YOU ARE THE BOSS: BECOME THE MANAGER YOU WANT TO BE

Are you truly the leader you want to be—or just reacting under pressure? In this powerful episode, Sabina Nawaz shares hard-earned insights from decades of coaching CEOs and writing her new book, You Are the Boss. Discover how to navigate leadership challenges and lead with intention, clarity, and care.

About the Guest

Sabina Nawaz is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions worldwide. Sabina gives dozens of keynotes, seminars, and conferences each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel Universities. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she transitioned from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly 1,000 executives. She is the author of YOU'RE THE BOSS: Becoming the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need).

Relevant Links

https://sabinanawaz.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabinanawaz/

https://www.instagram.com/sabinacoaching/

The Top 3 Key Learnings

1. Leadership can quietly derail with success — Promotions increase pressure, which can distort behaviors and distance leaders from honest feedback.
2. Listening is a superpower — Developing your “shut up muscle” by speaking less and asking more questions helps you hear diverse perspectives and build stronger teams.
3. Micro-habits create sustainable self-care — Managing stress through tiny, consistent habits like one mindful breath daily helps maintain performance and wellbeing.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction

00:55 Career Highlights and Values

03:01 Discussing the Book: 'You Are the Boss'

03:20 Recognizing and Managing Power and Pressure

07:36 Effective Leadership Communication

13:01 Managing Stress and Wellbeing

15:38 Leadership Blind Spots and Continuous Improvement

18:57 Final Thoughts and Golden Nugget

Keywords: leadership development, Sabina Nawaz, CX podcast, you are the boss book, pressure in leadership, power gap in management, leadership blind spots, self-care for leaders, executive coaching, shut up muscle, micro habits for stress

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