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“Lead yourself before you lead others.” – Jane Monroe
In this week’s episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Jane Monroe, founder of Embrace the Grape Beverage Catering, to explore one of the most overlooked leadership skills: self-awareness. What started as a conversation about leadership quickly became a masterclass on blind spots, delegation, personal growth, and building teams that can lead themselves.
Jane shares the unexpected story of how a bride’s wedding problem led her to launch a completely new business during the 2008 financial crisis. From there, she introduces her framework for leadership cohesion, breaking down the four versions of ourselves—the known self, blind self, hidden self, and mystery self—and explains how understanding each one can transform the way we lead.
Carol and Jane discuss why many leaders struggle with control, how delegation creates stronger organizations, and why hiring people who compensate for your weaknesses is a competitive advantage. They also dive into trust, employee empowerment, succession planning, and the importance of balancing logic with intuition to become a more whole-brained leader.
The episode closes with practical lessons for leaders looking to build high-performing teams, uncover their blind spots, and create workplaces where accountability starts from within.
Takeaways
• Self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership.
• Blind spots can limit growth until someone helps uncover them.
• Great leaders learn to lead themselves before leading others.
• Growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone.
• Delegation allows leaders to focus on their strengths.
• Hiring for your weaknesses creates stronger teams.
• Employees perform better when given ownership instead of micromanagement.
• Different perspectives often produce better outcomes than one leader working alone.
• Strong cultures are built on trust, communication, and accountability.
• Encouraging employees to “manage up” creates healthier organizations.
• Leadership exists at every level—not just in management positions.
• Balancing emotional intelligence with logical thinking leads to better decisions.
Chapters
00:00 Intro: Why self-awareness separates great leaders from everyone else
01:11 Meet Jane Monroe & the story behind Embrace the Grape
02:19 The bride who accidentally created a business opportunity
04:29 Turning blind spots into entrepreneurial breakthroughs
07:01 The four selves: known, blind, hidden, and mystery
09:37 Why growth requires getting comfortable being uncomfortable
11:54 Leading yourself before leading others
13:51 A powerful framework for humility and leadership
15:58 Learning to let go: delegation and control
17:03 Hiring for your weaknesses instead of your strengths
18:13 Diversity of thought and avoiding groupthink
19:15 How delegation unlocks team growth
20:05 Empowering employees through trust and ownership
21:41 Giving people opportunities to exceed expectations
22:41 When employees redesign your plans for the better
23:09 Managing up: why leaders need feedback too
24:05 Building a culture of accountability with part-time teams
25:38 Hiring experienced professionals and maintaining low turnover
26:39 Supporting employees through major life transitions
27:35 Succession planning when family doesn't want the business
29:12 Whole-brain leadership: balancing emotion and logic
31:38 Final thoughts & closing remarks
Connect With Host Carol Schultz
Find more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.
Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information.
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