Hi, I am Kylie

When I stepped into my first big senior leadership role I thought I knew what I was signing up for. I'd spent years watching other senior leaders operate and I was confident I could do what they were doing. I was hardworking, committed and driven and I'd had good success.

What I hadn't anticipated was how much harder it would be to influence people who didn't report to me. How tricky it would be to navigate politics and competing agendas. How complex it was to build alignment across a leadership team with very different views and priorities. And how challenging it was to translate strategy into action through people rather than just doing it myself.

Whilst my division was doing well and on track to win most improved and most profitable retail division globally, I was in a constant state of anxiety and slowly losing confidence. Without realising it I had become disoriented and disconnected, especially from my team, my peers and myself.

But I wasn't ready to admit it. I kept going. Kept pushing. Kept hoping things would turn around. They didn't.

And then it all came to a head when I had a panic attack and collapsed on stage at a leadership conference. Humbling doesn't begin to cover it.

In that moment, lying on the floor in front of a room full of people, I knew I couldn't keep going the way I was. Something had to change. Not just in how I was operating but in how I was leading.

So, I committed to relearning most of what I thought I knew about leading myself, leading others and leading across an organisation. I transitioned from my operational role into People and Culture. I studied with some of the world's top coaches and thought leaders, many of whom I've since had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. And I applied everything I was learning. The results were significant, better engagement, improved performance and a team that was finally operating at a level that benefited all of us.

I went on to set up the organisation's Leadership Academy, designing and delivering programs that went on to win national awards for leadership development and talent management. By 2019 after years of developing senior leaders and leading various People and Culture divisions, I knew it was time to share what I had learned with more leaders and organisations.

If you want to lead with impact and be proud of the way you lead, I'd love to help. Book a free discovery call below.