BCG BrightHouse

BrightHouse Luminary

Crowley Group

Global Director

National Geographic

Anthropologist, Filmmaker, TED Speaker

TED Conferences

Global Speaker. Keynote Addresses include Oxford University, the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institute, and Harvard University.

TED Speaker

Global Innovator | Humanitarian | National Geographic Explorer | United Nations Visionary Award Recipient | TED Speaker

After decades of bridging the world's most remote regions and Fortune 500 boardrooms, 
I've discovered this:

Your internal compass is more accurate than any external map.

As a National Geographic Explorer, 
I've studied navigators who masterfully find their way without GPS, 
maps, or permission. They navigate by trust. By instinct. By knowing.

I empower leaders to do the same.

My Work: 

National Geographic Explorer • Documented navigation mastery across 50+ cultures • UN Visionary Award Recipient • TED Speaker • BCG BrightHouse Luminary advising organizations, including Google through transformation • Author (forthcoming)

Problem: 

Most leaders navigate by committee, consensus, and comparison. 
It creates confusion and uncertainty.

Solution:

Your internal compass leads to clarity and conviction.

Methodology:

1. Navigational Intelligence
Strengthen your internal guidance system 

2. Transition Mastery
Move through change with precision, not panic.

3. Leadership Clarity
Lead by conviction, not consensus 

4. Decision Confidence
Trust your judgment when it matters most

Conclusion:

- Your first instinct holds the answer. 
It's pattern recognition and accumulated experiential knowledge. 

- Consensus dilutes clarity. 
The clearest path comes from internal alignment. 

- Navigation is a skill. 
It can be developed, strengthened, and trusted.

The same principles that guide navigators across 
vast and turbulent seas apply to your strategic decisions, 
career transitions, and leadership challenges.

The most expensive mistake leaders make is following someone else's map.
Your compass works. The question is whether you'll trust it.

🧭 Follow for daily insights on navigating with clarity and conviction.

WORK WITH ME

Keynotes | Executive Advisory | Organizational Transformation
For inquiries, please send me a direct message.

From those who’ve experienced my work:

“Elizabeth's timeless insights provided critical unlocks to our team and will no doubt do the same for a broad audience.” 

Ashley Grice, CEO BCG BrightHouse

"Elizabeth is a spellbinding presenter who embodies an inimitable coherence as a daring explorer, visionary, and courageous advocate for cultures around the world."

Dr. Chellie Spiller, Leader-in-Residence, Oxford University

"Elizabeth has greatly honored her cultural heritage. She is superbly qualified for her global quest to find and protect the essence of at-risk cultures." 

Captain Don Walsh, National Geographic, Ocean Elder

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey

No matter how successful you are, 
treat people badly and it means nothing.

Five minutes taught me what decades of success couldn't.

Early in my career, I wore my best homemade dress, took the hour-and-a-half bus ride to Honolulu, and waited outside a hotel executive's office.

When he finally saw me, he barely looked up.

"You're not a good investment."

Eyes on his papers. Not on me.

Years later, we met again. This time, he looked me in the eye.

"After watching your career soar, I've always regretted not being the one who helped you at the beginning."

Here's what I've learned since then:

Your expertise means nothing if you can't see the human in front of you.

I've watched brilliant executives lose entire teams because they treated people like furniture. Staff quit en masse because no one felt seen.

That hotel executive had 30 years of experience. I had none.

But I had something he didn't: the memory of being invisible.

So I learned to see everyone. The assistant ignored in meetings. The maintenance person others walk past. The intern everyone dismisses.

Not out of kindness. Out of knowing better.

People remember how you made them feel long after they forget what you said.

You can have every degree, every certification, every year of experience. But if you look through people instead of at them, you're already failing.

His five minutes of dismissal cost him a lifetime of connection.

My bus ride in that homemade dress taught me more than any boardroom: people know when you see them, and they know when you don't.

Who needs to know they matter to you today?

If you found this helpful, share it with those who understand that humanity beats expertise.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 

National Geographic Explorer | Helping leaders to gain clarity in uncertainty | United Nations Visionary Award | TED Speaker

When the path is unclear,
make yourself the mission.

Last year, I said 'yes' to almost everything.

Speaking engagements that didn't fit my message. 
Partnerships that didn't feel exactly right. 
Projects that left me depleted.

I was chasing what I thought success should look like 
instead of asking what actually mattered to me.

By December, I was exhausted. 
It wasn't the kind of exhaustion a weekend could fix. 
It was the kind you know when something's broken.

So I stopped. 

For six months, I didn't pursue any new opportunities. 
I just focused on getting myself right.

Made exercise non-negotiable. 
Slept 8 hours instead of surviving on 5. 
Faced disappointments I'd been ignoring.

Nothing dramatic happened at first. 
But slowly, things shifted.

The work that felt forced before started feeling natural. 
Invitations came that aligned with what I cared about. 

Collaborations emerged with people 
who energized rather than drained me.

Here's what changed:

When you don't know what path to take, 
the answer isn't out there. 

It's in becoming the version of yourself 
who can see clearly.

Every wrong turn I took came from a depleted, 
unclear version of me. 

Every exhausting pursuit was about proving 
something instead of building something meaningful.

When you get yourself right first, everything changes. 
Your energy shifts. What you attract gets better. 

The path becomes visible 
because you're ready to see it.

Most leaders I know spend huge amounts 
on strategy. But they're strategizing 
from burnout. Deciding from confusion.

Here's what actually works: 

Pick one thing your body's been asking for 
and do it for 30 days. 

Not meditation if you hate sitting still. 
Not 5am workouts 
if you're not a morning person. 

Stop fixing your calendar before your sleep. 
Stop optimizing your content before 
you process what's actually bothering you. 

Stop planning your next move 
when you can barely think straight.

The version of you that's rested and clear 
already knows where to go. 
You just can't hear it yet.

But you will.

What's one thing you've been ignoring?

Share this with those who are exhausted 
from chasing the wrong things.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: Enlighten Thoughts

The loudest voice in the room is rarely the wisest one.

I learned this watching my father in meetings. While everyone else debated and talked over each other, he'd sit quietly. Then he'd speak once, and the room would shift. Problem solved.

Years later, after studying leaders across different companies and cultures, I kept seeing the same pattern.

The people who talk the most are usually the most nervous. They rush to fill silence because it makes them uncomfortable.

The confident ones listen first. They gather information before they speak.

There's a difference between being quiet and being passive. The leaders I've watched aren't sitting back because they have nothing to say. They're observing. They're connecting ideas others miss. And when they do speak, it actually moves things forward.

Here's what I've noticed about people who think 
deeply:

They'll interrupt themselves mid-sentence if they realize they're wrong. Most people double down. Deep thinkers course-correct in real time.

They reference something you said three conversations ago. They're not just hearing you. They're building a mental map of how you think.

They get quiet when everyone else gets loud. Not because they're intimidated. Because they're watching the room dynamics play out before deciding where to add weight.

Instead of trying to time your responses, try this.

When someone finishes talking, let your first instinct pass. That's usually your ego or anxiety talking. Wait for the second thought. That's where your actual thinking lives.

If you catch yourself preparing your answer while someone's still speaking, stop. You're not listening. You're performing.

And if the silence gets uncomfortable, let it. The best conversations I've had started after someone got brave enough to sit in the quiet.

If you found this helpful, share it with those learning to lead differently.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Minutes are pieces of a life.
Look who's handing you theirs.

This Thanksgiving, I am thinking about gratitude
 in a different way.

"Appreciate those who give you their time.
 It is not just time.
 It is a piece of their life."

Not the meetings.
Not the quick calls.
The real moments.

To my mentor, who pushed me to write a keynote
I did not believe I had it in me.
Then spent hours revising it
until it became more than either of us imagined.

To the coach who taught me martial arts at dawn,
sending 6 am messages,
 walking me through each step
 like it was the middle of the day.

To the friend who stayed close after surgery,
 awake through hard nights,
 steady through painful setbacks.

When someone gives you their time,
they choose you over every other 
demand on their attention.

They give you a piece of life
they'll never see again.

They weren't just giving hours.
They were giving their heartbeats 
they'll never get back.

We thank people for gifts.
For opportunities.
For kindness.

But do we really see
the magnitude of their time?

In a world chasing "more,"
one truth is unchanging:

Time is the only currency
that doesn't return.

You can make more money.
Find new chances.
Meet new people.

But those long afternoons
someone spent teaching you.

Those early mornings
they chose you over rest,
are pieces of a finite life.

They decided you were worth it.

So this Thanksgiving, my gratitude is simple.

Not just for what people gave me,
but for who they chose to be
in my presence.

For the parts of their journey
they allowed me to witness.

For the moments they could have been
anywhere else, with anyone else,
and still chose here.

Your presence is your rarest gift.
Where you place it matters.
Who receives it matters even more.

Look around your table this week,
virtual or physical.

These are not only people sharing a meal.
They're sharing their existence.

That's not just time.
It's love.

Who deserves your gratitude?

Share this with someone
whose time changed your life.

If you found this valuable,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more.

Visual Credit: diary2feel

The right people don’t try to rebuild you.
They remind you you were never broken.

It took me decades to understand this.

I used to think relationships required work.
Constant effort. Endless compromise.
Walking on eggshells.

Then I met people who felt like oxygen.

No performance required.
No masks needed.
Just me, fully seen.

Here's how you recognize them:

• They celebrate your wins.
With genuine joy.
Your success is their happiness.

• They remember small things.
The book you mentioned.
Details that say: I see you.

• They respect your boundaries.
Your "no" is enough.
Your limits are sacred.

• You feel energized after seeing them.
Not exhausted. Not depleted.
You leave fuller than you arrived.

• They listen without defending.
They hear your hurt
without making it about them.

• They allow you to be fully yourself.
Your joys. Your sorrows.
All of you belongs.

• They make you feel safe.
Not just physically.
Emotionally. Spiritually.

• You don't have to edit yourself.
No watching what you say.
No calculating responses.

• They support your goals.
Even when it means less of them.
Your dreams matter.

I spent years accepting less.
Calling it normal.

It's not.

The right people feel like home.
The one you deserved.

They don't complete you.
They witness you completing yourself.

They don't fix you.
They create space for you to heal.

They don't need you small.
They celebrate you expanding.

Here's what changed everything:

1. I stopped explaining myself
to people committed to debating.

2. I stopped shrinking
for people who needed me small.

3. I stopped apologizing
for taking up space.

Now I protect my energy
like the precious resource it is.

The people who belong stayed.
The ones who didn't were lessons.

You deserve people who:

- Match your energy
- Honor your journey  
- Celebrate your becoming

Life's too short
for relationships that require
you to be less than you are.

The right people will find you.
But first, you must know your worth.

Who feels like oxygen for you?

If you found this valuable,
share with those who deserve more.

For more insights on navigating 
with clarity, join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: HerPsychology

The calmest person in a crisis 
sees options others miss. 
Clarity is a quiet superpower. 

My mentor was missing for 26 days.
His village mourned. 
His family assumed he was gone.

Then he returned.

A storm had hit hard while he was at sea. 

No instruments. 
No rescue coming. 
Just open ocean.

He didn't panic. 
He found his center. 
He navigated home.

That's what made him a master. 
Not the calm voyages. 
The storms.

Fair weather will never make you a master.

He taught me something I carry into my work. 
Into every high stakes decision. 
Into moments when pressure mounts.

Chaos creates chaos. 
Calm creates clarity.

When conditions get rough, most people grip tighter. 

React faster. 
Force decisions.

That's when they lose their bearings.

The skill isn't speed. 
It's stillness.

Navigators learn to access a still point. 

Where the mind's logic meets the heart's knowing. 

From there, you see what reaction hides.

I've watched leaders destroy years of work. 
In ten reactive minutes.

Angry emails sent instantly. 
Bridges burned in frustration.

I've watched others hold steady under fire. 
Find paths no one else could see.

The difference was never intelligence. 
It was internal weather.

Your mind is like water. 

Stirred, you see nothing. 
Still, you see everything.

Pressure makes you reactive. 
Peace makes you responsive.

The pause that feels slow in the moment. 
Often saves months of correction.

You don't have to respond immediately. 
You have to respond clearly.

Those are rarely the same thing.

What decision needs your calm today?

If you found this helpful, share it with those 
who are facing a difficult decision.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Image Credit: Mike Leber
Please give him a follow.

Someone you know is fighting an invisible war.
Choose to lift them today.

I worked with an executive
at Google some years back.

Brilliant guy. His team loved him.
Strong leader in every way.

But something was wrong.

His energy would tank around 3 pm.
He'd lose focus during big decisions.
By evening calls, his patience was gone.

Not because of the work.
But because of what he was doing
when no one was watching.

He finally told me what his calendar
couldn't show:

4 hours of sleep most nights.
No workouts because meetings
always ran over.

Living on coffee and whatever
was in the conference room.

Eating dinner at his desk at 10 pm.
Telling his family "next
quarter will be better."

His neglected health became a problem.

We didn't touch his leadership approach.
We changed the invisible stuff:

-Saying 'no' faster to misaligned people.
-Protecting his sleep as a vital asset.
-Scheduling non-negotiable thinking time.

Three months in, the change was real.

His afternoon energy matched his mornings.
Decisions came faster and clearer.
His presence felt different, steadier, more grounded.

But here's what stayed with me most:

From the outside, this guy looked fine.
Successful. Respected. In control.

But inside he was drowning.

No one knew because he never showed it.
Because leaders aren't supposed to struggle.
Because admitting you're barely keeping it together
feels like failure.

That's when I realized something:

Everyone around us is carrying something we can't see.

The colleague who snapped in the meeting.
The friend who's been distant lately.
The person who seems fine but isn't.

We're all fighting invisible battles.

And sometimes, one kind word is the difference
between someone breaking 
and someone breaking through.

I started noticing it more after working with him.

- How a simple "you good?" can open a real conversation.
- How checking in without agenda can 
change someone's week.
- How being present for 5 minutes can mean more than 
talking for an hour.

We spend so much time managing perception.
Trying to look like we have it together.
Forgetting that everyone else is doing the same thing.

What if we stopped pretending?

What if we asked the real questions?
What if we shared the real struggles?
What if we lifted each other up instead of comparing?

You don't need a title to do this.
You don't need permission to care.

Just pay attention.
Just reach out.
Just be real.

Who can you check in on today?

If you found this helpful, share it with 
someone who may need this message.

For more on leadership mastery, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @entrepreneurshipfacts

Walk like you just got good news.
Talk like the world is listening.

Energy is magnetic.
Your confidence will bend reality.

I learned this the hard way.

Years ago, my film premiered
with the Honolulu Symphony.
It received praise. And criticism.

Public. Painful. Unrelenting.

I had two choices:
1. To shrink from the noise.
2. Or stand in my truth.

So I made a quiet decision.
I would walk into every room
like my work mattered.

Like the praise was louder than the pain.
Like I belonged there.

Shoulders back.
Eyes clear.
Energy steady.

Then something shifted.

New invitations arrived.
Better projects found me.
Stronger allies appeared.

Here’s what I saw:

Confidence is not a costume.
It’s a way of moving.

It doesn’t wait for proof.
It becomes the proof.

When you move differently,
life responds differently.

Walk like you're headed
somewhere important.
People will be attracted to you.

Speak like your words matter.
People will lean in to listen.

Act like life is working with you.
You'll start to notice that it is.

I've tested this around the world.
In boardrooms. On stages.
Through criticism. Through triumph.

The pattern is clear.
People who expect good things
see what others miss.

They reach for chances others leave.
They build momentum others never start.

Not because they’re lucky.
But because they’re ready.

Critics will always exist.
But they'll only win
if you back down.

Walk like you've already won.
Talk like you matter.
Move like good news is on its way.

What’s one change you can make?

Repost for those who are ready to shift.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey for more insights.

I sent a letter to someone completely out of my league.

A powerful LA producer scouting Hawaii for a major network series.

Me? I was barely scraping by as an independent documentary producer.

No savings. No connections. No business writing.

I wrote anyway.

I couldn't stand watching from the sidelines, doing nothing, while an opportunity was coming to town.

The producer responded. Asked to meet. We talked about island life, my family, growing up here. Nothing about his show. I figured I'd wasted his time.

Three months later, my phone rang.

He'd written our conversation into his script. Created a character based on me. In the process, I auditioned and was eventually cast as the female lead the series.

That letter I almost talked myself out of sending became the turning point.

Recently, I've thought about that moment a lot. What made the difference wasn't talent or timing or luck.

It was just trying when it felt "too big" a dream.

Most people stop right before something shifts. I've done it myself. You get tired of rejection. Tired of hoping. Tired of feeling foolish.

But one day, after many failed attempts, something works differently. You're not desperate anymore.

You've learned what doesn't work. You try softer, smarter, with less attachment to the outcome.

Failure isn't wasted effort. It's data.

The rejection taught me something important. Closed doors showed me which ones to stop knocking on. Every "no" refined what I'd try next.

The producer told me later why he responded to my letter: "Most people sent resumes. You sent a story. Most people listed qualifications. You shared perspective."

I wasn't being strategic. I was just being myself because I had nothing left to lose.

When you try one more time, you're different than you were before. The heartache changed you. The frustration taught you. The failure gave you information other people don't have.

Use it.

I watch brilliant people quit right before their breakthrough. They've tried everything, they say. But they've tried everything once. They haven't tried everything with what they know now.

Your next attempt won't look like your last one. Growth, not desperation.

Zero attempts guarantee zero results. One more attempt might change everything.

Who's your version of that producer? The person you think is out of your league but you're going to reach out to anyway?

If you found this helpful, share it with those who need permission to try again.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

I wasn’t ready. I did it anyway. 
That’s when everything changed.

Years ago, I accepted a job
I wasn't qualified for.
On paper, at least.

Others had better credentials.
More experience.
Stronger resumes.

During the interview, they asked:
"Why should we choose you?"

I told the truth:

"I don't know everything.
But I'll outwork everyone.
I’ll find what others miss."

They took the chance.
I took the leap.

Those first months were brutal.
Everyone else seemed to know more.
They moved faster. Spoke louder.

I wanted to quit daily.
Instead, I studied nightly.

These lessons saved me:

LESSON 1: 
Your difference is your advantage.

Stop trying to be a better version of them.
Be the only version of you.

Action: 
List 3 things you bring that others don't.
Focus there. Obsessively.

LESSON 2: 
Make your weakness your teacher

Every gap showed me where to grow.
Every struggle taught me resilience.
Every mistake became wisdom.

Action: 
Pick your biggest weakness.
Study it for 15 minutes daily.
In 90 days, it won't be a weakness.

LESSON 3: 
Build bridges, not walls.

I couldn't win by competing.
I won by connecting.
By making everyone better.

Action: 
Help one person daily.
No agenda. No expectation.

LESSON 4: 
Document everything

I kept notes on every lesson.
My struggles became my roadmap.

Action: 
End each day with this question:
"What did today teach me?" 

That role I wasn't ready for
launched my career.

Not because I was qualified.
But because I was willing.

Every expert was once unqualified.
Every master was once a disaster.
Every leader was once terrified.

The difference is
they started anyway.

Your inexperience isn't a liability.
It's your superpower.

If there’s a job you're not ready for,
take it.

If there’s an opportunity that scares you,
grab it.

If there’s a dream that feels too big,
embrace it.

You don’t need to be ready.
You need to be willing.

Ready is a luxury.
Brave is a choice.

Choose brave.
The universe is waiting.

What will you say yes to?

Repost for someone willing to say “yes.”
Love, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 💕

Critics reveal more about themselves than you.
You’ll never be judged by someone doing more.

It's often the people going nowhere
who have something to say.

I’ve noticed this pattern everywhere.

When I launched my first expedition, 
explorers cleared the path. 
Doubters waited for me to fail.

When I started speaking publicly, 
speakers cheered me. 
Critics judged me.

When I started writing, 
authors opened doors. 
Skeptics dismissed my voice.

Builders encourage building.
They know how hard the first brick is.

Climbers encourage climbing.
They remember the bottom.

Creators encourage creating.
They understand the blank page.

The critics will list every reason you'll fail.

Not because they're wiser.
But because your courage 
mirrors their fear.

Your action exposes their excuses.
Your progress threatens their comfort.

Here's what I've learned:

Criticism from the sidelines
is just noise from the stands.

The players are too busy playing
to tear down your game.

People doing the work
want you to succeed.

They've felt the fear you're facing.
They've fought the doubts you're fighting.
They've walked the path you're starting.

They'll share the shortcuts.
Open the doors.
Light the way.

Choose whose voices matter.

Listen to those who've been there.
Learn from those still going.
Ignore those who never started.

Your dreams don't need everyone's approval.
Just courage and a first step.

Who's cheering you on?

Repost for those taking their first step.

If you found this valuable, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for me mindset insights.

People don’t burn out from work. 
They burn out from feeling invisible.

I learned this by watching
a navigator lead his crew.

He knew everyone's name.
Where they came from.
What they dreamed about.

He asked the youngest sailor
about wind patterns.

He asked the cook
about her struggles.

He saw wisdom everywhere,
in everyone.

I watched the crew transform.

They stopped just showing up.
They started showing everything.

The quiet one shared
thirty years of weather knowledge
he'd never been asked about.

The cook revealed how
she could read the sea swells
while preparing food.

The youngest became
the fiercest protector
of the vessel.

Not because the navigator demanded more.
But because people finally felt seen.

The voyage taught me important lessons:

When you see potential, not just position,
people rise to meet your vision of them.

When you ask for wisdom, not just work,
people share maps they've kept hidden.

When you remember what matters to them,
they want to give you more.

When you create space for growth,
people become who they never imagined.

This truth is everywhere:

In teams where ideas are welcomed,
innovation appears without force.

In relationships where both feel treasured,
love multiplies without effort.

Most people are starving
to be genuinely seen.

Not praised.
Not promoted.
Seen.

That navigator reminded me:

Everyone is carrying
untold wisdom,
unshared gifts,
unseen value.

They're waiting for someone
to notice. To ask. To care.

When you truly see someone,
you give them permission
to show you who they really are.

And who they really are
is always more than who 
they've been allowed to be.

Quiet team members become leaders.
Struggling students become teachers.
Doubting creators become pioneers.

Not through motivation
but through recognition.

If you want people to exceed expectations:

See them before they see themselves.
Value them before they prove their worth.
Know them before they realize their gifts.

Then watch what happens…

They don't just do more.
They become more.

Your seeing becomes their becoming.
Your belief becomes their bridge.
Your value becomes their valor.

Start with yourself.

Value your own journey.
See your own potential.
Honor your own navigation.

Then extend that gift to others.
The world changes
one seen person at a time.

Who needs to know they matter today?

Repost for those whose value you see.

If you found this valuable, please join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more insights.

Visual Credit: Mike Leber, give him a follow.

Surround yourself with people
who have bigger goals than you.

Ambition is contagious.

I learned this later in life.
Luckily it wasn’t too late.

Growing up, my sister and I
were the dreamers in our family.

The ones talking about possibilities
while others talked about problems.

The ones seeing further
while others saw barriers.

Then we changed rooms.

I moved to California where people 
were building empires
while I was building projects.

People thinking globally
while I was thinking locally.

People planing decades ahead
while I was planning quarters.

At first, I felt small.
Then I felt something shift.

Their normal became my new baseline.
Their minimum became my starting point.
Their casual wins became my next goals.

Here's what happens when you're
the smallest dreamer in the room:

Your impossible becomes inevitable.
What seemed unreachable last year
becomes this year's checklist.

Your excuses evaporate.
Hard to claim it can't be done
when someone next to you did it twice.

Your timeline accelerates.
Their urgency becomes your urgency.
Their pace becomes your pace.

Your standards elevate.
Good enough stops being enough.
Excellence becomes the expectation.

Your vision expands.
You stop thinking in limits.
You start thinking in multiples.

I used to worry about being the least 
accomplished person at the table.

Now I seek those tables out.

The people you spend time with
determine the thoughts you think.

Small goals are just as contagious
as big ones.

Comfort is just as contagious
as courage.

Choose your exposure wisely.

Find the people who make
your biggest dreams
look like starting points.

The ones whose failures teach more 
than others' successes.

Not to feel inferior.
But to feel inspired.

Not to shrink.
But to stretch.

Your potential isn't fixed.
It's influenced.

By every conversation.
Every room you enter.

If everyone around you
is comfortable where they are,
you will be too.

If everyone around you
is reaching for more,
you will too.

This isn't about comparison.
It's about the environment.

You don't need permission.
You need examples of what's possible.

Protect your ambition
by choosing your circle carefully.

Five years from now,
you'll be the average
of the dreams you're exposed to today.

Not because you're not enough.
Because you're capable of more.

Who's raising your ceiling?

If you found this valuable, 
share it with those who dare to dream.

For more insights on mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Perspective is your hidden power.
99% of people never use it.

During the hardest year of my life, 
I thought everything was falling apart.

Years later, I realized
everything was falling into place.
I just couldn't see it yet.

Perspective isn't about being positive.
It's about being precise.

Watch what happens when you shift your lens:

1. Obstacles become opportunities
Every closed door teaches you
to build your own.

2. Struggles become strength
The weight that nearly breaks you
builds muscles you didn't know you had.

3. Setbacks become stepping stones
Each failure shows you 
what doesn't work.

4. Rejection becomes resilience
Every "no" redirects you.
It’s protection in disguise.

5. Shadows reveal hidden truth
Your shadows hold your compass.
Pay attention.

6. Mistakes become masterclasses
Your biggest errors become
your greatest teachings.

7. Fears become fuel for courage
What scares you most
shows you where to grow.

8. Pain becomes purpose
Your deepest wounds can be
the most valuable gifts.

After decades of working
with leaders around the world,
I've learned:

The hardest season prepares you
for your highest calling.

This isn't wishful thinking.
It’s strategic thinking.

Nothing is happening to you.
Everything is happening for you.

You just need the right lens.

Your current struggle
isn’t your story's end.
It's your story's turning point.

Choose your lens wisely.
Your future depends on it.

Share this with someone who needs it.

If you found this valuable, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, for more insights.

I lost my husband to cancer when I was 50.
Lost our company at 51.

Grief and financial uncertainty arrived together, 
uninvited and overwhelming.

I had two choices: 

Let the losses define the rest of my life, 
or choose to see a future of possibility.

That season taught me something 
I now see everywhere in my work: 

The difference between a heavy heart 
and a peaceful one isn't circumstance. 
It's perspective.

And perspective is always a choice.

Problems hide possibilities.

When funding fell through for one of my projects, 
I saw a closed door. 

Then I chose to see an invitation to innovate. 
That "problem" led to my most meaningful work.

Now when something goes wrong, 
I write down the problem. 

Next to it, I write: 

"This is teaching me..." 
It's a small shift that changes everything.

Gratitude is a practice, not a feeling.

Fear and faith require equal energy.

I've stood before audiences of thousands. 
The fear never fully disappears. 

But worrying takes the same effort as preparing. 
One paralyzes. One empowers.

When fear rises, I ask: 
"What can I actually control here?" 
Then I focus only on that.

Your morning mind shapes your entire day.
Before dawn presentations or difficult conversations, 

I protect my first thoughts. No emails. No news. 
Just intention about who I choose to be.

Those five minutes determine the next twelve hours.
You can't control what happens. 
But you absolutely control how you see it.

And how you see it changes everything that follows.

Share this to inspire those at a crossroads.

For more on Mastery Mindset, join me,
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Visual Credit: @acalltoleap

Transformation isn't complicated.

Waiting for it is.

Most people think change happens in one big moment.

The decision. The commitment. The declaration.

But that's not how it works.

Real transformation starts small.

It begins with a thought that won't leave you alone. 
Something you keep thinking about at 2am 
or during your commute.

Then one day, you act on it.

Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Just once.

You make a choice that feels different 
from your usual pattern.

Maybe you wake up at 6am 
instead of hitting snooze three times.

Or you send that cold email 
you've been putting off for weeks.

Or you skip the group lunch 
and spend 30 minutes writing instead.

Then you do it again. And again.

At first, it takes effort. You have to remind yourself.
You have to push through resistance.

The first month of writing my doctoral dissertation
was messy and overwhelming.

Half the time I stared at a blank screen.
The other half I deleted everything.

But slowly, it got easier.

What once required willpower became routine.
What felt unnatural started to feel normal.

By week three, I woke up before my alarm.
By month two, my fingers moved across
the keyboard without thinking.

Eventually, I started trusting the process.

I became who I envisioned myself to be.
A Doctor of Philosophy, an anthropologist
specializing in ethno-navigation.

The gap between who you are
and who you want to be isn't crossed in one leap.

It's crossed in small steps,
repeated until they become part of you.

What's one small step you can take?

If you found this valuable, share it with 
those daring to take the next step.

For more insights on leadership mindset,
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Silence hits differently at 2 a.m. 
2025 proved it. 
Grief confirmed it.

This year I lost family members. 
Two dear friends who felt like family. 
The world feels heavier than I remember.

I used to think mindset was something you worked on 
when life was stable. When you had time. 
When things were calm.

I was wrong.

You become unstoppable when you work on things 
people can't take away from you. 

Your mindset. Character. Personality.

These aren't luxuries. 

When I was younger, I took my inner strength 
for granted. Thought it would always be there. 
Like breathing.

Now I know better.

1. My days include meditation and prayer. 
Not for enlightenment. But for steadiness. 
I pray like I’m building a foundation, because I am.

2. What became clear in the darkness
is that we can't control how long we're here. 
We can only be present for whatever time we're given.

3. More than ever I listen deeply. Really listen. 
Not waiting for my turn to speak.
Just present to what someone is saying.

4. Work used to be a priority. 
Productivity. Accomplishment. 
Staying on top of things.

Now, work serves life. 
Not the other way around.

5. Every moment feels more precious 
because I finally understand. They are.

Your character isn't built in the good times. 
It's forged when things fall apart 
and you choose who to become.

Your personality isn't decoration. 
It's how you show up when 
showing up feels impossible.

Your mindset isn't positive thinking. 
It's the quiet decision to keep going 
when stopping would be easier.

Build these while you can. 
Strengthen them before you need them.

Because one night, alone with your grief, 
you'll realize: These are the things
that can't be taken. They're the things that last.

What are you strengthening that no one can take?

Repost for those navigating their own storms.

Follow me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, 
for daily insights on Mindset and Mastery.

The loudest opinions often come 
from those who never dared.

Everyone has a point of view
about your journey.
Few have actually taken it.

I learned this the hard way.

When I started exploring,
everyone had advice.

"Too dangerous."
"Not practical."
"What about security?"

These warnings came from people
who never left their comfort zone.

Never took a risk.
Never followed their calling.

The loudest critics often have
the least experience.

They'll tell you exactly why
your dream won't work.

Based on fears, not facts.
Based on their limits, not yours.

Who NOT to listen to:

- People who never tried.
They're protecting their own choices,
not protecting you.

- People who quit early.
They need you to fail
to justify their surrender.

- People who play small.
They can't imagine big
because they never dared.

Who TO listen to:

- People who've walked your path.
They know the actual terrain,
not the imagined dangers.

- People still climbing.
They remember the struggle
and share real wisdom.

- People who celebrate courage.
They understand the cost
of an un-lived life.

I spent years asking permission
from people who couldn't grant it.

Seeking approval
from those who never approved
of their own dreams.

Now I know:

Your gut knows more
than their fear.

Your instinct sees further
than their caution.

Your vision matters more
than their comfort.

The first 90 days of anything new:

Trust yourself completely.
Learn from those ahead.
Ignore the noise behind.

That's it.
That's the formula.

Most warnings you'll receive
aren't about your journey.

They're about the journey
others were too scared to take.

They're projecting their limits
onto your potential.

Don't let them.

The path forward requires
selective listening.

Choose your advisors
by their scars,
not their theories.

By their attempts,
not their opinions.

By their courage,
not their caution.

Your dream threatens
those who abandoned theirs.

Build anyway.

Who are you listening to?

If you found this valuable, 
join me for more, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey 💕

I lost someone last week who taught me to read stars.

He was a navigator in Hawaii. One of the greats.

I was planning to call him after Thanksgiving. Tell him I'd be home in January and we'd catch up properly. I wanted to thank him for everything he taught me.

Thanksgiving morning, I found out he died the night before.

All those things I wanted to say will never be said to him. That gratitude I was saving for the right moment never got expressed.

Milton "Shorty" Bertelmann taught me to read more than just stars. He taught me to read myself. To navigate my fears. Find my own courage.

I never told him that part. I was saving it for later.

And now I'm thinking about all the other "laters" I keep creating.

That morning conversation you keep putting off eventually becomes an empty chair at the table.

You really do lose interest in things. The book you're excited about writing today feels less urgent in six months. The project that lights you up right now? It fades.

Your energy at 8am isn't the same as your energy at 8pm. The clarity you have right now gets muddy by evening.

Kids grow up fast. Parents get older while you're making plans to visit "next month." Friends drift away when you keep saying "let's catch up when things quiet down."

Life doesn't end dramatically. It just goes by quietly, one postponed moment at a time.

Just like navigation, life requires reading the signs in front of you and acting on them. Not waiting for perfect conditions. Not saving gratitude for later.

That conversation I was planning for January is now something I'll regret.

So I'm making that call I've been putting off. Thanking people today instead of next week. Having the hard conversation now instead of waiting for the perfect time.

Not because I'm being dramatic about mortality. Just because "later" keeps not showing up the way I think it will.

If you found this helpful, share it with those who need the reminder to act now.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, join me, 
Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

You can’t silence people. 
You can silence their access.

Last month a collaboration landed in my inbox. 
Interesting work. Good people. I wanted it.

But I'd just gotten results from my doctor. Elevated 
cortisol. A sign I was running on fumes. My body
was asking me to stop. Thankfully, I listened.

I said 'no.'

I turned off cable news the same week. 
The constant political coverage was draining me.
Stillness was more important than staying informed.

For years I put work ahead of my family. 
I said 'yes' to projects that cost me time at home. 
I thought that was dedication. It was depletion.

If we don't protect our health first, 
we can't show up for anyone else. 

This is what I've learned to do...

1. Say 'no' and mean it.

That collaboration looked perfect on paper, but my 
body knew more than the 'over-achiever' in me. 

I turned it down without explaining. 
Some doors need to stay closed.

2. Control what's being consumed.

Cable news was making me anxious, 
so I stopped watching. Not disconnected. 
Just selective. Your inputs shape your energy.

3. Set boundaries before burning out.

Boundaries teach people how to reach you. 
The ones who care will follow them. 
The ones who don't were never for you.

4. Stop fighting every battle.

Not every argument needs your voice. 
Not every crisis needs your attention. 
Protect your reserves for what matters most.

5. Guard the mind.

I used to let everything in. 
Now I ask: does this serve me? 
Most of it doesn't.

You can't outsource this work. 
Peace is grows through small,
consistent choices even when it's hard.

Repost for those who want 
to protect their peace.

For more on Mastery and Mindset, 
join me, Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey.

Career Strategist I Change advisor for Leaders | I help successful professionals build freedom, income & impact through portfolio careers | Speaker I Ex-Citi COO | Follow for modern leadership, career and change

Over the past 25 years, I have built a successful international banking career.
Most recently, I was the Regional COO for Citibank’s $2Bn business across 16 countries in Asia - leading large-scale transformations in digitisation and culture.

But in 2021, I walked away from my high-paying executive role.

Why?

Because I wanted more space.
More time with family.
More alignment between who I am and how I work.

But I didn’t want to start from scratch.
So I asked myself a question:
What if I could build a career around everything I already know - and love?

That’s how my portfolio career began.
And it changed everything.

Now, I help other professionals do the same.

What I’ve built since 2021:
→ A 6-figure portfolio business with 3 income streams
→ Founder of Change is Possible - a business community for professionals redesigning their next chapter
→ 100K+ LinkedIn followers (grew from 17K in under a year)
→ Coached 100+ professionals through successful career transitions
→ Host of a Top 20 global podcast on career change, Change is Possible
→ TEDx speaker, Forbes columnist, and Bloomberg TV guest

Want to build your own portfolio career?
🚀 THE PORTFOLIO CAREER ACCELERATOR (Launching October 2025) 
Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1thkmph_EwRxLGfuL9muCsRir1uKDdF2nXYeI7X_1oSA/edit

This is an 8-week program designed to help you:
→ Turn your expertise into income
→ Build a personal brand that opens doors
→ Create your first income stream - even before you leave your job

Only 20 spots. 12 already claimed.

Other ways we can work together:
✔️ Join my business community — Change is Possible https://changeispossible.co.uk/ - doors open for new members on Sept.10, 2025
✔️ Book me to speak — I deliver keynotes on leadership, change, career reinvention, and the future of work - send a DM.
✔️ Hire me as an advisor — I support companies navigating complex transformation - send a DM to meet and explore.
✔️ Book 1:1 coaching — For senior execs ready to design their next chapter - send a DM.
✔️ Book my LinkedIn Growth Bundle — A 2-session intensive where I teach you the exact system I used to grow to 100K+ followers. Apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bLp7wmK8xhIpfFu8beImvD5JZQHYsbraTBx5Orjx0zs/edit

P.S. Still wondering if change is really possible?
🎧 Tune in to my podcast Change is Possible — where 100+ professionals share how they redesigned their careers and lives. Watch here - https://www.youtube.com/@ChangeIsPossiblePodcast

Ani Filipova

When I quit my COO role, everyone suddenly became a life coach.

It’s wild how your decision wakes up their unlived dreams.

“You are crazy to walk away from that salary.”
Translation: I’m terrified of losing mine.

“At your age? Too risky.”
Translation: I’ve convinced myself I’m too old to change.

“But you worked so hard to get there!”
Translation: I can’t imagine stopping.

Every piece of “advice” came wrapped in someone else’s fear.

The colleague who insisted that leaving corporate was “career suicide”?
15 years in the same role.
Never took a risk.
Still warning others about dangers he’s never faced.

The friend who said, “Must be nice to have that privilege”?
Not about my privilege.
About why they can’t do it.

My decision became everyone else’s therapy session.
Their fears.
Their excuses.
Their unlived lives.

Meanwhile, the entrepreneurs?
“What took you so long?”

The people who’d actually done this?
“Hard… but worth it.”

See the difference?

People don’t give advice based on your reality.
They give it based on the limits of their own.

Your promotion challenges their ambition.
Your resignation challenges their settling.
Your success challenges their stagnation.

How to decode the advice you are given:

1. Listen to the subtext, not the text.
“That’s risky” = I avoid risk.
“You’ll regret it” = I regret not trying.
“Think of your family” = I use mine as an excuse.

2. Check their track record.
Would you trade places with them?
If not, smile → ignore.

3. Notice who asks vs. who tells.
“What support do you need?” = They’ve been there.
“Here’s what you should do” = They haven’t.

5 years later

I run my business globally.
I wake up excited.
I control my income and my calendar.

That colleague?
Same role.
Same warnings.
Same fear dressed as wisdom.

Your big moves will always trigger other people’s small thinking.

Let them keep their advice.
You keep your momentum.

♻️ Repost if someone needs this
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for uncomfortable career truths
📩 Join other leaders and entrepreneurs getting weekly courage in my newsletter -  link in Featured

Some leaders read numbers.

Great leaders read people.

Perfect reminder from Mike Leber here.🔥

I've watched this truth play out for 25 years.

Like the manager who noticed her star performer started arriving at 9:00 instead of 8:30.
Small change. Big signal.
She asked. Her child was seriously ill.

Most leaders would've missed it entirely.
They are too busy reading KPIs to read people.

Throughout my 25 years in banking, I've watched brilliant strategists fail at basic humanity.
They master management but miss what matters.

Real leaders don't talk about empathy.
They practice it.

Here is how👇

1️⃣ They notice when something's off
The forced smile.
The heavy silence.
They check in before it breaks.

2️⃣ They ask before they act
No assumptions. No judgment.
"What's making this hard for you?"
Understanding beats assumption every time.

3️⃣ They protect dignity, not egos
Direct? Always.
Demeaning? Never.
Growth can't bloom in shame.

4️⃣ They slow down when others struggle
Compassion > urgency.
One person lifted beats ten tasks completed.

5️⃣ They normalize honesty
No masks. No pretending.
They make it safe to say: "I'm not okay today."

6️⃣ They stay kind under pressure
When kindness is hardest -
that's when it matters most.

7️⃣ They understand you carry more than tasks
Sometimes it's grief.
Sometimes it's fear.
Sometimes it's just life being heavy.
They lead with space for all of it.

The uncomfortable truth?

Experience teaches you process.
Empathy teaches you to understand people.

One builds companies.
The other builds humans who happen to work at companies.

We all get to choose which leader we become.

Which number resonated most with you?
Mine was 5 - took me years to learn that one.

Drop yours below 👇

♻️ Repost to spark more humanity in leadership
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern leadership and career

Today and any other day, you have a choice about the 80/20 principle.

You can use it to do less.
Or you can use it to become more.

We read about success. 
Dream about change. 
Talk about our goals.

We feel like we are doing something.
And we are.. but what?

The business plan you’ve perfected but never launched.
The gym membership you researched but never use.
The conversation you've rehearsed but never had.
The course you bought but never completed.

We spend 80% of our time on the 20% that makes us feel productive, while avoiding the 80% that would actually make us successful.

Why? Because the real work is uncomfortable:

→ Understanding deeply requires much more effort 
→ Doing the work is scarier than dreaming about it
→ Listening is more vulnerable than waiting to speak
→ Eating well consistently is harder than scrolling  
→ Building savings is less fun than investment strategies

Here is what I know:

You already know what your 80% is.
You know the conversation you need to have. 
You already know he habit you need to build. 
The thing you need to stop researching and start doing.

So the only thing left to do is to stop deceiving yourself.

Because once you prioritise the 80%, everything else genuinely does fall into place.
Not because it's easy. But because it's real.

💭 What's the 80% you've been avoiding?
💾 Save this for when you need to stop researching and start doing
♻️ Share with someone stuck in the 20%

Image credit: librarymindset on IG

JSESSIONID

li_at

Talks about #leadership, #careerpivot, #futureofwork, and #transformation

Tetty Delviana

"I found a better opportunity."

Translation: I found a leader who values me.

Dora is spot on here! That's exactly what it means!

The real reason people leave: 
it's rarely what they say at first.

Behind "better opportunity" or "career growth" is something deeper:

They don't feel valued.
Nobody says thank you.
Their ideas get ignored. 
Their skills go unused. 
They've stopped learning.

If you want to keep your best people:

- Don't cancel their 1-on-1s
- Say thank you (and mean it)
- Admit when you don't have the answer
- Remember what they told you last week
- Protect their time from pointless meetings
- Give credit publicly, give feedback privately
- Be honest about what you can and can't do
- Help them grow in directions they actually want
- Shield them from unnecessary corporate chaos
- Ask what support they need (don't assume you know)
- Trust them to make decisions without micromanaging
- Respond to their messages (don't leave them hanging)
- Let them say no without it being a career-limiting move

You don't need a budget for any of these.

Just intention, and genuinely caring for your people.

Be the leader you wish you had.

♻️ Repost to inspire others
+ Follow me, Ani Filipova for daily content on Modern Leadership, Career and Change

Your career shouldn’t look like modern art.

Everyone talks about “doing what you love” as if it’s a magic formula.
As if clarity just appears one day and everything lines up.

In reality, most careers sit in three separate buckets:

• Things you enjoy - but no one pays for
• Things you are good at - but don’t actually fulfil you
• Things that pay well - but quietly drain you

So you end up with something that works on paper…
but never quite feels right.

After 25 years in corporate, here’s what I’ve learned:

Alignment doesn’t arrive.
It’s constructed.

Most professionals wait for their career to click.
The right role.
The right manager.
The right moment.

They stay stuck inside a lopsided Venn diagram,
hoping the picture will fix itself.

The people who eventually break out don’t find clarity first.
They move first - and clarity follows.

Not in dramatic leaps.
Not in overnight reinventions.

But through deliberate shifts.
Small decisions that compound.
Skills that start overlapping.
Income streams that begin to make sense.

The overlap is rarely perfect.
And it’s never instant.
But 50% overlap is better than zero
And you can build it further.

This is what I know:

No one is going to hand you the career where
what you enjoy,
what you are good at,
and what pays
finally sit in the same place.

You either keep waiting for it 
or you start assembling it.

Piece by piece.
Over time.

If this feels uncomfortably familiar, save it.

And if you are ready to stop improvising your career and start designing it,
this is exactly what we do inside the Portfolio Career Accelerator.

8 weeks to turn that modern-art mess into something intentional.

Starting January 26, 2026 for 8 weeks.
4 out of 20 seats already bought.
Apply here: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Repost this for someone quietly stuck.
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for honest career clarity.

Image credit: Adam Grant (IG)

You tell yourself: "I just need better time management."

So you try: 

Waking at 5am. 
Time-blocking. 
Batching tasks. 
Saying no to "small things."

And you are still exhausted. 
Still overwhelmed. 
Still behind.

Because you don't have a time management problem.

THE REAL PROBLEMS you have are:

1. The Boundary Problem
You say yes when you mean no.
Your calendar is full of other people's priorities.

2. The Priority Problem
Everything feels urgent because nothing is defined.
You are reacting, not choosing.

3. The Identity Problem
You are the "reliable one."
The one who always covers when someone's out sick.
The one who stays late to fix others' mistakes.
And rest? Rest feels like failure.

4. The Energy Problem
You treat draining, sustaining, and energising tasks the same.
So you stay depleted.

5. The Clarity Problem
You've met expectations for so long that you lost your own.

6. The Courage Problem
You know what needs to change - but you are waiting to stop being afraid.

So what actually helps?
A simple reset:

The Three Lists Exercise:

List 1: What drains me
(The work, people, commitments that leave you depleted)
List 2: What sustains me
(Neutral energy - necessary but not inspiring)
List 3: What energizes me
(You'd do this even if no one paid you)

Most professionals discover their calendar is:
60% drain / 35% sustain / 5% energise.

No wonder they are exhausted.

Ready to flip that 60/35/5 ratio?

Here's where to start:
→ Take 30 minutes this week
→ Create your three lists
→ Move ONE thing from "drain" to "delegate"

That's it. One small shift.

Because your life won't change until your calendar does.

I spent 15 years in corporate before learning how to build and rebuild a career without burning out. If you are tired of being tired, this will help:

→ Free masterclass: How to start a portfolio career
(Link in featured section)

💾 Save this for later
♻️ Share with someone running on empty

Throughout my career I have seen two types of leaders: 

Type 1:
Those who develop thinkers and problem solvers.

Type 2: 
Those who hoard every decision.

The second type? They are everywhere.
Every decision needs their blessing.
Every email needs their approval.
Every idea dies without their permission.

They think they are indispensable.
They are actually organizational bottlenecks.

The good thing? 
We all get to choose which one we become.

Here is how to become the first type of leader:

1️⃣ Turn questions into coaching moments 

When someone asks "What should I do?"
I ask: "What would you recommend?"
Then I listen.
Nine times out of ten, they know exactly what to do.
They just need someone to believe they can do it.

2️⃣ Show them how you think, not just what you think 

Don't just give answers - share your process.
• What information do you look for?
• Which factors matter most?
• How do you make trade-offs?
When your team understands your thinking pattern, they stop needing you for every decision.

3️⃣ Disappear on purpose 

Every Friday - be completely unreachable.
Not to test them - to trust them.
First week: They'll hesitate.
Second week: They'll figure it out.
Third week: They'll surprise you with what they can handle.
Eventually, you can take that whole day off without drama.

The uncomfortable truth?

Organizations don't need more managers who create dependencies.
They need leaders who build capability.

Your real job isn't to have all the answers.
It's to develop people who can find them without you.


💾 Save this for when your ego wants to micromanage
♻️ Share with that leader who thinks they are "helping" by controlling everything

Follow me, Ani Filipova, for more uncomfortable truths about leadership and change.

Most people don't dare to challenge their boss.

Not because they lack ideas.
But because they've seen what happens to the people who do.

"I disagree because...."
Eye roll. Heavy sigh.
"I have more experience. I know this won't work."
Conversation over.

Or sitting in a high-stakes meeting where the senior exec chair gives suggestions.
Never asks for opinions.
And when someone tries to speak?
Immediate shutdown.

If you are a leader and everyone nods at all your ideas…
That's not leadership.
That's obedience.

It's easy to lead people who agree with you.
It takes guts to lead people who challenge you.

Real leadership isn't tested by how well people follow your vision.
It's revealed by how safe they feel questioning it.

So how do you become that kind of leader?
These 3 behaviours make the biggest difference:

🛠 1. Ask for the objection
Stop asking: "Any thoughts?"
Start asking: "What might be wrong with this idea?"
People are more honest when you invite critique, not validation.

🛠 2. Speak last
If you speak first, most people will try to agree with you.
You'll kill fresh thinking before it starts.
Say less → hear more → lead better.

🛠 3. Praise the pushback
Reward the people who disagree with you,
especially when it's uncomfortable.
Your reaction to dissent teaches the whole team whether it's truly safe to speak up.

Remember: the goal isn't harmony.
The goal is better thinking.

Think of a leader you once felt safe challenging - 
What exactly did they do that created that safety?

👇 Share the behaviour so others can learn from it.

📑 Save this to revisit before your next meeting.
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for daily content on Leadership, Career and Change.
📩 Want deeper weekly insights? Subscribe to my newsletter, The Change Blueprint - link in my Featured section.

I love working with optimistic people.

Here is why.

Pessimists and optimists look at the same challenge…
and see completely different worlds.

The pessimist sees every problem as "end of the road".
The optimist sees every problem as a puzzle to solve.

The pessimist says, “That won’t work because…”
The optimist asks, “What if we tried…?”

So - can optimism be learned?
Yes. But not in the way most people think.

What CAN’T be taught:
• Your instinct to see possibilities vs problems
• Your natural response when things go wrong
• Your baseline emotional wiring

What CAN be learned:
• Interrupting negative thought patterns
• Choosing a different perspective intentionally
• Practising optimistic responses until they become habit

Some people are naturally optimistic.
Others train themselves into optimism through repeated practice.
For most of us, it’s both.

Here’s the part people forget:
You can’t just decide to be optimistic and expect it to stick.

You have to:
• Catch yourself in negative loops
• Actively reframe
• Surround yourself with optimistic people
• Build evidence that things work out

And this is exactly what I see inside my community every day - optimistic people building portfolio careers, choosing courage over comfort, and turning setbacks into stepping stones.

It’s pure magic to watch!!!

✨ The community opens for new members on Monday, November 24th. This is the last time we are opening this year.

If you are ready to surround yourself with people who see possibilities instead of problems, this is your moment - join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gKeB77z9

🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for more on building careers with freedom.
♻️ Share this with someone who needs a boost today.

9:00 AM: "This is urgent."
9:05 AM: "Actually, THIS is super urgent."
9:10 AM: "Wait, THIS is the MOST urgent."

Sound familiar?

Meanwhile, your team?
Same 8 people as yesterday.

They can stretch.
They always do.

But physics doesn’t care about urgency.
There's a breaking point.

Then comes the magic phrase:
 “Manage it.”

Manage WHAT exactly?
The 47 "urgent" requests that came in today?
The team that's already working weekends?
The fact that everything can't be priority No.1?

I spent 25 years watching this circus.
Leaders who pile on work like they are playing Tetris.
Teams drowning while executives debate "resource optimization."

Reality check: 

Your team isn't a resource to optimize.
They are humans with a fixed capacity for miracles.

As a leader, YOU own this mess.
Not your team. Not "the business." You.

Stop saying "manage it" and start doing your actual job:

I created a carousel breaking down exactly how urgency tricks your brain and what to actually do about it.

The psychology behind why we fall for it every time.
The deadline games people play.
The dopamine trap that keeps you hooked on urgent tasks.

But most importantly - how to break free from the urgency addiction.

Because when everything is urgent, nothing is.

And your team? 

They are not machines you can overclock indefinitely.
They are humans who need leaders brave enough to say: "No, that can wait."

Swipe through the carousel for the full breakdown on beating the urgency trap.

Your sanity (and your team's) depends on it.

💾 Save this + the carousel for your next priority pile-up
♻️ Share with someone drowning in "urgent" requests
➡️ Follow me, Ani Filipova, for truths about modern leadership and career

The people most committed to your failure often wear the warmest smiles.

The saboteur appears helpful.
They are  "concerned" about you.
They want to "mentor" you.
They are "protecting" you from failure.

"Oh, I thought someone told you."
"No offense, but..."
"I'm just trying to help."
"Don't take it personally."

Because of all this:

→ You question your own competence
→ You work harder to prove yourself
→ You become grateful for crumbs
→ You apologize for existing

These are the tactics they use:

1. The visibility trap
2. The communication sabotage
3. The idea laundering
4. The information blackout
5. The resource starvation
6. The impossible timeline
7. The gaslighting special
8. The social engineering
9. The attribution shift
10. The isolation protocol

If you recognised yourself in any of these, you are not crazy.
You are being played.

Wait. There's a plot twist.

SOMETIMES THE SABOTEUR IS ...YOU
When you internalise their tactics and start doing their work for them.
When you silence yourself before they even have to.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

🛡️ Create Your Paper Trail
• BCC yourself on important emails
• Summarize verbal conversations in writing
• Keep a private log of incidents with dates

🚪 Build Your Escape Routes
• Find sponsors outside your direct chain
• Create visibility beyond your saboteur's reach
• Strengthen peer relationships across departments

🧠 Stop Gaslighting Yourself
• That feeling something's off? It is usually correct
• Stop explaining away red flags
• Your instincts evolved for a reason - use them

The hardest truth about workplace sabotage?

It's done by people who smile at you daily.
Who ask about your weekend.
Who bring you coffee.

Because sabotage isn't about hate.
It's about fear.

Fear that your light might dim theirs.

Which tactic is happening to you RIGHT NOW?
Drop the number - and let's correct it!

♻️ Repost to help someone trust their instincts
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova, for truths about career, leadership and change

P.S. Done playing defence in a game you can't win? The Portfolio Career Accelerator starts January 26th. Build your escape route while you still have options:https://lnkd.in/gw-h7p5h

I used to believe skills could compensate for a lack of care.

It never does.

The fact is - everyone still hires for skill.
I hire for care.

Because whether it's an employee, contractor, or consultant, care is what holds ANY team together when things get hard.

Skills can be taught.
Experience can be gained.
But care?
You either have it, or you don't.

When I was Regional COO at Citibank, I hired hundreds of employees.
Now I work with a distributed team of specialists.
Different scale. Same truth.

And here’s where that truth became expensive for me:

I hired a "10x developer" on contract.
Perfect portfolio. Stellar reviews.
Zero care about the actual problem we were solving.
The project died in week three.

Then I hired someone with half the experience -
but they asked: "Why does this matter to your business?"
They delivered beyond the brief because they cared about the outcome.

Here’s how to spot care in ANY collaboration:

🎯 They ask about impact, not just specs
“What happens if this succeeds?” beats 
“What are the requirements?”

🎯 They protect your blind spots
"Have you considered…?" is their favourite phrase.
They think like owners, not vendors.

🎯 They communicate proactively
No chasing for updates.
Problems surface before they explode.

🎯 They push back (respectfully)
“This won’t work because…”
Care looks like honesty, not compliance.

🎯 They reference the bigger picture
Every decision connects to your goals - 
not just task completion.

🎯 They stick around when it’s messy
Scope creep. Budget issues. Timeline problems.
People who care help solve, not just report.

Here’s the truth nobody talks about:

In today’s world, your “team” isn’t just employees.
It’s everyone you collaborate with:

• Your VA
• Your copywriter
• Your developer
• Your coach

You are not their boss.
But you are still hiring for care.

Because skills without care?
That’s just expensive disappointment waiting to happen.

Whether you lead 500 people or work with 5 contractors -
Your success depends on finding people who give a damn about the work itself.

♻️ Repost if you believe care beats credentials
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about building teams and careers
📩 Join other leaders and entrepreneurs getting weekly change and career advice in my newsletter - link in Featured

Job security isn't earned. 

It's engineered.

Most professionals spend decades being loyal, working late, hoping their company will protect them.

Then layoffs hit.
The 20-year veterans get cut first.
The "indispensable" people discover they weren't.
The loyal ones learn loyalty doesn't pay bills.

Meanwhile, there's another breed of professional.

You know those people:
↳The ones who always seem to land on their feet.
↳They switch jobs during a recession 
↳They get headhunted for roles you didn’t even know existed.
↳ They are asked to speak at conferences, join advisory boards, get introduced to “the right people.”

And you wonder: How?

Is it luck? 
Better connections? 
Being in the right place at the right time?

Maybe.

But maybe they've figured out something most people miss:

Security isn't about working harder.
It’s about engineering visibility, value, and options ...
... long before you need them.

They are not luckier.
They are simply playing a different game.

If you are building real career security, revisit this list every quarter. 👇
9 invisible traits of professionals who never worry about job security:

1️⃣ They know their unfair advantage
2️⃣ They treat their career like a business
3️⃣ They have multiple income streams
4️⃣ They stay visible outside their company
5️⃣ They invest in relationships, not transactions
6️⃣ They know their market value
7️⃣ They solve problems, not just do jobs
8️⃣ They keep learning publicly
9️⃣ They diversify their identity

None of these requires permission from your boss
But building them requires intention.

Job security isn't about finding the right company.
It’s about becoming the person companies fight to keep,
or better yet, the person who doesn’t need them to.

If one trait jumped out at you, tell me why - your perspective will help others reading this.

💾 Save this to revisit during your next career audit
♻️ Share this with someone who’s playing it too safe
➡️ Follow me, Ani Filipova, for more uncomfortable truths about modern careers

---
P.S. I’m hosting a free live masterclass tomorrow on the job and career trends in 2026.
If you want to go deeper into these you are welcome to join us: https://lnkd.in/gT5S8Sbs

How do they do that??

We all have days when we lose perspective. 

When that happens, a few simple reminders can save the whole week.
Here are 10 that save me every time👇

1️⃣ You don’t have to have it all figured out
It took me 2 years to leave my corporate job.
And another 2 to figure out my portfolio career.
I’m still figuring it out, and I enjoy my life far more

2️⃣ Healing takes time, be patient
Some days you feel strong.
On other days, you feel broken.
That doesn’t mean you are not healing; 
it just means you are human.

3️⃣ Kindness is free
Not everyone deserves your energy.
But kindness?
Give it freely. It makes you feel better too.

4️⃣ Not every action needs a reaction
You don’t need to reply to every email in 2 minutes.
You don’t owe everyone a reaction.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is ....nothing.

5️⃣ Everyone’s journey is different
A CEO at 25 - great and kudos!!
At 45, finally doing what you want - even better!
One is fast. One is deep. Both are valid.

6️⃣ Smiles are contagious
You smile at someone, and they smile back 
(most of the time).
It’s that simple.
And science agrees.

7️⃣ Your thoughts shape your reality
If you keep telling yourself “I’m stuck,”
you’ll stay stuck.
But try saying, “I’m learning.” Watch what happens.

8️⃣ It’s okay to start over again and again
Changed your mind? Good
Changed direction? Better
Changed careers? Best
Every restart is an upgrade.

9️⃣ There is no timeline for your life
Society's schedule is made up.
Marriage by 30? Says who??
Success by 40? Define success.

🔟 Letting go is brave
That job. That one-sided relationship. That old story.
If it’s weighing you down, it’s time.
Let go, not to give up, but to make space.

The most successful people I know needed these reminders the most!
Because success without peace is just expensive misery.

Which one did you need today?
Mine was 4 - it has been a tough week.

Drop yours below - let's remind each other we are not alone.

♻️ And if you know someone who needs this, send it to them today.
🔔 Follow me, Ani Filipova for more reminders like this.
--
📌 Join my newsletter “The Change Blueprint” 
Free tools and frameworks to help you win at work and life 👉https://lnkd.in/gzDCH9t9

The Executive Committee seat
The six-figure salary.
The CEO on speed dial.
The business-class flights.

I had all of it as a Regional COO at Citibank.

But I couldn’t control my own time.

And after 25 years in corporate, I learned something uncomfortable:

There are two types of wealth.
Most people only chase one.

-> Bank Account Wealth:
What everyone sees.
What everyone measures.
What everyone envies.👇
Your salary, savings, and assets
Your job title

-> Calendar Wealth:
Who decides your Tuesday afternoon?
Can you leave early without asking permission?
Do you choose your meetings or do they choose you?

The uncomfortable truth:
My bank account peaked when my calendar wealth hit zero.

Every promotion meant more money.
Every promotion meant less autonomy.

Regional COO at Citibank.
$2B business. 16 countries.
Couldn't control my own calendar.

Golden handcuffs are still handcuffs.
Just more expensive.

When I left in 2021, people thought I'd lost my mind.
"You are walking away from all that?"

I wasn't walking away.
I was walking toward something.

Built relationships beyond company walls.
Developed skills the company didn't own.
Created value beyond my job description.

Now I control both types of wealth.

Not because I chose one over the other.
But because I stopped believing it was either/or.

You can have financial security AND freedom.
But only if you build them intentionally.

Most professionals optimise for the paycheck.
Then wonder why success feels like prison.

Your company rents your time.
Don't let them buy your freedom.

If you are ready to build both types of wealth apply for the The Portfolio Career Accelerator: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Share with someone trading their freedom for a paycheck
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern careers

You can know your stuff inside out…
and still sound unsure when it matters.

I learned this the hard way.

There were moments in high-stakes rooms:
I walked out, replaying every sentence…
cringing at how I softened my point…
knowing I’d unintentionally undermined myself.

Here’s the truth:

If you sound unsure, people assume you are unsure 
even when you are absolutely not.

And smart people lose influence because of how they speak, not what they know.

Over the years, I started spotting the phrases that were weakening otherwise excellent professionals.

Here are 12 phrases that make smart people sound less smart  and what to say instead 👇

❌ “I just think…”
✅ “Here’s what I see.”

❌ “Maybe we could…”
✅ “Let’s try this approach.”

❌ “Sorry, but…”
✅ “Let me add something here.”

❌ “Does that make sense?”
✅ “Let me know if you want me to go deeper.”

❌ “I’m not sure, but…”
✅ “Based on what I know…”

❌ “I’m no expert, but…”
✅ “From my experience…”

❌ “This might be a dumb question…”
✅ “Here’s something I’m curious about.”

❌ “Hopefully, we can…”
✅ “Our goal is to…”

❌ “I think we should…”
✅ “I recommend we…”

❌ “I feel like…”
✅ “What I’m seeing is…”

❌ “It’s kind of like…”
✅ “It’s similar to…”

❌ “We could maybe look at…”
✅ “Let’s explore…”

Small shifts in language → big shifts in presence and authority.

If you want to communicate with confidence in high-stakes rooms, this is exactly what we train inside my Portfolio Career Accelerator - where our speaking and communication module is led by Julian Treasure, the voice expert behind 40 million TED Talk views.
Apply here:
https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

🔁 Share this to help more people sound as smart as they truly are.
👥 Follow me, Ani Filipova for daily content on Leadership, Career and Change.

That email just hit your inbox.

"Performance Review Season - please complete by December 15th."

Your stomach drops.

Not because you didn't deliver.
But because you already know how this goes:

• You scramble to remember your wins.
• Your manager is too busy to spare enough time 
• Nothing actually changes.

Here's the truth:

Performance reviews fail because nobody prepares.
Not managers. 
Not employees.

This is the ONE moment all year where someone MUST pay attention to your career.
Don't waste it!

🟢 MANAGERS: 
Your best people are deciding whether to stay based on this conversation.
Great leaders don’t walk into reviews hoping for clarity.
They walk in prepared to give it.

🔵 EMPLOYEES: 
Create a presentation with a summary of your wins.
Send it 48 hours before the meeting.
Not for them - for you:
• Your track record
• Your negotiation leverage
• Your ammunition for the next opportunity

I created a step-by-step guide for both sides:

For Leaders →
• The 48-hour prep framework
• How to steer the conversation
• Follow through after the review

For Employees →
• How to prepare
• What to do during the review
• What to do AFTER (where 95% drop the ball)

Swipe through the carousel for the full playbook.

Your review is in 3 weeks.
Your preparation starts now.

💾 Save this before your review
♻️ Share with someone who deserves better this year
Follow me, Ani Filipova, for insights on Modern Career and Leadership

Save this for your upcoming review!

You are scrolling LinkedIn at midnight again.

Comparing your career to people who graduated the same year.
Googling “successful people who started late.”

And somewhere between the second glass of wine 
and that sinking feeling in your stomach, 
you are asking yourself:

“What am I doing with my life?”

I know that spiral.
I hit the same point when I was a Regional COO at Citi.

This is what I know about this moment:

- That question isn’t a breakdown.
- It’s a breakthrough trying to happen.

Because you’ve reached what I call The Crossroads.

The moment when you realise: 
- the things you wanted to do might never happen
- you are not stuck - you are choosing not to choose.

And at The Crossroads, you have three real options:

1. Accept it.
Stay in your career.
Make genuine peace with it.
Stop the mental warfare; build your joy outside of work.
This is valid - but you must choose it consciously.

2. Add something.
Keep the stability. 
Build meaning on the side.
A project that feeds your soul while the job pays the bills.

3. Explore it.
Test the ideas you've been burying.
The pivot. The business. The portfolio career.
Start discovering what’s real.

Most people never get past the spiral.
They collect online courses like participation trophies.
They watch younger colleagues get promoted.
They wait. And wait. And wait.

If you are not one of these people, then some part of you is already leaning toward Option 2 or Option 3.

That’s exactly why I created the Portfolio Career Accelerator - for people standing at The Crossroads who want to test some ideas!

8 weeks.
20 people.
A guided transition into what's possible without blowing up your life.
We start on January 26th.

If you’ve been at The Crossroads long enough, maybe it’s time to stop thinking and start testing.

👉 Apply here to see if it’s a fit: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Repost with someone stuck in the midnight scroll
🔔 Follow me: Ani Filipova for uncomfortable truths about modern careers

Swipe through to see the phases and what to do next.

Your title was never your power.
The company just let you borrow it.

The day you leave corporate, you learn a terrifying truth:
Your badge gets deactivated - but your capability doesn’t.

When I left, I genuinely thought nobody would speak to me anymore.

No title.
No budget.
No org chart position.
Just me and whatever I could carry in my head.

Then I discovered something:

Everything I’d learned.
Everything I’d built.
Every pattern I’d spotted over 25 years…
It was all still mine.

The “power” I thought I’d lost?
I’d never actually owned it.
It belonged to the logo on my business card.

Real power - the kind that travels with you - works differently.

Here are the 7 power principles every professional needs when they step out of their job and title:

1. Control your narrative
My title disappeared.
My story became my new currency.
“I help professionals build portfolio careers” replaced “Regional COO at Citibank.”
Clarity beats prestige every time.

2. Stay hyper-visible
Inside corporate, visibility is automatic.
Outside, it’s a choice.
I posted daily, spoke at events, taught what I knew.
113K followers later, visibility became my new infrastructure.

3. Maintain your alliances
I didn’t vanish.
I stayed connected.
Those relationships became my first clients and my strongest advocates.
Your network doesn’t care about your employment status.

4. Own a niche
Generalists survive in corporate.
Generalists disappear outside it.
I picked one problem: helping professionals build portfolio careers.
Focus created magnetism.

5. Build value assets
Not skills. Assets.
Frameworks. Systems. Repeatable solutions.
Things that aren’t generic — and aren’t replaceable.

6. Make reputation your résumé
Citibank used to vouch for me.
Now my results do.
100+ professionals transitioned.
6-figure portfolio careers built.
Proof is the new endorsement.

7. Own who you are now
I stopped leading with “I used to be a COO.”
I started leading with the value I create today.
Confidence signals power more than any title ever could.

Jeffrey Pfeffer puts it bluntly:
“Titles create position power. Real power comes from personal assets and social capital.”

Your expertise doesn’t expire when your badge stops working.
Your value doesn’t shrink when you walk out that door.
It becomes fully yours.

These 7 principles aren’t theory.
I used them to rebuild my own career  and now they are the foundation of my Portfolio Career Accelerator.

8 weeks.
20 professionals.
Starting January 26.

If you want a career that travels with you, we build it step by step. Apply for the accelerator here: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN

♻️ Share this with someone questioning their value outside corporate
🔔 Follow Ani Filipova for more uncomfortable truths about modern careers and leadership

eatreats bangalore

I'm building something new,

Let me tell you about it.

For the past three years, I've been helping professionals leave corporate and build portfolio careers. 

One-on-one coaching. 
My community. 
Hundreds of conversations about what actually works.

And I keep seeing the same thing:
People spend years piecing this together
jumping between YouTube videos, 
buying courses they never finish, 
trying to connect the dots alone.

I had to figure it all out at once when I left Citi. 

So I'm changing that.

The Portfolio Career Accelerator launches January 26th.

It's everything I've learned, packaged into 8 intensive weeks.

Here's my story in 30 seconds:
• 25 years in corporate banking
• Regional COO at Citi (€2B, 16 countries)
• Left at 51 with no plan
• Now: 140K followers across LinkedIn/YouTube
• Multiple income streams
• I own my time

I've watched hundreds make similar transitions. 
And they all needed the same five things:

1️⃣ Build an audience that knows and trusts you
2️⃣ Create an offer people actually want to buy
3️⃣ Become a speaker (yes, even TED talks)
4️⃣ Position yourself as an advisor/board member 
5️⃣ Start investing your new income wisely

And the secret weapon? AI to make it all happen 10x faster.

I spent three years figuring this out through trial and error.
You don't have to.

Picture this:
March 2025. 
Your LinkedIn is growing. 
You built your first digital product.
You are positioning yourself for an advisory position.
You still have your job (if you want it), but now you know your options.

That's what 8 weeks can do.

The accelerator is intimate - just 20 people.
Live sessions, which are recorded. 
Feedback on whatever you are building.
Amazing guest experts on all topics.

And after that - 3 months free in my community to keep the momentum going.

This isn't about following my exact path.
It's about me showing you the map so you can choose your own adventure.

Want the full details?

🚀 Get all the information here and apply: https://lnkd.in/g8bpRmYN
Applications open now. We start January 26th.

I genuinely believe everyone deserves a portfolio career - work that fits your life, not the other way around.

Come build yours with me.

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