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Hi Reader,

If I had to describe the past ten days in one word, it would be: conversations.

Between
🎓 MBA team assignments
🎤 planning the Build Your Personal Brand event
🧭 Career Studio projects
📚 French classes
🎒 new semester chaos
🌿 coaching calls
…and regular life on top of it all, it’s been a week full of communication.

But not just communication with others.

This week reminded me how much of leadership starts with the conversations we have with ourselves.

Let me share a moment I witnessed.

Not so long ago, we were wrapping up a long day when I noticed someone still handling a task alone while everyone else had gathered to debrief. It made me think about how often we stay in “doing mode” because our inner voice says, “Don’t bother anyone, you should handle this yourself.”

One of the team members looked over and said something so simple, yet so true: “Sometimes you need to ask for help.”

And honestly… it landed. Hard. Because it wasn’t just about that moment, it was about how often we hold ourselves back with the story that we should handle everything alone.

He wasn’t struggling because he lacked skill. He was struggling because of what he was communicating to himself:

• “I shouldn’t need help.”
• “People will judge me.”
• “Everyone else seems fine.”
• “I don’t want to slow the team down.”

None of that was true.

But in his mind? It was gospel.

And that’s when it hit me again:

Communication doesn’t begin when we speak, it begins with the story we tell ourselves!

As leaders, teammates, partners, or humans navigating life… we often assume we’re communicating clearly.

But when your inner dialogue is full of hesitation, fear, assumptions, or pressure, your outer communication becomes unclear as well.

Not because the task is unclear… but because your inner narrative is.

Clear communication is a leadership skill. But self-communication is a leadership foundation!

If the story inside your head is muddy… your communication outside your head will be muddy too.

If you assume you’re “a burden,” you won’t ask for help.
If you believe you “should already know this,” you’ll stay quiet.
If you fear judgment, you’ll hold back information the team actually needs.
If your story is “I’m behind,” your communication becomes rushed and reactive.

So this week, I want to offer you a simple practice:

Before you communicate with someone, pause and ask:

“What am I telling myself right now?”

“Is this story true… or simply familiar?”

Because often, one shift in self-talk is all it takes to bring clarity, confidence, and ease back into your leadership.

Would love to hear your thoughts 🌿

Sending you fall greetings from Canada 🍁

Peggy
xo

P.S. If your inner dialogue is holding you back from clear, confident communication with your team or with yourself, let’s explore it together. Book a complimentary discovery call, and let’s find your clarity.