Welcome to Leadership Within, the podcast that dives deep into the human side of leadership. Hosted by Tomasz “TK” Kropiewnicki and Vanessa May, this series is a reflective space for leaders to explore authenticity, courage, and vulnerability in their journey.
We offer honest conversations about the challenges and opportunities in leadership, inspired by our own experiences, thought-provoking ideas, and the occasional special guest. Whether it's a recent event, a personal story, or a listener's question, each episode is a chance to step back and reflect.
If you’ve ever felt like leadership can be isolating or that your internal dialogue needs an external voice, this podcast is for you. Join us fortnightly to find inspiration, connection, and a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with heart.
leadershipwithin.substack.com (https://leadershipwithin.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
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TK and Vanessa exploring the human side of leadership with honesty and heart.
The Doormat Problem: Standing Our Ground with Headstrong Leaders
Some leaders walk into a room with an aura of power. They challenge, they push, they turn people down flat. And in a hierarchical organisation, most of us say nothing.
In this episode we start with a story: a team who pitched for help, got brutally refused, and could not find a way to push back. It had been going on for a while. From there we ask what it costs us to keep giving in, both in the short term and years down the line, and why the habit of shrinking becomes so hard to break.
We talk about the stories we tell ourselves. When we cast someone as the villain, what role does that leave for us? Vanessa shares how taking full responsibility for her own pattern of self-doubt gave her more authority than any amount of complaining about the other person ever did.
Then we get practical. Why standing your ground is less a mindset and more an embodiment. Simple physical practices that help us feel rooted under pressure, without doing a power pose in the toilet. Why we should never walk into a difficult meeting alone, and what it means to flank each other in a team. Setting a clear intention before we enter the room. And how TK once brought a Warhammer war machine to a hostile change meeting as a reminder of who holds the power.
If you have ever left a meeting wishing you had said something, this one is for you.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadershipwithin.substack.com (https://leadershipwithin.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
3 Sept 2026
Toxic politeness
Ever sat in a meeting where everyone says the right things and nobody says what they really think? We have. This week we talk about toxic politeness. The habit of being nice for so long that the real stuff never gets said. 🤐
We share two stories. One team that stayed pleasant and got nowhere. One business that ran for five years while nobody had the hard conversation, until it fell apart.
We also get into:
* Why it feels safer to stay quiet, and what that silence costs
* Blunt or direct? Same thing, different word
* Letting poor work slide to keep someone motivated, and what that teaches them
* How we learned to disagree with each other on this podcast
* Why the hardest person to be honest with is yourself
Nobody will hand you the rules. Speaking up or staying quiet is always a trade-off, and as a leader that call is yours. The best place to start is with yourself. 🎙️
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadershipwithin.substack.com (https://leadershipwithin.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
20 Aug 2026
The Boundary Between Empathy and Silence
Your leader is having a bad day. Do you support them, or do you speak up?
In this episode, we start from a real story. One of us prepared a piece of work, presented it, and watched it get binned mid-session. The feedback stung. The leader wasn’t at their best. And the instinct was to set the hurt aside and keep things productive.
But was that a choice, or just a pattern playing out?
We dig into the difference between letting go and suppressing, why “ruinous empathy” quietly trains bad behaviour to continue, and what happens when someone steps on a value you didn’t know you held. We also talk about the courage it takes to slow a moment down and say what you actually need.
Because supporting your leader matters. But so do you. 💙
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadershipwithin.substack.com (https://leadershipwithin.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Podcast Authority Score: 13 / 100
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Questions about Leadership Within
Who hosts Leadership Within?
TK and Vanessa host the show. Published by TK and Vanessa exploring the human side of leadership with honesty and heart..
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes weekly, based on its RSS feed.
Does Leadership Within take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
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