In this episode of the Lead to Soar podcast, Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern challenge one of the most damaging myths in women’s career advice: that politics is something principled leaders should avoid.
Workplace politics already exists. The question is not whether women participate, but whether they understand how power actually operates and how decisions really get made.
Viewed through the Lead to Soar leadership lens, politics is not manipulation or self-promotion theatre. It is the ability to engage others, align interests, and influence outcomes in service of the organisation’s strategic and financial goals.
Women are consistently rated by managers as having strong emotional intelligence and engagement capability. This episode focuses on using those strengths deliberately, not leaving them untapped while others shape decisions behind closed doors.
In this episode, we discuss
Why opting out of workplace politics does not protect women, it sidelines them
How power dynamics influence visibility, sponsorship, and progression
The difference between values-driven influence and political naïveté
How women can use EQ strategically without being over-reliant on or exploited
Why influence, not effort, is what moves careers forward
Who this episode is for
Women who want progression without abandoning their values
Leaders who mistake “staying out of politics” for integrity
Anyone frustrated by decisions being made without them in the room
This episode reframes politics as a leadership skill. Not a personality trait. Not a moral failing. A core capability for women who intend to lead.
If this episode was useful, there are three simple ways to go further:
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