It was scary, but she did it anyway.
A 2019 career change led to “taking this big magnifying glass to my life, to my work and to my sense of purpose," Janet told me. What's interesting is how she used that fear as fuel rather than letting it paralyze her. "The fear became this catalyst to helping me narrow my focus, my messaging, and my process."
This willingness to embrace fear during transitions is something Janet now advocates for others facing career crossroads. "Let yourself be afraid. You can't shortcut the process, and part of the process is the paralyzing fear and the terror that everyone feels." But she doesn't stop there – she encourages people to use that transitional moment to aim higher than they might otherwise: "If you're going to have to pivot anyway, why not think about, well, where's the fence? Let me aim for it."
These are just a few of the topics we covered in this episode of Finding Jeito, the podcast in which I talk to leaders about their journeys and pivotal moments in their careers and lives.
Among Janet’s discoveries in her career is that hard work and good results are not enough for success because organizational politics and interpersonal dynamics can easily undermine competent work.
This realization led her to focus on what drives organizational culture: psychological safety, trust, and connection. One way she does this is by listening without judgment. This isn't just a nice-to-have skill for Janet—it's the foundation of her effectiveness as a leader and consultant.
"When I look back at how I functioned then as a leader versus how I'm able to function now in a leadership role, it's completely night and day," she reflected. Earlier in her career, like many young leaders, Janet focused on demonstrating competence and authority. The shift came when she recognized that true authority comes through understanding others first.
What makes Janet special is her ability to create safe spaces for difficult conversations, particularly around sensitive topics like diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. I've seen firsthand how her nonjudgmental approach allows people to engage with challenging ideas without feeling attacked or defensive.
I do not want to give away too much of our conversation, but I want to highlight another area we discussed. When I asked about the most liberating permission she's given herself, Janet's answer revealed both vulnerability and wisdom: "To fail."
Her perspective on failure as an essential learning mechanism rather than something to be avoided at all costs has transformed her approach to risk and growth. "None of us are without failure... if we're able to embrace that and to say, okay, so this didn't go as I planned. Am I going to drop dead from this? No, but am I going to learn something from this?"
I hope you will listen to the entire episode and get some free consulting from Janet about becoming a stronger leader and building a higher-performing organization.
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#leadership #culture #workplaceculture #psychologicalsafety #coaching #executivecoaching
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