July 29, 2025
Episode 148: How Good Managers Become Toxic and What to Do About It with Sabina Nawaz
In this episode of The Future of Teamwork, Dane Groeneveld chats with Sabina Nawaz, CEO Coach & Advisor, keynote speaker, and author of You’re The Boss, to explore how pressure – not power – is what corrupts leadership. Sabina shares her powerful personal story of how she went from a once-compassionate manager at Microsoft to someone she no longer recognized under the crushing weight of work, parenthood, and expectations, and the lessons she learned from it.
Sabina introduces practical strategies leaders can use to become more effective, self-aware managers, universal “pressure pitfalls” and “power gaps” leaders fall into, and why leaders must get out of the way to allow their teams to thrive.
Whether you lead a team or aspire to, this conversation offers a thoughtful and accessible roadmap for navigating the very human side of leadership.
How Good Managers Become Toxic and What to Do About It with Sabina Nawaz
Guest Bios
Sabina Nawaz is an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Sabina gives dozens of keynotes, seminars, and conferences each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel University. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, NBC, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch. She is the author of the book, You’re the Boss, Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need), Simon & Schuster, 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Pressure corrupts, not power.
- The importance of empathy in leadership.
- Creating a supportive environment enhances team performance.
- Feedback should start with the employee’s perspective.
- Multiple meanings can lead to better problem-solving.
- Leaders should create a container for team growth.
- Emotional awareness is crucial for effective leadership.
- Mattering is essential for team members’ engagement.
- Communication fault lines can hinder team dynamics.
- Micro habits can lead to significant changes.
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