“It's Not Me, It's Them” | The 7 Leadership Traps: Trap #1 - The Inner Edge

Topics in this episode

Executive presence Leadership development Fundamental attribution error leadership imprint leadership traps

Episode notes

"It's not me, it's them." Four words. That's all it takes to miss the real problem. In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the first of seven leadership traps. This is the one she sees more than any other, and the one leaders defend the hardest. Through the story of Jack, a brilliant, fast-scaling CEO who built an empire and an intimidating reputation without ever realizing it, Janet reveals a psychological pattern so common it has a name, and once you see it, you can't unsee it in yourself. Because here's the uncomfortable truth: your team's behavior might not be telling you who they are. It might be telling you something about what it's like to be led by you. Janet shares the mirror question that starts to close this gap, and why some leaders, even with the best coaching, never fully escape this trap. This is the second episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026).