In this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher tackle a workplace issue most people experience but rarely discuss openly: professional jealousy. They walk through how jealousy shows up, how it can be weaponised through policy or gossip, and why it can have serious consequences for someone’s reputation and career if it isn’t handled well.Michelle shares a real incident from her executive career at a major Australian bank, where a colleague’s jealousy escalated into an unnecessary and poorly managed HR process. The story lays bare how organisational systems can be misused when leaders act on hearsay instead of facts, and what happens when visibility or career momentum triggers insecurity in others.Mel adds her own experience of being confronted with jealousy-driven behaviour in a client meeting, and together they break down the leadership failures that allow this conduct to continue unchecked.At the heart of their conversation is practical advice for women: how to assess the situation, protect your credibility, understand your rights, and respond strategically when someone else’s jealousy edges into your professional lane.Key themes:• How professional jealousy manifests at work• Why it can escalate quickly when leaders fail to intervene• The difference between genuine organisational concerns and someone misusing “policy” to target a colleague• What ethical leadership looks like when jealousy surfaces• How to protect your professional reputation using SQ (Social Intelligence)• What to do when you have positional power – and what to do when you don’t• Why documentation, due diligence, and clarity on your obligations matter• How women can safely navigate and respond without burning political capitalTakeaways for women:• Know your rights and obligations before you respond.• If you’ve inadvertently breached something, correct it quickly.• If you haven’t breached anything, protect yourself through documentation, clarity, and strategic communication.• Build a strong reputation and network — long-term assets that withstand other people’s insecurity.Takeaways for leaders:• Don’t act on jealousy disguised as “concern.”• Address inappropriate behaviour immediately.• Use your positional power to prevent harm, not enable it.
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