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.

Useful Links

In this episode Sarah explores the subtle yet powerful ways imposter feelings show up for high-achieving women-often without them realising. From overthinking to perfectionism to holding back in meetings, Sarah breaks down eight common patterns she sees in her clients and shares a simple but effective mindset tool you can start using today. If imposter feelings have been draining your confidence, energy, or ambition, this episode will help you recognise the signs and take your first steps toward breaking free.

[00:00:00] – Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable

[00:01:00] – Why Imposter Feelings Matter

The hidden ways imposter feelings show up for successful women. Inspired by a recent LinkedIn poll, she highlights overthinking and self-doubt as the two most common manifestations.

[00:02:00] – Awareness Is Step One

Imposter feelings are sneaky, often long-established patterns. Sarah explains why becoming aware of how they show up is crucial before you can change them.

[00:02:30] – Webinar Announcement

Sarah invites listeners to her upcoming webinar: How to Break Free From Imposter Syndrome and Shine as a Leader (25th November).

[00:03:00] – Imposter Feelings in Practice

Sarah shares how imposter feelings affected her early leadership career-leading to over-preparation, comparison, anxiety, and eventually burnout.

[00:04:00] – What Imposter Feelings Really Are

She reframes “imposter syndrome” as “imposter feelings” and describes them as a psychological pattern-not a personal flaw. Patterns can be changed.

[00:05:30] – The 8 Hidden Ways Imposter Feelings Show Up

Sarah introduces eight subtle but common behaviours driven by imposter feelings.

The 8 Hidden Ways Imposter Feelings Show Up

1. [00:06:00] Over-Preparation / Perfectionism

Feeling you must deliver perfectly, leading to burnout, procrastination, and risk-aversion.

2. [00:07:00] Downplaying Achievements

Attributing success to luck or others, which diminishes your visibility and value in the eyes of others.

3. [00:07:30] Holding Back Opinions

Staying silent in meetings to avoid being wrong-reducing influence and visibility.

4. [00:08:00] Avoiding Visibility

Turning down opportunities that stretch you, limiting growth and career progression.

5. [00:09:00] Over-Apologising

Using apologetic language unnecessarily, which can reduce perceived confidence.

6. [00:09:30] Comparisonitis

Measuring your success against others rather than your own criteria, distracting from your own growth.

7. [00:10:00] Second-Guessing & Overthinking

Overthinking minor or major decisions, causing procrastination, missed opportunities, and decision fatigue.

8. [00:11:00] Taking On Too Much

Saying yes to everything or micromanaging to “prove yourself,” often resulting in burnout and appearing less strategic.

[00:12:30] – The Fear of Changing What “Works”

Sarah acknowledges the fear many women have: If I stop doing these behaviours, will I still be successful? She explains why the answer is yes and how letting go can unlock more effective leadership.

[00:13:00] – Mini Mindset Exercise: Naming Your Inner Critic

Sarah shares a practical technique for bringing the unconscious “imposter voice” into awareness:

1. Name your inner critic to separate it from your identity.
2. Identify its triggers.
3. Present evidence to counter its claims.
4. Use self-reassurance

If you’ve ever found yourself holding back from going for that promotion, doubting your readiness for the next level, or replaying “what if” fears in your mind, this episode is for you. Sarah shares practical strategies, neuroscience-based insights, and mindset tools to help you stop getting in your own way so you can move forward in your leadership career with confidence and purpose.

Whether you’re ready to make a bold career move or simply want to stop second-guessing yourself, this episode will help you understand what’s behind your fears and how to take empowering action.

[00:00:00] – Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable

[00:01:00] – Why Self-Sabotage Happens

Sarah opens up about her own experiences with self-sabotage and how fear often lies at the root of it.

[00:02:00] – Recognising Self-Sabotage in Your Career

What it looks like when you’re getting in your own way - procrastination, overthinking, and talking yourself out of opportunities.

[00:03:00] – The Four Core Fears Behind Self-Sabotage

Fear of change, failure, making the wrong decision, and fear of what others might think.

[00:04:00] – How Fear Keeps You Stuck

The exhausting mental cycle of wanting change but feeling paralysed by fear.

[00:05:00] – Early Beliefs and Conditioning

How messages from childhood, school, and early career shape your beliefs about what’s possible.

[00:06:00] – The Power of Other People’s Opinions

How the need to please, meet expectations, or avoid judgment can hold you back from taking bold steps.

[00:06:45] – The Role of Circumstances and Security

Why financial or family responsibilities can heighten your fears about making a change.

[00:07:00] – Step 1: Understand Your Fears

How unpacking where your fears come from helps you manage and move through them.

[00:07:20] – Step 2: Visualise a Positive Future

Learn how to “direct a new movie” in your mind and why your brain responds powerfully to positive visualisation.

[00:09:00] – Step 3: Turn Your Vision Into a Plan

How to translate your positive vision into small, concrete actions that build confidence and reduce fear.

[00:10:00] – Step 4: Take Action and Build Momentum

Why taking even small steps forward helps you feel more in control and less afraid.

[00:10:30] – Step 5: Surround Yourself with Positivity

The importance of connecting with people who have a growth mindset and believe in what’s possible.

[00:11:00] – Final Reflections and Invitation

Sarah wraps up with encouragement to take action and invites listeners to reach out for support if they’re ready to stop self-sabotaging and step into leadership with confidence.

Useful Links

Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

Join The Love What You Do Facebook Group

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

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If you found this episode of Unstuck & Unstoppable helpful, please do rate and review it on Apple...

In this episode, Sarah dives into one of the biggest challenges leaders face: leadership confidence. Whether you’re leading a team, presenting to the board, or navigating new territory in your role, confidence wobbles are completely normal.

Sarah shares practical tools and mindset shifts to help you strengthen your inner confidence “core,” reframe limiting beliefs, and build an authentic leadership identity that inspires trust and impact.

[00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction

[00:02:00] The Pressure of Leadership

Leaders face constant expectations from all directions - team, boss, board, and clients. This pressure, coupled with people-pleasing tendencies or imposter feelings, can shake your confidence.

[00:04:30] Normalising the “Confidence Wobble”

Everyone, even the most confident leader, experiences self-doubt. Understand why these wobbles happen and why they’re a natural part of leadership growth.

[00:05:30] The Importance of Inner Work

Lasting leadership confidence starts within. Understand how it's comparable to building your physical core strength - once your inner foundation is strong, everything else becomes easier.

[00:06:30] What Is “Inner Work”?

Confidence grows when you understand your beliefs and stories about who you are as a leader. A client example of a Head of HR who discovered that being “too professional” was limiting her authenticity and connection at work.

[00:08:30] Understanding Limiting Beliefs

Many of our beliefs were shaped early in life or career. Understand how to spot them, why they persist, and how to reframe them to create new, empowering beliefs.

[00:09:30] Spotting Your Triggers

If something or someone keeps triggering you, it’s a clue to an underlying belief. Hear the story of a Head of Marketing who uncovered a belief about not being “sharp enough” and how awareness led to growth.

[00:11:00] Rewriting Your Leadership Narrative

Notice the stories you tell yourself - both positive and negative. Bringing these narratives into awareness allows you to rewrite them in a more confident, compassionate way.

[00:12:30] Sarah’s Own Experience

Sarah shares her personal journey of self-doubt as an HR Director and how doing her own inner work helped her lead with resilience and authenticity.

[00:13:00] The Leadership Brand Exercise

Through her Ambition Plan programme, Sarah helps clients explore their leadership brand - what they’re known for and what makes them unique. One client’s lightbulb moment revealed how her “challenging” style was actually her greatest strength.

[00:14:30] Owning Your Leadership Identity

Authenticity, self-awareness, and amplifying your unique strengths build trust and make you a more effective, confident leader.

[00:15:00] Practical Takeaways

• Notice when and why your confidence feels wobbly.
• Identify what’s triggering you and what belief might be behind it.
• Pay attention to your inner narrative — and consciously reshape it.
• Reflect on your leadership brand: what makes you unique?
• Recognise that a confidence dip might mean you’re growing as a leader.

[00:16:30] Closing Reflections

Confidence work takes courage, but you don’t have to do it alone. Sarah invites listeners to reach out for coaching support and explore her free resources.

“Remember, you’re capable of more than you know. Shine brightly. Lead boldly. And unlock the extraordinary potential within you. Be unstoppable.”

Useful Links

Do you ever feel like your own thoughts are holding you back?

In this episode Sarah explores how to turn your inner critic - the voice that fuels self-doubt and fear into your inner coach, the supportive inner voice that helps you thrive as a leader.

Sarah unpacks why this critical voice exists (spoiler: your brain’s trying to keep you safe!) and shares practical steps to quieten the self-criticism and strengthen your confidence.

You’ll learn how to recognise your inner critic, respond with compassion, and build a more empowering internal dialogue that helps you lead with clarity, courage, and calm.

[00:00:00] Welcome & Introduction

[00:01:00] Series Focus on Confidence

This episode kicks off a mini-series on confidence, exploring one of its biggest obstacles: the inner critic.

[00:02:00] The Power of the Inner Critic

How self-critical thoughts like “you’re not good enough” or “you’ll fail” affect confidence, performance, and relationships at work.

[00:03:00] Normalising the Inner Critic

Everyone has an inner critic, even confident leaders. The key difference is how we manage it.

[00:04:00] Why We Have an Inner Critic

A neuroscience perspective: the limbic brain is wired to keep us safe by scanning for risk—especially emotional risk and uses self-criticism to stop us taking action.

[00:06:00] Case Study: Toni’s Story

Sarah shares Toni’s experience, a senior leader driven by perfectionism and self-doubt, and how learning to coach herself helped prevent burnout.

[00:07:30] Step 1: Notice the Voice

Start by observing your inner critic. What does it say? When does it appear? Writing these thoughts down helps create awareness and perspective.

[00:09:00] Step 2: Recognise You Have a Choice

You can choose how you speak to yourself. Developing self-compassion is a superpower - talk to yourself as you would a close friend.

[00:10:00] Understanding the Brain’s Intention

Your critic’s goal is protection, not punishment. Acknowledge it's fear instead of fighting it.

[00:11:00] Step 3: Change the Dialogue

Learn to reframe negative thoughts into constructive self-talk. Example: turning “I can’t do that” into “How can I do that?”

[00:12:00] Real-Life Example: Reframing Burnout Fear

A client learns to thank her inner critic for trying to protect her, while reassuring it that she’s now equipped with better boundaries and resilience.

[00:13:00] Step 4: Strengthen Your Inner Coach

Amplify your supportive inner voice by gathering evidence of your strengths, achievements, and positive feedback.

[00:15:00] Tools to Boost Your Inner Coach

• Keep an achievement journal
• Practice positive self-talk and affirmations
• Surround yourself with uplifting content - books, podcasts, music, and meditation

[00:16:00] Balancing Compassion & Confidence

You don’t need to silence your inner critic, just let it relax while your inner coach takes the lead.

[00:17:00] Recap & Reflection

Sarah summarises the four steps:

1. Notice your inner critic
2. Choose compassion
3. Reframe your self-talk
4. Strengthen your inner coach

[00:18:00] Closing Message

If you’d like personalised support in developing your inner coach, reach out via careertreecoaching.co.uk.

Remember:...

In this milestone 50th episode, Sarah shares a vital episode for ambitious female leaders - how to strengthen your leadership identity. Sarah explores the invisible yet powerful biases that still affect women in leadership and reveals three practical ways to build visibility, voice, and value so you can lead with confidence, authenticity, and impact.

Plus, she announces a special competition to win a 1:1 coaching session in celebration of reaching 50 episodes!

[00:00:00] Welcome & Introduction

[00:02:15] Competition Announcement 🎉

To celebrate, Sarah invites listeners to leave a 5-star review and message her for a chance to win a free 1:1 coaching session.

[00:03:00] Why Leadership Identity Matters

Why this topic is so important for women in leadership roles.

[00:04:00] The Invisible Web of Biases

Four common biases that impact women leaders:

• Affinity bias – promoting people like ourselves
• Performance vs. potential bias – men promoted on potential, women on proof
• Double bind – being both competent and likable
• Prove-it-again bias – women must continually re-prove their competence

[00:08:30] The Impact of These Biases

How these biases drain energy, cause over-preparation, self-doubt, and can make leadership feel like an uphill battle.

[00:09:00] 3 Layers of Leadership Credibility: Visibility, Voice, and Value

A framework for strengthening your leadership identity:

• Visibility – Be strategic about who sees your work and ensure decision-makers know your impact.

Action: Ask yourself, “Do key decision-makers know about my recent wins?”

• Voice – Use your voice intentionally to share ideas, influence, and inspire others.

Action: Reflect on whether you’re contributing meaningfully in meetings and what you want to be known for.

• Value – Demonstrate your strategic thinking and broader business impact.

Action: Take “radical responsibility” for contributing to wider organizational issues.

[00:13:00] 3 Practical Actions to Strengthen Your Leadership Identity

1. Audit your personal leadership brand – Ask three colleagues what strength they associate with you.
2. Seek strategic sponsors – Identify advocates who can champion you when you’re not in the room.
3. Own your leadership narrative – Believe in your story and communicate it with confidence.

“Remember, you’re capable of more than you know. Shine brightly, lead boldly, and unlock the extraordinary potential within you. Be unstoppable.”

Useful Links

Free: Break Free From Imposter Syndrome Webinar

Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

Join The Love What You Do Facebook Group