This week, a conversation reminded me of an old story I’ve wanted to to share with you – my lived experience of micromanagement, bullying, and working with unpleasant colleagues. It’s a theme that has replayed through my career, sometimes painfully, but always with lessons that eventually made me a stronger, more self-aware leader.
This week, through a mutual LinkedIn friend, I was connected with someone who wanted to write a book. It reminded me of this blog that’s been sitting in my ‘want to write’ pile for far too long. So, here are some thoughts on different leadership writing styles and how you can find your own voice to suit the right occasion.
Over the last 9 months, finding a new job has been at the forefront of my mind. I started looking for a new job in January 2025 and I can confirm; the whole job search process is as bad as they say it is.
I’ve been wondering lately if greater self-awareness can unintentionally crack open the door to imposter syndrome. “Know thyself” sounds like timeless wisdom, yet the more we know, the more we realise how much we don’t know. That tension can leave us feeling exposed, uncertain, and like an imposter. Through conversations with Adrian Ashton, Aoife O’Brien, Melanie Wilkey and others, I’ve been exploring this delicate balance between self-awareness and self-doubt.
I’ve been wondering for a while now whether an increase in self-awareness opens the door to imposter syndrome. After all, the age-old advice to “know thyself” sounds like the key to wisdom, but it comes with a catch. As Socrates famously put it, the more we know, the more we realise how little we know. And that, I can’t help but think, might just be the root of imposter syndrome….. The uncomfortable sense that the better we understand ourselves, the more exposed our gaps and shortcomings seem to be.
We’re becoming more polarised across the globe. The divide is widening, the stakes are rising, and the “for’s and against’s” are moving further away from agreement and compromise. Caught in the middle are organisations and leaders, tasked with bringing people together on the inside while society fractures on the outside.
We’re becoming more polarised as humans across the globe. The divide is getting wider and the stakes are getting higher. The for’s and the against’s are moving further from conciliation and the potential for battle is growing. And dispersed in the land between both sides are organisations, businesses and corporate bodies who are charged with bringing together the diverse. How society is unfolding outside is in contrast to how leaders are having to include inside.
Nothing quite grates like hearing managers refer to their team as “the girls” or “the boys.” Maybe you’ve said it. Maybe you’ve heard it. Maybe you cringed when someone else did. It’s time we talked about why this kind of language belongs in the past and why the words we use as leaders matter.
Nothing annoys me more than managers who refer to their team as ‘the girls’. You may have been one of the girls, you might have heard it used, hey – you might have even been THAT manager! When a gang of male workers turn up and the supervisor says, “I’ll get the boys on it!”, my toes curl and my teeth clench. Join me as I share with you why they are terms that should be consigned to the history books and rubbish bins of forward thinking organisations.
Respect is one of my core values and disrespect really gets my goat. In this week’s article, I share with you some reflections from working on both sides of the respect divide and about how you can generate kinder, more respectful and creative working relationships. Join me in reflecting on my 25 years in the world of work as I share my musings on the meaning of respect.