If you’re the kind of person who shares credit, helps others, and always plays by the rules, you probably believe that fairness will be rewarded. But what if your commitment to fairness is actually costing you influence, opportunity, and respect-especially when others aren’t playing by the same rules? This is what no one tells you when you’re the only one playing fair: the real game isn’t about changing who you are, but about understanding the dynamics at play. When you start to see these patterns, you gain clarity about why some people rise and others remain invisible, regardless of merit. In this episode I guide you through three of the most common power plays that can be used against someone playing fair- forewarned is forearmed. Let me know what you think.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth being undermined isn’t random. It’s a pattern rooted in how power, trust, and uncertainty play out in organisations. As a new manager, you have the title, but not the history. Others-whether peers, subordinates, or even your own boss-may feel threatened by change, or unsure if you’ll protect their interests. Undermining becomes a way to test your boundaries, or to keep things predictable.. In this episode I outline the 5 different power plays that can be used against you and what you can do about it to out manoeuvre it.

If you're the consummate professional - you're the reliable one, the conscientious one, and you're also the high achiever, it can fee really frustrating when you're not recognised and someone else with less skill but more talk, gets on. You already know you don't want to be like them, but you also want their praise and recognition. In this episode I talk about where people go wrong in trying to change this, I talk about why those who are all talk gets a head and I show you how to change how you're seen without you selling your soul.

As a first time manager you might think that you're now in the loop you get to know what's really going on and you can work better as a result. So what happens then when your team, exclude you and your management team exclude you, how do you work well now? The assumption that being a manager or team leader means you now have more say and control comes as a shock to most - like it did for me- and so what do you do to navigate it. In this episode I tell you what not to do, what to do and why- Being a manager isn't always easy, but knowing the plays and the strategies of others really helps.

We've all heard of those managers or even colleagues who credit steal- and we vow not to have it happen again. So What do you do then when it's your boss or manager taking credit- how do you handle that. If you're not a strategist it can be tricky to even see how they set you up to fail so in this episode I show you what to look out for so you can bypass all attempts to take credit for your work. Plus I also go through what happens when your boss is threatened by you- how do you handle that too.

Have you ever been in a situation at work where you 'know' somethings going on but you can't quite put your finger on it? or you start to notice the resistance to your leadership? If so then you're feeling the first throws of a power move and power battel in your very team. But the biggest issue you now have is that no one teaches you how to handle the power plays never mind spotting them before they get out of hand. In this episode I go into what you're really managing at work and how to now see your team and your role if you are to thrive as a first time manager.

Have you ever been in a meeting that didn't drag on too long, where the loudest hogged the conversation and gave everyone a fair time to speak? I bet you have - frequently. Now you'd think meetings were not that important but they are to a strategist as this is where you get to build your reputation as someone to be listened to, but if you don't understand how to get your ideas heard, then you're ignored as irrelevant. I know because I've been there. So in this episode I spill the beans on what's likely the culprit that if you take to heart will have others listening to you instead of that loud - let me hog all the limelight person- Welcome to the inner strategist.

Are you a supervisor? A team leader? or even a first time manager? If so then you may have the title but not the power, as I found myself in my first management role. As a new manager you have to be able to lead well and please your leadership team and do the best for your team - but if your wings are clipped and you don't have true power then that can put you in a difficult position. In this episode I go through how a new manager is likely to be perceived, what happened when I started leading a new team and how being a strategist helped me and can help you too.

This is the first full episode of the inner strategist a podcast about helping you navigate the power, people and politics of work. If you've had issues with your boss, your manager or your colleagues, a big part of this is because you do not have the right strategy. I explain the subtle power plays to watch out for at work, so you can be protected. I bust the myth of hard work, and show you how to really succeed at work, without changing who you are.