Kylee Stone - The Uncharted Leader

Here’s a little something that may come as a surprise.

The skill that has created some of the biggest opportunities in my career is one I spent years avoiding.

Networking.

After 25 years working alongside sales teams and leading marketing for one of Australia’s largest media companies, building meaningful relationships was never the challenge.

Listening came naturally.
Creating connections came naturally.

Talking about my own achievements?
Not so much.

For a long time, I convinced myself I wasn’t the networking type.

What I’ve come to realise is that networking isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about connection.

It’s about being visible enough for others to understand the value you bring, so they can collaborate with you, learn from you, and create opportunities together.

It’s a lesson I see holding many talented women back.

Today, I intentionally invested my Learning & Development time in taking that skill to the next level.

I met graduates determined to carve out careers in technology and challenge the stereotypes that still exist.

I connected with talented people across design, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship, wellness, education and telecommunications.

And I filled my cup spending time with MarcelleBernard100 You M Powered and Shona BernardChandler colleagues, collaborators and leaders who remind me of what’s possible when like-minded people come together with a shared purpose.

Sometimes the most valuable investment in our development isn’t another course, book or podcast.

Sometimes it’s having the courage to pull up a chair, join the conversation, and allow others to experience the value you bring.

Because leadership doesn’t begin when someone gives us a title.

It begins the moment we become intentional about the relationships we build.

We often think leadership succeeds or fails because of communication.

I see it differently.

The leaders who create the greatest impact aren’t always the ones with the best answers.

They’re the ones who listen deeply enough to uncover the value others can’t yet see.

Because the greatest cost of leadership isn’t poor communication.

It’s poor listening.

What has listening taught you that talking never could?

A magnificent sunrise to start the day. A beautiful setting for a purpose filled mission, developing leaders in high-performance coaching and the art of listening deeply, followed by a majestic sunset. Feeling grateful.

I’m taking on The Push-Up Challenge to push for better mental health in Australia.

Would you like to participate (starts tomorrow June 3) OR

You can push for better mental health by donating to my fundraiser for The Push For Better Foundation:

Any donation, big or small, is really appreciated!

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/kyleestone/the-push-up-challenge

Link added to BIO ⬆️

I'm taking on The Push-Up Challenge to push for better mental health in Australia.

Would you like to participate (starts tomorrow June 3) OR

You can push for better mental health by donating to my fundraiser for The Push For Better Foundation:

Any donation, big or small, is really appreciated!

https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/kyleestone/the-push-up-challenge

Donate to level up mental health in Australia Help raise funds for much-needed mental health services and initiatives by donating to my page. I’m completing The Push-Up Challenge to support this great cause and would love your help to reach my fundraising target.

The Majestic Magnetic Island 🏝️

Taking in the beautiful surroundings while working remotely in Far North Queensland…

I am grateful, and

Reminded of an important lesson.

Life is not always as it seems.
What you see isn’t the whole story.

On the surface, the moment is calm, beautiful, majestic.

One phone call changes everything.

You try to stay quiet, let it go and focus on being present…

But it’s not that easy.

Someone says something that breaks your heart, challenges your values or blames you for why they’re so upset.

It’s hard not to react.

But here’s the truth.

Behind every comment, every smile, every place, every person…

There’s a context you can’t see.

A decision.
An emotion.
A reaction.

The brain goes into autopilot.

You pause.
Take a step back.
Focus on the objective reality.

And you remind yourself,

Before you judge someone else, make assumptions about what’s going on, react or blame someone else for how you feel, choose wisely.

Because when you listen deeply, you don’t just understand others more…

You move through life with freedom and courage in your own life.

Being a leader isn’t easy,
But it is simple.

“My values are compromised” is one of the most disempowering things we can say.

But what if it isn’t true?

We’ve all been there.

Things feel out of our control.
Decisions don’t sit right.
We feel frustrated, conflicted and powerless

It feels like our values are compromised.

But the truth is…

Our values don’t live in the decisions of others.
They don’t live in the organisation.
They don’t live out there, in others.

When your moral compass feels off,
it’s not because your values are gone.

It’s because you’re out of alignment with your values.

What you’re really expressing:

“This situation doesn’t align with what I believe”
“Something feels off, I feel conflicted, and powerless”
“I’m not showing up in a way that reflects who I am”

Leadership is never about controlling the environment ‘out there’.

It’s about the value you bring and what you create.

A simple shift can make all the difference.

Next time something feels off, consider the following:

1. Pause and breathe, take a slow, deep exhale.

2. Shift the narrative from “My values are compromised” to “My values can never be compromised, I’m out of alignment”

3. Ask yourself: “What would it look like to bring my values to this situation?”

That’s a completely different level of ownership.

Because the truth is…

Your values can never be compromised.

Your values are what you bring and how you create value.

Everything Is a Gift

Everything that has ever happened
is a gift.

Everything that ever will happen
is a gift.

Every experience, matters.

Even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Even when it hurts.

The pain.
The fear.
The sadness, anxiety, anger, loneliness.
The moments that broke me.

The joy.
The passion.
The love and laughter.

None of it is accidental.
None of it is wasted.

Every experience, matters.

In those moments
when life falls apart.

When everything you worked for,
everything you believed in,
everything you thought was certain,
disappears.

It hurts.
Deeply.

I’ve learned
it’s okay to feel it all.

The anger.
The betrayal.
The grief for the life I imagined.

Healing doesn’t come from rushing.
It comes from allowing.

I let go of urgency.
I let go of control.
I let go of the need to make sense of it.

Everything shifts.

Not in the world around me,
In me.

I love and respect myself.
I love and respect others.
I forgive myself.
I forgive others.

Not as a practice,
but as a way of being.

When I can see it all as a gift…

I am grateful.
I am free.
I am fully alive.

Great leadership is not about performance.

It’s about purpose.

It’s about who we are, what we stand for and the legacy we leave behind.

That’s one of the reasons has long been someone I admire and reference in my work.

In my leadership retreats, I invite women to reflect on her words:

“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.”

For me, these words are a powerful reminder that leadership is not about playing small.

It’s about having the courage to use your voice, stand for what matters and shape a better future for others.

I’m excited to be attending “In Conversation with Michelle Obama” with the when she visits Australia in May.

As a former First Lady of the United States, bestselling author and global role model, Michelle has spent her career championing the next generation of leaders.

It’s rare to have the chance to hear directly from someone who has shaped a global conversation in the way she has.

Here’s a special friends and family ticket offer for my network, available only through this unique link: https://lnkd.in/gMgXGXAT

Link in BIO ⬆️

Note: An additional date has now been scheduled in Sydney - May 20 & 21.

I’d love you to see you there.