If you’ve ever been told “let your work speak for itself,” “say yes to everything,” or “stay out of office politics,” this episode will change the way you think about career success.

Maya breaks down three of the most common and well-meaning pieces of advice that secretly hold high achievers back. These beliefs can quietly limit your visibility, overload your schedule, and block your access to real influence inside your organisation.

Through client stories, practical insights, and mindset shifts, you’ll learn what to do instead so that your career effort actually moves the needle without burning out or playing the political games you’ve avoided.

What You'll Learn

• Why “let your work speak for itself” is career sabotage in disguise

• • How to stop saying yes to everything and protect your focus
  • The truth about “office politics” — and how to build influence authentically

• • The mindset shifts that free you from invisible effort and help you rise

  • A simple next step to identify what’s keeping you stuck

    
    

  Download the free Career Blindspots Checklist (Career Blindspots Checklist | Maya Gudka ExecCoach) designed for high achievers who want to uncover the subtle habits that quietly hold them back.

  To find out more about Maya you can connect with her at www.mayagudka.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayagudka/

  
  

In this final part of our mini-series, Maya and Graziela dive into two of the most common and misunderstood patterns in high-achievers, especially those in leadership or caregiving roles. You’ll discover why avoiding conflict and over-giving can erode your confidence, your clarity, and your career and most importantly, how to shift into the sage mindset that restores power, presence, and peace.

We cover:

The hidden costs of people-pleasing and conflict avoidance

How these saboteurs undermine leadership and wellbeing

A 4-step framework for having difficult conversations with grace

Why boundaries are not selfish

How to activate your “sage” powers to lead with empathy and impact

The hidden costs of people-pleasing and conflict avoidance

How these saboteurs undermine leadership and wellbeing

A 4-step framework for having difficult conversations with grace

Why boundaries are not selfish

How to activate your “sage” powers to lead with empathy and impact

To find out more about Maya you can connect with her at www.mayagudka.com

Connect with Graziela on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracoaching/

In part two of the Positive Intelligence mini-series on The Executive Coach Podcast, Maya Gudka and executive coach Graziela Cajado-Ogland explore two saboteurs that organisations often reward: the Hyper-Achiever and the Hyper-Rational.

These patterns can fuel incredible performance, but left unchecked, they distort our sense of self-worth. Maya's clients are increasingly coming to her specifically wanting to work on their self-worth, and this conversation explores why that matters.

Maya shares openly how these saboteurs have impacted her personally, and Graziela brings insights about the real cost of overusing these patterns in leadership and life.

The conversation covers how we link our value to our results and what happens when we fail, why being overly rational can leave people feeling unheard, and the three magic words for high-achievers: "Do you want to be heard, hugged, or helped?" They discuss treating emotions as data rather than distractions, and redefining success on your own terms.

This episode is particularly relevant for leaders who feel their self-worth is tied to outcomes, high-performers struggling to connect emotionally, anyone navigating career transitions or identity shifts, and coaches and executives ready to lead with more empathy.

You’ll Learn:

• Why hyper-achieving can erode self-worth
• How hyper-rationality limits emotional connection and leadership effectiveness
• The link between internal judgment and judgment of others
• Practical ways to redefine success and reclaim your self-worth
• How to treat emotions as data—not distractions
• How to honour your values without burning out

Who This Is For:

• High performers who feel pressure to constantly prove themselves
• Leaders who feel emotionally disconnected or misunderstood
• Coaches, execs, and entrepreneurs ready to build more sustainable success
• Anyone navigating transitions in identity, career, or relationships

You can connect and find out more about Maya on her website www.mayagudka.com

Connect with Graziela on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracoaching/