Posts | Shar Banerjee | ACCESS+ Leaders Inc.

Burnt out from your own brilliance? The leadership upgrade that nobody teaches.

Ever been exhausted because you’re doing too much? Answering every question. Spotting every risk. Holding every thread of every project. Feels like your brain is a whiteboard that never gets wiped clean? One leader I coached put it this way: “I thought I was holding the team together. But I was just holding the team up.” That’s when we talked about the difference between leading and facilitating. And that’s when the shift began. The real reason you're on fire Leadership burnout isn’t always...

5 days ago • 3 min read

Is it time to say the hard thing?

Some conversations never get said… but they leave you feeling like a blunt pencil. Used. Worn down. Pressing harder than ever, just to make a mark. You used to feel sharp, clear, confident & ready. But every conversation you avoid wears you down a little. You get quieter, even when it matters most. You press harder, but somehow say less. And eventually, it’s not the act of speaking up that exhausts you. It’s the weight of everything you’ve held back. And still, the hard thing goes unsaid....

13 days ago • 3 min read

"What got you here won't get you there" ... unless you tell a better story.

You know the feeling. You’ve worked your way up, chip by chip. You cashed in your attention to detail. You cashed in your problem-solving skills. You cashed in your focus and grit and reliability. And now… the stack of chips is gone. You’re in a bigger role. And suddenly it feels like the game changed but nobody gave you any new chips to play with. Maybe this is as good as you’ll ever be. Maybe you’ve been promoted beyond your level of competence. Maybe this is where growth stops and you...

21 days ago • 1 min read

Didn't get that promotion? Read this and share with your manager.

Action! You didn’t get the role. Again. You smile, nod, thank them for the “great feedback.” Then you close the laptop and stare into the abyss. That familiar mix creeps in… disappointment, confusion, maybe a touch of envy. And then the worst part: You start to wonder if the growth you feel even counts if no one else sees it. Let’s pause there. Take 2! As a manager, you have to tell your direct report that they didn’t get the role. Again. They smile, nod and thank you for the “great...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read

Praise is passive; precision is the real gift.

There’s a certain kind of team member you’ve probably worked with and maybe even led: Brilliant on paper.Trusted by senior leadership. Promoted ahead of peers. Capable of world-class work. And yet, in high-stakes situations like client calls, cross-functional presentations and those critical visibility moments, they hesitate… take a back seat and just … go quiet. And as their manager, you think:“I keep telling them how great they are. Why aren’t they stepping up?” Here’s why:They’re not...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

When you lead 200 people and still ask: "Am I even making an impact?"

You’d think that once you’re leading hundreds of people, you’d feel powerful. Influential. Seen. But here’s the twist: The higher up you go, the less feedback you get. The more people you oversee, the harder it is to trace your actual impact. One senior leader I coached recently said something that gave me pause: “Some weeks, I sit there and wonder… am I having any influence at all?” Not because they weren’t leading. Not because they weren’t trusted. But because, at a certain level, the...

2 months ago • 2 min read

The mentorship trap: when “go do whatever you want” isn’t helpful

“Just do what you want. It’s up to you.” That sounds like empowerment. But in the wrong context? It’s actually a trap. In a coaching conversation last month, someone asked their leader what it would take to be promoted. The response? “You can do whatever you want.” Supportive? Maybe.Useful? Not really. Here’s why that kind of vague encouragement can backfire: It puts all the burden on the employee to define success - with zero guidance. It creates ambiguity about what the company actually...

2 months ago • 1 min read

The joy of a terrible joke (and why it belongs in your next meeting)

Let’s be honest: most meetings aren’t exactly what you’d call “highlights of the week.” They start with a heavy sigh. A stiff silence. A chorus of “Can you hear me?” “You’re on mute.” "Are we waiting for Steve?" But then someone dares to break the beige. “Why did the scarecrow win employee of the month? Because he was outstanding in his field.” Cue the eye-rolls. The groans. The accidental snort-laugh. And suddenly, we’re in a different room. A lighter one. Because here’s the thing: a joke,...

3 months ago • 2 min read

Leaders: speak up BUT ALSO listen louder.

“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” -David Augsburger The most overlooked skill in leadership You don’t need a bigger title or a louder voice to lead powerfully. What people really crave - more than strategy decks or performance reviews - is: to be heard. Really heard. It’s so rare that when someone truly listens, we mistake it for love. Often we confuse leadership with the one who speaks the loudest, or executes the...

3 months ago • 2 min read

The Lazy Dream Syndrome™ where thinking is disguised as progress

You know this person: They light up in brainstorms. Love a good whiteboard. They speak in phrases like: “We’re still pressure-testing the idea.” “We want to get this right before we roll it out.” “There’s a version of this that’s really exciting.” Sometimes... they’re you. Let’s talk about Lazy Dream Syndrome™ - that sneaky little leadership habit where processing looks like progress, but it's really just a chic form of avoidance. I’ve seen this in top-tier sales leaders. In founders. In...

3 months ago • 2 min read