Internal Family Systems: Who Inside You Is Making The Decision?
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
Who’s actually driving your decisions at work? Your calm inner leader, or a stressed-out protector trying to keep you safe?
In this episode we sit down with Reverend Dr Celeste Labak, executive coach, chaplain, leadership consultant, and certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, to map the inner voices that shape how we lead, negotiate, and set boundaries.
Celeste also shares her lived experience as neurodivergent and autistic, a breast cancer survivor, and a longtime leader working at the intersection of identity, conflict, and organizational dynamics.
We get practical about “parts” like the achiever, perfectionist, people pleaser, procrastinator, and inner critic, and why these patterns are not character flaws. Using IFS therapy concepts in plain language, we talk about unblending, the small shift from “I’m a perfectionist” to “a part of me wants this perfect,” and how that creates real space to choose your next move.
You’ll hear how to tell when ambition aligns with your values versus when productivity becomes the measure of your worth, plus how people pleasing shows up in salary negotiations, promotions, and hard conversations.
Celeste also breaks down why perfectionism and procrastination often lock into a tug-of-war, how to respond to imposter syndrome without arguing with yourself, and what self-led leadership looks like when you’re triggered by family dynamics or workplace power.
Guest Bio
Celeste Lebak is an executive coach, leadership consultant, chaplain, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner who helps leaders understand the internal dynamics that shape decision-making, confidence, burnout, conflict, and sustainable success. Drawing from more than two decades of experience in leadership development, organizational culture, spiritual care, and adult learning, Celeste works with executives, entrepreneurs, clergy, and helping professionals to develop greater self-leadership and resilience in complex environments. Her approach integrates Internal Family Systems, restorative justice, chaplaincy, coaching, and organizational systems thinking. Celeste is the Founder and Executive Director of the Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma and is the founder and Program Director of the Inner Sanctuary Institute whose mission is to heal the separation between mental and spiritual health. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, certified IFS practitioner, and chaplain educator whose work explores the intersection of leadership, human development, meaning-making, and organizational health. A sought-after speaker and facilitator, Celeste is passionate about helping people move beyond perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and burnout by understanding the different internal voices that influence their choices. Her work offers practical tools for creating healthier relationships with ourselves, our work, and the people we lead. Celeste lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with her wife, Bonnie, their daughter, Beckett, their Standard Poodle Frenchie and an ever-growing collection of books, ideas, and in process writing projects. Connect with Celeste on Linkedin
Resources
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