About this episode

Julie Hyde discusses leadership identity and emotional complexity with Susan Simon, exploring the disconnect between roles and personal growth.

There's a moment many leaders experience. The role that once gave you energy, purpose and identity starts to feel heavier. Not because you've stopped caring or lost your capability — but because something no longer fits. In this episode of Leading You , I sit down with Susan Simon — educator, former principal of three independent Queensland schools, and author of debut novel The Secrets of St Jude's — for a deeply honest conversation about what happens when your leadership identity starts to disconnect from who you're becoming. After more than four decades in Australian school communities, Susan brings an insider's perspective on the emotional complexity of leadership: the joy of building empowered teams, the weight of competing stakeholder expectations, the politics, the pressure — and eventually, the grief of leaving a role that once defined her. This conversation goes far beyond education. It's for anyone in leadership, corporate, or business who has quietly wondered: Is this still who I am? What we cover: Why strong leadership often feels invisible to the person doing it The emotional load of leading complex organisations with competing expectations…

People in this episode

Host: Julie Hyde

Guest: Susan Simon

Topics covered

• leadership identity
• emotional complexity
• career transition
• self-discovery
• team empowerment
• work-life balance

Keywords

• leadership
• identity
• career change
• emotional load
• team dynamics
• self-connection
• grief in leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Secrets of St Jude's

Places: Queensland, Australia

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• Your Third Chapter. Focusing on Your Value. · May 11, 2026 · 20 min

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