In this episode we delve into the vital leadership skill of assertiveness. With guest Rachel Goodwin, a UK-based leadership coach with a specialisation in assertiveness and supporting women in the workplace, we explore how leaders can balance assertiveness to avoid being too soft, or overly aggressive.

We discuss behavioural patterns including passive, aggressive, and passive-aggressive styles, and the role of skilful assertive communication in achieving win-win situations and impact as a leader.

We also cover practical exercises for developing assertiveness, such as role-playing and self-reflection on emotional triggers. The episode concludes with actionable advice, and reflection questions for listeners wanting to improve their skills in difficult conversations in leadership roles.


Key Moments

[03:40] Understanding Assertiveness: Definitions and Frameworks

[18:32] Practical Tips for Developing Assertiveness

[34:27] Emotional and Assertiveness

[43:32] Concluding Reflections

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• How can I better practice to “stop and pause”, to sense what I’m thinking, what I’m feeling, before I respond? Either in a difficult conversation, or in a meeting, so that I really have access to my assertiveness skills.
• What emotions might be getting into my way of finding the right level of assertiveness? What can be my strategy moving forward to regulate these emotions effectively?
• How could I start to engage with this (the assertiveness) model? Try and find situations that are quite low stakes, so not waiting for the most high level meeting that you're going to be attending, but finding an opportunity to experiment and don't judge yourself harshly.

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About Rachel Goodwin

Rachel Goodwin is a leadership coach and a renown expert on assertiveness in leadership. More about here work is here: rachelgoodwin.uk

Get in touch with Rachel on LinkedIn and listen to her coaching podcast The WordWise Coaching Podcast.

About Gerrit Pelzer and Martin Aldergard

More info about us and our work is on our website secondcrackleadership.com
Do you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions for us? Would you like to explore how we can help you to drive results in your organisations through a company-wide initiative or individual executive coaching? Then email us at hello@secondcrackleadership.com.

To connect with us on LinkedIn:
Martin Aldergård
Gerrit Pelzer