Today we are talking about the critical role of the CEO in embedding equitable practices in their organisations. I am talking with expert Sandra D'Souza, who is sharing research insights from her book, "From Bias to Equality". Join us!

My guest today is Sandra D'Souza, author of the book, 'From Bias to Equality: How business leaders can drive innovation, success and profitability by embracing true gender balance'  and Founder of Women's Business Networking group Ellect.

Her book, From Bias To Equality provides actionable insights from successful business leaders who have achieved greater women representation on their boards and in C-Suite roles. In showcasing real-world examples and best practices from international leaders, this book empowers organizations to build diverse and inclusive leadership teams, leading to improved decision-making, enhanced company culture, and increased innovation and profitability.

In this ep, Sandra is discussing:

• The critical importance of a CEO in instigating change on gender equity in the workplace
• Key business impacts of diversity: growth, profitability, running better operations
• The need and the want of having gender equity in the workplace
•  The role of CXOs generally in bridging the gender equity gap
• Creating Leadership KPIs around hitting equity measures and the importance of role modelling as leaders 
• Gender equity quotas... and so much more!

 Sandra, on her research of ASX listed companies:

"Research shows that with a gender balanced leadership team and Board, companies have achieved greater profitability, 27% more collaboration and faster innovation cycles because of the diversity."

Links:

• Get a copy of Sandra's book : "From Bias to Equality: How business leaders can drive innovation, success and profitability by embracing true gender balance"
• For Career & Leadership coaching, connect with Rebecca Allen on Linkedin or visit the Illuminate website 

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About Sandra:

Sandra D’Souza, founder of Ellect, is a passionate advocate for gender equality in business leadership. An Amazon bestselling author of From Bias to Equality, Sandra's leadership is driven by resilience and a growth mindset. Recognised as the Most Influential CEO of 2023, she is committed to closing the gender gap and empowering women in leadership roles. Find Sandra on Linkedin here

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. 

Psychological safety is necessary and important for many reasons. Most notably, when people feel psychologically safe, they’ll feel more secure and perform better. Today I am sharing 5 simple questions you can ask, to help build psychological safety in your team.

As a leader, you want to be supporting your team however you can. 

One easy way to do this is to create a culture of psychological safety in your team, where people feel safe to:

* Ask questions

* Admit their own mistakes

* Challenge existing ideas or present their own...

And without recrimination, humiliation or punishment.

Want to learn these simple questions to help you ask the RIGHT questions and maintain that sense of support and encouragement in your team? Join me!

Rebecca, on the importance of creating psychological safety in your team:

"No one likes be shamed for not knowing something. Or to be humiliated in front of others. Which is why it’s valuable to think abut how you’re framing questions to bring out the best in your team."

Links:

• Get your copy of Rebecca's free guide, 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact Leader
• Speak to Rebecca today: book a free 15-minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to make sure you're a great fit for one another, to discuss your career goals and current challenges and work on your plan moving forwards

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

The time has come to have a direct conversation with a peer, client or team member and you know you've been avoiding it. In this episode, I am teaching a simple 3-step process to help you confidently maintain a direct, courageous conversation and get a mutually beneficial result.

3 ways to be sure you're avoiding having a direct conversation:

• You're attributing negative meaning to this conversation, before you've even had it, i.e. 'This is going to be difficult', or 'They'll think badly about me.'
• You're avoiding having a face to face conversation, defaulting to writing an email instead.
• You're struggling to maintain eye contact because you know there's a deeper conversation that needs to be had.

By the end of today's episode, you'll have total clarity about your own avoidance strategies as well as a simple, 3-step process to help you initiate a successful, direct conversation at work to get to the true heart of an issue or challenge fast.

Save yourself sleepless nights and a mountain of wasted time, by learning how to have successful and direct conversations with others.

Links:

• Book a free 15-minute Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities for you and your team in 2026
• Enjoy this related episode: The Value of Rehearsing a Difficult Conversation Out Loud (9 mins)
• And this one: How Avoiding Difficult Conversations is Keeping You Stuck (16 mins)

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

A personal manifesto helps you set your intent for the year ahead. Want to learn how to write yours? 

Today I am sharing a lot of different ideas to help you write yourself a clear mission statement, or personal manifesto, for the year ahead.

• What sort of leader do you want to be?
• How will you show up?
• What transformation will you make, both personally and to the business?

By the end of today's 14 minute episode you'll have all the inspo you need to write a motivating and energising personal manifesto to help you drive into the new year with added clarity and gusto so that you can make a real, and purposeful, impact.

Links:

• Book a free 15-minute Career Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities you want from your career in 2026

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

If you're worried you're too young, or don't offer enough value, to be an impactful Board member, think again! 

My guest today is Claire Braund OAM, Executive Director and co-founder of Women on Boards. In this episode, Claire is sharing a raft of valuable insight into how to get yourself ready for a Board application. There is no such as thing as 'too early' to join a Board: the key is to prepare well. Claire is talking about how to define your value proposition, key skills and experience; how to identify your first Board opportunity; defining your purpose as a Board member and so much more! 

Claire, on finding the right Board for you:

"The big thing is purpose. Why are you seeking to go on a Board? You have to have a match with the Board you want to join. Have a sense about what you might bring to them, not what they can do for you." 

Links:

• Visit Women On Boards 
• Connect with Claire Braund on Linkedin
• Connect with Rebecca Allen on Linkedin
• Visit the Illuminate website to learn more about standout Career & Leadership coaching for women

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Claire:

Claire is a social entrepreneur and businesswoman who co-founded Women on Boards in Australia in 2006 and in the UK in 2012. She is a highly respected speaker and workshop presenter on how to craft a board career, build a board CV and a wide range of topics associated with her role at Women on Boards. She is known for her courage, conviction, compassion and confidence in inspiring and creating pathways for women to take on board and leadership roles. Claire became a Churchill Fellow in 2011 for her research into the effect of gender quotas on publicly listed boards in Norway, the UK and France, is a graduate of the Benevolent Society’s Sydney Social Leadership Program and an experienced Non-Executive Director on small businesses and large Not-For-Profit organisations . Past directorships include Central Coast Conservatorium Ltd (Chair), Coast Shelter Emergency Accommodation Ltd, The Women’s Club and Foundation for Australian Agricultural Women Ltd. In the 2024 Kings' Birthday Honours List Claire received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to women, to business and to the NSW Central Coast Region.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

Move over New Year's Resolutions! I've got a simple alternative that will knock resolutions into touch! 

Today is all about simplicity. In this quick 10 minute episode I am guiding you through some simple words that you can use to help you make better decisions for yourself and your career next year.

Words like 'Courage'; ' Grace'; 'Boundaries'... what do you need most in 2026?

Links:

• Book a free 15-minute Career Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities you want from your career in 2026

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

It's December and, after a busy year, it's time to rest! Today we are exploring the power of bite-sized daily rest and it's positive impact on you, your life and your leadership.

Today I am talking about the value of rest. Stillness isn't about weakness, it's that opportunity to be introspective and be more objective which ultimately allows you to be more productive! I am sharing some simple prompts today to help you push back, say no, re-prioritise or simply make more space and time for you.

Links:

• Enjoy this yin meditation to bring calm into your day, with Olivia Shurdova 
• Book a Career Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities you want from your career in 2026

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

Have you ever spent over a fortnight in Antarctica? Jess Styles recounts a fabulous experience with Homeward Bound doing exactly that!

My guest today is Jess Styles who earlier this year spent 16 days on a ship in Antarctica with 120 other women leaders in STEM. Not only did she learn a lot about leadership, ice and penguins... she had the opportunity to self-reflect and heal having undergone cancer treatment only months before. Join Jess and me for this fascinating reflection. 

Jess, on what she learned:

"In Antarctica, we saw extreme nature and got to see places no human has ever set foot in before which was really special. With 120 other STEM leaders onboard our ship over the 16 days, I learned a lot about leadership and what kind of leader I aspire to be. A big part of my learning was self-discovery. Taking time out for me was really important and I'd encourage everyone to do that: take time out for yourself because it isn't selfish - it's needed. It was very freeing to have that time to work out what I really want to do."

Links:

• For Career & Leadership coaching, connect with Rebecca Allen on Linkedin or visit the Illuminate website 

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Jess:

Jess Styles is a graduate of Human Biology and Psychology with a Masters degree in Social and Public Policy. She has worked for the public service, not-for-profit and private sectors to support health and wellbeing outcomes for Australians, using her knowledge and experience to connect and understand people.

Currently working to support outcomes in social policy and gender equality for education, Jess has also had roles in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health space, supporting work in closing the gap in health inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.  She has previous experience in supporting mental health research in current serving and recently discharged military veterans, and their families to support policy change and clinical outcomes for the Australian Defence Force.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. 

Today I am sharing a simple 3-step process to help you take stock of everything you have achieved in 2025.

I work with a lot of clients throughout the year and one skill I find a lot of people don't exercise is that of reviewing their progress. 

In our coaching programs, we are big on recapping, reviewing and acknowledging the impact we are making... because if you don't, you can easily fall into the self-doubt trap wondering whether you're adding any value at all! And I don't want that for you!

By the end of these 10 minutes, you'll walk away with a simple tool to help you uncover profound evidence of the impact you have made this year so that you can feel proud of your hard work but also have details to give you leverage over the next 12 months. Are you with me?

Rebecca on the importance of reviewing your action:

"At the end of year it's important to review because it's too easy to forget the value you have been making and get into those imposter style thoughts where you are doubting what you have accomplished. Understanding your impact is your fast track to building confidence." (Rebecca Allen, host Her Ambitious Career)

Links:

• Extend the exercise I share in this ep by tuning into a related ep I recorded about this topic last year! Ep 162 – 3 Steps to Review a Busy Year & Acknowledge Your Impact
• Book a Career Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities you want from your career in 2026

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

If you want to be successful in an upcoming interview, or internal opportunity for promotion, knowing more about sales could be the differentiator! 

My guest today is sales expert Susan Englehutt, Founder of The Way Buyers Buy. Sandra is looking today at how to apply sales techniques to your own process as you look to sell YOU... and it makes for an interesting conversation!

In the next 20 minutes, we are exploring the difference between Why, How and What buyers and how to present yourself as the potential solution to your hiring manager's problems! 

Susan, on how to shift your interview style to be more successful:

"To set yourself up for a more senior role, a critical question you can ask them is 'What has changed?' By asking this you are trying to understand what their problems and opportunities are. Change can be lots of things: what strategic plans have moved? What new products are there? Is there a new mission, vision or values? These questions matter to the WHY buyer. And then you can seed ideas as to how you could help them solve those problems."

Links:

• Connect with Susan on LinkedIn
• Visit The Way Buyers Buy website
• Listen to a related episode with Rebecca: Next-Level Interview Prep: How to Do Your Due Diligence & Assess Cultural Fit
• And a 'shorty' episode: 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Interviewing for a Senior Role
• For Career & Leadership coaching, connect with Rebecca Allen on Linkedin or visit the Illuminate website 

Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!

About Susan:

Susan Englehutt is the founder and creator of The Way Buyers Buy: the program growing and shifting companies actually need when they have hired more sales people, or purchased sales training and it didn’t work. A born simplifier and visual thinker, Susan is an expert sales consultant and trainer. Her specialty is helping the leaders of B2B companies and their teams. Susan has been a consultant to huge Fortune 50 companies like Verizon, IBM, Microsoft, and Dell and to small and medium companies too. Today, she loves working with nimble and innovative companies and teams who need quick shifts and lasting change in the way they think, behave, market and sell.  

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs.