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Michaela Reaney | Leadership Mentor & Speaker

@mjreaney

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⚡️Nobody teaches leaders how to actually lead people. I’m fixing that.
Founder @theopportunity.global
❌ @tedxteesside founder

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Real engagement happens in the everyday moments.

When you actually listen. Not to respond, but to understand someone on an individual level: what drives them, what excites them, what's hard for them right now.

When you create space for people to say the hard stuff, that's engagement. That's when your team don't just buy into the vision, they give a damn about the organisation.

They care about what you're building, and they want to make it better.

Our advice...treat every person on your team like a human being. Not a resource or a number.

If this is something you're struggling with as a leader, luckily we have a huge bank of content on all things team management, targeted for new managers.

View our resource page here - https://f.mtr.cool/eidej6o4yq

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You can't lead others through a difficult moment if you haven't looked at what it's doing to you.

Managers get so focused on the script that they skip the bit that matters most: how they are feeling.

So forget the script and the HR advice for a second - how are you feeling through all this?

It really does start with you.

View the full webinar on YouTube here, link in bio.

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We often think creating an inclusive workplace requires big initiatives.

But more often than not, it's the small moments that shape how people experience work.

Here are three simple things you can do in your very next meeting:

1️⃣ Bring the conversation back

If someone is interrupted or talked over, help them finish their point.

"I'd love to hear Sarah finish what she was saying earlier."

Sometimes that's all it takes.

2️⃣ Invite different voices into the conversation

If the same people always speak, create space for someone else.

"James, I know you've got experience in this. What's your perspective?"

You might be giving someone the confidence to share an idea they wouldn't have volunteered.

3️⃣ Share opportunities

Whether it's attending a meeting, joining a project or representing the team at an event, ask yourself:

"Who else could benefit from being in the room?"

We find that the biggest opportunity you can give someone is simply access.

These are simple to implement, but do take conscious awareness.

Once incorporated, they help create workplaces where people feel heard, valued and included.

#humanskills #workplace

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Women Together! I woke today to this photo memory. Great picture, with a great bunch of women. Taken at Northern Power Women Awards. I was privileged to be a shortlisted finalist for the ‘Disrupter For Good’ award. Here’s the thing I was nominated for the award by @lynseye16 who at the time I didn’t even know until I get a phone call from Simone who runs NPW chasing me to be informed of my nomination. I was very grateful 🙏 to Lynsey. Pictured in the backdrop is @Nicola Wood who 🥇 and rightly so for her work. I believe in women lifting women. If there’s a way you can elevate the women next to you, behind you, by your side or even in front of you or a woman you do not know, but admire, do it 🙌 take a lesson out of Lynsey’s book. When we elevate one woman, we elevate everywoman. @clairepreston68 @mjreaney @ann stonehouse @lizfoley4

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We've all worked in teams that felt different.

The ones where you felt comfortable asking questions.

Where you could admit you'd made a mistake without worrying about being judged.

Where people challenged ideas, not people.

Where everyone felt heard, respected and supported.

And then we've probably experienced the opposite, too.

The truth is, cultures like that don't appear by chance.

They're built.

Conversation by conversation.

Decision by decision.

Leader by leader.

It's easy to think culture is something an organisation has.

In reality, it's something we create every single day through the way we communicate, support one another and respond when things don't go to plan.

If we want workplaces where people feel confident to speak up, try new ideas and do their best work, we have to be intentional about building them.

Workplace cultures never happens by accident.

💬 We would love to know - when you think of the best team you've ever been part of, what made it different?

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It feels like every week there's another headline telling us the same thing.

Human skills matter more than ever.

Communication.

Curiosity.

Adaptability.

Leadership.

For years, these were often dismissed as "soft skills."

Now, as AI transforms the way we work, they're becoming some of the most talked-about skills in business.

And honestly... that makes complete sense.

AI is an incredible tool.

It can help us work faster, analyse information and automate tasks.

But it can't build trust.

It can't navigate a difficult conversation.

It can't create psychological safety within a team.

It can't help someone through uncertainty with empathy.

Technology isn't replacing leadership.

If anything, it's making great leadership even more important.

Because organisations rarely struggle because the technology doesn't work.

They struggle because people haven't been supported to lead through change, communicate clearly or make good decisions together.

That's why we believe these aren't "soft" skills at all.

They're human skills.

And in a world increasingly shaped by AI, they might just be the most valuable skills we have.

🔗 theopportunity.global
📩 hello@theopportunity.global / or DM me

#ai #humanskills Ai and soft skills

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Imagine you're brilliant at what you do.

You're solving problems, mentoring colleagues, helping the business grow... and then one day you're promoted.

More responsibility.

A bigger title.

A pay rise.

Sounds like success.

Except no one teaches you what comes next.

Suddenly you're navigating difficult conversations.

Giving feedback.

Managing team dynamics.

Supporting people who all work differently.

That's exactly what happened to "Jo."

She wasn't struggling because she lacked technical ability.

She was struggling because she'd never been taught the human skills that leadership demands.

And honestly, why would she have been?

We'd never hand someone a new piece of technology and expect them to know how to use it without training.

So why do we expect people to become great leaders overnight?

Leadership isn't something we simply grow into.

It's something we learn.

Have you ever been promoted into a role you didn't feel fully prepared for?

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Michaela Reaney reflects on the trust Charlotte created and the courage it gave her to share her story. Because when people feel able to use their voice, their words can help someone else feel less alone.

#PRsonalPodcast #PodcastConversation #SharingStories #AuthenticVoices #WomenInBusiness #PersonalStories #PodcastGuest #NorthEastBusiness #HarveyAndHugo

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Can we talk about the phrase 'soft skills' for a minute? Because we really don't like it

We spend a lot of time working with leaders in engineering, manufacturing and tech, and every now and then I hear someone refer to communication or empathy as the "soft stuff."

And every time, we think...really?

Because if you've ever had a manager who couldn't communicate...

Or a colleague who avoided difficult conversations...

Or a leader who made you feel unheard...

You'll know those skills aren't soft at all.

They're often the difference between a team that thrives and one that struggles.

Maybe we've just been calling them the wrong thing.

We LOVE and prefer the term 'human skills'

Because whether you're leading a business, managing a team or just trying to be a better friend, partner or colleague... these are the skills we all use every single day.

If you liked this clip, we have the full webinar available via our YouTube channel.

#leadership #humanskills

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WHAT A DAY! 🥹

These electric women, activated leaders, change makers and status quo challengers, all got together in a room and wow, did we all have something to SAY!

Being on the Brilliance program with them, held beautifully and fiercely by Sophie Lee of @electricpeachstudios
well, it's an absolute HONOUR quite frankly.

And just wait til you see what comes next.
Don't ever underestimate us.
WE ARE WOMEN. ⚡🫳🏻🎤

#Brilliantprogram #SophieJaneLee

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Have you ever looked around and realised you've become really good at carrying everything?

The work.
The responsibilities.
The expectations.
The mental load.

Really good at looking like you've got it all together.

After spending time with so many incredible women through Lean In, Power Up events, we noticed a common theme.

Somewhere between looking after everyone else, they had forgotten themselves.

They couldn't remember the last time they prioritised themselves without guilt.

The last time they stopped long enough to ask: What do I actually want?

Lean In, Power Up isn't another networking event.

It's a chance to pause.

To think.

To breathe.

To spend time with a room full of women who understand the pressure, the ambition, the self-doubt, the responsibility, and the reality of trying to do it all.

There are powerful conversations.

Moments of reflection.

Unexpected breakthroughs.

And often, the realisation that you're not the only one feeling this way.

And perhaps most importantly...a reminder that you don't have to earn rest.

Our next Lean In, Power Up retreat takes place this June.

If you're watching this and feeling that little nudge that says "I need this..."

Trust it.

The next event takes place on Thursday 25th June, at Wynyard Hall.

DM me to find out more or save your spot

#leaninpowerup

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Anyone heard Simon Sinek tell the story of the two lumberjacks?

Every day, one lumberjack disappears for an hour without explanation, leaving the other working away.

And every day, he’s cut more wood than the other , despite the time away.

Curiosity gets the better of the lumberjack who works without a break and still falls behind. Baffled, he asks:

“Where do you go?”

“To sharpen my axe.”

I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this. How many of us are out there working harder and harder with a blunter and blunter blade?

We tell ourselves we’re too busy to step back, juggling priorities, with people depending on us. But busy isn’t the same as effective. The most powerful thing you can do for your performance, your clarity and your ambition isn’t to push harder. It’s to sharpen. To give yourself permission to step away and think, learn and grow.

That’s exactly why Michaela Reaney and I created our Lean In, Power Up events and it’s precisely what our Reset Day is designed for. A full day to think, breathe, reconnect with your goals, gather new tools and walk away sharper than when you arrived.

📅 25th June
📍 Wynyard Hall

If you’ve been putting yourself last on the list, give yourself permission to change that. Come and sharpen your axe with us. 🪓

💬 Booking details in the comments below. DM me to find out more — or tag a female leader you think would benefit from joining us.

Huge thanks to Laura Wilson and Ward Hadaway for sponsoring this event and supporting women in business and leadership. 🙌

(Pic taken without axes, for safety reasons 😄)

#LeanInPowerUp #WomenInLeadership #ProfessionalDevelopment #ResetDay #WynyardHall Leadership TeesValley NorthEast

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