What made you successful will not hold for what’s coming, especially in AI era.


You have a vision.
You’ve built success through capability, resilience, and determination.

And yet, you want a more meaningful impact, wider influence, more peace in leading business and organizaton towards the future.

Pressure builds.
Clarity fades.
Momentum or growth slows.
Doubts creep in.
And fulfillment feels just out of reach.

You are at a leadership inflection point 
— where your inner expansion as human will determine what becomes possible & how you lead the future of your organization and business.

I partner with visionary CEOs and executives at inflection points in their leadership — moments where pressure builds, teams plateau, and the old way of leading no longer works.

I help leaders to evolve who they are, how they lead, navigate uncertainities and shape legacy impact.

Through my signature process, leaders expand their presence, elevate their energy, and become trusted, magnetic forces who shape culture, inspire change, and scale with coherence — not pressure.

Because in the new era, the future is shaped by those who are more human, more present,  and more aligned from within.
----------------------------

With 15 years inside global and Fortune 500 environments, and over a decade in transformational leadership work (incl ICF PCC), I translated what most leaders never access into a proprietary approach — integrating neuroscience, energy, body awareness, executive coaching, and transformational leadership through Extraordinary Leadership™.

I’ve partnered with leaders across industries including Maersk, Abbott, Chanel, IKEA, Roche, Microsoft, and GE, and I’m known for my presence and transformational depth.

If you sence there’s more available - this is your next move.
Book a private consultation.
https://calendly.com/dagmaraasbreuk/30-min-consultation


Book me for your leadership events, summits, leadership team off-sites.
https://calendly.com/dagmaraasbreuk/30-min-consultation

Dagmara Asbreuk

You’re not losing your edge.

You’re in an environment that can’t hold it.

Because even the most capable executives will start shrinking in the wrong system.

Not because you’re not strong enough.
But because the space around you is built for comfort… not evolution.

The right environment expands your leadership.
The wrong one slowly erodes it.

10 signs you’ve outgrown the place (or it’s misaligned):

1. You feel drained more than energized.
 Even when you’re “doing well.”

2. You hear constant excuses instead of commitment.
 “We can’t.” “It’s not possible.” “That won’t work here.”

3. You’re shrinking your goals and expectations.
 Not because you want less - because you’re tired of pushing.

4. You’re constantly convincing others to see potential.
 You’re selling vision instead of leading it.

5. You feel like the only one driving change.
 And it’s exhausting.

6. The organization isn’t truly willing to change.
 They want improvement… without transformation.

7. You feel like you’re going backwards.
 More effort. Less impact.

8. Your standards are treated as “too much.”
 Instead of being respected.

9. You don’t feel safe telling the full truth.
 So you filter, soften, hold back.

10. You feel yourself shrinking instead of expanding.
 And deep down… you know it’s not you.

Your brilliance doesn’t need more proving.
It needs the right environment.

Because the right room doesn’t just value your results.
It amplifies your leadership.

Leadership Partner to visionary CEOs & Executives | Guiding you to lead with inner authority, magnetic presence, legacy impact to build future ready organization | Keynote Speaker | Founder | Podcast host

Culture isn’t a slogan.

It’s a driver of business performance.

The challenge:
leaders try to “build culture” through policies, perks, or programs.

While culture is actually created in the moments that matter most:
✅ how you lead
✅ how you listen
✅ what you tolerate
✅ what you reward
✅ what you normalize under pressure

🎧 In the latest episode of the Extraordinary Leadership Podcast, I sat down with Emma Davies - Founder of Evolve People Network and Evolve Hub, and a People & Culture leader with 20+ years across the UAE and KSA.

We unpack what truly creates a culture that fuels success - not in theory, but in real organizations moving at speed.

In this conversation, we explore:
• why presence beats policy
• why “open door” often means the opposite and what real accessibility looks like
• how to spot culture in seconds (and why surveys don’t always tell the truth)
• psychological safety as a performance strategy - not a soft perk
• why pay rises don’t automatically improve culture (and what actually does)
• the HR–leader partnership dynamic that makes or breaks companies

This episode will recalibrate how you think about performance, trust, and leadership impact.

🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ekhcSyUX

Question for you:
What’s one leadership move that resulted in better culture and performance?

Strategy & action alone do not create momentum.

It's the source beneath them.

“Be consistent.”
“Do not give up.”
“Continue, results will come.”

This advice isn’t wrong.
It’s incomplete.

High-level leaders usually don’t struggle with discipline or effort.

What they miss is something deeper:
Awareness of the real source of results.
Beneath strategy.
Beneath determination.
Beneath action.

- Your identity.
- Your beliefs.
- Your state.

Most leaders never go here.
Yet this is where performance, change, and momentum are actually shaped.

Because very often, the source of strategy and action is not clarity or alignment, but:
• Pressure
• Lack
• Proving
• Fear
• Nervous-system survival
• Exhaustion disguised as ambition

These drivers don’t create momentum.
They create resistance.
Friction.
Stuckness.

So when things aren’t working, the answer is rarely:
- more effort.
- more pushing.
- more strategy.

The most strategic move is often the opposite.

Slow down.
Recalibrate internally - before recalibrating strategy or team.

When outcomes aren’t landing, something deeper is usually asking to shift:
– A belief
– An identity edge
– A subconscious limit
– A suppressed emotion
– A body that doesn’t feel safe to expand
– A vision you’ve outgrown

Recalibrate here, and momentum follows.
Traction returns.
Movement becomes natural again.

So yes - be consistent.
Yes - don’t give up.

But first, recalibrate the inner drivers of leadership success.

Because when you shift internally, the external world responds fast.

Sometimes it’s the same actions.
With a different state.
Creating entirely different results.

👉 Where do you sense it’s time to recalibrate from the inside?

Most culture work focuses on behavior and values.

Important.
And incomplete.

Because culture isn’t only what people do.
It’s what people feel the moment they enter the room.

Culture is an energetic operating system.
An invisible field.

You sense it before anyone speaks.
Before meetings start.
Before data confirms it.

And here’s what most leaders underestimate:
That field is shaped - consciously or unconsciously - not just by what leaders do, but by the internal state leaders operate from.

Neuroscience explains this through mirror neurons.
Humans subconsciously attune to the emotional and physiological state of others.

In simple terms:
people don’t hear leaders, they feel leaders.

Which means this:
Your internal state shapes the dynamics, behaviors, and performance of your organization.

A calm, grounded leader creates psychological safety - without trying.
A stressed, reactive leader creates tension - without noticing.

This is nervous-system leadership.

And this is what I see consistently shifts when leaders change the source:
– Behavior changes without being managed
– Conversations soften without losing clarity
– Accountability strengthens without fear
– Performance increases without burnout

Because culture doesn’t need to be forced, when leadership is internally aligned.

The real question isn’t: “How do I motivate people?”

It’s: “What internal state am I transmitting every day - already?”
That’s the layer that changes everything.

-> If you want to go deeper into leading from your highest state - this is the episode to watch: https://lnkd.in/eZiVvvhh

-> If you’re ready to elevate the signal you’re sending, shape culture from the inside out and lead from a grounded, calm, confident, and coherent state - let’s have a conversation about what will support that shift.

You don’t need a survey to know if your culture is strong.

You feel it the moment you walk in.

The energy.
The pace.
The way people look at each other before they speak.

After years of working in corporate and with CEOs and leadership teams, I’ve learned this:
the strongest cultures are sensed long before they’re measured.

Surveys confirm.
Attunement reveals.

This carousel breaks down 5 signals before any data, dashboards, or engagement scores enter the room.

If you’re a leader preparing your organization for the future, this matters.
Because culture isn’t built through initiatives.

It’s built through presence, safety, and how leadership shows up - every day.

Swipe through.

Then ask yourself one question:
What does your culture communicate the moment someone enters your space?

5 Signs Your Culture Is Strong

Culture isn’t a transaction.

It’s your leadership in action.

Money rises do not buy it.
And I fully agree with what Emma Davies said in our last conversation.

Yes, paying beneath market won’t fuel engagement.
But even strong compensation won’t create trust, ownership, or collaboration.

Thriving culture and performance rise on psychological safety + trust + authentic presence + growth opportunities.

If you want a thriving culture, here are 10 moves you will need:
✅ Set/co-create the vision + priorities (people can’t perform in confusion)
✅ Ask for input and actually listen
✅ Address issues early (don’t let them grow)
✅ Recognize & appreciate effort - not only results (be specific)
✅ Give real ownership, not just tasks
✅ Create space for honest conversations (psychological safety matters)
✅ Model the standards you expect from others
✅ Show up human and vulnerable, not invincible
✅ Find out what people truly want (what drives them, what they care about)
✅ Create growth opportunities that match it (so they can evolve and stay engaged)
✅ Protect wellbeing + energy (rest, boundaries, sustainable pace)

For that, developing coaching abilities, strengthening emotional intelligence, mastering your state/energy and mindset will be key for you as a leader.

These were true game changers for me.

It’s what helps you move from being an expert…
to become the catalyst and multiplier - for people, performance, and culture.

That’s why when I partner with executives, we work on all of it - the inner leadership and the practical skills that build thriving culture fueling performance.

Because culture isn’t bought.
It’s built.
And what matters most is how you lead.

More on topic of thriving culture in this episode: https://lnkd.in/ekhcSyUX

AI accelerates efficiency and execution.

Human evolution shapes the future of leadership.

Yesterday, I was invited to participate a Singularity University event in Dubai, on exponential mindset & AI driven leadership.

My favorite was speech of John Sanei the futurist who  put one simple truth in the spotlight:

AI will replace intellectual intelligence.
Where we need to evolve is as humans.

Underlying the need to adapt by evolving From within - awareness, perception, EQ and being.


From the lens of my work, I see 3 key areas where leaders must evolve now to stay relevant for the future that unfold very fast:

1. State mastery
Your mind & body determines how you think, decide, and lead under pressure & what culture dynamic you shape.
A coherent state creates clarity, trust, safety & flow.
A survival state creates tunnel vision, stress & chaos.
Aligning & elevating your state is number one leadership superpower.


2. Identity & belief evolution
You don’t see the world as it is - you see it as you are, through the inner filters.
Your identity and belief system shape your perception, choices, leadership capacity.
Most leaders are running unaware on old conditioned program.
Evolving it expands what becomes possible for you, organization, business.

3. Intuition & inner wisdom
Data informs, but intuition decides.
In an AI-shaped world, accessing deeper inner knowing becomes the ultimate human advantage.
From here best strategies & unique approaches will come.

So the future isn’t about knowing more.
It’s about leading from a more evolved inner self.

And its already here and happening at speed.

So the question is:
are you evolving to be on the forefront?

Thank you Varun Malik & Matthieu Bonelli for inviting me to this relevant conversation shaping the future of business and humanity.

Gratitude is not a mindset trick.

It's a state that determines how you lead.

Your brain follows what you focus on.
Your energy follows your focus.

Neuroscience shows: 
gratitude strengthens new neural pathways that help you notice what you already have - instead of staying on autopilot, scanning for lack.

Gratitude activates presence.
It supports emotional regulation, resilience, and wellbeing & psychological safety.

And in challenging moments?
Gratitude is often the first place to return to.

In leadership, that matters.
Because your decisions…
your energy…
your presence…
are shaped by what you repeatedly focus on.

Today, my gratitude looked like this:
✨ Activating the gratitude state through an energetic activation designed by me (one of many inside the Extraordinary Leadership App for State & Embodiment mastery)

🦷 A kindness from the receptionist and wisdom from the doctor. Plus, learning something new.

🌊 Coffee, sunlight, and ocean waves.

💎 And gratitude anchored at home - fragrance + beauty in my office.

Gratitude is a leadership decision.

Choose it daily - especially when things feel intense.

Because what you focus on becomes what you lead from.

What are you grateful for today?

Our closest relationships are never separate from our leadership.

They quietly influence how we decide, regulate ourselves, and show up.
Often beneath the surface.

In many ways, a family is an organization.
And partners are the leadership team.

The relational dynamic between partners shapes the wider system -  including children, culture, and emotional climate.

Cultivating this relationship is one of the most important areas of my own life.

I value friendship, connection, shared purpose, and shared values with my life’s partner.

What strengthened our partnership most was evolving from within, on both sides.

☑️ Understanding and valuing our differences.
☑️ Learning to manage and reduce triggers.
☑️ Growing emotional maturity together.
☑️ Freeing from past conditioned beliefs, memories, traumas.

And creating intentional time together, 
outside of family chores.

I’m not a personal relationship coach.

But some of my clients move through profound life phases that unfold alongside our core partnership.

And these moments inevitably influence their leadership, clarity, and capacity.

With care, I want to share two resources I often recommend when it comes to closest partner relationships:

1. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
 — John Gottman

If you want to strengthen your relationship in a practical, research-backed way, this is foundational.

The principles focus on:
➝  Building deep friendship
➝  Managing conflict without damage
➝  Creating shared meaning
➝  Protecting respect and emotional safety

Clear. Grounded. Timeless.
And helpful in challenging common myths that quietly erode connection.

2. Conscious Uncoupling
 — Katherine Woodward Thomas

If you are separating or divorcing, this book offers a radically different orientation.

It supports:
➝  Ending a relationship without destruction
➝  Taking responsibility without self-blame
➝  Extracting wisdom rather than carrying residue
➝  Creating a clean emotional future - for yourself and others involved

Both books center consciousness, choice, and maturity.
Whether you are staying together or parting ways.

I trust this share will serve you or someone close to you.

Feel free to pass it on to leaders and friends who may need it now.

Your organization and business can’t outgrow you.

When pressure rises, complexity grows and AI challenges your relevance - strategy is not the first place to look into.

Elevating who you are and how you lead - is.
Because your impact & business results depend on your inner architecture.

Here is how it works:
→ Your state determines your leadership capacity - shaping decision quality, execution speed, and culture under pressure.
→ Your identity shapes your authority - what you tolerate, how you operate, size of your vision and how decisively you move when it matters.
→ Your beliefs define your strategic range & possibilities-  and whether growth feels constrained or inevitable.
→ Your energy creates organizational leverage - influencing momentum, performance, and how people respond to you.
→ Your ability to access intuition stabilizes leadership under pressure & uncertainty - enabling decisions that are fast, aligned, and sustainable.

Mastering mind, emotions, and inner state, changing beliefs & expanding your identity is real leadership work.

And in a world where AI replaces IQ, who you are becomes the competitive advantage.

This is the real work I support my clients with.

So they lead with inner authority, magnetic presence, and create legacy impact - while shaping future-ready organizations.

So they don’t just stay relevant - they set the direction.

You’ve spent years delivering results, working hard, and being the person people rely on.
Yet you’re still not getting the visibility, recognition, or opportunities you deserve.

I’ve been there too.

During my 20 years in corporate roles, I watched talented women leaders stay under-recognized while others with more visibility, not necessarily more competence,  moved ahead.

And I learned something important:

Career growth doesn’t come from effort alone.
It comes from being seen, valued, and strategically positioned.

Today, as a Certified Executive Coach from Columbia with additional leadership certifications from Yale School of Management and IMD Switzerland, I help  leaders accelerate their career growth by strengthening the skills that actually create upward movement:

✨ Visibility that attracts bigger opportunities
✨ Communication that earns trust and influence
✨ Self-leadership that builds clarity, confidence, and authority
✨ Presence that positions you for senior-level roles

My clients come to me when they’re ready for more, but feel like they’ve hit a plateau they can’t explain.

Together, we uncover the patterns slowing their progress and build the leadership identity required for their next chapter. The results are powerful:

✔ Stepping into senior roles 
✔ Being selected for high-visibility projects
✔ Leading with confidence, calm, and clarity
✔ Being recognized for their impact not just their effort
✔ Attracting new internal or external career opportunities

Because when you know how to communicate your value, show your impact, and lead yourself with intention, Your career moves very differently.

⸻

If you’re ready for your next level:

📩 Send me a DM with “NEXT LEVEL” and we will work on defining and reaching your next level. 

or

🔗 Take the Career Growth Assessment in my Featured Section to uncover your blind spots and strengths.

Your next chapter isn’t created by chance.

It’s created by how you choose to lead yourself, starting now.

Fatou Mathon

I stayed too long in a job that made me feel miserable.

I couldn't sleep at night, 

And my confidence was getting thinner every day.

A job can look good on paper and in your bank account,
and still feels empty.

You get the work done.
You get good feedback.
And everyday feels heavily the same.

You're busy, but you're not really growing.

Changing roles isn't a sign of instability.
It's a signal worth exploring.

1. Check if you've actually grown this year
↳ Write down the last 3 things you learned that stretched you.
If you can't name them, that's a signal.

2. Track what gives you energy for one week
↳ Note 1 task that gives you energy and 1 that drains you.
Patterns appear when you take time to reflect.

3. Circle the work you would not choose again
↳ Identify the tasks you wouldn't do today.
Those are often the ones pulling you out of alignment.

4. Try to revive the role before leaving
↳ Ask for a new project, responsibility, or way of working.
Set a clear time limit and see if anything changes.

5. Start preparing your next move
↳ Update your CV, talk to people, and explore new roles.
Preparation creates options.

If you try your best and nothing shifts, that's information.

Leaving then isn't impulsive.
It's a decision made with evidence.

The real risk isn't moving on.

It's staying when you know the fit is gone, 

And losing a bit more of yourself every day.

♻️ Repost to help your network choose growth.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for leadership and career insights.

Fatou Seck Mathon

I help leaders step into bigger roles and opportunities by increasing their visibility and communicating their value. Certified Executive Coach. Leadership Consultant.

Everyone sees the results.

Almost no one saw 

what it took to get here.

They see the title, not the timeline.
The confidence, not the self-doubt.
The success, not the sacrifices that built it.

No one saw the mornings you questioned everything.
The nights you worked in silence while others slept.
The moments you failed, learned, and kept showing up anyway.

That’s not luck.
That’s work.
That’s discipline when no one’s watching.

People love to say “you’re lucky.”
But luck is just effort nobody noticed.

So if you’re still putting in the work and wondering when it’ll pay off,
keep going.

Because one day, someone will call you “lucky.”

And you’ll know it wasn’t chance.

It was choices.

Image credit : femalempire on IG

♻️ Repost to help your network keep going.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more.

Certified Executive Coach. I help women leaders step into bigger roles and opportunities by increasing their visibility and communicating their value. Leadership Consultant.

Speaking like a leader is easy.

Listening like one is harder.

Most teams don’t lack ideas.
They lack leaders who truly hear them.

We spend hours shaping the right message,
but very little time creating space for listening.

That’s the quiet mistake.

When people stop speaking up, it doesn't mean they have nothing to say.
It means they believe it's safer not to say it.

And that shift is subtle.

It happens when ideas are interrupted.
When feedback is acknowledged but never acted on.
When people speak openly, and nothing changes.

So they adapt.
Not by disengaging loudly. But by going quiet.

When leaders don’t really listen:

Ideas stay unshared.
Problems surface too late.
Trust erodes quietly.

People don’t stop caring. They stop speaking up.

As a coach, I’ve seen this pattern repeat itself across teams and organisations.

And here’s the part many leaders miss:

Silence is rarely a lack of engagement.
It’s often a response to experience.

If people believe their input won’t matter,
They stop offering it.

Here’s what great leaders practice instead:

- Ask before advising.
Curiosity opens more than answers ever will.

- Respond to ideas, not egos.
The goal isn’t to win. It’s to understand.

- Listen for meaning, not just words.
What’s unsaid often matters most.

- Allow silence.
Pause creates room for honesty.

The best leaders I know don’t talk more.
They listen better.

And because of that, people bring them the truth,

not just what they think the leader wants to hear.

That’s when leadership really begins.

♻️ Repost to support great leaders who listen.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for leadership and career insights.

My colleague once told me they had never worked with a black person before.

So they didn’t know what to expect when they first met me.

That conversation stayed with me and made me realise something important.

When I walk into a room, I’m often seen first as a black woman.

Not as who I am.
Not as a professional with 20 years of experience.
Not as someone who has led teams, made decisions, and built expertise.

Before people know me, some already expect certain things.

A certain tone.
A certain behaviour.
A certain way of reacting.

Sometimes, it feels like they’re watching.

Checking to see if the stereotypes are true.

That’s not always done with bad intent.

But it still shapes how trust is built.
How voices are heard.
How credibility is given.

And it’s exhausting.

Because I don’t enter the room as a blank page.
I enter with biases already written on my face.

Inclusion begins the moment we stop guessing who someone is.

It’s choosing to meet the person in front of you. 
And see them for their value.

Not the story you already made up about them.

So here’s what I try to remember, and what I hope others will too:

• Notice the assumptions you make before someone speaks
• Ask yourself what you actually know versus what you assume
• Let people show you who they are
• Judge behaviour, not stereotypes

People are not categories.
They are individuals.

And real inclusion starts when we see people for who they are,

not who we expect them to be.

♻️ Repost to create awareness in your network.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more leadership insights.

Not everything said to you is about you.

Taking things personally will drain you.

Instead of internalizing every harsh word said to you.

Use that to grow and focus on what truly matters.

Stop taking things personally and do this instead:

✅ Separate your emotions from the feedback: 
↳ Focus on the facts behind the input. 
↳ The insights can still be valuable.

✅ Pause before reacting: 
↳ Take a breath and ask yourself: "Is this really about me?" 
↳ When you pay attention, often, it's not.

✅ Leverage your strengths: 
↳ Remind yourself how far you have come. 
↳ One comment doesn't define your value.

✅ Seek clarity: 
↳ If something feels off, ask questions. 
↳ Understanding intent helps you see the bigger picture.

✅ Reframe criticism as growth: 
↳ Use every critique as a chance to learn. 
↳ Growth comes from perspective, not perfection.

You can't control what is said to you.

You can control how you react to it.

Shift your focus and stay confident.

♻️ Repost to help a friend take nothing personally.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more.

The most impactful leaders lead with presence.

Not volume.

Quiet doesn’t mean weak.
Yet in many workplaces, it’s still treated that way.

If you’re an introverted leader, you’ve probably heard this more than once:

“Speak up more.”
“Be more assertive.”
“Take more space.”

What that often means is simple:
Lead like the loudest person in the room.

But quiet leadership isn’t less effective.
It’s less visible in systems that reward speed, confidence, and constant talking.

Most of your leadership happens before you speak.

You listen for patterns, not just opinions.
You think through the consequences before reacting.
You choose words carefully because you know they carry weight.

What gets praised is often what’s loud.
That’s not a leadership gap.
That’s a bias.

I see this pattern repeatedly in the leaders I work with.
And many introverted leaders have been navigating it quietly for years.

Here’s what’s often missed:

Introverted leaders don’t lack confidence. They lack space.

Space to think.
Space to decide.
Space to lead in a way that feels aligned, not performative.

So remember this:
→ You don’t need to change who you are
→ You don’t need to be louder to be respected
→ You don’t need to “fix” your leadership to move up

You need space to value how you lead, 
not scripts written for someone else.

Quiet leadership works.
Presence doesn’t need volume.

Your value isn’t measured by how often you speak.

It’s measured by the clarity and impact you bring when you do.

♻️ Repost to support introverted leaders.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for leadership and career insights.

I used to think staying quiet made me easy to work with.

It only made me invisible.

For years, I thought being “low-maintenance” was the right way to lead:

Say yes.
Stay agreeable.
Avoid conflict.

People appreciated the harmony
But they rarely saw my value.

And I see the same pattern in so many brilliant leaders I coach:

They work hard.
They deliver.

But they stay overlooked
because silence hides the impact they’re trying to make.

Here’s what I learnt since
and what I now teach my clients:

If you don’t communicate your value, people fill the silence with assumptions.

And those assumptions rarely match your true potential.

Here are the shifts that make your value impossible to ignore:

1/ Speaking up is leadership
People can’t support what they don’t know.

2/ Making your work visible is clarity
Visibility gives others the context they need to recognize your impact.

3/ Clear goals create real opportunities
When you articulate what you want, doors that weren’t visible before open.

4/ Boundaries elevate your authority
Respect grows when you protect your time, not when you give it away.

5/ Asking for support accelerates your career
The highest performers rise faster when they are open to support.

6/ Your voice is part of your value
Impact comes from being heard, not just being helpful.

These aren’t loud actions.
They’re intentional ones.

And they’re the difference between feeling overlooked and becoming impossible to ignore.

Because the moment you claim your impact,

The room has no choice but to see it.

♻️ Repost to help your network show their impact.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more.

I used to shrink myself to make others comfortable.

To take up less space,

and make sure no one thought I was “too much.”

But shrinking doesn’t make you easier to work with.
It makes you forget who you are.

I realized something powerful:

When you shrink to be more “manageable,”
people start believing that’s your actual size.

Stop editing yourself to fit small expectations.

You are not a pond.
You are an ocean.

If someone can’t handle your depth,
They can stay in the shallows.

You weren’t meant to be manageable.

You were meant to take up your space entirely.

Here’s how to start showing up as the ocean:

1. Speak up, even when your voice shakes.
Silence won’t protect your ideas; sharing them will.

2. Ask for what you’ve earned.
Recognition isn’t arrogance. It’s accountability.

3. Hold your boundaries.
You can’t pour depth into people if you’re running on empty.

4. Celebrate your wins out loud.
You give others permission to do the same.

5. Keep growing, even if it makes others uncomfortable.
Their comfort isn’t your calling.

Growth doesn’t happen by fitting in.

It happens by showing up fully, even when it stretches others.

The world doesn’t need a smaller version of you.
It needs your depth, your courage, and your full voice.

Be the ocean.

Let them learn to swim.


♻️ Repost to help your network stop shrinking.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more.

The top 1 % of leaders never do these 7 mistakes.

(+ power moves to make your impact visible).

Visibility at work isn't luck. 

It's a strategy.

You work hard and meet deadlines, yet no one notices.

Great work stays unseen, when you are stuck in bad habits.

Watch out for these 7 career mistakes keeping you invisible:

(And do this instead)

1. Staying silent in meetings.
↳ If you don't speak up, people assume you have nothing to add.
✅ Share ideas, ask questions, or support a teammate.

2. Downplaying your achievements.
↳ Brushing off praise makes others overlook your impact.
✅ Say: "Thank you! I'm proud of this work."

3. Avoiding visibility opportunities.
↳ Skipping big projects keeps you unnoticed.
✅ Step up, even if it feels uncomfortable.

4. Focusing only on tasks.
↳ Doing the work isn't enough, people need to see your impact.
✅ Show how your work connects to bigger goals.

5. Doing everything solo.
↳ Working alone limits recognition and slows growth.
✅ Involve others and highlight teamwork.

6. Not networking internally.
↳ Staying in your bubble limits your influence.
✅ Build relationships across teams and leadership.

7. Waiting for recognition.
↳ Assuming people will notice leaves you unseen.
✅ Share wins in meetings or quick updates.

Take action today.

Your work deserves to be seen and valued.


♻️ Repost to help someone be recognized for their work.
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7 career mistakes keeping you invisible

Most people focus on building new skills.

Successful people focus on systems.

They still learn.
They still get better.

They simply don’t depend on skill alone to move forward.

After working with high performers, one pattern keeps showing up.
I see it most when capable people work hard but still feel stuck.

Progress slows when mindset, habits, and skillset don’t work together.

You can be talented.
You can be motivated.
You can stay busy all day.

And still feel like everything takes more effort than it should.

That’s rarely because you’re not trying hard enough.

It’s usually because one part of the system is doing all the work.

Here’s what strong performers do right away.

✅ Mindset
When something feels stressful, write down only the facts. No stories.
Before reacting, ask yourself this simple question:
“What’s under my control right now?”

✅ Habits
Choose one daily action that takes less than 10 minutes and do it every day.
Set it up the night before, so starting feels easy.

✅ Skillset
Pick one skill that actually helps your work this month.
Practice it on real tasks and ask for feedback.

Each part helps on its own.

And progress speeds up when all three work together.

That’s when your effort produces results and your confidence stays strong, even under pressure.

Most people react to slow progress by adding more skills.

The people who move faster fix the system first.

♻️ Repost to help your network build the right system.
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Fear of failure has killed many dreams.

But it doesn't have to ruin yours.

Here's what fear really costs you:

↳ The projects you did not work on
↳ The business you never started
↳ The dream you keep postponing

The brutal truth?

❌ Your fear of failing actually keeps you failing.
❌ Your fear of the unknown traps you in the known.
❌ Your fear of judgment makes you judge yourself harder.

But here's the secret about fear:

It's not a warning. It's a compass.

When fear appears:

↳ You're close to growth.
↳ You're about to level up.
↳ You're near a breakthrough.

Take these 3 steps to turn fear into fuel:

1. Use the 10-10-10 rule
↳ Will I regret not taking action in 10 minutes?
↳ In 10 months? 
↳ In 10 years?

2. Take micro-jumps
↳ Start with 1% braver
↳ Build confidence quietly
↳ Let small wins stack up

3. Flip the script
↳ "I'm not ready." → "I'll learn as I go."
↳ "What if I fail?" → "What if I fly?"
↳ "It's too late." → "It's my time."

Remember:

In 5 years, you'll either:

↳ Have the results you want
or
↳ Stay stuck in the same place with the same excuses 

It's not the risks we take that haunt us.

It's the ones we were too afraid to try.

♻️ Repost to help a friend take the leap.
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Most careers don't hit a ceiling because of skill.

They hit it because people confuse these 3 roles
and expect one relationship to do all the work

Mentors, Sponsors, and Allies

In my work with leaders, this gap shows up often and costs more than people realise.

Here's the difference many people learn too late.

Mentors share their experience.
They've walked similar paths and know how the system works.
You go to them to learn what they tried, what worked, and what they would do differently.

The mistake: expecting mentors to transform you.
They offer perspective, not transformation.
---
Sponsors use influence.
They speak your name when roles, visibility, and opportunities are decided.
If you want to move up, having a sponsor is a must.

The mistake: calling someone a sponsor because they give advice.
Advice feels good, but advocacy changes outcomes.
---
Allies shape the environment.
They back you in public, challenge bias, and stay present when things get hard.
They make it safer for you to contribute.

The mistake: expecting allies to advance your career.
They can't. They help you stay in the game.
---
Each role serves a different purpose.
And your career growth depends on knowing which one you need now.

Try this quick check:

→ Who shares their experience with you? (Mentor)
→ Who speaks for you when you're not there? (Sponsor)
→ Who stands with you when there's risk? (Ally)

If one column is empty, that's the gap to work on next.

Careers don't move on effort alone.
They move with the right support at the right time.

Strong careers are built intentionally.

So are the relationships behind them.

Get weekly practical frameworks on how to build an impactful career here: https://lnkd.in/evuiYzex

♻️ Repost to help your network develop their relationships
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What does a lollipop have to do with leadership?

It’s an unexpected question, but it points to something simple and often overlooked: 

Good leadership doesn’t start with authority.
It starts with awareness of how you show up.

You can’t lead others well if you don’t know how you show up to yourself.

The most meaningful leadership moments aren’t big or visible. They’re small, human, and easy to miss:

A gesture, apause, a way of being present when it matters.

That’s what stayed with me while reading The Power of a Lollipop by my friend Feena May.

Through the Lollipop Model, Feena looks at leadership across five dimensions: presence, relating, sensemaking, action, and service. 

At its core, leadership is about being in service of something greater than yourself.

The idea of a “lollipop moment” captures this well. Small, authentic actions build trust and make cooperation possible, even in difficult situations.

The reminder is simple and powerful:

Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a set of behaviours any of us can practise every day.

Thank you, Feena, for sharing your wisdom in this refreshing leadership book.

Your title doesn’t make you a great leader.

Your ability to connect with your team does.

What matters most is how people feel,

after they’ve worked with you.

Empathetic leaders inspire trust because they genuinely care.

My work with organizations shows that the most sustainable growth happens when leaders build with empathy.

Strategies change, but the trust you build lasts.

Here are 7 habits of empathetic leaders:

1. Encouraging
↳ You uplift others and celebrate wins, big or small.
↳ Your words give people the confidence to go further.

2. Mindful
↳ You listen fully and stay present in every conversation.
↳ People feel valued because they know they are heard.

3. Patient
↳ You give people the time and space to grow.
↳ Progress is nurtured, not rushed.

4. Authentic
↳ You show up as their true self and lead with integrity.
↳ This honesty builds real trust and loyalty.

5. Trustworthy
↳ You create safety through consistency and fairness.
↳ Your team knows they can count on you.

6. Heart-driven
↳ You lead with compassion and genuine care.
↳ Decisions are made with people, not just profits, in mind.

7. Your ally
↳ You stand beside your team in tough times.
↳ Support is never in doubt because you lead together.

Lead with empathy.

You’ll leave an impact people will never forget.

Be the leader who uplifts others.

♻️ Repost to support your network.
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“It’s good enough. Let’s move on.”

That's what a junior colleague told me during a project.

I remember pausing.

I had spent hours refining details.
Polishing slides.
Perfecting wording.

She focused on the company’s goals.
Delivered solid work.
Then moved on.

A few months later, she was promoted.

At first, I didn’t understand it.
I had worked harder.
I had gone deeper.

Then I realized what I had missed.

She wasn’t careless. She was intentional.

She knew what the work was meant to achieve.

And she focused on that goal.

Today I see this pattern often, especially with experienced women leaders.

Many are taught to prove value through effort.

Through precision.
Through being flawless.

But senior roles don’t reward perfection.

They reward impact.

Here’s the shift that matters.

1. Start with the outcome, not the task
Be clear on the decision or result the work needs to support.
Anything beyond that is extra.

2. Match effort to impact
Not every task deserves deep refinement.
Save your best energy for work that shapes direction.

3. Decide when the work is complete
If the work allows a decision or next step, it’s complete.
Extra polish rarely changes the outcome.

4. Invest where it influences priorities
Visibility follows relevance.
Focus on the work leaders actually use.

5. Measure success by results, not exhaustion
Being busy feels productive.
Impact is what moves careers forward.

Doing excellent work still matters.

But knowing where to stop and where to lean in is what separates effort from impact.

Many talented women work harder than needed.

The real shift is working where it matters.

♻️ Repost to help your network. focus on what matters
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for more leadership and career insights.

As an executive coach, I see this all the time.

Smart, capable leaders doing incredible work,

and still getting passed over for promotions.

They are left wondering: “Why isn’t my work enough?”

Doing great work isn’t the same as being seen as promotable.

Here are 7 strong strategies that position you well for your next role 
(more in the document).

1/ You’re already doing part of the next job
↳ You’re covering gaps, taking on stretch work
↳ Without the title, you’re operating at the next level

2/ People come to you for direction
↳ You’ve become the unofficial guide or fixer
↳ Others trust your voice before they look up the org chart

3/ You speak the language of impact
↳ You don’t just do tasks, you understand outcomes
↳ You connect your work to the bigger picture

4/ You make your manager’s job easier
↳ You anticipate needs and take things off their plate
↳ You think like an owner, not just an employee

5/ You’re influencing without authority
↳ You rally people across teams
↳ You build alignment, not just deliverables

6/ You’ve built a track record and visibility
↳ You don’t just get results; people know about them
↳ You speak up, share wins, and advocate clearly

7/ You proactively communicate your impact
↳ You don’t assume hard work speaks for itself
↳ You share results in ways that show business value

Sound like you? It’s time to act.

📅 Schedule that career conversation
🗣 Show your readiness with clarity and confidence
🎯 Don’t wait to be noticed, position yourself strategically

And if they still don’t see it?

That might say more about the environment than your potential.

What would you add to this list? Share below

♻️ Repost to support your network.
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You are 85% promoted when you apply these 7 strategies

7 sentences that quietly ruin your charisma.

Charisma isn't about being the loudest in the room.

It's about the way you make others feel.

The words we use sometimes dim our light without us realizing it.

Avoid these 7 common sentences that ruin your charisma:
(And say this instead ).

1. "I'm sorry to bother you."
It makes you sound unsure and apologetic before you even start.
✅ "Do you have a moment? I'd love to share something with you."

2. "Does that make sense?"
It comes across as self-doubt or implies the other person isn't following.
✅ "Let me know if you'd like me to clarify."

3. "I'll try."
It suggests hesitation or lack of commitment.
✅ "I'll do my best," or "I'll make it happen."

4. "I'm just..."
Adding "just" minimizes the importance of what you have to say.
✅ Remove "just" and speak directly: "I wanted to let you know…"

5. "I think we should…"
It weakens your suggestion, making it sound less confident.
✅ "I believe this would work because…" then provide your reasoning.

6. "It's not a big deal."
It downplays your efforts or the importance of what you're sharing.
✅ "I'm glad I could help," or let your actions speak for themselves.

7. "Whatever you want is fine."
It shows a lack of opinion, which makes you seem disengaged.
✅ Offer your input: "I'm good with either option, but I lean toward…"

Charisma is about confidence, clarity, and connection.

Choose your words carefully to inspire trust.

Make a lasting impact.

♻️ Repost to help a friend speak confidently.
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7 Sentences that quietly ruin your charisma

I spent 24 hours a day at work.

For months.

I was playing with my daughters.
Smiling. Nodding.

But I was completely absent.

I was at home, but still at work.

- Chasing impossible deadlines 
- Replaying meetings that went wrong.
- Carrying comments from a sneaky colleague.

My body was present.
My mind wasn’t.

I knew it wasn’t normal.
But I didn’t know how to let go.

Then one day, it clicked.

Work will still be there the next morning.

But the moments I was missing will never come back.

That realisation changed how I showed up.

If work keeps following you home, here’s what worked for me.

1. End the workday on purpose
Before you finish, write down the first thing you’ll do tomorrow.
This gives your mind a place to stop instead of running all night.

2. Stop replaying work moments
When something keeps looping, ask yourself: “Can I fix this right now?”
If the answer is no, bring your attention back to where you are.

3. Put worries somewhere else
If a thought won’t leave you alone, write it down.
Once it’s on paper, your mind doesn’t need to carry it.

4. Shrink work to its real size
When something feels big, ask yourself if it will matter in a year.
Most things don’t, and that question creates space.

5. Protect one small daily moment
Choose a moment with no work talk and no planning.
That space reminds you that your life is bigger than your job.

I didn’t stop caring about my work.

I stopped letting it take my whole life.

Work is part of life. Not all of it.

♻️ Repost to help your network reclaim their peace.
🔔 Follow Fatou Seck Mathon for leadership and career insights.

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Dagmara Asbreuk's LinkedIn Performance

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