The Jobs of the Future report says 41% of employers expect to reduce their workforce in the next five years due to AI.
Most people hear that as scarcity. Fear. Doom.
I want us to hear it differently… as opportunity.
Because the leaders who step beyond distraction and default into deliberate disruption are the ones who will thrive.
The Three Doors
Imagine a waiting room with three doors.
Door 1: Distraction
Inside is noise, drama, avoidance, scrolling, excuses. Busy, but shallow.Door 2: Default
Inside are hacks, books, tips, and tricks. They work for a while - until you slide back into old patterns. Safe, familiar, but stagnant.Door 3: Deliberate Disruption
This is the hardest door to open. You can only enter when you drop ego, release control, and allow yourself to be seen, not just visible. Scary, yes. But this is where transformation and exponential growth live.
Most leaders live in the first two rooms. Few dare to step into the third.
Discover what room you find yourself in more often that not by clicking the image.
~ 20 minutes if you have time for a cuppa!
A Simple Exercise
This week, give yourself a “foyer pause.”
👉 Block 15 minutes with no agenda and ask yourself:
Which room have I been standing in lately - distraction, default, or disruption?’
That one awareness shift can change everything.
This is the work. Not the hacks in the cupboards. Not the noise in the hall.
It’s the rooms we choose.
The Third Door is open to the few willing to shift who they become not just what they do. Will you walk through?
This is the work I love to do for those who recognize they can’t read the label from outside the jar….
👉 Subscribe for the full framework + join me for Ask Me Anything next Friday - one hour - Zoom call - Link is in the section below. I love these leadership coaching calls. Just $11/month and more value being added as we speak (See below for my special invite for this month).
My Gap Year
Last year, I gave myself space - nearly a year’s worth of gap.
That pause - the gift of the gap - let me stop circling distraction and default.
It gave me room to notice what wasn’t working, and space to create the Sales Leadership Academy, built not on tactics but on identity.
Because sales leaders don’t just coach deals.
You lead identity shifts — in yourself, and in your team.
Why Identity > Mindset
We overuse the word “mindset.” Here’s the distinction:
Mindset = how you think about what you do.
Identity = who you become.
Without an identity shift, no tactic will stick. You’ll always default back.
That’s why my underlying philosophy around deliberate disruption is non-negotiable.
The Full Exercise
Here’s the complete reflection:
Identify the part of you you’d like to change.
Maybe it’s avoiding accountability conversations. Over-controlling. Or second-guessing your presence in the room.Name the emotion beneath it.
Fear. Shame. Guilt. Disappointment.Flip it toward the quality you want to embody.
Fear of pushback → certainty.
Shame about not being enough → confidence.
Guilt about letting people down → integrity.
That flip is your doorway into the Third Door.
Going Deeper
Every month I host a live coaching AMA on Zoom where we unpack these frameworks and apply them to your leadership in real time.
✔️ One hour
✔️ Bring your challenges and questions
✔️ Replay available if you can’t make it
👉 Join as a paid subscriber for just $11/month to unlock these calls and the full frameworks every week.
The Third Door is open.
I’ll meet you there.
Cheers,
Lead with Soul. Lead with Spirit. Lead with Spine!
Bernadette
THIS MONTH I’M OPENING MY DOOR TO YOU AT NO COST…
Ask Me Anything
🎙️ You're Invited: LIVE 'Ask Me Anything' with Bernadette McClelland
Each month, I open up my Zoom Room exclusively for paid members of The Sales Leader of Influence community here on Substack.
This is your space to ask anything about:
How to better influence yourself (so you can lead with more clarity and conviction)
How to coach your team more effectively - the human and the deal
How to create momentum toward a more profitable, stress-free outcome
Whether you're leading a corporate team, building a small business, or growing your influence as a founder, this session is designed to meet you where you're at.
🔔 Our next LIVE AMA is:
🗓 Friday, August 29, 2025
🕓 4:00 PM MT (Mountain Time)
📍 Live on Zoom
🔗 Join Here
Meeting ID: 823 1222 6344
Passcode: INFLUENCE
