0

Start the Leadership Edge On Line Course Here ✨

Header Logo
Work with me 1:1 Coaching Team Workshops Speaking Resources Contact Blog Login
Log In
← Back to all posts

What 34 years of marriage taught me about leadership pressure

Sep 13, 2026
Connect
Phil and I celebrated 34 years married this weekend, and it taught me something about leading under pressure. Full story, video, blog and podcast are all below.
Edge of Possibilities Coaching · Speaking · The Leadership Mirror · Contact
 
Liz Murray and her husband Phil
Phil and I, 34 years married this weekend
Hi {{ first_name | default: "there" }},
Phil and I celebrated 34 years married this weekend. We're polar opposites in almost every way you can imagine, and he's still my favourite human on the planet.

Thirty four years hasn't come from us agreeing on everything. It's come from us constantly refining our own defaults, catching the automatic ways we react under pressure, and choosing to keep growing instead of digging in. That's a leadership skill as much as a marriage one.

This week I'm looking at exactly that pattern: the trap that looks like passion but is actually reacting, and what it costs your team when you don't catch it. Video, blog and podcast are all below.
?
REFLECTION QUESTION
“Where in your week does your chest tighten half a second before someone's finished talking?”
★
THIS WEEK'S TIP
Next time you feel challenged, ask one question before you give one answer. It buys you space and keeps the conversation open.
”
QUOTE I'M SITTING WITH
“Passion was never the problem. Reacting from it, instead of leading through it, was.” — Liz Murray
This week, from me to you
▶
Watch Take 5 With Me
The leadership trap that looks like passion
Why the pattern that looks like passion is actually reacting, and the shift that keeps your authority intact.
Watch the video →
B
Read Beyond Boundaries Blog
How to respond instead of react under pressure
The companion piece on catching your own default before your team stops bringing you the truth.
Read the blog →
P
Listen Leading From The Edge Podcast
The leadership trap that looks like passion
Same episode, audio version, listen on the go.
Listen now →
The Leadership Mirror
If you want a clearer read on where your own authority holds and where it quietly slips under pressure, this takes five minutes and shows you exactly that.
Take the Leadership Mirror →
SELF-PACED COURSE
Be Exceptional — The Leadership Edge
Five modules to master your mindset, find your authentic leadership identity, and lead from confidence instead of performance. Work through it at your own pace.
Explore Be Exceptional →
Liz xx
Edge of Possibilities
f in ig
Edge of Possibilities — Leadership & Executive Coaching, Mentoring, Training
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Unsubscribe  ·  Manage preferences

Responses

Join the conversation
t("newsletters.loading")
Loading...
The Strength Covering Your Gap
Coaching · Speaking · The Leadership Mirror · Contact   Newcastle from the water, wild and woolly Hi {{ first_name | default: "there" }}, This week I went cruising on Newcastle Harbour, and seeing my own city from the water gave me a whole different perspective on it. It was a bit wild and woolly out there too, as you can see.Hearing how our team sees our leadership c...
What ChatGPT never asked me
Coaching · Speaking · The Leadership Mirror · Contact   Collar up, and I didn't even notice Hi {{ first_name | default: "there" }}, I took this photo for this week's socials and didn't notice my collar was standing up until I looked at it later. It's a small thing, but it's a good reminder. We're often unaware of what other people see when they look at us.A while back...
I've Already Told Them
Coaching · Speaking · The Leadership Mirror · Contact   In the garden with my first roses of the season Hi {{ first_name | default: "there" }}, I've just come in from the garden. My first roses of the season are out, and I couldn't walk past without stopping to smell them.“I've already told them.” I hear it from leaders all the time, usually about a conversation they'...

Leadership Edge

Direct, practical leadership insights delivered every Monday. One clear idea, one reflection question, and this week's content, for leaders who are ready to stop over functioning and start leading with clarity, presence, and authority.
© 2026 Edge of Possibilities

Join Our Free Trial

Get started today before this once in a lifetime opportunity expires.