277. Leading From Within: Self-Awareness, Collaboration, & Human Connection at Work

277. Leading From Within: Self-Awareness, Collaboration, & Human Connection at Work

From Bringing the Human back to Human Resources by Traci Chernoff

May 19, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

This episode explores authentic leadership and the importance of self-awareness and collaboration in the workplace.

This episode is about authentic leadership, self-awareness, and the quiet ways competition undermines collaboration in the workplace. Traci sits down with Archana Mohan, Chief Operations and Technology Officer in the finance sector and author of The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead. Archana holds a BA from Brown, an MA from Columbia, and an MBA from Yale, but her most formative credential might be what she's carried from classrooms and boardrooms alike: the experience of not quite feeling like she belonged, and choosing to build something different because of it. What We Cover: Why authentic leadership starts from the inside, not from a title The two types of self-awareness and why most leaders only develop one of them Listening as the most undervalued skill in the workplace How school conditioned us to chase the right answer instead of ask better questions Why group impact is exponential, not just additive What collaboration actually looks like versus what leaders often mistake for it The key difference between competing with someone and competing against them Why not having the answer is just as valuable as having one How creating space for others…

People in this episode

Host: Traci Chernoff

Guest: Archana Mohan

Topics covered

  • authentic leadership
  • self-awareness
  • collaboration
  • competition
  • team dynamics
  • communication skills

Keywords

  • leadership
  • self-awareness
  • collaboration
  • workplace dynamics
  • communication
  • team achievement

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brown, Columbia, Yale

Books & works: The Thru Line: How Understanding Who You Are Empowers How You Lead

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