LeadWell with Jacqui

When commitment becomes attachment, and how to know when to continue, change or let it go.

Perseverance is often treated as an unquestioned virtue. But continuing with a goal is not always a sign of resilience, sometimes it is driven by sunk cost, fear of judgement or attachment to an outdated definition of success.

In this mini episode, Jacqui shares three signs that it may be time to honestly review a goal:

• your strongest reason for continuing is how much you have already invested

• you are protecting your identity or reputation

• achieving the goal would no longer feel like success

Through leadership, career and personal examples, she explores the difference between discomfort and genuine misalignment—and offers a simple prompt to help you decide whether to continue, change direction or let go.

Because changing your mind does not mean your original judgement was poor. It may simply mean you are making a better decision with the information you have now.

We are often taught that persistence is a virtue: finish what you started, stay the course and never give up. But what happens when the evidence changes – or when the goal, strategy or version of success you once chose no longer fits?

In this return episode of LeadWell with Jacqui, we explore the sunk cost effect and escalation of commitment: the psychological forces that can keep leaders and individuals investing in decisions simply because they have already put so much into them.

Through personal reflections, leadership examples and the well-known stories of Kodak and Blockbuster, I explain why changing direction is not necessarily failure. Sometimes, it is the most thoughtful and courageous decision available.

You’ll learn how to review your choices through three forms of evidence – results, energy and alignment – and decide what you need to continue, change or let go of.

Because resilience is not about white-knuckling your way towards a goal that no longer fits. Real resilience includes the ability to adapt.

Join LeadWell Academy:

Find this episode helpful? Then LeadWell Academy is for you! A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity and courage. Learn more and enrol here.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

TikTok: @leadwellwithjacqui

Website: https://www.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

In today's workplace, it's not uncommon to have four – even five – generations working side by side. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, each brings different values, communication styles and expectations. But while many leaders see this mix as a challenge, the real opportunity lies in how we bridge understanding across generations.

In this episode, unpack the psychology and sociology behind generational differences – exploring how each group was shaped by its time and what that means for how they show up at work. Learn practical ways leaders can flex communication styles, recognise bias and turn age diversity into one of their greatest strengths.

You'll walk away understanding:

• The core characteristics of each generation – and where they come from
• Common generational biases to avoid
• How to create trust, engagement and innovation across ages
• Leadership practices that unite rather than divide

Because great leadership isn't about treating everyone the same, it's about treating everyone as if they matter.

Mentioned in this episode:

How to Develop a Generation Z Leadership PipelineWhy

Intergenerational Leadership is Redefining Business

Performance, Innovation and Resilience Intergenerational Leadership is Key to Organisational Success

Join LeadWell Academy:

A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity and courage. Learn more and enroll here.

Join the conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell newsletter for leadership insights, tools and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

TikTok: @leadwellwithjacqui

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadwellwithjacqui

Website: https://www.leadwellco.com.au/

If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui.

Self-awareness is often talked about as the foundation of emotional intelligence but few leaders truly understand how powerful it is.

In this episode, explore why self-awareness is the cornerstone of great leadership and how it impacts everything from confidence to communication. Unpack the different layers of self-awareness: internal (our values and motivations) and external (how we are perceived by others), and learn practical ways to strengthen yours.

You'll also hear how to handle one of the biggest leadership challenges: working with people who lack self-awareness.

If you're ready to lead yourself better, respond instead of react and create deeper trust in your team – this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Be a Leader Others Want to Follow

Join LeadWell Academy:

Find this episode helpful? Then LeadWell Academy is for you! A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity and courage. Learn more and enroll here.

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell fortnightly newsletter for leadership insights, tools, and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: https://www.leadwellco.com.au/

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

How clear is your communication, really?

One of my clients recently shared a moment where her leader turned to her and said, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're asking me." And this client is a senior leader, highly skilled, and one of her strengths is communication. But even the best communicators can find themselves misunderstood.

In this episode of LeadWell with Jacqui, I share a practical three-step process to help you sharpen your communication so it's clear, concise and resonant for your audience. You'll learn how to:

- Set clear intentions and objectives before you speak

- Adapt your language, structure and style to meet others where they are

- Summarise and reflect so your message truly lands

Because at the end of the day, it's not about what we say, it's about what others hear. And as leaders, our impact depends on that clarity.

Join LeadWell Academy:

Find this episode helpful? Then LeadWell Academy is for you! A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity and courage. Learn more and enroll at https://academy.leadwellco.com.au

Join the conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell newsletter for leadership insights, tools and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: www.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

What makes people see you as a leader worth following? It's not just expertise or results it's executive presence. But despite what many believe, executive presence isn't about being polished, perfect or putting on a show. It's about how you communicate, the confidence you project and the impact you leave behind.

In this episode of LeadWell with Jacqui, I break down what executive presence really means (and bust some of the myths that make it feel intimidating). You'll hear why research shows it's one of the biggest differentiators in who gets seen, trusted and promoted, plus the three essential elements every leader can develop: gravitas, communication and appearance.

If you've ever worried you don't "look the part" or questioned whether presence is something you're born with, this conversation will give you a fresh perspective and practical strategies to strengthen your presence authentically, so you can show up with clarity, confidence and impact.

Mentioned in this episode:

The New Rules of Executive Presence

7 Surprising Statistics About Executive Presence

Executive Presence: What It Is, Why You Need It And How to Get It

Join LeadWell Academy

A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity and courage. Learn more and enroll here.

Join the conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell newsletter for leadership insights, tools and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: https://www.leadwellco.com.au/

If you found this episode helpful, dont' forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

Ever been promoted into a leadership role during a crisis with little support, sky-high expectations, and the odds stacked against you? That’s the glass cliff, a phenomenon where women (and minority leaders) are more likely to be handed risky roles when failure feels inevitable.

In this fiery episode, I unpack why this happens, what the research shows, and most importantly, how women can protect themselves by building the missing 33%: the business, financial, and strategic acumen that too often gets overlooked in leadership development.

You’ll learn:

- Why some companies put women in crisis roles and how it sets them up for failure

- The three dimensions of leadership success, and where women are most underestimated

- Four practical, everyday habits to strengthen your business and strategic skills

- How to communicate with impact so your leadership is seen and valued

If you’re ambitious, capable and ready to step into leadership with confidence – not crisis – this episode will give you the tools to thrive.

Mentioned in this episode:

There Are 3 Keys to Career Success—But Women Are Only Taught 2 of Them

The Missing 33%: Has Anything Changed?

Glass Cliff: Definition, Research, Examples, Vs. Glass Ceiling

How Women End Up on the “Glass Cliff”

Join LeadWell Academy

A self-paced leadership development experience for people who want to lead with confidence, clarity, and courage.

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell fortnightly newsletter for leadership insights, tools, and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: www.academy.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

Your personal brand isn’t just your LinkedIn profile or what you wear to work – it’s every micro habit, every interaction and the way you consistently make people feel. In this conversation with career strategist and Kinda Planned podcast host Alex Cuttiford, we unpack the real meaning of personal brand, how it connects to executive presence, and how to make it both authentic and strategic. We talk: values, first impressions, strengths and why action (not overthinking) is the secret to clarity and confidence.

Alex Cuttiford is career development obsessed and passionate about helping young professionals navigate their careers with confidence, purpose and impact. With a background spanning trades, youth work, career development, and government, Alex understands the reality of a “messy” career, and sees that journey as a superpower.

Over the past eight years, Alex has designed and delivered strategic career initiatives and coached individuals through transitions both big and small. His work focuses on helping people uncover their values, strengths and skills so they can make career decisions that are not only smart but also deeply meaningful. Alex believes in the importance of holding space for authentic conversations and harnessing the power of curiosity to unlock new opportunities.

Mentioned in this episode:

Article: The New Rules of Executive Presence

Connect with Alex Cuttiford:

Kinda Planned podcast

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-cuttiford

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell fortnightly newsletter for leadership insights, tools, and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: www.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

Let’s be honest, most performance reviews are a tick-the-box exercise. Fill in the form, book the meeting, read it aloud, get a signature… done. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In this episode, I unpack how to transform your mid-year or end-of-cycle performance conversations into something meaningful, something that actually matters. We’ll talk about how to make it a real conversation (not a monologue), why there should be no “new news,” and how to balance feedback with forward planning. Plus, I’ll share practical tips to help your team feel seen, supported, and motivated to grow.

If you’ve ever felt a bit awkward or unsure about what to say in a performance review, this episode is perfect for you. Let’s turn your next review into a leadership moment and not just another meeting.

Mentioned in this episode:

Only 14% Of Employees Are Inspired By Their Performance Reviews

More Harm Than Good: The Truth About Performance Reviews

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell fortnightly newsletter for leadership insights, tools, and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: https://www.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!

We’ve been sold a version of happiness that says “you’ll be happy when…”

When you earn more.

Achieve more.

Look a certain way.

Live a certain life.

But what if that version is completely wrong?

In this episode, I’m joined by Declan Edwards – happiness researcher and founder of BU Happiness College – to unpack what real happiness looks like. We talk about why chasing success won’t make you happy, how to act now to avoid regret in the future, and why happiness is actually a set of learnable skills (yes, really).

This episode is for you if you’ve ever asked “shouldn’t I be happier by now?” Expect science, storytelling, and practical tools to help you feel more like you – fulfilled, resilient, and back in the driver’s seat.

Declan Edwards is a happiness researcher, author, and the founder of BU Happiness College; a for-purpose organisation dedicated to helping people and workplaces thrive by developing the practical, evidence-based skills of happiness.

With a background in health and a Master’s in Applied Positive Psychology, Declan has spent the past decade working with thousands of individuals and organisations to turn the science of happiness into real-world impact. His work bridges personal growth and professional performance, supporting leaders, teams, and everyday people to show up more fully both at work and in life.

Declan believes that leadership today is no longer about hierarchy, it’s about humanity. And when we empower people with the skills to be happier and more emotionally intelligent, we build not just better leaders, but better cultures, communities, and organisations.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Top Five Regrets of Dying - book

Regrets of the Dying - blog article

Connect with Declan on your favourite social media platform by searching 'Declan Edwards' or 'That Happiness Guy'.

Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on SPOTIFY

Subscribe to Declan's Podcast "How to Be Happy" on APPLE PODCASTS

Join the waitlist for Declan's upcoming book here

Find out more about bringing the skills and science of happiness to your workplace at BU Happiness College

Discover your personal happiness score here

Join the Conversation:

Subscribe to the LeadWell fortnightly newsletter for leadership insights, tools, and inspiration delivered directly to your inbox. Subscribe here.

Connect with Me:

Instagram: @LeadWellwithJacqui

LinkedIn: Jacqui Butler

Website: www.leadwellco.com.au

If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to help others discover LeadWell with Jacqui!