Becoming Powerfully Likeable: How HR Leaders Build Confidence and Influence With Kate Mason

Episode notes

HR leaders hold immense responsibility but too often lack the authority and confidence to match. In this episode, executive communications coach and world-champion debater Kate Mason joins Karina Young to explore how leaders can use everyday conversations to earn trust and build influence. Kate is the author of Powerfully Likable and has coached executives across industries on how to communicate with confidence. Kate shares practical tools to avoid diminishing language, how to make competence visible through intentional communication, and why signposting creates calm and credibility. She and Karina also discuss the unique challenges women in HR face around power, how to regulate presence in high-pressure moments, and the importance of framing recommendations with conviction in executive settings. This episode offers actionable ways for HR leaders to strengthen their voice at the table, communicate with authority, and show the true strategic value of the people function.

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