How to Be a Confident Leader Without Experience

Nobody teaches you how to be a confident leader without experience. You get the title, the new direct reports, and the expectation that you already know what you are doing. You do not, and that is normal. Carrie Missele knows that gap firsthand. She is the managing partner of Project Violet and has spent more than twenty years building talent strategies and coaching leaders at every stage of their careers. On this episode of Adulting101 Masterclass, host Heather Redisch sits down with Carrie to unpack the leadership skills for Gen Z employees that often get overlooked when someone steps into management for the first time. Carrie explains why she blames one generation for the leadership model many new managers are rejecting, along with what it takes to build a leadership style people actually want to follow. She also shares how young professionals can use AI at work without waiting for their company to teach them first, and why treating AI as a shortcut instead of a thinking partner can backfire. Heather and Carrie also talk through first-time manager advice for job interviews, including how to answer questions about your weaknesses and why building AI skills can work in your favor. For anyone looking for new manager confidence tips that go beyond generic advice, this conversation offers a practical place to start. Press play to hear how Carrie helps rising leaders build the skills, judgment, and confidence to lead before they feel completely ready. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Meet Carrie Missele And Project Violet 02:18 How Heather And Carrie Became Friends 04:30 Carrie's Path From Sales To Leadership 09:10 How To Be A Confident Leader Without Experience 11:50 Why Gen Z Hesitates To Lead 15:47 Inside Leadership Lab And Its Community 20:15 Gen Z's Cautious Relationship With AI 27:18 Reframing AI As An Interview Strength 30:43 Rethinking College Guardrails Around AI 34:31 Why Human Connection Still Wins Connect with Carrie Missele:   / carrie-missele-26a0162   Visit the Project Violet website: https://www.projectviolet.com/ Connect with Heather Redisch: Visit the Adulting101 Masterclass website: http://www.adulting101masterclass.com   / adulting101_masterclass   Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm