The Telescope in the Room: What High-Performing Leaders Can't See About Their Own Career with Executive Coach Karen Kunkel Young

You're highly capable. So why does your next move feel so unclear? For senior leaders at a career inflection point — whether navigating a layoff, a values misalignment, or a long-overdue pivot — the problem is rarely a lack of skill. It's a lack of perspective. In this episode, executive coach and strategic advisor Karen Kunkel Young joins host Lori Adams-Brown to talk about what high-performing leaders consistently miss when they're standing at a crossroads — and what it actually takes to move forward with clarity, agency, and intention. In this conversation, you'll discover: Why the habits and communication styles that made you successful may now be holding you back — and how to see that shift before it costs you How to reclaim ownership of your career narrative, especially when external forces (layoffs, leadership changes, industry shifts) have made you feel like a passenger The critical transition from expert executor to strategic leader — and why skipping the mindset shift is a lose-lose for everyone How to advocate powerfully for your impact without it feeling like bragging — including the storytelling framework that connects your achievements to business outcomes A practical approach to fear in high-stakes transitions: how to name it, feel it, and use it as a launchpad rather than a brake About Karen Kunkel Young: Karen Kunkel Young is an executive coach and strategic advisor known as "the telescope in the room" — helping senior leaders step back far enough to see the blind spots, shifting influence, and hidden opportunities their current vantage point obscures. With nearly 30 years of experience as a global media showrunner (including Project Runway and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style), Karen brings a master storyteller's precision to leadership transitions, executive presence, and career pivots. Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction & why this moment demands perspective over pace 01:12 — What highly capable leaders aren't seeing clearly right now 03:51 — You are the CEO of your career: reclaiming agency 07:30 — The expert-to-leader transition: why it's a lose-lose without support 10:04 — What the telescope reveals: the hard truth that changes how leaders lead 13:42 — Naming unspoken fear in high-stakes transitions 18:46 — How your narrative expands or limits your future influence 23:02 — Advocacy without bragging: the storytelling framework that works 28:14 — Coaching leaders through emotionally difficult career transitions 33:57 — Advice for high-performing women in a slow, painful job search 38:30 — Where to find Karen Kunkel Young 39:44 — Lori's closing reflection on perspective, resilience, and sustained impact Find Karen Kunkel-Young at: 🌐 karenkunkelyoung.com 💼 LinkedIn: Karen Kunkel Young Subscribe, leave a review at https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com/reviews/new/, and share this episode with a leader standing at a crossroads — even if they haven't named it yet. Visit https://www.aworldofdifferencepodcast.com for more resources, tools, and episodes designed for globally-minded leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices