Welcome to Episode 1 of Leadership Backstage, a podcast dedicated to uncovering the REAL, unfiltered truth about leadership, growth, and the often-lonely journey behind the title.

In this solo kickoff episode, host Claudia Williams shares her personal story, from growing up in a traditional Italian-American household to building a powerful career in law, consulting, and leadership development. With more than 30 years of experience working with CEOs, founders, and executive teams, Claudia reveals the mindset shifts, blind spots, and defining lessons that shape extraordinary leaders.

This episode explores:

🔹 Why leadership feels lonely and why that’s normal

🔹 The importance of organizational design and people decisions

🔹 How childhood & early influences shape leadership styles

🔹 What Claudia learned working with global CEOs

🔹 Why continuous learning is the ultimate advantage

🔹 The mission of Leadership Backstage and what to expect next

If you're a founder, executive, team leader, or an aspiring leader, this podcast will help you grow with more clarity, courage, and confidence.

Subscribe and join us for honest stories, tactical strategies, and conversations that take you beyond the title… and backstage into real leadership.

00:00 – Welcome to Leadership Backstage

01:00 – Meet Your Host: Claudia Williams

01:48 – How Leadership Shapes Us

04:45 – What This Podcast Is Really About

06:09 – Claudia’s Story & Early Influences

10:32 – Career Lessons from Working with Leaders

16:31 – Final Thoughts & What’s Coming Next

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