Listen

Description

In this episode of Lead to Soar, Michelle Redfern is joined by leadership advisor, author, and speaker Selena Rezvani for a practical conversation about confidence at work—what it is, what it isn’t, and why so much advice aimed at women misses the point.

Rather than treating confidence as a personality trait or mindset problem, Selena’s work focuses on small, visible actions that build credibility over time, especially in environments that were not designed to support women or marginalised leaders.

Together, Michelle and Selena talk about how confidence is shaped by context, power, and feedback loops at work, and why women are so often told to “be more confident” without being given the conditions or permission to practise it.

In this episode, they discuss:

How gender and power shape who is seen as confident at work

What to do when confidence advice ignores the reality of biased systems

How to accept praise without deflecting or diminishing your contribution

The role of self-promotion in leadership credibility

Why confidence grows through behaviour, not positive self-talk

How to develop an internal “confidence coach” that supports judgement, not noise

This episode is for women who are tired of being told confidence is the issue—and want practical ways to show up with clarity, authority, and credibility.

Leave a comment

If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further:

Subscribe on Substack

This is now the home of the Lead to Soar podcast. Subscribers get new episodes, curated guidance from the back catalogue, and written insights to help you navigate leadership and career decisions with sound judgement.

Subscribe now

Explore the Lead to Soar Network

Lead to Soar is a leadership development network for ambitious women and for organisations serious about closing the leadership gender gap. Members get access to group coaching, practical leadership tools, and a network of women actively advancing their careers. Explore

Share the episode

If this resonated, share it with a colleague, manager, or friend who might need it. Leadership is shaped by what we notice, name, and talk about.

Share



Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtosoarpodcast.substack.com/subscribe