Think you’re the same person since stepping into leadership? Your team doesn’t. As a leader, even your yawns are being analyzed. Discover why that matters and how to handle the invisible power dynamics at play.
When you step into a leadership role, the spotlight gets brighter whether you want it or not. Today’s guest, executive coach Sabina Nawaz breaks down why this happens and how to handle it.
Sabina works with C-suite leaders and has captured over 12,000 pages of verbatim feedback about what people really think about their bosses. She’s the author of “You’re the Boss” and brings both data-backed insights and practical solutions to leadership challenges. Through her work, Sabina has identified the key power traps that trip up even the most well-intentioned leaders.
In this episode, we dive into the complexities of leadership transitions and power dynamics. We explore why trying to remain “just one of the team” after a promotion can actually backfire and she unpacks the three major power gaps that often derail leaders. Sabina shares her innovative “delegation dial” approach for more effective delegation and offers practical exercises leaders can use to improve their presence and impact.
The key to exceptional leadership isn’t avoiding power dynamics – it’s understanding them and learning to navigate them with intention and awareness.
Key Highlights
– The Power Spotlight: Your position changes how people interpret everything you do – even a yawn in a meeting can spark concerns.
– The Three Power Gaps: 1.) Singular Story: Believing your view is the only view 2.) Communication Fault Lines: How power amplifies or mutes messages 3.) Myth of the Exceptional: When leaders start believing they deserve special treatment
– The Shut Up Exercise: Practical tools for leaders to speak less and observe more
– The Delegation Dial: A five-stage approach to delegation that goes beyond the simple “on/off switch” mentality
– Unmet Hungers: How our need for validation and acceptance can derail strategic leadership
Links Mentioned
– Sabina’s website: https://sabinanawaz.com/
– Book: “You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)”
Full Bio
Sabina Nawaz spent 14 years as head of Microsoft HR leading executive development and succession planning efforts for thousands of managers, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. Over the past two decades, Sabina has built a profile as an elite coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Her clients include Amazon, Google, Nordstrom, and the United Nations – to name just a few.
In her new book, You’re the Boss: Becoming the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), Sabina distills over 12,000 pages of proprietary data drawn from 360° interviews with her top clients to reveal the leadership secrets of highly successful managers that anyone at any level can use to succeed. Nawaz’s strategies—based on in-depth research into the psychology of behavior and relationships—help people anticipate the unavoidable hazards of leadership without changing who they are.