 255 00:12:57,200 --> 00:13:01,919 roles by the end of this year, then summer is not a soft season 256 00:13:01,919 --> 00:13:02,320 for you. 257 00:13:02,559 --> 00:13:04,960 Summer has to be your secret weapon. 258 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,559 Because while everyone else is checked out, you can be doing 259 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:12,240 the quiet strategic work that sets you up for success. 260 00:13:12,399 --> 00:13:15,440 You can be deepening the relationships that matter. 261 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,399 You can be having the conversations that need to 262 00:13:18,399 --> 00:13:18,799 happen. 263 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,480 And you can be getting clear on your business case, your 264 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:24,399 narrative, your next move. 265 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:28,080 You can be doing all of the invisible positioning work that 266 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,799 nobody sees in the moment, but that shows up as results in the 267 00:13:32,799 --> 00:13:33,440 fall. 268 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:39,840 The people who get promoted in Q4 did not start working for it 269 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:40,799 in Q4. 270 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,840 They started in June, maybe in May, definitely by July. 271 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,639 So I want to ask you a real question, lady leader. 272 00:13:48,799 --> 00:13:51,279 What season are you in right now? 273 00:13:51,519 --> 00:13:54,720 Not what season you wish you were in, not what season you 274 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,879 think you should be in, but what season are you actually in? 275 00:13:59,039 --> 00:14:02,879 And does how you are spending your time and energy right now 276 00:14:02,879 --> 00:14:03,679 reflect that? 277 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,919 Now, I want to leave you with something practical today, my an 278 00:14:07,919 --> 00:14:08,639 invitation. 279 00:14:08,879 --> 00:14:12,639 This week, maybe this weekend, maybe tonight, after you finish 280 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:16,240 listening to this episode, I want you to sit down somewhere, 281 00:14:16,399 --> 00:14:20,879 somewhere quiet, and answer three questions honestly. 282 00:14:21,279 --> 00:14:26,000 Question number one, what season am I actually in right now? 283 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,240 Not what season do I want to be in? 284 00:14:28,399 --> 00:14:30,559 Not what season would impress people? 285 00:14:30,799 --> 00:14:34,879 What is the honest truth about where my energy and my attention 286 00:14:35,039 --> 00:14:38,320 and my capacity, where is it actually? 287 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,440 Question number two, is this season chosen or is it imposed? 288 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,879 Did I choose this for myself or did it choose me? 289 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:53,039 And if life chose it for me, do I have any agency to adjust it? 290 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:57,279 Or do I just have to accept it and honor it for now? 291 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,720 Question number three, is what I'm doing every day aligned with 292 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,879 the season I am actually in? 293 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:06,159 Where's the gap? 294 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,919 Where am I saying I'm in one season, but behaving like I'm in 295 00:15:09,919 --> 00:15:10,240 another? 296 00:15:10,399 --> 00:15:12,159 And what needs to shift? 297 00:15:12,639 --> 00:15:16,879 Those three questions, if you're able to answer them honestly, 298 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,159 will tell you everything you need to know about why your 299 00:15:20,159 --> 00:15:22,799 career feels the way it does right now. 300 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:26,000 And they'll show you exactly where to start. 301 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:27,840 There is no wrong answer. 302 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,000 I want to say that one more time. 303 00:15:30,399 --> 00:15:33,279 There's no wrong season to be in. 304 00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:36,159 The lean back season is not failure. 305 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,480 The pivot season is not giving up. 306 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:40,320 Rest is not laziness. 307 00:15:40,559 --> 00:15:44,000 Choosing yourself for a season is not a career ender. 308 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:49,519 What is a career ender, or at a minimum a career slower, is 309 00:15:49,519 --> 00:15:52,080 pretending to be in a season you are not in. 310 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,399 That is where the real damage happens. 311 00:15:54,559 --> 00:15:58,159 Over the next few weeks on this podcast, we're gonna go deep on 312 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:02,639 some things that sit underneath career seasons, the emotional 313 00:16:02,639 --> 00:16:06,159 and human realities that influence which seasons you're 314 00:16:06,159 --> 00:16:08,240 in and how you show up within it. 315 00:16:08,559 --> 00:16:12,639 We're gonna talk about why you cannot separate your personal 316 00:16:12,639 --> 00:16:16,559 life from your professional one, even though we all try to do it, 317 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,120 and what it costs you when you try. 318 00:16:19,279 --> 00:16:23,360 We're also gonna talk about the patterns of self-protection that 319 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:27,759 look like professionalism, but are quietly holding you back. 320 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,240 And we're gonna talk about reclaiming your joy in your 321 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:37,039 work, because joy is not a luxury, it is a true leadership 322 00:16:37,039 --> 00:16:37,679 asset. 323 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:42,320 But it all starts here with this question, with this moment of 324 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:43,200 honesty. 325 00:16:43,519 --> 00:16:46,080 What season are you in? 326 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:48,240 And is it a choice? 327 00:16:48,639 --> 00:16:51,919 Sit with that, and if you want to go even deeper, if you want 328 00:16:51,919 --> 00:16:56,240 to understand not just your season, but exactly where you 329 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,360 are on the full journey to the executive level and what you 330 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,759 have to focus on next, I have a free quiz, a free assessment 331 00:17:03,919 --> 00:17:06,400 that takes about three to four minutes. 332 00:17:06,559 --> 00:17:10,319 And it's gonna give you more clarity than most conversations 333 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:12,319 you've had about your career. 334 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,160 Because the conversation, the question that I keep getting 335 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:21,680 from black women in particular is I don't know what I need to 336 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,680 do to get my next promotion. 337 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:28,000 And this quiz answers that exact question for you. 338 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,359 If it sounds like it's something that you're interested in, then 339 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,480 definitely come back because we're going to be releasing it 340 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:35,920 as part of this series. 341 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,319 Happy first day of summer, lady leader. 342 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,720 I'm rooting for you as always. 343 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:44,799 And in the meantime, keep leading your introvert way.