The ‘Impactors Leadership Program’ is a 3-month virtual program designed to support early-career professionals to excel in their new roles as leaders. It is run by Leadership Coach Genevieve Hodge.
In this blog post, we'll delve into how this transformative program helped Lauren, a dedicated healthcare professional, overcome burnout and uncertainty.
Discover how personalised coaching, strategic skill development, and actionable projects enabled Lauren to secure a fulfilling permanent role, reignite her passion, and chart a clear path for her future.
Curious about how the program can drive such impactful change?
Read on to learn more about Lauren's inspiring journey.
Challenge: Feeling burnout and dread
Everyday, Lauren would wake up and dread going to work.
“I was often putting out fires and starting to feel burnout…I was feeling lost in my career”.
She was in an acting coordinator role in healthcare and had not been given any opportunities to expand her leadership skills.
At times, Lauren worried that she came across as unprofessional to her manager. When asked about her career goals, she never had an answer.
“It left a sinking pit kind of feeling where you're a bit like - oh I'm not doing the right thing here. And you start feeling a bit less confident with yourself and what you're doing”.
“I wasn't showing that I was career-driven…I was going through the motions and just doing the bare minimum to get by at work…I was just kind of being a bit blasé”.
In anticipation of an upcoming Permanent Coordinator position, Lauren wanted to demonstrate to her managers that she was serious about being in a leadership role.
Solution: A Competitive Edge - Strategies for Success
Lauren began seeking ways to upskill and prepare herself, aiming for a competitive edge.
She knew Genevieve from their time at Curtin University. Genevieve had served as the Program Manager for the John Curtin Leadership Academy, in which Lauren had participated. The timing was perfect. She signed up for the ‘The Impactors’ program in February 2024.
Within the program, Lauren was able to dive deep into the skills that she wanted to enhance. This involved individual reflection, one-on-one coaching, and group sessions facilitated by Genevieve.
The first phase of the program, named The Career Stock Take, involves looking at where you are now, where you want to be, and how to get there.
“It is really taking the time to stop and think about what your skills are, what your strengths are…I don't often take the time to reflect on what I have achieved or think about what I would like to achieve, so I found this very beneficial”.
“I enjoyed connecting and learning from people that have a different way of thinking than I do, especially through the Action Learning activities during the Project Intervention phase of the program”.
As part of the program, all participants design a small intervention project, creating a measurable impact in their professional, personal, or community life.
Genevieve guided Lauren in focusing on a project at work that addressed a gap in service delivery in the hospital. She created a toolkit to guide senior staff on supervision and also a skills competency checklist for new graduates.
“The project feels like I'm doing something proactive to fix some of the problems as opposed to just putting out spot fires’.
Lauren found Gen to be an inspiring and energising coach.
“Genevieve has a good read of people and is an incredible cheerleader. I think she has such a positive energy. And I got a lot out of that, for my own self-confidence. I think she builds us up, pretty amazingly.
She’s very good at challenging our thinking. We are quite different in how we approach things, and it's been good for me to be challenged in that way”.
Results: Securing a permanent role and finding purpose
Midway through ‘The Impactors’ program, Lauren’s manager noticed that she was more “driven, engaged and focused”.
And this shift led to her being promoted to a permanent position!
Lauren finally felt a sense of relief and a sense of purpose.
“Getting that permanency has made me feel a lot more settled at work…I feel like I've got a very clear vision for what I want to do over the next 12 months…the program has helped me shift my mindset and find a purpose within my current leadership role”.
Lauren received glowing feedback from her colleagues regarding the project, expressing how beneficial it has been for them.
“I'm quite proud of finding a niche that I'm passionate about, and something that I want to keep working through”.
Lauren has developed a deeper self-awareness regarding her leadership and communication style. She:
Approaches leadership with mindfulness
Demonstrates improved awareness of her values
Engages in coaching others to discover their own solutions
"I genuinely feel more confident in myself and the qualities that I bring into that leadership role. Definitely feeling less of that Imposter Syndrome”.
For Lauren, Genevieve and ‘The Impactors’ program was “inspiring”.
“If you're feeling a bit lost in your career, or you're not sure what your next step needs to be, this was quite a profound program to help you work through that”.
Lauren no longer wakes up with a feeling of dread, but rather a newfound sense of purpose.
She now walks into work thinking -
“what can I do to make everyone's day better today?”.
Are you ready to step up and secure that promotion?
Download this free PDF on ‘7 Simple Hacks to Get You Promoted’
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