Key points from this episode

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

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Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

Ever wondered why some leaders seem to effortlessly command respect while others struggle to make an impact? The secret often lies in self-awareness - the foundation of all emotional intelligence. In this first episode of our summer mini-series, we explore why most leaders think they're self-aware (spoiler: they're usually not) and share practical strategies to genuinely understand your triggers, strengths, and impact on others.

Whether you're finding yourself repeating the same patterns in difficult conversations or wondering why your messages aren't landing as intended, this episode will give you the tools to start building genuine self-awareness that accelerates your leadership effectiveness.

Key points from this episode

• Why self-awareness is the foundation of all other emotional intelligence skills
• How to use your emotions as signals rather than obstacles
• The simple post-meeting reflection question that can transform your leadership impact
• Why senior leaders receive less honest feedback (and what to do about it)
• The power of asking "What's something I do that I might not notice?"

00:00 Introduction to our EQ Essentials summer series

01:00 What self-awareness really means for leaders

02:00 Pam's personal journey of analysing triggers and building self-awareness

05:00 The coffee vs tea leadership barometer story

06:00 What happens when leaders lack self-awareness

08:00 How poor self-awareness limits your leadership impact

10:00 Two main barriers to developing self-awareness

13:00 Simple strategies: intentional reflection after meetings

14:00 Using emotions as signals for development

16:00 Why positive emotions matter just as much as negative ones

17:00 The power of specific feedback and the "giggle" story

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

Feeling like you're coasting in your career, or frustrated that everyone else seems to be getting ahead while you're stuck? You're not alone. Whether you're earning good money but feeling unfulfilled, or watching colleagues get promoted while wondering "how do I get some of that?", this episode is for you.

We explore why so many ambitious professionals find themselves making career moves based on what others are doing (hello, career FOMO!) rather than what they actually want. Join us as we share the one exercise that helps you spot the patterns in your career history and start making intentional moves towards something meaningful.

Key points from this episode

• Why you might be moving "away from things" instead of "towards something" intentional
• How career FOMO leads to zigzag career paths that don't make sense
• The career mapping exercise that reveals patterns you've never noticed
• Why reflection on your career history is crucial for making better decisions
• How to identify your genuine strengths and what environments help you thrive

00:00 Introduction: Career coasting vs career frustration

01:00 Why reflection on your career history matters

03:00 Looking for patterns in how you've progressed

05:00 The career mapping exercise explained

07:00 Pam's realisation about leadership vs people management

09:00 Career FOMO and chasing what others have

11:00 Making sense of 20+ years of varied experience

14:00 Moving from formal career structures to fluid environments

16:00 Using the exercise as a sense check for your direction

18:00 When you might need additional coaching support

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Access the Career Map Exercise

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

Ever left a meeting thinking "I really didn't get my point across" or noticed people's eyes glazing over when you speak? You're not alone. The ability to communicate succinctly is one of the most underrated leadership skills - and one of the biggest barriers to career progression we see with our clients. In this episode, we explore why unclear communication holds leaders back more than technical skills gaps, and share practical frameworks to help you be heard.

Key points from this episode

• Why succinct communication becomes critical as you progress to senior roles
• How introvert vs extrovert preferences impact your communication style
• The PREP method for structuring your thoughts (Point, Reason, Example, Point)
• Why British workplace culture makes directness challenging - and how to navigate it
• The BLUF framework (Bottom Line Up Front) for emails and presentations

00:00 Introduction: Why succinct communication matters for career progression

01:00 How unclear communication holds leaders back more than technical skills

03:00 The confidence spiral: When communication struggles affect your self-belief

05:00 Introvert communication challenges: Why thinking aloud doesn't come naturally

08:00 The PREP method: A framework for clear, structured communication

11:00 Extrovert challenges: When processing aloud comes across as self-focused

13:00 The Listen First rule: Creating pause before contributing

14:00 The British directness dilemma: Balancing politeness with clarity

17:00 Radical Candor in communication: Being direct while showing care

21:00 The BLUF framework: Bottom Line Up Front for immediate impact

23:00 Wrap-up: How coaching can help develop your authentic communication style

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

Struggling to explain what you actually achieve beyond your daily tasks? You're not alone. Most professionals can list everything they do but struggle to articulate what's genuinely better because of their work. We explore our proven 4-part framework that transforms how you communicate your value, whether for performance reviews, job applications, or internal progression.

Key points from this episode

• The 4 types of impact every professional has (and how to identify yours)
• Why focusing on tasks instead of outcomes sabotages your career progression
• Specific questions to uncover hidden examples of your impact
• The "So What" test that transforms basic statements into compelling achievements
• How to quantify people impact and relationship-building contributions

Download the Impact Audit Template

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

We know loads of you will identify as perfectionists - it's one of the most common things our clients tell us about themselves, usually with a mix of pride and frustration. Most perfectionists know they probably need to ease up a bit, but knowing you should dial it back and actually feeling ready to let go are completely different things. The reality is that perfectionism has got you where you are, so the thought of lowering your standards feels risky.

But what if the very thing that helped you climb the ladder is now holding you back from the impact you really want? We explore how perfectionism shows up in leadership roles, why it stops serving you at senior levels, and most importantly - practical strategies to shift from perfectionism to progress without dropping your standards.

Key points from this episode

• Why perfectionism feels useful early in your career but becomes a barrier in leadership roles
• How perfectionist habits create overwork, slow decision-making, and micromanagement tendencies
• The hidden costs of perfectionism - missing strategic work, limiting career progression, and demotivating your team
• Practical strategies including time limits, delegating outcomes not processes, and creating early feedback loops
• Why the "one-touch rule" matters when reviewing delegated work

00:00 Introduction - How perfectionism holds back leadership

01:00 Why perfectionism feels useful and gets rewarded early in careers

03:00 The frustration when "perfect" work doesn't hit the mark for others

06:00 How perfectionism shows up in leadership - overwork and exhaustion

08:00 The impact on pace, agility, and team delegation

10:00 Why perfectionist leaders struggle with delegation and become bottlenecks

13:00 How perfectionism limits capacity for strategic work and career progression

16:00 Strategies for loosening the perfectionist grip

18:00 The mindset shift: risk of imperfection vs risk of perfectionism

20:00 Practical tip 1: Set time limits and stick to them religiously

22:00 Practical tip 2: Delegate the outcome, not the process

24:00 Practical tip 3: Create early feedback loops instead of waiting for the "ta-da" moment

26:00 The one-touch rule for reviewing delegated work

28:00 Closing thoughts and coaching support options

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Access the download with 20 strategies to overcome perfectionism as a leader (without lowering your standards)

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

Think resilience is about weathering storms and bouncing back from adversity? Think again. This week Jacqui speaks to Professor Laura Chamberlain, author of "Brilliantly Bouncy: Discover Positive Resilience," who completely reframes how we think about building resilience in our professional lives.

Laura shares why waiting until crisis hits to think about resilience is like trying to build strength in the middle of a workout - it's far better to create your reserves beforehand.

Key points from this episode

• Why resilience is like a dimmer switch, not an on/off button
• The danger of wearing resilience as a badge of honour for surviving tough times
• How to conduct an energy audit to identify what drains and energises you
• Why resilience doesn't have to be lonely—it's actually a team sport
• Practical choice anchors and energy management strategies for busy professionals

00:00 Introduction and welcome to Professor Laura Chamberlain

01:00 Laura's background and introduction to positive resilience

02:00 The traditional negative narrative around resilience

04:00 Laura's personal journey and the "cockroach" moment

06:00 Jacqui's reflection on past resilience experiences

07:00 Resilience as a dimmer switch metaphor

09:00 The shame and pride elements of traditional resilience thinking

10:00 Applying positive resilience in professional contexts

13:00 The power of conscious choices and control codes

15:00 Energy management over time management

17:00 Laura's 4am writing routine and energy-based scheduling

20:00 Building team resilience and radiator culture

23:00 Friends as radiators, not drains

25:00 The importance of asking for help and team support

27:00 User manuals for teams and connection building

30:00 Key takeaways: starting with an energy audit

32:00 Next steps: choice anchors and opportunity pockets

34:00 Where to find the book and connect with Laura

32:00 Next steps: choice anchors and opportunity pockets

34:00 Where to find the book and connect with Laura

Useful Links

Previous Episode - Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time

Brilliantly Bouncy Website - https://brilliantlybouncy.com/

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

If you've ever found yourself avoiding a difficult conversation because you didn't want to upset someone, or watched a team member struggle whilst knowing exactly what they needed to hear but not knowing how to say it, this episode is essential listening. We explore the concept of "ruinous empathy" from Kim Scott's Radical Candor framework and why sometimes caring too much can actually hold your people back from the growth they need.

Key points from this episode

• Understanding ruinous empathy and why well-meaning leaders fall into this trap
• The unintended consequences of avoiding challenging conversations in your team
• Four practical skills to move from ruinous empathy to radical candor
• How to demonstrate that your feedback comes from genuine care, not criticism
• Why setting high standards actually shows you care more about your people's development

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

In this episode, we tackle the double-edged sword of AI in job searching. Whilst AI tools like ChatGPT have become incredibly popular for CV writing and interview prep, we're seeing some serious pitfalls that could actually harm your chances. We explore how the widespread use of AI is creating a sea of identical applications and share practical strategies for using AI effectively without losing your authentic voice.

Key points from this episode

• Why AI-generated CVs are making candidates blend in rather than stand out
• The critical importance of keeping your personality and authentic voice in applications
• How to use AI as a brainstorming tool rather than a replacement for your own thinking
• The major flaws in using AI to predict interview questions (and what to do instead)
• Practical dos and don'ts for incorporating AI into your job search strategy

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The AI revolution in job searching

01:00 The homogenisation problem: When everyone's CV looks the same

03:00 The personality drain: Why AI can suck the soul out of applications

05:00 Red flag AI keywords that scream "computer-generated"

07:00 The trust factor: Why human-sounding CVs stand out more than ever

08:00 Crafting a compelling professional summary that sounds like you

10:00 Moving beyond responsibilities to showcase real impact

13:00 Smart ways to use AI for brainstorming and refinement

15:00 The interview prep trap: Why predicting questions backfires

17:00 The story-building approach to interview preparation

19:00 Why companies are giving questions upfront (and what this means)

21:00 Practical dos and don'ts for AI in job searching

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.

This week, we tackle one of the most frustrating leadership challenges: wanting to be strategic but constantly being pulled back into the operational weeds by requests from above. If you've ever felt caught between senior leaders asking for detailed information whilst simultaneously telling you to "be more strategic," this episode is essential listening. We explore why this happens and share practical strategies to break the cycle.

Key points from this episode

• Why senior leaders ask for detailed information even when they want you to be strategic
• How to communicate strategically without getting trapped in over-explaining
• Managing up techniques that build trust and reduce micro-detail requests
• The three core skills needed to handle this challenge effectively
• How to provide reassurance without showing all your workings

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction: The strategic leadership paradox

01:00 Why requests for detail derail strategic work

03:00 Understanding the psychology behind detailed questioning

06:00 Building relationships through strategic communication

09:00 A real example of mismatched communication expectations

12:00 The trust-building conversation approach

14:00 Managing your response to detailed questions in the moment

16:00 When detail requests trigger imposter syndrome

18:00 How this cycle can create micromanagement tendencies

19:00 Using these challenges for personal development

20:00 The three essential skills for strategic leadership communication

22:00 Wrap-up and coaching support optionsRetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses. Sonnet 4

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent.