Ep 169 – How to Handle a Crisis and Keep Calm with Sue Musson
Influence & Impact for female leaders
Release Date: 08/26/2024
Influence & Impact for female leaders
Many leaders struggle with making tough decisions and dealing with their aftermath. In this episode Sarah Miller, CEO at leading global ethics consultancy Principia, shares how ethics can provide a set of resources and tools to use within decision-making, guiding how we lead as individuals from our own place of values, but probably more critically, how we engage with others who bring their own sets of values. In our conversation we discuss… How to weigh different perspectives and ‘effectively deliberate’ The ‘transparency and fairness...
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Self-awareness as a leader is easier said than done since we all have blind spots. One way to improve the quality of our working relationships is to get our micro-interactions right. When I came across Sarah Langslow’s book ‘Do Sweat the Small Stuff’ I immediately recognised it as an invaluable guide to any leader looking to lead in a positive and people-focused way so I’m excited to share this conversation with you. In our conversation we discuss… What is the ‘small stuff’ and why should leaders sweat it? What are...
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Workplaces and meetings are not set up to get the best out of introverts so it’s no wonder that many people who identify as introverts can experience self doubt at work even in leadership roles. Sarah Manley built a highly successful career in marketing as a deep introvert but was growing tired of being ‘always on’ and visible and increasingly felt like she was in the wrong place. It ate at her confidence. Then she discovered ‘Quiet’; by Susan Cain and she understood herself and her strengths fully for the first time. Sarah approached...
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In today's episode, we reflect back on 2024 and get you thinking about what you want from 2025. This is a great way to bring 2024 to a close and be intentional about 2025 so grab your favourite notebook, a cosy blanket, and a warm drink, and dive into this reflective episode to set the tone for a brilliant 2025. My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author and trainer. And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader. In fortnightly...
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Some of my most popular episodes have been on overthinking and worry and I know from personal experience how much it can hold you back and impact your self-esteem. So I jumped at the chance to interview Nicole Freeman, who coaches many senior professionals around overthinking. In this episode you’ll hear more about… How overthinking is linked to avoiding our feelings The 3 key fears that come up for many of us The signs that you may be overthinking Practical steps you can take to deal with...
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This episode was prompted by a request from one of the members of my Women Leading community who asked how she could build more personal resilience around the impact of decisions she was making at work and be a little more “Teflon coated”. Perhaps you relate – you need to make tough decisions as a leader but you take things to heart, you care about people and their wellbeing and sometimes the decisions you make can have significant impact on others. Or perhaps you are the person who is implementing the decisions that others have made...
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We all know we should be coaching our teams but it’s hard to know how to do that without going on a coaching for managers course. Until now! In this week’s episode I interview Jude Sclater about her book ‘Think Like a Coach’ which is a wonderfully practical step by step guide that any manager can use to become a coach-like manager. Jude simplifies coaching for us, defining it as giving someone your attention while they think out loud and emphasizes the importance of listening and asking questions We discuss… -...
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This week’s episode is a little different in that I am the guest and you get to hear me being interviewed for once! In this episode I recorded for Lucy Gernon’s 360 LeadHERship podcast you’ll hear… The story of my career and how and why I became a coach My top tips on making the right first impression on a new line manager or senior stakeholder How to hold your own and build your influence with the key stakeholders in your organisation Some of my top tips for being confident around senior people ...
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Whilst some women sail through perimenopause, lots of us struggle with symptoms including brain fog, sleep issues, hot flushes and anxiety. Those symptoms can impede our ability to work, impact our confidence and cause an alarming number of women to leave their jobs. I explore this with my guest Emma Thomas, founder of Managing the Menopause and host of the Middling Along podcast. We discuss: Why employers should care about supporting women through this transition What managers can do to be supportive of colleagues...
info_outlineToday’s guest Sue Musson has handled many a crisis in her career, including leading one of the largest NHS Trusts through the pandemic. In this episode she shares what she’s learnt about keeping calm in a crisis.
We discuss:
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Sue’s overall philosophy for coping with a crisis
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How to calm yourself down from the initial state of panic
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How to keep your team calm in a crisis too
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The importance of taking personal responsibility as a leader
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What to do when you don’t know what the right decision is
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The keys to successful communication when managing a crisis
Sue shares some great stories from her own leadership experience, as well as her 6 step crisis management framework from her book Firecracker Leadership.
My name’s Carla Miller, leadership coach, author, trainer and founder of Women Leading, the community that helps women lead without overwhelm. I’m on a mission to empower women leaders in the workplace and make leading less lonely.
And this is the Influence & Impact podcast for women leaders, helping you confidently navigate the ups and downs of leadership and feel less alone on your journey as a leader. In fortnightly episodes I share practical tools and insights from myself and my brilliant guests that will help you succeed in your career.
About Sue Musson:
Sue Musson achieved her first board-level leadership role at the age of twenty-seven. She is keen to share what she has learned to help other women build their confidence and impact.
For 30 years, Sue has led numerous organisations including her own successful businesses under the Firecracker brand. She recently completed her term as Chairman of Liverpool University Hospitals, one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, with 14,000 staff and a turnover of £1.2Bn. Sue led the trust through a merger, the pandemic and the opening of a new hospital by the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Her experience of leadership spans the full gamut of highs and lows, which she recounts with honesty, insight and humour in her new book, Firecracker Leadership.
The book achieved number one bestseller status in three categories on Amazon and became a top ten bestseller in the USA. Firecracker Leadership is endorsed by the Mindvalley Book Club: “We are happy to endorse Firecracker Leadership (which) is a wonderfully written and structured book. It is packed with great ideas and quote-worthy wisdoms…It is a wonderful book that we are happy we got our hands on.”
Concepts from the book have been featured in publications like Forbes, European Business Review, Elite Business, She Can Code, HR News, Startups Magazine, Training Journal and The HRDirector.
Having served for fifteen years as a non-executive director and chair of five of the UK’s most significant healthcare organisations, Sue continues her public service by chairing panels to appoint UK judges in addition to running her own businesses.
Sue’s website - https://www.suemusson.com/
Sue on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-musson-a0119416
FREE RESOURCE - How To Say No Challenge:
If you struggle to say ‘no’ then this free 5 day challenge is for you. You’ll receive a short email each day containing a short video taking you through the 5 steps of my How To Say No framework. We’ll get you happily saying no in just 5 days!
Access it at carlamillertraining.com/sayno
Influence & Impact:
Join the September cohort of Influence & Impact to learn how to tackle self-doubt, increase your impact and become brilliant at influencing. It’s a small cohort working closely with me and includes 6 workshops and 2 peer coaching sessions.
Find out more at https://carlamiller.co.uk/influence
Women Leading:
My Women Leading community gives you the support you need to:
⭐ Set boundaries and expectations
⭐ Prioritise your wellbeing
⭐ Coach your hybrid team effectively
⭐ Stop people pleasing
⭐ Lead under pressure
You can read more and sign up here: https://www.carlamillertraining.com/womenleading