HER NEXT POWER MOVEEpisode 22: Capacity Is an Inside JobHosted by L. Michelle Smith
In this first episode back since the end of 2025, L. Michelle reflects on what has come into sharper focus during her Call and Response book and media tour and introduces the deeper shift happening across her work: a stronger emphasis on heart-centered leadership.
This episode takes a closer look at capacity, but not from the usual team-performance angle. Instead, it explores a leader’s personal capacity: the inner room to think clearly, stay grounded, remain emotionally available, and lead with intention when life and work both feel demanding.
Drawing from neuroscience, positive psychology, and her evolving Leadership Revival framework, L. Michelle invites listeners to consider how pressure changes the way leaders think, respond, and relate. She also offers a reflective lens for noticing when leadership has become compressed by overextension, even when performance still looks strong on the surface.
If you have been carrying a lot, pushing through, and wondering why your leadership feels tighter than it used to, this episode will meet you there.
IN THIS EPISODE, L. MICHELLE EXPLORES:
Why capacity issues often show up in the leader before they show up in the team
How sustained pressure affects the brain and narrows leadership range
What heart-centered leadership asks of us in this season
Why internal capacity shapes relationships, judgment, and presence
A simple reflection to help you lead from a fuller place
LISTEN IF YOU ARE:
Leading while stretched thin
Feeling productive, but not especially spacious
Trying to show up well for others without losing yourself
Rethinking what sustainable leadership really requires
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Call and Response by L. Michelle Smith
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Learn more about coaching, workshops, and speaking at lmichellesmith.com
REFLECTION QUESTION:Where might the strain in your leadership be less about performance and more about capacity?
CONNECT WITH L. MICHELLE:Website: lmichellesmith.comSubstack: Her Next Power MoveBook: Call and Response
