C.A.R.E. Leadership: The Framework Achievers Need

What if the very advice to “be authentic” at work is setting you up to fail? What if, without the right foundation, your vulnerability does not build trust but instead leaks anxiety or builds higher walls?In this episode of Build Our Own Rooms, host Tiana Symmonds tackles a provocative headline, “Authenticity is a playground for narcissists.” Instead of dismissing it, she leans in and uses it as a mirror to reveal an architectural flaw many high-achieving Black women face: trying to be authentic without a structural blueprint.This is not a conversation about being more or less vulnerable. It is about diagnosing why our current mode of operation, whether you are the indispensable Savior or the impenetrable Fortress, is creating a Capacity Crisis or profound loneliness. Tiana introduces two archetypes, Simone and Vivian, who embody the twin traps of chaotic exhaustion and isolated suffocation. You will see yourself in them.Using her foundational C.A.R.E. Framework, Tiana provides the missing architectural plans. She explains how to Connect before you Correct, Acknowledge the human while Accepting the data, Review the work with Respect for the person, and Educate to Elevate your team. The goal is to transform from survival-based leadership into an architectural approach that can hold both blueprint and soul.If you are tired of performing vulnerability or armoring your humanity, this episode is your diagnostic tool. It is time to stop leaking or walling off and start building a legacy you can actually live in.In This Episode[00:00] Welcome and introduction[00:22] Authenticity as a playground for narcissists?[01:26] Introducing Simone: the savior/strong friend[04:11] Introducing Vivian Lorraine: the survivor/first only[06:47] The hard truth: flawed architecture[08:17] Introducing the CARE framework[08:17] C: connect and correct[09:41] A: acknowledge and accept[10:55] R: review and respect[12:10] E: educate and elevate[13:34] Introducing the CARE leadership scorecardNotable Quotes[03:05] “She’s clean. She’s got that Empire State energy... But let’s be real. Simone is drowning.”[05:17] “There’s a cost to being the only and Vivian had to learn decades ago that feelings get you fired.”[11:30] “You have to respect them enough to tell them the truth about their performance. Period.”Resources and LinksPodcastBuild Our Own RoomsTiana SymmondsWebsiteLinkedInMentionedThe C.A.R.E Leadership Scorecard 🎁 The Free Gift: Stop paying for career success with your health. Download "Turn Your Job Into a Client" Blueprint HERE🎟️ The Live Event: I am talking on the week of March 23 at the #TOP100MostPowerfulBlackWomenSummit. I'll be giving away this blueprint during my keynote. Claim your free virtual ticket HERE🏗️ The Build Site: Join the waitlist for The Architect's Circle©2025 AskTiana Solutions, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of AskTiana Solutions, LLC.©2023 Positive Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction, alteration, translation, publication, or distribution, in any form, printed or electronic, is permitted without the express prior written consent of Positive Intelligence, LLC.POSITIVE INTELLIGENCE®, PQ®, CERTIFIED PQ COACH™, PQ COACH™, and P+ logo™ are trademarks of Positive Intelligence, LLC.DISCLAIMERS: The coach identified herein is an independent member of the PQ Coach program, and not an employee, agent, or representative of Positive Intelligence, LLC. The coaching program offered herein is independently owned and operated by the coach and is not affiliated with or endorsed or sponsored by Positive Intelligence, LLC. PROGRAM CONTENT AND MATERIAL DO NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ADVICE AND ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL CARE, DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF ANY MEDICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION.