These common beliefs are holding leaders back

Below, Muriel Wilkins shares five key insights from her new book, Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.

Muriel is the founder and CEO of the leadership advisory firm Paravis Partners. She is also an executive coach to high-performing C-suite and senior executives, as well as host of the award-winning podcast Coaching Real Leaders.

What’s the big idea?

When leaders get stuck, their first instinct is to do more and push harder. But those actions don’t create lasting results because they’re focused on what they do and not on what they think. Sustainable leadership growth comes from examining the beliefs that drive our actions. Left unchecked, we risk stunting our leadership potential.

Listen to the audio version of this Book Bite—read by Muriel herself—below, or in the Next Big Idea App.

1. You’re part of the problem.

Every leader goes through rough patches. If you haven’t yet, you will. I’ve seen many accomplished leaders, from executives to emerging managers, eventually hit a wall. They’re chasing results that remain out of reach, struggling to influence, or trying to find their footing in a new role. No matter their title or situation, they share one thing in common: something is standing in the way of their leadership potential.

Despite their best efforts, they’re still blocked. Usually, it’s because they’re focusing on what’s happening around them instead of what’s happening within them. Many high achievers try to hustle their way through whatever is holding them back. They double down on tactics and skills, thinking that if they just do more, they’ll break through. But until you turn inward and uncover what’s holding you back, you’ll keep repeating the same struggle and leadership will feel harder, more draining, and less rewarding than necessary.

2. Old beliefs can’t create new results.

We’ve all been told that if you want to change something, change your actions: work harder, build new habits, learn new skills. But a change in behavior only scratches the surface. Real change happens on the level of your beliefs.