#26 | Strive for Excellence Not Perfection & the Leadership Lessons From an Aston Martin Award Winner.

What if excellence isn’t about working harder… but managing your energy, pride, and discipline smarter?This week, Caroline dives into the difference between commitment and compliance and why whole teams leak energy when excellence turns into exhaustion.You’ll LearnHow to spot when effort has become self-harm, not self-respectWhy excellence starts with calm clarityWhat “energy leaks” are, and how to plug them fastThe simple shift from “I have to” → “I want to” that transforms cultureWhy real professionals run on pride, not pressureResearch saysConsistent energy from leaders = +53% engagement (Gallup)Emotional regulation = +24% better decision-making (Journal of Applied Psychology)Calm brains are creative brains (Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence)Quickfire Career MovesRewrite one update from effort → outcome Book a 45-minute 'craft' block to protect your best work Run the 5-minute Leak Audit - check your calm clarity after every meetingThe TakeawayYou can’t fix “bare minimum” people by doing more. You fix them by showing what smart excellence looks like - visible outcomes, calm energy, and boundaries that say: “I care about results, not theatrics.”Because compliance runs on rules. Commitment runs on pride.Listen now: Caroline on excellence, energy, and the quiet power of staying disciplined when everyone else is distracted.ResourcesYour Bold Moves BriefThe Big Conversation Guide for team leadersThe Visibility ChecklistConnect with Caroline hereConnect with Wendy hereNew episodes are released every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.Stuck, simmering, or onto something juicy? I want to hear it. Drop me a line at [email protected] - I read them all.And here is the Spotify Playlist to accompany UnShakeable Her.Unshakeable Her is the podcast for women in leadership who are ready to build real influence, earn the promotion they deserve, and lead with confidence in systems that weren't built for them. Each episode tackles the challenges that shape leadership from the inside out, including imposter syndrome, resilience, credibility, boundaries, conflict, and feedback, while unpacking how pressure, workplace politics, strategic thinking, decision-making, and visibility affect the way ambitious women grow, lead, and get promoted without losing themselves in the process.