Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this festive Christmas Special, we’re slowing the pace and stepping into a different kind of leadership conversation, one centred on reflection, renewal, and intentional growth.

As the year draws to a close and the world begins to quieten down, the festive season offers a rare opportunity: a moment to pause, take stock, and reset your direction for the year ahead. Because while leadership is often focused on driving outcomes, true leadership also requires creating space to think, to reconnect with your purpose, refine your path, and reimagine what success looks like next.

This episode is your invitation to use the stillness of the season not as a time to “power through,” but as a chance to reflect deeply and prepare for a more aligned, intentional 2026.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why the festive period is the ideal moment for meaningful leadership reflection
 • How to gently refresh your professional brand before January begins
 • A practical framework to help you reimagine and refocus your career direction for 2026
 • A guided reflection exercise to support clarity, alignment, and purpose

In leadership (and in life) your most powerful insights often arrive in moments of stillness. When you pause long enough to listen, clarity, confidence and renewed direction can emerge.

What Next?

Thank you for joining this reflective Christmas Special of Your Path to Career Success — where ambition meets purposeful growth.

🦉 Ready to step into 2026 with clarity, confidence, and a refreshed career direction? Book a free discovery call to explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme or 1-2-1 ad-hoc support can help you start the new year with focus and intention: 👉https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode supported your career reflection, subscribe, leave a review and share it with a colleague preparing for their own year-end reset.

🦉 Connect with me on LinkedIn for leadership insights, career development tools and reflective prompts throughout the holiday season.

Useful Resources

📘 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey — timeless principles for reflection, alignment, and intentional leadership
📘 Your Best Year Yet by Jinny S. Ditzler — a practical framework for reviewing your year and creating meaningful goals
📘 Essentialism by Greg McKeown — a guide to focusing on what truly matters and designing a purposeful direction

My two paid toolkits available to purchase from my website https://www.thecareerowl.co.uk/career-essentials-shop.html 

🎁The Career Pathway Toolkit

🎁 The Leadership Career Transition Roadmap

Next Steps

Your challenge this week: Set aside one quiet hour: a walk, a café moment, or your favourite armchair for your year-end leadership reset. Review your year, refresh your professional story and choose one meaningful intention to guide you into 2026.

Remember — leadership isn’t defined by constant motion. It’s shaped by the moments you pause, reflect and realign.

Wishing you a joyful Christmas, a restorative break, and a powerful start to your next chapter of career success. Season 10 returns on 7th January 2026 with more guidance to support your le

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success - the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this special bonus episode, inspired by listener Andrew Malinow, we explore a question that sits at the heart of every successful career transition:

“How do you ensure job seeking starts with the right conversation, rather than just hoping one happens?”

Too often, job searching becomes a waiting game - updating CVs, refreshing LinkedIn profiles, sending applications and crossing your fingers. But at senior and executive levels, your next opportunity rarely appears in a job advert. It begins with an intentional conversation you initiate, one rooted in clarity, curiosity and strategic connection.

This episode reframes job seeking from a passive process to an active, conversation-driven strategy so you can stop waiting for doors to open and start opening them with purpose.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The mindset shift from “applicant” to strategic conversationalist
• How to start the right conversations that uncover real, unadvertised opportunities
• Practical ways to network with confidence, authenticity, and value
• Common conversational traps that slow down a job search (and how to avoid them)
• A guided reflection exercise to help you build your own conversation strategy for career transitions

At every level, but especially in senior leadership, the most meaningful opportunities emerge not from applications but from conversations. When you lead with clarity, curiosity and value, you become someone people want to refer, recommend and open doors for.

What Next?

Thank you for tuning into this bonus episode of Your Path to Career Success — where ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to start more intentional career conversations and transition into your next role with confidence? Book a free discovery call to explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme or my 1-2-1 ad hoc support can help you turn conversations into opportunities: 👉 https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode helped you rethink your job search strategy, subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone navigating a career transition.

🦉 Connect with me on LinkedIn for daily insights on career strategy, leadership development, and intentional networking.

Useful Resources

📘 The 20-Minute Networking Meeting by Marcia Ballinger & Nathan Perez — a practical guide to mastering purposeful career conversations
📘 Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans — tools for prototyping career possibilities through conversation and exploration
📘 The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha — strategies for building career opportunities through networks and continual reinvention

Next Steps

Your challenge this week:
 Choose one person whether that is a peer, mentor, former colleague, or leader you admire and start a curiosity-led career conversation. Don’t wait for the “right moment.” Create it with intention, insight and authenticity.

And remember, opportunities rarely arrive fully formed. They begin with a single, well-crafted conversation.

Career success doesn’t start with luck. It starts with the right conversation.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we wrap up Phase 3 of our senior leadership series and close Season 9 by exploring one of the most nuanced realities of executive leadership: The Politics of the C-Suite — Playing Smart, Staying True.

Here’s the truth: politics exist in every organisation. At the executive level, decisions are shaped as much by influence, relationships, and timing as by facts. The challenge isn’t avoiding politics — it’s navigating them with integrity. The most respected leaders know how to play the game without losing themselves in it.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
• How to understand the political landscape of your organisation and map influence networks
• Strategies for influencing ethically and building “credibility capital” before it’s needed
• Common traps that erode executive credibility, such as oversharing, favouritism, or disengagement
• A reflection exercise to help you define your political identity and operate strategically without compromising your values

At the C-Suite level, political savvy isn’t manipulation — it’s awareness, empathy, and timing applied with purpose. Leaders who master these skills earn enduring respect, strengthen influence, and make principled decisions that matter.

What Next?
Thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to navigate senior leadership politics with confidence and authenticity? Book a free discovery call to explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can help you build political savvy while staying true to your values:
👉 https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode supported your growth in executive influence, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague preparing to step into the C-Suite.

🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes strategies for ethical, effective leadership.

Useful Resources
📘 Power and Influence: Beyond Formal Authority by John P. Kotter — insights on building influence without relying on positional power
📘 Executive Presence by Sylvia Ann Hewlett — practical strategies to command respect, credibility, and trust at senior levels
📘 The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist’s Guide to Success in Business and Life by Avinash K. Dixit & Barry J. Nalebuff — applying strategic thinking to organizational politics

Next Steps
Now that we’ve explored the subtleties of the C-Suite, your challenge this week is to choose one relationship or decision-making scenario where politics are in play. Approach it with curiosity, composure, and integrity — and notice the difference in the influence you can achieve when you lead from purpose rather than fear.

And remember — playing smart and staying true aren’t opposites; they’re the dual disciplines of lasting leadership success.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we continue Phase 3 of our senior leadership series by exploring one of the defining capabilities of enterprise-level leadership: Leading Transformational Change — guiding large-scale organisational shifts without losing momentum, belief, or alignment.

Here’s the truth: transformational change isn’t a project. It’s a long-term journey that tests your clarity, composure, and ability to mobilise people when energy dips and resistance rises.

At senior levels, your role shifts from managing tasks to inspiring movement — helping people connect to purpose, navigate uncertainty, and stay committed even when the path feels demanding.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The mindset shift that separates change managers from true transformational leaders
• How to sustain alignment, belief, and momentum during long, complex change journeys
• Common traps that stall transformation — and how to counter them with intention
• A reflection exercise to help you diagnose energy, resistance, and progress across your own change initiatives

Transformational change succeeds not because the plan is perfect, but because leaders create clarity of purpose, build visible momentum and lead through resistance with empathy and composure.

When people understand the “why,” see meaningful progress, and feel heard through the difficult moments, transformation becomes not just possible, but energising.

What Next?

Thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to strengthen your leadership of change and elevate your executive presence?
Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can help you lead transformation with confidence and clarity:
👉 https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode helped you navigate your current change initiatives, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague leading transformation in their organisation.

🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources

📘 Leading Change by John Kotter — a classic framework for understanding the human and structural dynamics of change
📘 Switch by Chip and Dan Heath — smart strategies for shaping behaviour and overcoming resistance
📘 Immunity to Change by Robert Kegan & Lisa Lahey — powerful tools for surfacing the hidden barriers that block progress

Next Week

In our final episode of Season 9, we’ll dive into The Politics of the C-Suite: Playing Smart, Staying True — how to navigate senior power dynamics without compromising your values.

And remember: transformational leadership isn’t about controlling change — it’s about becoming the calm, consistent force others can follow through it.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we turn to another defining capability for senior leaders: Communicating with Impact in the Boardroom - how to present insights and recommendations that shape executive decisions and influence direction across the organisation.

Here’s the truth: at senior levels, how you communicate determines how you’re perceived and whether your ideas move the business forward.
 
The best insights don’t speak for themselves; they win attention, traction, and action when they’re framed with clarity, confidence, and strategic intent.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• The mindset shifts that differentiate transactional reporting from strategic communication
• How to craft messages that command attention and drive executive decisions
• Common communication traps that weaken credibility in the boardroom
• A reflection exercise to strengthen your influence and composure under pressure

At the board level, communication isn’t about sharing data — it’s about shaping direction.
Executives want clarity on what matters, why it matters, and what action is required.
Your ability to distil complexity, align with enterprise priorities, and communicate with composure transforms you from a subject-matter expert into a trusted strategic voice.

What Next?

A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to elevate your executive communication and presence?
Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can help you communicate with impact and influence at the highest levels:
👉 https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode helped you sharpen your communication strategy, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague preparing for their next senior presentation.

🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources

📘 The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto — a must-read for structuring executive communication.
📘 Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath — powerful techniques for making your ideas memorable.
📘 Talk Like TED by Carmine Gallo — practical storytelling tools to captivate and influence any audience.

Next Week

We’ll continue Phase 3 by exploring Leading Transformational Change: guiding large-scale, enterprise-level change without losing momentum or alignment.

And remember, leadership impact isn’t about saying more; it’s about saying what matters most, with confidence and clarity.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we kick off Phase 3: Expanding Influence Beyond Your Function. Last week, we explored how to act like an executive before you hold the title. This week, we focus on building alliances at the top table — collaborating with other senior leaders to drive unified, enterprise-wide outcomes.

Here’s the truth: no executive succeeds in isolation. Leaders who rise to the top are not only technically strong—they know how to mobilise influence, align priorities with peers, and create collective success across the organisation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The mindset shifts needed for effective cross-functional collaboration
• Practical ways to build trust and credibility with peers at the top table
• Common pitfalls that can undermine your influence at senior levels
• A reflection exercise to start mapping and strengthening your alliance network today

This episode is packed with actionable insights, stories, and exercises to help you shift from functional success to enterprise impact. By moving from competition to collaboration, earning peer trust, and influencing without formal authority, you’ll become a leader who others want to partner with at the top table.

What Next?
A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where your ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to expand your influence at the executive level? Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can support your leadership journey: https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode gave you strategies to strengthen cross-functional alliances, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague preparing for senior leadership.

🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources:
📘 Influence Without Authority by Allan R. Cohen & David L. Bradford — practical guidance for persuading and collaborating without formal power.
📘 Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal — insights on breaking down silos and fostering enterprise-wide collaboration.
📘 Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al. — techniques for handling high-stakes conversations that build trust and alignment.

Next week: We’ll focus on Communicating with Impact in the Boardroom — presenting insights and recommendations that shape executive decisions and influence organisational outcomes.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we continue Phase 2 of our journey: Positioning for Executive Opportunity. Last week, we explored what CEOs and boards are really looking for in senior leaders. This week, we shift the focus back to you: how to step into the executive role before you officially hold the title.

Here’s the truth: promotions to the executive level rarely come as a surprise. Senior leaders are constantly observing who already behaves as if they belong at the top table. The key mindset shift is this: you don’t become an executive after the promotion—you start acting like one now, so the promotion feels inevitable.

 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The three defining signals that mark someone as “executive-ready”
• Practical ways to act like an executive today, even without the title
• Common traps that can prevent talented leaders from being seen as promotable
• A reflection exercise to start embodying your next role immediately

This episode is packed with actionable strategies, examples, and reflection exercises to help you move from performing at a high level to signalling executive readiness. By practising enterprise thinking, demonstrating gravitas, and engaging peers as collaborators, you’ll position yourself as the leader who is already “top-table ready.”

What Next?
A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where your ambition meets actionable advice.

🦉 Ready to step into executive leadership with confidence? Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can support your transition: https://calendly.com/thecareerowl

🦉 If this episode gave you clarity on how to act like an executive before you hold the title, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague preparing for senior leadership.

🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources:
📘 The Trusted Executive by John Blakey — practical strategies to build credibility and trust at the highest level.
📘 Boards That Lead by Ram Charan, Dennis Carey & Michael Useem — insights into executive readiness and board expectations.
🎧 HBR IdeaCast — episodes on executive mindset, presence, and leadership influence.

Next week: Phase 3 begins — Expanding Influence Beyond Your Function: Building Alliances at the Top Table to collaborate with other senior leaders and drive unified outcomes.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we continue Phase 2 of our journey: Positioning for Executive Opportunity. Last week, we explored how to showcase enterprise impact in your career narrative. This week, we’re stepping into the boardroom itself to understand what really drives CEO and board decisions when choosing their next senior leader.

Here’s the truth: at the C-suite level, it’s no longer about whether you can do the job. The critical question is — can they trust you with the future of the organisation?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The four qualities CEOs and boards consistently evaluate in executive candidates
• How to reframe your stories so they highlight foresight, judgement, collective impact, and values
• Common mistakes strong candidates make in final interviews — and how to avoid them
• A practical reflection exercise to build a “board-ready” narrative this week

This episode is packed with insights, examples, and storytelling techniques to help you shift from “I achieved this” to “Here’s how I shaped the organisation’s future.” By understanding what really matters to decision-makers, you’ll walk into your next senior interview with clarity, confidence, and executive presence.

What next?
A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where your ambition meets actionable advice.
🦉 Ready to step into enterprise leadership with confidence? Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can support your transition: https://calendly.com/thecareerowl
🦉 If this episode gave you clarity on how boards really make decisions, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague preparing for senior leadership.
🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources:
📘 Boards That Lead by Ram Charan, Dennis Carey & Michael Useem — a practical look at how boards evaluate and shape executive leadership.
🎧 HBR IdeaCast — episodes on executive decision-making and board dynamics.
📘 The Trusted Executive by John Blakey — on the three pillars of trust that every leader must embody to win confidence at the highest level.

 Next week: Stepping into the Role Before You Get It: Acting like an exec now so the promotion feels inevitable.

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we’re continuing Phase 2 of our journey: Positioning for Executive Opportunity. Last week, we explored how to build a personal brand that commands executive respect. This week, we’re going one step further — how to frame your achievements so they demonstrate enterprise impact, not just functional results.

Here’s the truth: at the executive level, it’s not enough to share numbers or milestones. CEOs and boards want to hear how your work shaped the future of the entire organisation — building resilience, fuelling growth, and strengthening culture. Leaders who showcase enterprise impact don’t just sound competent, they sound like executives.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The difference between functional results and enterprise-level impact
• Four techniques to reframe your career narrative so it speaks the language of the C-suite
• How to demonstrate not just what you achieved, but how you think under complexity
• Why elevating others in your story is key to signalling scalable leadership
• Practical exercises to reframe your own achievements this week

This episode is packed with examples, reflection prompts, and storytelling techniques to help you shift from “I delivered this” to “Here’s how we positioned the company for the future.” By reframing your career narrative, you’ll build credibility with decision-makers and demonstrate readiness for the top.

What next?
A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where your ambition meets actionable advice.
🦉 Ready to step into enterprise leadership with confidence? Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can support your transition: https://calendly.com/thecareerowl
🦉 If this episode helped reframe how you tell your story, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who’s preparing for executive leadership.
🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources:
📘 The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning — a practical guide to using narrative as a tool for influence, credibility, and executive impact.

Next week: The C-Suite Selection Process: Inside the Mind of the CEO and Board

I would love to know what you think of the episode

Welcome back to Your Path to Career Success — the podcast that helps you build the skills, confidence, and strategies to thrive in your career.

In this episode, we’re starting Phase 2 of our journey: Positioning for Executive Opportunity. Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore how to prepare yourself to be seen, considered, and chosen for C-suite roles. And we begin with one of the most powerful tools in your leadership arsenal — your personal brand.

Here’s the reality: at the executive level, decisions about you are often made before you even walk into the room. Boards, CEOs, and search firms form an impression long before you have a chance to introduce yourself. The question is — does your reputation open doors, or quietly close them?

When your brand commands executive respect, you’re not just another name on a list — you’re invited into opportunities, you gain advocates who speak for you when you’re not in the room, and you’re seen as someone who already belongs at the executive table. Without it, even high-performing leaders risk being overlooked.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The difference between a manager’s reputation and an executive’s brand
• The four pillars of a brand that commands respect at the C-suite level
• How to shift from being known for what you do to being recognised for how you lead
• Practical steps to strengthen how others perceive your leadership
• Reflection exercises to ensure your narrative matches the executive identity you want to project

This episode is packed with insights, practical approaches, and actions you can take this week to start shaping a personal brand that signals readiness for the C-suite and ensures your reputation works for you — not against you.

What next?
A big thank you for tuning in to Your Path to Career Success — where your ambition meets actionable advice.
🦉 Ready to step into enterprise leadership with confidence? Book a free discovery call and explore how my Unlock Your Career Potential coaching programme can support your transition: https://calendly.com/thecareerowl
🦉 If this episode resonated with you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a colleague who’s preparing for executive leadership.
🦉 Follow me on LinkedIn for daily insights and behind-the-scenes leadership strategies.

Useful Resources:
📘 Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success by Sylvia Ann Hewlett — a powerful guide to building the credibility, influence, and presence that open executive doors.

Next week: Showcasing Enterprise Impact in Your Career Narrative: Framing Achievements to Demonstrate Readiness for the Top

I would love to know what you think of the episode