In this episode of Stay at the Top, I’m joined by Dr Kate Mason, executive coach, communication expert and author of Powerfully Likeable: How to Be Powerful and Likeable at Work (and in Life).

Kate has worked with leaders across Google, Netflix, Uber and Microsoft, helping them navigate the fine line between being respected and being liked. In this conversation, we unpack how to balance authority with warmth, navigate the double bind women often face in leadership, and reframe how we think about confidence and connection.

This episode is filled with practical frameworks, mindset shifts and language cues to help you show up powerfully, communicate with presence, and strengthen your influence without losing authenticity or empathy.

In this episode, we cover:

- Why power and likeability are not opposites, and how to embody both

- The “double bind” women face and why it’s navigable with skill

- How to use language cues and delivery shifts to earn respect and connection

- The difference between imposter syndrome and imposing syndrome

- How to set boundaries and communicate “no” without losing rapport

- The real meaning of confidence and why it’s built through action, not waiting to feel ready

- How warmth and competence work together to create trust and influence

Key Quotes

“Confidence isn’t a feeling you wait for, it’s a behaviour you practice.”

“You can be powerful and likeable. You don’t need to choose.”

“The same behaviours can land differently depending on who says them and where, that’s the double bind.”

“It’s not about faking confidence, it’s about speaking from a place of clarity and conviction.”

More about Dr Kate Mason:

Website: https://www.katemason.co/

Links to book: Amazon

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