Influence & Impact for Leaders

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading a meeting with your boss or wondering how to navigate a tricky relationship with them, you’re not alone. In this episode of Influence & Impact for Leaders, I’m joined again by the brilliant Jennifer McCanna – accredited coach, podcast host of My Emotional Work Life, and expert on navigating the emotional highs and lows of work.  Together, we explore why our relationship with our boss has such a huge impact on how we feel at work, the different “types” of difficult bosses you might come across, and how to work more effectively with them – without losing your sanity or confidence.  We cover: The most common “types” of difficult boss How to understand what’s driving your boss so you can partner with them Simple tools to stay calm and grounded before tough meetings Ways to make sure you’re not accidentally someone else’s “difficult boss”  If you want to feel calmer, more in control and more influential in your relationship with your boss, this episode is packed with ideas and tools you can start using right away.  This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.  Resources mentioned in this episode:  My Emotional Work Life Podcast  Ep 03: The difficult boss survival guide | Jen McCanna   Ep 02: Finding a job after a toxic work experience | Jen McCanna   About Jen: Jen is sought after as a leadership coach who is often asked to help clients overcome periods of challenge and change, helping them rebuild their confidence and self-belief and realise their ambition. She supports leaders to manage their energy and navigate their emotions so they can feel calm and resourceful at work. Not only an experienced coach with the international coaching federation, Jen is a emotional freedom technique (EFT) practitioner, Resilience Dynamic practitioner and designs and delivers leadership development programmes and team building days for clients across the charity, corporate and public sectors.  In her podcast – My Emotional Work Life – Jen and her guests share stories and strategies that help listeners navigate the rollercoaster that is working life. Check it episodes on difficult bosses, job hunting after a toxic work experiences and navigating the menopause at work.  Ever experienced a toxic work relationship, badly handled restructure or the challenge of an HR process which rumbles on and on? Feel it knocked you for six a bit? Then Jen is your coach!  Find My Emotional Work Life here: https://podfollow.com/my-emotional-work-life  And her website is full of resources designed to make the lives of busy leaders easier   You can follow Jen @jen_the_leadership_coach on Instagram or here on LinkedIn.  Work with Carla: Impactful Teams Scorecard – Discover how your team measures up and how you can grow your team’s impact. 1:1 Leadership Coaching with Carla – get support to help you get your voice heard at work and develop your career. Book a discovery call  📢 If This Resonated… Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.  Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Conflict at work doesn’t have to be scary. In this episode of Influence & Impact for Leaders, I talk with Alice Driscoll and Louise Van Haarst, authors of Smart Conflict, about why avoiding tough conversations harms teams — and how to do them better.  You’ll hear the difference between task and relational conflict, learn their 5R model (Reflection, Regulation, Readiness, Response, Repair) and pick up quick, practical tips you can use to calm my nerves, land your message and repair relationships.  Alice Driscoll and Louise van Haarst are the founders of The Power House, a global leadership development and cultural transformation business on a mission to unlock human and organisational potential. They work with organisations including BBC Studios, PwC, Deutsche Bank, LVMH, Johnson & Johnson, ProperCorn, Bethnal Green Ventures and Zinc VC.  Their new book ‘Smart Conflict - how to have hard conversations at work’ is a highly practical, evidence-based guide to getting good at conflict and hard conversations at work. Whether your default conflict style is avoidant, inflexible or aggressive, this book will give you the tools to embrace Smart Conflict and transform your leadership, your team and maybe your life.  This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.  Resources mentioned in this episode:  Buy Smart Conflict, How to have hard conversations at work:  https://mybook.to/SmartConflict    Download free resources including our read-along workbook: https://thepowerhouse.company/resources  Take the default conflict style and team diagnostics:  https://thepowerhouse.company/diagnostics  LinkedIn: Alice Driscoll  LinkedIn: Louise van Haarst   Work with Carla: Impactful Teams Scorecard – Discover how your team measures up and how you can grow your team’s impact. 1:1 Leadership Coaching with Carla – get support to help you get your voice heard at work and develop your career. Book a discovery call  📢 If This Resonated… Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.  Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Leaders getting stuck in day-to-day tasks instead of shaping long-term direction. How strategic work looks and why people gravitate to doing over leading. Costs of staying in the weeds, from burnout to missed opportunities. Clear signs you are too operational and practical ways to build a self-sufficient team. Tips for creating space and routines for focused strategic time.

In this episode, I’m joined once again by the brilliant Eleanor Tweddell, coach and change consultant and author of the new book Another Door Opens. You might remember her from an earlier episode where we talked about her first book on redundancy. This time, we’re diving into her fresh take on navigating change—one that acknowledges how messy and human it really is.  Eleanor introduces us to her five-step Change Mastery model, a practical and powerful framework designed to help leaders process change themselves before they try to lead others through it. We explore why traditional approaches to change often fall short, the emotional complexity leaders face in transition, and how we can show up more intentionally and empathetically during uncertain times.  This episode is for any leader navigating change themselves or trying to lead a team through transformation. Whether you’re facing restructures, technological shifts, personal crossroads—or simply the everyday micro-changes of life—this conversation offers clarity and compassion.  Episode highlights: Why change is rarely linear and almost never neat The difference between managing change and mastering it How leaders can work through change themselves before leading others The five steps of Eleanor’s Change Mastery model for leaders: Pause – Start by stopping. Create space to rest and think. Mess – Acknowledge the emotional complexity and personal impact. Play – Get curious and explore possibilities without pressure. Try – Take small, intentional steps forward. Restart – Begin again, but with clarity and intention.  This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder. About Eleanor Tweddell: Eleanor Tweddell is a coach, change consultant, facilitator, keynote speaker and author. After over two decades working in senior corporate management roles, including Whitbread, Virgin Atlantic and Vodafone, she founded Another Door with the mission of helping individuals, teams and businesses navigate change.   Website: Another Door LinkedIn: Eleanor Tweddell Book: Another Door Opens (Coming 4th September 2025)  Work with Eleanor: Eleanor now offers Change Mastery for Leaders and Change Mastery for Teams—high-impact workshops designed to help people navigate transition with intention and resilience.   Work with Carla: Impactful Teams Scorecard – Discover how your team measures up and how you can grow your team’s impact. 1:1 Leadership Coaching with Carla – Define your unique leadership brand and thrive outside the mould. Book a discovery call  📢 If This Resonated… Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.  Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Practical strategies for staying composed when ideas meet pushback. Stories about first big presentations and why questions trigger defensiveness. A breakdown of four common challenging question types and how they behave in meetings. A step-by-step B.R.I.D.G.E. approach to buy time, reframe, inform, defer, ground and engage. Ready-to-use phrases and mindset shifts to turn objections into opportunities.

In this episode, I’m excited to introduce my brand new co-host, Lara Cullen, as we launch a new series within the podcast: Impactful Teams.   We’re diving into what really makes a team impactful - not just in terms of performance, but in how aligned, influential, and sustainable their success is.  Lara and I share our brand-new Impactful Teams framework to help teams grow their impact. We talk about why psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and shared purpose are essential ingredients, and why even high-performing teams can still have hidden challenges holding them back.  We also share the story behind how Lara and I started working together and how our different but complementary strengths have shaped the way we support leaders and teams.  If you’re leading a team—or want to take your already successful team to the next level—this episode will give you practical insights and a clear starting point to increase your team's influence and impact.  In this episode, you’ll hear: Why I’ve invited Lara Cullen to co-host episodes focused on Impactful Teams The story of how we met and why we decided to collaborate Our Align–Amplify–Embed framework for building Impactful Teams What really drives team success (hint: it’s not just the individuals) The 5 key elements of team alignment using our TEAMS model How to amplify your team’s voice and influence across your organisation The importance of embedding change to make it last How you can find out how impactful your team really is right now  This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.  Work with us: Impactful Teams Scorecard – It takes just 2 minutes to discover where your team is strong and where you might want to focus next. You’ll get personalised results—and for a limited time, you can also book a free 30-minute call to talk through them. Visit our new Impactful Teams website Work with Carla: 1:1 Leadership Coaching with Carla – get the support you need to thrive in your role. Book a discovery call  📢 If This Resonated… Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.  Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Have you just landed a new leadership role? Congratulations – now what? In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how to set yourself up for success in your first 90 days and beyond. I’ve been a new senior leader multiple times myself, supported countless coaching clients through the transition, and even placed senior leaders when I ran a recruitment agency – so this is one of my favourite topics to share on.  Whether you're stepping into your first senior role or switching organizations at a senior level, I’ll help you avoid the common traps and start your new role with clarity and confidence.  🔍 What I cover in this episode: The biggest mistakes new leaders make – and how to avoid them Why over-promising and trying to "know it all" early on can derail your influence The Valley of Doom – why it’s real, and how to move through it faster The key mindset shift that will help you feel more confident when you don’t have all the answers How to start strong: building trust, strategic relationships, and team insight The conversations you must have with your line manager early on How to assess your team and create a leadership development plan What to do three months in: reflect, realign, and co-create your team’s future vision  This episode is packed with practical tips you can implement immediately – plus some heartfelt encouragement if you’re doubting yourself right now.  This is Influence & Impact for Leaders, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.  Mentioned in This Episode:  Impactful Teams Scorecard – Discover how your team measures up and how you can grow your team’s impact. Need support in your new role? Coaching can help you navigate the transition with confidence. Drop me a message on LinkedIn or Book a discovery call   📢 If This Resonated…  Please share this episode with a fellow leader who needs to hear it.  Leave a review to support the show or reach out to me directly — I’d love to hear what landed most for you.   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

They challenge the idea of a single leadership mould and trace who it was built to serve. They explore the personal and organisational costs of forcing conformity. They celebrate empathetic, authentic leadership with real-life examples. They offer three practical shifts and tools to identify strengths, filter biased feedback, and lead in a way that fits your values.

The conversation challenges the myth that leaders must always have the answers. It explores cognitive flexibility and the value of listening. It looks at why letting teams learn and make mistakes builds capability. It covers shifting from specialist to generalist leadership and the impact of asking powerful questions to develop others.

Work can be a lot sometimes!  How often do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all the things you need to do and how much work it’s going to take to do them properly? It’s making me stressed just thinking about it!    In this mini episode, I’m going to share with you a simple but truly effective way to dial back that overwhelm and make things simpler for yourself.    This is Influence & Impact for Leaders with Carla Miller, the podcast that helps leaders like you increase your impact and build a happy and high performing team. Each episode delivers focused, actionable insights you can implement immediately, to be better at your job without working harder.  Stay in Touch: If you're tuning in on Apple Podcasts, click follow so you never miss an update.  Spread the Love: On June 16th or 17th, share the podcast on social media or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Snap a screenshot and send it to hello@carlamiller.co.uk, and I'll send you an exclusive pack of my Influence & Impact affirmation cards as a thank you.  Work with Carla: To chat about hiring Carla as your coach or to work with your team book a call or visit carlamiller.co.uk.  Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/