The Leadershift Project

06/19/2026

In honor of Father's Day, I'm skipping the heartfelt tribute and going straight to what dads do best.

Dad jokes.

🥁 I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.

🥁 I used to hate facial hair, but then it grew on me.

🥁 What's the best thing about Switzerland? I don't know, but the flag is a big plus.

🥁 People who use selfie sticks really need to take a long, hard look at themselves.

🥁 Why can't you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom? Because the p is silent.

Happy Father's Day to all father figures. 😎

Drop your best dad joke below. Worse is better.

06/16/2026

This year, I have two new clients who are in an existential crisis and want to switch to more fulfilling careers. Especially if you've been in the same industry for a long time, this seems like a nearly impossible endeavor.

But take it from me, it is possible. I've done it three times!

When I was considering leaving Goldman Sachs, I wanted to move away from finance entirely. Even with a credential like GS, I was insecure and wondered if I could get hired in another industry.

Guess what I did? I hired a career coach! (in fact, this experience planted the seed for my own path to coaching!)

Among other things, she helped me identify transferable skills, rebrand myself, and prep me for interviews. Unexpectedly, my first "civilian job" as I like to call it, was as general manager of a local TV station in Vail, Colorado!

People were like "how on earth did you pull that off?!" Long story short, the president of the company concluded that with my skills and experience, it would be easier to teach me the TV biz than to teach a producer how to lead people, create and manage a budget, oversee ad sales, and conduct community relations.

So, I'm here to tell you that you CAN switch careers if you plan intelligently.

I recently came across this related WSJ article, 8 Tips for Pulling Off a Career Change From a Bestselling Author, written by Ellen Gamerman and telling the story of Carley Fortune. Her advice is spot on:

1. Begin with a concrete goal
2. Find a believer
3. Tune out the naysayers—especially the naysayer within
4. Be ready to jump
5. Search for a neutral sounding board
6. Consider the risk of inaction
7. Be pointlessly creative
8. Create a vision board for your aspirations, even if only in your head

I've supported numerous clients on their paths to more fulfilling careers. Will you be next?

06/11/2026

I use a version of this "Shoulds" audit with coaching clients, and it tends to surface things people have been avoiding, denying, or postponing for years. It's simple. That's what makes it uncomfortable.

HOW TO USE IT

Step 1: List ten things you're currently committed to.

Not your grocery list, but big structural pieces: your job, home, relationships, how you spend your weekends, what you're saving for, who you spend your time with, what you're working toward. Write them down without editing.

Step 2: Next to each one, write "chose" or "inherited."

"Chose" means you actively decided, from your own values and desires, and you'd choose it again today. "Inherited" means it started as someone else's expectation, or it made sense once, but you've never re-examined it, or you're keeping it because unwinding it feels too complicated.

Be honest. Most people find that at least half of their list falls into the inherited column. That's not a failure. That's just what happens when you're busy and achieving - you optimize or endure the life you have instead of questioning whether it's the life you really want at this stage of the game.

Step 3: Pick one inherited "should" and ask yourself three questions.

What am I afraid would happen if I changed it?
Who would be disappointed and is their disappointment actually my responsibility?
What’s possible if this commitment didn't exist?

You don't have to act on any of this immediately. The point isn't to blow up your life over a journaling exercise. The point is to start clearing the fog.

The answers aren't usually dramatic. It's rarely "quit my job and train to summit Mt Everest." It's more like "I've been spending every Sunday at my in-laws' because I thought I had to, and actually I'd rather spend two Sundays a month doing something that fills me up." Or "I chose this career when I was 22 and clueless, and I'm not 22 or clueless anymore, so maybe it's time to re-evaluate."

The "shoulds" we carry aren't just inconvenient - they're expensive. They cost us energy, clarity, and the ability to hear our own voice underneath all the noise. The biggest cost, though, is time you'll never get back.

So try it. Ten commitments. Chose or inherited. See what you find.

If something on that list surprises you, good! That's where the real work starts. And THAT is why I started a Substack - for people who want to do the work.

If this resonated, Less What If, More Hell Yes! is where I write like this every week, with honest essays weekly and daily notes about my own journey, coaching tools, and the real conversations I have with people who are ready.

It's free and I hope to see you there: https://shanibeth.substack.com/

06/09/2026

At some point, most people stop choosing their lives and start maintaining them.

It happens gradually. You say yes to the degree, the career path, the city, the relationship structure, the lifestyle - and at first, those choices feel like yours. But years pass. The context changes. You change. And one day you realize you're still living inside decisions you made when you were a different person, for reasons you can't quite remember.

I see this constantly with the senior leaders I coach. People who are exceptional at making strategic decisions for their organizations and completely stuck when it comes to their own lives. Not because they lack courage. Because they never stopped to ask which of their current commitments are actual choices and which are just inherited "shoulds" they never revisited.

A "should" is any decision you're carrying that came from someone else's logic (including an earlier version of you). For example,

Your parents' definition of a respectable career.
Your industry's assumptions about what ambition looks like.
Your partner's comfort zone.
The things that don't threaten your ego or perceived standing in your social circle.
Your younger self's idea of what would make you happy.
Society's script for what people "like you" are supposed to want.

Shoulds don't announce themselves. They disguise themselves as common sense. "I should stay in this role; I've built so much equity here." "I should wait until the kids are older." "It’s not practical to pursue that hobby." The word "should" is almost always a tell that someone else's voice is doing the talking.

This is where you use the "Shoulds" audit.

I’ll tell you more about it on Thursday. Stay tuned!

06/04/2026

ONLY 7% OF OUR COMMUNICATION IMPACT COMES FROM WORDS.

We pick up information through a balance of verbal, visual, and vocal cues. But most of our communication impact comes from visual cues.

So… why am I telling you this?

Well, because most organizations aren’t using this to their advantage.

Let me give you an example.

I was recently coaching someone who kept fidgeting with his fingers. I noticed it, pointed out the action, and asked what it meant. (I’ll get into this later but want to be clear: I asked out of *curiosity*, NOT out of judgment.) After thinking for a minute, my client said he does this with his fingers when he feels like he has something he needs to say but hasn’t found the words to say it yet.

This gave me an opportunity to make him feel more comfortable so he could share his thoughts with me.

This type of approach can be GAME CHANGING when it comes to having meaningful discussions with our teams.

When you do not pay attention to non-verbal cues, it can become far too easy to assume the wrong thing.

For instance, when we notice someone with “a look on their face” in a meeting, we typically assume that they disagree or that they’re bored, but it might actually mean that they’re feeling confused about something that you need to better systemize.

So, with this in mind, here’s what you do:

1️⃣ Be more aware of non-verbal behavior and cues.

2️⃣ Ask a curious, non-judgmental question about them. I can be as simple as, “What’s on your mind?”

Next week, I challenge you to pay attention to the non-verbal communication from your team and ask what the cues mean.

06/02/2026

Just taking a moment this Pride Month to appreciate the people who made it easier for others to live a little more openly.

05/28/2026

Ever feel like you get distracted from working on the things that are important?

Like… maybe it’s time to focus on a big goal or project but instead you check insignificant emails, turn to social media, or binge another Netflix show? And then hours may pass and you still haven’t started on the far more important thing you should be doing?

Sound familiar?

One of my clients was running up against this recently.

As a coach, my job is to ask some powerful questions to help him get to the core reason these distractions are so prevalent, and we had an interesting discussion that is worth sharing.

It was kind of a “it’s not about the nail” moment. [a YouTube video that went viral in 2015; watch it if you haven’t!)

What this means is when you peel back the onion, there is actually something underneath that was the real culprit for procrastination.

And I’m gonna bet you know what I’m talking about. ⤵️

We perceive scrolling social media, for example, as a distraction. But that’s just how a distraction manifests itself.

What’s happening on the INSIDE that is causing avoidance?

For example, is it...

🤔 ...fear of failure? (or success!)
🤔 ...fear of not being good enough?
🤔 ...lack of confidence?
🤔 ...fear of rejection?
🤔 ...fear of being judged?

Hear me: this isn’t wrong; we are prewired for it actually. Uncertainty can feel dangerous, and when humans are in danger, our flight/flight/freeze/fawn mechanism kicks in right away.

Once you deal with that prehistoric voice in your head that tells you to be anxious and its strong-armed partner in crime, vulnerability, the need to watch more cute but irrelevant animal videos or “just one more episode” will dissipate.

So ask yourself honestly, “what is the REAL thing driving my distraction?”.

Then to break the distraction pattern, do one small thing toward your goal or big project. That alone can shift the momentum.

What do you do to maintain focus when tempted by distractions?

05/26/2026

I am really excited to share my new and improved website. Same URL, updated vibe: https://theleadershiftproject.com/ LMK what you think!

Executive coaching, culture transformation, and leadership workshops for C-suite and VP-level leaders. Founded by Shani Magosky.

05/25/2026

For many people, Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer. A long weekend. Parties. BBQs.

Sure. But I urge you not to take this day so lightly.

Remember what it is meant to commemorate. Bravery. Sacrifice. Loss. Appreciation. Victory. Enduring impacts. Reshaped identities.

Don't just hang up an American flag and check the Memorial Day box.

Let it interrupt your thoughts for at least a moment, and remember those who have served as well as the family, friends, and others who supported their service before, during, and after.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SERVED AND CONTINUE TO SERVE. I for one will not take for granted your service to and sacrifice for our country and keeping us safe.

05/21/2026

With the recent release of The Devil Wears Prada 2, I couldn't resist a meme with Miranda Priestly as the quintessential boss who could use a coach!

Raise your hand if you've ever had a boss who could use a coach! 🙋🏾🙋🏻🙋‍♂️🙋🏼🙋🏽🙋🏿🙋‍♀️

That's what I thought.

Let's be clear though. Coaching is not just a wish you'd have for an a-hole boss. Most often, it's developmental to help them be more successful by getting the right support.

I wish I had conceived the advice in this helpful HBR article by Marlo Lyons, “How to Convince Your Boss They Need a Coach,” such that the suggestion isn't a career limiting move. Allow me to summarize it for you:

1️⃣ Understand the Real Barrier - Resistance to coaching typically falls into three areas: ego/identity protection, misconceptions about coaching, and time/overload. Keep this in mind when developing your approach to meet them where they are.

2️⃣ Start with the Executive’s Pain Points, Not Their Gaps - Pay attention to what they have expressed as difficult or frustrating and focus on that. Position coaching as a solution to business problems and not an indictment of them personally.

3️⃣ Normalize Coaching as a Status Symbol - Not only do elite athletes still have coaches, but most Fortune 500 leaders have executive coaches, Mark Benioff, Jack Dorsey, and Eric Schmidt among them.

4️⃣ Choose the Right Messenger - Perhaps the right person to initiate the conversation is a trusted peer, HR business partner, or consultant.

5️⃣ Offer a Time-Bound Experiment - Lower the stakes by proposing a short trial. Most execs really value the experience once they embark on it and will elect to continue of their own volition.

As Lyons says, "The real objective is to create the conditions where they can opt in without feeling exposed, diminished, or cornered."

If you need support preparing for such a conversation, I am at your disposal. Ping me at [email protected].