Getting to Know Your ‘Inner Cast’ - And Who’s Really in Charge

Ever noticed a swirl of inner voices? One part of you is excited about trying something new. Another part is catastrophising. A third wants a snack and a nap. Welcome to being human.

If that sounds familiar, there’s nothing wrong with you - you’re simply hosting a very lively inner team.

In coaching, we often explore this through the lens of Parts Work - a way of seeing yourself not as one fixed identity, but as a beautifully layered orchestra of different inner selves. It’s less about “fixing” and more about meeting these parts with curiosity, compassion, and the occasional firm word.

There’s a kind of saboteur. You probably know them well. They tend to speak up just as you’re about to do something bold:
“You’re not ready.”
“You’ll look ridiculous.”
“Best stick to what you know.”

They mean well, honestly. Their job is to protect you. Usually, they were formed at a time when staying safe mattered more than self-expression. They’re a bit outdated now, like a well-meaning but overbearing aunt who still thinks you’re twelve.

Then there’s one that might feel like an ally - is may be quieter, but no less important. It might show up as a gut feeling, a nudge of encouragement, a flash of clarity. Sometimes it gets drowned out by the noise (or saboteur even) of fear and busyness, but when you do hear it, iIt’s solid gold.

And then there’s the Inner Leader. This is the part of you that holds the whole - the wisest voice in the room. The one who sees the bigger picture, understands the context, and leads with integrity. It’s not about being loud or forceful. It’s about presence. When your Inner Leader speaks, it doesn’t shout. It lands.

The magic of Parts Work is that it doesn’t pathologise these different voices - it simply gives them names, listens to what they need, and brings the system back into conversation so we can change our relationship with them - which is super helpful in navigating the way forward for ourselves.

Here’s how this looked for a client of mine recently. Let’s call her Ellie. Ellie was contemplating a career pivot but kept stalling. She’d get excited, then panic. Cue one of her saboteurs: “You’ll lose your credibility.” “You’re too old to start again.” So we invited this saboteur in. Not to banish it, but to ask: What are you trying to protect Ellie from?

It turned out, it wasn’t failure the saboteur feared. It was shame, disappointment. The “I told you so” from voices past. And once that part felt heard - properly heard - another voice could emerge, an ally. She reminded Ellie that she’d reinvented herself before. That she was resilient. That nothing about this next step needed to be all or nothing.

From there, the Inner Leader stepped in - gently, powerfully. She didn’t offer guarantees, but she offered grounded direction: one step at a time. Start where you are. Trust the process. Breathe.

This is the heart of Parts Work - it brings the whole of you back online.

Because when we stop waging war on ourselves, something surprising happens: we feel stronger. Clearer. More compassionate.

So if you’ve got a cast of characters inside your head? Don’t panic. That’s not madness. That’s being human.

And next time the Saboteur pipes up, you might just say:

“Thanks for your concern. I see you. But you’re not driving today.” Because my Inner Leader’s got this.