Host: Jennifer Cowley
Guest: Jane Brownbill
Welcome to Episode 20 of the Leadership Confidence Podcast with special guest Jane Brownbill. Jane is a coach, the founder of See Yourself, and the President of Canberra Women in Business. She has built communities like NextGen Leaders and NeuroGenTech Hub to support young adults and neurodivergent professionals in finding meaningful work and connection.
We discuss why true leadership is a practice rather than a position on an organisational chart. Jane outlines her straightforward approach to building teams, explaining why hiring people smarter than you is a requirement for growth. We also cover the reality of performative leaders, who use their titles to keep others down rather than lifting them up. This conversation will challenge you to drop the need for control, accept that perfection is unattainable, and focus on trusting the people around you. Confidence and good leadership come from within and learning from mistakes is part of the process.
Key Takeaways
Ditching the title: Leadership has absolutely nothing to do with an award or a job title. It is about trusting your own ability and standing up for your values. When you rely on external validation or a title to dictate your authority, you lose your authentic presence.
Radical delegation: Stop rewriting your team’s work to match your exact style. If you expect a different person to execute a task exactly the way you would have, you set everyone up for failure. Give people responsibility, trust them to deliver, and take accountability as the leader if things go wrong.
Creating space for neurodiversity: Building an environment where neurodivergent individuals can lean into their unique genius proves that accommodating different working styles strengthens the business. It allows team members to stop masking and start contributing their actual value.
Finding your tribe: You cannot build resilience in a vacuum. Put yourself in the room, go to networking events, and figure out where you fit. A strong community provides the support you need to navigate inevitable career setbacks.
The one networking tactic you need: If networking triggers your imposter syndrome, use this physical positioning strategy. Stand near the exit of the bar. When people walk into an event, their goal is to get a drink. Once they receive it and turn away from the bar, they have completed their task and are actively looking for someone to talk to. This is the exact moment to make your introduction.
Links and Resources
Jane Brownbill
Connect with Jane: LinkedIn
See Yourself website: seeyourself.net
Canberra Women in Business: cwb.org.au
Jennifer Cowley
Book an Imposter Syndrome Reset Session: Jennifercowley.com/reset
Watch or Listen to Previous Episodes: jennifercowley.com/podcast
Connect with Jennifer: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube
Shop Clothing for Professional Women: Peakwomen.com.au
