How to get managers to have difficult performance conversations
A great performance review gives someone something genuinely useful: a clearer understanding of what they’re doing well, where they could be even more effective and what that might look like in practice. When difficult performance conversations happen throughout the…
How to deal with conflict at work more effectively
How to deal with conflict at work more effectively is a topic that comes up regularly in my workshops and coaching sessions. If you’ve spent any time on a family holiday this summer, there’s a reasonable chance you’ve had some recent experience of…
Why We Overthink During Life’s Biggest Transitions (and What It Means for Leadership)
Everyone talks about August as though it’s the month to slow down, switch off and recharge so I’m fairly sure my calendar missed that memo. This month my eldest son turns 18. My husband turns 60 and somewhere between the birthday cake and the celebrations…
Leadership Presence Under Pressure: How to Access More of Your Capability
Have you ever noticed that your best thinking has impeccable timing… just not always the timing you’d choose? A conversation finishes, you walk back to your desk and suddenly the words arrive. The clear explanation, or the thoughtful challenge or the…
Why Do I Lose Confidence Under Pressure at Work? (And Even When It Feels Safe)
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why you lose confidence at work, sometimes even when the pressure doesn’t feel that high, you’re not alone. Losing confidence under pressure at work is one of the most common things capable women in leadership…
Why Speaking Up in Meetings Feels So Difficult Under Pressure
If you’ve ever struggled with speaking up in meetings at work, especially in high-pressure environments, you’re far from alone. You had something to say…and didn’t say it and you’ve probably had this experience more than once. You’re in a meeting. You’ve prepared, you…
Women’s Leadership Confidence: Why One Difficult Meeting Can Change Everything
Many high-performing women experience moments like this in leadership environments. A difficult meeting becomes internalised as evidence about capability rather than recognised as a combination of workplace dynamics, communication style, pressure, and confidence under stress.