A podcast host who'd seen me speak in Dallas told me what she remembered most: "This woman is so free to be who she is." That word — free — cracked something open. In this Pride episode, I dig into what I've come to believe after 20 years in this work: almost everything that goes wrong on teams traces back to self-worth. The person who won't speak up and the one who won't stop talking have the same root cause. This episode is about what happens when people finally feel worthy of taking up space — and how leaders can create that. Takeaways: Freedom vs. confidence: What Deidra noticed wasn't polish or charisma. It was freedom — and that's actually what inclusive leadership is trying to build. The self-worth root: Almost every leadership failure — the wallflower, the bulldozer, the micromanager — traces back to the same place. It goes both ways: Playing small and playing insufferably big are the same problem with different looks. Both are worth examining. The ARC in action: Ask. Respect. Connect. A simple practice that makes people feel worthy of being heard — which is the precondition for everything else. Connect with Me The Newsletter: This week in the newsletter, I wrote about LGBTQ+ leaders breaking barriers in the Catholic church, a dementia village that puts dignity first, and more. Subscribe to the 5 Things Newsletter here. Work with Me: Let's talk. Watch 5 Things on YouTube.Watch Deidra's Show. Join thousands of readers by subscribing to the 5 Things newsletter. Enjoy some good vibes every Saturday morning. https://5thingsdei.com/