Check Your Entitlement: Respect Is a Leadership Skill, Not a Reward

Hey hey friend,

Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a big ol’ elephant in the room: entitlement. 🐘

We get real about how unchecked privilege and expectations can sneak into leadership, at work, and at home. From stories about raising (and recalibrating!) our own kids, to navigating the wild world of management, we’re sharing laughs, lessons, and a few “did that really happen?” moments. 😂

We talk about what happens when leaders expect unwavering loyalty without giving it back, how toxic environments get built on unspoken rules, and why humility and curiosity are the real superpowers every manager needs. 💪🏾

Plus, we’re inviting you—yes, you!—to do more than just extract labor from your team. Let’s develop leaders, foster growth, and build cultures where everyone can thrive. 🌱

So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and join us for a conversation that’s honest, a little spicy, and full of heart. And don’t forget: next time, we’re tackling the “If I had to do it, why can’t you?” mindset. Bring your cousins, your coworkers, and your curiosity! 😉

With love and leadership,

Kishshana & Maria 💜

Tune in to hear:

• How to lead with humility: Listen actively, value everyone’s input, and share your intentions. ✨
• How to ditch entitlement: Name what’s really going on and focus on growing leaders, not just getting results. 🌱
• How to spark curiosity: Encourage questions and make space for learning together! 🤗

Episode Overview

• (01:30) Tone-Setting  
• (04:00) Generational Differences in Responsibility  
• (06:30) Entitlement in Leadership: Personal Stories  
• (09:00) Workplace Expectations & Unchecked Privilege  
• (12:00) Toxic Bosses & Loyalty Without Reciprocation  
• (15:00) Identity, Class, and Leadership Paradigms  
• (18:00) The Cost of Toxic Environments  
• (21:00) Black Women in Leadership: Opportunities & Challenges  
• (24:00) Performing vs. Authentic Leadership  
• (27:00) Humility: What It Really Means  
• (29:00) Practicing Active Listening & Inviting Feedback  
• (31:00) Building a Culture of Curiosity  
• (33:00) Action Steps for Equitable Leadership  
• (35:00) Episode Wrap-Up & Next Episode Preview

Powerful Quotes

"Let’s get real about how entitlement manifests and how to address it." -Kishshana 

"When you want to have a thing, you have to actually learn to acquire and to maintain and to take care of that thing so that you can grow that thing." -Kishshana 

"If you’re an entitled leader, first of all, your team knows and they can’t stand you." -Kishshana 

"What if you just went into the room and said, Hey, we have a specific opportunity here in this moment in time." -Maria 

"Humility is not making yourself small so that people don’t believe that you’re too big for your britches." -Kishshana 

"If all you think being a manager is, is I gotta manage what they’re doing so I can get what I need from them, versus I’ve gotta manage the environment that would make it most conducive for them to develop their own leadership." -Maria 

"Checking your entitlement isn’t a one time task." -Kishshana 

"There are so many transferable applications to what we see in leadership, in the workplace." -Maria 

"Entitlement is a lack, feature. It’s a lack, and it shows up in so many different places." -Maria 

"Are you a curious manager? Are you a curious leader?" -Maria

Let’s go deeper 👇🏾

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