Something shifted. You can feel it. You just can't name it yet.
Stand Tall & Own It is for women in the second half of life who are high-functioning on the outside and quietly disoriented on the inside. You built your life inside systems you trusted completely — until you realized you couldn't tell what was actually yours from what you'd just learned to navigate well.
Host Andrea Johnson doesn't offer formulas. She offers honest thinking, sharp observation, and the kind of conversation that makes you pull over and sit in your driveway.
1 BIG IDEA Your Core Values aren’t a buzzword or a branding exercise—they’re your leadership blueprint. In fast-paced environments, they act as your internal compass, helping you stay grounded in who you are and lead with clarity, confidence, and conviction.
5 WAYS TO APPLY THIS
Use your Core Values as a real-time decision-making tool
Build awareness around how micro-decisions shape culture and trust
Reflect after high-pressure moments to assess value alignment
Incorporate weekly grounding practices to stay centered
Return to your Core Values when tech, timelines, or expectations create noise
3 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
What decision this week felt most aligned—or misaligned—with your Core Values?
How does honoring your Core Values bring clarity to your leadership?
Where do you feel pulled in multiple directions—and which Core Value could help you discern your next right step?
ENJOYING THE SHOW? LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW Apple: scroll to the bottom, choose a rating, and write a review. Podchaser (Android): https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stand-tall-own-it-empowering-p-1406762
You're listening to Stand Tall and Own It, a podcast for high-performing female leaders who are ready to make an impact by discovering the safety that comes from understanding their own value and exercising their own authority. I'm your host, Andrea Johnson, and I'm here to tell you it is time to just truly be you, my strong friend. It's time to stand tall and own it. Hi, welcome to Stand Tell and Own It, the podcast for purpose-driven women who are ready to lead with authenticity and impact. I'm your host, Andrea Johnson. This month is a special month. We are exploring what it means to lead with clarity in the age of AI, where purpose-driven women like you can embrace powerful tools without losing your voice, your vision, or your values. Now, last week we talked about using AI as a support tool, not a replacement for intentional leadership. But here's the thing: the real power in any tool lies in the hands of the person holding it. That means if you want to use AI or any other system, structure, or strategy without losing yourself in the process, you really need to know who you are. And that's why we're going to talk all the way back to foundations today about core values. I'm not just teaching another how to find your core values lesson today, though. Core values are the backbone of my work. They're not just one tool in a big leadership box. They are the foundation. If you've been around here long enough, you know this is my thing. It's what I'm becoming known for because it's not fluff, y'all. It is absolutely not filler. It is the quiet, steady clarity underneath every confident decision, every resilient leader, and every purpose-driven mission. And the more I teach it, coach it, and live it, the more I see just how truly universal it is. You see, core values don't show up in coaching sessions or vision statements. That's not the only place. They belong in boardrooms, Slack threads, crisis meetings, and yes, even in how you use AI. So in this episode, it's not a repeat and it's not a reminder. It's a reclaiming of what's already inside you. Because when you know your core values, you stop leading from noise and you start leading from knowing. If AI is the accelerant to your business or your life or your ideas, core values are the anchor. They're what keep your leadership from drifting so that you don't just sound like everyone else or make decisions that look good but feel hollow. So if you've ever found yourself second-guessing a decision, wondering if you're still leading from your vision or just reacting to the noise, this episode is for you. Stick around. So let's talk about and maybe revisit for some of you how to build real leadership clarity and confidence from the inside out. We're going to start with a quick reminder of what we're really talking about when we say core values. They're not just beliefs. They're not just personality traits. These are your deep priorities, your non-negotiables that shape how you show up, how you decide, and how you lead. So if you're new here, welcome. I'm glad you're listening. I talk about core values a lot. It is the cornerstone of my coaching, my teaching, and my entire leadership philosophy. Because when you lead from who you are rather than what you do, your leadership becomes clearer, steadier, and more effective. Now, let's talk about where we are at this moment. We are living and working in a time when AI is everywhere. And no, I don't mean some vague future. I mean now. It's helping us schedule meetings, write content, make strategic recommendations, summarize reports, filter applications. It's in your inbox, your project tools, your search engines, your phone, and girl, is it seductive? Because as leaders, we're being asked to do more with less on a daily basis. Shorter timelines, higher metrics, constant pivots. It's very easy to hand over decisions, not just tasks, to the tech. To say, sure, just give me five options, or oh, that sounds reasonable enough, and move on. But that ease, it comes at a cost. And it's not just that we risk sounding the same as everyone else, it's that we stop checking in with ourselves. We stop asking, is this mine to say, mine to choose, mind to lead? And that, dear friend, is where clarity starts to erode. Now, this might sound philosophical, but it's actually deeply practical because every single day you make decisions that affect your team, your clients, your energy, and your impact. And when your core values are clear, those decisions don't just get easier, they get cleaner. You spend less time second guessing, you create consistency in how you lead. You build trust faster because people know what to expect from you. You stay focused on what actually matters, and you stop wasting energy on what doesn't. This is especially important when things get loud. And by quote loud, I mean overwhelming, distracting, stressful, noisy. That flood of feedback, the data dump, or the mounting expectations. Here's an encouraging truth for you. When the noise gets loud, your core values can get louder if you let them. How do you do that? Well, you build in pauses, you create a decision filter asking things like, does this honor my core value of integrity if that's one of yours? Or is this aligned with how I treat people? You use your core values like a checklist, not for approval, but for alignment. You create practices that remind you of who you are when everyone else is trying to tell you who to be. This is where one of the tenets of intentional optimism, wise, shows up for me. Wise leaders see what's on the surface and what's underneath. They listen well, they ask better questions, and they build leadership that's both strategic and human. Not either, both. That's what core values offer you. The lens to see what matters, the language to name it, and the courage to honor it. No matter what's trending or what your tech is spitting back at you. And that kind of clarity is how you thrive. Not by doing more and not by keeping up, but by knowing who you are and leading from that place, especially when things are moving fast. Because clarity isn't just a luxury, it's a vitality. It gives you vitality, it reduces decision fatigue, it gives your brain margin, and it brings a sense of grounded peace in the middle of chaos. So if you're tired of second guessing your decisions or worried that you're losing your voice in the noise, this is where we start. Core values are your compass. And in this conversation, I want you to think of them that way, like a compass in a storm. Core values don't hand you a map, they won't make the wind stop blowing, but they do give you direction. Quiet, consistent, and steady. Even when everything around you is moving fast and swirling, they actually help you navigate. And I don't just mean deciding whether to take the new client or quit your job, because I know many of you, especially if you're in mid-level or senior leadership, don't always have the luxury of saying no to something. So let's expand that frame just a little bit. Your core values help you remember things like how you want to show up in a room, what kind of culture you're contributing to, which trade-offs are acceptable and which aren't, when to speak up and when silence would compromise your integrity, how to communicate hard truth with clarity and care. And yes, what kind of leader you are becoming, not just what tasks you're completing. Now, I wish I could tell you I always lead this way, but I'm gonna be honest. The last few months have been an eye-opener for me. I've caught myself defaulting to decisions or patterns or thinking patterns and and ideas without really thinking, letting old conditioning kind of take the wheel, trusting momentum instead of stopping to ask, hang on, does this really reflect what I believe? And it takes me a minute, sometimes several, to realize what's happening. Because one of my top core values is freedom of thought, or maybe critical thinking, if you will. But I had to stop, but I had stopped doing that. I had stopped thinking clearly and freely. I was following old patterns, systems, external input. I had to go back again and re-engage my own curiosity, my own questioning, my own values. You know what helped? Using AI as a sounding board. Not to make the decision for me, but to ask me better questions. To say things like, Andrea, what core value is being challenged here? Why does that matter? And when I showed when I slowed down enough just to listen, even just slowing down to speak it, right, I find my footing again. That's why I say core values aren't just a reflection of who you are. They're a tool. They're part of how you think, choose, lead, and grow. And in high pressure, fast decision environments like the ones many of you work in, this tool is vital. Just this morning, a client shared with me that a new opportunity came up that would have given her really good visibility. She's a business owner, and on the surface, it checked the boxes prestige, reach, networking. But when she looked a little deeper, it didn't actually serve her long-term business strategy. And her top core value? Strategic. So what did she do? She said no, but thank you. Not because it wasn't a good opportunity, but because it wasn't an aligned one. And that no gave her clarity, confidence, and peace. That's the kind of clarity we're talking about. So let me ask you, when was the last time you made a decision that felt peaceful, even though it was hard? What anchored you in that moment? What value did you honor then? And if you don't know, that's okay. It just means you have a little work to do. Because uncovering and naming your core values is where it starts. And if you don't know yours yet, don't worry, I got you. I'll point you to the core values blueprint at the end of this episode. It's a free tool to help you start identifying and naming what truly matters to you. Because once you name it, you can use it again and again and again. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. Now when you take the time to identify your core values, you're not just naming what matters. You're building a resource that you can return to over and over. A touchstone or a leadership anchor. Something that brings you back to clarity, not because everything around you is calm, but because you've trained yourself to listen for what's true. That's why I think of them as a real-time calibration tool. Not a one-time insight, but a steady reference point, especially when you're under pressure, facing a decision, or even navigating tension. They help you recenter in the middle of motion, not just after the fact. Like a compass that doesn't move when even when the ground beneath you shifts or your core values, they give you a steady read on direction, not perfection and not prediction. Just a little clarity each moment. And the more consistently you use them, the more powerful they become. But here's where it really counts. Most of leadership isn't grand or dramatic. It's not the keynote on stage or the quarterly plan, it's the micro decisions, the tiny, daily interactions that shape culture, relationships, and momentum. So whether you hit reply all or send a private note, whether you speak up in a meeting or choose not to, whether you make a fast judgment or ask one more question, all those micro decisions, they create macro impact. They create trust or or doubt, depending on what you do. They create alignment or confusion. They either reinforce who you are as a leader or they chip away at it. And we when you don't have a framework guiding those decisions, it is really easy to drift, to react instead of respond, to choose what's expedient instead of what's aligned. And that's where core values can shine for you. In real time, they help you ask things like, what's the right thing here, not just the easy one? What would it look like to respond with integrity, even in this five-minute window? What's needed from me, not just what's fastest or what's the tool what the tool might suggest? And over time, they help you evaluate whether you're building something that honors your identity or just feeding someone else's urgency. It's long-term visioning that sounds like, is this ladder leaning against the right wall? Are my strategies and systems still serving who I am becoming or just sustaining who I used to be? There's a hard truth here though. You won't always get it right in the moment. Sometimes it's only after the decision that you realize, oh, I drifted. But if you've done the work to know your core values, you'll have something to return to. Crisis doesn't always clarify who we are. Sometimes it clouds it. We forget, we freeze, we default. But when you practice your core values daily, when you build the muscle memory and the neural pathways of alignment, then when the storm hits, you can actually find your way back. You lead with more wisdom, more grace, a little less scrambling. Because you've trained your system to recognize this part is me. This is what I choose. And that's where grounding practices come in. No, I don't mean meditation or journaling, though those can be really good. I mean leadership grounding practices, the kind that help you stay aligned in the middle of motion. The same way someone might use grounding techniques to manage anxiety, like touching something solid, naming what they see, slowing their breath, doing box breathing. You can use values-based grounding to stay centered on who you are as a leader. Here's a few to try. First, a weekly check-in. Ask yourself, where did I lead in alignment this week? Where did I drift? This can be personal or something you talk about with a peer or mentor. Second, after a difficult moment, pause to reflect. What value felt violated here? What value do I want to respond from moving forward? Preferably either that value that was violated or a different one. Perhaps with your team, share one of your top core values and why it matters to you. Then model it in how you handle tough conversations or give feedback. I have a client whose top one of her top core values is collaboration. And she put a sign, she supervised a bunch of people, and she put a sign above her desk that said collaboration over competition to remind everyone that this is how she's going to operate and how she is going to have conversations and navigate tough decisions. Thirdly, you can use the core values blueprint as an ongoing tool, not just a one-time download. You can revisit your values every few months because you evolve and you understand yourself better and you might go deeper. Your context shifts and your clarity deserves regular tending, just like a good garden. Because core values are not just a leadership luxury, they are a core stability system, especially when things, again, are moving fast like they are today. Now, next week, we're going to go even deeper, not into pressure from outside, but from inside, inside your own head. We're going to talk about your inner critic, that voice that questions your credibility, your peace, your decisions. And we're going to explore how even that internal dialogue can be rewired with the help of a surprising tool. You guessed it, AI. And I'm going to show you how I've used Chat GPT to challenge limiting beliefs and create a more aligned mindset. And how you can do it too. Because when the world gets noisy and your thoughts get all tangled up, your values remind you who you are. Tools? Well, tools can help you remember faster. So where does that leave us? Today was more of a conversation about core values than AI or ChatGPT. It was about reclaiming your leadership clarity, even when everything around you feels fast, noisy, and demanding. Because in a world full of templates, timelines, and tools that promise efficiency, what really brings confidence is knowing who you are and choosing to lead from that place, even under pressure. You don't need more productivity hacks. You need an internal compass you can trust. And that's what your core values give you. We talked about how they help you lead in real time, not just in reflection, how they shape the micro decisions that define your leadership legacy and impact. And how building daily grounding practices isn't just about staying calm, it's about staying you. So if you're ready to start or even come back to the work of naming what really matters to you, I have a tool that will help. I've already talked about it twice today. It's called the Core Values Blueprint. It's a free download that walks you through identifying your top core values and what they actually mean to you. It's a video with an accompanying worksheet. And you can grab it at the intentionaloptimist.com forward slash core values exercise or at the button above my head, it says free downloads, and it'll be the first one right there on the page. If you want help using this in your leadership, that's what I do. Whether it's executive coaching, the Core Values Digital Course, or the Core Values Coaching Program, or working with your team, I'd love to connect and support you in building a leadership foundation that lasts. And hey, if this episode gave you a moment of clarity, a new question to ask, or even just a little sense of, oh, oh, that's what I've been missing. Would you just give me the gift of taking 30 seconds to leave a quick review? It's one of the most meaningful ways that you can support the show and help other female leaders find this work. To scroll down in Apple Podcasts to the bottom or visit Podchaser and let me know how this is resonating. I have put those links in the show notes as well. Now before I go, I want to leave you with a few reflection questions. First, what decision this week felt most aligned or misaligned with your core values? Second, how does honoring your core values bring clarity to your leadership? And third, where are you feeling pulled in too many directions and which value could help you choose your next right step? Again, next week, we're gonna go back into the AI conversation, but this time it's all about mindset. If you've ever wished that you could outsource your inner critic, we're gonna talk about how that might not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Of course, I'm gonna share how I use ChatGPT, did it just this morning, to challenge unhelpful beliefs and reframe the narrative. Yes, even in real time. But for now, stand tall, trust your compass, and lead like you mean it. Until next time.
.jpg)
.png)