The deeply negative voice in your head isn't private. Your team might not hear it, but they can feel it.
In this episode of The Inner Edge, executive coach Janet Ioli turns the mirror on the inner voice of self-doubt and judgment that never quite says you're enough. That voice leaks into your tone, your reactions, and how you carry yourself, until it becomes the emotional weather your team has to navigate.
Janet calls this the inner critic trap and opens this episode with a story about herself: at her own book launch party, she introduced guests to "not a real book" while her inner critic tore the work apart. Decades, several books, and a doctorate later, the critic still shows up. What's changed is her relationship to it.
She names the psychology behind it, why the critic gets loudest under pressure, and pulls in research that challenges what most high achievers believe about softening that voice.
This is the seventh 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 The Voice That Leaks Into Your Leadership
00:01:27 Janet's Own Inner Critic
00:03:25 A Trap Even High Achievers Carry
00:06:45 Where the Inner Critic Comes From
00:07:55 Kristin Neff on Self-Compassion
00:08:44 Naming the Critic and Shifting the Question
00:13:17 Next Episode: The Final Trap
Read the first chapter of Escape The Traps (available October 2026): https://mailchi.mp/5d2dbf42009c/escape-the-traps-chapter
Which trap is running you? Take the quiz and find out: http://janetioli.com/quiz
Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint
- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others
- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order
Connect with Janet Ioli:
Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.
Produced by Ideablossoms
