Real talk for women in leadership—delivered every other Thursday. Short, story-driven notes on confidence, visibility, hard conversations, and building a career you actually want. Expect practical tools, honest takes, and the occasional “wait… I needed that” moment.
Well, that was awkward…
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Hi Reader, Nobody likes to feel awkward. But what does that even mean? Maybe it’s the silence after you share an idea in a meeting. Asking for an introduction and wondering if you’re being too pushy. Or going in for a hug when the other person was clearly offering a handshake. 😂 Whatever the moment, we know the feeling. And we’ll do a lot to avoid it. We’ll hold back the idea. Skip the event. Put off the conversation. Tell ourselves we’ll ask for what we want when we feel more confident. But what if confidence doesn’t come first? What if it comes from doing the thing, feeling a little uncomfortable, and realizing we can handle it? That’s one of the things I loved about my conversation with Henna Pryor. She reminded me that feeling awkward doesn’t mean you are awkward. It means you’re human, trying something where you don’t know exactly how the other person will respond. And let's be honest, that’s where a lot of the good stuff happens. But Henna and I didn’t stop there. We also talked about what happens when we do speak up—and the message someone receives isn’t the one we meant to send. Think about the quick “Looks great, thanks!” you send to someone who spent hours on a project. You’re trying to be responsive. They’re wondering if you even looked at it. Or telling your team, “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” when you’re trying to reassure them. Meanwhile, they’re thinking, “I have plenty to worry about. Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Henna calls that the signal gap: the space between what we intend to communicate and what someone else receives. And once you start thinking about it, you see it everywhere! This conversation made me think about both sides: the moments when we hold ourselves back because we’re uncomfortable, and the moments when we could slow down and make sure our message is actually landing. 🎧 In this week’s episode of Loud & Lifted, Henna and I talk about getting more comfortable with awkwardness, recovering when a moment doesn’t go as planned, and communicating in a way that builds trust. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: Lead louder. Grow stronger. Don’t do it alone. |
Loud & Lifted
Real talk for women in leadership—delivered every other Thursday. Short, story-driven notes on confidence, visibility, hard conversations, and building a career you actually want. Expect practical tools, honest takes, and the occasional “wait… I needed that” moment.
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