My (mostly) weekly thoughts on leadership, high performance, wellbeing and more.

Have a read through, or you can see a complete index here

Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Is it nerves or imposter syndrome?

We all feel nervous at times—whether it's a big presentation, a new role, or preparing for a tricky conversation. But how do you tell the difference between normal nerves and imposter syndrome?

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

5 Secret Fears of Senior Leaders

Senior leaders are often seen as pillars of confidence and decisiveness. However, beneath their authoritative exteriors, these leaders grapple with their own set of fears and uncertainties. Here are 5 of them ...

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

5 ways to keep your cool when someone is angry at you

Sometimes pushing back can be particularly challenging when a stakeholder is angry and/or powerful. It requires a delicate balance between maintaining the relationship and respecting your own limits. Here are 5 strategies that you can use to push back effectively in these difficult situations.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

New job? Get your legs out from under the desk

The phrase "get your legs under the desk" is often used to describe the process of settling into a new job, but sometimes the best way to do that is to actually get your legs out from under the desk – both literally and metaphorically. Here’s 4 ways to do that.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Boredom, ChatGPT and me

When we're bored, it could be a sign that we're not being challenged or stimulated enough in our work – either in a major, career-defining way, or just that day or hour.

I was bored and here’s what I did.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

The million dollar question

If I were to pay you $1,000,000 a year on the condition that you had an occupation, what would you do?

It’s surprising how many people have a detailed answer right on the tip of their tongue. Here’s how to use that information to help you get unstuck in your career.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

3 steps to solving the hustle v happiness problem

Many of my clients come to me because they find themselves at a career crossroads. They can see the brightly lit road to (more) success at work ahead of them. They know what would be required to get there. And they find themselves, often to their surprise and bewilderment, unwilling to follow it. Here’s how I tackle that one…

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