My Blog
Maps & Milestones
Welcome to Maps and Milestones, where we navigate the twists and turns of career growth, leadership, and personal transformation. Join me as we explore actionable insights, inspiring stories, and bold steps to help you map out your next big move.
↓
The Three Words That Were Killing My Leadership
For years, I believed saying ‘I don’t have time’ was a shield, when in reality, it was a cage. The moment I replaced those words with choice-based language, everything changed: my leadership, my team’s performance, and my sense of control.
The Meeting That Almost Ended My Career
I walked into what I thought was a routine team meeting at Oracle—twenty minutes later, I was questioning everything I thought I knew about leadership. Picture this: you’re presenting your carefully planned Q3 strategy to your global sales team, and your most experienced rep interrupts: “Lilah, can I be honest? This isn’t working.” The room goes silent. In that moment, you have two choices: defend your position or do something that feels completely counterintuitive. I closed my laptop, and what happened in the next hour taught me more about leadership than any MBA course ever could.
You Got What You Wanted. So, Why Does Everything Feel Harder?
When a sudden visa loss threatened to derail Shwetha’s “perfect” life, she discovered she wasn’t losing her career, she was shedding an outdated version of herself. This post reveals why success can feel harder than failure and how the in-between can become your greatest growth stage.
The $36 Decision That Changed My Life Forever
I was sitting in a parking lot in a borrowed suit with just $36 in my bank account, about to walk into the most important interview of my life. No degree. No connections. No backup plan.
What happened next didn’t just land me a job at Microsoft, it rewired the way I make decisions, coach leaders, and take action when the stakes are high.
Why Smart Leaders Stay Stuck (Even When They Have All the Resources)
Most leaders aren’t stuck because they lack skill—they’re stuck because they’re solving the wrong problem. The real issue is often invisible, hiding beneath layers of logic and experience. Clarity comes when you stop trying to be right and start asking what you might be missing.
Stop Calling It "Starting Over" – You're Actually Winning
Stop calling it "starting over." Learn to leverage every restart as a strategic advantage, just like the world's most successful leaders. Unlock your hidden superpower and turn transitions into transformations.
When Your Own Framework Becomes Your Lifeline: The Activated Leader in Real Time
Everyone talks about frameworks that work in your career or in solving a problem, but nobody mentions what happens when you have to live them in real life.
Why Going Solo is Keeping You Stuck (And How to Navigate with Community)
Every hero's journey you've ever seen has one thing in common. It's not what you think.
Why You're Not Stuck, You're Just Scared (And How to Get Activated)
The difference between being stuck and being scared isn't what you think. Here's how to tell—and what to do about it.
Navigation vs. Destination: Why GPS Thinking Is Killing Your Career
The most successful people I know are terrible at predicting their future. But they're incredible at navigating toward it.
The Courage Myth: Why Going Solo Keeps You Stuck
Every hero's journey you've ever seen has one thing in common. It's not what you think.
The Leadership Myth That's Keeping You Small
The biggest lie about leadership isn't about what you need to know. It's about what you need to hide.
The Carry-On Test: What to Pack for Your Next Life Chapter
The hardest part of any journey isn't the destination. It's deciding what to leave behind.
The Leadership Liminal Space: Thriving Between What Was and What Will Be
There's a space between who you were and who you're becoming. Anthropologists call this "liminal space," the threshold between identities where transformation occurs. In leadership journeys, these liminal periods are both profoundly challenging and incredibly fertile.
Beyond Speaking Up: Finding Your Authentic Voice
"Just speak up more in meetings. This well-intentioned but oversimplified advice ignores a fundamental truth: finding your leadership voice isn't about volume or frequency. It's about authenticity, clarity, and impact.
Strength Is Your Currency: Why Using Your Natural Gifts Matters More Than Hustle
Success isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what energizes you. This blog explores how aligning with your natural strengths leads to greater impact, less burnout, and a life that actually fits. Ditch the hustle. Embrace your gifts.
Navigate Your Life Like a Pro: Using the Wheel of Life as Your Personal Compass
The beauty of the Wheel of Life is that it prevents tunnel vision—it helps you avoid getting so caught up in one goal that you neglect other critical aspects of life.
Resilience in Leadership: The Power of Bouncing Back
Leadership isn’t about avoiding challenges—it’s about how you recover from them. Setbacks, failures, and unexpected obstacles are inevitable, but the leaders who rise above them don’t do so by chance. They develop resilience—the ability to navigate adversity, adapt to change, and turn setbacks into stepping stones for growth.
Lead Like a Traveler: What Exploring the World Teaches Us About Leadership
Some of the most valuable leadership lessons don’t come from boardrooms, strategy meetings, or leadership books—they come from the moments we least expect. Travel has a way of pushing us beyond our carefully laid plans, forcing us to adapt, embrace the unknown, and see the world through a different lens.
The Art of the Reframe: How Shifting Your Perspective Changes Everything
We’ve all had moments when a challenge feels insurmountable—a career setback, a difficult conversation, an unexpected detour. It’s easy to feel stuck, believing circumstances are working against us. But the most effective leaders know that perspective is everything. The way we frame a situation determines how we navigate it.