The Lonely Leaders Club
The Lonely Leaders Club is a podcast for leaders who feel isolated at the top. Hosted by mindset and leadership speaker Lucy Allen and marketing and PR leader Kelly Stambanis, it brings honest conversations about what leadership really involves behind the scenes. Drawing on their own experiences working together, they discuss tough situations, mindset shifts, and practical communication tools. The show aims to reassure listeners that they aren't alone in the challenges they face.
Episodes
Being Nice Is Making You a Worse Leader
Remember Kel’s slightly cheeky “haven’t we met before?” trick? Well, a listener tried it on Lucy while she was facilitating, and it sent her into a total tailspin. We’re talking all-day contemplation, questioning everything kind of tailspin. She spent the whole day trying to place a man she’d never actually met. But that’s just the warm-up. Today’s conversation is one Lucy gets asked at nearly eve
Your Best Ideas Aren't at Your Desk
Lucy just got back from five and a half weeks away. It was equal parts heaven and absolute chaos, including the moment a wildfire came over the mountain behind her in-laws' villa and the whole family had to grab their passports and run. (Not exactly what was on the itinerary.)So this episode kicks off with one hell of a holiday story. But it's really a holiday intervention, for Kel, and for anyone
Being Liked Won't Make You a Good Leader
Ever swallowed a chunk of mince pie a stranger accidentally spat into your mouth just to avoid the awkwardness? (Yes, that’s a real story. And yes, it’s how this episode kicks off.) That's people pleasing in its most ridiculous form: putting someone else's comfort ahead of your own to the maxx!! Lucy and Kel get into people pleasing at work: why we do it, what it costs us, and how to stop. Lucy ad
It's Not About You (And That's the Whole Point)
What is influence, really?It's not about authority or telling people what to do. It's the skill of understanding how they want to be led.In this *requested* (we’re chuffed with that) episode, Lucy and Kel unpack how to influence people at work without relying on authority.Spoiler: It's got nothing to do with you.Influence is 99% about the other person and 1% about you, and once you get that, it be
Leaders Who Do This Get Promoted Faster
Ever accidentally texted your boss calling them a bitch? No? Just Lucy then. But whether or not you've had a managing up horror story, you've definitely had a moment where you didn't know how to communicate with senior leadership, and it cost you.Managing up is one of those leadership skills no one actually teaches you. You're expected to know how to give feedback to your boss, how to escalate pro
What No One Teaches Leaders About Grief
Ever sat across from a team member who's clearly going through something devastating and had no idea what to say? What if the most powerful thing you can do as a leader isn't solving the problem, but simply staying in the room?Grief doesn't clock out when someone walks into the office. Whether it's losing a parent, a relationship breakdown, or fertility challenges, your team members are carrying t
Why Leaders' To-Do Lists Are Never Done
Ever feel like you're constantly busy but never making progress on the things that actually matter? What if having things left on your to-do list was a sign you're doing it right?As a leader, the pressure to be "on" never stops. You're jumping between strategy, team needs, stakeholder demands, and the mental load of everything outside work. Whether it's family, ageing parents, or just trying to be
You're Not Lazy, You Just Can't Stop Working
When was the last time you actually let yourself stop? Not because you ran out of hours in the day, but because you chose to?In this episode of The Lonely Leaders Club, Lucy and Kel get real about something most leaders won't admit out loud: feeling guilty for not working. That constant tension of knowing you need a break but not being able to take one without someone else giving you the green lig
Your Team Doesn't Need Your Answers
Have you ever felt like your team can't solve problems without you? Like every question, every decision, every "got a minute?" lands squarely on your desk?In this episode of The Lonely Leaders Club, Lucy and Kel get into one of the most common traps in leadership: being everyone's problem solver at work. That moment you realise the thing that made you feel like a great leader (having all the answe
Imposter Syndrome in Leadership: How to Know You're Doing a Good Job
How do you actually know if you're doing a good job? And why does that question seem to get harder to answer the more senior you become?In this first episode of The Lonely Leaders Club, Lucy and Kel dive straight in, talking about imposter syndrome in leadership. The quiet self-doubt that so many capable leaders carry, even the ones who look like they have it all figured out.It feels like the more
Introducing: The Lonely Leaders Club with Lucy Allen & Kel Stambanis
The Lonely Leaders Club is a podcast hosted by mindset and leadership speaker Lucy Allen and her former boss, marketing and PR leader Kelly Stambanis. Honest conversations about what leadership actually looks like behind the scenes.About the juggle. The exhaustion behind the success. The pressure to say yes when every part of you wants to say no. And the quiet truth that the higher you climb, the
