Episode Summary
Phil Willcox is joined by Sara Sabin to explore the internal game of leadership and why tools and frameworks aren’t enough without emotional mastery. Sara explains that mastery isn’t about being emotionless, it’s about noticing emotions without resisting them, regulating in the moment and spending more time in emotional neutrality (calm and clear, not suppression or “not caring”).
They share a practical pathway, awareness, acknowledgement, acceptance, labelling and processing, plus two quick regulation tools: the power of the pause and a short mental rehearsal before high-pressure moments.
The conversation also tackles “repellent energy” (neediness that leaks through communication), how to stay ambitious without over-attaching to outcomes and why many leaders build confidence on external validation. Sara introduces internal scaffolding, a steadier confidence that holds up when work and life shake your identity.
Key Topics Discussed
- Emotional mastery and emotional neutrality
- The regulation pathway: awareness, acceptance, processing
- The pause (hard hack) vs mental rehearsal (easy hack)
- “Repellent energy” and reducing attachment to outcomes
- External vs internal confidence scaffolding
- Using challenges as “stress tests” to strengthen identity and self-worth
Guest Bio
Sara Sabin is a Business Profits and Leadership Strategist who works with founders and senior leaders of high-growth SMEs to strengthen performance, confidence and impact. She supports leaders who recognise that sustainable growth requires more than strategy alone, blending leadership strategy with mindset and emotional mastery to help clients lead under pressure, build resilient teams and achieve greater results without burnout.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-c-sabin-coach/
Email: https://www.sarasabin.com/
Website: https://www.sarasabin.com/