Jun 16, 2026 · 45 min · 12 segments
What if the biggest barrier to your goals lives inside your own head? In this episode, Dr. Henry Cloud—renowned clinical psychologist, executive coach, bestselling author, and co-founder of a large…
Henry CloudGuestJennifer ColosimoHost
It's very, very possible that our biggest barrier to what we want is inside of our skull.
If we don't start there and ask the question, "How do I think that this ought to work?" That may not include some things that are needed to make it work.
What am I thinking about this that may not apply to what I'm trying to do, what I need to learn? What self-doubt, what self-criticism? I mean, just take that one.
I've seen, I've seen leaders, they ca- they've had the greatest product or idea or whatever, and they gotta go raise money, and they gotta cast a vision.
You know, they go to Silicon Valley or somewhere, and they gotta cast a vision to these really smart people, VCs and all that.
And they get up there, and a little voice starts to say, "Well, why are they gonna believe me? I've never done anything.
Why would they..." Okay, once that starts to happen, what happens is the brain changes, and everybody knows all the biochemistry involved in this, and the cortisol goes up, and the adrenals go up, and the, the prefrontal cortex shuts down.
But not only that, the chemistry of the attraction and the buy-in, even in sales, there's an interpersonal dyad that happens that comes from your own brain and the energy and the connection in asking people and getting people to come into this space.
Every leader knows the frustration of having a clear vision, but hitting a wall when it comes to execution.
There are structural elements missing that impact engagement and ability to execute.
He was one of our first guests when we launched this podcast, and returns today to discuss his highly anticipated book, "Your Desired Future: The 5 Essential Steps That Take You Where You Want to Go." Dr.
Henry Cloud is a renowned clinical psychologist, an elite executive coach and keynote speaker, and a New York Times best-selling author with over 20 million books sold worldwide.
He also brings a unique operational perspective, having co-founded and run a massive healthcare organization spanning dozens of markets.
He is here today to discuss the five essential steps every leader needs to take to break through inertia and deliver results.
Read the full transcript.
Create an account to read the whole episode, search across every transcript, and follow the shows you care about.
It's very, very possible that our biggest barrier to what we want is inside of our skull.
If we don't start there and ask the question, "How do I think that this ought to work?" That may not include some things that are needed to make it work.
What am I thinking about this that may not apply to what I'm trying to do, what I need to learn? What self-doubt, what self-criticism? I mean, just take that one.
I've seen, I've seen leaders, they ca- they've had the greatest product or idea or whatever, and they gotta go raise money, and they gotta cast a vision.
You know, they go to Silicon Valley or somewhere, and they gotta cast a vision to these really smart people, VCs and all that.
And they get up there, and a little voice starts to say, "Well, why are they gonna believe me? I've never done anything.
Why would they..." Okay, once that starts to happen, what happens is the brain changes, and everybody knows all the biochemistry involved in this, and the cortisol goes up, and the adrenals go up, and the, the prefrontal cortex shuts down.
But not only that, the chemistry of the attraction and the buy-in, even in sales, there's an interpersonal dyad that happens that comes from your own brain and the energy and the connection in asking people and getting people to come into this space.
Every leader knows the frustration of having a clear vision, but hitting a wall when it comes to execution.
There are structural elements missing that impact engagement and ability to execute.
He was one of our first guests when we launched this podcast, and returns today to discuss his highly anticipated book, "Your Desired Future: The 5 Essential Steps That Take You Where You Want to Go." Dr.
Henry Cloud is a renowned clinical psychologist, an elite executive coach and keynote speaker, and a New York Times best-selling author with over 20 million books sold worldwide.
He also brings a unique operational perspective, having co-founded and run a massive healthcare organization spanning dozens of markets.
He is here today to discuss the five essential steps every leader needs to take to break through inertia and deliver results.