Own Your Superpowers

02/27/25 • 9 min

In this conversation, we dive into leadership superpowers - how to refine your strengths by understanding their shadow sides to elevate your impact! Too often women are told to tone down their strengths instead of overcoming the shadow side. This often leads to women becoming less effective. It's not intentional, it's simply a result of the fact that for senior femal leaders, 70% of their own leaders are male. This means that the feedback comes from a biased lens.

In this podcast learn how to understand your strengths, identify their shadow sides and unlock your superpowers.

Takeaways

Women and men start in corporate roles at nearly equal rates and by senior leadership, women make up only 28% of senior vice presidents.
Leadership norms are shaped by traditionally masculine traits and women often receive vague and unhelpful feedback.
Strengths can have shadow sides that undermine effectiveness.
Refining strengths without diminishing them can turn them into leadership superpowers.
Transform strengths into superpowers through actionable strategies.

Chapters

00:00Introduction to Leadership Superpowers 00:30Understanding the Broken Rung 02:55Defining Leadership Superpowers 05:45Strategies to Amplify Your Superpowers 08:34Actionable Takeaways and Conclusion

Key References:

Get in Touch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens/

In this podcast learn how to understand your strengths, identify their shadow sides and unlock your superpowers.

Takeaways

Women and men start in corporate roles at nearly equal rates and by senior leadership, women make up only 28% of senior vice presidents.
Leadership norms are shaped by traditionally masculine traits and women often receive vague and unhelpful feedback.
Strengths can have shadow sides that undermine effectiveness.
Refining strengths without diminishing them can turn them into leadership superpowers.
Transform strengths into superpowers through actionable strategies.

Chapters

Key References:

Get in Touch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens/

Previous Episode

The Confidence Myth

In this episode of Transform and Lead, Bron Stephens challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding confidence, particularly for women in leadership roles. She argues that confidence is not a prerequisite for action but rather a byproduct of it. The discussion covers the detrimental effects of the confidence myth, the importance of owning your ambition, recognising leadership superpowers, and addressing the inner critic. Bron emphasizes the need for women to embrace their authentic leadership styles and take action before feeling fully prepared, ultimately encouraging listeners to own their unique identities and capabilities.

Takeaways

Confidence is a byproduct of action, not a prerequisite. Women should focus on overcoming barriers to confidence rather than trying to build it.
Women often internalize the message that they need to be more confident.
Owning your ambition means clearly stating what you want.
Owning the inner critic is crucial for building confidence.
Taking action builds resilience and confidence over time.

Resources and Referenced Research

Get in Touch

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bron-stephens-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformandlead

Next Episode

Talking DEI for IWD

This is a special International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025 episode of Transform and Lead. With everything happening in the US and growing noise here in Australia, I wanted to see if we could have a sensible conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). It's too important to see it topple and find ourselves in the same situation yet the conversation is getting messy and worse, it's becoming about men rather than the patriachy (they're not the same thing). This year’s IWD theme, “Accelerate Action”, isn’t about lip service—it’s about doing the work to create workplaces where everyone can thrive.

️ In this episode, I share:
✔️ My personal experience seeing some of the fallout from DEI going wrong.
✔️ Why DEI shouldn’t be divisive—how we move from an “us vs. them” mindset to real, inclusive leadership.
✔️ Three areas of DEI that are at risk of getting lost in the noise: equal parental leave for fathers, workplace flexibility for everyone (not just parents), and fixing leadership pipelines so the next generation doesn’t hit the same barriers.
✔️ Four actions leaders can take right now to support DEI in a way that actually works—without backlash, performative gestures, or exhausting “tick-the-box” exercises.

This episode is about real stories, real change, and real leadership—because DEI isn’t about guilt or exclusion, it’s about making workplaces better for everyone.

What are your thoughts? How are you accelerating action this International Women’s Day? Drop me a message or share your insights!

️ Hit play and let's get into it!

Music by audionautix.com

References: