"What was I thinking?” | The 7 Leadership Traps: Trap #6

The deeply negative voice in your head isn't private. Your team might not hear it, but they can feel it. In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli turns the mirror on the inner voice of self-doubt and judgment that never quite says you're enough. That voice leaks into your tone, your reactions, and how you carry yourself, until it becomes the emotional weather your team has to navigate. Janet calls this the inner critic trap and opens this episode with a story about herself: at her own book launch party, she introduced guests to "not a real book" while her inner critic tore the work apart. Decades, several books, and a doctorate later, the critic still shows up. What's changed is her relationship to it. She names the psychology behind it, why the critic gets loudest under pressure, and pulls in research that challenges what most high achievers believe about softening that voice. This is the seventh episode in an eight-part series on the seven leadership traps, based on Janet's upcoming book, Escape the Traps (releasing October 2026). Chapters: 00:00:00 The Voice That Leaks Into Your Leadership 00:01:27 Janet's Own Inner Critic 00:03:25 A Trap Even High Achievers Carry 00:06:45 Where the Inner Critic Comes From 00:07:55 Kristin Neff on Self-Compassion 00:08:44 Naming the Critic and Shifting the Question 00:13:17 Next Episode: The Final Trap Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapter Which trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: http://janetioli.com/quiz Connect with Janet Ioli: Website: janetioli.com LinkedIn: Janet Ioli Instagram: @janetioli YouTube: @janetioli If you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli’s book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.   Produced by Ideablossoms