Graced to Lead
The Graced to Lead Podcast is an empowering space dedicated to women, designed to inspire, equip, and nurture their leadership abilities in every aspect of life. We are here to remind you of the extraordinary God-grace you possess to lead with confidence and Biblical wisdom, whether in your professional endeavors, at home, in your business, or within your ministry.
Join us weekly for a journey of personal growth and empowerment. Each episode and post is crafted to challenge and inspire you, providing insights and tools that propel you forward in your leadership path. Graced to Lead is more than a podcast; it's a call to embrace God's grace to lead, even if you feel unqualified. Here, we believe in your power to gracefully, boldly, and effectively lead God’s way!
What to expect: solo episodes, conversations with guests, and even a few giveaways.
Graced to Lead
S2/E14: Surrendered Leadership -Trusting God’s Timing and Showing Up Fully with Cassandra Williams
Authenticity isn't just a buzzword—it's the foundation of true leadership. Cassandra Williams pulls back the curtain on what happens when leaders present polished exteriors while struggling silently within. As a certified professional life coach specializing in helping high-functioning women, she brings profound insight into the journey toward unapologetic leadership.
The conversation opens with Cassandra's powerful declaration that she's in an "unapologetically me" season—showing up as her whole self rather than compartmentalizing different roles. This authenticity didn't emerge overnight but through intentional self-awareness and embracing every part of her story. "Everything that happened was on purpose for purpose," she shares, highlighting how even difficult experiences shape effective leadership.
What makes this discussion particularly valuable are the practical indicators of inauthentic leadership Cassandra identifies: micromanaging, emotional volatility, decision paralysis, conflict avoidance, and chronic procrastination. These behaviors often stem from unresolved wounds that manifest in leadership settings. "Sometimes the most insecure people are the people with the biggest titles," she notes with striking clarity.
The concept of "leading from the inside out" forms the heart of Cassandra's approach. Using the movie "Inside Out" as an analogy, she describes how many leaders have emotional chaos internally while maintaining composed exteriors. True leadership requires addressing those internal "characters" to create alignment between inner reality and outer expression.
Perhaps most compelling is Cassandra's vulnerability about her own marriage journey, where she had to "surrender daily" during challenging seasons. Now helping other wives create the safe space she once needed, she demonstrates how authentic leadership extends beyond professional settings into our most intimate relationships. Her wisdom that "submission doesn't mean you're a doormat—it takes strength to surrender" offers a refreshing perspective on balancing personal relationships with leadership roles.
Ready to embrace your authentic leadership journey? Connect with Cassandra at www.thecassandrawilliams.com and discover her children's book "Lead Anyway, Layla" and forthcoming work "Lead with the Limp"—encouraging leaders to stop hiding their limitations and instead lead powerfully through them.
Mentioned During the Show:
Connect with Cassandra (website): thecassandrawilliams.com
Lead Anyway Layla (Children's Book): Amazon
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Welcome to the Graced to Lead podcast. I'm Belinda Gaston, your host, and listen, I'm excited today about our guest, Cassandra Williams. Before I have her come on, I need to tell you about her y'all. She is a wife, a mother, an author, a speaker and a certified professional life and empowerment coach. Her life and leadership are marked by authenticity, wisdom and a willingness to embrace what many would rather hide. It's one of the things I love about her is that she is so transparent.
Belinda Gaston:She specializes in emotional healing, identity restoration and strategic coaching for high functioning women who look successful on the outside but are struggling silently within. Can anyone relate to that? Listen, she was born prematurely to a teenage mother who chose courage over convenience, and she's learned how to fight With that same tenacity. She brings to every woman she walks with the power and encouragement that they need in order to help them. She doesn't just coach y'all, she builds women, and not from a place of perfection either, but from a deep place of process and tested faith. Listen, would you do me a favor and welcome Cassandra Williams to the show? Welcome, Cassandra.
Cassandra Williams:Thank you so much for having me so good to be here today.
Belinda Gaston:Listen, I am excited, and, for those of you who are listening, I just want you to know that Cassandra and I know each other. Listen, she is one of my favorite people and so I'm excited to have her on. And, Cassandra, I think we want to start. So, first, I am really struck by similarities in our stories. We're both born prematurely to teenage moms, we both help women in places that are hard, and I think we both have similar levels of transparency. Look, we tell it how it is. And so I really want to kind of start there, like your why, why is it that you've chosen this path for your profession, to coach women and to help them? Can you tell us a little bit about the why for you, the heart behind your work, and why you do what you do?
Cassandra Williams:Yeah, I, I want everything to matter. That was, that was my thing, for God. If I have to walk through it, I want it to matter. I need to be able to pour it into someone else, and coaching isn't necessarily what I do. It's who I am. Naturally, those are my giftings. I've been doing it all of my life, but it was once I found that coaching terminology, that passion met purpose, and I literally was like this is what I was born to do, and so I love being able to walk people through things. My husband asked me one time he said do you want to go around it, you want to go over it or do you want to go through it? And I instinctively said I'll go through it, just in order to blaze a trail for someone else.
Belinda Gaston:Wow, so you really feel this thing, Cassandra, it's not just words. You know there's a coach on every corner, right. So I love that. You said that coaching is not what you do, it's who you are, and I can attest to that. I think the first time we met, I think we were at a event it was some event that someone had and I remember being in your presence and just feeling that, even in the I don't remember exactly our conversation, but I do remember feeling like you were kind of gently guiding me without even knowing me, and so I love that.
Belinda Gaston:And so I want to talk a little bit about seasons, because on this show we've talked, we really do have women who lead, and some of the women who listen are leading from places where they're in corporate spaces, where they're in ministry spaces. Some are entrepreneurs. I have a growing group of stay at home moms who may have hobbies, interests, but their primary focus is leading in their homes. And so I want to talk a little bit about what season this is for you, because I know kind of the backstory. I know that you're married, I know that you're a mom and I know that you're a leader, and we all have these seasons. How would you describe the season that you're in right now?
Cassandra Williams:My season right now is unapologetic. I'm in that unapologetically me season of that understanding the authentic version of myself and allowing her to show up. Not the mom, not the CEO, not the prophet, not the pastor, just all of me as one whole individual person. Because sometimes we can be all of those things and all of those seasons and all of those places and we're not showing up as our authentic selves. So the season for me now is unapologetic. It's just me, just me.
Belinda Gaston:Cassandra, so we talk about this all the time Be authentically you. I love that you're unapologetic, no excuses for who you are, no apologies for who you are. But can we talk about how you get there? Because I think that so I think, when you become a woman of a certain age, like myself, it's easier to kind of walk in this. But I believe that you can be a younger woman, you know, you can be a leader, an emerging leader, you can be a leader in your 30s, in your 20s, in your 40s, and still walk in this authentic, unapologetic state. But the question is how do you get there? How do you get from this to this place? Cassandra? What would you say to our listeners who are like I want to do that. How do I get there? What would you say to them?
Cassandra Williams:It starts with self-awareness being okay with the skin you're in, being okay with your values, your skill sets, just how you were made as a woman of faith, god says you were fearfully and wonderfully made. I knew you before you were even born, right. But we get here, life happens and we become chameleons. We become whatever people have called us or told us we were supposed to be. So in order for you to walk in that authentic place, you have to go back to the original design that God created and many of us you know you can do that. That's one of the things that I have a strong desire to do now is to get those little girls while they're in elementary school and middle school and let them know it is okay to be you know, hattie Chatterbox, it's okay because that's probably part of your gifting that's going to be used later on in life. But many of us were told hush, go, sit down, children are seen and not heard, and we carried that throughout our life. And so then we have to go through those seasons of unpacking that and for the very thing that we hid behind or were told, that's the very thing God is saying yeah, I want to use that. So, yeah, I need you to talk, but I was muted, yeah, and so we have to come off mute, we have to be okay with that. So to in order to be, to get into that place, and it doesn't matter, it doesn't have to be in.
Cassandra Williams:You know, thirties, forties For me it was like 40, and it's been a journey to get here at 51. So it's not overnight, but you can start wherever you are right now in this moment and just embrace you, all of you, the family that you grew up in, that you were born into. That was on purpose for purpose. It wasn't a mistake, it had value. It had value Because, when I look back over my life, had I not been born to that family, had I not went to that school, had I not married that man, had I not went through those circumstances, I would not be who I am today. All of those things were part of the point. I had choices to make now, but there was Graced, right Graced to leave. There was Graced in there for my decisions and my choices, that God still is able to use them. That's why I was a teenager when I asked, when I told God, I'll go through this willingly if you'll use it for your glory if you'll use it for your glory.
Belinda Gaston:And so I'm pausing intentionally here, because that's a powerful statement to think about. It really is a change in perspective, almost right. It's instead of thinking about all the things that happened to me, or all the things I didn't have, or all the things I wish were different, understanding that each part, every experience, every position, every location, everything, it all matters. It all matters, and so I'd like for you to talk about that. If I'm a leader and I'm in the place where I'm not walking authentically or unapologetically, that I've handled, you know, not really pretending, but hiding certain things so that I can lead well, how do you think not being in the place of this unapologetic space or season you're in, how do you think that impacts leadership?
Cassandra Williams:It limits how we lead, because I've always been a leader. Now, sometimes I tried to lead from the back. I was leading as a great support system. Lead from the back I was leading as a great support system.
Cassandra Williams:Sometimes the most insecure people are the people with the biggest titles. The CEO may lead the way that they do. They're very controlling in the way they micromanage and all of those things. That may be because there's an insecure person inside of there that they're masking. That may be because there's an insecure person inside of there that they're masking that they're hiding.
Cassandra Williams:So outwardly they have all of this power, this control position applause, accolades the image, but inside they're, you know, silently waiting for somebody to validate her, or a young man waiting for someone to come and get them and say you're okay that they moved on physically in age, but emotionally and so when certain things happen, that little child manifests, and so that's why you're looking at them and you're like, wait, whoa, what is that? It's almost like they're throwing a temper tantrum and you're like you're 40, 50, 60 years old and you're acting 16, 17, 10. And that's where that comes from is because inside we're one way, outside we look a completely different way, and sometimes that's how we miss the biggest opportunities that God gives us is because we will look at the position and never look deeper to see a wounded person crying out for him.
Belinda Gaston:That's so good. So not being in the place where you're authentic is limiting, and you're saying that some of the signs could be things like micromanaging or not being able to control your emotions. Are there other signs that you may not be walking in the place of authenticity in your leadership, not being able to make decisions, it's whatever everybody else wants to do.
Cassandra Williams:Being able to make decisions, it's whatever everybody else wants to do. And so now we get nothing done, because we're always doing what everybody wants to do, or it's last minute because you're afraid of the confrontation. You don't want conflict, you're not versed in that conflict. Resolution you want to run, but in some cases, resolution you want to run, but in some cases you have to stand and be like okay, this is what we're going to do and steer the ship forward.
Cassandra Williams:Um, some of the other things is that we may be those people that procrastinate. Procrastination is another one, that you wait to the last minute to do it, so I have to do it, instead of doing proper planning. Yes, it still ends up great, but look at all the strengths that happen in that 24-hour period to make it happen. So those are just a few things. And that's not just in corporate America, that's even in your household, as a wife, as a mom, because for all of you out there that are housewives, you're the real MVP. Okay, because you are keeping that household moving, and sometimes that place of leadership is minimized instead of applauded.
Belinda Gaston:I'm so glad you said that, because I think that a lot of times, leaders, they consider themselves leaders because they have a particular title or a particular job function, a particular title or a particular job function. And more and more, as I talk with some of the listeners of this show, I realized that that space of people who are home managers, who are stay-at-home moms whether they are or, in the case of home managers, sometimes they are housewives they don't have children, but they have to manage the affairs of their household, and that is a level of leadership, and so I'm glad you said that. And so this goes to this philosophy that I've noticed about you of this leading from the inside. It really is. I think if someone were to ask me, tell me about Cassandra and her coaching approach or her coaching philosophy, based on what I know about you, I would say that that is part of your philosophy is leading from the inside out, and so can you talk about a little bit about that?
Cassandra Williams:Leading from the inside out is. Take the movie Inside Out, where these people have all these little people, their emotions right. They're running around on the inside of them. Literally, that's the way we are. We have all of these things running around on the inside. So a lot of times when you show up, you're poised, you got on the right suit, you got on the right dress, the right outfit and you look the part. By all means you're killing. But on the inside, all those little people are running around screaming, and so we have to learn to get those people settled, so that not only are you looking the part, you are the part, because when we talk about well, we don't like to talk about it, but we're going to talk about it a little bit today.
Cassandra Williams:Imposter syndrome, that's where you're presenting something that you don't even believe yourself. You're presenting this to everybody else, but inside you feel like I don't even know what I'm doing, even though everybody else is saying you're doing a great job. And you go home, lay your head on the pillow and you cry yourself to sleep, because on the inside, love comes from the inside out. Confidence comes from the inside out. Confidence comes from the inside out.
Cassandra Williams:Your self-worth comes from the inside out, because otherwise it can be all around you and you won't feel it. You can't receive it. You'll be longing for something that's right there and you can't even embrace it to bring it because on the inside. And so that's why I do a lot of inside work so that when you do show up in circles, in spaces, even if they don't value who you are, you value yourself and you don't answer to any and everything. You don't receive any and everything that you understand what you've been called to do and you show up in that space just like that and listen. Sometimes they receive it, sometimes they don't. If it's not, the worst is shake the dust off your feet, and that's a hard thing to do if you're not okay with it.
Belinda Gaston:To understand it's not me, it's them you mentioned that the word says to shake the dust off your feet, and so I'm assuming that faith plays a part in how you lead and what you do. So can you talk about how your faith has shaped your coaching business? I know you're an author, I believe. Now We'll talk about that in a minute. You have your own podcast, like you're doing a lot of things. How does your faith impact how you lead in those spaces, even as a wife and a mom?
Cassandra Williams:My faith is the center of it all. It's like air to me. It's the air that I breathe, because without it I would be a mess Pretty little mess, but a mess nonetheless. I'm shy or I can't go do what I need to do. It just means I recharge by myself. So I'm okay in my house, I'm good so, but there are times where my faith, the instructions from God, mandates that I have to go outside. I have to be present for his daughters, and I love just being an extension in the earth, because what I get to do is I get to really sometimes bring God back into places that he's been out of for a season.
Belinda Gaston:So that is part of why Graced to Lead exists this last statement that you made about bringing God into places where he hasn't existed in some time and I wholeheartedly believe which is why I'm doing this, because there really is not income or anything attached to this but I believe that part of the purpose I have through Graced to Lead and all the things that Graced to Lead is attached to, is to remind people of their position. You are in the position of leadership, not by accident as you said, it all matters but because you have an opportunity to be a reflection of God. Sometimes we are the only God that people see how we relate to people, how we lead, how we make decisions, and so I am so glad that you said that, and so I think you know.
Belinda Gaston:When we talk about faith, a lot of times people hear oh well, that's just because you know Cassandra, she's a minister, she's a prophet. It's easy for her to say, and what I think is a constant theme is getting to this place is it's? It takes a level of surrender. Can you talk about that? Like? Can you tell people how maybe surrender has played a role in where you are today?
Cassandra Williams:Absolutely Surrender. That's the big word, surrender. And I didn't surrender. Well, I was a fighter remember so if I didn't want to do it.
Cassandra Williams:I didn't want to do it even when it came to the things of God. As far as leadership and things like that, I liked being in the back, behind the corner. So when he said, no, now it's time for you to take center stage, I was reluctant, very reluctant, and so I had to surrender to his plan, to his leading, his guiding. And even when life gets hard, there's another level of surrender. As an author, there was a level of surrender to tell this story, to write it. As a speaker, there's a level of surrender like you really want me to tell that out loud on national platforms, and so there's that level of surrender that you have to come to where it's not my will but your will be done, and we have to do it on an ongoing basis. It's not a one and done. There's another level of surrender. Another level of surrender Every time he brings me into a new place or space, because we'll spend time building certain things, we'll get good at leading in this lane, but when God says pivot, that's a surrender. You have to walk away from this thing that you have put time, sweat, energy into and do something completely different, and that's not an easy place to get to. And if you're not again leading from within, if you're not rooted and grounded and sure within yourself, that surrender is going to be hard.
Cassandra Williams:Because when people come and they say, but no, you're supposed to be doing this and we love how you do this and oh my God, but you know you're hearing God say say, walk away and do something different, can you surrender? Can you take that breath and be like I'm so sorry, I am no longer going to be able to do this, and turn and follow what he is telling you to do, even if it scares you? Because as leaders, sometimes people feel like when you're in leadership, a lot of times they feel like you don't feel. We feel all of those emotions but that certainty of leading from the inside, your values, your core values, your principles, all of those things. It helps you be able to say I don't know what's over there, but I know I'm supposed to go, I'm supposed to be doing this, and we start flowing in that passion, that purpose, that leading that God is doing, even if it's uncomfortable.
Belinda Gaston:Yeah, that's so good. So, Cassandra, what are your tips for surrender? Give our listeners one or two pieces of advice on how to begin, the main thing is understand your why.
Cassandra Williams:of advice on how to begin, the main thing is understand your why. So when you have that pushback or that zeal to do why? So for me, if I have a hard no on something, I ask myself why can't I, why don't I want to do that? Or why do I want to do that? And, like I said, for my faith, my faith is my center. So if God is not the first thing, we got to look a little deeper, because it's very hard to surrender your will to something you don't understand all the time. So if you don't understand your why, you don't understand what you've been called to do. There are certain things that when god says, do this, I automatically I have to get past my will because some of us have a very strong. I don't want to, and so you got to know that about yourself because I don't want to keep you from surrender. Yeah, I don't want to do that. Check your vows.
Cassandra Williams:Some things we have said as little hurt children, little hurt young adults. We said I will never do X, y and Z. I'm never going to let anybody do that to me again. I'm never going to let anybody do that to me again. I'm never going to let anybody into my heart, I'm never going to go out and be on public display because something happened. And now when God says, yeah, I want you to do a podcast, I want you to do a podcast, you have a very strong root in there of I am never going to. That will keep you from surrender. Because your mind, your will, your emotions, that soulish part of you remembers the last time you tried to speak in public or be on public display, people laughed at you. It didn't work. You were disappointed, you felt let down. Nobody showed up. So now you have to go back and pluck up that value you made that I won't ever in order to get to that authentic place, that real place of surrender that has action behind it. Because sometimes we say we surrender yes, lord, we didn't mean it, we didn't, we just said it. It's not good in the moment, but the authentic surrender has movement behind it, whether it be prayer to get full instructions it, whether it be prayer to get full instructions to understand, be still enough to understand the why behind what we're doing. Not that God has to tell you why. Like I need to know right, I need to know A to Z but to understand there's purpose behind this, I have to do it.
Cassandra Williams:So an example, just biblical example Jesus said when he was talking to the woman, when he's talking to his disciples, he said I have need to go through Samaria. Y'all go get food, go do other stuff. I have need to go through Samaria. Y'all go get food, go do other stuff. I have need to go through Samaria. He didn't tell them why he was going, he just said I have need. But he had an assignment when he got there With the woman at the well. So and so there are times where we are just like Jesus, that we are on assignment and he's saying I have need for you to go and we have to surrender because the Jews and the Samaritans weren't friends. That could have went a whole another way, but he surrendered to the will of the father to meet this woman in this. That could have went a whole nother way, but he surrendered to the will of the father to meet this woman in this place that was waiting and it changed. Not only did it change her life, but it changed the whole city.
Belinda Gaston:You said authentic surrender has movement behind it. I feel like that's a challenge for us. It's easier to say yes than to say yes and move, because we can say yes and we can create a plan in our heads, we can journal about it, we can pray about it, we can tell our friends about it and never actually move.
Belinda Gaston:So I'm curious, because you have this all together, Cassandra. I mean you got it all together. Can you give us an example, if you're comfortable? Can you give us an example of a moment where you had to trust God deeply with your leadership in whatever area he told you to do, even when it didn't make sense?
Cassandra Williams:Oh, my goodness, I'll say it's being a wife, as a wife, and coming off of a hard season in my marriage where we were at a place where we didn't grow together. Okay, we both had our own things. My husband is a truck driver, so we fell into life, we had a son, we had all of the things going on, and it was like we were two ships passing in the night and God asked me a question. He said do you want your marriage? I said yeah, I want my marriage, but I don't want this. This wasn't him talking to my husband. This is him talking to me. Wife leader in the house. Put my hand on the door. I said I want my marriage, but I don't want this. I don't want what we're living in right now. And so I had to surrender. And so when it got hard, I had to remember what I said I want this. Today I'm like, ooh, today I don't know, god, I don't know. And so guess what I would have to do. I would have to surrender again, because what was happening was God was doing this work in me and my flesh was rising up and saying I don't like it, I don't want to go through the process, I don't like this tearing down in order to build up. I don't like any of it. I don't really get what you're doing. I know what you said, but I haven't seen any of that, because 20 years ago prior, we had gotten a word. Your marriage is going to be an example to many. Okay, so here we are, two ships passing in the night. I surrender to the process Daily, surrender to the process Daily. And once we got to a place of being good, I'm like we're here On our 20th wedding anniversary.
Cassandra Williams:He said now I want you to go back and talk to wives. Excuse me, sir, do you know what I just walked through? Do you know what I'm barely holding on here? This was after therapy. I love Jesus and therapy, love my therapist. Yes, yes, this was on the other side of that.
Cassandra Williams:And he says now. He said a wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her hands. I said yeah. He said a wise wife builds her house, but a foolish one will tear it down with her hands. He said now go get. I want you to be what you didn't have. He said now go give. I want you to be what you didn't have. Create this space that when you walk through that season you did not have. I didn't feel like I had a safe space to unload, to unpack to. So here's another level of surrender to allow people to come in and I tell my story so nobody else have to. The enemy will never be able to put it on blast because I tell it, because it's like, no, you're not going to, I'm not going to live in bondage, I'm not going to live under this whole auspice of as I'm leading. If so and so, comes and sits in the room that I'm like, give me a kiss because they know something on me.
Belinda Gaston:No.
Cassandra Williams:Tell it before anybody else can tell. But I had to surrender to that because I like to keep all of my stuff close to the vest, because I was a people pleaser, I performed. I wanted to keep all of my stuff close to the vest because I was a people pleaser, I performed, I wanted to present this image so they wouldn't really see what was going on underneath. But I had to surrender to God. And it's still daily. I'm surrendering, even in that place, to be the best wife, wise wife that I can be, to my husband, not just a husband, not just any man, but to my husband. So I have to surrender. I have to die to myself. Surrender. I have to die to myself. What I thought it would look like. I had to surrender that in order for it to become what it was supposed to be.
Belinda Gaston:So what advice would you give a woman who feels tension or torn between surrender or being submitted whatever word we want to use in their relationship with their spouse and standing fully in their leadership roles? I mean really all of leadership's kind of it all starts at home. Right, it starts at home. What one piece of advice would you give to a woman standing in that crossroads of I don't know if I can surrender to his leadership Does?
Cassandra Williams:he know who.
Belinda Gaston:I am, I'm a leader.
Cassandra Williams:But here's the thing he needs the authentic version of you. My husband needs the authentic version of me. So if I show up any kind of way, I am a leader and so I show up as such. But my leading does not crush him, it doesn't devalue him, it does not make him feel any less than, if anything, it allows him to be the best version of himself, because now he's not having to carry a load that he's not meant to carry either. So if you, showing up as your authentic self, surrendered in that place which means the CEO, guess what you don't have to be the same way you are in the boardroom as you are in your household, but you can be just as you may bring that skill set in the way that things are managed. But it does not mean you get to lord over your husband and just like on the opposite end of that spectrum with a the man, he might be the CEO, he might be the head man and that all of these things. When he's in, you know at work, but when he comes home he can still wash dishes. It's that level.
Cassandra Williams:Submission does not mean submission. Submission does not mean Submission. And surrender Does not mean that you're a doormat. It doesn't mean you're weak. It takes strength. It takes a level of strength To surrender. It takes a level of strength To hush, be quiet when you want to speak. But a real leader can listen, digest the information and figure out how to best move us forward as a win-win, not my way or the highway as a win-win, not my way or the highway.
Belinda Gaston:Wow, this is such a great conversation and I feel like you're leading me to a whole marriage series for leaders. So, listeners, we may have Cassandra back. Thank you so much for your transparency. I wanna give you an opportunity to give some final thoughts. What would you like to leave our listeners with as a final thought today?
Cassandra Williams:My final thought would be this Love yourself unapologetically. Everything starts with that, because if you're not, if you don't love yourself and you're trying to give it to everybody else, it's not going to work, not long term. So to show up as an authentic leader that's lit, that's leading from the inside, don't be afraid to do your work, do that internal work. I know we made it out, you made it out. I know it's over, it's done, but you're still carrying the residue. You're still carrying what woulda, coulda, shoulda. You've locked it away in a closet, swept it under the rug.
Cassandra Williams:Listen, things that are locked in closets have a way of falling out. Things that are swept under the rug have a tendency to trip you up the higher you go. So take the time now to really look at and it's something that you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly basis, to be like let me check myself, let me check my heart, let me check my heart, let me check my responses. Why did I act like that? Why am I doing that? Because it may mean that there's some things, another layer of healing that needs to take place that you didn't even realize was there. That's the thing. A lot of things we don't even know they're there until they start showing up, and then we're so quick to move past them. I encourage you not to move past things too quickly, but be able to be present in your process and take the time you need so that you can lead well.
Belinda Gaston:So, listeners, there is so much in this conversation. I know if you are listening. You are wondering now, okay, I want to connect with Cassandra, I want to be able to follow up with some of the things that she said. And so, Cassandra, if you could tell us first how to connect with you, but also, what are you working on these days? What's going on in the life of Cassandra? Absolutely.
Cassandra Williams:You can reach me at wwwthecassandrawilliamscom. That is my website and what I am working on right now is a surrender. I am crossing over into that, really embracing that leadership space. I have a new book out, a children's book, which is called Lead Anyway, layla, which is written for our little disruptors, those little girls that are going into elementary school and middle school that are having to make the decision to be brave, to stand in their authenticity, no matter. You know they may have physical ailments or different things that may be going on, but they can still lead. That does not discount them, but it helps them to lead.
Cassandra Williams:And then for the us, more seasoned I ain't going to say call us older, you know seasoned people I have a new book that's coming out that's called Lead with the Limp and that is helping people lead unapologetically with those things that they want to hide.
Cassandra Williams:You may have had a divorce, you may actually physically, like myself, walk with a limp and been praying and saying God, god, you've healed me, you delivered me, you did all of these things, but I'm still walking with this limp. And he says can you lead with that anyway? Can you be like Jacob who wrestled with me, got the blessing but limped away. Can you see it as a sign that you've been with me and so I've had to embrace that and begin to lead from that place with that, to be like, yeah, I may walk a little different, but I'm still a leader and called by God, instead of hiding, not wanting anybody to see it? So for those of you that had may have had a divorce, had a baby outside of wedlock just different things may have found yourself behind you know, incarcerated, and now you're like if anybody knew that, I can't do it because I'm discounted, I'm misunderstood. No-transcript.
Belinda Gaston:Thank you so much, and so for our listeners, we will place I'll place all of this information in the show notes.
Belinda Gaston:I love Layla and the whole persona of Layla, so if I will have the information about Cassandra's website, about Lead Any Anyway, layla, the children's book, as well as any information that Cassandra shared about leading with a limp, I love that, and so we'll have all of that in the show's notes. Listen, I encourage you, if this episode resonated with you, to use this as a sign to connect. You hear me say this all the time that we are not meant to lead alone. I feel strongly about that, and you know from previous episodes that I've even talked about why we get in these positions where we're leading in isolation when we shouldn't but get the help that you need, and I think there's been enough resources shared on this show that you can find your fit. And so if this made your heart flutter, if it made you think, please do yourself a favor and connect with Cassandra. Cassandra, thank you so much for being authentically unapologetically you. I'm glad I got you in this season. It has, as my grandmother would say, been a plumb pleasing pleasure speaking with you.
Cassandra Williams:You as well. Thank you for having me today.
Belinda Gaston:And to our listeners. Thank you so much for listening to the Graced to Lead podcast. I don't take your listening lightly, as always. Remember to share this podcast. You know we're on all of the platforms, so there's ways for you to share, like and provide positive feedback. But also, if you're listening on Buzzsprout I can't remember if you can do this on Apple or not you can actually send me a message directly. So if you click on the button that says send a message, I actually get those on my phone and I will respond. And so, for those of you who sent them, thank you, but please stay in touch. You can get information about me and the Graced to Lead podcast on BelindaGastoncom and, as always, I'm grateful for you tuning in so until we meet each other again next week, remember, you are indeed Graced to Lead. Bye-bye.
