Episode Description
Ever looked at an opportunity, a stretch role, a speaking slot, a bold idea, and thought "I could do that"… and then let it pass? And then been quietly furious with yourself weeks later?
It probably wasn't a courage problem. It was an energy problem.
In this episode of Leading Women in Tech, Toni Collis introduces the Leadership Energy Model: the relationship between bravery, grit, and confidence, and why understanding it changes how you take on hard things, how you recover from them, and how you lead a team through them.
What's covered:
➡️ The three-stage model — bravery gets you started, grit gets you through, confidence is what you earn on the other side, and each one changes what the next hard thing costs you
➡️ Naive bravery — why not knowing how hard something will be is sometimes the greatest gift, and why the more naive you are, the more grit you'll need later
➡️ Why bravery and grit are finite — one shared pool across your entire life, which is why a house renovation, a health challenge or a hard season at home leaves you with nothing for the bold move at work (and vice versa)
➡️ The celebrity illusion — why some people seem infinitely brave, and what resources actually do to the price of courage
➡️ Confidence as the exchange rate — every hard thing you complete makes the next one cheaper, and how to build confidence deliberately through structured small wins instead of deep-end plunges
➡️ Self-coaching with the model — how to audit your own bravery and grit spend before you commit to the next hard thing
➡️ Coaching your team through it — especially in AI transformations, where you're asking everyone to be brave and gritty at once with no confidence to draw on, and what great leaders do about that energetic cost
If you've been wondering why the version of you who used to leap at challenges has gone quiet, this episode will give you the answer, and the way back.
Useful links
Ignite Coach Academy — Toni's coach training program, enrolling now for the September cohort: tonicollis.com/ignite-coach-academy
Book a complimentary chat with Toni about whether Ignite is right for you: tonicollis.com/lets-chat