You Were Ready Before They Told You You Weren’t

What if everything you've been told about "getting ready" for leadership opportunities is actually holding you back? This thought-provoking episode challenges the fundamental notion of readiness and reveals how many of us have been ready long before someone else told us we weren't. I share a pivotal moment from my own corporate career when I felt that internal hum saying "you're ready," only to have others dismiss my readiness with a polite brush-off. The mistake I made? Trusting their assessment more than my own inner knowing. This experience—one many leaders face—reveals how readiness isn't something bestowed upon us after training or titles. It's a state of mind we already possess. Through the lens of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), we explore how limiting beliefs create internal barriers that sound like "I'm not qualified enough" or "Who am I to lead?" These thoughts typically stem from past experiences or others' opinions we've internalized without questioning. Once settled, they shape our mindset and drive everything—keeping us playing small and "getting ready to get ready" in an exhausting cycle. The truth? Readiness doesn't mean having all the answers. It means believing you'll figure it out when the time comes and being willing to learn what you don't yet know. Ready for your next clear move? Reflect on a moment where you were ready but didn't feel like it. Consider what would have changed if you'd trusted yourself earlier. Write down one belief about why you're not ready for something now and ask whose voice that really is. Then replace it with a belief that supports forward movement and take one small action. Because remember—no one will ever give you what you won't claim for yourself. You were ready all along. Let's reconnect with how we really want to lead.