Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads, feeling like you’re capable of so much more, but something unseen is holding you back? Maybe it’s a nagging self-doubt, a challenge within your team, or simply the feeling that you’re not quite living up to your full potential. It’s a common experience, one that many high-achievers face. We often believe that success is a linear path, paved with hard work and sheer willpower. But what if there’s a secret ingredient, a catalyst that can accelerate your journey and transform your reality?
That’s exactly what we explored in a recent conversation with Sabrina Wang, the founder of Evergrowth Coaching. Sabrina specializes in guiding tech CEOs and leaders to build high-performing teams and unlock their highest potential. With a unique blend of mindfulness, energy work, and executive coaching, she’s seen firsthand how powerful a shift in perspective and a commitment to growth can be. Our chat with Sabrina revealed three interconnected pillars for unlocking your potential: the transformative power of coaching, a practical blueprint for conquering imposter syndrome, and the essential elements of building truly high-performing teams.
The Unseen Power of a Great Coach
Sabrina’s own journey is a testament to the unexpected paths life can take. Growing up in Chengdu, China, she learned the value of entrepreneurship early, working in her parents’ shop selling American goods. She later pursued a “safe” career in accounting, even working in the big four, only to realize it wasn’t for her. This led her through various roles in tech and product management, eventually landing her at Headspace, a company she’d dreamed of working for since college. It was there, amidst a seemingly perfect job, that she felt a familiar tug of something missing. This feeling led her to coaching, both as a recipient and a practitioner, and she never looked back.
So, what is the most impactful thing coaching can do? According to Sabrina, it’s about “completely changing your understanding of reality, of what you think is possible for you.” She shared her own limiting belief that owning her time and achieving significant success wouldn’t be possible until much later in life, perhaps in her late thirties or forties. Through coaching, she confronted those fears and limiting beliefs, compressing years of potential struggle into a much shorter timeframe. It’s like time travel for your personal growth.
Sabrina has seen this transformation in her clients too. She’s worked with individuals whose marriages were strained by the demands of running a business, only to see them find a good spot again, improving both their relationships and their companies. Others, burnt out and unable to imagine going to work, rediscovered joy and built teams that could take over their work. Coaching helps you discover what you truly want and who you really are, empowering you to create a life that aligns with your deepest desires.
Have you ever felt like you were capable of more, but something was holding you back?
Befriending the Imposter: A Three-Step Blueprint
One of the most common invisible barriers we face is imposter syndrome. It’s that nagging voice that tells you you’re not good enough, not ready, or lack the credibility. While the term itself is relatively new, the feeling has been around forever. Sabrina views imposter syndrome not as a fact, but as fear—our brain’s ancient mechanism to protect us from perceived danger. In prehistoric times, this meant avoiding tigers. Today, it’s the fear of rejection, disappointment, or failure that comes with stepping outside our comfort zone.
The good news is, you’re not alone. Sabrina has coached countless successful individuals—renowned musicians, serial entrepreneurs, leaders of unicorn companies—and almost all of them experience imposter syndrome. The key is not to resent it, but to understand and befriend it. It doesn’t have to stop you. Sabrina offers a powerful three-step framework to work through this fear: Awareness, Evidence, and Accountability.
- Awareness: Recognize imposter syndrome for what it is: a feeling, a thought, not a fact. It’s your body’s outdated protection mechanism, not a true reflection of your capabilities. Challenge the thought: “What if that’s wrong?”
- Evidence: Actively seek out counter-evidence. If you believe you can’t get a promotion or have a difficult conversation, what evidence from your past or present supports your ability to do so? Write it down. Our brains can default to negativity, so building this mental muscle of positivity and hope is crucial. It’s about creating strong neural pathways that remind you of your strengths and past successes.
- Accountability: Take a leap of faith and try the thing you’re afraid of. After taking action, evaluate what actually happened. Did you “die”? Did your friends and family leave you? Did your boss laugh? Often, the reality is far less dire than our fears. Through repeated action, you’ll find that imposter syndrome becomes mere background noise.
Sabrina shared a story about a client, Sarah, an executive managing a 20-person team, who harbored a deep desire to start her own company but was held back by the belief, “I am not entrepreneur material.” By applying the evidence step, they meticulously listed all the qualities of an entrepreneur—resourcefulness, understanding P&L, team management—and then found countless examples from Sarah’s life, even from elementary school, that proved she possessed these very traits. This exercise completely shifted Sarah’s perspective, making it easier for her to take action towards her entrepreneurial dreams.
What evidence can you gather from your own life that proves your capabilities?
Cultivating a Culture of High Performance
Beyond individual growth, Sabrina also sheds light on what it takes to build truly high-performing teams. It all starts with the leader. A leader must be willing to be responsible for their emotional reactions and internal landscape. This creates psychological safety, a foundational element where team members feel safe enough to offer harsh feedback or heartfelt gratitude without fear of reprisal. When this safety is present, people are willing to perform above their highest potential.
Thanh echoed this sentiment, referencing Patrick Lencioni’s “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” a book he revisits annually with his own team. Lencioni’s first dysfunction, “absence of trust,” directly correlates with the need for psychological safety. While trust takes time to build, Thanh noted that the hardest layer to cultivate is often team members holding each other accountable. It’s a powerful moment when team members self-organize to address issues without the leader’s direct intervention.
Sabrina offered three practical ways to foster this crucial accountability:
- Manager Leading by Example: In one-on-one meetings, managers should consistently lead by example, holding space for difficult conversations and helping direct reports articulate their needs and concerns to others.
- Peer Groups for Leaders: Create spaces for middle managers or leadership teams to connect as humans, share challenges, and support each other. This builds solidarity and makes it easier for them to hold their own teams accountable.
- Systems for Feedback: Implement clear systems, whether software or simple Google Docs, for giving and receiving feedback. Make it easy and expected, tying it to performance reviews. This normalizes the process and ensures accountability is built into the workflow.
When internal conflicts arise, Sabrina advises leaders not to allow venting or gossiping without a clear path to action. If team members can’t resolve a conflict themselves, the manager should facilitate a direct conversation using non-violent communication: observe, feel, want. This structured approach helps address issues head-on. Similarly, with underperforming team members, direct and clear conversations are paramount. Avoidance only allows issues to linger and worsen. Set clear expectations, define improvement plans with milestones, and offer support, but also be clear about the consequences if improvement doesn’t occur. Drawing a line in the sand, as Thanh put it, is essential for clarity and progress.
How can you foster an environment where honest feedback and accountability are not just tolerated, but embraced?
The Leader’s Journey: A Commitment to Growth
As a mentor once told Thanh, “Leaders are learners.” This idea underscores the continuous nature of personal and professional development. Sabrina embodies this, committing to confronting uncomfortable life experiences and constantly seeking out new resources for learning. Her recent decision to join an in-person singing class and play in a band, despite a long-standing fear of live performance, is a powerful example of facing discomfort head-on. She views life’s challenges as opportunities to reflect, learn, and grow.
For Sabrina, learning extends to personal therapy, somatic work, energy work, and learning from other coaches. It’s about designing her own curriculum for lifelong growth. Thanh echoed this, emphasizing the importance of investing in learning, whether through books, courses, or other forms of development. It’s a vote with your money, a commitment to continuous improvement.
So, what encouraging words does Sabrina have for aspiring or current leaders looking to climb the ladder and move up in life? “The time is now.” Don’t wait for the perfect moment or the next big project. If you have a desire or a dream, start a minimum viable product (MVP) version of it today. Ask for advice, network with people in positions you aspire to, and take consistent action. The only difference between those who create the lives they want and those who don’t is action. Even one small step every day, like reading a book or talking to a friend, adds up over time. Don’t wait. Start now.
