When was the last time you truly saw someone, not for what made them different, but for the human being underneath?

In this deeply personal solo episode, Janet shares a childhood story that shaped her lifelong perspective on inclusion, empathy, and what it really means to lead with humanity.

Janet explores how neuroscience forms the lens through which we see others—and how, as adults and leaders, we can either perpetuate exclusion or embody compassion and courage.

This episode is an invitation to remember our shared humanness and to lead not from ego, but from soul.

In this episode:

✅ The childhood story that forever changed how Janet sees difference

✅ How neuroscience explains our instinctive reactions to “otherness”

✅ Why belonging and inclusion begin with empathy

✅ The parallels between a second-grade playground and today’s workplaces

✅ The difference between performative inclusion and soul-level seeing

✅ A powerful reflection to shift how you show up as a leader today

About Janet Ioli:

Janet Ioli is a globally recognized executive advisor, coach, and leadership expert with over 25 years of experience developing leaders in Fortune 100 companies and global organizations.

She created The Inner Edge—a framework, a movement, and a message that flips leadership from mere success performance to presence; from ego to soul. Through her keynotes, podcast, and programs, Janet helps high-achievers find the one thing that changes everything: the mastery within.

Her approach redefines leadership presence—not as polish or tactics, but as the inner steadiness people feel from you and the positive imprint you leave on individuals and organizations.

Chapters for Apple Podcasts

00:00:00 Feeling Like an Outsider

00:05:34 The Neuroscience of Difference

00:07:35 Leading Beyond Difference

Connect with Janet Ioli:
Website: janetioli.com
Linkedin: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @leadershipcoachjanet

If you want to become more grounded, confident, and aligned with your deeper values in just 21 days, check out Janet Ioli’s book Less Ego, More Soul: A Modern Reinvention Guide for Women.

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Produced by Ideablossoms