Lead to Soar

Michelle Redfern & Mel Butcher
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Lead to Soar is the podcast where ambitious women get strategic, evidence-based guidance to reach their full potential and reshape the systems that hold them back. Each episode delivers practical leadership insights grounded in Business, Emotional and Social Intelligence so women can lead with impact and advance their careers on their own terms. leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    Stop Throwing Women in a Room and Calling It Networking

    Most networking events for women are lazy. Not malicious. Lazy. Someone books a venue, lines up a speaker, fills the room with wine and canapés, and expects the magic to happen. It doesn't. And the women in the room get blamed for not working the crowd hard enough. In this episode, Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern take a sharp look at what actually makes a gathering work, using Priya Parker's The Art of Gathering as their framework. They name the real problem: organiser accountability. Bad event design is not a personality mismatch or an introvert problem. It's a failure of purpose, structure, and intentionality. What they cover: Why the same tired formats keep getting recycled, and who benefits from that What a well-designed networking event actually looks like in practice, including formats that have worked for both Mel and Michelle Priya Parker's principle that a gathering without a clear purpose and a closed door isn't really a gathering at all Why "prime people before they arrive" is one of the most underused tools in any organiser's kit How to give attendees a framework for conversation rather than setting them loose to fend for themselves Why you are allowed to stop going to badly designed events, and when to give feedback instead This episode is primarily for the leaders, HR professionals, ERG chairs, and event organisers who create gatherings for women. If you run events, this one is for you. If you attend them, it will give you language for why something felt off, and the standing to say so. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    34 min

  2. 5 APR

    The Busy Trap: How Effective Women Leaders Actually Manage Their Time

    "I don't have time" is one of the most common things Michelle hears from leaders across every level, every sector, every cohort. In this episode, Michelle and Mel get into what high BQ leaders actually do differently with their time and why "too busy" is often less about workload and more about prioritisation failures, people-pleasing, and a reluctance to push back on what lands on your plate. Includes a reframe that will make you rethink how you talk about your calendar, and the practical technique Michelle uses (and teaches) to push back on an overloaded task list without losing your sponsor's respect. Leave a comment If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further: Subscribe on Substack This is now the home of the Lead to Soar podcast. Subscribers get new episodes, curated guidance from the back catalogue, and written insights to help you navigate leadership and career decisions with sound judgement. Subscribe now Explore the Lead to Soar Network Lead to Soar is a leadership development network for ambitious women and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. Members get access to group coaching, practical leadership tools, and a network of women actively advancing their careers. Explore Share the episode If this resonated, share it with a colleague, manager, or friend who might need it. Leadership is shaped by what we notice, name, and talk about. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min

  3. 29 MAR

    How Ambitious Women Tackle Ageism and Identity Bias

    In this solo episode, Mel Butcher responds to two questions she has been asked by women in her network: one about whether to hide years of experience to avoid being judged as too young, and one about whether to anglicise a name on a resume to improve the odds of getting an interview. Both questions sit on top of the same structural reality: ageism and identity bias are real, documented, and operating in most workplaces and hiring processes right now. Mel draws on two interviews from the Lead to Soar archive to illustrate two completely different responses to the same problem. One woman refused to engage with a male-dominated networking culture entirely and built her career around that refusal. Another looked at the same culture and decided to master it on her own terms, bringing other women with her. Both strategies worked. Both were right. The question is which one fits you. What this episode covers: Ageism in both directions — why being seen as too young carries its own professional penalties, and why that rarely gets named directly. The research on name discrimination in hiring and what women are actually weighing when they consider using a nickname professionally. Two real stories of women who faced structural bias and chose opposite paths — and why that is not a contradiction. A framework for making the call that fits your values, your industry, and what you are willing to live with. This is a short episode. It is also one of the more honest conversations on the podcast about the decisions women make that most career advice refuses to touch. Leave a comment If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further: Subscribe on Substack This is now the home of the Lead to Soar podcast. Subscribers get new episodes, curated guidance from the back catalogue, and written insights to help you navigate leadership and career decisions with sound judgement. Subscribe now Explore the Lead to Soar Network Lead to Soar is a leadership development network for ambitious women and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. Members get access to group coaching, practical leadership tools, and a network of women actively advancing their careers. Explore Share the episode If this resonated, share it with a colleague, manager, or friend who might need it. Leadership is shaped by what we notice, name, and talk about. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    8 min

  4. 15 MAR

    Moral Ambition: Why Prestige Is Not the Same as Impact

    In this episode of Lead to Soar, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher discuss Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. The conversation centres on Bregman’s critique of so-called “b******t jobs” — roles that are well-paid, high-status, and socially approved, yet exist largely to protect power, manage perception, or maintain systems rather than improve outcomes. Rather than focusing on individual morality, the discussion looks at how ambition has been shaped and narrowed. Certain careers are treated as inherently successful, while the question of whether the work is useful is rarely asked. Prestige, external validation, and momentum often replace impact as measures of success. Michelle and Mel also connect Bregman’s ideas to the work of Ralph Nader, who decades earlier was already calling out how talented people were being drawn into defending systems instead of fixing harm. The language has changed. The pattern has not. The episode also addresses the tension between effectiveness and moral signalling. When energy is spent on positioning and purity rather than action, momentum stalls and nothing changes. Progress has never required perfection. It has required people willing to act and accept pushback. Leadership takeaways Ambition is not the problem. Where it is directed is. Prestige and usefulness are not the same thing. Systems don’t need bad actors to persist. They rely on talented people maintaining them. Moral positioning without action does not deliver change. Leaders are responsible for where talent is deployed and what work is rewarded. Watch: Rutger Begner at Davos Leave a comment If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further: Subscribe on Substack This is now the home of the Lead to Soar podcast. Subscribers get new episodes, curated guidance from the back catalogue, and written insights to help you navigate leadership and career decisions with sound judgement. Subscribe now Explore the Lead to Soar Network Lead to Soar is a leadership development network for ambitious women and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. Members get access to group coaching, practical leadership tools, and a network of women actively advancing their careers. Explore Share the episode If this resonated, share it with a colleague, manager, or friend who might need it. Leadership is shaped by what we notice, name, and talk about. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    30 min

  5. 15 MAR

    Why Women's Leadership Ambition Matters More than Ever Right Now

    Ambition has acquired a negative connotation for women. Openly ambitious women are (too) often seen as selfish, excessive, or dangerous. At the same time, women are encouraged to be patient, resilient, and grateful, even as they navigate systems that are inherently resistant to change and unfair. In this episode of Lead to Soar, Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern cut through the b******t and get real about ambition, not as status-chasing or ego, but as direction, choice, and responsibility. They challenge the idea that disengagement is neutral, explore the ripple effects of women’s career decisions on those who follow, and argue that ambition is not something women should wait to feel “safe” owning. We are not pretending barriers do not exist. We are saying that for many of us, we must not let them define our lives. The conversation covers: Why ambition is still judged differently in women The cost of waiting versus the cost of acting Ambition as a success orientation, not personality Leadership responsibility beyond individual comfort Why clarity beats hope, and agency beats endurance This episode is for women who are ready to decide what matters and then take deliberate international action. Leave a comment Closing Call to Action If this episode resonated: Subscribe to Substack for new episodes, curated guidance, and written leadership insights. Subscribe now Explore the Lead to Soar Network for practical tools, group coaching, and women actively working on their careers. Explore Share the episode with someone who needs permission to stop waiting and start deciding. Share Leadership is shaped by what we choose to own. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    29 min

  6. 8 MAR

    International Women’s Day 2026: Who Made You Free?

    Let’s cut through the noise. International Women’s Day comes around. Brands share purple graphics. Panels discuss “empowerment.” Meanwhile, women’s rights are being eroded worldwide. So Mel Butcher asked the only question that matters: Who made you free? Michelle Redfern talks about her Nana and her Mum. She also discusses the women who made it possible for her to open a bank account, start a business, and have a voice. Freedom didn’t just fall from the sky. It was fought for. It was paid for. It’s not guaranteed. In this episode, we talk about: What it means to be a free woman in 2026 The shift towards authoritarianism and anti-DEI backlash Why women must stop accepting crumbs How to practise collectivism at work What backing women truly looks like Why your spending, your voice, and your alliances matter This isn’t a “feel inspired and move on” episode. It’s a reset. Because International Women’s Day isn’t just a vibe. It’s a responsibility. Truth Bombs Freedom was fought for. It can be reclaimed. You are not self-made; you are woman-made. Collective strength surpasses individual outrage. Supporting women is a daily choice. Leave a comment If this hits, don’t just nod along. Subscribe. Subscribe now Share the episode with a woman you rate. And if you’re serious about building genuine power, join us in the Lead to Soar Network. We don’t do cupcakes. We focus on strategy, solidarity, and women supporting women. About Lead to Soar Lead to Soar is a podcast and leadership platform for ambitious women and organisations serious about closing the gender leadership gap. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, the podcast goes beyond surface-level career advice to explore what it really takes to lead with clarity, credibility, and impact. Conversations are grounded in research, lived experience, and practical leadership frameworks, including The Leadership Compass. Lead to Soar is about fixing systems, not women, and supporting leaders to do work that matters, in ways that are sustainable and deeply human. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    24 min

  7. 1 MAR

    Goal Setting for Managers: How to Set Annual Objectives With Your Team

    If you’re about to run annual objectives with your team, you are holding a leadership moment in your hands. You can make it clear and useful, or you can end up with a set of goals that might look “nice” but not create the outcomes you want this year. In this episode, Mel and Michelle discuss the mindset Michelle used as a manager. “This is a discussion about a new contract. We’re contracting for outcomes.” Michelle says: “That contract is mutual. My job is to bring the strategic, commercial, and financial goals I’m accountable for, translate them into something my team can actually use, and then help each person turn that into objectives that make sense for their role. Before the one-on-one meetings, I strongly recommend a team briefing. I want the whole team to hear the same thing from me, in plain language: where the business is heading, what matters this year, and what our team’s positional purpose is. What do they pay us to do around here? Then I tell them how to prepare for the one-on-one.” Mel and Michelle then explore the fundamentals that team members should follow to prepare for their objective-setting exercise. Think about the accomplishments from last year, yes, but not just the one-offs. What are the repeatable contributions? Wins, metrics, fixes, launches. The stuff they can do again and build on. They want to identify 2 or 3 problems worth solving this year that align with the business priorities discussed earlier. Additionally, we want team members to approach their professional development with measurable outcomes in mind, rather than engaging in training for its own sake. Here’s why this matters. We see too many teams trying to write objectives with a missing link. Michelle discusses a case in which a group of employees lacked visibility into their manager’s goals and KPIs. They were still expected to write their own objectives. They were basically guessing what would “land”. That’s a leadership and transparency problem. Managers, once you’re in the one-on-one, use this question to cut through the noise: If we’re sitting here in a year’s time and we’re saying “we nailed it”, what are we celebrating? You’ll learn a lot from the answer. Some people will go straight to outcomes. Others will tell you they’re anxious, stretched, worried about skills, worried about what’s changing in the business. That’s useful data. It tells you what support they need from you as their manager. Then you get disciplined. Two or three objectives. Not ten. Ten is not a strategy. For each objective, you want a small number of measures. Two or three is usually enough. You’re aiming for evidence you can stand behind later. “I delivered what I said I would deliver” is a very different year-end conversation than “I was busy”. We also talk about what to do when the impact is not a straight line. Consulting is a good example. So is finance. You might not be able to draw a clean line between your work and the organisation’s growth. That doesn’t mean you can’t set a strong objective. Michelle also shares examples like a capability uplift project that strengthens frontline teams that win work, and a senior finance leader running structured lunch-and-learns to lift commercial acumen. Those are enablement objectives. They have a clear delivery commitment, a timeframe, and evidence points. That’s how you set your team up to finish the year able to point to a few outcomes and say, "We did that." If this work resonates with you, we invite you to explore the Lead to Soar Network. It exists to support women who want to lead with intention, depth, and clarity, alongside others doing the same work. You’re also warmly encouraged to comment on this article or join the chat. Leave a comment Want the practical tools that go with the episodes? Upgrade to paid to get the downloadable templates, checklists, and frameworks we reference, plus occasional offers for guest passes to the Lead to Soar network. If you’re serious about lifting your influence and impact this year, this is the easiest way to do it. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min

  8. 22 FEB

    Delegation Is Not Optional: The Leadership Skill That Separates Experts from Executives

    Delegation is not about doing less. Delegation means leading at the level you want to be recognised for. In this episode, Mel and Michelle analyse a pattern we see over and over again in women’s careers. Talented, committed leaders become indispensable by excelling at execution, only to find that the very behaviour that got them promoted is now holding them back. Being the “go-to expert” feels safe. It feels responsible. It feels like protection against scrutiny. But staying in the detail comes at a cost to your energy, your team’s development, and your reputation as a strategic leader. We discuss what gets in the way of delegation. The double bind. The fear of being judged as lazy or incapable. The instinct to over-function in systems that already expect women to do more emotional and operational labour. And the belief that if you work harder, someone will eventually notice. They often don’t. Using the Leadership Compass, we walk through delegation across three lenses: Business Intelligence (BQ): Delegation is how leaders scale outcomes. Executives are not measured on personal output; they are measured on strategic and financial impact delivered through others. If you are doing work that someone else could reasonably learn to do, you are misallocating leadership capacity. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): What are you holding onto because letting go feels uncomfortable, risky, or irresponsible? Delegation requires trust, and for many women, trust has not always been rewarded. That makes delegation a skill that must be learned deliberately, not assumed. Social Intelligence (SQ): Your delegation habits shape your leadership brand. Leaders who hoard work become bottlenecks. Leaders who delegate well are known for developing others, creating leverage, and thinking beyond themselves. We also examine the consequences of not delegating: burnout, a reputation for micromanagement, disengaged teams, and leaders being passed over for stretch opportunities because they’re seen as “too busy” or too operational. We do not fix women. But we do name the systems and expectations that shape women’s behaviour, and give you practical ways to lead differently within them. To support this conversation, we’re sharing a short Expert to Executive tool that helps you audit where you’re operating now and what needs to shift if you want to be recognised as a strategic leader, not just a reliable one . Delegation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have leadership skill. Key Topics Covered Why being the “go-to expert” becomes a career ceiling The difference between asking for help and delegating with authority Gendered expectations and the delegation double bind How poor delegation damages leadership reputation and team engagement Delegation through the Leadership Compass: BQ, EQ, and SQ Developing others without abdicating responsibility Strategic delegation as a pipeline and succession tool Resources Referenced in the Episode Michelle’s Free Leadership Tools & Downloads Join the Lead to Soar Network. It’s a leadership community for women who want to lead with intention, depth, and clarity, alongside others doing the same work. If you’d like to take a look around, email contact@michelleredfern.com and you’ll receive a 30-day Guest Pass. You’re also warmly encouraged to comment on this article or join the chat. Leave a comment Subscribe now About Lead to Soar Lead to Soar is a podcast and leadership platform for ambitious women and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, the podcast goes beyond surface-level career advice to explore what it really takes to lead with clarity, credibility, and impact. Conversations are grounded in research, lived experience, and practical leadership frameworks, including The Leadership Compass. Lead to Soar is about fixing systems, not women, and supporting leaders to do work that matters, in ways that are sustainable and deeply human. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min
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About

Lead to Soar is the podcast where ambitious women get strategic, evidence-based guidance to reach their full potential and reshape the systems that hold them back. Each episode delivers practical leadership insights grounded in Business, Emotional and Social Intelligence so women can lead with impact and advance their careers on their own terms. leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Redfern & Mel Butcher
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    197
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Michelle Redfern
  • Show Website
    Lead to Soar

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