In this moving and deeply human conversation, Jean welcomes Elaine Robinson, Principal of Sir Manasseh Meyer International School in Singapore. With over 25 years in education, Elaine has led schools across the UK and internationally with vision, courage, and compassion. Elaine shares openly about her leadership journey, from navigating the complexities of leading a school community through COVID-19 to facing her own profound personal loss while continuing to lead with authenticity, gra...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Katie Best, a leadership coach, consultant, and author whose career has been shaped by asking one central question: what are the problems leaders struggle with most — and how can we solve them? Katie is the founder of Katie Best Associates, she teaches on the MBA Essentials Programme at the London School of Economics, and is a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London. Most recently, she became an author with her new book The 10 Toughest Le...

Influencing others at work can often feel like one of the most challenging parts of leadership. Whether it’s navigating difficult relationships, persuading colleagues to collaborate, or aligning a team around a new direction, influence is at the heart of how leaders get things done. In this episode, Jean explores what it really means to influence others with respect and integrity. What You’ll Learn in This Episode Why influencing is a core leadership skill that extends beyond formal authority...

In this episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean Balfour explores one of the most common challenges leaders face, negative thinking, rumination, and self-doubt. Whether it shows up as imposter syndrome, constant worry, or replaying conversations in your head, these thought patterns can drain your energy and undermine your confidence. Jean explains why our brains are wired to focus on the negative, how this evolutionary mechanism once kept us safe, and why it so often works against us in the mode...

Have you ever thought about how your school experiences continue to shape you as a leader today? From the sound of the classroom bell to the sting of a teacher’s red ink, our memories from school and college often run deeper than we realise. In this reflective episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean invites you to pause and explore the surprising connections between your early educational experiences and how you now show up at work, in leadership, and in life. Drawing on her own journey of revi...

Overwhelm seems to be everywhere right now. In fact, LinkedIn’s Chief Economist Karin Kimborough recently shared that posts mentioning overwhelm have increased by 82% this year. With so many leaders and professionals struggling, Jean revisits this topic with fresh eyes and shares practical ways forward. In this episode, Jean Balfour explores: Why overwhelm is so widespread right now, including the impact of AI, workload, and hidden fears at work.The less obvious causes of overwhelm that I oft...

In this episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean is joined by senior HR leaders Vanessa Iloste and Vanessa Teo, co-hosts of the Career Transitions podcast. Together, they share insights from five seasons of conversations with leaders and experts on navigating the uncertainty of change. We explore the habits that help leaders thrive in transitions, from listening and observing first, to building trust one step at a time. Vanessa and Vanessa also reflect on the challenges of cross-cultural moves, ...

Discover how to bridge the gap between who you are today and the leader you aspire to be - with practical tools, inspiring research, and the courage to follow your bliss. We often think about our future selves as strangers rather than as an extension of who we are today, which makes it harder to achieve our goals and create the lives we want. By learning to see our future selves in the first person and taking consistent action in the present, we can more effectively bridge the gap between who...

In this episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean revisits a powerful and often misunderstood topic - ambition. Prompted by recent coaching conversations and personal reflections, she challenges conventional notions of ambition and invites you to rethink what it really means for you. Jean explores how ambition isn't just about promotions, titles, or relentless striving. It's about discovering what you truly desire to achieve - whether that’s launching a passion project, being fully present with y...

How does our early life shape the leaders we become? What role does fear play in our ambition? And how can we lead with more wholeness and warmth - especially when work feels hard? In this episode of The Fulfilled Leader, I’m joined by psychologist and executive coach Dr. Jonathan Marshall for a deeply thoughtful and expansive conversation about the inner world of leaders. Jonathan supports high performers who look like they're thriving on the outside but feel stretched and burnt out ...

How many times today have you been triggered? A sharp email, an offhand comment, a meeting that left you spiralling. Sometimes it’s a small internal shift, sometimes it leads to a reaction we regret. In this episode, I explore what it really means to be triggered at work - why it happens, how it affects us, and most importantly, what we can do about it. I share personal stories, emotional regulation models, and a toolkit of strategies to help you return to calm, grounded leadership in the hea...

Welcome back to The Fulfilled Leader! In this second refreshed episode, we’re diving deep into a subject that so often surfaces in coaching sessions - organizational politics. For many leaders, politics at work can feel murky, manipulative, or downright toxic. It’s something we often wish would just go away. And yet, it’s a reality in every workplace. In this episode, I offer a fresh perspective: what if we replaced the idea of organizational politics with relational savvy? 💡 In this episode,...

Are you feeling stuck in your work or leadership, wishing for a breakthrough moment that never seems to come? In this reflective and encouraging episode, Jean shares a personal story that begins with a jigsaw puzzle and unfolds into a powerful reminder: meaningful change often doesn’t arrive in sweeping transformations. but in slow, steady, sometimes invisible steps forward. Drawing inspiration from her own creative process and insights from James Clear and Martha Beck, Jean invites you to th...

After four years and over a hundred episodes, I’m taking a moment to revisit some of the most loved conversations on this podcast. And what better place to start than the very first topic we ever explored -purpose. This refreshed episode of Finding Your Purpose brings new insights, reflections, and practical strategies to help you reconnect with what truly matters in your work and leadership. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of purpose, both as a coach and in my own journey throu...

Why do so many smart, capable people hold themselves back from stepping into their potential? In this episode, I’m joined by leadership expert, bestselling author, and global speaker Dr Margie Warrell to explore the essential role of courage in navigating today’s uncertain world. Margie shares her personal journey from rural Australia to global leadership advisor, and how her lifelong relationship with fear and self-doubt led her to develop a framework for courageous living. Whether you’re fa...

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Fulfilled Leader! In this heartfelt milestone episode, Jean Balfour reflects on the journey that began in December 2021 with Making Sense of Work and evolved into The Fulfilled Leader. Jean shares three powerful lessons she's learned through podcasting and how her long-standing journalling practice has not only sustained the show, but also shaped her career and personal growth. This episode is part memoir, part masterclass in personal leadership tools...

In this episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean Balfour shares a deeply personal and practical exploration of emotional resilience at work. From the subtle emotional triggers we experience in a single day to the more overwhelming waves of stress and anxiety that can derail us, Jean explores how leaders can strengthen their ability to stay grounded amidst pressure. Jean recounts her own journey - including a difficult piece of feedback that changed the trajectory of her leadership - and outlines...

In this powerful opening episode of The Fulfilled Leader, Jean Balfour shares the personal and professional journey behind the podcast's transformation. After nearly four years of Making Sense of Work, Jean saw a shift - both in herself and in the leaders she coaches. The focus is no longer just on performance or organizational outcomes, but on fulfillment, emotional wellbeing, and resilience at work. Jean openly reflects on closing her successful coach training business to focus more on one-...

Guest: Danny Dagan – Author of The Game Episode Summary: In this episode, I sit down with Danny Dagan, author of The Game, a gripping thriller that has just hit the shelves to glowing reviews. Danny’s journey to publication was anything but overnight—The Game is his seventh novel, following years of writing, rejection, and relentless persistence. We dive deep into the discipline of writing, the mindset needed to keep going despite setbacks, and the surprising role of delusional self-belief in...

In this inspiring episode of Making Sense of Work, I sit down with the incredible Punita Lal, a distinguished business leader, board director, and executive coach. With a career spanning over 35 years in leadership, strategy, and marketing, Punita has held executive roles at PepsiCo and Coca-Cola and now serves on multiple global corporate boards, including DBS Bank and Carlsberg. Punita shares her zigzag career journey, from her early days in advertising to leading teams in multinational cor...