Show Notes

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Episode Navigation:

• [00:01:08] The Preparation Trap Sabotaging Your Success

• [00:04:29] From 15 Hours to 5: Maria's Strategic Breakthrough

• [00:09:30] Why Perfectionism Hijacks Strategic Thinking

• [00:14:20] Your Perfectionism Pattern Audit

00:00 Introduction to the Perfectionism Trap

Welcome back to the Leader Within Podcast where we explore how the perfectionism trap prevents women from stepping into their full leadership potential. Today's episode addresses one of the most destructive Try Harder Traps that keeps leaders stuck in cycles of overworking and overthinking.

01:08 Preparation Trap Sabotaging Your Success

The belief that "preparing more thoroughly and working longer hours will get me recognized" is actually keeping you invisible in leadership. While you exhaust yourself with perfect preparation, other leaders use clarity as their competitive advantage - they're not more prepared, they're more focused.

04:29 Case Study: From 15 Hours to 5: Maria's Strategic Breakthrough

Meet Maria, a composite of coaching clients who spent 12-15 hours preparing flawless presentations yet felt invisible in board meetings. Her transformation shows how shifting from perfectionist details to strategic insights can dramatically reduce prep time while increasing leadership impact.

09:30 Why Perfectionism Hijacks Strategic Thinking

When you're in perfectionist mode, your amygdala treats imperfection as a threat, triggering cognitive hypervigilance that diverts neurochemicals from strategic thinking to threat management. This brain science explains why perfectionist leaders work harder but have less impact than those who focus on strategic clarity.

14:20 Your Perfectionism Pattern Audit

Learn the Clarity-First Framework to escape the perfectionism trap: identify perfectionist patterns, use AI for first drafts, set "good enough" boundaries, and focus on impact metrics. The goal isn't to become less excellent - it's to direct your excellence toward what matters most.

19:04 Conclusion and Next Steps

Your leadership edge isn't found in perfect preparation but in strategic thinking that emerges when your brain isn't cluttered with perfectionist busywork. Next episode explores the mind reading trap that keeps you second-guessing yourself instead of leading with confidence.