Leading your Way: Sarah Holey on Confidence, Influence & Authentic Leadership

Have you ever felt like you needed to become a different person to succeed as a leader?

In this episode Sarah is joined by senior HR leader Sarah Holey, who shares her inspiring journey from retail shop floor assistant to leading international people functions across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and APAC.

Together, we explore what it really takes to grow into senior leadership without losing yourself along the way. Sarah speaks openly about navigating self-doubt, moving from being the expert to becoming a beginner again, building credibility in a new organisation, and discovering that her collaborative leadership style wasn't something to change - it was one of her greatest strengths.

If you're stepping into a bigger leadership role, managing challenging stakeholders, or wondering whether your leadership style is "enough", this conversation will leave you feeling reassured, empowered and inspired.

In this episode we discuss:Sarah's unexpected journey from studying textiles to becoming an international HR leaderWhy working on the shop floor shaped her leadership philosophyThe confidence challenges that came with moving from one market to leading across 16 countriesLearning to stop expecting yourself to know everythingWhy senior leadership can feel surprisingly lonelyThe value of proactive coaching before starting a new roleBuilding trust and credibility with new stakeholdersWhy you don't need to copy louder leadership styles to earn respectThe power of leading with your valuesWhat authentic leadership really looks like in practiceSarah's advice for women stepping into leadership for the first time

Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Sarah Holey and today's topic

02:00 From textiles graduate to international HR leader

06:00 Career turning points and moving into global leadership

07:00 From expert to beginner: rebuilding confidence in a bigger role

09:20 Why Sarah invested in coaching before starting a new job

11:00 The hidden loneliness of senior leadership

12:00 Leaving a successful role and overcoming imposter syndrome