Most leaders think their job is to fix their team. But the foundational truth of leadership is that your leadership is a reflection of the relationship with yourself.

If you are leading from a place of insecurity, perfectionism, or anxiety, you are projecting that chaos onto your organization.

In this strategy episode, Michael deconstructs the psychology of confidence. He explains why "arrogance" and "shyness" are actually the same protective mechanism and introduces a new framework - Leadership Depth - to help you handle the expanding scope of your role without losing your mind.

In this episode, you will learn:

-The Projection Principle: Why you don't see your business as it is, but as you are (and how to clear your filter).

-The Confidence Spectrum: Why the quietest person in the room is often the most confident, while the loudest is often the most insecure.

-The Compassion Necessity: Why "perfectionism" worked for you as a Doer but will destroy you as a Leader.

-Leadership Range vs. Depth: A new visual framework for understanding why you feel imposter syndrome every time your company scales.

The Challenge for This Week: Catch yourself in the "Perfection Trap."

-The Trigger: Notice when you are obsessing over a minor mistake or beating yourself up for not knowing the answer.

-The Shift: Self-Compassion. Tell yourself that’s OK that you’re not perfect. You’re still amazing anyway. And then focus on three things you did well. This is a key re-wire to boost your self esteem and confidence, so putting this into a regular practice will help you long-term.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

"I just want to do my job. I hate playing politics."

If you have ever said that, you are already losing.

Politics isn't a dirty word - it is simply the art of relationships at scale. If you refuse to engage in it, you lose the influence required to protect your team and get your initiatives approved.

In this Live Q&A Session from the Growth Leaders Collective, we tackle the messy reality of human dynamics in the workplace. I answer real questions from leaders struggling with toxic bosses, bypassing subordinates, and the frustration of "managing up."

In this episode, you will learn:

-The "BLUF" Method: How to speak to a data-driven CEO (Logical Creator) when you are a storyteller (Visionary Influencer) so you actually get heard .

-The Narcissist Playbook: How to set calm boundaries with a gaslighting boss without making yourself a martyr .

-The "Bypassing" Fix: What to do when your direct reports go over your head to your boss (and how to move from "Expectation" to "Agreement" to stop it) .

-The Framing Technique: Why you should never ask for headcount because "we are tired," and how to frame it so the CFO begs you to hire them .

The Challenge for This Week: Identify one key stakeholder you struggle to influence (your boss, a peer, a board member).

1. Profile Them: What are they evaluated on? What drives them (Data? Relationships? Speed?)?
2. The Shift: In your next conversation, use the "What’s in it for them" frame. Do not talk about your needs; talk about how your request solves their problem.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC

Ever get anxiety and imposter syndrome before a big meeting? Listen to this real coaching session to learn how to turn your inner critic into your greatest asset using Identity Shifting.

When we step up from “Doer” to “Leader,” we are constantly putting ourselves in newer and bigger situations.

However, our ego doesn’t like that, and it does its best to sabotage what we really want.

You can feel exposed, anxious, and ready to run. We call this the "Confronted Self"—and if you let it drive, you will lose the opportunity.

In this special "fly-on-the-wall" episode, Michael coaches Penny, a high-potential leader paralyzed by fear just 24 hours before a massive promotion interview.

You will hear real-time Identity Work (Psychosynthesis) to separate the fear from the leader, transforming anxiety into grounded presence.

In this episode, you will learn:

-The Ego Paradox: Why your brain treats a promotion like a life-threatening event (and how to calm it down).

-Identity Shifting: How to move from your "Confronted" personality to your "Positive" personality in seconds.

-Somatic Grounding: A physical technique using your hands to stop the "waffle" and regain focus during high-pressure meetings.

-The "Experiment" Reframe: How to lower the stakes so you can perform at your highest level.

Coming Up in Part 2: This is just the mindset foundation. Make sure you are subscribed for next week’s episode, where we turn the recording back on to tackle the strategy. We’ll run a mock interview, fix Penny's "waffle" habit, and build her strategic answers from scratch.

The Challenge: Identify your "Stress Persona" (who shows up when you are scared) and your "Leader Persona" (who shows up when you are confident).

Next time you feel the "Stress Persona" taking the wheel, use a physical anchor—like a deep breath or squeezing your hands—to physically signal your brain to switch back to the Leader.

Resources:

-Join the Conversation: Join our Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on LinkedIn or Facebook

-Get Live Coaching: Move from listening to doing inside the Growth Leaders Collective. Start your $1 trial at RMichaelAnderson.com/GLC