9 Lessons to Build Confidence and Self-Awareness as a New Leader

9 Lessons to Build Confidence and Self-Awareness as a New Leader

Update: 2025-06-12
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These 9 life lessons aren’t in a textbook, but they should be. Whether you're a new grad, a new manager, or someone guiding the next generation, this episode helps you grow with purpose, confidence, and self-awareness.


Most of us don’t learn life’s biggest lessons in high school, college, or even from a mentor.
 We learn them through awkward conversations, missed opportunities, and figuring it out one hard moment at a time.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever typed “life advice for new graduates,” “how to be more confident,” or “personal development tips” into a search bar. I’m walking you through 9 things I wish someone had told me at 18 (and again at 28).

These are hard-earned lessons about identity, emotional intelligence, self-leadership, confidence, and growing into the kind of person others want to follow. Whether you're stepping into your first leadership role or mentoring someone who is, this episode gives you practical tools to become more self-aware, make better decisions, and build resilience before life forces you to.

It’s everything I wish had been taught in the common sense class we never got.

By the time you finish listening, you’ll learn:

  • How to build confidence through action instead of waiting for it to appear
  • What it means to frontload your life so you’re ready when things get hard
  • Why self-awareness is the most underrated leadership skill
  • How to mentor young adults without judgment or frustration
  • The mindset shift that changed everything for me: you’re responsible to people, not for them


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9 Lessons to Build Confidence and Self-Awareness as a New Leader

9 Lessons to Build Confidence and Self-Awareness as a New Leader

Desiree Petrich - Intentional Action