This Wasn't My Plan

How RX Ashlee Defines Leadership

Episode 27: How RX Ashlee Defines Leadership In this episode, Ashlee plants a flag around what leadership actually means inside RX Ashlee, and it's not the corporate, title-driven, or performative version. She breaks down why leadership has been wildly overcomplicated, who it's really for, and why clarity is the single most important leadership skill you can build. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN - Why leadership has nothing to do with titles, status, or visibility - The real cost of poor leadership communication — on teams, businesses, and relationships - How the clearest leaders outperform the loudest ones every time - Why most teams don't have a talent problem — they have a clarity problem - What it actually means to lead: creating clarity that moves people forward Most leaders aren't struggling because they lack intelligence, ambition, or capability. They're struggling because they can't communicate clearly under pressure. They overexplain, avoid hard conversations, leave meetings without ownership, and confuse motion with leadership. In this episode, Ashlee draws on two decades of working inside hospitals, businesses, and executive teams to redefine leadership from the ground up, not as a personality trait or a title, but as a practiced, repeatable skill anyone can build starting today. KEY MOMENTS - (02:00) Why leadership has become too performative and too theoretical - (05:30) Who leadership is actually for — and it's not just CEOs - (09:15) The behaviors that signal poor leadership communication - (13:40) Ashlee's simple definition: leadership is your ability to create clarity that moves people forward - (18:00) Why the higher you rise, the more your communication matters CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops [https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops] ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee - Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/] - Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ [https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/] - Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops [https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops] KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, decision-making, executive leadership, organizational clarity, team performance

Communication is THE Leader's Work

Episode 26: Communication is THE Leader's Work In this episode, Ashlee makes the case for why communication isn't a soft skill to revisit later — it's the core discipline that determines whether teams move forward or stay stuck. She breaks down exactly where clarity breaks down, why it happens, and what leaders need to do differently. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why unclear communication — not lack of talent or motivation — is what stalls teams What actually happens when leaders don't get to the point under pressure How assumptions and misalignment form when conversations aren't closed clearly Why slowing down and being direct is harder than it sounds — and why it matters The system high-performing teams use to create traction and real movement Most teams don't struggle because people aren't capable or motivated. They struggle because what's in someone's head never fully lands with the person they're talking to. Expectations stay fuzzy, ownership stays undefined, and meetings end without real decisions. In this episode, Ashlee draws on her background in healthcare — where communication was never optional or vague — and her work with thousands of leaders to lay the foundation for what clear communication actually requires: discipline, directness, and a repeatable system. KEY MOMENTS (01:30) Why this season is fully focused on communication (04:45) The real reason teams feel stuck — and it's not capability (08:10) What happens when leaders talk more instead of communicating clearly (12:20) How Ashlee's background in healthcare shaped her communication standard (16:00) The shift from winging it to building a system that creates movement CALL TO ACTION If you're leading a team and want to improve clarity, decision-making, and execution, learn more about Ashlee's leadership workshops here: 🔗 https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops [https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops] ABOUT ASHLEE Ashlee is a leadership strategist and executive workshop facilitator who helps teams communicate with clarity so decisions move forward and performance improves. She works with founders, operators, and leadership teams to build simple, repeatable systems that strengthen alignment, ownership, and execution under pressure. Connect with Ashlee Follow Ashlee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleeklevenshayes/] Follow Ashlee on IG: https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/ [https://www.instagram.com/rxashleehayes/] Learn more about Ashlee's workshops: https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops [https://www.rxashlee.com/executive-team-workshops] KEYWORDS leadership communication, team alignment, decision-making, executive leadership, team performance, organizational clarity

Why This Show Exists

Original Air Date: 2/6/26 This episode is about what happens when your plan falls apart, and you stop treating that as a problem to fix. It’s about the quiet, unglamorous moments where identity shifts, careers reroute, and life asks you to grow up faster than expected. And what becomes possible when you stop performing a polished narrative and start telling the real one. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the throughline behind the pivots, losses, relocations, and decisions that shaped who I am and why this show exists. This episode is for you if: You’re realizing your life or career didn’t follow the blueprint you once trusted You’ve made choices that didn’t make sense to other people You’ve outgrown an identity that once fit, but no longer does You’re standing at a decision point and questioning what comes next After listening, you will understand: Why plans falling apart often create more alignment than success ever could How non-linear paths quietly build leadership, resilience, and perspective What most people miss about identity when titles, roles, or stability disappear The shift from chasing the “right” path to building something that can’t be taken away Follow This Wasn’t My Plan. Share this episode with someone navigating a pivot they didn’t ask for.

Redefining Success

Original Air Date: 1/30/26 If you’ve done everything “right” and it still doesn’t feel right… listen to this.  Season Two opens with a reset.  Not because something broke.  Not because I’m burned out.  But because the version of success I was chasing no longer fits the life I’m living.  And if you’re feeling that same quiet tension—this episode is for you.  This episode is about one distinction that changes everything  Most high-achievers are incredibly accomplished.  They’ve stacked credentials. Titles. Wins. Proof.  But accomplishment isn’t the same as success.  This conversation is about learning the difference—and what happens when you stop measuring your life by what looks impressive and start paying attention to what actually feels sustainable.  You’ll resonate with this episode if:  • You’ve built a career that works, but something still feels off  • You’re not lost or starting over—you’re just recalibrating  • You’re standing in the in-between, questioning old definitions of success  • You know your values, but your life availability has changed  What this episode will shift for you  • Why accomplishment can feel safe—but still leave you unsettled  • How to recognize when you’re chasing validation instead of alignment  • What “life leadership” actually looks like in this season  • Why redefining success isn’t failure—it’s growth  What Season Two is really about  This season is built around real conversations with people whose lives didn’t go according to plan.  Founders. Leaders. Professionals. Partners.  People who honored the pivot instead of fighting it.  No polish. No pretending. Just honest conversations about evolution, recalibration, and building a life that fits.  Before you go  Season Two episodes will be released as they’re recorded—there’s no fixed drop day.  Make sure you’re following or subscribed so you don’t miss a conversation.  Share this episode with someone navigating their own in-between season.  And DM @rxashleehayes with this question:  What does success feel like for you right now?

Your Career Identity: Understanding Who You Are and Where You Belong

Original Air Date: 12/22/25 Your Career Identity: Understanding Who You Are and Where You Belong  Season One Finale of This Wasn’t My Plan  In the final episode of Season One, Ashlee closes the year with a conversation every high-achiever needs but rarely makes space for: career identity.  If you’ve ever wondered:  Who am I professionally?  What do I actually bring to the table?  Where do I truly belong?  This episode is your mirror.  Ashlee takes you inside the mindset shifts, patterns, and lived experiences that shape how we show up in our careers — and why so many ambitious people feel mislabeled, misunderstood, or stuck in roles that no longer fit.  Through personal stories, client examples, and the emotional evolution behind her own career pivots, Ashlee breaks down:  1. What career identity really is and why it has nothing to do with your job title.  2. Why high-performers struggle to see their own strengths because adaptability becomes a double-edged sword.  3. How to identify the roles you naturally step into even when no one formally assigns them  4. The difference between skill and identity and why being good at something doesn’t mean it should define your life.  5. Why your next chapter requires letting go of outdated versions of yourself and how to recognize when it's time to pivot  This episode blends reflection, strategy, and storytelling including powerful identity shifts from real clients, plus Ashlee’s own journey from pharmacist to founder, operator, and clarity expert.  It’s the perfect closing chapter to a season built on evolution, ambition, and the  courage to rewrite your path.  In This Episode, You’ll Learn:  • How to recognize your real career identity  • What your behaviors reveal that your title doesn’t  • The three questions that help you define your next chapter  • Why proving yourself keeps you stuck  • How to trust your instincts when they feel risky  • What to do when your professional identity stops fitting  • Why nonlinear paths are becoming the new normal  Listener Takeaways:  • Your title doesn’t tell the full story — your patterns do.  • You’re not stuck — you’re evolving.  • You’re allowed to outgrow roles, labels, and expectations.  • Your career identity is already inside you — you’re learning how to name it.  Season Two Preview:  Next year, Ashlee brings on more than one hundred guests with real This Wasn’t My Plan stories — people who pivoted, rebuilt, paused, left, returned, and reinvented their careers in ways that don’t fit the traditional mold.  Consider this your permission to evolve.  Special Thank You:  Brittany — the creative engine and heartbeat behind Season One — thank you for shaping every episode behind the scenes.  And to every listener: every share, every message, every moment you pressed play… you built this season with us.  Stay Connected:  • Follow the show so you never miss a new episode  • Share this episode with someone navigating a pivot or identity shift  • DM Ashlee on Instagram @rxashleehayes and tell her:  What part of your career identity are you starting to outgrow?