Your excuse to binge Pop Star Academy
Helloooooo, live from my couch
In Transit is leadership inspo for women going places:
literally, figuratively, and most importantly, actually.
I'm not going to lie to you. I'm writing this Wednesday morning from my couch because I'm ADDICTED to Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on Netflix.
Genuinely cannot stop watching. I told myself "just one more episode" at 8pm last night and suddenly it was 10pm—which for me is basically the middle of the night. And I couldn't help but extract leadership lessons from a show about forming a girl group.
Typical.
If you haven't watched it, the show follows the creation of KATSEYE (you know, the girl group that sings “Touch” and “Gabriela” and the ones from that Gap ad! ) using the k-pop training method. And as usual, it's given me more clarity on leadership than half the business books gathering dust on my shelf.
Not all of the leadership choices in this show are solid. At one point, the execs lie to the girls to “create drama" which leads to feelings of betrayal. It sometimes gave Hunger Games and/or Squid Game vibes. (Shout out to Lexie for calling them out) BUT, there are some positive takeaways.
First: Collective leadership is the point
What really got me thinking about leadership was when the execs forming the group said, not everyone needs to be the strongest singer. Not everyone needs to be an incredible dancer or have that undeniable star power. What matters is that together, they're whole.
They complement each other. They create something bigger than any one of them could alone.
And somewhere between episodes 3 and 4 (don't ask), I was like YASSS, this is it! This is collective leadership - the idea that leadership is a shared, collaborative process. So whyyyyyy are we STILL not talking about it this way in the real world?!
We treat leadership like a solo sport. And for women especially, we've been drowning in this myth that we can "have it all" and that we all have “the same 24 hours in a day” which reinforces the narrative that we can and should be able to do it all ourselves.
Can we please bury these ideas for good!?
Because here's what's actually true: Anyone who does have it all? Has a team. Even the leaders we romanticize as solo geniuses weren't doing it alone. Everyone knows Martha Stewart, but how many people know Sharon Patrick, her business partner and CEO who helped build Martha Stewart Living into an empire? Martha literally called her "the other half of my brain."
The real power move isn't doing everything yourself. It's knowing your strengths, being honest about your gaps, and building around them.
Second: Feedback is non-negotiable (even when it's brutal)
The other thing these execs do? They give brutal feedback. Like, I gasped, brutal.
But every single person who made it through credits that harsh feedback as essential to their growth. They wouldn't be where they are without it.
Which is an uncomfortable reminder that even though giving feedback is HARD, it's non-negotiable for growth.
A client and I just worked through this. She had difficult feedback she has to deliver, and we mapped out how to share it without totally crushing someone.
Here's what we landed on:
When you're giving tough feedback, you're almost always talking about identity not just actions. You're challenging how someone sees themselves. So you're not just correcting what they did; you're challenging how they think about who they are.
So how do you challenge someone's identity and help them grow without absolutely crushing them?
1. Share specific examples: You're challenging their reality, so paint the reality you're seeing. Vague feedback creates anxiety
2. Talk about the positives too: Not the feedback sandwich, but genuinely. They aren't all bad. Acknowledge that.
3. Be timely: The sooner you address it, the less it becomes who they are versus what they did.
4. Explain the why: Connect it to what they want. Their goals, their growth. Not your frustration.
5. Create a path forward: Show them how to fix it. Give them the roadmap and support.
Third: Self-awareness > grinding
One of the girls decides to leave (don't worry, no spoilers). Not because she couldn't make it, but because she realized it wasn't for her.
We have all this pressure to chase what we've "always dreamed of" and grind until we reach the top. We give people such a bad rap for walking away from something they've worked hard for.
But as we learn and grow, sometimes we realize something just isn't for us. And that's not failure. That's self-awareness.
Knowing what you don't want is just as valuable as knowing what you do.
So there you have it: three lessons from a reality show about forming a girl group.
Build your team.
Give the hard feedback.
And know when something isn't your thing.
Let's go, girls.
XOXO
Kelsey