Leading You

What does a cereal box have to do with leadership, reputation and career progression?

More than most people realise.

In this solo episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde unpacks one of the most powerful metaphors she uses with clients when discussing identity, leadership positioning and professional reputation.

Because just like products on a supermarket shelf, people make decisions about you long before they understand the full picture.

Your reputation is your packaging.
Your behaviours are your ingredients panel.
And whether intentional or not, you are constantly training people how to see you.

This episode explores why highly capable leaders often become trapped inside outdated perceptions, how behaviours reinforce professional identity over time, and why visibility alone will not move you into your next level of leadership.

Julie also explores research from organisational psychologist Dr Tasha Eurich around self-awareness and why the gap between how we see ourselves and how others experience us often widens at senior levels.

In this episode, we cover:

• Leadership identity and reputation
• Why behaviours shape positioning
• The danger of becoming known only as “the doer”
• Strategic positioning vs visibility
• Self-awareness and executive perception
• How leaders accidentally reinforce outdated identities
• Repositioning yourself for future leadership opportunities
• Why delivering more is not always the answer

If you have ever wondered why you continue being seen for the same type of work despite wanting more influence, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership growth.

Because your reputation is already speaking for you.

The question is… what is it saying?

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Leading You
00:29 The Cereal Box Identity Hook
01:30 Positioning Like Special K
03:10 The Self-Awareness Reality Check
04:01 How Reputations Get Built
05:27 Reposition Without Changing Who You Are
06:47 Clarity Compass Break
07:40 Three Reputation Questions to Ask Yourself
08:37 Why Doing More Can Keep Leaders Stuck
09:23 COO Case Study: The Shift That Changed Perception
11:40 Rewrite Your Leadership Promise
13:05 Final Reflection and Next Steps

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here
Get the Clarity Compass here

 

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a moment many leaders experience.

The role that once gave you energy, purpose and identity starts to feel heavier. Not because you've stopped caring or lost your capability — but because something no longer fits.

In this episode of Leading You, I sit down with Susan Simon — educator, former principal of three independent Queensland schools, and author of debut novel The Secrets of St Jude's — for a deeply honest conversation about what happens when your leadership identity starts to disconnect from who you're becoming.

After more than four decades in Australian school communities, Susan brings an insider's perspective on the emotional complexity of leadership: the joy of building empowered teams, the weight of competing stakeholder expectations, the politics, the pressure — and eventually, the grief of leaving a role that once defined her.

This conversation goes far beyond education. It's for anyone in leadership, corporate, or business who has quietly wondered: Is this still who I am?

What we cover:

• Why strong leadership often feels invisible to the person doing it
• The emotional load of leading complex organisations with competing expectations
• The quiet warning signs that something has shifted — before crisis hits
• Why leaving a leadership role can feel like grief, not just a career change
• The risk of letting work become your entire identity
• How to reconnect with yourself outside of your title
• Why grounding practices aren't a luxury — they're a leadership necessity
• Susan's debut novel and the psychological complexity of elite school communities

 

Timestamps
00:00 Life Components First
00:43 Meet Susan Simon
02:16 Leadership In Flow
08:09 Stakeholders And Pressure
11:05 When Identity Shifts
17:37 Leaving And New Paths
20:22 Grief And Attachment
24:34 Advice For Stuck Leaders
28:53 Inside The Debut Novel
33:11 Wrap Up And Reviews

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here
Get the Clarity Compass here

 

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

Connect with Susan:
Website: https://susan-simon.com/
Instagram: @susan.simon_author
Purchase link: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Secrets-of-St-Judes/Susan-Simon/9781922190154

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your mind hasn’t switched off in a while, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode of the Leading You Podcast, I’m talking about something I’m seeing everywhere right now. Not just physical busyness, but mental noise. The kind that keeps you switched on from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep. The kind that slowly becomes your normal without you even realising it.

Here’s the truth: being busy isn’t always the problem. Staying in that state for too long is.

Drawing on my own recent experience of stepping away for a short reset in Daylesford, I share what really happens when you create space. Why clarity, energy and perspective don’t come from pushing harder. They come from stepping away.

We tell ourselves we’ll slow down later. After this week. After this project. After this season. But clarity doesn’t live in the noise. And you don’t reset by doing more.

Sometimes, the most strategic thing you can do is pause.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why mental noise is the real problem, not your calendar
• The difference between a busy season and a constant state of pressure
• What a small reset in Daylesford reminded me about clarity and energy
• Why you don’t need a big holiday. You just need intentional space.
• How your environment directly shapes your thinking and decision-making
• The one question to ask yourself when you’re running on empty
• Why your energy is your responsibility, not your workload’s

 

This episode is your permission slip to rethink how you’re fuelling your energy, especially heading into the second half of the year. Because if you don’t create space intentionally, your body will eventually do it for you. And not in a way you choose.

 

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Leading You
00:31 Busy Minds and Burnout
02:56 A Simple Daylesford Reset
04:18 Clarity After the Break
05:54 Relevance and Next Level
07:05 Step Away From the Noise
08:52 Mini Break Ideas
09:19 Mid Year Winter Reset
10:13 Refuel Before You Crash
12:14 Wrap Up and Review

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the most powerful work of your career is still ahead of you?

In this episode of the Leading You Podcast, I sit down with career transition coach and author Robyn Greaves to explore what she calls the “third chapter”, a stage that is less about winding down and far more about stepping into something more intentional, more energising and more aligned with who you are now.

For many of us, the traditional idea of retirement simply no longer fits. We’re living longer, staying healthier for longer, and the desire to contribute doesn’t just switch off at a certain age. Yet the dominant narrative still pushes us towards stepping back, slowing down and becoming less relevant. This conversation pushes back on that, hard.

Robyn and I get into the real challenges that come with this transition, the identity shift that catches people off guard, the practical challenge of positioning your value in a market that often prizes titles over experience, and the mindset shift required to see this stage as opportunity rather than ending.

One of the most powerful ideas we explore is what Robyn calls “ageing superpowers”, the perspective, pattern recognition and hard-won wisdom that only comes from decades of lived experience. These are not soft skills to downplay. They are capabilities to own and leverage.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the third chapter is not an ending, it’s a redesign
• How to navigate the identity shift that comes when you step out of a long-held role
• Why positioning your value matters more than your title ever did
• What “ageing superpowers” actually are and how to use them
• How to start without a perfect plan, and why that’s the right move
• What it looks like to design a chapter that is energising, purposeful and on your terms

If you’ve ever wondered what comes next, or found yourself uncertain about how to navigate this stage, this episode will give you a new lens, one grounded in possibility, not limitation.

 

Timestamps

00:00 Take One Small Step
00:42 Meet Robyn Greaves
01:18 What Is The Third Chapter
03:27 Why It Matters Now
06:44 Designing A Great Chapter
09:04 Hidden Transition Challenges
10:30 Relevance And Identity Shift
11:42 Aging Superpowers
15:40 Practical Steps To Start
17:09 Agency And Final Takeaway
19:17 Wrap Up And Review

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

 

Connect with Robyn:
Website: https://robyngreaves.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careercoachsydney/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us assume confidence and identity are built through big moments. But more often than not, it’s something much smaller that does the shaping. A single comment, a label, a sentence spoken at the wrong moment by the wrong person.

And those words? They stay a lot longer than they should.

In this solo episode of Leading You, I explore the power of belief. Where it comes from, what we do with it, and why the most important belief you carry is the one you choose, not the one placed on you.

I share personal stories, from being told I wasn’t good at maths in primary school, to being told I’d fail English, to navigating a cancer diagnosis where the language of others could have easily shaped a very different outcome.

What becomes clear is this: the same person, the same capability, can experience completely different outcomes depending on what they choose to believe.

Because it’s never just about what was said to you. It’s about what you agreed with.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the smallest moments often shape us the most
• How a single label placed on you in childhood can follow you for decades
• The difference between what is said to you and what you choose to keep
• Why people rise to the level of belief you have in them — and why the same is true of yourself
• How to use awareness as the starting point for changing the beliefs that are holding you back
• What it means to take ownership of your mindset, especially when life gets hard

This episode is an invitation to look at the beliefs you’re carrying, which ones are helping you move forward, and which ones have simply become familiar.

Because your future isn’t shaped by what people have said about you. It’s shaped by what you choose to believe.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to Leading You
00:53 Power of Words
01:34 A Leader Said No
02:40 Grade Three Math Label
04:12 Belief Builds Winners
05:08 Told I’d Fail English
07:29 Cancer Fight Mindset
11:01 Relevance and Identity
12:13 Self Belief Matters Most
14:54 Choose What You Accept
15:50 Rewrite the Old Story
16:57 Closing and Reviews

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde sits down with Peter Norris to explore a story that challenges assumptions about identity, leadership and what is actually possible.

Peter grew up in an environment where crime was normalised. His father was one of Australia’s most wanted bank robbers, his brother followed a similar path, and by the age of six, Peter was already involved in break-ins.

At thirteen, he made a decision that changed the direction of his life.

This conversation explores that moment, the choices that followed, and what it takes to step away from what feels inevitable. It also moves into leadership, where Peter now leads a multimillion-dollar hospitality group with a clear philosophy built on courage and kindness.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The defining decision that changed Peter’s trajectory
• How environment shapes belief and what becomes possible
• Why small, consistent choices matter more than big moments
• The tension between loyalty, identity and personal responsibility
• How to lead with both courage and kindness in today’s workplace
• The role of belief in shaping performance and culture

This is a conversation about choice, ownership and leadership. It challenges the idea that your past determines your future, and reinforces the impact of the decisions you make over time.

 

Timestamps

00:00 Not Defined by Past

00:42 Meet Peter Norris

02:39 Early Life and Belonging

05:13 Foster Care and Family Split

06:57 First Crimes at Six

09:05 Pivotal Moment at Eleven

11:53 Choosing a New Path

15:06 A Real Foster Family

16:21 Lead Her Mastermind Promo

17:36 Unstoppable Athletic Drive

19:14 Great Wall Marathon Lessons

20:11 Winning the CEO Role

21:06 Culture Change No Bullies

21:52 Courage and Kindness Leadership

22:45 Belief Unlocks Potential

25:54 Mistakes Growth Over Perfection

27:11 Vulnerability Builds Trust

28:14 Daily Choices Shape Culture

31:39 Power to Change Trajectories

32:28 Past Doesn’t Define Future

34:52 Turning Point at Thirteen

35:39 Final Thanks and Outro

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

Connect with Peter:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573484279801
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-norris-a54b369a/
Book: https://www.thebankrobbersboy.com.au/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde unpacks a common frustration for high-performing professionals who feel stuck in their careers despite consistently delivering strong results.

The insight is simple, but confronting. You are not being overlooked. You are being categorised.

Organisations naturally group people based on patterns they observe over time. Some are seen as leaders who shape direction, while others are seen as reliable executors who deliver. Both are valuable, but they are treated very differently when opportunities arise.

This episode explores why doing more does not change how you are perceived, how strong performance can reinforce the wrong identity, and what needs to shift if you want to move into your next level of leadership.

If you are known as the safe pair of hands but want to be seen as someone who leads, influences and shapes decisions, this conversation will help you understand what is really happening and how to start changing it.

Key Takeaways

• Career progression is driven by perception, not effort
• Doing more can reinforce the identity that is keeping you stuck
• The shift required is positioning. How you think, contribute and show up

Timestamps

00:00 The Pattern I’m Seeing
01:12 Why “Overlooked” Is the Wrong Frame
02:45 How Organisations Categorise People
05:10 The Safe Pair of Hands Trap
07:20 Why Doing More Keeps You Stuck
09:05 Capability vs Perception
11:18 How Opportunities Are Actually Decided
13:02 Shifting From Execution to Influence
15:10 The Positioning Shift
17:22 How to Understand How You’re Seen
19:05 Practical Step: The 3-Word Feedback Exercise
21:00 Moving Into Your Next Level
22:30 Final Reflection

 

Links:

Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Leading You, Julie Hyde sits down with financial advisor and retirement strategist Jenny Brown to challenge the way we think about retirement.

Because for most people, retirement has been framed as an end point. Work hard, build your career, save enough… then stop. But what happens after that?

Jenny brings over 30 years of experience to this conversation, along with insights from her book Retirement: The Great Escape Plan, and what becomes clear very quickly is this… retirement planning is not just about money. It’s about how you want to live.

Together, they unpack the biggest mistake people make when planning for retirement, why starting with numbers can lead you in the wrong direction, and how to shift your thinking towards purpose, identity and lifestyle.

This conversation explores:

• Why retirement is a transition, not a finish line
• The importance of designing your life before you design your finances
• The four stages of retirement and what to expect at each phase
• The identity shift that comes when work is no longer your anchor
• Why structure, connection and meaning matter more than you think
• The reality of aged care and why it requires early awareness, not reactive decisions

If you’re in your 40s, 50s or beyond, this episode will challenge how you think about retirement and give you a more intentional way to approach what comes next.

Because retirement isn’t something you drift into. It’s something you design.

 

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Aged Care Minefield
00:39 Meet Jenny Brown
01:46 Why She Wrote the Book
04:04 The Four Stages of Retirement
08:53 Aged Care Reality Check
12:49 Mastermind Break
14:00 Common Retirement Planning Mistakes
16:50 Identity After Work
19:29 Creating Rhythm in Retirement
21:36 Finding Your Financial Freedom Number
23:17 The Retirement Mindset Shift
24:11 Wrap Up and Next Steps

 

Key Takeaways

• Retirement is not a finish line. It’s a transition that requires intention, not assumption.
• Most people start with the wrong question. Instead of asking “How much do I need?”, start with “What do I want my life to look like?”
• The people who thrive in retirement are not necessarily the wealthiest. They are the ones who have built purpose, connection and structure into their lives.
• Identity plays a bigger role than most realise. When work stops, many people struggle with who they are without it.
• Aged care is one of the most complex and emotional parts of retirement planning. The best decisions come from slowing down, asking questions and understanding your options early.
• If you’re in your 40s or 50s, now is the time to start thinking about your next phase, not just financially, but personally.

00:00 Aged Care Reality Check

00:39 Meet Jenny Brown

01:46 Why She Wrote It

04:04 Four Retirement Stages

06:55 Planning Before You Quit0

8:53 Aged Care Minefield

12:49 Mastermind Break

14:00 Purpose Before Numbers

16:50 Identity After Work

19:29 Rhythm And Routine

21:36 Your Freedom Number

23:17 Retirement Mindset Shift

24:11 Wrap Up And Reviews

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

 

Connect with Jenny:
Website: https://jbsfinancial.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennybrownjbs/
Book: https://jbsfinancial.com.au/the-great-escape-plan/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There’s a stage of life we don’t talk about enough.

You’re managing your career, your children, your relationships… and at the same time, stepping into supporting or caring for your parents.

It often happens quickly. Without warning. Without a roadmap.

In this episode, I share a deeply personal experience of navigating this season. The emotional weight, the decisions, the constant thinking ahead, and the mental load that sits behind it all.

Because it’s not just what you’re doing… it’s what you’re carrying.

There’s also a quieter layer to this that doesn’t get spoken about. The grief that comes with watching your parents change, lose independence, or decline. The shift from being supported to becoming the support.

This isn’t just a personal conversation.

It’s a leadership one.

Because many people are navigating this quietly while still showing up to work every day. And if you’re leading people, understanding what sits behind someone’s energy, behaviour and capacity matters.

This episode is about awareness, compassion, and recognising that you are not alone in this season.

In this episode, I cover:

• What the sandwich generation really is, and why it’s growing
  • The hidden mental load of caring for both children and parents
  • The emotional impact, including grief and role reversal
  • Why this stage can feel overwhelming, even when everything looks “fine”
  • The importance of asking for support and not doing it all alone
  • Why leaders need to understand what their people may be carrying

 

Timestamps

00:00 Podcast intro
00:28 The reality of the sandwich generation
01:55 A personal story and what this stage looks like
03:41 My own caregiving experience
05:36 The hidden mental load
06:49 Why this matters in the workplace
08:45 Grief and cognitive decline
10:12 Break
11:24 Sibling roles and distance care
14:12 Don’t lose yourself in the process
15:50 Support, resources and reflection
16:47 Close

 

Links:
Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been taught that leadership is about performance.

Results. Output. Driving outcomes.

But what if the real driver of performance… is care?

In this episode, I sit down with Graeme Cowan to have a conversation that I think more leaders need to hear.

Because right now, people are under pressure.
Nearly one in two managers are experiencing severe stress every week.

That’s not just a wellbeing issue. That’s a leadership issue.

We talk about what caring leadership actually looks like in practice, not as a “nice to have”, but as something that directly impacts performance, resilience and culture.

This is a grounded conversation about how you show up as a leader when things are hard, how you support your people without lowering standards, and why connection is becoming one of the most important leadership skills we have.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why care is not soft… it’s a driver of performance
• The reality of stress and pressure leaders are navigating right now
• Why leadership is about creating environments where people feel seen and supported
• The difference between pushing for performance and enabling it
• Practical ways to have better conversations with your team
• The four pillars of care: self-care, crew care, red zone care and creating a “code green” culture

 

Timestamps

00:00 Start better conversations
00:43 Meet Graeme Cowan
01:43 Depression behind success
03:56 Recovery and purpose
06:19 Relationships and resilience
08:26 Why care matters now
11:25 Mastermind break
12:37 Four pillars of care
14:00 Building caring teams
16:01 Red zone care framework
19:10 Changing corporate incentives
22:43 Intentional actions for mood
25:23 One practical leadership move
27:42 Wrap up and close

 

Links:

Learn more about my group coaching program here

Connect with Graeme:
Website: https://graemecowan.com.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemecowan1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graemecowan/

 

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram: @juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.