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Leading YouA Podcast dedicated to business owners and leaders to inspire you to make it count Author: Julie Hyde Leadership Coach for High Performing Leaders Language: en-au Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Self-Advocacy: Why Staying Quiet Costs More Than You Think
Episode 288
Monday, 10 August, 2026
What is staying quiet costing you? Self-advocacy is often associated with asking for a pay rise, negotiating a promotion or learning to be more assertive. But it goes much deeper than that. Self-advocacy is your willingness to participate in the decisions that shape your health, career, relationships, business and future. In this episode of Leading You, I explore why self-advocacy is an essential, yet often overlooked, leadership skill and why staying silent is rarely neutral. Every time we choose not to ask the question, seek clarification, challenge an assumption, contribute our perspective or communicate what we really want, we are still making a decision. And sometimes the cost of that decision is far greater than the discomfort of speaking up. I share how my understanding of self-advocacy changed following my diagnosis with stage three melanoma. I was surrounded by highly experienced specialists who understood cancer, but I came to realise something incredibly important: they knew cancer, but I knew myself. Both forms of knowledge mattered. That lesson reaches far beyond our health. How often do we conform because we don't want to create tension? Hope our hard work will eventually be noticed instead of communicating where we want to go? Advocate fiercely for our teams, clients, families and friends while accepting less for ourselves? And how often do we confuse being kind with being compliant? Self-advocacy isn't about dominating conversations, demanding your own way or becoming confrontational. Sometimes it starts with something much simpler: a thoughtful question. In this episode, I explore: Why silence is a decision, rather than a neutral position What my cancer experience taught me about questioning, clarification and trusting yourself Why self-advocacy begins before you ever speak The career cost of waiting for someone else to notice you Why your work can demonstrate your capability but can't communicate your ambition How conformity can stop us contributing perspectives that matter Why kindness, respect and collaboration don't require constant agreement Why we often advocate more strongly for others than ourselves How thoughtful questions can create clarity without creating unnecessary confrontation A simple place to begin if speaking up doesn't come naturally Your voice, perspective and needs deserve a place in the decisions that affect your life. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Leading You00:37 Why Self-Advocacy Matters01:33 The Melanoma Wake-Up Call03:48 Self-Advocacy Starts With Believing Your Needs Matter05:13 Lead.Her Collective Invitation06:07 Conformity, Silence and Speaking Up07:05 Stop Waiting to Be Chosen08:18 Why We Advocate for Others, But Not Ourselves09:26 Kindness Is Not Compliance10:20 The Power of Asking Better Questions11:00 Where Is Staying Quiet Costing You?12:37 Thanks and Reviews Links:Learn more about my group coaching program hereGet the Clarity Compass hereJoin our Lead.Her Collective Dinner. Find out more and register here Connect with Julie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/Instagram: @juliehydeleadsWebsite: https://juliehyde.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
