Leadership: Your Questions Answered

Future Women
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Future Women presents: Leadership: Your Questions Answered. Every fortnight, Helen McCabe and Jamila Rizvi lean on the latest research and their own expertise to tackle career conundrums submitted by the Future Women community.  Plus, read the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must! Got a question? Email us at hello@futurewomen.com 

  1. 06/19/2025

    How do you manage a team member that you feel overestimates their skill?

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Helen McCabe is joined by FW’s Mel Lee. They discuss strategies for managing team members who overestimate their skills, rebuilding a career after a long break with compromised references, and navigating career changes across different industries in the Australian job market. Question 1: How do you manage a team member that you feel overestimates their skill and is focused on what the business owes them? Question 2: Over decade long career break, and last full time employment ended in worker’s compensation with an ND agreement. All my references are compromised by that ND. How do I rebuild a career with references now?  Question 3: I know what area of work I want to focus on for my next role but lots of different industries/ fields interest me.  How do I not let this work against me in my CV and when applying for roles, as it seems important in Australia to have been in one industry/ have very specific industry knowledge?    Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com  Become an FW member today to get the highlights in our members-only newsletter.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    9 min

  2. 05/05/2025

    What are your thoughts on declaring a disability on a job application?

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Astrid Edwards is joined by FW’s Helen McCabe. Today, they discuss returning to corporate life after self-employment, disclosing invisible disabilities in job applications, communicating sensitive messages effectively, and balancing personality with professionalism. Question 1: I've been running my own photography business for the past 7 years but am seriously considering returning to a corporate role. I feel absolutely overwhelmed at starting over again after such a long period away. Any advice? Question 2: What are your thoughts on declaring a disability on a job application even if it is managed and invisible? Should it be declared to possibly give you an advantage to get an interview? Question 3: What’s the best way to communicate a message? That’s a public health initiative without getting hostile reactions? Question 4: How do you balance showing your personality and being professional?   Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com    Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Become a Gold member today to watch Leadership: Your Questions live in a virtual, interactive session included in our Mini Masterclass. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter. A members-only must! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min

  3. 04/30/2025

    How do you strike the balance between giving a team autonomy and providing guidance?

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Astrid Edwards is joined by FW’s Ruby Leahy Gatfield. They discuss staying focused in uncertainty, balancing team autonomy with guidance, overcoming resistance to change, and handling workplace conflicts. Question 1: How do you maintain your energy, ambition, and focus over the long haul and in times of uncertainty? Question 2: How do you strike a nice balance between giving a team autonomy and providing guidance to ensure success? Question 3: I am after some advice around making my own processes in a new company, the other managers who have been around for longer are giving me 'computer says no'. I have low hanging fruit wins! And I feel very unable to change things up for the better. What would you do? Question 4:  I’ve been feeling like the go-between—getting pulled into meetings not because it’s part of my role, but because two colleagues can’t seem to work things out directly. I wish they could communicate better without needing me in the middle. Any tips?   Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com    Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Become a Gold member today to watch Leadership: Your Questions live in a virtual, interactive session included in our Mini Masterclass. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter. A members-only must! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    11 min

  4. 04/10/2025

    How do you overcome feelings of self-doubt during the job application process?

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Helen McCabe is joined by Superintendent Janet Stevenson from Victoria Police. They discuss building a relationship with a supervisor who has a different working style, overcoming self-doubt during the job search process and setting personal boundaries at work.   Question 1: How to you build a strong relationship with a supervisor that has a very different working style from you? Question 2: How do you overcome feelings of self-doubt during the job application process?  Question 3: What is the approach for staff members who prefer to keep their personal lives private?    Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com    Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Head to our members-only Facebook group to chime in with your thoughts when we go live. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min

  5. 11/26/2024

    How do I lead my team through a poor economic climate?

    In the latest installment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Jamila Rizvi and Sally Spicer discuss leading a team through a poor economic climate, owning your differences in the workplace, and navigating long-term relationships during the job search.  1. Yvonne asks: I would love help on leading a team through poor economic climate. How to find the balance between pushing them harder in the sales teams while noting they are probably feeling more pressure at home too? 2. Adriana asks: How do I own my talents and unique experience in the workplace, but avoid being positioned as eccentric?  3. Mel asks: How to navigate through long term relationships when you're trying really hard to find work but can't? I’m feeling (or being made to feel like) a burden.   Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com  Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must!   A reminder 1800RESPECT is available for free, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support people impacted by domestic, family or sexual violence.  Lifeline's 13 11 14 crisis support service is also available 24/7. Anyone in Australia can speak to a trained Crisis Supporter over the phone, any time of the day or night. Always call 000 in an emergency.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min

  6. 11/14/2024

    How do I make my team members feel valued?

    In the latest installment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW’s Astrid Edwards  and Lauren Beckman tackle questions around managing top performers, navigating career transitions, and preparing for psychometric assessments. Lucy asks:How can I show my top-performing sales manager that she's valued without promoting her to a team leader role, which would take her away from selling? Anon asks, After maternity leave, I’ve realised I no longer want to return to my previous role. How do I transition to something new without negatively impacting my mental wellbeing? Ophelia asks, How should I approach psychometric testing, and how can I prepare, especially as a neurodivergent individual? Should I disclose this to my potential employer? Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com  Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Head to our members-only Facebook group to chime in with your thoughts when we go live. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    12 min

  7. 09/24/2024

    How can I set clear boundaries when starting a new leadership role?

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Sally Spicer and Maeva Dedy discuss how to set clear boundaries in a new leadership role, tips for leading a remote team and how to demonstrate you are ready for a promotion. Anon asks, How can I set clear boundaries when starting a new leadership role that has been communicated from the beginning as full-on and demanding?   Anon asks, Tips and tricks to lead remote workers/teams? Melissa asks, How do I show my leadership team that I am capable of being a manager? Should I start a vague chat or go in hard with where I see myself. Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com  Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Head to our members-only Facebook group to chime in with your thoughts when we go live. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    23 min
  8. How to discuss taking a career break

    09/10/2024

    How to discuss taking a career break

    In the latest instalment of Leadership: Your Questions Answered, FW's Sally Spicer and Nidhi Kalaiya discuss how to approach being asked about career breaks and how to be seen in the workplace as an introvert. Michelle asks, I am at a crossroads career-wise. I am the executive at a small incorporated association. I have very little hands on help in my role but high output expectations from the board. How do I stay put and develop my skills, or do I move on to a larger company in a lower position or do I focus on a career change (into politics) and just do my job until I have the opportunity to jump into politics. Anon asks, How do you navigate being in a team as an introvert when everyone else is very dominant and extroverted? I find it hard to demonstrate my abilities, and my manager seems to favour outgoing personalities. Anon asks, How do I craft an elevator statement (or alike) for people persistently asking about a career break when I'm not yet ready to talk about it? I've tried to shut it down before, but people seem to keep asking about it. Got a question?  Submit your query here, post in our FW Facebook group and let us know it's for Leadership: Your Questions Answered or email us at hello@futurewomen.com  Want to watch Leadership: Your Questions Answered live?  Head to our members-only Facebook group to chime in with your thoughts when we go live. Plus, get the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min
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Future Women presents: Leadership: Your Questions Answered. Every fortnight, Helen McCabe and Jamila Rizvi lean on the latest research and their own expertise to tackle career conundrums submitted by the Future Women community.  Plus, read the highlights in our members-only newsletter delivered a week later. A members-only must! Got a question? Email us at hello@futurewomen.com 

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