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How does she do it? Do you know what strategy is? Do you know why strategy is set? Do you know why boards are interested in strategy? Can you describe the relationship between strategy and business outcomes? Being able to answer all these questions means you're likely to have strategic acumen. In this episode, Helga Svendsen FAICD and Michelle Redfern discuss Helga's experience from both sides of the boardroom table - as an executive and CEO as well as a Board Chair and Director, as well as provide practical advice about how women can build and demonstrate their strategic acumen. Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are so proud to bring you the 100th episode of the Lead to Soar podcast. Mel and Michelle are joined by our Lead to Soar Network co-hosts Amal Yusuf and Susan Colantuono to reflect on where we’ve come from in 100 episodes as well as some of the standout themes. We discuss how we’re all determined to provide women with the advice they need that goes beyond the conventional advice directed at women. Namely, how to build and demonstrate critical business and leadership skills. We also discuss the current workplace issues affecting women that we are paying attention to and share some of the upcoming interviews on the pod. Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all been to an ineffective meeting. Sadly, some of us have been to LOTS of ineffective meetings. You know, the ones that start  10 minutes late, there is no agenda, and the facilitator has no clue about how to engage the greatness in everyone in the meeting. As the meeting wraps up, you think, “There’s an hour of my life that I’ll never get back!” In this episode, Mel and Michelle discuss how to facilitate effective and inclusive meeting inclusive meetings.   “Your goal should be to treat your leadership capacity—a finite resource—as seriously as your company treats financial capital (an equally finite one).” https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/want-a-better-decision-plan-a-better-meeting#/  We’re going to wait five minutes for everyone to join. Often among the first words uttered by an online meeting host, this practice dishonors the time of those who joined on time and does nothing to establish a culture of punctuality for meetings. At the same time, there are legitimate reasons why an individual may be late to a Zoom meeting (or an in-person one). To make the most of those inevitable few minutes when you’re waiting for stragglers, one idea is to start with brief tone-setting exercises. I often start by asking everyone to remove one distraction. That may mean moving something off their desk, opening a window in their room, or closing a window on their computer. Another exercise I like is asking everyone to write down their intention or objective for the meeting. This isn’t something that will be shared publicly, but the practice of thinking about one’s objectives before a meeting begins can be grounding.  Links and Resources Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Michelle welcomes Melanie Ho, author of Beyond Leaning In, to the pod to discuss this unique book and how she became an author and a visual storytelling artist. There is a lot to cover regarding women's experiences in workplaces, including how ‘mental autocompletes’, the Queen Bee syndrome and generational differences hold women back in their professional careers. We also discuss what leaders must do to remove the barriers for women at work. Links and Resources Beyond Leaning In: Gender Equity and What Organizations are Up Against Instagram   Melanie Ho on LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you feeling underwhelmed by the environment in your current workplace? Do you think twice about speaking up because of how other colleagues may react? Are certain norms making it difficult for women to thrive in your workplace?  If this sounds familiar, you could be in a toxic workplace for women. Our work environment directly impacts our professional performance and productivity. Our workplace culture also influences our overall well-being and mental health - a fact that must not be understated. Consequently, women must be cognizant of what constitutes a toxic workplace to formulate a strategy.  In this episode, Michelle Redfern explores five signs that a workplace isn't working for women. Because recognising them early can help protect yourself (and other women) from being adversely affected by them.She will also share five strategies to help women navigate a workplace that isn’t working for them.  Links and Resources Our Watch – How to do something She Defined Magazine Article   Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Menopausal women are the fastest growing workforce demographic.” (Office of National Statistics UK) - so what must we do as leaders to ensure that we (re)design workplaces and attitudes to support this huge demographic? This discussion with Natalie Moore, L2S member and workplace wellbeing expert will give us insights into the role of leaders so that workplaces become more inclusive, and high performing as a result. We cover: • What happens during perimenopause? • Support mechanisms for women in the workplace experiencing menopause. • How to educate the wider team at work? • How can leaders support women in the workplace? • The impact on businesses of not paying attention to women’s health. • Me. We. Us. Natalie’s call to action around menopause. Links and Resources Own Your Own Health Collective Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn Listen to the Podcast, Peri Menopause Power Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An HBR article says that "it is assumed that exceptional men will job hop to get a promotion, it’s assumed that exceptional women will stay loyal to their firm because they value their relationships with their coworkers."  Mel and Michelle discuss the two-way street that signifies loyalty, and what women might want to consider next time they self-describe as loyal!  Links and Resources Harvard Business Review - Stop Undervaluing Exceptional Women Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barbara Bruno has an informative discussion with Mel that covers: • What leaders need to do differently to attract talent. • How to improve the candidate experience • What leaders should know about the recruiting and hiring process • Why tech companies are laying off their employees • How women can market themselves as candidates for leadership roles, stand out from the crowd and negotiation tips.  Links and Resources Barbara Bruno on LinkedIn Good as Gold Training Lead to Soar Summit  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host live-streaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How not being a cool kid at school and not making the A Grade Netball team led to playing elite sport, then an extraordinary corporate career and now a Board Director portfolio career. Marlene Elliot shares her elite sporting background, her career, moving cities to pursue opportunities and expanding her Board portfolio. She shares advice for aspiring and developing board directors, leadership around the boardroom table and networking. Links and Resources Marlene Elliott on LinkedIn Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mel & Michelle discuss going on vacation, the mechanics of it and how leaders can set boundaries to ensure they are rested, recovered and rejuvenated. Links and Resources Funny OOO messages that inspire Michelle! Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Selena Rezvani is a recognized author, speaker, and consultant on leadership. Her book, Quick Confidence (Wiley, May 2023), was born out of a viral newsletter she started in 2020, to help people build their confidence through small actions. Selena helps women and marginalised groups tap into their confidence and carve out a path to leadership. In this interview, Michelle discusses with Selena: • How gender plays a role in confidence. • How to boost your self-confidence when conditions around you aren’t ideal • How to gracefully accept praise. • The importance of self-promotion. • The importance of your inner confidence coach. Pre-order Quick Confidence - coming May 9 wherever you can find books! Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is being 'busy' a badge of honour? Or does it mean you are outta control? Mel and Michelle discuss why saying 'I'm busy" when someone asks after you is a career limiting move and what you might say (and do) instead. Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com) Links and Resources Why I want to start a “Ban Busy” movement How to stop saying (& feeling) "I'm so busy!" Never say you're "busy" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you sat back to consider how you choose your job references? One Lead to Soar coaching client learned a tough lesson - not every referee will promote your skills like you want them to. So Michelle and Mel breakdown how best to choose and prepare your referees so you land exactly where you want to. Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! On episode this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher talk about brilliant jerks. We've all worked with one (trying hard not to name names here), but what is a brilliant jerk and how do you work with one. Plus, Michelle and Mel have tips for taking your complaint to your boss or human resources. This is a recording from a LinkedIn in Live find out more about all the Lead to Soar events. Michelle Redfern  Mel Butcher  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! On episode this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher connect after their very successful Leadership Summit (2022). They have reflections on how the conference went, why most professional development fails women and whether they are going to offer another opportunity to help you get A Career that Soars! (see what we did there)!?! This is a recording from a LinkedIn in Live find out more about all the Lead to Soar events. Michelle Redfern is the co-founder of A Career that Soars! (ACts!) and the primary host of the Lead to Soar podcast. Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on equality, inclusion and gender diversity. She is co-founder of social enterprise CDW (Culturally Diverse Women and Workforces). Everything Michelle does is grounded in her personal mission and purpose to contribute to creating a gender equal world. She wants her son and daughter, nieces and nephews to inhabit a world where women and girls are valued and respected and equal. She wants them to live in a world where every human, no matter how they identify, can reach their full potential.  Michelle “Gets Shit Done!” She helps clients get shit done to create gender equal and inclusive workplaces through her consulting and advisory work.  She helps women from all walks of life get shit done for themselves and their careers through A Career that Soars! and Culturally Diverse Women. -- Get in touch with Michelle   Mel Butcher is a co-host in A Career that Soars! and executive producer (and occasional host) of the Lead to Soar podcast.  During the day, Mel serves as a consultant for Carollo Engineers, where she is most passionate about helping corporate enterprise clients achieve and exceed their water risk, resilience, and sustainability goals.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! Welcome to our "BEST OF SERIES". Molly Beck spend her days running Messi FM which is a B2B internal podcasting platform for companies to use podcast to talk to their employees. Molly also wrote the networking guidebook Reach Out, Reach Out, is about how to create a community around your work. The strategy it focuses on is sending one message every weekday to someone on the edge of your network. This is a practice Molly has been doing since 2012, and it has transformed her career and life. ~ Resources Sign up for A Career that Soars! *Premium ~ Bio for Mel Butcher Mel Butcher is a consulting engineer focused on growing business through serving enterprise industrial clients in the environmental, water, and sustainability spaces.  In her free time, she is a host inside A Career That Soars! and on the Lead to Soar! podcast where she supports women in achieving their highest career ambitions. Mel is a goal advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the engineering and industrial world. She also gives time to supporting young engineers early in their career. Reach out here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! Welcome to our "BEST OF SERIES". On episode this episode, Susan Colantuono, Michelle Redfern, and Mel Butcher sit down for a discussion on confidence... What is confidence? Where does confidence come from? How do you get it? Where does traditional advice on confidence go wrong?   LINKS Book: What the CEO Want You To Know by Ram Charan Book: No Ceiling, No Walls by Susan Colantuono    SPEAKER BIOs Susan Colantuono has made it her life’s mission to support the career success of women.  She is the Founder of and now retired CEO of Leading Women, an international management consulting company focused on bringing gender balance to leadership teams. She is globally known for her TED Talk on The Career Advice You Probably Didn't Get (now with over 4 million views). ​Recognizing that many women around the globe do not have access to the leadership and career development resources they need in order to advance, Susan envisioned that a global network of aspiring women could fill such a gap. She embarked on the journey to form A Career that Soars!, and joined forces with Michelle Redfern to bring it to life. Susan is also the author of two internationally acclaimed books: No Ceiling, No Walls: what women haven’t been told about leadership and Make the Most of Mentoring which takes a close look at the conventional wisdom keeping women from rising from middle management.   Michelle Redfern is the co-founder of A Career that Soars! (ACts!) and the primary host of the Lead to Soar podcast. Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on equality, inclusion and gender diversity. She is co-founder of social enterprise CDW (Culturally Diverse Women and Workforces). Everything Michelle does is grounded in her personal mission and purpose to contribute to creating a gender equal world. She wants her son and daughter, nieces and nephews to inhabit a world where women and girls are valued and respected and equal. She wants them to live in a world where every human, no matter how they identify, can reach their full potential.  Michelle “Gets Shit Done!” She helps clients get shit done to create gender equal and inclusive workplaces through her consulting and advisory work.  She helps women from all walks of life get shit done for themselves and their careers through A Career that Soars! and Culturally Diverse Women. -- Get in touch with Michelle   Mel Butcher is a co-host in A Career that Soars! and executive producer (and occasional host) of the Lead to Soar podcast.  During the day, Mel serves as a consultant for Carollo Engineers, where she is most passionate about helping corporate enterprise clients achieve and exceed their water risk, resilience, and sustainability goals.  ​ NOTABLE EPISODE QUOTES  “Confidence is not absolute.” -Susan Colantuono  “Go beyond the headline. Go deeper. And think about - what does the CEO really want you to know...  The CEO really wants you to know about being confident about how to run the business. Then ask yourself, is the advice you're getting about confidence really going to help you do that?" - Michelle Redfern Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! Welcome to our "BEST OF SERIES". In this episode of L2S!, leadership and gender equality expert, Michelle Redfern, sits down for an interview with Amal Yusuf, newest host for a Career That Soars, to discuss her career path, and the leadership and wisdom she brings to our organization. Amal shares with us her path from immigrant to corporate business leader, and how she views networking and building connections for women in business. Learn more about Lead to Soar! and A Career that Soars! by visiting LeadToSoar.com ~ Guest Amal Yusuf Bio: Amal Yusuf is the newest president of SHE BRG, Delta’s Women’s Business Resource Group, and project manager for the Employee Relations Center of Expertise at Delta, where she ensures her team has the process and technology capabilities to drive results for 75K employees. Amal has served Delta’s employees and customers in many roles, including onboarding program manager for flight attendants and manager of Safety Leadership and Promotion, where she designed and delivered programs to promote a culture of personal safety. Michelle Redfern's Bio: Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on workplace gender equality, inclusion and diversity. She is co-host of A Career that Soars! the founder of women’s network Women Who Get It  co-founder of CDW (Culturally Diverse Women) and host of the Lead to Soar podcast. Michelle is an experienced Non-Executive Director with Board and advisory roles in the finance, sport, for purpose and supply chain sectors. She is a proud Ambassador for Flexible Working Day and Girls Uniform Agenda. She has held executive leadership roles at ASX & FTSE listed companies NAB, Telstra and Serco during her 30-year corporate career. Michelle is a Graduate of the AICD, holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) and holds various accreditations in organisational diversity and coaching. She is an in-demand speaker and is a regular contributor to the discussion and advocate for gender equality and inclusion in sport and business workplaces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars How do you describe what leadership is? What words do you use? Chances are, if you’re a woman, you'll use words and phrases based on the coaching, training, mentoring and content that you received since the outset of your career. The trouble with that is that most women are still recieving incomplete advice about leadership. That's one of the reasons for the global leadership gender gap. Have a listen and discover whats missing for women in leadership advice.  Lead to Soar is a global online network for businesswomen, a podcast, and we host livestreaming and in person events to help women have a career that soars! The podcast is hosted by Mel Butcher (melbutcher.com) and Michelle Redfern (michelleredfern.com)  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars In our final episode for 2022, Amal, Mel, Susan, and Michelle reflect on a concept that drives us to distraction. The Queen Bee syndrome! Warning listeners, we get a little bit sweary in this episode because we've been trying to manage the double bind and double standards that women face for decades. We ask, are you on the women's team or not? We also muse upon the 4-day working week trials that are happening across the world as we're uncertain if a gender lens has been applied and wonder if women will be better off or worse off. Resources: Yes, sometimes women are sexist too: Jamila Rizvi: The Double Bind: https://www.catalyst.org/research/infographic-the-double-bind-dilemma-for-women-in-leadership/ Unilever 4-Day Working Week Trial: https://www.unilever.com.au/news/press-releases/2022/unilever-australia-new-zealand-expands-fourday-work-week-trial-following-encouraging-results/ The biggest ever 4-day working week trial: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/oct/17/four-day-week-british-new-bill-workers-businesses 4-day working week: https://www.4dayweek.com ~ Bio for Michelle Redfern Michelle is the founder of Advancing Women, an enterprise providing research and advisory services on workplace gender equality, inclusion and diversity. She is co-host of A Career that Soars! the founder of women’s network Women Who Get It  co-founder of CDW (Culturally Diverse Women) and host of the Lead to Soar podcast. Michelle is an experienced Non-Executive Director with Board and advisory roles in the finance, sport, for purpose and supply chain sectors. She is a proud Ambassador for Flexible Working Day and Girls Uniform Agenda. She has held executive leadership roles at ASX & FTSE listed companies NAB, Telstra and Serco during her 30-year corporate career. Michelle is a Graduate of the AICD, holds an Executive MBA (Distinction) and holds various accreditations in organisational diversity and coaching. She is an in-demand speaker and is a regular contributor to the discussion and advocate for gender equality and inclusion in sport and business workplaces.   Bio for Mel Butcher Mel Butcher is a consulting engineer focused on growing business through serving enterprise industrial clients in the environmental, water, and sustainability spaces.  In her free time, she is a host inside A Career That Soars! and on the Lead to Soar! podcast where she supports women in achieving their highest career ambitions. Mel is a goal advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the engineering and industrial world. She also gives time to supporting young engineers early in their career. Reach out here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.