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What if the playbook that built your career suddenly stopped working and nobody told you?



In this episode, I sit down with Catherine Stagg-Macey, an executive coach who works with technical experts turned leaders. She knows firsthand what it’s like to move from coding and spreadsheets into managing people, and the struggle that comes with it.

We get into what happens when being the smartest person in the room is no longer enough, the patterns that keep leaders trapped in the systems they built, and the hard pivot it takes to step into a new kind of leadership.

You’ll Learn:

• The reason smart technical leaders hit a wall when old habits stop working
• What happens when you try to manage people with the same mindset you used to write code
• The link between control, trust issues, and being stuck in endless meetings
• The damage of wearing the “superhero cape” and building a culture of firefighting
• Why skepticism is common when leaders are first asked to work with a coach
• The pivotal moment that led Catherine from consulting success to a coaching career
• How childhood patterns and early work experiences quietly shape leadership behaviors
• The role of feedback, or the lack of it, in pushing leaders toward breaking points
• Why creating distance from your triggers opens space for better choices

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:15] Breaking patterns of overwork and constant meetings

[08:55] The lure and cost of playing the workplace superhero

[10:20] Catherine’s pivot from consulting success to coaching

[16:05] When rock bottom moments force change

[20:15] Early warning signs leaders ignore before burnout

[26:45] Identity shifts required to let go of old leadership habits

[30:10] Recognizing triggers and unconscious behavior patterns

[41:20] How upbringing and culture shape leadership reactions

[53:00] Building range as a leader in times of uncertainty

Resources Mentioned:

Conversations at the Edge | Website

You Didn’t Chase Leadership. Leadership CHASED You. Join Catherine’s Inner Circle.

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You can connect with Catherine on LinkedIn and listen to her podcast here.

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company here.