Inspiring Leadership | Dominic Siow

FROM LOSS TO LEADERSHIP: FLOURISHING THROUGH GRIEF AND PURPOSE with DALE DAWSON || EQ Strategist

43 min ยท 19. feb. 2026
episode FROM LOSS TO LEADERSHIP: FLOURISHING THROUGH GRIEF AND PURPOSE with DALE DAWSON || EQ Strategist cover

Description

"The grief didn't diminish or hasn't diminished. What's happened is I've learned to grow around that grief." In this deeply moving episode, Dale Dawson - Australian senior executive, health & wellbeing champion, and grief educatorโ€”shares her extraordinary journey from devastating loss to purposeful leadership. Dale's story isn't easy. She lost her mother in 2011, and after few years her beloved husband Steve to brain cancer in 2020, and her dad in 2022. What happened next wasn't a return to "normal"โ€”it was a complete transformation in how she lives, leads, and serves others. ย  WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER: ๐ŸŽฏ THE ACCIDENTAL 25-YEAR CAREER: Why Dale thought she'd only stay in the public sector for 2 yearsโ€”and what kept her flourishing for 25 ๐Ÿ’” NAVIGATING UNIMAGINABLE LOSS: The raw truth about losing two people you love within a yearโ€”and how she learned to carry the pain differently ๐ŸŒฑ GROWING AROUND GRIEF Not healing from it. Not moving past it. But growing around it. This reframe changed everything. ๐Ÿ’ช KINDNESS VS. NICE: THE CRITICAL DISTINCTION: Why Dale was told she was "too nice"โ€”and how she learned that kindness and accountability go hand in hand ๐Ÿงญ BEING A ROLE MODEL OF POSSIBILITY: How Dale turned her darkest moments into purpose: grief education, brain cancer advocacy, and helping others heal โœจ AUTHENTICITY AS A LEADERSHIP SUPERPOWER: Why being yourself isn't softโ€”it's the most powerful thing you can do as a leader โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ• ABOUT DALE DAWSON: Dale Dawson is an Australian senior executive with 25 years in the public sector, specializing in health, wellbeing, and culture transformation. After losing her husband Steve to brain cancer five years ago, she trained as a grief educator and now helps others navigate loss while continuing to lead with kindness, authenticity, and purpose. She advocates for: โ†’ Grief literacy in workplaces โ†’ Brain cancer research and support โ†’ Leadership through authenticity โ†’ Creating cultures of kindness, connection, and belonging. Connect with Dale on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-dawson-37711339/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dale-dawson-37711339/]ย  โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ• ABOUT THE INSPIRING LEADERSHIP PODCAST: Hosted by Dominic Siow, Inspiring Leadership brings you real conversations with leaders who lead with heart, humanity, and courage. We explore emotional intelligence, resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to inspire others. ๐ŸŒ Website: https://www.eqstrategist.com/ [https://www.eqstrategist.com/] ๐Ÿ“ง Email: info@eqstrategist.com [info@eqstrategist.com] ๐Ÿ“ฑ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eqstrategist/ [https://www.instagram.com/eqstrategist/] ๐Ÿ”— LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eqstrategist/?viewAsMember=true [https://www.linkedin.com/company/eqstrategist/?viewAsMember=true] โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ•โ• SUBSCRIBE & SHARE: If this episode touched you, please subscribe and share it with someone who needs to hear Dale's story. Leadership gets better when we share what's real. #InspiringLeadership #GriefAndLoss #Leadership #Authenticity #PublicSector #EmotionalIntelligence #Resilience #Purpose #GriefEducation #KindnessInLeadership #DaleDawson #DominicSiow #EQStrategist

Comments

0

Be the first to comment

Sign up now and become a member of the Inspiring Leadership | Dominic Siow community!

Get Started

1 month for 9ย kr.

Then 99ย kr. / month ยท Cancel anytime.

  • Podcasts kun pรฅ Podimo
  • 20 lydbogstimer pr. mรฅned
  • Gratis podcasts

All episodes

20 episodes

episode Leading Through Change: Culture, AI & the Human Side of Leadership | EP 20 with Li Lian Tan artwork

Leading Through Change: Culture, AI & the Human Side of Leadership | EP 20 with Li Lian Tan

What does it take to build organisations that thrive through disruption, transformation and constant change? In Episode 20 of the Inspiring Leadership Podcast, Dominic Siow sits down with Li Lian Tan โ€” one of Singapore's most respected People and Culture leaders โ€” to explore leadership, organisational transformation, culture, talent and the future of work. Having led people and culture functions across aviation services, property development and media, Li Lian shares the lessons she's learned helping organisations navigate change while keeping people engaged, empowered and future-ready. From culture transformation and leadership capability to AI, skills-based hiring and the evolving role of the CHRO, this conversation offers practical wisdom for leaders at every stage of their journey. In this conversation, you'll discover:ย  โ€ข Why culture and business transformation must move together ย  โ€ข The leadership behaviours that drive organisational successย  โ€ข How to attract and retain talent in a changing workforceย  โ€ข The future of HR in an AI-powered worldย  โ€ข Why emotional intelligence, trust and communication matter more than ever ย โ€ข How leaders can create workplaces where people feel valued and engaged ย ย  Whether you're a leader, HR professional, entrepreneur, or someone passionate about people and organisational growth, this episode offers practical wisdom for leading with purpose in an era of constant change. ๐ŸŽง Listen now and share this episode with someone on their leadership journey. #Leadership #FutureOfWork #TalentManagement #OrganisationalCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #HRLeadership #AI #PeopleAndCulture #EmotionalIntelligence #InspiringLeadershipPodcast

23. juni 202626 min
episode The Quiet Leaderโ€™s Edge: From Semiconductor Engineer to AI Founder artwork

The Quiet Leaderโ€™s Edge: From Semiconductor Engineer to AI Founder

After more than two decades building a successful career in the semiconductor industry, a serious back injury forcedย Jinsongย Xu to pause and reconsider what came next.ย  What followed was not retirementโ€”it was reinvention.ย  In this episode of the Inspiring Leadership Podcast, Dom Siow sits down withย Jinsongย Xu, Founder and CEO ofย Innowaveย Tech, to explore an extraordinary journey from engineer, to leader, to entrepreneur and AI innovator.ย  Jinsongย shares the lessons he learned leading teams through transformation, how adversity became a catalyst for growth, and why leadership isย ultimately aboutย helping others flourish.ย  Together, they discuss:ย  * The transition from technical expert to effective leader * How a life-changing setback became a turning point * Building high-performing teams through clarity, trust and empowerment * The leap from corporate leadership into entrepreneurship * The future of AI-driven manufacturing and autonomous operations * Advice for engineers aspiring to leadership and founders considering entrepreneurshipย  Whetherย youโ€™reย an engineer, leader,ย entrepreneurย or someone navigating a significant transition in life, this conversation offers timeless lessons on resilience,ย reinventionย and purpose-driven leadership.ย  Because sometimes the greatest opportunitiesย emergeย from the challenges we never expected.ย  ย  ๐Ÿ”—ย CONNECT WITH JINSONGย  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinsong-xu-6ab5901b2/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jinsong-xu-6ab5901b2/] ย  Website: https://www.innowave.com.sg/ [https://www.innowave.com.sg/] ย  ย  ๐Ÿ”—ย CONNECT WITH DOMINIC SIOW LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicsiow/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicsiow/]ย  Website: https://www.eqstrategist.com/ [https://www.eqstrategist.com/]ย  ๐ŸŽง WATCH THE FULL EPISODE ON YouTube: https://youtu.be/2YVUHkj50po [https://youtu.be/2YVUHkj50po]ย  ย ย  ๐Ÿ”” Subscribe for bi-monthly conversations with leaders who are redefining success โ€” not by titles or trophies, but by impact, integrity, and human connection.ย ย  #ConsciousLeadership #IndustrialAI #EngineeringLeadership #Level5Leadership #EQStrategist #TheInspiringLeadershipPodcast #PurposeDriven #HumanCenteredAI #LeadershipMindset #EcosystemBuilding

8. juni 202648 min
episode Goal Line vs. Soul Line: Why Success Alone Doesnโ€™t Fulfil Us || Inspiring Leadership EP 18 artwork

Goal Line vs. Soul Line: Why Success Alone Doesnโ€™t Fulfil Us || Inspiring Leadership EP 18

๐—ช๐—ต๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ผ ๐˜€๐—ผ ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜† ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—น๐—น ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—น ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ณ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฑ? In Episode 18 of ๐™๐™๐™š ๐™„๐™ฃ๐™จ๐™ฅ๐™ž๐™ง๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™‡๐™š๐™–๐™™๐™š๐™ง๐™จ๐™๐™ž๐™ฅ ๐™‹๐™ค๐™™๐™˜๐™–๐™จ๐™ฉ, host Dominic Siow sits down with Bhavna Toor (Founder & CEO of Shenomics, former Wall Street VP, bestselling author, and global coach in mindful leadership) for a deeply reflective conversation on breaking free from the "arrival fallacy" and leading from a place of authenticity, presence, and purpose. ย  Bhavna shares her journey from chasing external validation on Wall Street to discovering the "Soul Line" - a vertical path of inner growth that runs parallel to career ambition. Together, they explore powerful frameworks like "Gap vs. Gain," the Japanese philosophy of "Ichigo Ichie," and how a leader's energy silently shapes team culture.ย  What stood out most wasnโ€™t just Bhavnaโ€™s words; but the presence, authenticity, and grounded energy with which she showed up. This episode isn't just about mindset shift; it's a practical roadmap for leaders who want to thrive without burning out. ย  ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐—ž๐—˜๐—ฌ ๐—ง๐—”๐—ž๐—˜๐—”๐—ช๐—”๐—ฌ๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ & ๐—›๐—œ๐—š๐—›-๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ๐— ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ:ย  โœ… The "Goal Line vs. Soul Line" framework โœ… "Gap vs. Gain" โœ… Emotional contagion: Truth about shaping your team's culture ย ย  โœ… Two actionable steps to elevate your leadershipย  ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ก๐—˜๐—–๐—ง ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ง๐—› ๐—•๐—›๐—”๐—ฉ๐—ก๐—”ย  LinkedIn: hฬฒtฬฒtฬฒpsฬฒ:ฬฒ/ฬฒ/ฬฒwฬฒwฬฒwฬฒ.ฬฒlฬฒiฬฒnฬฒkฬฒeฬฒdฬฒiฬฒnฬฒ.ฬฒcฬฒoฬฒmฬฒ/ฬฒiฬฒnฬฒ/ฬฒbฬฒhฬฒaฬฒvฬฒnฬฒaฬฒtฬฒoฬฒoฬฒrฬฒ/ฬฒย  ย  Website: wฬฒwฬฒwฬฒ.ฬฒsฬฒhฬฒeฬฒnฬฒoฬฒmฬฒiฬฒcฬฒsฬฒ.ฬฒcฬฒoฬฒmฬฒย  ย  ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ก๐—˜๐—–๐—ง ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ง๐—› ๐——๐—ข๐— ๐—œ๐—ก๐—œ๐—–ย  LinkedIn: hฬฒtฬฒtฬฒpsฬฒ:ฬฒ/ฬฒ/ฬฒwฬฒwฬฒwฬฒ.ฬฒlฬฒiฬฒnฬฒkฬฒeฬฒdฬฒiฬฒnฬฒ.ฬฒcฬฒoฬฒmฬฒ/ฬฒiฬฒnฬฒ/ฬฒdฬฒoฬฒmฬฒiฬฒnฬฒiฬฒcฬฒsฬฒiฬฒoฬฒwฬฒ/ฬฒ ย  Website: hฬฒtฬฒtฬฒpsฬฒ:ฬฒ/ฬฒ/ฬฒwฬฒwฬฒwฬฒ.ฬฒeฬฒqsฬฒtฬฒrฬฒaฬฒtฬฒeฬฒgiฬฒsฬฒtฬฒ.ฬฒcฬฒoฬฒmฬฒ/ฬฒ ย ย  ๐Ÿ’ฌ ๐—ค๐—จ๐—˜๐—ฆ๐—ง๐—œ๐—ข๐—ก ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—ฌ๐—ข๐—จ:ย  What's one area where you've been focusing on the "gap" instead of the "gain"?ย  Share below; let's reframe success together. ๐Ÿ‘‡ ย  Subscribe for bi-monthly conversations with leaders who are redefining success not just by titles or trophies, but by ๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜, ๐—ถ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป. ย  #ConsciousLeadership #SoulLine #MindfulLeadership #GapVsGain #LeadershipPresence #EQStrategist #TheInspiringLeadershipPodcast #PurposeDriven #IchigoIchie #EmotionalIntelligence

25. maj 202653 min
episode How to Build Success Without Losing Yourself | EP 17 With Andy Galea artwork

How to Build Success Without Losing Yourself | EP 17 With Andy Galea

What if real success isnโ€™t about status, titles or hustleโ€ฆ but about ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฎ ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ฒ ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—น๐˜‚๐—ฒ๐˜€, ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐—ฒ? ย  In Episode 17 of The Inspiring Leadership Podcast, host Dominic Siow sits down with Andy Galea - Engineering Excellence Leader at IAG, entrepreneur, community builder and deeply grounded human being - for a heartfelt conversation about ๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™™๐™š๐™ง๐™จ๐™๐™ž๐™ฅ, ๐™ง๐™š๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™ซ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™ž๐™ค๐™ฃ, ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง๐™–๐™œ๐™š ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ก๐™ž๐™ซ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ก๐™ž๐™›๐™š ๐™ค๐™ฃ ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ค๐™ฌ๐™ฃ ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง๐™ข๐™จ.ย  ย  From building engineering cultures to creating communities around passions he genuinely loves, Andy shares lessons on leadership that extend far beyond the workplace.ย  ย  Andy shares how he made happiness his non-negotiable, how competitive sport forged his discipline and teamwork, why he treats energy management as leadership fuel, and how he navigates the AI revolution with curiosity, not fear.ย  ย  ๐Ÿ‘‡ ๐—ž๐—˜๐—ฌ ๐—ง๐—”๐—ž๐—˜๐—”๐—ช๐—”๐—ฌ๐—ฆ ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ ๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ & ๐—›๐—œ๐—š๐—›-๐—ฃ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—™๐—ข๐—ฅ๐— ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ฆ: ย  โœ… Happiness is a daily choice โ€” and your most sustainable competitive advantageย  โœ… Why self-care isn't selfish, it's strategic leadershipย  โœ… Psychological safety starts with leaders who own mistakes and model vulnerabilityย  โœ… Adaptability is the ultimate career skill in the age of AIย  โœ… "Life's an adventure" โ€” how to lead with courage, curiosity, and contribution ย  ๐Ÿ”— ๐—–๐—ข๐—ก๐—ก๐—˜๐—–๐—ง ๐—ช๐—œ๐—ง๐—› ๐—”๐—ก๐——๐—ฌย  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-j-galea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-j-galea/]ย ย  (๐˜ˆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜บ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ถ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฑ, ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜จ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ & ๐˜ฑ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ-๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ธ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฌ) ย  Connect with Dominic Siow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicsiow/ย  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicsiow/] ย  ๐ŸŽง ๐—ช๐—”๐—ง๐—–๐—› ๐—ง๐—›๐—˜ ๐—™๐—จ๐—Ÿ๐—Ÿ ๐—˜๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—ฆ๐—ข๐——๐—˜ ON YouTube: https://youtu.be/dHMh-8XsnDI ย  ๐Ÿ”” ๐™Ž๐™ช๐™—๐™จ๐™˜๐™ง๐™ž๐™—๐™š ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ช-๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด ๐˜ธ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ค๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ด โ€” ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜บ ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ด, ๐˜ฃ๐˜ถ๐˜ต ๐˜ฃ๐˜บ ๐˜ช๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ต, ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜บ, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ.

11. maj 20261 h 1 min
episode Why Brilliant Ideas Get Rejected (And How to Get Buy-In Without Authority) | Claire Wang | Inspiring Leadership Ep 16 artwork

Why Brilliant Ideas Get Rejected (And How to Get Buy-In Without Authority) | Claire Wang | Inspiring Leadership Ep 16

Ever pitched a brilliant, well-researched ideaโ€”only to watch it quietly fade away? You're not alone.ย  ย  In Episode 16 of Inspiring Leadership, pricing strategist and influence coach Claire Wang reveals why logical ideas often fail to landย  - and how you can master the psychology of decision-making to win genuine buy-in, without relying on formal authority. ย  Drawing on 20+ years of influencing multi-million dollar decisions across banking, telecoms, and technology in Asia, Oceania, and Europe, Claire shares how technical professionals can transition from being valued for what they know โ†’ to being trusted for how they lead. ย  What You'll Learn: * Why brilliant ideas get rejected (hint: it's rarely about the data) * The "Headline-Insight-CTA" framework for crystal-clear, impactful communication * How to reduce the hidden cost of saying "yes" for your stakeholders * The pre-meeting alignment strategy that turns resistance into collaboration * How to shift from passive expert โ†’ to proactive, outcome-driven leader ย  ๐Ÿ‘ค About Claire Wang: ย  Claire is a former pricing strategist turned influence coach and speaker. With a background in mathematics, epidemiology, and actuarial science, she now helps technical professionals communicate with clarity, build trust, and drive action without formal authority. She's also the author of the upcoming book, The Price of Influence. ย  ๐Ÿ”— Connect with Claire: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-wang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-wang/]ย  ๐ŸŽง Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube : https://youtu.be/7pR9RdLqVEY [https://youtu.be/7pR9RdLqVEY]ย ย  ๐Ÿ”” Subscribe for more high-energy, deeply human conversations that spark real transformation. ย  #InspiringLeadership #EQStrategist #InfluenceWithoutAuthority #TechnicalLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipTransformation

21. apr. 202651 min