From People-Pleasing to Power: How Senior Professionals Step Into Control Without Losing Their HEART

When your career opens up (a bigger leadership role, running a P&L, or starting a business), the instinct to please everyone becomes the very thing that stalls you. The shift requires identity (who you are at work), systems (how you make decisions and when to say no), and skills (how you set boundaries while keeping trust). Below is a research-informed discussion—with practical tools—for moving from approval-seeking to intentional, values-led control. And because this is HEARTset Studio™, every shift begins with checking in with your HEARTset—your inner compass for leading with H.E.A.R.T.™.