Influence & Impact for Leaders

Whilst some women sail through perimenopause, lots of us struggle with symptoms including brain fog, sleep issues, hot flushes and anxiety.  Those symptoms can impede our ability to work, impact our confidence and cause an alarming number of women to leave their jobs.    I explore this with my guest Emma Thomas, founder of Managing the Menopause and host of the Middling Along podcast.    We discuss:  Why employers should care about supporting women through this transition   What managers can do to be supportive of colleagues struggling with perimenopause symptoms   How to talk to your line manager about your symptoms and what support you can request  Emma’s SENSE model for managing symptoms through lifestyle changes  Insights on how caffeine and alcohol impact your sleep    Emma is also teaching her SENSE model inside my Women Leading community at our bi-monthly menopause gatherings where we meet to share experiences and coping strategies.    My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author and trainer. And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.    FREE RESOURCE - How To Say No Challenge:  If you struggle to say ‘no’ then this free 5 day challenge is for you.  You’ll receive a short email each day containing a short video taking you through the 5 steps of my How To Say No framework. We’ll get you happily saying no in just 5 days!    Influence & Impact:  Join the next cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing.  It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions.    Be Bolder  My Be Bolder 4 week confidence and assertiveness course will be running again in February.  In it we cover:  ⭐ Tackling imposter feelings and self-doubt  ⭐ Mastering your mindset  ⭐ Courageous conversations  ⭐ Speaking up     Women Leading:  My Women Leading community gives you the support and strategies you need to:  ⭐ Set boundaries and expectations  ⭐ Prioritise your wellbeing  ⭐ Coach your hybrid team effectively  ⭐ Stop people pleasing   ⭐ Lead under pressure  All for just £49/month       About Emma Thomas:    Emma is the founder of Managing the Menopause - her experience in coaching, internal communications and change management make her perfectly placed to help organizations plan and execute strategies to become more ‘menopause-friendly.’ Emma lives in Oxford with her husband and two children, and is also a Director of the Udjat CIC, which operates a wide-range of projects within Oxford and beyond.    Emma’s website: www.managingthemenopause.com    Emma’s podcast: www.middlingalong.com  Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

When I was sent a book called The Emotional Overdraft I instinctively knew that this was a topic that was going to resonate with me personally and you as listeners to this podcast.     An emotional overdraft is when you as a leader habitually overcome your employer’s challenges at the cost of our own physical and mental health. Sound familiar?   I am seeing this happening a LOT at the moment with the women within my Women Leading community so I was excited to dive into the topic with the book’s author Andy Brown.   We discussed: The cost of going too deep into your emotional overdraft How to start paying it back What behaviours or drivers create our emotional overdraft The role of management skills and influencing in changing a culture which relies on people being emotionally overdrawn How to approach urgency and filling short term gaps more strategically How the emotional overdraft shows up outside of work   My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author and trainer. And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.   FREE RESOURCE - How To Say No Challenge: If you struggle to say ‘no’ then this free 5 day challenge is for you.  You’ll receive a short email each day containing a short video taking you through the 5 steps of my How To Say No framework. We’ll get you happily saying no in just 5 days!   Influence & Impact: Join the next cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing.  It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions.   Be Bolder My Be Bolder 4 week confidence and assertiveness course will be running again in February.  In it we cover: ⭐ Tackling imposter feelings and self-doubt ⭐ Mastering your mindset ⭐ Courageous conversations ⭐ Speaking up    Women Leading: My Women Leading community gives you the support and strategies you need to: ⭐ Set boundaries and expectations ⭐ Prioritise your wellbeing ⭐ Coach your hybrid team effectively ⭐ Stop people pleasing  ⭐ Lead under pressure All for just £49/month    About Andy Brown: Andy has over 30 years’ experience as an award-winning adviser and coach for people-based businesses. He’s also a podcast host and the author of Amazon #1 best seller, ‘The Emotional Overdraft: 10 simple changes for balancing business success and wellbeing’ a book for entrepreneurs, leaders and founders that articulates the often overlooked mental and physical costs of leadership   Links from Andy:   Buy the book in the UK  Complete the free Emotional Overdraft Self-Assessment  Connect with Andy  Follow Emotional Overdraft on Instagram  Get all the latest Emotional Overdraft articles   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

They explore how fear of judgment stops people speaking up and dilutes what they say. They unpack common meeting anxieties and how bias fuels self-doubt. They explain mind-reading and negativity bias and remind listeners colleagues are mostly thinking about themselves. They offer simple reframes, post-meeting learning practices and a focus on adding value rather than self-judgment.

Today’s guest Sue Musson has handled many a crisis in her career, including leading one of the largest NHS Trusts through the pandemic.  In this episode she shares what she’s learnt about keeping calm in a crisis.    We discuss:  Sue’s overall philosophy for coping with a crisis  How to calm yourself down from the initial state of panic  How to keep your team calm in a crisis too  The importance of taking personal responsibility as a leader  What to do when you don’t know what the right decision is  The keys to successful communication when managing a crisis    Sue shares some great stories from her own leadership experience, as well as her 6 step crisis management framework from her book Firecracker Leadership.    My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author, trainer and founder of Women Leading, the community that helps women lead without overwhelm.  I’m on a mission to empower women leaders in the workplace and make leading less lonely.      And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.    About Sue Musson:  Sue Musson achieved her first board-level leadership role at the age of twenty-seven. She is keen to share what she has learned to help other women build their confidence and impact.  For 30 years, Sue has led numerous organisations including her own successful businesses under the Firecracker brand. She recently completed her term as Chairman of Liverpool University Hospitals, one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with 14,000 staff and a turnover of £1.2Bn.  Sue led the trust through a merger, the pandemic and the opening of a new hospital by the Prince and Princess of Wales.   Her experience of leadership spans the full gamut of highs and lows, which she recounts with honesty, insight and humour in her new book, Firecracker Leadership.   The book achieved number one bestseller status in three categories on Amazon and became a top ten bestseller in the USA. Firecracker Leadership is endorsed by the Mindvalley Book Club: “We are happy to endorse Firecracker Leadership (which) is a wonderfully written and structured book. It is packed with great ideas and quote-worthy wisdoms…It is a wonderful book that we are happy we got our hands on.”  Concepts from the book have been featured in publications like Forbes, European Business Review, Elite Business, She Can Code, HR News, Startups Magazine, Training Journal and The HRDirector.   Having served for fifteen years as a non-executive director and chair of five of the UK’s most significant healthcare organisations, Sue continues her public service by chairing panels to appoint UK judges in addition to running her own businesses.  Sue’s website - https://www.suemusson.com/    Sue on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-musson-a0119416     FREE RESOURCE - How To Say No Challenge:  If you struggle to say ‘no’ then this free 5 day challenge is for you.  You’ll receive a short email each day containing a short video taking you through the 5 steps of my How To Say No framework. We’ll get you happily saying no in just 5 days!  Access it at carlamillertraining.com/sayno    Influence & Impact:  Join the September cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing.  It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions.  Find out more at https://carlamiller.co.uk/influence    Women Leading:  My Women Leading community gives you the support you need to:  ⭐ Set boundaries and expectations  ⭐ Prioritise your wellbeing  ⭐ Coach your hybrid team effectively  ⭐ Stop people pleasing   ⭐ Lead under pressure    You can read more and sign up here: https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading        Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

A candid look at people-pleasing: how it shows up, why it’s hardwired, and what it costs you. Short, practical strategies are shared for spotting your yes-patterns, valuing limited time and energy, and setting kinder boundaries. There’s also a push to prioritize your own needs and model healthier behaviour for others.

What is executive presence? Why does it matter?  And what can we do to increase our executive presence?   These are the questions I explored in a fantastic chat with fellow women’s leadership coach Lucy Gernon in this week’s podcast episode.   We also discussed… How the concept of executive presence has evolved over the past 10 years Where confidence comes from and how Lucy defines it Lucy’s fantastic DO IT model for making decisions without second-guessing yourself How to confidently talk about your achievements How to deal with praise Why we don’t need to compete against other women   There is a lot of gold in this episode!   My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author, trainer and founder of Women Leading, the community that helps women lead without overwhelm.  I’m on a mission to empower women leaders in the workplace and make leading less lonely.     And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.   About Lucy Gernon:   Lucy Gernon is an Irish mom of 3, Multi Award-Winning Executive Coach, host of The 360 LeadHERship Podcast and acclaimed international speaker supporting women in senior leadership roles to accelerate their careers with confidence and develop as leaders without sacrificing work-life balance. She is sought out by Fortune 500 companies for her expertise in executive presence, confidence building, leadership, conflict management, healthy productivity, personal branding and more. Lucy is the Founder of 3SIXTY Leaders Club—the only positive psychology-infused membership focused on career advancement, leadership and work-life balance. Lucy is a certified positive psychology coach, holds Bachelor and Masters Degrees in Science, Diploma in Integrative Coaching, and had a 20-year career in leadership roles in American & British multinationals. Her corporate CV and business experience, combined with her extensive executive coaching and business experience  gives her a unique perspective on the needs and ambitions of female leaders and how to get them there    Website: www.lucygernon.com Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-360-leadhership-podcast/id1596311791 Executive Presence Course: www.lucygernon.com/ep Instagram: www.instagram.com/lucygernon LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lucygernon   HBR Article Exec Presence that Lucy refers to in this episode: https://hbr.org/2024/01/the-new-rules-of-executive-presence     FREE RESOURCE - How To Say No Challenge: If you struggle to say ‘no’ then this free 5 day challenge is for you.  You’ll receive a short email each day containing a short video taking you through the 5 steps of my How To Say No framework. We’ll get you happily saying no in just 5 days! Access it at carlamillertraining.com/sayno   Influence & Impact: Join the September cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing.  It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions. Find out more at https://carlamiller.co.uk/influence   Women Leading: You can now join over 40 women in Women Leading for just £49 a month and learn to lead without overwhelm.  It includes peer support calls, group coaching calls, regular menopause events and a live leadership or wellbeing workshop each month on topics including…   Managing an Overwhelmed Team How and When to Coach Your Team Reducing Drama in your Team Giving Feedback Without Feeling Awkward   Find up more and sign up at https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading   Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Practical signs of overcommitting and how it shows up in leaders' lives. Psychological drivers like seeking validation and perfectionism are explored. Concrete tactics to set realistic standards, clarify expectations and renegotiate workload are highlighted. Short prompts and a five‑day 'How To Say No' challenge are offered to help pause before saying yes.

Many workplaces are dominated by short term thinking, intense pressure to produce immediate results and a focus on growth at all costs.  Sound familiar?  This short term focus often leads to poor decision making, poor long term performance and risks employee burnout.     In today’s episode my guest Cath Bishop makes a powerful case for implementing what she calls Long Win Thinking.  Cath knows a bit about winning as a three time Olympian with a silver medal and a fascinating career in diplomacy within conflict zones!    We discuss:    Why workplaces benefit from focusing on the Long Win  How Cath’s mindset around winning shifted across her 3 Olympic Games and how she felt at the start line of her medal-winning Olympic race   What insights Cath has taken from her diplomatic experience into leadership coaching  How early in life we start thinking winning is important  Separating performance from results and winning  Cath’s 3 C model for implementing long win thinking in your team    I found this episode really timely as I reflect on the impact I want to make through my work and what success means to me.  I hope it brings you some insights both personally and also as you think about how to create high performance in your team.    My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author, trainer and founder of Women Leading, the community that helps women lead without overwhelm.  I’m on a mission to empower women leaders in the workplace and make leading less lonely.      And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.  In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.       Women Leading:  You can now join over 40 women in Women Leading for just £49 a month and learn to lead without overwhelm.  It includes peer support calls, group coaching calls, regular menopause events and a live leadership or wellbeing workshop each month on topics including…    Managing an Overwhelmed Team  How and When to Coach Your Team  Reducing Drama in your Team  Giving Feedback Without Feeling Awkward    Find up more and sign up at https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading     About Cath Bishop:      Cath Bishop is a triple Olympian, World Champion and Olympic silver medallist in rowing. In her career as a diplomat, she specialized in stabilization policy for conflict-affected parts of the world. She now works as a coach and consultant, advising on leadership, performance and culture across business, sport and education, and teaches on Executive Education programmes at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University. She writes monthly articles for The Guardian on topics of culture in sport and co-hosts The Inside Out Culture  Podcast. She is a globally sought-after speaker.    Websites: www.cathbishop.com www.thelongwin.com   Instagram: cath_bishop   Inside Out Culture Podcast: https://insideoutculture.buzzsprout.com/   X: @thecathbishop   https://www.theguardian.com/profile/cath-bishop    Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

Does just looking at your inbox create a rush of overwhelm?  You’re not alone in that, the average person receives 121 work emails every single day!     In this episode, my guest, career and executive coach Fay Wallis shares 6 practical strategies you can use to reduce your email overwhelm.  We discuss:   Why grouping emails by sender is insightful The problems with using your email inbox as a to-do list and what to do instead When to hit unsubscribe  How to ‘unsubscribe’ from internal emails Using tools like email templates and schedule send Prioritising deep work Setting email boundaries   I also share an excerpt from my current favourite book, Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman on why inbox zero isn’t actually going to bring us the peace of mind we think it will.   This is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.   My name’s Carla Miller, I’ve been coaching leaders for the past 15 years and I’m your leadership bestie.  I’m here to remind you of the value to bring to your organisation, to help believe in yourself and to share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.   You might also enjoy… Episode 120 Developing your career with Fay Wallis Episode 144 Finding focus when you’re overwhelmed with Julia Wolfendale    And we mentioned Graham Allcott’s book, How to be a Productivity Ninja and his email Rev up for the Week - https://www.grahamallcott.com/   Women Leading: Come and join over 40 women in Women Leading – my community to help you lead without overwhelm.  It offers peer support calls, group coaching calls, regular menopause events and a live leadership and wellbeing workshop each month on topics including…   Managing an Overwhelmed Team How and When to Coach Your Team Reducing Drama in your Team Giving Feedback Without Feeling Awkward   Find up more and sign up at https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading    About Fay Wallis:   Fay is a career and executive coach, with a background in HR who specialises in coaching HR & People professionals. She is the Founder of Bright Sky Career Coaching and has a 5 star rated podcast called HR Coffee Time, where you can hear free career advice and ideas every week.   Bright Sky Career Coaching: https://www.brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/  Fay’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faywallis/  HR Coffee Time podcast page: https://www.brightskycareercoaching.co.uk/hr-coffee-time-podcast/    Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/

If you’ve noticed unhelpful patterns of behaviours playing out in your team or if you’ve got a tense relationship with a colleague then this week’s episode can provide insight into what’s causing those patterns.      My guest, leadership coach and podcast host Rebekah Whitaker shares why we get pulled into the ‘drama triangle’ and what we can learn from Transactional Analysis to understand ourselves and our relationships with others better.    Transactional Analysis is new to me so it was really interesting to understand the ‘drama triangle’ and reflect on how it plays out in the workplace and the role we can play as leaders in creating more positive behaviours and relationships.    In this episode Rebekah provides an introduction to this concept and I’m delighted that she’s running a workshop within Women Leading this autumn to bring the next level of insights into how leaders can reduce drama within their teams.    This is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader.     My name’s Carla Miller, I’ve been coaching leaders for the past 15 years and I’m your leadership bestie.  I’m here to remind you of the value to bring to your organisation, to help believe in yourself and to share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.    Women Leading:  Come and join over 40 women in Women Leading – my community to help you lead without overwhelm.  It offers peer support calls, group coaching calls, regular menopause events and a live leadership and wellbeing workshop each month on topics including…    Managing an Overwhelmed Team  How and When to Coach Your Team  Reducing Drama in your Team  Giving Feedback Without Feeling Awkward    Find up more and sign up at https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading     About Rebekah Whitacker:  Through Quest for EST Rebekah is on a mission to change the way that we approach leadership development, equipping leaders with skills to support them from the start of their leadership journey. She is also the co-host of In Pursuit of the Better You, a podcast dedicated to helping you maximise your potential personally and professionally.    Rebekah’s website: www.quest4est.co.uk   Rebekah’s substack: https://quest4est.substack.com            Mentioned in this episode:https://carlamiller.co.uk/newsletter/