Illustrating Leadership cover art

Illustrating Leadership

Illustrating Leadership

By: Jessica Wright
Listen for free

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 Sharing stories of the people who influenced us and discussing how to lead with heart in this day and age.2023 Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Finding your guiding light

    Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Finding your guiding light
    Jan 7 2026
    When leadership feels steady, it's easy to move forward with confidence. But most leaders don't struggle when things are going well — they struggle when things feel messy, unclear, stressful, or conflicting. When you're pulled in too many directions, when decisions feel heavier than usual, or when something simply hasn't gone well in your organization or business. In those moments, it's tempting to look for more information. Another article. Another framework. Another opinion. But what gets leaders through those seasons isn't more information. It's clarity. It's alignment. It's having a guiding light. That guiding light is what vision-centered leadership is all about. Why Vision-Centered Leadership Matters Vision-centered leadership gives you something steady to return to when everything else feels uncertain. It helps you make decisions with confidence, not because you have every answer, but because you're grounded in what actually matters. At its core, vision-centered leadership is rooted in three things: Knowing your why Understanding your values Committing to ongoing self-awareness and personal growth You've probably heard all three of these ideas before. But when they're intentionally woven together, they don't just shape how you lead, they shape who you are while you're leading. Your Why: The Anchor Beneath the Work Your why is your anchor. It's the deeper reason behind the work you do...beyond your job title, your company, or your never-ending to-do list. It's the impact you want to have. The contribution you want to make. The purpose that makes the hard days worth it. When you're connected to your why: You don't need constant external validation You recover from setbacks more quickly Decision-making becomes clearer Your why gives you a lens to filter choices through. If you're not sure what your why is, start with questions like these: What kind of leader do I want to be remembered as? Who or what am I ultimately doing this for? What would feel meaningful to me, even if no one else ever noticed? Naming your why clearly gives you energy when you're exhausted and perspective when things feel chaotic which, as we all know, they sometimes will. Your Values: The Compass That Guides Decisions If your why is your anchor, your values are your compass. Your values guide the day-to-day decisions, especially the hard ones. They help you navigate moments where the "right" answer isn't obvious. Imagine your core values include integrity, collaboration, and growth. If you're offered an opportunity or promotion that compromises one of those (even if it comes with status or money) your values point you toward alignment instead of temptation. Values help you: Set boundaries around your time and energy Decide which opportunities to pursue or decline Model consistency and authenticity for your team To clarify your values, reflect on questions like: What principles do I hold myself to, even when it's difficult? What frustrates or inspires me the most, and what does that reveal? When have I felt deeply in alignment, or completely out of alignment, and why? This isn't about listing words that simply sound good. For me, my values include integrity, compassion, empathy, self-awareness, honesty, respect, and curiosity. But the heart of those values goes deeper than the words themselves. At the core is partnership, a reverence for transformation, and a commitment to growth that creates a more joyful, life-giving world. I can feel it immediately when someone truly shares those values. AND just as clearly when they don't. Those shared values shape who I choose to work with and which efforts I want to support. Staying connected to that deeper meaning keeps me aligned as a leader. Self-Awareness and Growth: The Work That Never Ends The third pillar of vision-centered leadership is a lifelong commitment to self-awareness and personal growth. The best leaders are still students. They're willing to reflect, adjust, and evolve. They're comfortable admitting they don't know everything...and they stay curious instead of defensive. Self-awareness means understanding: Your stress responses and triggers Your communication patterns Tendencies like over-functioning or avoidance Your strengths and your blind spots Personal growth means doing something with that awareness. That might look like coaching, therapy, journaling, mentorship, or intentionally creating space to reflect. Ideally, leaders have more than one way they engage in growth. Why does this matter so much? Because you can't lead others well if you don't know yourself. When you do, you become a calmer, more grounded, more adaptive leader. Someone who doesn't panic under pressure, offload stress onto their team, or lead reactively. Instead, you lead with intention. Why All Three Work Better Together Each of these elements is powerful on its own. Together, they create something stronger. Your why gives you purpose Your values give you direction ...
    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
  • Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Reframing Failure

    Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Reframing Failure
    Dec 17 2025

    In this solo episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I explore one of the most important and least discussed realities of leadership: failure. Every leader will experience it. The question is not if it will happen, but how you respond when it does.

    Failure does not mean you are a bad leader. It does not define your character, your capability, or your future. What it does offer is an invitation to reflect, learn, and lead with integrity and resilience.

    Separating Who You Are from What Happened

    One of the most damaging patterns leaders fall into after a misstep is personalization. A decision does not land, a mistake is made, or a risk backfires and suddenly the story becomes:


    "I'm not cut out for this."
    "I failed my team."

    But failure is not an identity. It is an experience. You may have made the wrong call with the information you had. You may have miscommunicated, overlooked something, or taken a risk that did not work out. That does not make you the failure.

    This distinction matters deeply in leadership. When you fuse your identity with a single outcome, you limit your ability to recover, learn, and move forward effectively.

    Why Transparency Builds Trust

    One of the most powerful things a leader can do after a failure is to name it. Not to dramatize it or overexplain, but to acknowledge it honestly.

    When leaders hide their missteps, teams learn to do the same. When leaders model transparency, they create psychological safety. People stop focusing on blame and start focusing on learning.

    Think about the leaders who impacted you most. They were not flawless. They were real. They owned their mistakes, reflected on them, and invited others into problem solving rather than fear. That is what builds trust and credibility over time.

    Reflecting Without Spiraling

    After the initial sting of failure, once emotions settle, the most important leadership question becomes:


    What was my role in this?

    This is not about shame or self blame. It is about honest reflection. Try asking:


    • What choices did I make leading up to this?
    • What assumptions was I operating under?
    • Where did I have an opportunity to course correct?
    • What information or support was I missing?

    This kind of reflection does not weaken your authority. It strengthens it. Taking responsibility for your part, not everything, builds self awareness, wisdom, and long term growth.

    Emotions Are Data, Not the Decision

    Failure often triggers intense emotional responses like fear, embarrassment, anger, or the urge to withdraw. That is normal. Your nervous system is trying to protect you.

    But emotions, while valid, are not the whole story. They are information, not instructions.

    Instead of leading from emotion, lead with awareness. Ask:


    • What is this emotion trying to tell me?
    • What story am I telling myself and is it true?
    • How can I respond in a way that serves the bigger picture, not just my ego?

    That pause between feeling and action is where leadership strength lives.

    Preparing for Failure Instead of Fearing It

    Failure will happen. You do not need to chase it and you do not need to be afraid of it. You can prepare for it.

    Decide now how you want to respond when things do not go as planned. Build practices that help you regulate your nervous system. Remind yourself that you have survived failure before and you will again.

    Leaders who move through failure with clarity, accountability, and compassion are the leaders people trust most. They do not hide. They do not spiral. They reflect, learn, and keep going.

    Failure does not define you.
    Transparency builds trust.
    Reflection fuels growth.

    And leadership continues, wiser than before.

    Your host, Jessica Wright, is a Life & Career Development Coach for Leaders and the Founder of Wright Life Coaching, LLC. You can connect with and follow her on LinkedIn.
    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Belief Sparks Possibility

    Illustrating Leadership Lesson: Belief Sparks Possibility
    Dec 10 2025
    In this episode of the Illustrating Leadership Podcast, I spoke with Pam Miller, a Life and Health Transitional Coach whose leadership story perfectly illustrates the transformative power of one person's belief. Pam shared a defining moment from her twenties. A moment when fear was holding her back, her confidence was shrinking, and she fully intended to say no to an opportunity that terrified her. But one leader saw something in her she couldn't yet see in herself. That single moment changed the entire trajectory of her life. When Fear Keeps Us Small In her twenties, Pam worked with a Christian youth organization called The Navigators, supporting high school students through mentoring, small groups, and faith-based leadership development. She felt confident in one-on-one settings and smaller groups, but when she was asked to be the keynote speaker at a large youth event, she panicked. She immediately imagined herself failing: stumbling over her words, blanking on stage, embarrassing herself. She was ready to decline on the spot. And then her colleague Jim stepped in. He pulled her aside and gently said: "Pam, I can see you doing this. I already see you on that stage, doing a great job." He saw her potential long before she did, and that changed everything. The Moment Belief Sparks Possibility Pam describes that moment as the first time someone spoke belief into her in such a direct and specific way. It stopped her in her tracks. Jim wasn't offering empty encouragement. He was naming a gift she didn't know she had, and he believed it so deeply that Pam began to believe it too. She said yes. She got on stage. She didn't pass out. And more importantly — she felt alive. That single "yes" unlocked an entirely new trajectory for her life, including decades of speaking, coaching, and eventually stepping into her calling as a life and health transitional coach. Fear, Mental Rehearsal, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves During our conversation, Pam and I explored how fear distorts our self-perception. She shared how her brain immediately rehearsed images of failure and how one person's confidence in her helped her mentally rehearse success instead. We talked about research on mental rehearsal, where visualizing a successful outcome can create similar neurological changes to actually practicing the skill. In Pam's story, Jim's belief served as the catalyst that allowed her to see herself succeeding before she ever stepped onto the stage. It's a powerful reminder: Our thoughts shape our outcomes, and fear often lies. Leaders Aren't Born. They're Developed One of the beautiful threads in Pam's story is the reminder that leadership isn't about titles. It's about presence, attention, and support. Sometimes leadership looks like: Naming potential others can't see yet Speaking life into someone who feels discouraged Reflecting strengths buried under fear Offering belief until their own self-belief catches up Pam now carries that forward in her coaching work. She helps women who feel overwhelmed or stuck move through major life transitions and she uses the very same leadership approach Jim modeled for her: seeing the best in others until they can see it too. Navigating Life's Transitions with Courage Pam now supports women through her "Thriving Through Life's Transitions" program, helping them navigate: Personal or professional shifts Health changes Identity loss Overwhelm or discouragement Fear-based thinking and negative self-talk Her work mirrors her own journey: helping women uncover the potential that fear has buried, rebuild confidence, and experience the freedom that comes from small, steady steps forward. As she shared during our conversation, "Everything you ever want is on the other side of yes." Connect With Pam Go say hi to Pam on Instagram and check out her website, where you can also sign up for her newsletter "Insights by Pam." Don't miss out on the free resource she's sharing with Illustrating Leadership Podcast listeners: One Surprising Reason Why We Experience Stress. Your host, Jessica Wright, is a Life & Career Development Coach for Leaders and the Founder of Wright Life Coaching, LLC. You can connect with and follow her on LinkedIn.
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
No reviews yet