Read Your Own Leadership Habits Before Your Team Does at Work
"On their worst day, the shadow kind of looms over everybody and stops them being able to do what they need to."
Ever walked into a meeting already flat, distracted, or just not yourself - and wondered afterwards why the room felt off?
Turns out your team feels it too. And there's a name for it.
In this month's Career Advice episode, Dr Luella Forbes and Associate Professor Michelle Gander unpack the "leadership shadow" - the idea that what you say, measure, prioritise and how you act on your best and worst days shapes your team far more than you realise. Sparked by a listener email and a comment from August guest Ron Christianson, it's a practical framework for turning self-awareness into better leadership, plus a look at why big organisations seem to grow leaders differently, and Luella's exciting news about a brand new chapter in her own career.
In this episode:
00:00 - Michelle's quiet winter of reading (including her ongoing octopus obsession) and Luella's trip to Melbourne.
03:23 - Luella shares the new change leadership services she's launching today - training for middle managers and senior leaders, keynote sessions, and a methodology built from her doctoral research. Full details below.
07:06 - Quick take-aways from Ron Christianson, Asha Bhat and Janette O'Neill's episodes.
08:45 - What McDonald's, Mars and Mercedes get right about talent development - and what gets lost for people who've only ever worked in one place.
20:22 - A personal story about applying for - and not getting an interview for - a role, and what it revealed about how leaders are chosen.
24:48 - Luella breaks down the four-part framework - what you say, measure, prioritise and how you act - and why your bad day doesn't have to become your team's bad day.
32:29 - Michelle shares an example of a leader whose emotional, honest town hall speech landed better than a polished one would have.
Resources mentioned:
Dr Luella Forbes' new services - Lead Better Change at The Narratologist- Gravitas by Dr Louise Mahler
All opinions are the guest's own.
New episodes on a Wednesday, with interviews with leaders or experts every week and a monthly discussion on what we've heard in the last week of the month.
We'd love to hear from you. Share your thoughts on recent episodes or questions you'd like Luella and Michelle to answer at [email protected].
Career Stories is hosted by Dr Luella Forbes, who works with organisations on leadership, change and storytelling. To find out how she can support your leaders and teams, visit luellaforbes.com/services
More about the podcast: luellaforbes.com/career-stories
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Creators and Guests
Host
Dr Luella Forbes
Dr Luella Forbes is a consultant specialising in Organisational Change and founder of The Career Library and it's podcast, Career Stories.
