277: You're the Boss: Own Your Strengths and Lead with Intention with Sabina Nawaz

Work From The Inside Out

In this episode of Work from the Inside Out, I spoke with Sabina Nawaz, executive coach and author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be and Others Need. She brings with her decades of wisdom gained from leading executive development at Microsoft and later coaching C-suite leaders around the globe. But it’s not just her impressive credentials that left an impact, it’s her honesty and clarity about what shapes us, both the difficult and the delightful.

Sabina took us back to her early days in Calcutta, where adults trusted her with decisions at just eight years old, and where living in a home affected by domestic violence sharpened her intuitive grasp of human behavior. She attributes her extraordinary ability to read people to the influence of these childhood experiences, which now helps her support leaders facing the pressures of power and performance. Her journey from a successful software engineer to a sought-after leadership coach was anything but linear, and that's exactly what makes it so inspiring.

We talked about how she made the leap from a corporate powerhouse role, including advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, to starting her own business while starting her family, in search of a life where she could be in charge of her own time. Sabina’s wisdom around power, pressure, and presence is powerful for anyone seeking fulfillment and navigating a path to leadership. If you’re wondering how to best identify your strengths, or how to show up as a leader without losing yourself, you’ll want to take in Sabina’s insights.

In this week’s Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about:

• How Sabina’s early life shaped her leadership lens
• Why getting promoted can be the riskiest moment in your career, and how to navigate the shift in how others perceive you as you take on more authority.
• Why it’s pressure—not power—that can derail leaders, and how recognizing your emotional patterns under stress is key to leading with integrity.
• The power of leaning into your strengths—and how Sabina used her gifts in communication, ideation, and connection to pivot from tech to leadership development.
• Why embracing experimentation can transform your career, from saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities to launching a global coaching practice while seven months pregnant.

Learn more about Sabina:

• Read You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)
• Download free book guides
• Visit: sabinanawaz.com
• Follow: LinkedIn
• Follow: Instagram

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