Season 5: Episode 124: Leadership, Discomfort & Learning to Be the Janitor First

Send us Fan MailHost Sarah Beth Herman challenges the popular phrase “not my circus, not my monkeys,” arguing that while boundaries matter, emotional disengagement is increasingly being confused with wisdom, quietly eroding workplace and relational culture through breakdowns in communication, trust, and shared responsibility. Drawing on her leadership experiences—being denied a hard-earned promotion, having offices reassigned after building strong teams, and being dismissed when requesting travel compensation—she explains how feeling unsupported drives self-protection and avoidance, reinforced by neuroscience and the brain’s desire to escape discomfort. She contrasts grounded leaders who regulate and stay present with reactive people who escape, critiques social-media performative leadership, and shares Sidney Weinberg’s rise at Goldman Sachs as a lesson in serving before leading. She emphasizes that real leadership is steady ownership and emotional resilience, and she thanks sponsor Dentistry Support while previewing an upcoming Phoenix Magazine feature.Support the showSOCIALS:No Silver Spoons®: InstagramDentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedinThe Dental Collaborative: FacebookSarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | LinksFree Training for Dental OfficesDISCLAIMER:The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.