The Leadership Pod

Leadership skills are critical if you’re an ambitious professional and you want to move into leadership at some stage in your career.  Nowadays it’s too easy to be overlooked for leadership positions if you don’t have the necessary leadership skills you need for the position you want. But you may have asked yourself, “Why do I even need to learn leadership skills?” Or “Why are leadership skills im...

How can you be assertive on-the-spot? Being assertive when you need to and on-the-spot can be challenging, especially if you’re coming from a more passive style of communication. It can be really difficult to think of how to respond assertively to a negative comment, in the moment. I don’t know if this happens to you but sometimes when I’m in front of a stressful conversation, a conflict or a rude...

How can you build your personal brand when working remotely? Building your personal brand while working remotely or working from home might be more challenging, but not impossible.  Over 2020 and 2021, many emerging leaders have been forced to build their personal brand, or leadership brand, without meeting people in-person. What’s important to focus on when you can’t interact with people in-perso...

Starting a New Role as a Leader When Your Team Is Working Remotely is a challenge for many leaders in 2020 and 2021. You cannot see your team members face to face. You cannot get to know them the way you usually would in the office. And you cannot get to know others leaders inside your organisation as easily as you normally would. How do you build relationships with your team when they’re working...

How do you deal with a coworker who wants to be your best friend? How do you set boundaries with a colleague in the workplace who wants to be your best friend? The reality is, coworkers are not your friends. I know it sounds harsh. But you shouldn’t be “best friends” with your coworkers in the workplace.  When you are best friends with your coworkers it muddies your professional relationship with...

Why do you need to have difficult conversations? Many people shy away from challenging or difficult conversations. They avoid them or make excuses as to why they don’t need to have that difficult conversation. Instead, they may try to leave “clues” in the hope the other person will pick up on those clues and change their behaviour. This rarely works. Difficult conversations are a necessary part of...

How can you use LinkedIn to become known as a go-to expert in your field? LinkedIn is a powerful platform where you can grow your personal brand and have more impact and influence as an emerging leader.  I have used LinkedIn strategically since 2020 to develop my reputation as a go-to expert in the area of leadership development for emerging leaders. I’ve learned a lot of techniques about how to u...

How to become known as a go-to expert. Becoming known as a go-to expert in your field or industry is incredibly important for emerging leaders and high-achieving professionals.  You want to become known in your area of expertise. You want to build your brand and reputation. You want to rise higher than the rest. You want to have everyone know who you are, what you do, what you’re an expert in, and...

Why do you need to become known as a go-to expert? Why is it important for your career?  Becoming known as a go-to expert in your field or industry has so many positive knock-on effects for you as a professional. It helps people listen to you more in meetings because they know what you have to say is intelligent.  It helps you build trust with others leading to stronger business relationships. And...

What are the top soft skills for 2021? What soft skills are important for the future of work? Given the rapid change we have experienced in the world of work throughout 2020 and 2021, some soft skills have become more important than others. The typical soft skills that we think of such as communication or creativity are still necessary for the future of work. However other soft skills such as deci...

What words make you sound weak in the workplace? If you’re an emerging leader, it’s likely you’ve asked yourself this question at some stage in your career. Communication is an incredibly important part of your leadership presence. Sometimes a simple change in the words that you use can have a dramatic impact on the way you are perceived in the office. There are a number of commonly used words tha...

How to speak like a leader at work. As you advance into leadership, you’ll be required to use a different style of communication in the workplace. You will need to move away from the style of communication you used early on in your career and adopt a more assertive and confident style of communication. Speaking like a leader and sounding like a leader in workplace conversations is critical if you...

How to end a conversation at a networking event. Ending conversations at networking events is challenging for many emerging leaders. You don’t want to sound impolite. You don’t want to be rude or offend your conversation partner. But at the same time, you don’t want to be stuck with a rambler or in a pointless, boring conversation.  Ending conversations is challenging but it’s not impossible. For...

How to stop procrastinating and get work done! If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How can I stop procrastinating”, you’re not alone. Procrastination happens to all of us whether you’re an employee or an entrepreneur.  I’ve dealt with procrastination as a content creator and entrepreneur. I’ve learned how to beat procrastination and stop procrastinating so I can get the work done. And in this week’s p...

In the current business environment, many professionals are asking themselves, “How can I lead virtually in 2021”, or “how can I be successful at virtual leadership”. If you’re an emerging leader and you’ve asked yourself these questions while you’ve been working from home, this week’s podcast episode and YouTube video are for you. Virtual leadership requires a shift in your leadership skillset. Y...

Do you want to learn the top business etiquette tips for the workplace in 2021? Business etiquette is an integral part of a well-functioning office. Since Covid-19 and the related events of 2020, many of the traditional “rules” of business etiquette have changed. As many businesses return to the office in 2021, there will be a lot of confusion around the etiquette of interacting with your colleagu...

Can you stop people communicating aggressively with you? This was a question I received from one of my video course students. You may have come across this situation yourself. Perhaps you’ve asked yourself, “how to deal with aggressive communicators” or “how to stop people communicating aggressively”.  Dealing with people who communicate aggressively with you is challenging, especially if you’re c...

A common question when people start to set boundaries is: what happens when you set boundaries? How will other people react? Will they become aggressive with you? How should I respond? All of these questions are normal when you start to set boundaries. There are two difficulties you’re up against when you set boundaries. First, you have to work up the courage to set boundaries with the other perso...

How do you start a conversation at a networking event? This is a common question many emerging leaders and young professionals ask. Networking events can be intimidating. However, they are incredibly important for you to meet important decision makers in your industry which can lead to promotions or new client opportunities. Starting conversations with new people at networking events is an incredi...

How to talk to anyone in business is the topic of this week’s podcast episode. Many young professionals, emerging leaders and introverts hold back from talking to new people in business. They don’t know how to start a conversation with somebody new. They don’t know what to say or what questions to ask. In business, it’s really important to develop relationships with people. If you can’t start conv...

How can you make a soft voice sound confident? This is a question I commonly receive from emerging leaders. Many people have a soft voice. And this can prevent you from sounding confident and assertive in business.  This is a situation that I’ve faced in my life, particularly in my early 20s. Since then I’ve learned how to incorporate communication strategies so that I sound more confident and ass...

How do you define your leadership brand? How do you build a strong personal brand as a leader? These are crucial questions all aspiring leaders should ask themselves in 2021.  The events of 2020 have made employment and business a lot more competitive. In times of great competition, everyone is vying for the best job or the higher paying client. If you want to succeed, you have to stand out. You h...

What is the value you bring to your team or company? What is your value contribution to your organisation? This is something all emerging leaders need to be very clear on in order to create their leadership brand. Getting clear on the value you bring isn’t something we think about. Many of the coaching clients I work with don’t know how to answer the question, “What value do you bring your company...

How to get your ideas across in meetings is a common question for emerging leaders. Many of my clients ask me, “How can I get people to listen to my ideas?” or “How can I get my point across in meetings?”. These are common obstacles all emerging leaders need to overcome. If you can relate to the above questions, I want you to know that you’re not alone. Getting your ideas across effectively and co...

How to sound smart and confident at work is an issue for many emerging leaders. You want your coworkers and boss to see you as intelligent and credible. You also want them to see you as a confident leader. Discovering how to sound smart and confident at work will absolutely help you achieve this. In my coaching sessions and workshops, I’ve helped many emerging leaders adapt their communication sty...