124. How to Unlock True Leadership by Embracing Power and Vulnerability

Are you prepared to lead with authenticity and make a real impact? It’s time to break free from conventional notions of power and authority and embrace a leadership style that connects deeply with others.

In this episode of the Leading with Power & Purpose Podcast, Sabine speaks with Dr. Pardeep Kullar about her views on influence, power, and authority in leadership. Dr. Kullar is an award-winning educator, business owner, and former executive coach who is transforming the way leadership is taught. Recognized as one of the top 100 educational leaders, she believes women can reclaim their power and identity in leadership by using their innate strengths.

Listen in for tips on how to cultivate genuine relationships, inspire trust, and drive meaningful change. You’ll also discover the benefits of networking with people at higher levels for the wisdom, guidance, and support they can offer.

Key Takeaways: 

• Ways women can reclaim their power and identity in leadership roles without sticking to outdated authority models.
• Discover how practices like meditation, journaling, and gratitude can help maintain a positive mindset in leadership.
• Recognize and challenge internal messages that undermine your self-worth and power.
• Understand the importance of self-awareness and focus on where you are now, rather than where you think you should be or where society expects you to be.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• [02:32] Dr. Pardeep’s career path, starting as a teacher and transitioning to higher education administration and executive coaching.
• [06:05] The differences between power, authority, and influence and their importance in true leadership. 
• [09:48] Strategies to help you leverage your innate strengths and personal roles as valuable leadership skills. 
• [13:23] Dr. Pardeep’s self-love practices she utilizes to have the right mindset for leadership.
• [17:24] Sabine shares a personal anecdote about the importance of self-reflection and internal power.
• [21:21] How subconscious beliefs can impact your actions, plus the significance of reflective analysis and asking deep, personal questions to foster growth. 
• [26:36] The need for leaders to support the younger workforce by recognizing burnout and offering genuine human connection.

Connect with Dr. Pardeep:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pardeepkullar

Book Recommendation:
Lean In by Nell Scovell and Sheryl Sandberg

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HOST INFO:

Sabine Gedeon is a dynamic force in the world of leadership and personal development. As the Founder of Transformed Leadership Institute and CEO of Gedeon Enterprises, Sabine leverages nearly 20 years of experience to guide clients in both startups and Fortune 500 companies. Her unique approach combines human-centered principles with tech-enabled solutions, delivering customized programs for leaders at all levels to tackle crucial leadership and talent development challenges.

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ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:

Download Free Resources - https://sabinegedeon/gifts
Get Coaching Support: https://meetwithsabine.as.me/Discovery

Transcript

0:00

Are you tired of playing small and ready to step confidently into your greatness and share your unique brilliance with the world? Well, you're in the right place. I'm your host Sabine Gideon, and I've dedicated nearly two decades empowering individuals and leaders as they confidently navigate the twists and turns of life and career transitions. If you're seeking direction, connection, or just a little push to play bigger, consider this podcast, your VIP path to a community that genuinely understands your journey. Join me every week for candid conversations and practical guidance designed to help you navigate the challenges of life and business, foster a growth mindset, and cultivate meaningful connections. It's time to embrace your inherent power, define your unique purpose, and prosper in every aspect of your life. Let's get started.

Sabine: 0:54

Hello and welcome to another episode. I'm your host Sabine Gideon, and I'm excited to be back another week with you with another amazing female powerhouse. And so today we have with us, dr. Pardeep Kalar, uh, you're in for an amazing conversation. We are ready. We already started and then I realized I needed to hit record. So, you know, stay tuned for this conversation, but before we get into the meat of things, I wanted to introduce her real quick to you. So Dr. Pardeep is an award winning educator, business owner, and former executive coach who is re imagining the way leadership is taught Um, in 2020, she founded Kalara college as a corporate learning partner based on her work and demand for multi year learning and development partnerships among top fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and startups. She built Kalar college from the ground up, turning a side hustle consulting practice into a full online business, dr. Kalar has been named as one of the top 100 leaders in education for her role as a game changer and influencer in the world of leadership and education. So with that, welcome to the show, Dr. Pardee.

Dr. Pardeep: 2:04

Hi,

Sabine: 2:05

thank you. Yes. Yes. Okay. So amazing. Uh, accomplishments and backgrounds. I love the fact that you listed that you, you took a side hustle to a business and now you are, you are recognized as one of the top 100 educators. So I know there's a journey that you went on before you were at this place. If you would high level, just walk us through your, your career journey and your career path.

Dr. Pardeep: 2:32

Yeah, happily. So, you know, I started out as a teacher way back in the day, and, um, from there moved on into higher ed administration and while I was earning my doctorate, um, part of the responsibilities, uh, we had were that we had to do pro bono consulting projects with different firms, different companies. And those pro bono projects ended up turning into, uh, executive consulting and coaching opportunities on the. Um, and I kept, um, taking on and continuing as I pursued my career in, in higher education administration. So I was learning this, uh, on one side, I was leading. Uh, colleges, small colleges and like their academics and their curriculum and their staff and faculty, how to teach, what to teach, what to cover adult learning theory. And then on the other side, I was getting to work with executives and leaders to really help them hone their leadership skills or communication skills in a one on one environment. So it was a really, uh, kind of a unique opportunity to do both. And, um, then in 2020, I decided to leave higher ed and was like, I think I'm ready to kind of launch off and do my own thing. And then I founded Collar College and, um, it, it just landed. I think it was, it came at such a pivotal moment in time because that was. When you know the covid crisis that hit and leadership was really struggling with. How do we first of all go remote? A lot of organizations didn't even know what to do, how to do it. And then secondly, what are the conversations that need to be had in order to ensure the morale and the Unity of our staff that are now no longer in the office, but are remote and we're trying to stay connected in this virtual space.

Sabine: 4:15

Yeah, that's awesome. So we're, we're going to get into a little bit more conversation about the work that you do in terms of, of leadership development today. Um, but I also wanted to spend some of this time talking about, the opportunity for. Women not only to just begin to step into leadership opportunities in their businesses and their careers and whatnot, but also really regain back a sense of identity when it comes to who they are as leadership, who they are as leaders, as well as the innate power that they have just being themselves without having to change or shift or adapt or assimilate to a particular environment. And so we've been having this conversation around, power. And really I feel because of what is coming ahead, that it's important for us to start having these conversations as women and I guess, demystifying any myths that we've, uh, held onto around what it means to, to be a powerful person, as well as look at some of the messages that have made us abdicate. Our right to be powerful, our innate, uh, capacity to, to step in on that place. So I'm curious, and I've been asking guests, you know, uh, oftentimes we use these terms interchangeably. So power authority influence. Um, and the more that I've dug into this, the more that I'm like, Oh no, these are three separate things. It's almost like DEI. Everyone just like bundles DEI into one thing. But there are three separate, uh, categories, if you will. So I'm curious what, as I say, these words, power, authority, and influence, what comes to mind and how do you personally differentiate these three based on your experiences? So

Dr. Pardeep: 6:06

I definitely think there are three separate terms that are interchangeably used, but they have very distinct meanings. When I think of leadership, I think of influence above anything else. I think the person who's able to influence others, influence a team, influence decision making, that is a leader, whether they have the title or not. And I think power is something that people utilize in the context of the position. So it's more of a political play, right? So what, what I've seen in organizations is someone may have the title. And because of that, they are assumed to be in this authoritative role, but really they lack the influence. And when you don't have influence, you really don't have power, you know? And, and so I think there's this, this understanding that has to come into place of like true power isn't having a title or, or, or being at the, you know, top of the, the chain. But it really is about your ability to connect with people and build relationships and have those conversations and the, and the connection to the, the behind the scenes and when I say behind the scenes, I don't mean like the office work. I don't mean the project tasks. I mean, behind the scenes of the human. So when you're able to connect to that, you really have true connection and you really have at that point the ability to leverage or build influence. you know, and I think without that you, you can be in whatever position, but if nobody likes you, if you're not connected to anybody, you're going to be standing alone. It's going to be harder for you to pull or get everybody your way. And authority is, I think, credibility. Authority is credibility. When you have been able to organize a team or to get a collective to move in the direction together in unity towards a greater cause, a greater outcome, a greater goal, then that's on your, you know, on your resume that that's credibility.

Sabine: 8:25

I love the fact that you said authority is credibility because I think I love that perspective because I don't know that that's how That's how most people see it. And basically that's not how it's modeled. And that's not how that's not the, the narrative, if you will. So when we think about authority, it's usually very, you know, command and control power over. Right. And so I know a lot of women just, just our natural state. We're more effective when we leverage power with versus power over and so words like authority feel very quote unquote, as they call it masculine or feel you know that it's, it's not that we don't want that we don't want authority but at the end of the day. All three of those components, power, authority, influence are necessary in order to move things forward. Um, it's, it's the manner in which we demonstrate it. And so I'm, I, I love that, that perspective. The other thing that I, I heard you say with respect to influence, it's really the, it's really the outcome. Or the effect, if you will, of being in your place of power, in your place of influence. Really, it's, it's, it's what we see as the outward result of who we're being. Is that, is that accurate? Oh,

Dr. Pardeep: 9:48

completely. If you want to Just do a pulse check of like where you stand with your team, then I would I would start with like creating a fun project, even something as like we're gonna, you know, do a ice cream sundae or ice cream social or something and see which of your team members show up. Hmm. And you can see right away kind of like how much influence you really have.

Sabine: 10:12

Wow. Wow. That yeah, again, another, I love the way that you, you share that example, and so I, I'm, I want to continue to have these conversations because I want to break down that disconnect of how we can feel powerful in certain environments and then get into others. And completely abdicate or completely relinquish that power,

Dr. Pardeep: 10:35

I think that is such a, I almost want to say a necessary movement. Because when we're able to tap into our inner power, our inner strength and who we are as just women, naturally we're nurturing, we're giving, we're thoughtful, we're kind, we're strategic, we're analytical, like we have some of these elements already built into our sense of being. Because of being a sister, being a daughter, being a mother, being an aunt, just in our home person, being a friend in our personal roles, right? We show up in this way. And if we can take this same way that we show up in our personal roles and put ourselves in our professional role, we have greater leverage. We have greater power. You know, um, I, when I was, uh, When I do a lot of coaching and consulting, like I've worked with moms that have like left the workforce and are after, you know, decided to raise their children and now are trying to re enter and now they're like, I don't have any leadership skills. And I'm like, are you kidding me? You've got more than probably. That's what most people need, and it's just that space of like owning that authority, that credibility rights. And so I, I will usually tie well, like you just said, have you been able to get your kids to bet on time? Have you been able to guide them on how to be good human beings? Have you been able to help them organize and, and structure their schedule and their routine for sports and for activities and for homework? And I was like, and have you been able to take care of them and feed them and make sure they're alive? I was like, well, those all translate into actually like really good skills that we need in professional in the professional work world for leaders or as leaders, you know? And so I think when you're able to say, Hey, I already have this in me. Can I bring this to the table? And how do I showcase that without feeling like I have to dim my light now? Because The version of leadership I'm seeing doesn't match what I have.

Sabine: 12:41

Yeah. Yeah. I love that. I love that. Uh, dim the light. Cause that, that is definitely what I'm, I'm over, uh, for me personally and for the brilliant women who are in my network and who I come across day after day after day. So you brought up a point around personal power and I just wanted to ask a real quick question about that as it relates to you being able to maintain your personal power. Like what, what do you do? Like what is, what is your, your go to, uh, form of reminder of this is who I am. I am powerful no matter what the external, uh, environment looks like.

Dr. Pardeep: 13:23

You know, I have a toolkit of self care, I would say, or like self love practices I utilize to ensure that my mindset and my heart space are in the right place for me to lead. And I think to do that, it's constant, you know, there's going to be setbacks. That's just everyday life. We're going to be knocked down. Somebody's going to tell you you're not smart enough. You're not good enough. You're not qualified enough. You don't have the background. You don't have what I need. Somebody is always going to say, I've already been there, done that. I could do it better than you. And, you know, and, and one of the things I've learned is. Okay, great. I'm not in competition with anybody. I'm in competition with my yesterself, right? So I just want to be better than who I was yesterday. So if I showed up yesterday on my a game, I got to be on a plus today. And yesterday I was on my a game and I got knocked down by these conversations, these, these, you know, what we call micro conversations that just kind of micro slides, they keep adding up, they keep adding up. And then I was like, okay, well, I got to wake up and get back on a plus today. Cause yesterday I was on a probably finished the day at like B minus, but I got to get back to, if I started at a, I got to try to be at a plus to start my day. And I will do things like I meditate. So, you know, um, there's different meditation practices. I like yoga nidra a lot. So I do that. I do other guided me, uh, meditation on a regular basis. I do journaling. Um, I don't necessarily do it every morning, but I'm in tune with myself enough to know, hey, I've gotta journal some stuff today. Mm-hmm. I'll do journaling, um, sometimes if I really need a boost. I will do 100 gratitudes first thing I wake up, and they are not just gratitudes I'm grateful for the sunshine I'm grateful for, you know, for this morning coffee, they're in depth gratitudes that go into like why I'm grateful for this for the sunshine or why I'm feeling grateful for, you know, my morning coffee. I also have for a long time, I've been doing. I used to call it like gratitude walks. So I'd partner with a friend and we set up a time every day, lunchtime or something. And we'd get on the phone and we would do gratitude walks. Like we'd probably go for a walk. I'm here and they're wherever they are. And we just share gratitudes and we, and it would really kind of help us amp up the energy because we'd feel the momentum from each other. And that brought a lot of like greatness. Into who I am and the gratitudes weren't necessarily external. They were about ourselves. So there's there's a reason like you have to focus on like the things that you're grateful for. I'm grateful for being a smart and astute woman. I'm grateful for being a great leader. I'm grateful for having a team that loves and respects me. I'm grateful for being vulnerable enough and confident enough to expose myself to my needs. Thank you. To my team members in moments when they need those conversations the most right. So I think owning that is the first step. And when you can just kind of say, I'm grateful for being human. I'm grateful for showing up as me. And I know that me is making a difference that makes a big impact. One of the things I learned when I was in higher ed administration was that you need to have a Team of women that can support you that are in similar roles to you. And when I mean similar roles, I mean, it could be, you know, women that are married with families, if that's where you're at women that are, you know, at high career levels, if that's where you're at, or women that are leading, you know, transformational projects or whatever it could be, but you've got to find that network that's at your level. And the challenge is this, when you find that network, one of you has to be strong, comfortable and confident enough to be vulnerable, to break that ice, that surface level of like, we're all at the same level. I've got this work problem. I've got this work problem to really have those deep conversations, to build those relationships that when time push comes to shove, you can lean on each other.

Sabine: 17:24

So many, so many powerful nuggets here. I'm writing ferociously over here. So on the, on the gratitude, I absolutely love that. starting your day with gratitude and not surface level gratitude, but deeply within like, this is who I am. This is, these are the things that I'm grateful for. It really does shift your perspective and it allows you to. start at that a plus, right? Knowing that at some point during the day, you may get knocked down a bit. Um, and I love the fact that you, you know, you're the reset every day, right? So yes, we ended at B minus, but we get a clean slate the next day. Um, not too. Not too long ago. And I'm sharing this because it ties in. And also for those of you who are listening, um, I know my audience is mostly type a right. And so like every day has to be an a day, right? Like we're not okay when the day is not an a day, but, um, not too long ago I had, I had started the morning off like a plus, right? Like you couldn't tell me anything. I was ready to conquer the world. And I was in that feeling. And then I found myself maybe for about like 30 minutes. Scrolling through, uh, navigating between LinkedIn and Instagram, right? And at one point, I was just like, What are you looking for? What are you, what, what, what are you doing right now? Like, first of all, you have work to do. And secondly, what are you looking for? And I had to sit with that question. And in that moment, I didn't know what I was looking for, but I just knew I couldn't, not that I couldn't stop, but I just knew, like, there was this tug in me to, like, keep scrolling mindlessly. And then it wasn't until the next day when I was doing My Gratitude, um, that it dawned on me, it hit me, it was just like, I started at A and it felt great, and it felt amazing. But something within me didn't believe that it was okay. to have an A plus day. And so I was looking for evidence that something, there was a flaw somewhere or something I wasn't doing enough or this person was better than me or data. And in the moment when I was doing it, of course, no one's thinking that right. But it wasn't until I sat down with myself and said, okay, well, what was I looking for yesterday? And I got a little bit of insight into, into my mind that still needs healing as much work as I've done that says. Even when you're having that a plus, even when you're feeling powerful and you're feeling within yourself, there might be still messages or there might still be things that bring you down. So, you know, it's not always about looking at out externally of what's happening around you. But it's also doing that gut check and that, you know, silencing the inner critic, as I used to like to call it. Um, and recognizing the ways in which even in our own day and our daily practices and how we diminish our own light. Um, and so I just wanted to share that because you, you brought that up and that triggered it for me. And then the last thing with regards to networking with people on your level, I. think that that is an amazing tidbit. So for those of you who are listening, I hope I hope you took that. It's so important to be surrounded by individuals who are at your level. And then the other thing that I would say to that, and this is a a revelation that I've had is that oftentimes we as women, especially when there's still some, uh, denial of how powerful we are, we will downplay. What our level is and put ourselves in positions and around surround ourselves and networks with people who we have to then carry or who we have to constantly pull up. Um, and so I just want for us to be very mindful that, you know, as we're thinking about who's on my level that we're doing it from a lens of where we actually are and not where, you know, we've told ourselves we are or society has told us we are.

Dr. Pardeep: 21:21

Yeah, I couldn't agree more with you on that. I also think like, so I want to address both of your points there. Um, so, you know, I'll go, I'll go to the Instagram, LinkedIn, social media aspect first. So one of the things is very true is that our mind subconsciously, if we don't think we're a plus, it's going to bring us down. Our actions are going to take us to whatever we think we are. If we think we're B minus, they're going to keep us there. Right. And it's. Whatever we do is going to bring us there, but we have to intentionally move to a plus over and over and over every moment, right? So unless you're in flow zone, which you're like, kind of just like you're in the flow, you're in the zone. You're like, you have no sense of time. You're just so passionate about what you're doing, but you are doing something for some. out for some outcome, not just scrolling. The question I always say is why I asked myself, not what am I doing this for? What am I looking for? I always say why, because why is a very personal question. And I'll say, uh, why are you scrolling pretty like what's going on with you? So I'll ask a very personal question to myself. And that question, because I'm in the safety of my own self, I should be able to answer honestly. And when once you have the answer, I can then own it and I can say, okay, yeah, I don't feel like a plus today. I feel like maybe I'm a B minus or, you know, um, I feel insecure, whatever the feeling could be. And once you own that feeling, oddly enough, once you own it, like it shifts your behavior, you're no longer like trying to just, you know, and I, so I, so that's the other thing is just like asking those questions that get to your core that just. Cut deep down inside one of the things with color college we do. And when I first introduced the, the, our platform to the board, to my board, one of my board members reached out afterwards. And she said to me, she said, you're you're like, we do a lot of reflective analysis. So they do a lot of reflection. We ask deep questions till I kind of get to the core. And she had said, she was like, gosh, those questions are like, like, so, um, What was the word? So intricate. She's like, I don't know if I would feel so I would feel comfortable even sharing that. And I said, exactly. That's why we asked them because we want leaders that can get to this place of answering those questions and having those conversations. And then, um, to the second point, so there's two points to that. One is not only downplaying, like, if you, like, wherever you are, yes, meet someone at that level or above. Because the thing when meeting someone above your level is they've been at your level. They have some wisdom, some insight, some guidance they can give to you. Um, like in my, my last position, I was a provost, I was a vice president of academic affairs. And so I chose to build a network with other provosts who were in the same positions as me, but also with female presidents of colleges. Because I could then learn from them, right? So one of the things is you also want to say, can you, you don't want to, I'm not necessarily trying to land in that position. If you are, that's great too, but they've been where you're at. So they have wisdom to say, Hey, you know what? Let that one slide. You know what? Just do a self check on that. That's not worth a conversation. That's not worth, you know, a setback for you. Or they might say, you know, like they can give you a different insight than someone at your own level can, but it is important to have those conversations. And one of the things I got really good at really fast was breaking that ice and getting into a vulnerable space. And I, I think I was good at that because I'd done that with my executive coaching. Like I had to really build a build rapport within like the first, like five seconds, you know, make sure they'd want to open up to me. So, but by doing that, it shows your vulnerability, your willingness to learn and get coached as well as your openness to hear them and hear their story. Yeah.

Sabine: 25:25

Yeah. Totally agree. And I love that you brought in the, you know, don't be afraid to reach out and connect and build relationships with people who are above you. Cause you know, we'll, we'll get imposter syndrome quick. Like, Oh, I'm not where she is or, Oh, I'm not. And then you look at our male counterparts and they're like, Oh. If he could do it, I can do it. Like, and they're so willing to build relationships with people who, you know, are quote, unquote above their level. And so I love that you brought that in. So, uh, so many nuggets here. I hope you are all taking notes unless you're driving a course. Uh, you can always go back and listen to it. Um, but one, one last question that I have for you, and then we'll go into the blitz section here, you know, in terms of societal impact, what are your thoughts in terms of what women in leadership roles can do to inspire and empower the next generation. Um, so that, you know, while we may have had to, to learn things the hard way, uh, what can we begin to impart so that the next generation, the Gen Z's, the alphas and whoever comes else afterwards, that they have a clearer path and a less, um, strenuous, uh, journey. I think we can

Dr. Pardeep: 26:37

definitely impart the. The responsibility to show up as a human. And when, when I say that, what I mean is the outcomes and the goals and you know, the strategic plans and all that for the job for the work for the company are always going to be there. But we also need this element of us being able to show up as human to support one another to support the, the, you know, the new workforce as they're coming in and as they're stepping into those shoes. Thank you. So that they have an understanding, you know, um, burnout is real. And it's, it's as much as it's real in the older generations. It's actually been even more real for the younger generation. That's just entered the workforce. They don't have 15, 20 years under their belt. They maybe have four or five or, you know, eight at best, maybe, you know, and I think if we can say, okay, first of all. Honor that to say it's okay to feel this way. It's okay for you to go through this. What do you need? And second to that is if we can have leaders when we see someone's talent. Let's ask those questions. What are your goals in five years? Where do you see yourself? Do you want to get promoted? Do you want to be in a different position? And I think that is really telling. Like sometimes I've met people I've, I've worked with, with people I should say that I think are very talented, that I would love to push and really motivate and encourage and kind of mentor to the next level, but they're not at that place in their life. Because maybe they have other obligations or other desires. Maybe they have a side hustle, something else they're passionate about that they want to put more energy towards. So as much as I think they'd be great in this company to step into a leadership role, they're really like, I like where I'm at because I really want to do, I really want in five years from now, turn my passion into my, my business, you know? So I think it's really understanding where individuals are coming from to, to say, okay, where, where, what, who do you want to be? Where are you trying to go to? And then you have, you will get people also that are just like, I really don't know. I'm here right now. And I don't know where I'm going. And that's okay. Yeah. And I just share, you know, if somebody asks my story, I'll share it openly. And I think the more we can show up from this place of not being afraid to share who we've been. And how we've gotten to where we are, especially sharing what doesn't get shared often, but what needs to get shared are those moments when we were cut, when we were knocked down, when we had to find our inner resourcefulness, our inner strength. To say, Hey, I am good enough. Hey, I'm going to get up and try again. And I think those are the stories. If we share more of those with people and we have those conversations, it helps people feel more human too, in the way they relate to us and the way they show up in their job and the way they understand who they are and what they're going through and in their way of respecting you and being able to rely on your, just to look up to you to say, okay, like, Hey, I, I'm not sure about this, but I need some help. You know, um, you know, my younger. Years, I remember one time I walked into an office and I don't know what the situation was and I got really I, um, I teared up in front of my boss and I remember them back then my boyfriend back then when I told him about it, he said, you shouldn't have done that. You shouldn't have shown any emotions to your boss. Right. And so ever since then, you're like, okay, you can't like as a female, you can't do that because it. Makes you look weak or vulnerable or whatever it is right and oddly enough since then that was a lot that was 20 years ago, but since then I would say I've had so many people like so many of my staff members that have come into my office, but I've given them the space to be vulnerable. And, you know, and in some cases I've cried with them, you know, and it doesn't make me weak and it doesn't make me a soft leader and it didn't change my relationship with them in any kind of way where they would no longer see me, you know, in my role. But it actually made it stronger, strengthened it because they had greater trust in me all of a sudden. Yeah, right. It builds that bond of like, Hey, this person sees me as a human and I can be myself, right? And that also then went to this place of like, when I saw somebody really struggling, I was able to say, I was able to say, Hey, I think you need to take a week off. Like, Hey, I think you need to take some time off or, or give them recommendations of like, Hey, try this or try this or do this. Like I was just saying yoga or meditation or gratitude. Right. And you can't see those things. You can't see people need those things until we're able to show up as humans. Yeah.

Sabine: 31:28

Yeah, I love that. I love that. I could listen to you for hours. Uh, um, but I want to be respectful of your time here. And so, um, as we move into this blip session, I named a couple of things here. Have you shared a couple of things here, but I'm curious if you If you could go back to a younger version of yourself and give her a piece of advice knowing what you know now and the experiences that you've had, people that you've coached and mentored, uh, what might you say to her? Uh, you know,

Dr. Pardeep: 32:01

some of the stuff I've already said that you are strong enough, you are smart enough, you are capable, you can do this. Um, I would I think I would go back and just say, don't be afraid to be yourself, you know, your, your, your creativity, your imagination, your ability to deliver is going to surpass all expectations when you can step into who you are and just own it. And I think there's some element of being quirky right like, you know, be, you know, dare to be different. There's that's that's actually a really big strength and I think a lot of people shy away from from stepping into that they feel like they have to fit in, you know, and and Brene Brown talks about this, you know, fitting in is the complete opposite of belonging. If you want to if you want to feel like you belong, don't fit in. Right. I would say

Sabine: 33:03

that. I love that. Um, and then looking ahead, as you know, 40 5060 however many years from now as you're looking back. Um, over your life and the impact that you've made and the, the lives that you've been able to change and just the things that you've been able to, to, to do for yourself, you know, what do you want that narrative to be? What do you want, what do you want the, the conversation in your own head to be about what you've accomplished and the legacy that you're leaving?

Dr. Pardeep: 33:35

That's a very good question. If I'm looking back and you know, in my rocking chair in my 90s, I'm sharing my story with my grandkids or something, I would really want to be able to say that I lived from my heart and I led myself first. In the beauty of leading myself, I was able to add beauty to the world. Whether that was in the context of Klar College, whether that was in the context of the different roles I had previous to, to my job now, or whether that's in the context of whatever might come next for me. But I really think like if we wanna make a difference in the world, we have to be able to first. Make a difference with ourselves. So I, when I looking back, I want to always, I always say, am I doing this from my heart space or am I doing this from my head space? You know, a lot of the great resignation circling back to that was, was a movement from the heart space. You know, I think all of a sudden was so much going on that it was really kind of like our acknowledge them at some level. And, you know, When you go through something like that, you know, it puts you in a position of like, well, what's next because you're vulnerable, you're beat down, you're worn out, you're exhausted, you're questioning your own rationale, right? And you're looking at your finances, you're looking at your family, you're looking at your, you know, everything else lines up and it becomes real. So the one thing that is the easiest to do Is to turn away from that heart space and go back into head space. And I think from heart space is really where true beauty, true greatness comes. And if we can say, I have something great to offer, and I'm going to figure out how to offer it to the world from this place where I'm at right now, without having to sell my soul and go back into this work world where I was not happy. I was not where I belong. It didn't fit me. I was inauthentic. I couldn't be myself, but I had to be this other person for this role. I think, um, that's where you can leverage your power. Your power comes when we're able to say, am I doing this from my heart or am I doing it from my head? And then if you're doing it from your head, I would say. I don't know if that's going to be your legacy, but from your heart, that'll probably become your story.

Sabine: 35:59

Agreed. That is beautiful. And then the last question for you is, um, you know, have there been any books at being an educator? I can imagine you, you read quite often, uh, is there a book or any books that have been pivotal for you in your growth, in your development? I've either personally or professionally.

Dr. Pardeep: 36:19

You know, uh, about, uh, almost 10 years ago or so, I was a really big, I'd read, um, Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, and I was, you know, pretty much telling everyone to read it, because that book, um, I'm not sure, you know, but what it did for me was it I went back I was a chief academic officer at a small private college back then and I went back to the drawing board with the president of the college and I said, I want to work half the time and I want you to pay me three times as much, and I will keep all of your campuses open all of your programs accredited, and I will lead all of the faculty and handle everything still. And because I'd been there in this, this present new, my, my work ethic and my, what I could deliver on, he agreed to it. And had I not read that book, I might not have had the courage to say, I want to work half, half the time. And I want you to pay me three times as much, you know, because I think a lot of the challenges that we are too afraid to ask as women, we think we're not worth it. So here's what happens. The thought crosses our mind, like, I wish I could get a higher salary or I wish I could move into a different position. But then, then the doubt also comes in that the feeling of like, I'm not worth it. Oh, no, there's somebody more qualified. Oh, no, they got to have that position for somebody else. And because of that, we don't take that chance of asking all that could happen is somebody could say no. And then you can redirect and say, okay, well, is this something I really want? If so, how do I go about making it happen? Yeah. Maybe it's not at that office. It's not at that company. Maybe it's somewhere else, but it opens that door for you to start moving in that direction versus just. Neglecting yourself.

Sabine: 38:14

Agreed, agreed. Um, and so as we wrap up here, in terms of connecting with you, because I'm sure the audience has, is like, okay, I need, I need her in my life somewhere. Um, where can people connect with you? Where do you hang out on social?

Dr. Pardeep: 38:32

LinkedIn is a good spot. I'm on LinkedIn. They can find me there.

Sabine: 38:35

Okay, awesome. So with that, Dr. Pardee, thank you so much for, for joining. Thank you for your vulnerability. Thank you for your honesty and sharing and having this really, uh, rich conversation. Um, not, and not superficial as we talked about before around what it means to just be. Who you are and own your power and own your, your leadership and own all of the things that, that are innate to us as human beings. So I really appreciate the candor. I really appreciate your transparency and vulnerability. Thank you

Dr. Pardeep: 39:07

so much. It was a pleasure to be here.

Sabine: 39:09

Thank you. Awesome. So with that, we will be back next week chatting with another female powerhouse until then have a great rest of the week and we'll talk soon. Take care.

39:23

Hope you enjoyed this week's episode. If you found today's conversation helpful, or got a piece of insight that you plan to implement in your life, I'd love to hear from you. Connect with me on LinkedIn at Sabine Gideon and send me a message, or feel free to leave a review on either Apple or Spotify. I also invite you to share this episode with anyone in your network, another powerhouse, possibly who you think might benefit from today's conversation. Lastly, as always, any links, any resources, or any upcoming training is included in the show notes. So be sure to check that before you leave today until we chat again, have a blessed and powerful week.