
Lead Between the Lines: The Unwritten Rules of Leadership & Power
Welcome to Lead Between the Lines, the podcast where we expose the unspoken truths and hidden strategies that fuel real power and lasting leadership. I’m Lois St. Germaine, your guide into the sophisticated, no-BS arena of authentic influence. This space is designed for the accomplished woman who’s ready to play a bolder, deeper game—who wants more than surface-level success and is ready to embrace the true essence of what it means to lead.
Each episode dives beneath the conventional, dissecting the subtle dynamics that define power in both corporate and entrepreneurial worlds. From breaking down the myths of authority to exploring the transformative journey of self-mastery, this podcast brings you raw insights, candid conversations, and the unfiltered strategies that will challenge you to step into your full power.
Here, we go beyond the expected. You’ll explore the hidden principles of influence and authority that don’t make it into the guidebooks but drive real, lasting impact. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s an invitation to forge your own path, navigate uncharted territory, and define success on your terms. If you’re ready to rethink leadership, challenge the status quo, and unlock the power to lead between the lines, then let’s dive in.
Get ready to see leadership differently. Here, we navigate the unspoken rules of power and unleash the leader within.
Lead Between the Lines: The Unwritten Rules of Leadership & Power
Power Line Part 1: The Bottom Line
Unleashing Your Inner Power: Redefining and Raising Standards
In the 'Power Line Series,' embark on a transformational journey to redefine and elevate personal power and standards. This episode challenges listeners to confront complacency and aims to push them beyond their comfort zones to achieve unshakable self-leadership and break free from mediocrity. Emphasizing self-reflection, accountability, and the deconstruction of limiting beliefs, the discussion provides practical strategies for setting and maintaining authentic standards across various areas such as mindset, personal boundaries, professional conduct, health, wellness, and financial habits. Listeners are invited to live up to their true potential by setting non-negotiable standards as a commitment to themselves, fostering substantial personal growth and resilience.
00:00 Introduction to the Power Line Series
00:26 The Journey of Redefining Standards
02:13 Setting Your Non-Negotiables
02:35 The Importance of Self-Leadership
02:55 Breaking Free from Incremental Mindset
03:12 Confronting the Gap Between Who You Are and Who You Want to Be
03:33 Shifting from External to Internal Motivation
04:29 Raising Your Standards
06:11 The Cost of Settling for Mediocrity
09:27 Defining Your Own Standards
10:33 The Reinvention Roadmap
11:16 The High-Achiever's Dilemma
11:39 Deconstructing and Rebuilding
12:25 Evolving Your Identity
12:42 Claim Your Reinvention Roadmap
12:54 Living by Your Standards
14:54 Mindset and Personal Boundaries
15:34 Professional Standards and Health
16:20 Financial Habits and Honesty
17:30 The Elite Athlete Mindset
18:20 Reflect and Raise Your Bottom Line
19:29 Invitation to Reflect and Act
20:59 Final Thoughts on Standards
Ready to elevate your personal power and step into your most authentic self? Download the Reinvention Roadmap now and start your journey toward unmatched clarity, self-mastery, and bold transformation. This powerful guide will help you redefine your path and create a vision for your future that aligns with your deepest values and aspirations. Get instant access and begin crafting the life you’re meant to lead.
Ready to find out what has really been calling the shots in your career and possibly life? Take the ShadowOS Archetype Quiz today.
Follow me on social.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loisconnollystgermaine/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lois.connolly.stgermaine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loisstgermaine/
Welcome to lead between the lines where we explore the rules of power leadership. And self-mastery that often go unsaid today, we're starting the power line series with a truth that could change the way you see yourself and your goals. I want to welcome you personally to the power lines Aires. This isn't just another podcast series. This is a journey, a journey designed to redefine the way you think about power standards and what you're willing to demand from yourself. Each episode in this series builds upon the last stacking layer upon layer of insight and challenge. That's meant to push you to your edges. And force you to take a hard look at where you've been settling. This journey isn't about reaching a single destination. It's about embracing a new standard every step of the way. One that will require you to show up as the most powerful version of yourself, even when it's uncomfortable. Because let's get real. The stakes are high. If you're listening to this, you're not just interested in playing small you're here because you know, your capable of more because you feel it, even if you haven't quite put it into words yet. But here's the catch. If you want to access that power, you're going to have to face some uncomfortable truths. This series, isn't about gentle encouragement. It's about pushing you to raise your bar, to stop playing by the rules that keep you comfortable and start setting standards. That will actually challenge you. Trust me. I know the feeling it's uncomfortable, even unsettling. To confront the standards that you've let slide. But I'm here to guide you through it. This isn't about settling into comfort. It's about redefining what your capable of. So, let me tell you how this series is going to flow. First episode we're in it. Now, the bottom line. This is about setting your non-negotiables. What are you willing to stand for? And what will you absolutely refuse to tolerate from yourself? Because until, you know, your bottom line, you're just drifting. You're at the mercy of whatever standards the world sets for you. Next we'll be stepping onto the frontline. This is where self-leadership comes in. It's about owning your path with unshakable power, because if you're not willing to lead yourself, You can't expect anyone else to follow you? After that. We're going to explore what it really means to jump the line. If you're still stuck in the two X incremental mindset, you're not going to make the quantum leaps. You need to. This episode is about breaking free from those small steps and going big. Then it's time to draw your line in the sand. This is where you'll confront the gap between who you are and who you want to be. It's about recognizing when you've been driven by ego and deciding to step up and develop prowess real prowess instead. And then finally we'll finish the, by crossing the line. This is the shift from external to internal motivation from living from approval to living from your own expansion. It's where you'll learn to source your power from within. Because that's really the only place you can source it from. So if you're ready to step up, if you're tired of the comfortable and ready for the kind of power that demands something real from you, then stay with me through the series because by the time we're done, you won't just be raising the bar. You'll be setting a whole new standard for yourself and everyone around you. So buckle up because we're about to go deep. I'm not here to give you permission. I'm here to give you a wake-up call. You know what you're capable of. It's time to stop talking about it and start living it. So let's dive in to the bottom line and begin this journey of raising your standards. What if the only thing standing between you and the power you crave is the standard you're afraid to raise. I know that might sting a little, but stick with me here sometimes. We're so focused on what we're doing wrong. We forget to look at where we've simply chosen not to go higher. Now this isn't about judgment. It's about reflection. I've been there too, like settling for what felt safe, aiming for what seemed good enough all while ignoring that quiet nudge inside that said. Your capable of so much more. So today let's take a closer look at your standards with the understanding that no one is judging you, but yourself. It's easy to set a bar where everyone else has said it it's comfortable. For a while. If you're listening to this, you've likely, already achieved things that others would call impressive. But here's the thing. I'm not here to talk about anyone else's standards. I'm here to talk about yours, about what you know, you're capable of. If you just let yourself go there. Raising your standards. Isn't about proving anything to the world. It's about honoring that deeper part of you that knows you're here for more. Mediocrity is comfortable. Yes. But comfort and growth rarely live in the same space. I didn't realize what had happened in my own life until one day when someone praised my work and I felt nauseated. I knew I wasn't even operating at 30% of my potential. And it was like, I was living a lie. I realized that I had traded challenge for comfort and in doing so I'd let my own standards rot. If I'd been paying attention, I would have noticed this discomfort building for quite some time, but the adoration was too intoxicating for me to admit that I was barely trying. I had become addicted to the applause instead of the challenge. I know, you know, this feeling. In the beginning when you're young or just embarking on an exciting new journey, we get high on the challenge itself. The opportunity to push our edges, test our fortitude and experience inner expansion while achieving outer expansion as well. This was the thrill I felt when I started my corporate adventure. But soon enough. I now had something to lose. The clapping fans, my boss peers, and the majority of the exec team now had faith in my abilities. And I wasn't willing to risk that reputation. For the thrill of pushing my own boundaries, it was too risky. So I settled into a life of internal mediocrity. In the beginning, this felt fine, but over time I could feel myself atrophying from the lack of challenge. Which in turn also led to a lack of risk and a lack of confidence. Playing too small for too long, turned into imposter syndrome. My world continued to shrink, and I felt like the walls were closing in. It was incredibly constricting and all I wanted to do was flee. Externally, I had it all. C-suite accolades the financial perks. But internally I was trapped. I knew I was capable of more, but I traded ambition for applause and in doing so I had let my standards slide. I tolerated mediocrity within myself. If one more person referred to me using the mediocre by anyone else's standard to refer to how grateful I should feel or how successful I was, I would have lost it. So why did I feel like hell when I had everything I never dreamed of? Because I was living up to everyone else's standards and had no clue what mine actually were. I was a performer. But instead of living up to my potential, I lived down to their expectations. I tolerated less than I was capable of. Here's thing. Whatever you tolerate becomes your standard. If you're okay with mediocrity, don't be surprised when that's all you ever get. It was at this point when I realized that if I didn't define my standards, I would end up settling for good enough for the rest of my life. And that wasn't something I was willing to do. And hopefully you aren't either. So, where do we begin when it comes to setting standards? And I don't mean the ones you portend when people are looking. I mean, the ones that you hold no matter what kind of day you're having. We can all hold the bottom line standard when things are going well. But how well do you hold them? When things suck. You're sick. You're stressed. You're being pulled in a million directions. What do your habits look like on these days? Don't show me who you are at your best. Show me who you are at your worst. That's when you know what your standards are. All right. Let's pause right here. If you're serious about stepping up, if you're done with the old stories and ready to embrace your next level, you're going to want to hear this because this piece isn't just an add on it's the foundation. So let's talk about the reinvention roadmap. Imagine the re-invention roadmap as your strategic playbook, a manual, not for incremental steps, but for radical identity elevation. This is about evolving into the woman who can hold the kind of power. That brings your deepest vision to life with unwavering presence and clarity. Without this deep internal work, you risk collapsing back into the familiar arms of your current identity. You'll find yourself slipping back into patterns of old beliefs and outdated tactics, inadvertently stepping away from your boldest ambitions. This is where most high-achievers falter. Aiming for bigger circumstances. while, anchored in a smaller identity. The reality is to create your desired impact. You must first become the woman who can sustain the level of power and resilience that your vision requires. This roadmap isn't about making surface level tweaks. It's about consciously deconstructing. What no longer serves you. And rebuilding from a place of deliberate design. It's a confrontation with the shadow operating system. The default way of being that keeps you playing small. The roadmap guide you through pivotal transformations that dissolve old narratives and reveal the true landscape of your potential. Abandoning the roadmap means abandoning the very structure you need to stop sabotaging your vision. It's a self-sustaining mechanism calling you to hold yourself accountable, to embody a relentless committed version to yourself. That doesn't flinch at the first sign of resistance. By evolving your identity. You unlock the capacity to hold and wield the power, your legacy demands. If you're ready to evolve beyond your current identity and step into the woman who can hold the power, her legacy demands. Go to the show notes and claim your re-invention roadmap now. Don't just think about it. Take the first step and transform who you're becoming. So let's get to studying your bottom bar. I want you to really pause and think about this. Consider the standards you claim to hold high when others are around. What are the things you tolerate when no one else is watching? Maybe it's something as simple as a messy house. You tell yourself that you care about clean. Organized space, but as soon as you're alone, you let it slide. Until you get that text from a friend saying they're 20 minutes away and suddenly you're scrambling to pick it up and make it look like you have it all together. Ask yourself. Are you truly living by your standards or are you just performing them for others? Because if it's all for show, you're not living up to your potential. You're letting others dictate your worth. Standards. That only exists when someone else is watching aren't standards at all. They're illusions. And if you can't uphold them, when you're alone, then they're not yours. They're just another mask you put on to fit in. Think about it. What are the areas where you preach one thing, but practice another when it's just, you. Maybe you talk about prioritizing your health, but when no one's around. To hold you accountable, you skip the workout or reach for the extra drink, or perhaps you pride yourself on being disciplined at work, but at home. You're constantly putting off things that, you know, would make a difference. True power. Doesn't need an audience. If you're only holding the line, when eyes are on you, then the standards you claim aren't yours. They're borrowed. And borrowed power is bleeding. I want to give you some more specific ways to, um, challenge whether or not you hold a standard or not. And I'm going to begin with mindset. So, where have you allowed negative talk to run the show? If you're consistently putting yourself down, that's a standard, your accepting. Decide now that you won't allow negativity to run the show any longer. It's not part of who you're becoming. In personal boundaries. Who are you letting take more from you than they give? Where are you saying? Yes. Out of obligation, knowing full, well, it drains you. Draw the line here no more. Over-committing no more people pleasing. Now in professional standards. Are you still doing just enough in your work? Are you holding back avoiding responsibility, dodging accountability. If you're not showing up fully your setting, the standard that half-hearted is good enough. And that ends today. In health and wellness. Have you been sacrificing your health in the name of productivity ignoring your needs because you think you don't have time? Well, guess what, if you're not prioritizing your wellbeing, then you're undercutting your power. Your goals are only as strong as you are. And neglecting health is non-negotiable. If you're serious about your potential. And then the last one I want to cover is financial habits. Are you letting money slip through your fingers because you don't want to face it. Do you avoid setting real financial goals? Hoping things will somehow sort themselves out. Money is power and you either respect it or it controls you. So, again, this isn't about judgment. It's about being honest with yourself. Because when you claim to care about something, but let it slip the moment. No one's watching. You're telling yourself that your own standards don't matter. It's easy to lie to ourselves to pretend our standards are intact when we know they're crumbling behind closed doors, but here's the thing. You owe it to yourself to live in truth. Even when it's uncomfortable. Your standards deserve honesty, not excuses. True standards. Aren't for show. They're the way you live when no one else is around. If you're willing to drop the bar when you're alone, it was never really your bottom line in the first place. I want you to think like an elite athlete. It's not about the hour or two a week that they show up in the arena that counts. It's the other 20 plus hours a day that they're not performing. That determined their success on game day. And this is especially true for you as you develop your legacy. If you're not in leadership shape, you can't affectively lead. If you're not rested well, hydrated, able to manage your mind. You won't be capable of effectively directing your team or your career. And you especially won't be able to create the level of impact. I know you desire. So I encourage you to look at this from a place of curiosity, rather than criticism. Where in your life are you coasting? Where have you settled for? Good enough. You don't need to answer that to me, but you owe yourself an honest answer. There's no rush and there's no shame here. Just an opportunity to go deeper. Think about all the areas that you've held back. Not because you weren't capable, but because you didn't want to disrupt the comfortable. And then ask yourself, what would it look like if I raised my bottom line here? What would it look like if I allowed myself to really live up to my potential in this area? It's not about changing everything all at once. It's about deciding in the moment that your worth raising the bar for. When you set your bottom line, it's not about proving anything to the world. It's a promise you make to yourself. It's a way of saying. I know what I'm worth and I won't settle for less. And that's a promise that no one else can make for you. It's yours to claim. So here's my invitation to you. Take a moment today to reflect on where you've been holding back, set one standard for yourself, something small, something achievable, and then live it, honor it. Not because you need to prove anything, but because you deserve to live in alignment with your true potential. We've started with the foundation, but next time we're stepping onto the frontline. We'll talk about what it really means to lead yourself with integrity and how to take ownership of every decision you make. And until then, remember the power you're looking for, starts with the standards you're willing to set for yourself. If today's conversation stirred something in you it's because you already know where you've been holding back. You know, the standards you've let slip. Now the choice to raise the bar is yours and yours alone. It's about living that change being the kind of leader who embodies her values when no one else is looking, this is the work. You have everything it takes to raise the bar and I'll be here to challenge you to push you. But only you can make the choice. And when you do remember raising your standards, isn't about. Just this moment. It's about becoming the kind of leader who doesn't just talk about change, but lives. It. Even when no one's watching. So we've talked about setting standards that aren't for shell standards that hold no matter who's watching. So as you define your bottom line, remember this. Keep your head, your heels, and most importantly, your standards high. Anything less than your best shouldn't even be on the table.