In this episode Sarah explores what it really means to bring your whole self to work and why authentic leadership matters more than ever in today’s uncertain and demanding world.

Many female leaders feel pressure to appear strong, controlled, and “together” at all times, often at the expense of their own energy and wellbeing. Sarah challenges the outdated leadership model that equates vulnerability with weakness and instead shares evidence-based insights on how authenticity, empathy, and values-led leadership build trust, credibility, and high performance.

1. Why authenticity at work builds trust, loyalty, and engagement
2. How vulnerability (done well) strengthens your leadership credibility
3. The link between empathy, better decisions, and high performance
4. How authenticity shapes your leadership brand
5. What to do when your values don’t align with your organisation’s culture

[01:00] Why authentic leadership feels challenging in uncertain times

[02:30] The cost of wearing a “mask” at work

[03:40] Why authenticity matters and what the research says

[04:40] Vulnerability, trust, and connection at work

[06:00] Why female leaders often struggle to show vulnerability

[06:45] Case study: Creating a compassionate, high-performing culture

[08:00] Takeaway #1: Vulnerability builds connection (and how to do it well)

[09:45] Takeaway #2: Empathy strengthens credibility

[10:45] Pairing empathy with data-driven decision making

[11:45] Takeaway #3: Authenticity as the foundation of your leadership brand

[12:45] When your values don’t align with your organisation

[13:30] One small way to bring more of your true self to work this week

What is one small way you could bring more of your true self to work this week?

Whether it’s sharing a story, listening more deeply, or consciously leading with one of your values, even small shifts can make a powerful difference.

Useful Links

Global Leadership Forecast 2023 research

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Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

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 Podcasts or Spotify.

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank you. You can always reach her at: sarah@careertreecoaching.co.uk

In this episode, Sarah explores the confidence gap many women experience at work and why, despite equal competence, women are often less likely than men to back themselves, speak up about achievements, or go for opportunities.

Drawing on compelling research from leadership, psychology, and neuroscience, Sarah explains why confidence shows up differently for women – and, crucially, what you can do about it. She shares three practical, immediately actionable techniques to help you own your achievements, increase your visibility, and build genuine, sustainable confidence at work.

If you’ve ever played down your success, waited to be noticed, or felt uncomfortable talking about your impact, this episode is for you.

1. Why confidence is just as important as competence for career success
2. The research behind the confidence gap between men and women
3. How socialisation, brain wiring, and hormones influence confidence
4. Why “fake it till you make it” doesn’t really work
5. Three practical ways to start owning your achievements with confidence

[01:00] Why confidence matters for leadership and career progression

[02:00] Why confidence shows up again and again in client work

[03:00] Introducing the confidence gap: playing down achievements and waiting to be recognised

[04:00] Research insights: how women and men differ in confidence at work

[05:00] Salary negotiations, career expectations, and why women ask for less

[06:00] Why women only apply for roles when they meet 100% of the criteria

[07:00] The neuroscience of confidence: emotional memory, risk, and rumination

[08:00] How brain wiring and threat-scanning impact confidence and risk-taking

[09:00] Confidence vs competence – and why belief drives action

[10:00] Technique 1: Reframing self-promotion as sharing value and leading well

[11:00] A real-life example of reframing visibility without ego

[12:00] Technique 2: Building an evidence bank to strengthen self-belief

[13:00] How an evidence bank helps silence your inner critic

[14:00] Technique 3: Using confident language that doesn’t dilute your impact

[15:00] Noticing and replacing confidence-eroding phrases

[16:00] Final reflections, next steps, and how Sarah can support you further

Useful Links

Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

Book a Free 121 Clarity Call

Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn

Research on Gender and Salary Negotiation

In this first episode of 2026, Sarah introduces the powerful (and often overlooked) concept of a personal board for your leadership career. Drawing on the idea of organisational boards, Sarah explains how having the right people around you can help you make better career decisions, gain perspective, build influence, and stay motivated as a leader.

You’ll learn about the different roles a personal board can play, how to identify who is already supporting you (often unconsciously), where the gaps might be, and how to intentionally build stronger, more strategic support around your career and leadership journey.

1. What a personal board is and why it matters for female leaders
2. The three key categories of a personal board
3. The 12 different roles people can play in supporting your career
4. How one person can fulfil multiple roles
5. How to identify gaps in your current support network
6. Practical steps to start building or strengthening your personal board
7. How to approach people in a way that feels reciprocal and authentic
8. Why paying it forward is part of sustainable leadership success

[00:00] Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable and the purpose of the podcast

[01:35] Episode 61 introduction and New Year reflections

[02:00] Why creating a personal board can transform your career

[03:00] What a personal board is (and how it mirrors organisational boards)

[04:00] Overview of the personal board framework and key principles

[05:00] The three categories of a personal board

[05:30] Information roles: Inspirer, Expert, Navigator

[07:00] Power and influence roles: Connector, Sponsor, Unlocker, Influencer

[09:00] Development and support roles: Challenger, Improver, Cheerleader/Anchor

[11:00] Real-life examples from Sarah’s leadership career

[12:00] Becoming more intentional about who supports you

[13:00] Identifying gaps in your personal board

[14:00] Who to consider when building your board (beyond line managers)

[15:00] How to approach people and make it mutually beneficial

[15:45] Paying it forward and supporting others in their careers

[16:30] Practical action to take this week

[17:00] Final reflections and episode close

After listening, write down three people who already support your career or could play a role on your personal board. Reach out to one of them this week to reconnect, say thank you, or start a more intentional conversation.

Useful Links

Who is in your Personal Boardroom? By Zella King & Amanda Scott

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In this first episode of the New Year, Sarah invites you to step back from the day-to-day demands of work and intentionally design your leadership journey for the year ahead.

Whether you’re listening in January or later in the year, this episode will help you move out of “autopilot mode” and into conscious, values-led career decision-making. Sarah shares practical reflections, coaching insights, and powerful questions to help you clarify what you want for your career – not just what you want at work.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure about what’s next, or driven more by others’ agendas than your own, this episode is for you.

[00:00] Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable

[01:45] Episode 60: Designing your leadership journey for 2026

Why this is the perfect time to set intentions for your career (and why you can do this at any time of year).

[02:45] The danger of running your career on autopilot

How slipping into “unconscious mode” can leave you at the whim of organisational decisions, other people’s careers, or knee-jerk reactions.

[03:45] The benefits of being intentional about your career

How clarity, purpose, authenticity, self-leadership, and alignment support sustainable career success.

[05:00] A real-life example of unconscious career decision-making

A coaching conversation that highlights why stepping back before making a move matters.

[06:30] How to become more intentional: 3 key areas to focus on

[06:45] 1. Increase your self-awareness

Understanding your why, what drives you, and how your work connects to your values.

[07:30] Discovering your “why”

Why it can feel hard to articulate – and how values, energy, and enjoyment offer clues.

[08:30] What do you love, and what don’t you love?

Using simple reflection to identify what to increase, reduce, delegate, or change in your role.

[09:45] 2. Develop your career success criteria

Why success is more than job title and pay – and how to define success on your own terms.

[11:00] Sarah shares her own career success criteria

Examples including impact, financial freedom, challenge, learning, and flexibility – and how these guide decision-making.

[13:00] 3. Answering the “what next?” question

How clarity on your why and success criteria makes future career decisions easier and more confident.

[14:00] Creating a plan and checking in with yourself

Staying intentional through regular reflection and adjustment.

[14:45] Final reflections and encouragement

Why it’s never too late to choose intentionality in your career.

[15:00] How to get support

Invitation to reach out for coaching and explore free resources.

Being intentional about your career isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about choosing to lead yourself with clarity, purpose, and courage.

✨ Shine brightly. Lead boldly. Be unstoppable.

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

In this reflective end-of-year episode, Sarah guides you through a powerful Career Happiness Check-In to help you understand whether your work is truly giving you what you need. Using the Career Happiness Wheel, she walks you step-by-step through assessing where you're thriving, where you’re feeling stuck, and what small, practical actions can move the dial toward more joy, purpose, and fulfillment at work.

If you’ve been feeling flat, disconnected, or simply unsure about your next step, this episode will help you reconnect with what matters and take back a sense of agency in your career.

00:00 — Welcome to Unstuck and Unstoppable

02:00 — Why doing a career happiness check-in matters

02:30 — Work takes up 92,000 hours - why it deserves attention

03:00 — The importance of awareness: Are you actually happy at work?

03:30 — Why high-achieving women rarely pause to reflect

03:50 — Overview of today’s framework + three actions to take

04:00 — Three signs it might be time for a shift

04:15 — Sign 1: Successful on paper but feeling flat

04:40 — Episode 58 on Success Fatigue (referenced)

04:55 — Sign 2: You’ve outgrown your role or organization

05:15 — Sign 3: You’re putting everyone else first

05:45 — Introducing the Career Happiness Wheel

06:00 — How to create and label your wheel

06:30 — Possible segment labels: challenge, culture, learning, expertise, recognition, values, balance, team, progression

07:00 — Scoring each segment and shading your wheel

07:45 — Using the visual to spot areas of strength and areas needing attention

08:00 — Taking a macro view: What do you want your wheel to look like in 6–12 months?

08:30 — Choosing one area and breaking it down: example - work-life balance

09:00 — Practical questions to improve balance (boundaries, support, deadlines, delegation)

09:40 — Three actions to take this week

09:50 — Action 1: One small action that energizes you

10:20 — Action 2: Have one honest conversation

10:50 — Action 3: Book 30 minutes of monthly “career thinking” time

11:20 — Revisit your wheel every 3 months to track progress

11:50 — Why this exercise matters: You deserve meaningful, joyful work

12:15 — Invitation to share your Career Happiness Wheel outcomes

12:40 — Where to find resources and how to connect

Useful Links

Episode 58 What to do if you're experiencing success fatigue

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In this episode, Sarah explores a topic many high-achieving women experience but rarely talk about: Success Fatigue. If you’ve reached a point in your career where things look great on paper but inside you feel flat, disconnected, or wonder “Is this it?” - this episode will help you understand what’s going on and what to do next.

You’ll learn what success fatigue really is, how to tell it apart from burnout or boredom, the deeper causes behind it, and three practical steps to regain meaning, motivation, and clarity in your career.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• What success fatigue is and isn’t
• Why high achievers are particularly vulnerable to it
• The four common causes that trigger this feeling
• How to reconnect with meaning and energy in your work
• How to redefine success for the next stage of your career
• Practical tools like job crafting to shift things without drastic change

Show Notes

00:00 — Introduction

01:00 — Today’s Topic: Success Fatigue

Why this topic matters for female leaders.

02:00 — What Is Success Fatigue?

How it feels, why it’s not burnout or boredom, and common signs.

03:00 — Emotional & Mental Fatigue

That “Is this it?” feeling and the sense of flatness after achieving big goals.

04:00 — Signs You Might Be Experiencing It

Disengagement, cynicism, lack of excitement, going through the motions.

05:00 — Four Core Causes

1. Success by default
2. Emotional depletion
3. The goal treadmill & hedonic treadmill
4. Misaligned values

09:00 — Normalising the Experience

Why this isn’t a failure -it’s a sign of growth.

10:00 — Step 1: Pause & Acknowledge

How to understand what’s really going on without gaslighting yourself.

11:00 — Step 2: Reconnect With Meaning

What “meaningful work” actually means and how to identify your personal sources of meaning.

12:00 — Job Crafting Tools

Task, relationship and mindset crafting to reshape your current role.

14:00 — Step 3: Redefine Your Success Criteria

Updating your definition of success so it reflects your life now, not who you were 10–20 years ago.

15:00 — Recalibrating Your Career

Why small shifts not big leaps are often enough.

16:00 — Using Success Fatigue as a Wake-Up Call

How reflection can set you up for the next phase of your career.

16:30 — How Coaching Can Help

An invitation to connect if you want support navigating this transition.

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

Rate & Review the Podcast

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

If you're kind enough to leave a review, please do let Sarah know so she can say thank...

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.

Useful Links

Sign up for Weekly Career Inspiration

Learn about Leadership & Advancement Coaching Programmes

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...