The Vertical Climb

Episodes

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  The Vertical Climb 1.1 | Who Are You Without the Title? | Sandra Viljoen 22.10.2026 1h 8m

  Leadership is not simply about what we do. It is about who we become.In the first episode of The Vertical Climb, Sandra Viljoen, Managing Director of New Beginnings Coaching, shares the story behind the podcast: the hardest decision of her life, losing the title she thought was her identity, and the long climb back to herself that became New Beginnings.She opens up about the "good girl" who lived to please, the drop from "role model to toilet roll", and the shadow of needing to be needed. She explains the four methodologies behind her Systemic Development Framework, and why years of training organisations led her to one conclusion: every business problem is a leadership problem.Also in this episode: the three directors who avoided one honest conversation, the CEO who couldn't find 10 minutes in the shower for himself, and why, in the age of AI, our consciousness may be the one thing machines can't replace.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to The Vertical Climb01:17 Meet Sandra & the Systemic Development Framework03:27 Where did Sandra's evolution start?05:55 The hardest decision I ever made12:01 Starting over: who am I without the title?15:16 The doctor who changed everything & how New Beginnings began21:30 From role model to toilet roll23:28 The need to be needed: meeting my shadow26:07 The four methodologies, starting with Neuro-Semantics29:12 The Enneagram & the jacket we wear34:16 Persona vs essence37:38 Why growth takes you to dark places39:41 "We can never do, we can only become"40:32 Systemic team coaching & vertical development42:40 Why training doesn't stick: every business problem is a leadership problem44:41 Why leaders blame the system47:22 Three directors & the conversation they avoided53:13 Image management at work and at home55:28 The CEO and the 10-minute shower57:57 Why evolving matters in the age of AI1:00:21 Fleas in a jar: breaking out of cultural limits1:03:44 The seven portals of awareness1:05:27 What's next for The Vertical ClimbABOUT THE VERTICAL CLIMBA podcast about the inner journey of leadership: honest conversations with CEOs, business leaders, HR professionals and coaches about the moments and beliefs that shaped the people behind the titles.Season One: Conscious and Systemic LeadershipNext episode: 1.2, The 7 Portals of Personal GrowthWatch the full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QVk4B34jkdMABOUT NEW BEGINNINGS & SYSTEMIC DEVELOPMENTThe Vertical Climb is produced by New Beginnings, a Mauritius-based practice specialising in systemic leadership development and executive coaching for leaders and teams. Its Systemic Development Framework helps CEOs, executive teams and HR leaders transform leadership and culture, starting at the top and cascading through the organisation, across four pillars: Self-Mastery, Relational Mastery, Leadership Mastery and Systemic Integration. Because it's not systemic if you don't develop yourself first.🌐︎ The Vertical Climb: www.theverticalclimb.com🌐︎ New Beginnings Coaching: www.newb.mu🌐︎ Systemic Development: www.systemicdevelopment.com