Career & Leadership Real Talk

Hosted by Pamela Langan & Jacqui Jagger

Business Careers Education

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170

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Welcome to Career & Leadership Real Talk; a weekly podcast full of guidance and advice for ambitious managers who are ready to take ownership of their career. It’s hosted by Pamela Langan, a job search coach and c.v. writing expert, and Jacqui Jagger, a mindset and leadership coach. We’re here for you if you want to have more impact, land a new job or get the promotion you know you deserve. There’s no high level, intellectual theory here – it’s a fluff-free zone We’ll be talking about how to stand out in your job search, how to hit the ground running in a new role and how to cope when things aren’t going *quite* the way you want at work In our career clinic section we’ll answer real questions from listeners and our clients, and we’ll also share our take on books on the topics of careers, leadership, & management so you can decide which are worth your time You can connect with us on LinkedIn – feel free to DM us with any questions you’d like us to answer on the show! https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangancoaching/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

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60 recent

August 17, 202631 min

Ep 170 - How to Get Out of the Weeds and Think Strategically

In this episode, we're tackling a topic we know lands hard for so many of you: how to be strategic when your operational workload keeps dragging you back into the weeds. It's one we've covered from different angles before, but it kept coming up in client conversations, so we thought it was time to revisit it properly. Rather than focusing on time management tips you've probably already tried, we dig into why this is so often about habits and identity rather than a lack of hours in the day. We share five reasons this keeps happening, then three practical steps you can start using straight away to create genuine thinking space. Key points from this episode Why "just block out time in your diary" so rarely works, and what's really going on underneath The five hidden drivers keeping you stuck in the weeds, from the escalation loop to the relentless optimism trap Why being the person with all the answers might be quietly holding your career back A simple question to ask before you jump in and solve someone else's problem for them The three Ds framework for working out what you can stop being involved in 00:00 Introduction and why this topic keeps coming back 06:00 It's not just a practical problem, it's about habits and identity 07:00 Driver one: the escalation loop 12:00 Driver two: the addiction to being needed 14:00 Driver three: the expertise trap 17:00 Driver four: diary space isn't head space 19:00 Driver five: the relentless optimism trap 22:00 Acknowledging your part in it 23:00 What to do: catch yourself before you jump in 26:00 What to do: find the pattern, not the instance 28:00 What to do: the three Ds - ditch, delegate, design differently 30:00 Final thoughts and where to find the playlist Useful Links Strategic Thinking Episodes Playlist Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

August 3, 202632 min

Ep 169 - Preparing for Promotion Conversations

You're doing brilliant work, you know you could probably do your boss's job, and you're still waiting for someone to notice. Sound familiar? In this episode, we unpack why performing well and waiting for the tap on the shoulder rarely gets you promoted, and what to do instead. We talk through the very British discomfort with "shouting about yourself," why recognition for your current role doesn't automatically translate into being seen as ready for the next one, and how to have promotion conversations that feel like advocacy rather than an ultimatum. We share a real client example of how raising the conversation months in advance completely changed the outcome, plus practical advice on timing, who to actually speak to, and how to reframe a knockback into a clear, strategic next move. Key points from this episode Why being a "reliable pair of hands" can quietly work against your chances of promotion The very British instinct that's stopping you asking for what you want Why your manager praising your work doesn't mean they see you at the next level A real client story of how starting the conversation early changed everything Who you should actually be having this conversation with (hint: it's not always who you think) Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and why this topic matters 01:00 Why performing well isn't a promotion strategy 06:00 The British discomfort with self-promotion 09:00 Why being noticed doesn't mean being seen as ready 12:00 A client's story: raising the conversation months ahead 17:00 Why timing beats waiting for the annual appraisal 19:00 Choosing who to have the conversation with 21:00 Reminding people of your impact 29:00 Turning a "no" into a clear next move Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

July 20, 202642 min

Ep 168 - DISC Personality Types: Building Confidence When Working with Different Styles

Ever felt like a colleague or your boss was speaking a completely different language, even though you're both talking about the same thing? This week we're joined by Gayle Tong, confidence coach and DISC practitioner, to unpack why working with different personality types can quietly chip away at your confidence at work, and what to actually do about it. We get into what DISC really measures (it's not personality, whatever the name suggests), why the value isn't in the report itself but in the conversation that follows it, and how understanding your own style, and other people's, can turn "why don't they just get it?" into genuinely better working relationships. Key points from this episode Why psychometric tools like DISC measure behaviour, not personality, and why that distinction matters more than you'd think The DISC styles explained in plain English, plus what each one looks like on a good day versus a bad one Why some of the most common workplace friction comes down to two particular styles clashing, and what to do about it The real cost of being told to "just be more confident" without specifics A simple team exercise that surfaces things colleagues have never known about each other, even after years of working together 00:00 Introduction: welcoming guest Gayle Tong 01:00 Gayle's background in confidence coaching and DISC 02:00 Why working with different personality types affects confidence 03:00 How this shows up with Gayle's coaching clients 04:00 DISC explained: behaviour, not personality 06:00 The four DISC styles: D, I, S and C 09:00 Why report feedback works best through discussion 10:00 What happens when you don't recognise yourself in your profile 13:00 Starting with self-awareness before anything else 14:00 The strengths and challenges of each style, good day versus bad day 18:00 Which styles clash, and which connect naturally 21:00 A real example: adapting communication style by email 26:00 Team exercise: the 'My DISC Profile' activity 33:00 When you feel pressure to be more like a 'D' style 35:00 Having the honest conversation about how you work best 37:00 Why "just be more confident" isn't useful feedback from managers 40:00 How to find and work with Gayle Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Connect with Gayle Website: https://www.enrichmentcoaching.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/gayletong Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

July 6, 202625 min

Ep 167 - Influencing Without Authority

Ever felt unheard when trying to get buy-in from someone who doesn't report to you, or from a boss who just isn't responding to your usual approach? In this episode, we unpack influencing without authority: why it's such a common challenge in matrix organisations and cross-functional roles, and what actually works when you can't simply pull rank to get people on board. We explore the difference between personal power and position power, why doubling down on what isn't working rarely gets you anywhere, and share practical, actionable ways to build the kind of influence that lasts. Key points from this episode Why influencing without authority comes up so often, and why nobody ever really teaches us how to do it The crucial difference between personal power and position power, and what happens when you've only built one of the two How to spot the early signs that your usual approach isn't landing, and what to do instead Practical tools for building buy-in: getting curious, aligning with other people's priorities, and pre-socialising your ideas Why listening might be the single most underused skill when it comes to getting people on side 00:00 Introduction: why influencing without authority matters 03:00 What makes influencing feel so hard 06:00 Personal power versus position power 13:00 A simple first step: noticing frustration and getting curious 16:00 Aligning your priorities with theirs 18:00 Pre-socialising ideas and mapping the informal power structure 21:00 Listening: the most underused leadership skill 23:00 Final thoughts and how to get support Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

June 22, 202623 min

Ep 166 - Career Planning: Why the Plan in Your Head Isn't Working

Career planning is one of those things most of us know we should do and keep putting off. In this episode, we explore why it feels so much harder than it should be, and why the version most people have in their heads doesn't actually count as a plan. Pam shares the simple, one-page approach she uses with her clients that takes an hour (or 10 minutes a day across a week) and turns vague ambition into something you can actually act on. If you've ever thought "I'll do that when things settle down" or "I wouldn't even know what to put in a career plan," this one's for you. Access Pam's Career Plan on a Page resource to work through it after listening Key points from this episode Why keeping your career plan in your head is costing you opportunities, even if you think you've got it figured out The biggest misconception that stops ambitious people from starting: it doesn't have to be a big formal exercise Why good career planning starts with looking back, not forward, and what that unlocks How a career plan becomes a compass when you're in a role you're not loving or you're wondering "is this it?" What Pam's Career Plan on a Page actually contains, and how to use it to keep moving forward 00:00 Introduction and why career planning keeps getting put off 01:00 The problem with keeping your plan in your head 03:00 What stops ambitious people from committing it to paper 05:00 The clarity gap: not knowing what to even put in a plan 06:30 Where to start: reflection before direction 08:00 Looking back to move forward, and what the career mapping exercise reveals 11:00 Using your plan as a compass when things feel hard 12:00 When a career plan leads somewhere unexpected: client stories 14:00 Pam walks through the Career Plan on a Page process 19:00 What the completed plan looks like and how to keep it live 21:00 Final thoughts: treating it as an experiment, not a commitment Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

June 8, 202628 min

Ep 165 - Underselling Yourself Communication Habits That Can Stall Your Career

In this episode, we explore a pattern Jacqui sees regularly in her coaching practice — capable, high-performing professionals who are inadvertently stalling their own careers by the way they talk about their work. Using a real client story (shared anonymously), we unpack what underselling looks like in practice, why it happens, and what you can do differently. If you've ever described something you achieved and immediately wondered why it didn't land the way you hoped, this one's for you. Key points from this episode Why competence alone won't get you to director level — and what needs to change in how you communicate your contribution The visibility paradox: how the people doing the most impressive work are often the least visible How deep-seated discomfort with self-promotion shows up in the language you use every day The difference between describing what happened and articulating what you made happen A simple practical exercise to reframe how you talk about your work, and where to use it 00:00 Introduction and the client story behind this episode 01:00 The pattern: capable professionals who let their contribution go unnoticed 05:00 The visibility paradox and why senior leaders need to be seen, not just effective 10:00 Why "selling yourself" creates resistance — and a more useful way to think about it 13:00 The cost of invisibility: a real example from a Deloitte partnership decision 19:00 Comfort zones, default behaviours, and what's really driving the pattern 21:00 Tara Mohr's Playing Big and the language habits that keep people small 23:00 Active versus passive framing — and why it matters beyond the interview room 25:00 The practical exercise: write two versions and find the opportunity to use one Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

May 26, 202628 min

Ep 164 - Imposter Syndrome: Why It Gets Worse as You Get More Senior

If you expected imposter syndrome to ease off as your career progressed, you're not alone, and you're probably wondering why it's doing the opposite. In this episode, we dig into why imposter syndrome so often intensifies at senior level, and what's actually going on in your brain when it does. We share practical strategies for working with imposter syndrome rather than trying to outrun it, because working harder and delivering more isn't the answer, and most people find that out the hard way. Key points from this episode Why becoming more senior makes imposter syndrome worse, not better and the brain science behind it The identity gap: why your internal reality struggles to keep pace with your external success How self-judgment fuels imposter syndrome and what to do instead Why positive feedback doesn't land and a simple technique to change that How to borrow belief from the people who already have it in you 00:00 Introduction and Topic Overview 00:26 Why Imposter Syndrome Intensifies With Seniority 02:29 The Trap of Trying to Outwork It 05:00 Your Brain, Evidence and the Confidence Gap 08:00 Navigating Uncertainty: The Board Meeting Example 11:00 The Identity Gap Explained 13:30 The Self-Judgment Cycle 16:30 What Actually Helps: Reducing Self-Judgment 21:00 How to Internalise Positive Feedback 24:30 Borrowing Belief From Others 26:30 Final Thoughts and Call to Action Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

May 11, 202628 min

Ep 163 - Bouncing Back From Negative Feedback

Receiving negative feedback is something every leader faces — but nobody really teaches you how to handle it well. In this episode, we talk about why your reaction to negative feedback matters more than you might think, and how developing the skill of receiving it well can genuinely change the trajectory of your career. We share real examples, including a story from Pam's own career where one piece of feedback held her back from presenting confidently for years — and what she wishes she'd done differently in that moment. Key points from this episode Why how you respond to negative feedback creates either a vicious or virtuous cycle in your career The mindset shift that separates feedback from your sense of identity Why asking more questions after difficult feedback is more powerful than going away to stew on it Longer-term strategies to make feedback easier to receive — and less likely to sting How regularly asking for feedback desensitises you and builds trust with the people around you 00:00 Introduction and Topic Overview 00:26 Why Negative Feedback Hits So Hard 02:59 The Vicious and Virtuous Cycle 05:37 Separating Feedback from Identity 09:00 Unpacking a Real Listener Example 13:00 What to Do in the Moment 16:37 Creating Distance and Regulating Your Emotions 18:00 Pam's Personal Story: The Presentation That Set Her Back 23:00 Longer-Term Strategies: Feedforward and Seeking Input 25:30 Making Feedback a Regular Habit 26:37 Closing the Loop: Acknowledging What You've Done With Feedback 28:00 Close and Call to Action Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website Enjoyed this Episode? If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

April 20, 202625 min

Ep 162 - Why You Can't Say No at Work (And What It's Costing You)

If you've ever found yourself completely overwhelmed, running on empty and wondering how you got here, this episode is for you. We're exploring why so many leaders struggle to say no. Not because they're weak or disorganised, but because saying yes is what got them where they are. Understanding how this pattern forms is the first step to changing it. We get honest about what this really looks and feels like from the inside, including the gap between how capable you appear to everyone else and how stretched you actually feel. If any of this sounds familiar, you're not alone, and there are things you can do. Key points from this episode Why saying yes early in your career works against you later — and how it stops being a strategy and becomes your identity The "invisible yes" — work that lands on your plate that you never actually agreed to What it really costs you to keep saying yes to everything, including your career progression Why pushing back feels so hard when you've always been the reliable one First steps to take if you recognise yourself in this episode Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 00:47 Why Saying Yes Feels Good Early in Your Career 03:00 When Yes Stops Being a Strategy and Becomes Your Identity 06:00 What This Really Looks Like Day to Day 09:00 High Achievers Don't Give Themselves Permission to Struggle 11:00 The Cost of Always Finding a Way Through 14:00 The Invisible Yes — and Why It Matters 16:00 Practical First Steps: Pause, Reflect and Reassess 19:30 Why Asking for Help Is Part of the Solution 22:30 When It's Time to Consider Coaching 23:30 Link to Episode 82 and Close Useful Links Episode 82 Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

April 7, 202627 min

Ep 161 - When a Team Member Undermines You - How to Recognise It and What to Do

Managing a team member who's being disrespectful is one of the most confidence-shaking situations a leader can face, precisely because it's so hard to name. Is it a conduct issue? A personality clash? Or is it you? In this episode, we unpack what disrespectful behaviour from a team member actually looks like, why leaders so often hesitate to act, and what to do when you're ready to address it. We share real examples from our own experience and client work, and walk through a practical approach that doesn't require you to go in heavy-handed, but does require you to stop waiting. Key points from this episode How disrespectful behaviour often hides in plain sight — and why high performers aren't immune from it The self-reflection step most leaders skip before addressing conduct Why curiosity is one of your most underused tools in these conversations Using the AID framework (Action, Impact, Desired behaviour) to tackle it directly without the emotion What to do if it doesn't improve — and why escalation is rarer than you think 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 00:26 What does disrespectful behaviour actually look like? 03:00 The grey areas: when you're not sure if it's a conduct issue 07:00 How many people wish they'd waited longer vs. acted sooner? 08:30 Why addressing it is a development opportunity for both of you 10:00 Setting clear expectations before the conversation 14:00 Pam's example: when the negativity wasn't what it seemed 16:00 Using curiosity to get underneath the behaviour 20:30 Where to start: a step-by-step approach 23:00 The AID framework in practice 24:30 If it doesn't improve: escalation, consistency, and keeping records 26:30 Final thoughtsSonnet 4.6 Useful Links Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/ Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/ Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice Interested in working with us? Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website