Conflict happens. What matters is how we interpret it and how we respond.

In this podcast episode, I share a powerful tool I experienced recently in training with Chloe O'Sullivan from War to Peace, that completely shifted how I think about disagreement, tension and challenging conversations.

The Spiral of Disempowerment™ offers a clear, practical framework to separate observable facts from assumptions, and to recognise the role we can play in maintaining conflict.

In global teams, where cultural dynamics shape how we interpret behaviour, this distinction becomes even more critical. We often move from facts to meaning at speed, and that interpretation drives our reactions. Those reactions then influence how others perceive us, creating a loop that is hard to break.

This episode walks you step by step through the four stages of The Spiral of Disempowerment™ and invites you to apply it to a real situation you are currently facing.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to distinguish between observable behaviour and personal interpretation
• Why we so quickly move from fact to meaning in conflict
• How your reactions influence how others perceive you
• Why conflict escalates when we try to control what we cannot
• What is genuinely within your sphere of control
• How to pause and choose a different response

When we focus only on what others are doing and how they are acting, the spiral continues as we continue to react. When we focus on what we can control, our perception and our response, the dynamic shifts.

Reflection questions

• Where are you currently looping in a conflict situation?
• What assumptions are you treating as facts?

Download the The Spiral of Disempowerment™ tool below and apply it to a live situation.

If this episode resonates, I would genuinely love to hear what you discover. Message me on LinkedIn and share your reflections.

Resources:

• Download a template of the The Spiral of Disempowerment™ : https://halcyonglobal.co.uk/spiral-of-disempowerment/
• Learn more about Chloe O'Sullivan's work, War to Peace: https://halcyonglobal.co.uk/
• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Lucy Butters, a Master Facilitator with the Cultural Intelligence Centre, a CQ Fellow- an elite CQ certification, and the author of the recently published 'Cultural Intelligence in Practi

Lucy shares why adaptation and self-awareness matter as much as what you know. We talk about listening as a core leadership skill, how identity and culture shape who gets heard, and why silence, pace and the way we respond all carry meaning. Plus, why the rapid growth of AI makes Cultural Intelligence more important, not less.

Lucy Butters has been working to support organisations to be more inclusive and internationally effective since founding her training and coaching company Elembee Ltd in 2010. A CIPD qualified trainer, one of Lucy's passions is working with trainers and facilitators to develop and enhance their training CQ capability. Lucy lives in Glasgow with her husband and as parents of triplet sons, they are frequently reminded of the need to adjust thinking, actions and expectations.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Cultural Intelligence really means and how it differs from cultural awareness
• Why knowledge alone does not lead to effective cross-cultural working
• The four capabilities of Cultural Intelligence and how they work together as a core leadership skill
• Why listening is culturally shaped
• How communication styles, silence and pace affect understanding
• Why AI requires stronger human judgement and Cultural Intelligence
• How Cultural Intelligence supports leadership in times of uncertainty

If you want to deepen your understanding, Lucy's book offers practical insights from experts around the world.

Resources:

• Connect with Lucy Butters on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lucybutters
• Visit Lucy Butters' website: https://lucybutters.com/
• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, ideas, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Hidden influence - why it is often the missing piece when projects stall, decisions loop and stakeholder meetings go nowhere.

This latest podcast episode was prompted by real conversations with clients who were doing all the right things in theory- scheduling update meetings, sharing information, seeking decisions, yet progress kept slowing down.

What sat underneath was a lack of strategic influence beyond the meeting room. Hidden influence is not about doing things covertly or politically. At its core, it is about connection, trust and understanding what really drives decision-making before you ever ask for a 'yes'.

I break down how to identify who truly influences outcomes, how to build the right relationships early, and how slowing down at the start can help you move faster later on.

You'll learn:

• What hidden influence is, and what it is not
• Why your meetings alone rarely unlock decisions
• How to map your Influence Matrix
• Who your hidden influencers are beyond the organisation chart
• The key questions to ask yourself before alignment meetings
• How risk preferences shape decisions- tapping into Cultural Intelligence
• Developing a tailored communication plan to tap into hidden influence

Key reflection questions:

• Who sits in your Influence Matrix beyond your direct stakeholders?
• Where are your hidden influence opportunities right now?
• Which relationships need more intentional attention?

If you want to go deeper into the topic of influence, this is explored in more detail in my book Become a Global Leader, including the Influence Matrix and my Six Frames of Influence.

Resources:

• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, ideas, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Many capable, successful professionals are delivering results, staying busy and doing what is expected of them, yet quietly running on autopilot. Everything looks fine on the surface, but something feels misaligned.

In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Amy Rowlinson, purpose and fulfilment coach, and author of Focus on Why, to explore why purpose is not something you discover one day, but something you actively create through your values, choices and priorities.

We talk about how easily leaders slip into momentum mode, responding to obligations rather than intention, and what happens when that way of working starts to break down. Amy shares her own turning point and why burnout became a catalyst for reassessing what really mattered, not from crisis, but from clarity.

Amy helps individuals and organisations live and work with purpose, clarity and deeper meaning, guiding people to align their values with their actions to create living legacies.

This is a practical conversation about purpose as a core part of self-leadership, and how reconnecting with it changes how you decide, prioritise and lead.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why so many capable leaders drift into autopilot
• Why purpose is created, not found
• How to recognise when momentum replaces intention
• The Personal Audit exercise
• Why purpose is not a solo endeavour

Reflection questions

• Where might you be operating on autopilot?
• What feels out of sync right now?
• How aligned is your time with what matters most?

Resources:

• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader: https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Connect with Amy Rowlinson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrowlinson/
• Visit Amy Rowlinson's website: https://www.amyrowlinson.com/services
• Buy Amy Rowlinson's book, Focus on Why: https://linktr.ee/amyrowlinson

What are the five most common cultural mistakes that leaders often make when managing diverse, multicultural teams?

Drawing from my experience working with organisations and teams in Cultural Intelligence, I share the common cultural mistakes, and how these can lead to miscommunication, frustration, and even project failures.

I go on to explore how to reframe these to be successful in your ways of working globally, highlighting the need to adapt for better collaboration and innovation within your teams.

Learn in this episode:

• The 5 most common cultural mistakes that leaders make when managing multicultural teams
• Why cultural awareness is not enough
• Cultural intelligence beyond national culture
• Why Cultural Intelligence is needed, even in strong organisational cultures
• The pressures to get it right culturally as a leader
• The Platinum rule

Resources:

• Buy my new book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Executive Leadership Coach, and author Mary Gregory, who specialises in human-centred leadership, confidence and gender equity.

Together, we explore ego as a human defence system rather than a flaw, and how fear often sits behind leadership behaviours such as people pleasing, control and self-doubt. We look at how ego shows up differently for women, why many capable leaders hold themselves back, and what it takes to speak up and be heard without losing authenticity or falling into performative confidence.

Our conversation also examines how culture, conditioning and gender dynamics shape behaviour at work, why curiosity matters more than judgement in global and diverse teams, and why confidence is not fixed but something that ebbs and flows. We reflect on why leadership grounded in self-awareness, inclusion and humanity will be increasingly essential.

Mary's purpose is to create workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and contribute their talent fully. Her work integrates deep psychological insight with practical leadership tools, enabling her clients to expand their thinking, navigate ego and conditioning, and take courageous, positive action.

What you'll learn

• How ego unconsciously shapes leadership behaviour
• When ego gets in the way of leadership
• How women can move beyond ego patterns that hold them back
• How culture and conditioning intersect with judgement and curiosity
• What authentic confidence looks like in practice

Resources:

• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader: https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Connect with Mary Gregory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygregory/
• Visit Mary Gregory's website: https://www.marygregory.com
• Buy Mary Gregory's book 'Ego – Get Over Yourself and Lead': https://www.marygregory.com/book

Welcome to the first podcast episode of 2026, and we are starting with how we mean to continue with bold action. This episode is about momentum, clarity and creating a fast, intentional start to the year.

This is your invitation to move from thinking to actively working and delivering on your leadership goals. Drawing on chapter one of my bestselling book, Become a Global Leader, I guide you through a series of practical exercises designed to help you think bigger, get clearer on what you want, and move from reflection into bold action.

If you want to have greater impact this year, this episode will help you move beyond safe, short-term goals and reconnect you with the leadership future you dream of.

We cover:

• How to shift from achievable, short-term goals to defining the bigger vision
• How to define what becoming a global leader really means to you
• Why understanding your motivation is critical when the journey gets challenging
• How to translate this into powerful leadership goals for 2026 without staying in your comfort zone
• Practical ways to make your leadership goals visible, front of mind and build momentum throughout the year

Your next steps

If you want support turning this reflection into action, I am offering a limited number of 2026 Clarity Action calls.

These are 20-minute focused conversations designed to help you gain perspective, identify your next steps and move forward with intention to make your goals a reality.

Book by 23rd January 2026 by messaging me directly on LinkedIn, Victoria Rennoldson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Resources:

• Listen to Episode 159 'Reflecting on 2025: Your Leadership Review': https://culturecuppa.com/podcasts/reflecting-on-2025-your-leadership-review/

• Buy my new book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/

• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Leadership trends, advocating for women leaders and raising your personal profile.

As we approach the start of 2026, in this podcast episode, I'm joined by Vanessa Dal Busco, Chair of the Institute of Directors Glass Ceiling Group, and a passionate advocate for women in leadership.

Vanessa shares her insights on the challenges female leaders face, the importance of personal branding, and practical strategies to raise your profile, exploring how engagement, purpose, and authenticity can transform your professional presence.

Plus, Vanessa also shares her perspectives on leadership trends, the role of AI and cybersecurity in shaping the future of business.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How the Institute of Directors and the Glass Ceiling Group are driving change and creating opportunities for female leaders
• The importance of raising your personal profile and practical ways to do it
• How to use LinkedIn effectively to engage authentically and amplify your influence
• The power of networking, speaking engagements, and media exposure to grow your personal brand
• Emerging leadership trends she sees for 2026

Vanessa encourages anyone looking to raise their personal or company profile to take that first step and experiment, whether through LinkedIn, networking, speaking engagements, or media opportunities.

How visible is your professional profile right now, and how could increasing it open up new opportunities in 2026?

Resources:

• Buy my new book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Connect with Vanessa Dal Busco on LinkedIn to explore how she can help you or your organisation to elevate your profile and impact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessadalbusco