Here's what no one tells you about strengths: knowing them isn't enough. Many high-performing leaders know their strengths well and still feel drained or disconnected not because they're doing something wrong, but because something is out of alignment.

This episode explores why strengths alone aren't enough and what to notice when leadership starts feeling heavier than it should. I also unpack the difference between burnout and misalignment. Misalignment shows up quietly through constant urgency, reduced presence, or emotional fatigue and often appears long before burnout does. By paying attention to energy and emotional signals, leaders can realign sooner, practice their strengths more intentionally, and lead with greater clarity and sustainability.

Top 3 Takeaways:

1. Knowing your strengths isn't the same as leading in alignment with them. Strengths used out of habit can drain energy when they aren't applied intentionally.

2. Misalignment comes before burnout. Feeling constantly "on," impatient, or disconnected are early signals not personal failures.

3. Your energy is leadership feedback. Irritability, urgency, and fatigue often point to misalignment, not incompetence listening sooner changes everything.

Episode Minutes:

Minute 1: Differences Between Burnout and Misalignment

Minute 3: How Energy Acts as Honest Feedback

Minute 4: Using The Authentic Imprint Assessment to Identify Misalignment

Resources from This Episode:

Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment

Get a copy of The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within

Plan your days by actively using your strengths with The Strengths Journal™

Book a 30-minute discovery call to discuss your executive and team development needs

In this episode of the Dominate Your Day podcast, I speak with speaker, identity strategist, and co-founder and CEO of Build-A-Biz Kids, Leah Coss, to explore how early identity formation shapes the trajectory of our lives. Leah shares her personal journey from growing up in a chaotic and unsafe environment, to making destructive choices as a teenager, to experiencing a pivotal moment of self-awareness that changed everything.

We also discuss the powerful mission behind her nonprofit organization, Build-A-Biz Kids. While the programs teach business, public speaking, and digital literacy to kids, the real impact lies in experiential learning that develops confidence, decision-making, resilience, and self-awareness. Leah explains why soft skills not technical skills are now the most critical for the next generation, and how giving kids real responsibility and ownership allows them to see feedback as data rather than rejection. By partnering with schools, libraries, and nonprofits, Build-A-Biz Kids is scaling this impact in a sustainable way reaching kids early, before the world defines who they are for them.

Top 3 Takeaways:

1. Identity drives behavior. When kids (and adults) see themselves as capable, their decisions and outcomes change.

2. Confidence is built through experience, not instruction. Real ownership and real-world feedback create lasting growth.

3. Soft skills are future-proof skills. Resilience, decision-making, communication, and self-awareness are essential for both mental health and career success.

Episode Minutes:

Minute 1: A Journey of Transformation

Minute 8: Building a Charity: The Birth of Build-A-Biz Kids

Minute 18: Empowering the Next Generation:

Skills for the Future Links + Resources from This Episode:

Learn more about Build-A-Biz Kids at www.buildabizkids.com

Connect with Leah Coss on LinkedIn

Take the free 3-minute Authentic Imprint™ Assessment

Get a copy of Dana's book, The Internal Revolution: Lead Authentically and Build Your Personal Brand from Within

Learn more about The Strengths Journal