Episode 36

full

Published on:

31st Jul 2025

The quiet leadership power of saying no (Ep. 36)

Saying no is a core leadership skill - but one that many of us find uncomfortable.

In this episode of the Quiet Leadership Revolution, Lucy and Juliet explore why the word no matters so much in leadership. Whether it's protecting your time, setting a strategic direction or creating a healthy team culture, saying (and hearing) no well is critical for long-term success.

They discuss:

Why most leaders and teams are doing too much - and what to do about it
How your values might make saying no feel harder than it should
Practical tactics and scripts to help you say no with confidence
Why ‘no’ isn’t the end of a conversation - it can be the start of a better one

If you’re always busy, regularly overstretched or struggle to push back - this episode offers practical ideas and fresh perspectives to help you hold boundaries and lead with more focus and impact.

Episode links

What if slowing down helps you speed up? (Ep. 20)

Are you delegating enough? (Ep. 2)

How to show up in vulnerability as a leader (Ep. 35)

Can values shape organisational culture? (Ep. 23)

The Lucidity Success System - Myself. My Values.

'Slow Productivity' by Cal Newport

The psychology of interpersonal assertiveness from Columbia University

Connect with Lucy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucygower/

Email: lucy@lucidity.org.uk

Don’t miss out on practical tips and tools to build your confidence and skills at work - sign up to the Lucidity weekly email

Join the Lucidity Network: https://network.lucidity.org.uk/

Connect with Juliet

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/julietcorbett

Email: juliet@consultjuliet.co.uk

Get tips on finding your strategic focus, empowering your team and regaining control over your time straight into your inbox - sign up for the newsletter

Download the free ebook, 'The Strategic Leader'

Explore coaching with Juliet

Feedback

Thank you for listening to Juliet and Lucy's Quiet Leadership Revolution podcast. Please take one minute to fill in the feedback survey This helps us make the podcast as helpful as possible to you. Thank you!

*Links in this post may be affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may make a commission at no additional cost to you.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

RSS Feed Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music

Show artwork for Juliet and Lucy's Quiet Leadership Revolution

About the Podcast

Juliet and Lucy's Quiet Leadership Revolution

The world doesn't need any more noise, an army of identical leaders or rigid leadership models. Instead, the challenges we all face call for thoughtful, reflective, confident leadership. People who want to lead by example, bring others with them and who are ready to learn and adapt to deliver brilliant results.

Join Juliet Corbett and Lucy Gower as they explore the transformative power of quiet leadership. Through candid conversations and practical insights they guide senior and aspiring leaders to carve out time to think, discover their own leadership style and cultivate a culture of empowerment and growth.

It's time to make your voice heard and your impact felt. Tune in and join the Quiet Leadership Revolution.

About your hosts

Juliet Corbett

Juliet Corbett is an executive coach and strategy adviser, guiding senior leaders to find their strategic focus, empower their teams and regain control over their time.

She has over 20 years' experience of leading, consulting and coaching, with responsibilities spanning fundraising, marketing, governance and strategic planning. While she has worked with leaders in a variety of sectors, she has particularly deep experience in the world of education.

Since founding her business in 2018 she's helped hundreds of senior leaders to deliver their goals with confidence and ease through coaching programmes, workshops and strategy away days.

She's been podcasting since 2020 and has distilled the knowledge and experience gained along the way into two podcasts: Juliet and Lucy's Quiet Leadership Revolution as well as her previous award-winning podcast, The Independent School Podcast.

Lucy Gower

Lucy Gower is the founder and director of Lucidity. An accomplished facilitator, trainer, and coach, she is the bestselling author of The Innovation Workout and How to Have Confidence at Work and co-host on the Quiet Leadership Revolution podcast. As the founder of the Lucidity Network and a sought-after global speaker on innovation, Lucy helps leaders achieve clarity, think differently, and take action for impactful results.

Through tailored training and coaching programmes, Lucy supports her clients in driving meaningful change - whether that’s developing new business strategies, launching product propositions, or cultivating high-performance team cultures. She works in partnership with leaders to provide the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to accelerate progress and maximise impact.

Lucy has empowered hundreds of individuals and teams to collaborate, innovate, and bring about lasting change. Her clients span a range of sectors and include Air Ambulance, Anthony Nolan, The Children’s Society, Digital Catapult, Exeter University, Housing Quality Network, Hospice UK, Libraries Unlimited, Médecins Sans Frontières, Mind, MOD, MS Society, Nesta, NHS Charities Together, Pancreatic Cancer UK, Plymouth Hospitals Charity, Red Cross, and Samaritans.

Connect with Lucy on LinkedIn or get in touch at lucy@lucidity.org.uk.