What unseen patterns can erode a leader’s clarity, confidence, and impact? Often, it’s not external obstacles but the hidden beliefs we carry. In this episode, Scott talks with executive coach, author, and Coaching Real Leaders podcast host Muriel Wilkins about the inner game of leadership.

Muriel shares her journey from fast-rising executive to sought-after coach, why she wrote her new book Leadership Unblocked, and the seven “hidden blockers” that quietly hold leaders back, including the trap of always needing to be right. Together, she and Scott explore how to shift from single-loop to double-loop learning, why curiosity is the posture that unlocks clarity, and the small but powerful routines that help leaders see themselves—and their systems—more clearly.

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About Muriel Wilkins

Explore Muriel’s work: murielwilkins.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/murielwilkins/
Instagram: instagram.com/coachmurielwilkins
Check out Muriel’s Podcast, Coaching Real Leaders: https://pod.link/1545444200

Time Stamps:

(05:14) What it means for leaders to be “blocked”
(09:40) Hidden blockers and the trap of “I Know I’m Right”
(14:13) Single-loop vs. double-loop learning
(17:03) The surprising blocker: “If I can do it, so can you”
(20:44) One small step to start getting unblocked
(22:00) Universal self-management challenges across sectors
(26:42) The power of curiosity: asking “what else?”
(35:33) Behind the mic: creating Coaching Real Leaders
(42:11) Revisiting Own the Room and how her view of leadership presence has evolved
(51:51) Muriel’s grounding routines: workouts, yoga, and meditation
(57:56) Looking ahead: becoming her own source of laughter

Show Transcript: