S1 E88 - Women Leadership and the Power of Self-Awareness with Rosalind Cardinal

E88 – Women, Leadership, and the Power of Self-Awareness with Rosalind Cardinal

A life-changing cancer diagnosis gave Rosalind Cardinal the opportunity to reassess everything—her career, her purpose, and the impact she wanted to have. Through six months of brutal treatment, she built a bucket list, and at the top of it was starting her own business. Now, she helps women navigate leadership, career transitions, and breaking through the invisible barriers that hold them back.

With insights from a focus group of over 500 women worldwide, she has explored why many female leaders feel stuck at the glass ceiling—sometimes questioning if they even want to break through it. She sheds light on the unconscious biases in recruitment, the hidden gaps in research that overlook female perspectives, and the cultural norms that shape how women are perceived in leadership compared to men.

In this episode, we delve into bias, culture, and the power of curiosity-driven self-awareness. We discuss how leaders can create thinking space, shift their internal monologue, and harness practical strategies like mindfulness, scents, and music to manage stress and overwhelm. Plus, we explore how the words we tell ourselves can shape our reality and why gratitude and emotional curiosity are key to effective leadership.

Rosalind Cardinal Contact Details/Links:

Ros Cardinal Website

Ros Cardinal Facebook

Ros Cardinal LinkedIn

Rosalind Cardinal Bio:

After more than 20 years in corporate human resources and organisational development roles, a successful battle with cancer gave Ros the nudge to take her passion for transforming leaders and improving how individuals and organisations cope with change, in a new direction.

Leaving her senior corporate role in 2012, Ros established her consulting business, Shaping Change, to achieve her goals. Her inspirational business story was featured in the 2014 book "Australian Entrepreneur".

Ros' expertise spans strategic planning, leadership development, organisational culture, change management, emotional intelligence, and employee engagement. She is a multi-award winning leadership mentor and coach.