Leadership Beyond the Title

TaSheena Braxton| Mom, Executive Leadership & Team Coach
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Leadership Beyond the Title is hosted by TaSheena Braxton, Executive Leadership & Team Coach, mother of four, and a woman who learned how to lead long before she ever held a formal title. This podcast is for leaders who know they're capable of more — with or without the job title to prove it. Every week, we disrupt the outdated belief that leadership is tied to hierarchy, proximity to power, or navigating corporate politics. Leadership isn't given. Leadership is shown — through impact, visibility, strategic relationships, and the courage to show up as who you are. I created this podcast because I know what it feels like to be overlooked, underestimated, or told (implicitly or explicitly) that you aren't a leader until someone grants you permission. And I also know what it looks like to lead anyway — to influence without authority, to build trust across teams, to navigate power dynamics, and to grow a reputation that gets you opportunities you were never "supposed" to have. Inside this podcast, you'll learn how to: • Lead in any room — regardless of your title • Grow visibility without burning out • Build relationships that accelerate your career • Navigate identity, systems, and workplace politics with clarity • Position yourself as a leader people want to follow Our conversations will help you move from untapped, unseen, and under-recognized to someone who leads movements, shapes culture, and makes an undeniable impact — title or not. If you're ready to lead from who you are — not what your title says — you're in the right place.

  1. 3d ago ·  Video

    They Tried to Block My Promotion. Here's How I Got It Anyway.

    I was doing everything right. I had the degrees, the certifications, the relationships. And when the perfect role finally opened up — someone was quietly working behind the scenes to block me from getting it. This week, I'm telling the full story: how I went from administrative assistant to certified coach, three levels up. The gut instinct that made me turn down a role I'd already accepted. The coach who told me I'd be good at this when I didn't even know what coaching was. And the advocates who had my back when someone was trying to push me out. This is a story about trusting yourself, building real relationships, and refusing to do more to prove what you've already earned. In this episode: My real career story — from retail to biotech to coaching, and the moment someone tried to block my promotion Why I turned down a role 24 hours after accepting it — and why trusting your gut matters How advocacy showed up from every direction: a skip-level manager, a peer leader, and a manager who wrote the letter for me Why administrative assistants are some of the most strategic people in the building (and why people sleep on them) The difference between a mentor and a sponsor — and why one sponsor isn't enough The 3 things I want you to focus on: Build your strategy — get advocates from different angles (your manager, a skip-level, a peer who isn't your boss) Know your non-negotiables — your title, your pay, your market value, and where you stand next to everyone else Know your sell — learn to name the impact you create, because nobody else will do it for you What I want you to walk away with: Your skills, your credentials, and your relationships are your leverage. Diversify them — don't put all your eggs in one basket. And remember, the goal isn't for everyone to like you. It's for them to respect what you bring to the table. 🔗 Work with me 1:1 — The Career Lab: Three months of weekly coaching for the woman who's ready to get promoted, navigate someone blocking her, or grow into a leader even without the title. Book a call: https://coachingwithtasheena.as.me/sales 📬 Read my Substack — Off the Org Chart: New research-backed articles every Sunday. https://substack.com/@tbraxtoncoach Connect with me: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_tasheena/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coachtasheena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tasheena-braxton-msod-cpcc-orscc-ccmp-pcc-11b14a69/ 🎧 New episodes every Wednesday. Missed last week?  Summer Series Episode 2 "Code Switching Is Not a Strategy. It Is a Tax." — is the perfect lead-in to this one. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs it and leave a comment — it helps others find the show. Media Credits: Images and visual content created with Canva and licensed via Storyblocks.

    48 min

  2. Jun 10 ·  Video

    Code Switching Is Not a Strategy. It Is a Tax.

    "Am I showing up as the full version of myself — or am I sending my representative to run the show?" In this episode, I'm getting honest about code switching: why so many of us chose it strategically for safety, survival, and career advancement — and what it actually costs us over time. I share my own story of "putting on my white girl" early in my career, what it earned me, and the moment I realized the exhaustion was no longer worth the trade. We also dig into the research, because this isn't just a you problem — it's a systems problem: ▸ Women still earn 81 cents to every man's dollar (AAUW, 2024) ▸ 70% of Black women say they've felt the need to code switch at work (Race Equality Matters) ▸ 67% of Black women report having to constantly prove themselves — vs. only 10% of white women (Catalyst) ▸ Chronic racial stress is linked to accelerated biological aging — up to 7.5 years (American Journal of Public Health) This is why I don't say imposter syndrome. I say imposter treatment. You can only feel like an imposter if a system keeps treating you like one. In this episode: Why code switching is a survival choice, not a character flaw The real cost: burnout, broken trust, and your health Why authenticity is the foundation of leadership and trust Three practices to start reclaiming yourself: Trace the belief — where did "who I should be" come from? Count the cost — what is performing actually costing you? Find a room where you can be real — and practice showing up fully Your reflection question this week: Where did you first learn that you needed to be someone else? 🔗 Work with me 1:1: If this episode hit home, let's talk about what showing up authentically looks like in your career. Book a call: https://coachingwithtasheena.as.me/sales 📬 Read my Substack — Off the Org Chart: New research-backed articles every Sunday. Connect with me: Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn 🎧 New episodes every Wednesday.  If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs it and leave a comment — it helps others find the show. Media Credits: Images and visual content created with Canva and licensed via Storyblocks.

    47 min

  3. Jun 3

    The Bleacher Years: What Leadership Looks Like From the Stands

    You're at your kid's game, phone in hand—technically present, but are you really there? In this deeply personal kickoff to her summer series Leading Through Every Season of Life, Coach TaSheena unpacks the difference between being in the room and being present in it. After a night at her son's basketball game made her confront a years-long pattern of showing up without actually being there, she started connecting the dots between the life you live outside of work and the leader you become inside it. Drawing on Harvard research on parental presence, Gallup's end-of-career regret data, and a University of Texas study on phones and connection, she makes the case that how you show up at home is the same muscle that makes you a better leader at work. In this episode: Why quality of engagement—not quantity of time—shapes how our kids turn out What people actually regret at the end of their careers (it's never the extra emails) The leadership link most people miss: presence at home and presence at work are one practice Three tools to shift from distracted to dialed-in—the Countdown, the Intention Check, and the Weekly Audit Your question for the week: Where are your bleachers? Who is asking for your full presence and getting something less—and how many summers do you have left in it? Count your summers. They're going by whether you're present for them or not. 🎧 Book a coaching call (https://coachingwithtasheena.as.me/sales) • Follow on Instagram @coach_tasheena New episodes every Wednesday.

    26 min

  4. Feb 18

    Stop Skipping Your Skip Levels: The Visibility Strategy That Gets You Promoted | Ep #60

    📜 Summary Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to stay in our lane. Don't rock the boat. Be loyal. Let your manager handle the relationship with leadership. And whatever you do — don't go over your boss's head. And maybe that advice came from a good place — but it's keeping you invisible to the people who actually make decisions about your career. In this episode, I'm unpacking the belief that causes so many talented, accomplished women to avoid one of the most powerful career-building tools available to them: the skip level meeting. We explore: Why skipping your skip levels feels like loyalty — but is actually costing you The difference between going around your boss and building relationships across the organization The agent and the athlete analogy — and why even LeBron doesn't let his agent handle everything What happens when your boss is the only person telling your story in rooms you've never entered Why visibility isn't arrogance — it's agency A 6-step approach to walking into your next skip level prepared, confident, and strategic What to do after the meeting to keep the relationship warm and build on the foundation you created A skip level is not going around your boss. It's taking responsibility for making sure the right people know who you are — before opportunities are announced, before decisions are made, and before someone else's name comes up instead of yours. Your boss can open doors. But you have to walk through them. If you've ever avoided a meeting with senior leadership because it felt wrong, disloyal, or like it wasn't your place — this conversation is for you.   📥 Grab the free Storyteller Framework: LINK   📖 Chapters 00:00 The Belief That's Keeping You Invisible 05:30 Your Boss Is Not Your Only Advocate 13:00 What It's Costing You to Stay Invisible 16:30 How to Prepare for Your Skip Level 24:00 What Letting Go of This Belief Unlocks   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without becoming someone you don't recognize—this coaching is for you. Together, we'll define your leadership on your terms, create visibility that doesn't require performance, and strengthen the relationships that actually shape decisions—so you stop waiting to be picked and start being pursued.   🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok

    31 min

  5. Feb 11

    The Best Storyteller Wins | Ep #59

    📜 Summary Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught that hard work speaks for itself. Keep your head down. Deliver results. Stay humble. Eventually, someone will notice. And maybe that advice came from a good place—but it's keeping you invisible. In this episode, I name a truth that too many accomplished women of color have learned the hard way: your work doesn't speak. You do. I break down the limiting beliefs that keep high-performing women silent about their contributions—and introduce the Storyteller framework, a repeatable system for turning your accomplishments into compelling narratives that actually land. We explore: Why "it's just my job" thinking erases your most significant contributions How confusing self-advocacy with arrogance keeps you stuck The myth of meritocracy—and why no one is tracking your wins the way you think What happens when you let someone else narrate your career (or worse, no one does) The courtroom analogy: why evidence without argument loses every time The Storyteller framework has five elements—Stakes, Intention, Cost, Impact, and Resonance—a structure that transforms how you communicate your value without feeling cringe or performative. This episode is an invitation to stop hoping someone notices and start showing them exactly what you bring. If you've ever delivered exceptional work and watched someone else get the credit—this conversation is for you.   📥 Download the Storyteller Framework: LINK   📖 Chapters 00:00 When Hard Work Doesn't Speak for Itself 02:00 The Beliefs Keeping You Invisible 04:00 Self-Promotion Isn't Arrogance—It's Advocacy  05:00 The Myth of Meritocracy  07:00 The Courtroom Analogy: Evidence Without Argument  10:00 What Happens When You Stay Silent  13:00 Storytelling Is a Skill You Can Learn 15:00 Where to Use Your Stories  21:00 Introducing the Storyteller Framework  33:00 Connection: The Thread That Runs Through It All  34:00 The Framework in Action: A Client Story  38:00 What This Framework Does for You  41:00 Walk Into Interviews with Receipts, Not Anxiety  43:00 Recap: Stakes, Intention, Cost, Impact & Resonance   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without becoming someone you don't recognize—this coaching is for you. Together, we'll define your leadership on your terms, create visibility that doesn't require performance, and strengthen the relationships that actually shape decisions—so you stop waiting to be picked and start being pursued.   🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok

    46 min

  6. Feb 6

    The Future of Leadership Doesn't Require Self-Abandonment | Ep #58

    📜 Summary Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught that advancement requires becoming someone else. Speak up more. Be more visible. Get comfortable with self-promotion. Adapt to the culture. And maybe it worked—at least on paper. In this episode, I name a truth that doesn't get talked about enough: self-abandonment is often rewarded early in our careers—but it becomes unsustainable at higher levels of leadership. I break down how women of color, especially introverted women of color, are conditioned to perform a version of leadership that was never designed with us in mind—and why that performance comes at a steep cost: our energy, our health, our creativity, and eventually our careers. We explore: Why "executive presence" and similar feedback often masks a deeper systemic issue How code-switching, masking, and constant self-monitoring quietly drain your capacity Why performance may get you promoted—but stalls you at the next level The difference between burnout from work and burnout from inauthenticity How energy, presence, and conviction—not performance—create real influence I also reframe the Peter Principle through an identity lens: when you perform a version of leadership that isn't yours, you don't just rise to the level of incompetence—you rise to the level of inauthenticity. And performance doesn't scale. This episode is an invitation to stop treating self-abandonment as a strategy and start leading from a place of alignment, embodiment, and trust in who you already are. If you've ever felt exhausted not by the work itself—but by who you have to be to do the work—this conversation is for you. 📖 Chapters 00:00 The Cost of Becoming Someone You Don't Recognize 02:00 Why Corporate Standards Were Never Designed for You 05:00 Performance, Promotion & the Bigger Cage 06:00 The Peter Principle — Reframed Through Identity 09:00 Burnout Isn't About the Work, It's About the Performance 12:00 Why Energy Always Tells the Truth 15:00 Leadership Is Connection — And Performance Blocks It 16:00 What Happens When You Lead Anchored vs. Masked 18:00 Reclaiming Quiet Strength, Depth & Discernment 21:00 Where Are You Abandoning Yourself and Calling It Strategy? 23:00 Leading Beyond the Title — Without Self-Betrayal   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without becoming someone you don't recognize—this coaching is for you. Together, we'll define your leadership on your terms, create visibility that doesn't require performance, and strengthen the relationships that actually shape decisions—so you stop waiting to be picked and start being pursued.   🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok

    24 min

  7. Jan 30

    You Can't Win With 11 Quarterbacks (What Football Taught Me About Teams) | Ep #57

    Welcome back to Leadership Beyond the Title Podcast! 📜 Summary If you've ever struggled to get your quieter team members to share their strengths — or felt frustrated when team discussions get dominated by the loudest voices — this episode is for you. In this episode, I share how I used a football analogy combined with Visual Explorer cards to unlock collective leadership in a recent team session. I break down why most teams misunderstand collective leadership (hint: it's not about everyone doing everything the same way), and why asking people to "name their strengths" directly often backfires — especially for introverts, women, and anyone who finds self-promotion uncomfortable. You'll learn the football principle: why you can't win with 11 quarterbacks, and why every position — from the offensive line to the running back to the coach — is essential to a winning team. I walk you through how I used visual thinking tools to help even the quietest people articulate their unique contributions without feeling like they were bragging. By the end of this episode, you'll have a framework for teaching your team what makes a good team, plus a practical tool to help everyone — especially the quiet ones — claim their position and feel valued. 📖 Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Why Quiet Team Members Struggle to Share Strengths 03:00 What Collective Leadership Actually Means 04:30 The Football Principle: Every Position Matters 08:00 Breaking Down the Positions: Quarterbacks, Offensive Line, Running Backs & More 13:00 Coaches, General Managers & The Full Team System 15:00 Collective Leadership: Everyone Doing Their Thing 17:00 Why Asking Directly About Strengths Backfires 21:00 Using Visual Explorer Cards to Unlock Strengths 25:00 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership Coaching 27:00 What Happened When the Team Used Visual Cards 30:00 The Four Elements of Collective Leadership 33:00 Combining Framework + Tool for Real Results 36:00 Reflection Questions for Your Team 38:00 Why Visual Tools Work (Even When You Think You Don't Need Them)   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without shape-shifting, overperforming, or silencing yourself — my 1:1 leadership coaching is designed for you. We'll get clear on the kind of leader you are (and want to be), create simple ways for you to be seen at work that don't require you to be loud or "on," and strengthen the relationships that actually influence decisions — so opportunities come to you instead of you waiting to be picked.   🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE   Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok

    41 min

  8. Jan 21

    Stop Calling My Personality a "Superpower" | Ep #56

    🎙️ Welcome back to Leadership Beyond the Title Podcast! 📜 Summary If you've ever been told "introversion is your superpower" — but you still feel drained, overlooked, or like leadership requires more adaptation than it should — this episode is for you. In this reflective solo episode, I'm unpacking why praise alone doesn't create inclusion — and how calling introversion a "superpower" can quietly place the burden back on introverted leaders to survive systems that were never designed for them. This isn't a rejection of introversion. It's an invitation to look deeper. We'll explore the difference between symbolic validation and structural change, why so many workplaces confuse visibility with impact, and how leadership effectiveness has far more to do with design, judgment, and clarity than personality traits. Because when introversion is truly valued, coping strategies shouldn't be required just to function. You'll hear: ✨ why "introversion as a superpower" can become pressure instead of empowerment ✨ how praise without system change increases emotional and cognitive load ✨ the difference between validation and real inclusion ✨ why this tension isn't personal — it's a design bias ✨ how meetings became performance spaces instead of thinking spaces ✨ what it actually looks like to design environments for a range of leadership styles ✨ why design is leadership — not personality management This episode is a grounding reframe — especially if you're tired of being told to "speak up more," "move faster," or "just adapt." Because your leadership isn't the problem. The environment is outdated. And leadership maturity shows up in what we're willing to redesign.   📖 Chapters 00:00 When "Introversion Is a Superpower" Still Feels Exhausting Why praise doesn't always translate into support. 03:30 Why This Language Started — and Where It Breaks Down How affirmation emerged as resistance — and why it's not enough. 07:30 Validation vs. Change When celebration replaces structural courage. 10:00 When the Burden Shifts Back to the Individual How "use your superpower" becomes a coping mandate. 13:30 Symbolic Praise vs. Tangible Support Why being valued in words but not in design creates burnout. 16:30 It's Not a Personality Mismatch — It's a Design Bias How workplaces quietly reward speed, volume, and dominance. 20:00 How Meetings Became Performance Spaces Why visibility gets confused with leadership. 23:30 Reframing Leadership Effectiveness Judgment, clarity, and decision quality — not airtime. 26:30 What It Means to Design for Range Practical examples of environments that support different styles. 30:00 Design Is Leadership Why inclusion requires structural courage. 32:30 Who This Conversation Is Really For Introverted leaders — and the executives who shape the system. 35:00 Final Reflection What would change if leadership stopped confusing visibility with value?   If this episode resonated, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with a leader who's been praised — but not truly supported. Because you don't need to be louder to lead. And leadership doesn't live in personality traits — it lives in how work is designed. Because you don't need a title to lead.   🔗 Work With Me: 1:1 Leadership & Career Coaching If you're a woman of color who wants to grow your career without shape-shifting, overperforming, or silencing yourself — my 1:1 leadership coaching is designed for you. We'll get clear on the kind of leader you are (and want to be), create simple ways for you to be seen at work that don't require you to be loud or "on," and strengthen the relationships that actually influence decisions — so opportunities come to you instead of you waiting to be picked.   🔗 Apply for 1:1 coaching by booking a call here: BOOK A CALL HERE   Where to Find TaSheena Sign up for "A Seat At The Table," my Weekly Newsletter that empowers WOC leaders and their teams to build their own seats at the table. LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | TikTok

    36 min
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About

Leadership Beyond the Title is hosted by TaSheena Braxton, Executive Leadership & Team Coach, mother of four, and a woman who learned how to lead long before she ever held a formal title. This podcast is for leaders who know they're capable of more — with or without the job title to prove it. Every week, we disrupt the outdated belief that leadership is tied to hierarchy, proximity to power, or navigating corporate politics. Leadership isn't given. Leadership is shown — through impact, visibility, strategic relationships, and the courage to show up as who you are. I created this podcast because I know what it feels like to be overlooked, underestimated, or told (implicitly or explicitly) that you aren't a leader until someone grants you permission. And I also know what it looks like to lead anyway — to influence without authority, to build trust across teams, to navigate power dynamics, and to grow a reputation that gets you opportunities you were never "supposed" to have. Inside this podcast, you'll learn how to: • Lead in any room — regardless of your title • Grow visibility without burning out • Build relationships that accelerate your career • Navigate identity, systems, and workplace politics with clarity • Position yourself as a leader people want to follow Our conversations will help you move from untapped, unseen, and under-recognized to someone who leads movements, shapes culture, and makes an undeniable impact — title or not. If you're ready to lead from who you are — not what your title says — you're in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    TaSheena Braxton| Mom, Executive Leadership & Team Coach
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © TaSheena Braxton| Mom, Executive Leadership & Team Coach
  • Show Website
    Leadership Beyond the Title