From Individual Contributor to Confident Leader with Tara Landes

The Promotion That Changes Everything

I’ll never forget the moment I became a manager.

Fresh off maternity leave, still adjusting to life with a newborn, I suddenly found myself leading a team of engineers—without any real training on how to lead people.

If you’ve ever been there, you know that sinking feeling:

you’ve worked so hard to get promoted… but now you’re wondering if you’re cut out for it.

This is exactly the kind of moment we unpack in the latest episode of From a Woman to a Leader—with my guest, Tara Landes, founder of Bellrock, a management consulting firm that helps leaders build high-performing teams and lasting change.

💡 Why Leadership Feels So Different

Tara knows firsthand how jarring that first leadership role can be. She shared a story about being 26 and managing someone twice her age—

and how everything that made her great at her job suddenly didn’t help at all.

Her words stuck with me:

“Your job as a manager isn’t to be the smartest person in the room—it’s to make others smarter.”

That line captures it perfectly.

The shift from doing to leading isn’t about your technical skills anymore—it’s about helping others succeed.

🌱 The Mindset Shift Every New Leader Needs

One of the biggest insights Tara shared was that most people are promoted for their technical excellence, not their leadership readiness.

That means when you step into management, you’re learning an entirely new profession.

We talked about how to know if management is really right for you—and what to do if you realize it’s not.

Tara explained that great leaders aren’t born; they’re built through practice, reflection, and the willingness to handle difficult conversations with empathy and courage.

💬 From Being Liked to Being Respected

I opened up in the episode about my own struggle with wanting to be liked.

As a new manager, I thought being everyone’s favorite was the goal.

But Tara reminded us that leadership isn’t about popularity—it’s about purpose.

Respect comes from clarity, fairness, and care, not from saying “yes” to everything.

If you’re constantly trying to be liked, you’ll end up drained and frustrated.

If you focus instead on helping your team grow, you’ll earn the kind of respect that lasts.

⚡ The Hard Conversations That Build Trust

Tara and I also explored one of the hardest parts of management: feedback.

Why does it feel so uncomfortable to give?

Because we confuse feedback with criticism.

Tara reframed it beautifully: feedback is an act of care.

It’s what helps people see what they can’t see themselves.

And as leaders, it’s one of the greatest gifts we can give.

💖 What This Episode Is Really About

This conversation is for anyone who’s ever sat in a new role thinking:

“I should have it all figured out by now.”

You don’t.

And that’s okay.

Leadership isn’t about knowing everything—it’s about learning faster, listening deeper, and serving your team better.

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from individual contributor to confident leader, this episode will inspire and equip you with the mindset and tools to make that leap.

👉 Listen now on my podcast hub:

https://limorbergman.com/podcast/

Or watch the full conversation on YouTube:

🎥 https://youtu.be/WqkBBgM16vM

👩‍💼 About Tara Landes

Tara Landes is the founder of Bellrock, a Canadian management consulting firm that helps business leaders solve their toughest problems and implement lasting organizational change.

With over 25 years of experience, Tara has worked with more than 300 business owners and led over 950 graduates through Bellrock’s management training programs.

She combines best practices from psychology and business management to help leaders overcome inertia and achieve meaningful, measurable results.

Tara holds an MBA from the Ivey Business School, is a Certified Change Management Practitioner (PROSCI), and a Licensed Influence Trainer with The Cialdini Institute.

A sought-after speaker, she’s delivered nearly 100 impactful presentations to organizations including TEC Canada, Engineers and Geoscientists of BC, and Chartered Professionals in Human Resources BC & Yukon.

🔗 Connect with Tara:

🌐 Website: https://bellrock.ca/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taralandes/