"Leadership is an art, it’s not just something we do"

Research indicates over 75% of leaders remain in reactive behaviour, often avoiding difficult conversations and triggering hyper-vigilance within their teams. This creates an “intention-impact gap,” where good intentions don’t translate into desired outcomes.

Susanne and I discuss the antidote to this 'immediacy' and presence. Sounds simple right ? A surprising fact from executive coaching: many powerful leaders struggle with authentic self-expression. Suzanne shares a compelling anecdote from her mother’s barbershop, where high-profile clients found solace in being treated as simply “people,” not titles.

This highlights a core business lesson: authenticity builds connection, reducing the “lonely at the top” phenomenon. People stop seeing us and interacting with us as human beings when we lose touch with our true selves. Developing the courage to be “most fully yourself” is a priceless journey, transforming not just personal interactions but also team dynamics and organizational culture.

How often do you adjust your communication to fit perceived expectations rather than expressing your genuine thoughts?

The insights you'll get from this episode are :

1. This Could be Everything offers actionable exercises for leaders taken from life lessons, e.g. we perceive famous people as less human, powerful people are just people, we must learn how to interact with all types of people.
2. It helps to pay attention to subtle clues, understand how to create a good interpersonal experience, enable people to relax, share things and get to know people – an interest in serving other people requires trusting yourself first.
3. We can recognise authenticity, curiosity, warmth, and openness in people (as well as the opposite), particularly in a work scenario; faking it is uncomfortable for authentic people, and we must grant ourselves the freedom to be ourselves.
4. Outward signs of leaders not trusting themselves are a lack of creativity, innovation, healthy debate, and challenge; not acknowledging the work of others – we can reflect on the quality of our conversations to learn about ourselves.
5. Leadership coaching involves speaking truth to and challenging people in order to advance them - we can all have impact if we share with the intention to serve; leadership is about being brave enough to speak up and following your instinct.
6. Immediacy is one of most important – but underutilised – aspects of coaching, because whatever is happening in the here and now gives a complete picture of how people act in other situations.
7. It can be difficult to build the immediacy muscle without it feeling confrontational - there must be a feeling of safety to address real issues; this can be based on our own personal history of speaking truth but taking small risks improves it over time.
8. To shift out of reactive behaviour leaders need self-compassion and an understanding of their behaviour – it is important to convert the inner critic into an inner champion in order to be able to serve others.
9. Leaders need to foster a different mindset to focus on the positive despite the inevitable negative that comes with the job; they can act by taking on feedback, being curious, learning, adapting, connecting with themselves, being flexible, and having conversations.
10. Artistic unity, as in a piece of art or music intended to create a feeling, is a means of communicating for alignment and results, requiring humanity and emotion to tell a good story – the message is nothing more and nothing less, but ignites hearts and minds; leadership is an art after all.

Find out more about Susanne and her work here :

https://susannebiro.com/

"What if the secret to leading change was simpler than you think?"

Most change models are built for organizations, not people. They're layered, complex, and quietly ignore the messy, human reality of what it actually takes to shift human behaviour at scale.

The journey of leadership in an era of constant change demands a shift from traditional, often performative models to a more human-centered approach. By integrating insights from high-performance environments like adaptive sports, leaders can cultivate clarity, provide genuine support, and leverage the undeniable power of encouragement.

The three pillars of information, support, and encouragement offer a pragmatic framework for simplifying change, ensuring that transformations are not just enacted but are truly sustainable and impactful. Drawing on lessons from elite and adaptive sport, Carlee unpacks why clarity is the most underused leadership tool in the room, why encouragement isn't soft — it's neurochemical — and why inclusion isn't a values statement, it's a performance strategy.

Furthermore, intentional inclusion becomes the non-negotiable foundation for innovation and resilience. As AI reshapes the landscape of talent and work, human-centered leadership, characterized by curiosity, learning out loud, and deep empathy, is more crucial than ever. It’s the human element that will drive AI’s true potential, connecting technology with purpose and fostering cultures where everyone can thrive. The invitation is clear: reflect on what you want to be proud of, and just begin.

Whether you're leading a global transformation or a team of five, the fundamentals don't change. And they're more human than most leaders dare to admit.

The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

1. Performance happens quickly in sport and is built on the continual pursuit of betterment and excellence to achieve small improvements through hyperfocus and continual refinement.
2. This approach can be transferred to work in the form of incremental gains, priority-setting, awareness of environment, self-leadership, understanding individuals’ needs within the context of the team; the celebratory energy of sport – as well as dealing with both wins and losses – is also very helpful and positive.
3. A holistic approach (physical, emotional, and psychological) and balance are beneficial, but the power of clarity is often lacking in leadership, which requires big picture thinking in a world of change and the confidence to support a team when times are tough.
4. Traditional models for change are coming up against future models – they are helpful but can become overwhelming; consultative conversations are very constructive and simplicity provides clarity, particularly for messy human issues, such as breaking down change into information, support and encouragement.
5. Good support (from leaders) means providing information about what change entails, what development for the new role looks like, removing barriers to support, providing tooling/resources, addressing team dynamics, and making it clear where support comes from (e.g. informal chats, formal company communication channels, internal/external resources [ChatGPT]).
6. Encouragement drives performance and is the anchor for delivering success, and ongoing praise functions as a barometer along the way; inclusion must be intentional and representative - a lack of innovation and reach impacts performance; small adjustments count and provide connection in communities.
7. In terms of inclusion in the workplace, AI brings learnings, insights, skillsets, growth and development, and elevates innovation; we have to shift into an AI mindset of investing in tools and making them accessible, as well as upskilling for career development - leaders must remain human-centered in the face of shiny penny syndrome, learn out loud, and be curious, empathetic and caring.
8. ‘Leading out loud’ means looking ahead and wanting to be proud of one’s achievements as a leader in challenging times; this includes striving for AI excellence to leave a long-term impact – leaders should just begin and continue to take one step at a time as their authentic self.

Find out more about Carlee and her work here :

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carleeawolfe/

https://aceandarrowconsulting.com/about/