CareerSteps Insights – October Edition

Introduction

October has been a month rich in conversations about trust, leadership presence, and managing relationships upward and outward.

In my coaching sessions and workshops, I’ve seen how small, consistent actions can completely change the way leaders are perceived, and how teams respond to them.

One theme kept coming up: leadership is not about control, it’s about consistency. Whether you’re guiding a new team, influencing stakeholders, or managing your own boss, the trust you build through small daily choices defines your long-term impact.

In this edition, I share the key insights that stood out this month: practical advice, client experiences, and lessons from research that can help you grow into a more grounded and confident leader.

Expert Advice

We often think of trust as something abstract, but in reality, it’s built in the smallest of moments.

Arriving prepared for a meeting. Following up when you said you would. Owning a mistake without excuses. These behaviors may seem ordinary, yet they are the quiet proof of reliability that people never forget.

In teams, reliability creates safety. It’s the invisible fabric that allows people to speak up, share ideas, and collaborate honestly. When leaders are consistent, others feel they can predict their reactions, and that predictability becomes a powerful foundation for engagement.

One exercise I often use with clients is to identify one small action they can do every week, no matter how busy they are, that strengthens trust in their team. For some, it’s simply giving regular feedback. For others, it’s showing appreciation or clarifying priorities on Monday mornings. Over time, those small moments add up to credibility.

👉Read the original post here

Client Success Story

One of my clients came to me feeling deeply frustrated. She was leading a larger portfolio than some of her peers, yet when promotions were announced, her name wasn’t on the list. The official feedback was vague: “not senior enough” and “creates stress for others.”

When we explored what was behind those comments, it became clear that the issue wasn’t competence, but presence. In meetings, her fast pace and direct tone were misread as tension. Her achievements spoke for themselves, but her influence wasn’t landing the way she intended.

Together, we worked on what I call “executive calibration”: how to project calm authority while keeping authenticity intact. Through small changes in pace, tone, and structure, she learned to lead conversations rather than just contribute to them.

A few months later, she told me something that stayed with me:

“Nothing in my job has changed, but how people respond to me has completely shifted.”

That is the power of leadership presence: it turns invisible effort into visible impact.

👉 Read the original post here

Practical Tips

Most managers are promoted because they’re excellent problem solvers. The challenge is that once you lead others, solving problems for them often becomes part of the problem.

During my Leading Others workshop, one participant realized how often he jumped in with answers before his team had even finished explaining an issue. He said,

“I realized I spend more time telling people what to do than helping them think.”

That moment of awareness marked a shift from managing tasks to developing people.

One simple way to make that shift is to use the GROW model: Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward. Instead of advising, you guide reflection:

• Goal: What do you want to achieve?

• Reality: What’s happening right now?

• Options: What could you do?

• Way Forward: What will you try first?

  
  

This model builds both autonomy and accountability. It’s slower at first, but over time, your team becomes more resourceful, freeing you from constant firefighting.

Next time a team member comes to you with a problem, resist the urge to fix it. Instead, ask: “What do you think your next step could be?” You’ll be surprised how quickly they grow when given the space to think.

👉 Read the original post here

Industry Insights

Trust, once seen as a soft skill, is emerging as one of the hardest currencies of modern leadership.

💡 Reflection:

How intentional are you about trust in your leadership?

Not just in relationships — but in the systems, tools, and processes your team relies on every day?

👉 Read more here 

Personal Reflections

One theme that keeps surfacing with leaders I coach is the gap between drive and sustainability. We often pride ourselves on pushing through, but long-term success requires something different,  managing our energy with the same discipline we manage our time.

During a recent Leading Self workshop, a participant shared,

“I realized I push myself harder than anyone else does.”

That sentence resonated with many in the room. The desire to excel is powerful, but without recovery, it leads to depletion rather than performance.

Jim Loehr and Jack Groppel’s research in The Corporate Athlete highlights that energy, not time, is our most precious resource. Just like athletes, leaders need deliberate cycles of intensity and renewal. That might mean protecting breaks, setting clearer boundaries, or creating routines that support physical and mental recovery.

Leadership begins with self-leadership. When you manage your own energy well, you model what sustainable performance looks like for your team.

👉 Read the original post here

Book and Resource Recommendations

This month, one book has sparked particularly meaningful discussions in my coaching sessions: The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles Green, and Robert Galford.

It’s a timeless guide on what truly builds trust in professional relationships. The authors introduce the trust equation, which breaks trust into four components:

• Credibility, what you say and the expertise you bring

• Reliability, how consistently you follow through

• Intimacy, the safety others feel when confiding in you

• Self-orientation, the degree to which your focus is on others rather than yourself

  
  

What I find powerful about this model is its practicality. It turns trust from a vague ideal into something measurable and actionable. In my work with leaders, it’s often the self-orientation element that makes the biggest difference. When leaders shift attention from proving themselves to genuinely supporting others, their credibility naturally rises.

If you’re a new or aspiring people manager, The Trusted Advisor offers a clear reminder that leadership isn’t just about competence, it’s about connection. It’s a book I return to often, both for its clarity and its humanity.

Q&A

Q: “How Can I Manage My Boss Without Feeling Manipulative?”

This question came up again and again in October, and it inspired my recent webinar, Manage your boss.

Many professionals worry that “managing up” feels political or insincere, but in reality, it’s an essential leadership skill. It’s not about manipulation, it’s about alignment.

When you understand your manager’s pressures, priorities, and decision-making style, you can position your work so it supports both their goals and your own growth. It’s about creating partnership rather than dependency.

During the webinar, we explored practical steps such as clarifying your boss’s expectations, proactively sharing progress, and framing challenges as shared objectives. Participants left with concrete strategies to shift the relationship from reactive to collaborative.

If you missed the session, I’ll soon share the key takeaways and announce the next event.

👉 Find more about this event here.

Conclusion

October reminded me, and many of my clients, that leadership is rarely about doing more, but about doing better. Better listening. Better alignment. Better self-leadership.

As we move into November, I encourage you to reflect on one simple question:What’s one small, consistent action that would strengthen trust and presence in your leadership right now?

Because often, the difference between a good leader and a great one lies not in big decisions, but in the quiet, steady habits that build credibility every day.

Call to Action

If you’d like support in strengthening your leadership presence or navigating your next career step, let’s connect.

You can learn more about my coaching and workshops here or reach out directly here.

And don’t miss my upcoming free webinar, The 7 Sins of Networking, the 6th of November.

📅 Reserve your spot here