In today's episode, we reflect back on 2023 and answer some powerful journaling prompts so that you start 2024 the right way. I encourage you to delve deep and answer questions about your experiences and your aspirations for next year. I share my own answers and insights too. So grab your favourite notebook, a cosy blanket, and a warm drink, and let's dive into this reflective episode to set the tone for a brilliant 2024. In this episode I cover: Reflecting back on the last year. Take the...

  Is midlife making you wonder what to do next or are you suffering from ageism at work? Listen to this captivating conversation with me and Dr Lucy Ryan, inspired by her book "Revolting Women, Why Midlife Women Are Walking Out." We delve deep into the impact of gendered ageism, the many challenges faced by midlife women, and why many are leaving the workforce.   In our conversation, we cover:  The challenges faced by midlife women, including the collision of events such as...

Welcome to the latest episode of the Influence and Impact Podcast for female leaders! In this episode Managing Managers with Confidence, we dive into the unique challenges and strategies involved in leading leaders, whether you're new to a leadership role or have been leading managers for a while.    In this episode I cover…    How to recognise that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing and leading.   Encouraging open conversations about different management...

Welcome back to another episode of the Influence and Impact Podcast. Today we're diving into a topic that many of us struggle with: saying yes to things we don't really want to do. As female leaders, we often find ourselves taking on tasks that aren't our responsibility, and it's time to put a stop to it. I’ll be sharing strategies and practical tips to help you reclaim your time and energy by breaking free from the Yes trap.   We will explore the reasons behind our tendency to say yes when...

Is the joy being sucked from your working day by energy drains? Tune into this episode to learn how to deal with energy vampires. I share how a strong mindset and powerful boundaries can overcome difficult interactions and situations at work. As female leaders, we often find ourselves feeling exhausted and drained after certain meetings and conversations. But fear not, because in this episode, I’ll provide you with valuable insights and strategies to protect and preserve your energy. Have...

If you are feeling stuck in your career you’ll be pleased to hear that there is now a framework you can use to identify the steps you can take to move towards career fulfilment.  This framework was created by my guest on this podcast, Dr Hannah Roberts, author of Intentional Careers for STEM Women. In our conversation we cover… -        What it means to have an intentional career rather than an unconscious career -        The ‘proving’ cycle many of us get stuck in when we start a job ...

Collaboration is an essential part of working life – we have to work alongside others to succeed in our role.  So I was fascinated to come across Deb Mashek’s book, “Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone” We’ve all experienced tension at work and felt the joy of being in a good team.  In this episode Deb and I discuss: -        What collaboration is and why it matters -        How and why it sometimes goes wrong ...

Is Autumn already feeling a bit overwhelming as everything kicks into action after the summer?  If so then this is the episode you need right now. My guest Julia Wolfendale and I discuss the strategies she shares in her book ‘Five Ways to Focus’.  We talk about: -        How you can find focus when you need it most -        How to handle distractions -        Julia’s top ways to get organised -        How to effectively prioritise and delegate Resources: Julia has kindly shared...

There are these unspoken rules about the world of work that most of us buy into without questioning.  One of those rules is that we don’t say no to our line manager or disagree with senior stakeholders.  As a result, people end up frustrated, overworked, and demotivated because they’ve never learnt how to challenge the thinking of senior stakeholders without challenging their authority.  They’ve never learnt how to speak truth to power. In this episode of the Influence & Impact for...

This week’s episode of the Influence & Impact podcast for female leaders is all about gravitas.  What is it?  What do we need it for?  And how do we have gravitas when we need it most? Gravitas used to be a requirement for leadership, back in the days when leadership was about telling others what to do.  It is defined as dignity, seriousness or being solemn of manner.  Leadership has evolved since then and women no longer need to act like old men in grey suits to be taken seriously as...

This is part two of my series on perfectionism and overworking and in this episode, I share with you 6 practical strategies you can start using today to help you become successful without breaking yourself in the process. If you want to adopt a more sustainable and enjoyable way of working yet still get great results this episode is for you. I share: -        How you can be a high achiever without being a perfectionist -        Why perfectionism is not actually the reason you are...

For years I thought that I was doing well in my career because I worked so hard and held myself to such high standards.  Then I realised that those strategies were actually causing as much harm as they were good.  I coach a lot of high achieving women, at all levels and perfectionism in its various guises, crops up all the time.  Often it looks like overworking, trying to be in control of everything in your life, procrastinating and fear of failure.  In this episode I’d like to help you to...

We all want to be inclusive but we don’t always know exactly how to embed that into our teams and our everyday activities.  My guest Catherine Garrod tackles exactly that in her book ‘Conscious Inclusion: How to ‘do’ EDI one decision at time’ and in this episode we discuss some really practical ways to be more inclusive. You’ll learn: -        How you can encourage respectful disagreement (and why you’ll want to) -        A great model for gathering feedback in a meeting -        How...

I remember a period of time when I felt a lot of frustration at work.  Frustrated with decisions being made, with an obstructive colleague I had to work with and with my inability to influence change.  It turns out I was not alone.  A recent report from Gallup shared that 19% of Brits feel angry frequently at work and 38% report feeling stressed a lot of the time. In this week’s episode I share one simple shift I made that makes it easier to navigate internal politics. So if you’d like to...

If you’re thinking about moving into a Director role or are new in your Director role this straight taking conversation will give you some insights to prepare you. I talk to listener Gabi Field about her experience stepping up to Director level in an interim capacity and what she learnt from it.  We discuss… -        How you know you’re ready to step up to Director level -        How imposter feelings crop up as you step out of your comfort zone -        How you learn to think at an...

How do you react under extreme stress?  Do you find yourself over-functioning or under-functioning?  This is just one of the areas I explore with author and coach Lara Cullen on our episode on resilience this week.  We also discuss… -        Lara’s definition of resilience and why we both hate the term ‘mental toughness’ -        The qualities of resilient people -        How you can use energy, mindset and strategies to become more resilient -        How understanding resilience can...

I spend a lot of time coaching women around confidence, giving them tools to build their confidence and shining a light on the role gender bias plays in making us doubt ourselves.  But confidence issues often start a long time before women enter the workplace and the pressure that girls face today thanks to social media is huge. In this episode I interview Laura Sercombe, the inspiring CEO of GFS (Girl’s Friendly Society), a charity that works with girls to inspire and empower them to live...

Up to 50% of people have introverted tendencies yet meetings are still designed in a way that doesn’t allow them to contribute effectively.  In this episode I’m talking to Emma Taggart, a leadership and career coach for introverted leaders about what introverts bring to the workplace and leadership, how to have confidence as an introvert and how we can run meetings in a more inclusive and effective way. It's a super practical conversation that I highly recommend, whether you recognise your...

This is the episode I wish I’d heard when I was in my first few years of managing people and teams.  It would have made my life so much easier. In this episode I cover: -        How to claim the authority that comes with your role -        My favourite tool for going into challenging conversations with confidence -        Why it is important to set expectations and hold people accountable -        Why your team’s happiness is not down to you Please do share this episode with any...

Do you find yourself feeling tongue-tied and inarticulate when under pressure?  Do you feel stress every time your email or phones flashes up with a certain person calling?  Are you able to calmly respond in those situations or are you reacting?  In this episode I’m going to share what’s going on when you’re reacting and how to respond calmly and powerfully. In this episode I cover: -        The importance of knowing your stress response and what triggers it -        My favourite tools...

When I read the Careers After Babies report I knew we had to talk about it on the podcast.  The stories and statistics within it show the stark reality of how many women’s careers are impacted by motherhood.  It’s a must read for anyone in the workplace who has children, wants to have children or wants to be a leader or employer that supports working parents. I’m joined by guest Jess Heagren, author of the Careers After Babies report to discuss its findings and what we can do to improve...

Ep 130 Show Notes: Understanding the Authority Gap with Mary Ann Sieghart I’ve republished this episode as it is the perfect episode for International Women’s Day 2023. It has received more feedback than any other episode and for good reason. Mary Ann is the author of the best-selling book The Authority Gap: Why We Still Take Women Less Seriously Than Men, a BBC Radio 4 presenter, speaker and advocate for women’s equality in the workplace. We discuss: The impact of the book The...

I’ve republished the most shared episode of last year for International Women’s Day 2023 and I’d encourage you to share it with your colleagues, whatever their gender. Men can be really powerful allies for gender equality in the workplace. This episode shares some practical ways men can support the women they work with. Listen for: Why gender equality matters in the workplace The different stages of allyship What men can do as colleagues to promote gender equality in their...

Gender bias in workplace feedback is a pervasive and often overlooked issue, with many women in the workplace receiving feedback that can hinder their professional development and advancement.   Recent studies have found that negative personality-based reviews are up to 76% more likely to occur in women's reviews, compared to only 2% in men's reviews. In addition, men are more likely to receive actionable feedback that prepares them for leadership roles, while women tend to receive...

Ever sat in a meeting with a contribution to make but talked yourself out of it only to hear someone else make it later?   In this episode I explore what we can find it hard to speak up in meetings and share some practical steps you can take to contribute more confidently in meetings.    We’ll be exploring the role your Inner Critic and unhelpful beliefs can play, how your thinking style impacts your ability to speak up and recognising that not all rooms are safe to speak up in.   ...