Episode
TLP503: 7 Hidden Beliefs That Sabotage Leaders (And How to Break Them) – with Muriel M. Wilkins
- Podcast
- The Leadership Podcast
- Published
- Mar 18, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2640
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Summary
Muriel M. Wilkins is the founder and CEO of Paravis Partners, host of the HBR podcast, Coaching Real Leaders, and author of "Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential." Muriel makes the case that lasting leadership change doesn't come from better tactics. It comes from changing the hidden assumptions driving those tactics in the first place. Drawing on research with over 300 coaching clients, Muriel introduces seven hidden blockers—simple, pervasive beliefs that quietly sabotage even the most capable leaders. She explains why high performers are especially vulnerable, why action bias becomes a liability at the top, and what "doing the inner work" actually looks like when you're in the thick of real pressure and expectations. This is one of the most practically grounded conversations we've had on self-awareness, sustainable change, and what it really takes to lead at the next level. Watch this Episode on YouTube | Muriel M. Wilkins on 7 Hidden Beliefs That Sabotage Leaders (And How to Break Them) https://bit.ly/TLP-503 Key Takeaways [03:07] Muriel explains why "is it them or is it me?" is the wrong question—and what to ask instead. [04:57] The assumptions layer of the VABES framework: why changing behavior without changing the belief beneath it never sticks. [07:09] The seven hidden blockers outlined: I need to be involved. I need it done now. I know I'm right. I can't make a mistake. If I can do it, so can you. I can't say no. I don't belong here. [09:09] Why "I need to be involved" is the #1 blocker for leaders trying to scale up—and how it keeps them stuck in the weeds at exactly the wrong moment. [11:26] How action-orientation—a strength that builds careers—becomes a liability when it skips the half of the equation that makes change s…