Positively Leading

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

In this episode, Jenny Cole completes the trio of energy sources from her career decision-making matrix with the one most people underestimate: working style. Using the DISC framework, she unpacks the four styles, what energises and drains each one, and why nice people can inadvertently wear each other out. Jenny shares her own lightbulb moment, along with a coaching story about a principal, a kindy relocation and a simple shift in language that got the job done fast.

She then ties working style back to the energy versus impact matrix, showing how a style mismatch can leave you overwhelmed or underutilised. With a reminder that no style is better than another, Jenny invites you to notice where your style is honoured and where you're fighting against it.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

Why do some days leave you buzzing while others leave you flat? In this episode of Positively Leading, Jenny Cole explores the second of the three energy sources from the career decision-making matrix in Teach, Lead or Leave: your values. Jenny explains the difference between the aspirational words on the front office wall and the real values you feel in your body when someone treads on them, and why that tight chest in a staff meeting is often a value being stepped on rather than a sign that you're "the problem". Through personal stories and client examples, she shows how values act as your roots when schools keep shifting, and how misalignment can quietly drain your energy and keep you stuck.

Grab your journal for three powerful questions to uncover your values, plus a simple week-long challenge to become a detective of your own reactions.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

Ever wonder why two teachers can do the exact same job, yet one thrives while the other burns out? In this episode of Positively Leading, host Jenny Cole unpacks the crucial difference between a skill and a strength. 

Drawing on positive psychology research from Gallup, the VIA Institute, and more, Jenny explains why being good at something isn't the same as it giving you energy, and why chasing weaknesses often backfires. Through personal stories and real client examples, she shares six practical questions to help you uncover your own core strengths, plus a warning about the "shadow side" of overusing them. If you're feeling overwhelmed, underutilized, or just plain stuck, this episode offers the foundational first step toward redesigning work that truly sustains you.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

In this episode of Positively Leading, host Jenny Cole introduces the Career Decision-Making Matrix from her book Teach, Lead or Leave - a simple but powerful framework built around two key factors: your energy and your impact. 

Jenny walks through the four quadrants educators can find themselves in - Thriving, Underutilised, Exhausted, and Disengaged - explaining the warning signs of each and the pathways forward, from stretching and pivoting to resting or planning an exit. Whether you're feeling restless, exhausted, or unfulfilled, this episode offers a clarifying tool to help you honestly assess where you are right now, and why knowing that is the essential first step toward figuring out what needs to change.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

You've been good at your job for years. You've been happy in it. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, it just stops fitting - even though nothing about the role has actually changed. Sound familiar?

In this episode of Positively Leading, Jenny explores a career conversation that rarely gets the airtime it deserves: life stage. Drawing on stories from her coaching practice - a deputy principal drowning under the weight of leadership and young children, a head of department grieving the loss of predictability, a teacher navigating chronic illness and the identity she built around her classroom - Jenny unpacks why the role that energised you at 25 might quietly deplete you at 45.

This isn't about burnout or a bad school. It's about evolution, not revolution - and giving yourself permission to want something different at different points in your career, without guilt.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

After naming the many faces of "stuck," Jenny Cole tackles the defensiveness that conversation stirs up. This isn't teacher-bashing, and it isn't a push to quit - it's about making intentional choices instead of defaulting to guilt, martyrdom, or burnout.

Jenny unpacks why these conversations feel so threatening: our identities get tangled up with our roles, and questioning the job can feel like questioning ourselves. She draws a sharp line between quitting (reactive, driven by escape) and redirecting (intentional, driven by alignment) - and shares her own reckoning with losing her "who-ness" in her "what-ness" after leaving the principalship.

Whether the aligned choice is staying, shifting, pausing, or leaving, Jenny's message is the same: you deserve to make it from clarity, not desperation.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

Why do talented, dedicated educators end up feeling trapped and exhausted - even when they're great at their jobs? In this episode, host Jenny Cole dives into a special series of episodes exploring what "stuck" really means in education, and what to do next.

Through composite stories from hundreds of coaching conversations, Jenny introduces educators at every career stage - a burnt-out classroom star, an overwhelmed deputy principal, a veteran teacher who's stopped trying - and unpacks five hidden reasons capable people get stuck. It's not about resilience or commitment; it's a system built to keep good people stuck.

Jenny offers permission: to be tired, restless, and honest about where you really are, without shame or judgment.

A compassionate starting point for anyone who's ever dreaded walking through the school doors.

____________________________________________________________

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

Curious to know if you are Thriving, Surviving or Stuck? Click here!

Positively Leading is back with a new and exciting season! In this episode, we turn the tables and Jenny is interviewed by Jocelyn Seamer about her new book, Teach, Lead or Lead: What to do when you feel like you can't do it anymore. 

This is a delightful conversation between Jenny and Jocelyn - exploring why Jenny set out to write the book, who it's for, and importantly, what it's NOT about. Settle in for a conversation between friends who are as passionate about education as you are.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

In this episode, Jenny explores why so many school leaders feel overwhelmed and exhausted by the end of the school year - and what they can do to ensure that 2026 feels more sustainable, intentional, and human. Drawing on decades of experience in education and years of coaching leaders, Jenny introduces Starting Strong, a framework designed to help leaders begin the year, a role, or a new initiative with clarity, purpose, and energy.

She walks through the key elements of Starting Strong, including getting clear on what matters most, setting expectations, communicating well, listening to your people, running effective meetings, prioritising wellbeing, and deciding in advance the kind of leader you want to be. Jenny also shares how this work evolved from an ebook, to workshops, to a one-day program, and now into a flexible online course for leaders everywhere.

If you’re determined not to repeat a year of burnout, resentment, or constant firefighting - and you want to lead with greater purpose, balance, and impact - this episode will give you both reassurance and practical direction.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.

In this episode of the summer series, Jenny Cole encourages you to pause and ask: Am I leading and living with intention - or just reacting on autopilot? Designed for educators who feel stretched thin, this short but powerful reflection explores the cost of constantly running on default and offers practical ways to reset.

Jenny shares how to recognise the signs of survival mode, reconnect with your personal leadership intention, and build small habits that help you show up as your best self - more often. With thoughtful prompts and grounded strategies, this episode helps you shift from reactivity to purpose, even in the busiest seasons of school and life.

Did you know there is more? You can access every episode, show notes, links and more via my website Positively Beaming.