The Inner Edge: Leadership, Self-Mastery, and Reinvention for a New Era

“It's Not Me, It's Them” | The 7 Leadership Traps: Trap #1

Janet Ioli, Executive Coach & Former Fortune 100 Executive Episode 147

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0:00 | 11:45

"It's not me, it's them." Four words. That's all it takes to miss the real problem.

In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli unpacks the first of seven leadership traps. This is the one she sees more than any other, and the one leaders defend the hardest. Through the story of Jack, a brilliant, fast-scaling CEO who built an empire and an intimidating reputation without ever realizing it, Janet reveals a psychological pattern so common it has a name, and once you see it, you can't unsee it in yourself.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth: your team's behavior might not be telling you who they are. It might be telling you something about what it's like to be led by you.

Janet shares the mirror question that starts to close this gap, and why some leaders, even with the best coaching, never fully escape this trap.

This is the second 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 How a Brilliant CEO Became Intimidating Without Knowing It
 00:03:37 The Fundamental Attribution Error
 00:05:28 What Your Imprint Is Teaching Your Team
 00:08:02 The Mirror Question and the Interruption Practice
 00:09:29 Next Episode: Trap Two


Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapter

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.

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Produced by Ideablossoms