Sarah explores what it really means to be a resilient leader in a world of constant change, uncertainty, and competing demands. From navigating restructures and shifting expectations to managing your own wellbeing while supporting your team - resilience is no longer optional, it’s essential.

You’ll learn three powerful practices to strengthen your emotional resilience, adopt a more adaptive mindset, and lead with empathy, even when everything around you feels unpredictable. Sarah also shares real client stories that show you’re not alone in facing decision fatigue, change fatigue, and the pressures of leadership.

If you're ready to stay steady, centred, and impactful no matter what’s happening around you, this episode will support you in putting your own oxygen mask on first so you can lead with clarity and confidence.

01:00 – Today’s Topic: Navigating Change & Uncertainty

Why resilience matters more than ever in the modern workplace.

02:00 – From VUCA to BANI

Introducing the BANI framework - brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible - why it feels even more unsettling than VUCA, and what it means for leaders today.

04:00 – The Leadership Pressure Cooker

Balancing your own wellbeing while supporting your team, dealing with shifting demands, and why uncertainty affects everyone.

05:00 – Client Story #1: The CMO in Constant Change

How one leader navigated restructures, rebrands, and an exhausted team—while integrating enthusiastic new hires.

06:30 – Client Story #2: Leading Under a Changeable CEO

Handling unclear priorities, changing direction, and decision fatigue while trying to deliver major projects.

07:30 – You’re Not Alone

Why so many leaders feel overwhelmed and how shared experience can help.

Three Foundations of Resilient Leadership

08:00 – 1. Emotional Resilience

Why responding rather than reacting matters, and the power of a simple pause practice.

08:30 – The Pause Practice Explained

Using breath to regulate your nervous system and make better decisions—even in high-pressure moments.

09:30 – Practical Examples

How to use pause techniques before senior meetings, tricky conversations, or urgent decisions.

10:00 – 2. Cultivating an Adaptive Mindset

How resilient leaders see uncertainty as an opportunity for growth.

10:30 – Reframing Your Self-Talk

Shifting from “Why me?” to “What can I learn here?” and why this conscious mindset shift matters.

11:30 – 3. Leading with Empathy & Connection

How to anchor your team during uncertainty without feeling like you must have all the answers.

12:00 – A Powerful Question for Your Team

“What do you need from me right now?” — and why this creates agency, clarity, and calm.

12:30 – Using the Question for Yourself

Applying the same reflection to your own support and wellbeing.

13:00 – Bringing It All Together

Sarah recaps the three strategies and invites listeners to reflect on which one resonates most.

13:40 – A Final Reminder

You don’t need to be perfect - you just need to stay grounded, compassionate, and willing to support yourself first.

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In this episode Sarah explores one of the most overlooked yet transformational leadership skills: self-compassion. So many ambitious women lead with empathy for others but are relentlessly hard on themselves. Sarah breaks down why self-compassion isn’t soft or indulgent - it’s a strategic leadership advantage.

If you’ve ever felt “not good enough,” replayed mistakes, or pushed yourself to burnout levels, this episode will help you shift into a kinder, more effective, and more sustainable leadership style.

What You’ll Learn

• What self-compassion really is (and isn’t)
• The three pillars of self-compassion
• How your inner critic gets in the way of leadership effectiveness
• Simple techniques to create a more compassionate internal dialogue
• How self-compassion improves team performance, resilience, and confidence
• A weekly practice to start becoming a more self-compassionate leader

Show Notes

01:00 – Why Feeling “Stuck” Happens at Every Level

Normalising self-doubt and imposter feelings — even for senior leaders.

02:00 – Today’s Topic: Are You a Self-Compassionate Leader?

Why self-compassion matters and how it affects leadership performance.

02:30 – How High-Achieving Women Talk to Themselves

Common phrases Sarah hears from clients and the toll this negative self-talk takes.

03:00 – A Client Story: The Compassionate Leader Who Was Brutal with Herself

A powerful example from a senior tech leader who created a safe, high-performing team — but silently battled her inner critic.

04:00 – Consequences of an Unmanaged Inner Critic

Burnout, indecision, perfectionism, and career self-sabotage.

04:45 – Why We Don’t Notice Our Inner Critic

Understanding how long-held thought patterns become automatic.

05:00 – Why We Don’t Need to “Eliminate” the Inner Critic

Its protective role — and why the goal is to develop an inner coach instead.

05:40 – Introducing a Self-Compassion Practice

How compassion builds the foundation for managing fear-based self-talk.

06:00 – The Research: Why Self-Compassion Is a Strength

Resilience, emotional intelligence, stress reduction — and why kindness is strategic.

06:40 – The Three Pillars of Self-Compassion

1. Self-kindness over self-judgment
2. Common humanity over isolation
3. Mindfulness over over-identification

07:20 – How Over-Identification Fuels Rumination

Why noticing your thoughts is more powerful than believing them.

08:00 – Technique 1: Awareness & Noticing Your Inner Critic

How to identify triggers and write down the language you use with yourself.

09:00 – Technique 2: What Would You Say to a Friend?

Reframing your self-talk with compassion and perspective.

09:40 – Technique 3: Reframing Critical Thoughts

Turning “I failed” into “I’m learning” — without damaging your sense of self.

10:30 – Technique 4: A Micro Self-Compassion Check-In

A moment to breathe, acknowledge difficulty, and ask: What do I need right now?

11:00 – Using Tone & Touch to Soothe the Nervous System

How gentle tone, a self-hug, or hand-stroking can reduce stress.

12:00 – Bringing It All Together

A summary of the steps and how to blend them into daily leadership.

12:40 – Weekly Reflection Questions

Where does your inner critic show up? What triggers it? What’s one act of self-compassion you can choose this...

In this episode, Sarah dives into one of the biggest challenges many female leaders face: visibility. Whether you want to create more impact in your organisation, develop your personal leadership brand, or open the door to new opportunities, LinkedIn is a powerful tool to help you get seen, heard and recognised.

Sarah breaks down how to use LinkedIn with confidence and authenticity, offering practical tips, mindset shifts and real-life client examples to make visibility feel achievable-not awkward. If you’re ready to elevate your leadership presence online, this episode will give you a clear pathway to start.

01:00 – The Purpose of Today’s Episode

Why visibility matters for leaders and why LinkedIn is one of the most effective platforms to build your leadership presence.

02:00 – Why Visibility Feels Hard

How conditioning around humility, not wanting to “show off,” and fear of judgement holds many women back.

03:00 – Visibility Beyond Job Searching

Why LinkedIn shouldn’t only be used when job hunting-and how it supports long-term career strategy, influence and recognition.

04:00 – Client Success Story

How a senior marketing manager used her leadership brand and consistent LinkedIn engagement to grow her confidence, get noticed internally and step into a Head of Department role.

05:00 – Starting with Your Personal Leadership Brand

Understanding who you are as a leader, what you stand for and how you want to be known.

07:00 – Using Your Voice on LinkedIn

How to share insights, lessons learned and thought leadership—beyond simply posting achievements.

08:00 – Telling Your Leadership Story

Making your experience useful to others, choosing what to share and linking it to your values.

09:00 – Communicating Your Passions & Strengths

Highlighting topics that matter to you-such as inclusion, wellbeing, innovation and positioning yourself as the “go-to” person.

10:00 – Noticing Resistance & Mindset Barriers

Why caring about visibility can feel uncomfortable, and how to recognise mindset blocks that may need reframing.

11:00 – A Key Question to Ask Yourself

“If someone landed on your LinkedIn profile today, would they know what kind of leader you are?”

12:00 – Practical LinkedIn Profile Optimisation

Auditing your banner, photo, headline, About section and recommendations to ensure they reflect your leadership brand.

14:00 – Posting & Engagement Strategy

Starting from your current comfort level—whether that’s liking, commenting or posting—and stretching gradually.

15:00 – Being Strategic With Your Network

Connecting intentionally with peers, industry leaders and potential future hiring managers.

16:00 – What to Post

Using visuals, carousels, shared content and storytelling to create engagement and spark conversation.

17:00 – Engagement as a Two-Way Street

Replying to comments, uplifting others, tagging people and sharing others’ work to build visibility and community.

18:00 – Your Weekly Action

Choosing one small, doable action to increase your visibility this week.

19:00 – Closing Thoughts & Resources

A reminder that visibility isn’t about showing off-it’s about sharing your impact authentically and helping others. Plus, access to free resources and a call to subscribe, review and share.

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