Congratulations. Genuinely. You got the title. The bigger patch. The seat at the table you’ve been circling for years. Someone shook your hand and said “we’re thr
We keep doing it. Someone is brilliant at the technical work. The best engineer. The sharpest accountant. The lawyer who never loses. The salesperson who smashes every target. So w
A LinkedIn newsletter by Sonia McDonald ❤️ and LeadershipHQ I’ve spent 35+ years studying leadership. Teaching it. Coaching it. Watching it up close in boardrooms, site s
How to Bring Neuroscience-Based Leadership Into Your Organisation Neuroscience is the most overused word in leadership development — and the most underused science. The gap betwe
How to Choose an Executive Coach: A CEO’s Checklist Executive coaching is unregulated in Australia. Anyone can print the title on a business card, and most use the same promises:
The Best Women in Leadership Speakers in Australia Booking a women-in-leadership speaker is one of the highest-stakes decisions an event organiser makes. Get it right and the room
Let me ask you something, and be honest. Have you ever watched someone toxic get promoted? I already know the answer. Every time I ask this question — in keynotes, in boardrooms,
Best Leadership Training Companies in Australia (2026) Updated July 2026 · By the LeadershipHQ team Choosing a leadership development partner is one of the highest-leverage decisi
JULY 2026 · Leading Through AI Without Losing Our Humanity THE EXECUTIVE BRIEF BY SONIA McDONALD Hello, Welcome to the very first edition of Leadership Intelligence™. Every mont
The story of 8,500 phone calls, a robot named Billie, and what neuroscience says about the fear quietly killing your AI strategy. How do we get here? FOBO: Leading When Your Team F
The Uncomfortable Truth About HR Leadership (And Why Courage Is the Only Way Through) HR leadership doesn’t fail in strategy. It fails in moments. The moment a leader needs to be
Working for Someone Who Makes You Miserable…A warm, practical, research-backed guide to the six most damaging boss archetypes — and how to survive, and even thrive, under e
When the partners are running for the exits, leadership has already failed. Let me set the scene for you. It’s 2026. One of the most prestigious professional services firms o
THE HIRE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING — OR DIDN’T Let me ask you something, honestly. When your last great hire walked out the door — or worse, stayed and slowly poisoned the cult
Hot take: The most valuable thing you can do right now is NOT learn another AI tool. It’s learn how to be more human. We know, we know. Every other newsletter is telling you
You can’t lead others until you understand your own strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. It sounds ancient. It is. And the research confirms it’s still the single mo
The Lead – the leadership newsletter for people who lead — and those figuring out what that even means anymore. Half of Them Will Be Gone by the End of This Year Let’
There is a moment every leader knows — the one where a decision feels obvious, the path forward seems clear, and the internal resistance to doubt is absolute. It feels like clari
THE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP: 52 Laws. One year. Everything they didn’t teach you about leading. LAW ONE: LEADERSHIP ISN’T A TITLE. IT’S HOW YOU SHOW UP UNDER PRESSURE.
The Leadership Compass™: Five Pillars That Separate Leaders Who Last From Leaders Who Just… Lasted Let me start with something that might sting a little. Most leadership develo
