Hidden influence - why it is often the missing piece when projects stall, decisions loop and stakeholder meetings go nowhere.

This latest podcast episode was prompted by real conversations with clients who were doing all the right things in theory- scheduling update meetings, sharing information, seeking decisions, yet progress kept slowing down.

What sat underneath was a lack of strategic influence beyond the meeting room. Hidden influence is not about doing things covertly or politically. At its core, it is about connection, trust and understanding what really drives decision-making before you ever ask for a 'yes'.

I break down how to identify who truly influences outcomes, how to build the right relationships early, and how slowing down at the start can help you move faster later on.

You'll learn:

• What hidden influence is, and what it is not
• Why your meetings alone rarely unlock decisions
• How to map your Influence Matrix
• Who your hidden influencers are beyond the organisation chart
• The key questions to ask yourself before alignment meetings
• How risk preferences shape decisions- tapping into Cultural Intelligence
• Developing a tailored communication plan to tap into hidden influence

Key reflection questions:

• Who sits in your Influence Matrix beyond your direct stakeholders?
• Where are your hidden influence opportunities right now?
• Which relationships need more intentional attention?

If you want to go deeper into the topic of influence, this is explored in more detail in my book Become a Global Leader, including the Influence Matrix and my Six Frames of Influence.

Resources:

• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, ideas, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Many capable, successful professionals are delivering results, staying busy and doing what is expected of them, yet quietly running on autopilot. Everything looks fine on the surface, but something feels misaligned.

In this podcast episode, I'm joined by Amy Rowlinson, purpose and fulfilment coach, and author of Focus on Why, to explore why purpose is not something you discover one day, but something you actively create through your values, choices and priorities.

We talk about how easily leaders slip into momentum mode, responding to obligations rather than intention, and what happens when that way of working starts to break down. Amy shares her own turning point and why burnout became a catalyst for reassessing what really mattered, not from crisis, but from clarity.

Amy helps individuals and organisations live and work with purpose, clarity and deeper meaning, guiding people to align their values with their actions to create living legacies.

This is a practical conversation about purpose as a core part of self-leadership, and how reconnecting with it changes how you decide, prioritise and lead.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why so many capable leaders drift into autopilot
• Why purpose is created, not found
• How to recognise when momentum replaces intention
• The Personal Audit exercise
• Why purpose is not a solo endeavour

Reflection questions

• Where might you be operating on autopilot?
• What feels out of sync right now?
• How aligned is your time with what matters most?

Resources:

• Buy my book, Become a Global Leader: https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
• Connect with Amy Rowlinson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrowlinson/
• Visit Amy Rowlinson's website: https://www.amyrowlinson.com/services
• Buy Amy Rowlinson's book, Focus on Why: https://linktr.ee/amyrowlinson

What are the five most common cultural mistakes that leaders often make when managing diverse, multicultural teams?

Drawing from my experience working with organisations and teams in Cultural Intelligence, I share the common cultural mistakes, and how these can lead to miscommunication, frustration, and even project failures.

I go on to explore how to reframe these to be successful in your ways of working globally, highlighting the need to adapt for better collaboration and innovation within your teams.

Learn in this episode:

• The 5 most common cultural mistakes that leaders make when managing multicultural teams
• Why cultural awareness is not enough
• Cultural intelligence beyond national culture
• Why Cultural Intelligence is needed, even in strong organisational cultures
• The pressures to get it right culturally as a leader
• The Platinum rule

Resources:

• Buy my new book, Become a Global Leader:https://culturecuppa.com/book/
• Follow me on LinkedIn for more strategies, skills and tips: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson