Arabella Macpherson

Arabella Macpherson Leadership and Communication Expert
Helping leaders elevate their influence
through Charismatic Communication
Speaker | Facilitator | Coach | Author

At Resonate Communications Coaching, we believe in confident leadership through effective communication.

04/06/2026

The leaders trying hardest to make themselves “indispensable” may be the first to go.

If every decision has to run through you…
If every approval needs your sign-off…
If your value is built on being the bottleneck…

AI is not your biggest threat.

Your rigidity is.

The executives who will stay relevant are the ones asking:

“How do I replace myself using AI?”

Not because they want to disappear.

Because they understand that if AI can do part of their job, they can move to higher-value work.

Strategy. Creativity. Influence. Opportunity creation.

The future belongs to leaders who work with AI, not against it.

01/06/2026

Rage quitting is rarely just “someone snapping.”

It’s often the final sign that quieter attempts to be heard have failed.

By the time someone storms out, resigns publicly, or leaves with anger, the problem has usually been building for a long time.

Ignored feedback.
Disrespectful management.
Emotional exhaustion.
No safe way to speak up.
No belief anything will change.

The mistake leaders make is treating rage quitting as a personality issue.

“They were emotional.”
“They couldn’t handle feedback.”
“They were always dramatic.”

Maybe.

But if more than one person has left angry, it is time to look at the system.

Because rage quitting is a hard mirror.

It tells you where people no longer feel heard, respected, or safe.

The leadership move is not to close the file and move on.

It is to ask:

What did we miss?
What did they try to tell us before this?
Where are the patterns?
What would make people want to stay?

Exit interviews matter.
But proactive conversations matter even more.

Ask your people:

“If you were to quit, what would be the reason?”
“What would make you want to stay?”

The answers may be uncomfortable. But they may also save your culture.

30/05/2026

Working alongside someone who manipulates, undermines or constantly pulls the rug out from under you is exhausting.

And the hardest part is that you often start blaming yourself.

You think:

Maybe I need to be nicer.
Maybe I need to be more structured.
Maybe I need to explain myself better.
Maybe I need to be more fun.
Maybe I need to prove my values.

But sometimes, the issue is not your communication.

Sometimes, you are dealing with someone who is in distress, threatened, insecure or unwilling to engage in good faith.

That does not mean you are powerless.

It means you need stronger skills, better boundaries and support around you so you can stay steady, clear and grounded.

Because when this is happening every day, it takes a toll.

You cannot always leave the role.
They may not be going anywhere.
And pretending it is fine only makes it harder.

If you are dealing with this right now, I am really sorry. I have been there. It is not fun.

You do not have to handle it alone.

If you need support managing a difficult workplace relationship, reach out.

28/05/2026

If someone doesn’t trust you, the instinct is often to pull back.

Keep the conversation transactional.
Spend less time with them.
Avoid the awkwardness.

But trust rarely grows from distance.

If someone doesn’t trust you yet, the better move is to understand them more deeply.

How do they like to communicate?
What pressures are they under?
What matters to them right now?
What are they trying to protect?
What do they need to succeed?

Because when you understand someone properly, your communication shifts.

You stop leading with what you need.
You start speaking to what they care about.

That is where trust begins.

Not through clever persuasion.
Through attention.
Through curiosity.
Through making someone feel genuinely heard.

Trust is built when people feel you understand their world before asking them to step into yours.

Who is one person you need to understand better before you try to influence them?

25/05/2026

Bonuses matter. But they’re not always the strongest motivator.

In most organisations, cash is the default way to reward performance. It’s visible. It’s measurable. It feels rational.

But time is often the scarcer resource.

And many people don’t realise how much they need it until they’re given it.

I see this with CEOs and founders all the time.

Early in their careers, they push through. They take a week at Christmas, maybe. Then they’re straight back into the grind.

But as their confidence grows, many start making a different choice.

They choose time.

A proper break. A slower January. More space to recover, think, reset and return sharper.

And your people are no different.

Research published in the Journal of Managerial Psychology compared giving employees an extra week of pay with giving them an extra week of leave.

The money felt transactional.

The time off made people feel valued as human beings - not just as producers of output.

That sense of being valued was linked to higher engagement, greater job satisfaction and lower intent to leave.

So here’s the leadership reframe: If you want motivation that lasts, don’t just reward output.

Reward humanity. Extra time off, a longer Christmas break, or a meaningful pause can sometimes create more loyalty than a bigger bonus.

Because when people feel seen, they don’t just work harder.

They come back rested, focused, and grateful.

Sometimes the most powerful reward isn’t more money.

It’s time.

22/05/2026

Lessons I’ve learned from Cate Blanchett.

Years ago, when I was an actress, I loved Cate Blanchett.

Partly because she’s brilliant.
Partly because we looked a little alike.
And partly because I was convinced she might one day play my mother.

Although now, obviously, sisters.

But something she once said really stayed with me:

Treat every audition like it’s your last.

I think about that all the time.

Not just for auditions, but for every keynote, conference, meeting, workshop or presentation.

What would change if you treated this moment like it really mattered?

How much preparation would you do?
How carefully would you think about the audience?
How much more effort would you put into making the experience valuable, memorable and useful?

Yes, sometimes I probably over-prepare.

But that mindset keeps raising the standard.

Prepare deeply.
Deliver fully.
Review honestly.

After every big moment, ask:

What worked?
What could I have done better?
What would have increased the wow factor for that audience?

Because excellence doesn’t usually come from winging it.

It comes from care.

So thank you, Cate.

Maybe one day we’ll act together.

Until then, I’ll keep taking the advice.

20/05/2026

Being triggered doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It usually means something unresolved is asking for your attention.

A trigger is when your emotional reaction is bigger than the moment in front of you.

The situation may be small.
The response may be huge.
And often, that response belongs to something much older.

I once saw a line on Instagram that said:

“If you’re getting triggered, you’re walking around with a loaded gun.”

It stayed with me.

Because as uncomfortable as it is to admit, our triggers are our responsibility.

Not our fault.
But our responsibility.

That means noticing what comes up.
Asking what still needs attention.
Talking it through.
Getting support.
Doing the deeper work so we’re not unconsciously reacting to old pain in present-day situations.

I used to get triggered all the time.

Over many years of therapy, reflection and personal work, I’ve learned to recognise those moments, understand where they come from, and respond with much more calm.

Not perfectly. I’m still very human.

But calm takes work.

And when we take responsibility for our triggers, everyone benefits.

Especially us.

What helps you come back to calm when you feel triggered?

18/05/2026

Exclamation marks are more powerful than they look.

In a professional message, they don’t just add emphasis. They signal tone.

“Great idea. Let’s discuss.” Feels very different to: “Great idea! Let’s discuss!”

One feels measured. The other feels warmer, more enthusiastic, and more informal.

For years, I avoided exclamation marks completely.

I thought they made messages look unprofessional. A little too eager. A little try-hard.

Then I noticed a friend who used them often - and beautifully. Her messages felt warm, human and generous.

So I started experimenting.

And I realised something important: Not everyone reads punctuation the same way.

Some people experience exclamation marks as friendly.

Others read them as overly informal, immature, or less serious.

That’s why I now have a simple rule: I only use exclamation marks if the other person uses them first.

It helps me match their tone without accidentally sounding more enthusiastic, casual or less authoritative than I intend.

And the research supports this.

Studies published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found that exclamation marks can increase perceived warmth and enthusiasm, but reduce perceived power and analytical thinking.

Competence doesn’t necessarily take the hit.

Authority does.

So the question isn’t: “Are exclamation marks professional?”

The better question is: “What do I want this message to signal?”

Use them when your goal is connection, rapport, friendliness or lowering friction. Dial them back when you want to project authority, analytical strength or influence.

Punctuation is not decoration. It’s a signalling tool.

And great communicators don’t just choose a tone.

They read the room - even in writing.

15/05/2026

Most meetings fail before they even begin.

Why? Because no one knows what kind of meeting they’re in.

Is this an update?
A brainstorm?
A problem-solving session?
A decision-making meeting?

When everything gets mixed together, people get confused, checked out, or dominated by the loudest voice in the room.

Before you book the meeting, define the one purpose.

If it’s an update, send an email.
If it’s a brainstorm, give people time to think first.
If it’s problem-solving, define the real problem before jumping to solutions.

Meetings should be few, focused, and genuinely useful.

Because honestly? Ain’t nobody got time for meetings that go nowhere.

13/05/2026

On my way to the ASX to welcome the next cohort of Elevating Women’s Voices - women from the finance industry learning to pitch and present with greater clarity, confidence, and impact.

And the message today is simple:

Your personality is your power.

In the age of AI, information is everywhere. Research is faster. First drafts are easier. But AI can’t replace the human qualities that make a presentation land - your stories, your emotion, your presence, your lived experience, your conviction.

A compelling presentation doesn’t just transfer information.

It moves people.

And that happens when you give yourself permission to be fully yourself.

Excited to work with these brilliant women today.

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