In the final episode of Season 5, Jenni recaps on the eight practices of credible leadership: capable, empathetic, integrity, likeable, supportive, trustworthy, visionary, and vulnerable.  Jenni provides definitions and highlights behaviours that may indicate deficiencies in each area, and also discusses how organisational support systems and a conscious mindset can bolster leadership credibility, urging leaders to integrate these practices consistently. Episode Timestamps: 00:32 - The Eight Practices of Credible Leadership 01:37 - Identifying Your Strengths and Weaknesses 02:11 - Behaviours Indicating Lack of Practices 04:20 - Organisational Support for Credible Leadership 05:05 - The Importance of Mindset 07:04 - The Path to Becoming a Credible Leader 09:30 - Conclusion and Further Resources Key Takeaways From This Episode: Leadership credibility requires ongoing effort, practice, and consistency Importance of understanding the impact of behaviour, communication style, and relationships for credible leadership The need for leaders to dial up the right behaviours for different situations to keep people engaged The impact of not having leadership support mechanisms like employee experience strategy, internal communication, leadership development programs Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

In the penultimate episode of Season 5, Jenni talks all about the role of vulnerability in credible leadership. She discusses its significance during the pandemic, defines what it means to be vulnerable for leaders, and highlights the potential disconnect and chaos when leaders fail to show vulnerability.  Jenni shares personal stories and outlines three practical steps to build vulnerability: asking for help, being honest, and leveraging all aspects of communication. The episode emphasises the need for leaders to demonstrate personal, yet professional aspects of themselves to strengthen connections with their teams. Episode Timestamps: 00:41 - Defining Vulnerability 02:03 - The Chaos of Lacking Vulnerability 02:28 - Balancing Vulnerability and Connection 04:37 - Building Vulnerability: Practical Steps Key Takeaways From This Episode: True vulnerability requires strength and assuredness The challenge with defining vulnerability is that it has different meanings for different people Leaders should have a balance in vulnerability, be personal but not intimate 3 practical steps for building vulnerability Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community Leading with Cultural Intelligence by David Livermore

In the eighth episode of Season 5, Jenni explores the concept of being visionary as one of the eight practices essential for credible leadership. She provides a definition of visionary and emphasises the importance of clear communication, passion, and the ability to inspire action. Jenni also outlines three key steps to build this practice: inspiring others through courage and vulnerability, adapting communication to different environments, and maintaining consistency in storytelling. Tune in to the full episode to learn how to create purpose and drive through effective visionary leadership! Episode Timestamps: 00:31 - Defining Visionary as a Leader 01:06 - The Importance of Communication in Visionary Leadership 02:13 - Consequences of Lacking Vision 05:09 - Building Visionary Leadership Key Takeaways From This Episode: Visionary is about the ability to clearly communicate where you're going and inspire others It's not merely being a "visionary leader" like Steve Jobs but about articulation and passion for the future Without clear vision, teams cannot understand their purpose, leading to apathy and disorganised efforts 3 practical steps for building visionary as a practice Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

In the seventh episode of Season 5, Jenni explores the critical role of trust in credible leadership. She defines what it means to be trustworthy, highlighting the importance of reliability alongside character and competence.  Jenni discusses the detrimental effects of lacking trust in an organisation, sharing a story about Peter, a CEO whose oversight led to a slow erosion of trust. She also provides three actionable strategies for building trust: making the first move, transparent communication, and being reliable.  Episode Timestamps: 00:32 - Defining Trustworthiness 01:52 - The Importance of Reliability 02:52 - The Slow Erosion of Trust 06:10 - Strategies to Build Trust 06:46 - Three Key Practices for Trustworthiness Key Takeaways From This Episode: Trustworthiness extends beyond not lying—it's intrinsically linked to credibility Trust often erodes slowly over time, leading to significant organisational challenges Slow erosion of trust can be due to a leader neglecting face-to-face interactions and focusing too much on external stakeholders 3 key practices for building trust within your leadership Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter).   Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community Season 1, Episode 5: Fear and Trust Season 2, Episode 7: Building Trust and Credibility Season 3, Episode 4: How to Rebuild Trust

In the sixth episode of Season 5, Jenni discusses the importance of being a supportive leader as a cornerstone of credible leadership. Jenni defines what it means to be supportive, and outlines the chaos that can occur when a leader isn’t supportive.  She also shares the three crucial steps to build a supportive practice: creating a safe environment for learning and failure, setting clear expectations, and embodying a service-oriented mindset. Tune into the full episode to find out why leaders need to be encouraged to understand individual needs, foster psychological safety, and ensure transparent communication to enhance their leadership credibility. Episode Timestamps: 00:37 - Defining Supportive Leadership 03:16 - Consequences of Lack of Support 04:44 - Building Supportive Practices 05:23 - Three Key Strategies for Supportive Leadership     Key Takeaways From This Episode: A supportive leader creates safe spaces for failure, speaking up and asking for help when it’s needed Supportive leadership is about enabling others and creating a culture of support within the organisation It’s essential for being a credible leader and lack of support can lead to rejection 3 things you can work on to build supportive leadership   Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

In this fifth episode of Season 5, Jenni Field emphasises the importance of likeability as a crucial practice for credible leadership. She explains what likeability entails, debunks common misconceptions, and highlights the chaos that can ensue without it, including people not agreeing with your direction or intentionally working against it. Jenni also shares insights and real-life examples, as well as practical strategies to build likeability through explaining the 'why,' being positive with realism, and showing curiosity! Episode Timestamps: 00:40 - Defining Likeability 01:26 - The Need to Be Liked vs. Being Likeable 04:18 - The Chaos of Lacking Likeability 05:21 - Building Likeability as a Practice     Key Takeaways From This Episode: You can’t be a credible leader if you are truly unlikeable Likeability is characterised by charisma, light-heartedness, and an agreeable nature Lack of likeability can lead to chaos, misalignment, and sabotage within a team Detaching from the need to be liked can enhance your decision-making and ability to handle tough conversations     Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter).   Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

In the fourth episode of Season 5, Jenni discusses the critical importance of integrity for leaders. Drawing from research and practical experiences, Jenni defines integrity as consistently keeping your word, being genuine, and behaving ethically.  She shares insights on the challenges of accountability and the consequences of lacking integrity, emphasising the need for leaders to take responsibility and follow through on promises. Through a previous case study, Jenni illustrates how a failure to demonstrate integrity impacts team trust and engagement. She also provides actionable steps to build integrity, including embracing accountability, learning to apologise, and prioritising commitments. Episode Timestamps: 00:41 - Defining Integrity 01:40 - Challenges of Accountability 05:02 - The Consequences of Lacking Integrity 07:24 - Building Integrity: Practical Steps Key Takeaways From This Episode: Integrity is fundamental for credible leadership and it is consistently valued by both leaders and follower Leaders with integrity do what they say they will do, are genuine, accountable, and behave ethically Accountability challenges arise from discomfort in admitting mistakes, justifying actions, and the fear of offending others Without integrity, there is no trust, which can lead to disengagement and frustration   Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community Season 2, Episode 8: Why Accountability Can Be Hard  

In the third episode of Season 5, Jenni explores the importance of empathy in leadership. She defines genuine empathy beyond just 'stepping into someone else's shoes' and shares personal stories highlighting the chaos that arises from a lack of empathy.  Jenni also provides three practical tips for leaders to build empathy, including: actively listening, being flexible, and avoiding self-centred storytelling. The episode emphasises that empathy is crucial for forming genuine connections and maintaining credibility as a leader.  Episode Timestamps: 00:29 - Defining Empathy 01:19 - The Importance of Empathy in Leadership 02:18 - The Chaos Without Empathy 03:55 - A Real-Life Example of Empathy in Action 06:36 - Building Empathy as a Leader 08:43 - Practical Tips for Demonstrating Empathy Key Takeaways From This Episode: Genuine empathy involves believing someone else's lived experiences and is closely linked to communication and leadership Empathy vs. Compassion: Empathy requires understanding and believing others, while compassion is about connection Lack of empathy in leadership leads to people disliking and not trusting their leaders Three actionable steps for how leaders can build empathy Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community Season 3, Episode 9: Understanding the Difference Between Empathy and Compassion

In the second episode of Season 5, Jenni discusses the practice of capability as a crucial component of credible leadership. She explores the definition of capability, the chaos that ensues from its absence, and draws from her professional experiences to illustrate its impact on organisational credibility. Jenni outlines three key areas to build capability in leadership: industry knowledge, action-taking, and respect. She also touches on the challenges of demonstrating leadership capability without prior experience and emphasises the importance of continuous learning and mutual respect in effective leadership. Episode Timestamps: 00:49 - Defining Capability in Leadership 02:38 - The Chaos of Lacking Capability 02:59 - Real-World Examples of Capability Issues 06:35 - Building Capability as a Leader   Key Takeaways From This Episode: Capability includes experience in the industry or role, respect for those you lead and taking action Chaos can be caused by a lack of capability which includes disrespect from team members when they don’t believe you’re capable, avoidance, conflict and challenging relationships Leadership respect is earned, not simply given due to position You can develop your capability by sharing personal experiences and stories, taking action, respecting team members and serving them, as well as continuous learning and self-development     Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

In the first episode of Season 5, Jenni delves into the theme of credible leadership. She discusses the importance of credibility in leadership roles, her research on the topic, and introduces her definition of a credible leader. The episode reflects on the impact of the 2020 pandemic on leadership behaviours and explores the eight practices associated with credible leadership. Jenni also shares insights from her LinkedIn community and presents findings from her research report.  Throughout the season, each episode will focus on one of the eight key practices that define credible leadership, as well as provide you with practical things that you can implement to build that practice that will enable you to lead effectively.  Episode Timestamps: 00:16 - The Importance of Credible Leadership 00:26 - The Pandemic's Impact on Leadership 01:31 - Exploring Empathy and Authenticity 02:56 - Defining Credibility 03:04 - Research Insights on Credibility 06:22 - Challenges to Credible Leadership 08:05 - The Eight Practices of Credibility Key Takeaways From This Episode: Why there was an emphasis on being empathetic, human, and authentic during the pandemic Key blockers to credibility include change and uncertainty, leadership development, communication issues, and remote work challenges The eight key practices of credibility and understanding what they all entail Effective communication combined with accountability ensures genuine leadership and followership Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

Welcome back to the Redefining Communications podcast with Jenni Field! Season Five is going to focus on leadership, specifically credible leadership. We've spent some time researching to find out what it is that makes a leader credible, and through our research, we discovered eight practices to become a credible leader, which we will be exploring throughout this season.  Each episode will deep dive into one of these practices, discussing the chaos that can happen when credibility is missing and also offer practical advice on how you can build that practice to become a leader people will follow. So, sit back and relax or enjoy the walk, or however you are listening - we hope you enjoy this season with us! Episode Timestamps: 00:11 - Focus on Credible Leadership 00:32 - Research and Eight Practices 00:53 - Episode Breakdown and Schedule 01:26 - Final Thoughts and Community Invitation Thank you for listening!  Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn, Instagram and X(Twitter). Important Links & Mentions:  How to Become a Credible Leader [Free Resources Included!] Join the Redefining Communications Community

We had to include a bonus episode for us to share with you our brand-new research into deskless workers called Remotely Interested? Listen as Jenni shares why we did it, what we did, and what the results are telling us, so you can look at how you can shift from chaos to calm with frontline or deskless workers in your organisation. If you are listening before the 3 October 2023, you can join our webinar where Jenni and Benjamin will be celebrating the launch of the findings. Click on the 2023 link below! Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions, and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter.   Resources: 2019 landing page: Remotely interested? 2019 - Redefining Communications 2023 landing page: Remotely Interested? 2023 - Redefining Communications Get in touch with the Social Optic team through SocialOptic

In this final episode, Jenni talks to Sarah Black, global communications consultant, about the factors to consider when communicating within an international culture. Sarah talks about the challenges of working across different cultures, miscommunication when it comes to corporate values, and leadership expectations. As well as how small things can cause discontent, a lack of connection, and why people might even come across as rude when that’s completely unintended. They share tips and tools to help unpack where you are and where you come from, and really delve into how to think around the environment you are in. Global teams can be tricky to engage with so working with Sarah to help people think differently about building strong teams around the world is brilliant when you’re looking at intentionally changing culture. In her latest blog, Sarah shares her tips which include the need to get curious and how to be time zone sensitive. Sarah's blog - Redefining Communication Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions, and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Chaos to calm: Building an inclusive culture with Advita Patel S4 E2  - Redefining Communications (redefiningcomms.com) Don’t Shoot the Messenger Podcast - Vicki Marinker Season 2, Episode 6 with Jenni Field on How to build a cohesive and diverse culture that’s fit for purpose. World Time Buddy : a practical tool for looking at time zones for global meetings. Cultural Intelligence Center: lots of free resources and info about how you can develop your ability to relate and work effectively in culturally diverse situations. The Culture Map by Erin Meyer - book and website Americans Are Fake and the Dutch Are Rude! By Batja Mesquita, The Behavioral Scientist How cultural differences can impact global teams, Harvard Business Review, 2021 Leading with cultural intelligence - David Livermore Get in touch with Sarah here on LinkedIn or through their website www.athrucommunications.com

In this penultimate episode of season four, Jenni is joined by Louisa Clarke who is a specialist on how to manage difficult conversations. Are you a confrontation avoider? Louisa talks about moving away from the concept that having a difficult conversation involves being aggressive and bolshy. Louisa and Jenni discuss tips and tricks to help difficult conversations end up in a nicer place that cuts through the power dynamic. They talk about why having difficult conversations, setting boundaries, and setting expectations is our path to freedom, enabling things to run more smoothly. And how to do it in a way that’s warm and packed with values and integrity. Having difficult conversations at work is something many leaders and managers struggle with. It’s such a big topic for some of our clients so chatting to Louisa about the chaos it can bring and how we can help people bring calm was a useful discussion for those struggling with it. You’ll find some of Louisa’s latest thinking in her latest blog where she shares tips for navigating some of those tricky issues at work. Louisa's blog - Redefining Communication   Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Calm Edged Rebels podcast, Season 2, episode 3 - How to say no: creating balance and boundaries How to have a difficult conversation blog by Jenni Field Get in touch with Louisa through their website here www.confidentlythere.com or via LinkedIn

There might be several items addressed in this episode with change communication consultant and leadership coach, Jo Twiselton, that will make you think, “Huh, that’s me!” Jo and Jenni talk about why every leader needs a coach to help guide them through this ever-changing world. Leaders are human too and you need to look after yourself first and foremost. Jo reveals some great tips that you can put into practice. As an executive coach, Jo is often working with the team to facilitate conversations and advise on change programmes. Jo has worked with several of our clients helping them through change and in her latest blog for us she shared some of the reasons why and how coaching can help leaders as they navigate through organisational change. Jo's Blog - Redefining Communication Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions, and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Comms Reboot - the communication unconference by Redefining Communications Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ book by Daniel Goleman Leadership Coaching: From Personal Insight to Organisational Performance book by Graham Lee Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It book by James Kouzes and Barry Posner Get in touch with Jo here LinkedIn

Join Jenni as she talks to communications strategist, Eva Maclaine, about managing reputation and the risks involved. In a world where technology and social media can highlight anything, whether it’s true or not, maintaining a good reputation is high on leaders’ priorities. They discuss how working with integrity and mindfulness is key when navigating your way through managing your reputation. Eva joined the collective team in 2022 as we found clients needed a little advice on reputation management and the role of employees. Eva’s expertise here means she is perfectly positioned to help leadership teams and communication teams consider the ethical and reputational impact of decisions. Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Eva blog - Crises, chaos and calm - Maintaining untarnished reputations Bell Pottinger case study | PRCA Government shuns CBI lobby giant after rape claim - BBC News Get in touch with Eva through LinkedIn

In this episode, Jenni is joined by Katie Marlow, an expert in internal communications and many other things! They touch on the importance of the internal communications role when organisations feel chaotic, have too many priorities, or poor communication. Katie offers advice on how to reduce the chaos and find your calm. Katie has been part of the collective team since the business started and has worked as retained support for clients for a number of years, helping them review and reshape their communication strategy. Katie also gets involved in our internal events and you find out more about the work we do here in this case study Setting our direction - a virtual event for LifeArc Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: 'Leaders now value internal comms' - CIPR Inside report Resources (cipr.co.uk) click on CEO RESEARCH REPORT for the ‘Making it count’ report Avoiding the hurry habit: comms and leadership trends 2023 blog by Jenni Field A model for internal communication strategy and planning blog by Jenni Field Get in touch with Katie Marlow here LinkedIn

Have you ever wondered where the responsibility for mental resilience lies in your organisation? Join John Humphreys, who has 25 years’ experience in the British Army, and Jenni as they discuss how to recognise the chaos that occurs when resilience levels are low, plus learn six great tips to build resilience in your team. Mental resilience is a topic that comes up often for communicators and organisations. John has worked with Jenni to develop and deliver workshops to communication teams and global organisations to help them explore how they can build resilience. John also works with the team to help clients with any learning and development plans to make sure learning outcomes are clear and the activities will achieve them. With one of our most-read blogs on our website, here you can read more about mental resilience What is Mental Resilience? Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Comms Reboot - the communication unconference by Redefining Communications Season 7, Episode 2 podcast Take control of your life - Calm Edged Rebels Get in touch with John via our Get in touch - Redefining Communications What is Mental Resilience? blog by John Humphreys

Everyone seems to be focusing on employee experience (EX) rather than employee engagement these days. It’s important to understand why people are job hopping and how to retain your top talent. In this episode employee experience strategist, Lucy Kemp, talks to Jenni about the employee experience and why it’s vital that you understand how important the line managers’ role is in translating your external brand into an authentic employee experience. They discuss why we need to give line managers the tools to develop their team and improve EX, as well as the importance of knowing what your people really want, and leadership buy-in. Lucy supports The Field Model and project work for us, working with clients to help them get to the root cause of chaos and facilitating workshops to find out what they need to help them move forwards. Lucy has supported communication teams find the right technology for their organisations, conducted focus groups and 1:1 interviews and she has played a key role in our research projects. You can find some of her latest thinking on the importance of the employee experience here Creating a high-performance organisation with positive EX Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Line of Sight report by Redefining Communications Remotely interested? 2019 Report by Redefining Communications and SocialOptic The Field Model for internal communication Redefining Communications Get in touch with Lucy via LinkedIn

In this episode, Jenni talks to Benjamin Ellis from SocialOptic, one of our collective partners. He talks through how collecting the right type of data about your organisation and employees will help you to plug-in and find the answers you need. It’s all about measuring to take action. Benjamin shares some great tips to help reduce the chaos and move towards calm through gathering and understanding the right data. Benjamin has worked with us on our research projects around line managers and deskless workers. Our Remotely Interested 2023 research report is due out in September 2023 and Social Optic are our data partners for the survey. They also work with us on some legacy client projects that are digital/technically strategic, and you’ll find Benjamin talking about culture and measurement on our blog Measuring culture in organisations Thank you for listening! Keep the conversation going, ask questions and share your thinking by joining the Redefining Communications community, and connecting with Jenni on LinkedIn and Twitter. Resources: Influential Internal Communication by Jenni Field Get in touch with Benjamin through SocialOptic or on Twitter under @benjaminellis or via LinkedIn