In Confidence with Lisa Sun: A Gravitas Podcast Episode 32: The Leadership Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making with Sabina Nawaz
Aug 22, 2025
Sabina Nawaz, a bestselling author and former senior leader at Microsoft, shares invaluable leadership insights. She discusses how pressure can corrupt leaders more than power, urging authenticity and transparency. Expect to learn about four common leadership mistakes and unique tools for closing the power gap and fostering honest communication. Sabina also emphasizes the power of doing nothing in high-pressure situations, inviting listeners to embrace feedback and personal growth for a more inspired leadership journey.
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Return From Leave That Changed Her Leadership
- Sabina described returning from parental leave and instantly becoming short, snippy, and micromanaging under pressure.
- She realized pressure, not power, corrupted her behavior and isolated her from the harm she caused.
Pressure Corrupts; Power Divides
- Sabina argues pressure, not power, corrupts choices and squeezes out humanity.
- Power then divides leaders from the impact of their actions on others.
Authenticity Can Be Situational
- Authenticity is not a single fixed state across roles; multiple authentic selves exist.
- Values underlie authenticity and should guide situational shifts in behavior.
