Grow Your Influence

In this episode of Grow Your Influence Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about needing to take back control when your team seem to have decided they are going to run things.We share our experiences working with business owners who have allowed team members, especially key team members to be involved in areas of the business that involve key decisions and strategies, and then find themselves almost working for the team members, instead of the other way around.Juliet and Kristy-Lee discuss the concept and boundaries, and how they play a part in this behaviour developing. Also, this is our final ‘regular’ episode of 2025 before we head into our ‘Summer Series’ where we will be bringing you interesting, interviews, conversations and discussions Kristy-Lee and Juliet have had throughout 2025.You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

This is a tricky one.  Do you feel completely confident when dealing with your team or talking with your boss, but lose that confidence when you’re around your peers?  Often, particularly if we are highly analytical and have a perfectionist streak, it can be easy for that voice in our head to tell us we’re not good enough, to question who are we to have a view, push a point or insist on an outcome.  A few clients have raised this with us and it’s a hard one to counter.In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges of imposter syndrome, particularly when we know rationally that we good at what we do.  And we discuss the challenges of holding boundaries with our peers when we feel this way.There are things we can do to shift this feeling and we would love to hear from you if this is something you struggle with or have overcome. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

When you set up a business you tend to be across everything and, as the business and your team grows, there are challenges and opportunities as you let go of some things and embrace a different role. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges we face as our role changes and we need to move from working mostly ‘in’ the business, to needing to work more ‘on’ the business.This transition can be difficult, particularly if you are a technical specialist and a ‘doer’. Letting go of the doing, trusting others to deliver and stepping into the strategic side of the business can be a huge challenge.We discuss how you can make this shift in small ways so you build trust with your team and build your confidence in them delivering on your goals.Have you transitioned to a more strategic role as your team grew?  We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Many rural and regional businesses work with seasonal workers, volunteers and ’88 dayers” - those young international travellers with holiday visa who need to work for 88 days in a rural or regional area in order to have their visa extended.  Christmas, school holidays and other occasions mean we are often taking on staff ‘for the season’ wherever we are. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges and opportunities in leading these people whilst keeping your core team motivated.Anytime someone joins or leaves our team it has an impact on the culture of the team and seasonal or transient team members can bring strengths and energy or can dislocate a team and throw everything off balance.   We discuss how to bring these people into the team in ways that get the best from them and integrate them into the team as effectively as possible.Have you had seasonal or transient workers join your team? What was your experience? We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are discussing the tricky task of building connection and trust when you’re new in a leadership role, or leading a new team.With movement in the market many leaders may be facing this challenge right now, and the quicker connection and trust can be built, the quicker they can get down to achieving results for them and the teams they lead.In this episode we discuss strategies to build connection and trust quickly and effectively with the team you lead, but also with the leaders you report to and your peers in the leadership team.What’s your experience in building connection and trust when you’ve been new to an organisation, or leading a new team? We’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are tackling a particularly tricky topic – how to have the ‘personal hygiene’ difficult conversation.As leaders we need to have so many different types of difficult conversations, but the personal hygiene the one we are all least comfortable with.We discuss how to approach this sensitive topic with a team member, as well as the ways we probably would avoid dealing with this issue.Have you had to have this conversation with anyone on your team? How did you approach it? We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode we are celebrating 100 episodes of Grow Your Influence and Juliet and Kristy-Lee are taking a look back at the last four years since our first episode launched in 2021.As we reflect back on the topics we have discussed and the discussions we have had, we discuss the fact that similar themes continue to be important to leaders across all industries, no matter what season of business we are in.From hybrid work, to dealing with difficult people, the importance of values and culture and trust are all still fundamental leadership factors.If you are a long time listener of the podcast, or you are new to our community, we’d love to hear what topics you’ve loved most, and what you would like us to tackle in our next 100 episodes. You can share your thoughts with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode of the podcast we're sharing one of our most popular conversations. In this episode we tackle the bane of everyone’s work life: difficult people and how to deal with them, wherever they appear in your work life.We waste so much time and energy dealing with people who behave badly.  Often we put the conversation off for as long as possible and sometimes we avoid these conversations altogether.  What we know is that avoiding dealing with difficult behaviour is not going to change anything.  As leaders, there are some simple things we can do to connect with and manage difficult people, particularly if they are on our team. Starting with a plan is important and what you role model for yourteam gives them an idea for how they can also deal with these situations. We give you our top tips for dealing with these difficult people. We’d love to hear your thoughts at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/

Today we are joined by Kate Russell from The Huddle for a discussion on dealing with conflict in the workplace. Kate is the Founder of The Huddle—a business built on deep listening, emotional safety, and the belief that conflict can be transformative, not destructive.She’s not a lawyer, nor does she have a master’s degree in conflict resolution. Kate does have over 30 years of lived, professional experience navigating some of the most emotionally complex and high-stakes environments you can imagine—from child support and family services to workplace conflict and leadership breakdowns.Kate has worked with people in crisis, in silence, in fury, in heartbreak—and she has walked beside them without flinching. Not to fix them. But to hear them. To reflect them. To help them find their way back to themselves and each other.Kate created The Huddle for leaders and teams who are ready to have real conversations—the kind that heal fractures, build trust, and reshape culture from the inside out. Her approach blends conflict transformation, trauma-informed practice, emotional intelligence, and good old-fashioned human decency. She is noy here to tell people what to do. She is here to help them listen better, lead better, and live better—at work and beyond.If you’d like to connect with Kate her website is: https://www.thehuddle.net.au/ Or connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conflictcoachandteambuilder/If you are currently juggling this challenge we’d love to hear from you. You canshare your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson        Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett      People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode we are talking about the pattern we’re seeing of businesses looking to bring people back into the office on a more permanent and full time basis and how we manage this with the pull for flexibility.In this discussion we unpack how we can balance this with people working from home, generating productivity, keeping team connection and managing individual morale.We discuss how this looks different for different businesses, and even how this may differ amongst teams within the one organisation.Of course when making changes to patterns to work we need to consider what’s best for the organisation as a whole, as well as for teams and individuals.If you are currently juggling this challenge we’d love to hear from you about how you’re approaching this change and what’s working well for you in striking the balance. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson   Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billett People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes. 

So often when we are recruiting new people into our teams, we are doing it under pressure.  We need someone NOW and it can be tempting to just fill the job that has been created, rather than thinking strategically about the skills we need in our team.When we’re recruiting we often bring in people like us.  People we can relate to in interviews so we think they will fit in the team and we can train them up for the job.  Sometimes that works.  Often it doesn’t.  And either way, it takes a lot more time and energy that taking a skills-based approach in the beginning.In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee talk about the challenges of recruiting for a skills-based team that also ‘works’.  That is, the new joiners ‘fit’ with the team culture and have the skills to contribute immediately, even if the way they work and communicate is a bit different from the existing team. There are some key steps you can take to ensure the role you’re filling is what’s required and that your next hire hits the ground running.If you have been have a strategy for your recruitment we would love to hear from you about how you have navigate this.  You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Recently Juliet worked with a team that is moving from a strong command and control culture to one where they are trying to encourage teamwork and innovation, and we thought it was worth discussing the challenges.  Command and control culture – where instructions come down from the top and there isn’t much (if any) tolerance of questions, problems or even discussion about ideas – is not unusual within owner operated businesses.  As the business this becomes more limiting for the business and harder to sustain.  A culture of accountability and innovation is all about teamwork – challenging the status quo, encouraging questioning, ideas etc and letting go of much of the top-down control.In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee talk about the merits of both sorts of culture at different times and the challenges of moving from one type of culture to another.  This shift requires the leader to let go of control and be open to challenges that can drive the business forward.  This requires trust, openness and conversations.  And it takes time. If you have been through this we would love to hear from you about how you have navigated this experience or if you’re still in transition.  You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Can you believe it’s 5 years since we first headed into those unprecedented lockdowns, restrictions and work from home orders?In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are exploring a report recently released by Gallup called: The Post Pandemic Workplace – The Experiment Continues. The report explores Gallups work in measuring how peoples lives and work changed over the past 5 years. The data is drawn from surveys of 400 000 US employees – and whilst Australia is not the Unites States, and we took a different approach to many aspects of the Pandemic, there is no doubt the trends are similar.The Gallup report is so extensive we decided to break this discussion down into 4 sperate episodes.First we conducted an overview of the gains, losses and lessons. Then in the second episode of the series we chatted about the rise in disconnection with vision and values at work. Last episode we look at a concept Gallup are calling ‘the great detachment’ and finally in this episode we unpack what’s happened to workplace wellbeing in the last 5 years.We hope you enjoy this exploration of and discussion around these findings. We would love to hear from you about how you feel about the changes to your workplace since 2020, and the impact you think the changes are having. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Can you believe it’s 5 years since we first headed into those unprecedented lockdowns, restrictions and work from home orders?In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are exploring a report recently released by Gallup called: The Post Pandemic Workplace – The Experiment Continues. The report explores Gallups work in measuring how peoples lives and work changed over the past 5 years. The data is drawn from surveys of 400 000 US employees – and whilst Australia is not the Unites States, and we took a different approach to many aspects of the Pandemic, there is no doubt the trends are similar.The Gallup report is so extensive we decided to break this discussion down into 4 sperate episodes.The first episode in the series was an overview of the gains, losses and lessons. Then in the last episode we chatted about the rise in disconnection with vision and values at work. Today we are exploring a concept Gallup are calling ‘the great detachment’ and finally we unpack what’s happened to workplace wellbeing in the last 5 years. We hope you enjoy this exploration of and discussion around these findings. We would love to hear from you about how you feel about the changes to your workplace since 2020, and the impact you think the changes are having. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Can you believe it’s 5 years since we first headed into those unprecedented lockdowns, restrictions and work from home orders?In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are exploring a report recently released by Gallup called: The Post Pandemic Workplace – The Experiment Continues. The report explores Gallups work in measuring how peoples lives and work changed over the past 5 years. The data is drawn from surveys of 400 000 US employees – and whilst Australia is not the Unites States, and we took a different approach to many aspects of the Pandemic, there is no doubt the trends are similar.The Gallup report is so extensive we decided to break this discussion down into 4 sperate episodes. Last week we took a zoom up and lookedat an overview of the gains, losses and lessons. Today we chat about the risein disconnection with vision and values at work. Next up we will look at a concept Gallup are calling ‘the great detachment’ and finally we unpack what’s happened to workplace wellbeing in the last 5 years.We hope you enjoy this exploration of and discussion around these findings. We would love to hear from you about how you feel about the changes to your workplace since 2020, and the impact you think the changes are having. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Can you believe it’s 5 years since we first headed into those unprecedented lockdowns, restrictions and work from home orders?In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are exploring a report recently released by Gallup called: The Post Pandemic Workplace – The Experiment Continues. The report explores Gallups work in measuring how peoples lives and work changed over the past 5 years. The data is drawn from surveys of 400 000 US employees – and whilst Australia is not the Unites States, and we took a different approach to many aspects of the Pandemic, there is no doubt the trends are similar. The Gallup report is so extensive we decided to break this discussion down into 4 sperate episodes.Today’s episode is an overview of the gains, losses and lessons. Next up we’ll chat about the rise in disconnection with vision and values at work. Following that we look at a concept Gallup are calling ‘the great detachment’ and finally we unpack what’s happened to workplace wellbeing in the last 5 years.We hope you enjoy this exploration of and discussion around these findings. We would love to hear from you about how you feel about the changes to your workplace since 2020, and the impact you think the changes are having. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

We’ve all had that feeling when someone behaves badly: maybe if I just leave it, they will sort themselves out/the problem will just go away…In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee talk about an example of a client who knew they needed to deal with a toxic person in their team but had been avoiding the issue.  As soon as they decided to deal with the person, they felt so much better about themselves.  The team’s morale was almost instantly improved and the manager gained so much confidence from realising their response didn’t need to be perfect, they just needed to need to do it. We talk about the importance of leaders being aware of boundaries, both personally and within the team, and tackling issues directly when people are pushing those boundaries.  As managers we can feel overwhelmed when someone on our team is behaving badly and their negativity starts to infect the team.  It can be tempting to hope that they will realise they are being unreasonable and start behaving better.  The reality we talk about in this episode is that our team is watching to see how we deal with these things and whatever we do gives them signals about what’s ok. We will also feel better about ourselves when we deal the situation.  If you find yourself in this situation, remember you just need to take small steps. Plan a first conversations and be clear about what you want to change.  It is your role as a leader to deal with difficult people, both within and beyond your team, and you will feel better when you do this.  We would love to hear from you about how you have navigated this experience or if you’re currently dealing with a difficult person.  You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered BusinessIf you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee answer a question that has come in from a listener: “how do I deal with being promoted when a colleague thought the promotion was theirs, and is resentful of me securing the role?”We love to receive and answer your questions – and this was a great one to dive into.In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee Discuss, at a broad level, how to handle being promoted above peers who feel resentful. We talk about the importance of tackling the issue head-on through a direct conversation that acknowledges the peer's feelings while setting clear expectations. We suggest encouraging the resentful colleague to seek feedback on why they weren't chosen, from the decision makers themselves, and then offering support for their career development, where you are able to contribute to this. We also talk about the importance of setting and maintaining boundaries around appropriate behaviour, and how this helps to build trust with the wider team.If you find yourself in this situation, remember this is not your role, as a new leader, to solve this challenge for your colleague. We would love to hear from you about how you have navigated this experience in the past. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           PeoplePowered Business

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee recap our Summer Series of interviews and share their highlights and biggest take aways.One of the key themes we identified across all of our guests was the importance of values-based businesses, and how values impact hiring, leading and managing staff. We are both seeing the increasing desire, especially among younger generations, to join workplaces that align with personal values and offer more than just transactional work. We also discuss how having a clear purpose or "North Star" can help businesses navigate uncertain times and foster innovation. We also talk about the issue of psychological safety in the workplace, the challenges of leading volunteers, and the diverse perspectives on leadership shared by their guests throughout the series.We would love to hear from you about your feedback on our Summer Series. You can share your thoughts and make suggestions for future guests at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, youcan do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           PeoplePowered Business

In our sixth Summer Series interview Juliet is talking with Darren Taylor, Managing Director at Taylor & Grace, one of Melbourne’s leading brand strategy firms which is on a mission to help all Australian businesses, regardless of size, stage, structure or sector to amplify their impact by leveraging their brand. Darren is an award-winning brand strategist, keynote speaker, author of the book, Rebranding Branding, and an accomplished pianist and pipe organist. From social enterprises to global giants, Darren has helped hundreds of organisations to uncover what makes them remarkable and how to leverage their brand to amplify their impact. With an education spanning engineering, marketing and musical theatre, Darren has a wide perspective and has held Director roles with Georges Mora Foundation, Chamber Music Australia and currently, Musica Viva Australia.  In this interview he talks about a range of issues we need to think about with our branding including the importance of our values in developing our brand. We discuss the interconnectedness of values, brand and the ways we lead.We would love to hear from you about how you have developed your brand and the elements you considered. You can share your experiences and ask questions at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/You can contact Darren for more information about branding at https://taylorandgrace.com.au/You can also download a free copy of Darren’s book Rebranding Branding at https://taylorandgrace.com.au/free-ebook-the-promised-brand/And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at:Juliet Robinson           Big GoalsKristy-Lee Billet           People Powered Business