Your Time To Grow

When we are first in a role which requires leadership skills, we often feel unsure - yes we want it but we’re not sure how best to go about it. I know I felt this way, but as I sat and reflected I realised I wanted to be more visible. In order to grow and realise your full potential others need to see you working your magic too.

Are you thinking about investing in yourself? I have found in many cases that when we consider investing in ourselves we come up with excuses not to. So I wonder if you would say this to a friend...

I have been thinking about what leadership means recently. Triggered in part by a question I was asked: how do you know if you're a leader? 

How do you stay accountable for your goals? I've been thinking about my own goals this week and in order to understand why I’ve stalled in my goals, I spent some time looking backwards. I reflected on my previous success and how I'd achieved my past goals. Two things stood out. First, I had a plan. Second, I had accountability.

87% of workers feel disengaged in the workplace. While there are many reasons for this high level of disengagement, employee complaints about employers not listening to them certainly ranks high on the list. In fact, a recent study revealed that more than 33% believes that their employers do not listen to their ideas. Not only can showing your workforce that you are really listening to them, impro...

We have hundreds of habits, and they can help us out a lot, helping us feel safe and comfortable. This is brilliant if you use it as part of a well thought out journey but what if you've been on cruise control a while? What if you've fallen into habitual actions and thinking that no longer serve you? If this sounds like you, listen on for some tips to help your habits help you.

I remember a time when I was looking for a new job. I knew what I had to do - find job roles that looked interesting, research the company and send in my application(s). The problem was, I was already employed. So I wanted to keep my job search secret. This is a really common situation so here are my five tips for keeping your job search a secret. 

Kindness is one of my core values and that means it permeates my whole life, including how I lead. For me, kindness is a strength, so why not make it part of my leadership strategy? What would kindness look like for you in your leadership strategy?

We all seek validation sometimes, it's an innate drive to be accepted and for the most part, it's ok. But when it becomes a habit we can fall into thinking we're not good enough unless we're validated and approved by others. We trust other people's opinions of ourselves rather than our own. Here's how to let go of the habit of seeking approval and validation from others.

One of the most important life lessons I have had to date is that of being myself. It sounds easy but in reality there are years of 'shoulds' and 'what ifs' to acknowledge. This isn't about giving ourselves more work to do but about removing the expectations we set ourselves and living a more effortless and satisfying existence.

Strap yourself in folks, this is something I've been processing over the last couple of weeks! Let me tell you a story about how I learnt to trust myself. It's a bit of a ramble as I celebrate episode 100!

A change to my normal approach as I give an unedited, free flowing ramble into my thoughts on this year's International Women's Day topic #BreakingTheBias

One of the things I hear most in coaching conversations is the desire to change career. In fact, according to career statistics, the average person changes careers 5-7 times in their lifetime. (I am on number 4!). In this episode I muse on the difference between a career pivot and a career change and give you some questions to reflect on if you are considering a pivot.

When I speak to women in leadership roles one thing that comes up time and time again is that they don’t trust their voice. It’s almost whispered, a secret they don’t want to say out loud. They’re ashamed and not sure what’s going on. In this episode I explore some ways to strengthen and trust your voice and how it can help you as a leader

We all feel lost sometimes. In fact, I did a Pecha Kucha talk recently about actually getting lost...I am terrible at finding my way in new places. In this episode I am not talking about map reading and navigation but instead about that feeling we get when we feel we have no goal. I have talked with clients who might have a good job, a loving family but they feel exhausted, overwhelmed, restless....

“I want to change careers but I just don’t know what to do” is a common phrase I hear in my coaching conversations. In this episode I explore the fears people have and why

One of the things I love about coaching and mentoring is that I learn things too. Yesterday I was listening to a very wise and successful woman as she talked about stepping out of her comfort zone and into her power as part of her business plan. She said “I’ve realised that it’s OK to stop, even if it’s working if it’s not getting you where you need to be”

Do you remember how you got into work today? Or perhaps you are struggling to keep an issue in your personal life from invading your thoughts when you are trying to work? Maybe you have a million things going on at work and you’re feeling overwhelmed? When we feel this way we often turn on the autopilot.

The problem with negative thoughts is that they can become self-fulfilling prophecies. We talk ourselves into believing that we're not good enough. And, as a result, these thoughts drag down our personal lives, our relationships, and our careers. But, if we deliberately do the opposite and use positive thoughts about ourselves, the effect can be just as powerful but far more helpful. In this episo...

If we want to be more like those leaders we admire we need to do what they do. In order to be able to have a vision and to nurture and develop others, we must have a vision for ourselves. That takes investment. Many people shy away from investing in themselves, especially if it feels (en)forced. I believe however that the process of investment can be exciting, it stretches our curiosity and encour...

We all make mistakes when it comes to our own self-worth. I have been talking about self-worth a lot with my clients this week and have been thinking about self-worth and the effect that it has on our ability to practice self-care.

Over lockdown (and since) I found myself increasingly introverted and needing to be solitary and yet…I feel like that’s an impossible task. I feel like I get no time to myself and even when I do I feel guilty about taking it. So how do we set and maintain healthy boundaries without the guilt? 

As the kids have gone back to school it’s given me some much needed time alone to work on myself and my business. I’ve had two coaching sessions in the last week, both for me as the coachee. One with my own coach and another as part of a supervisory session. One of the things I love most about being the coachee is that it can bring a chain reaction of clarifying thoughts, making space for growth.

When I was young I loved to make those pictures that were built up in layers. I thought I had ‘nice’ handwriting and I dabbled a bit in writing poetry – an outlet for my teenage angst! But I wouldn’t have described myself as creative.

Balance is like the sea, ever changing and always returning to a natural, calm state at some point. It’s, not something to be reached and firmly maintained. It is flexible and with a bit of awareness, it is easy to bring more balance into your life.