What if the very thing you’re doing to "stay strong" as a leader is actually what’s quietly draining you?
In this episode of the Sow to Speak Podcast, we continue our August series—a love letter to the words we live by—by unpacking two that sound alike but couldn’t be more different: self-protection and self-preservation.
For high-achieving, emotionally intelligent leaders, this distinction isn’t just semantics—it’s essential. Because the difference between bracing and sustaining? It’s the difference between burnout and embodied leadership.
Here’s what we cover in this episode:
The critical difference between self-protection and self-preservation.
What your nervous system is doing in each state, and why it matters for your clarity, connection, and capacity.
Three leadership case studies: a COO, a skincare founder, and an SVP of HR—and how the shift from protection to preservation looks and feels in real life.
What emotional intelligence and brain science say about how you lead under stress.
Three clear and practical ways to start choosing self-preservation in your day-to-day leadership.
Journal prompt from the episode:
Where in my leadership am I armoring up when I could be tuning in?
What might shift this week if I chose preservation over protection?
Ready to go deeper?
Join me for the free masterclass: From Self-Doubt to Self-Trust—a practical and powerful session that will have you learn how to uncover and use your most authentic and confident voice for good.
Sign up here: https://sowtospeak.com/live
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See you next week.
EPISODE MENTIONED: Conversation with Andrew Hartman founder of Time Boss
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