Episode 328

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Published on:

2nd Sep 2025

Boss&Buddy: Balancing Act for Female Leaders with Katherine Johnston (DW328)

Are you a boss who's thinking, "Am I supposed to be a friend to my employees, or am I supposed to be their boss?" 

This is such a hard balancing act for female leaders, so you're going to want to stick around as our host, Diane Rolston, interviews leadership consultant Katherine Johnston to explore the Boss and Buddy framework and how female leaders can navigate this challenging balance.

Listen to learn these key takeaways:

  • The Boss and Buddy framework, understanding when to step into the boss role versus the buddy role 
  • Katherine's non-conventional career path from law school prep to global leadership consulting, and how following your passions and interests can lead to unexpected success
  • How cultural differences impact leadership styles, with real examples from Norway, Germany, and Russia showing how boss/buddy preferences vary by culture
  • Why most people have a natural preference for either boss or buddy behaviours, and how you can take a quiz to identify your default style
  • Specific techniques for strong bosses to develop buddy skills and for strong buddies to step into boss mode
  • How this framework applies beyond employee relationships to working with contractors, Virtual Assistants, clients, and even in parenting situations
  • Why adaptability is crucial in today's business world, and how having both playbooks helps you adjust your leadership style based on the situation and people involved
  • Katherine's free webinar and training programs that can help you develop these leadership skills further
  • And more!

Katherine’s Bio: 

Katherine Johnston builds on her experience in 50+ countries as a leader, consultant, ICF-coach & author in global contexts. Known for her practical approach, engaging manner, building high-trust environments, and providing tangible results. She thrives on partnering with L&D professionals to create leadership programs, talent strategies & competency frameworks. 

She finds great joy in seeing individuals flourish in their roles. Katherine has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management & is co-author of two leadership books, with a third to be published in 2025. Katherine lives in West Vancouver with her Norwegian husband, 2 sons and pugalier Oreo.

Katherine’s Social Media links: 

Website: www.global-mindz.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/globalmindz/ 

Instagram: @global_mindz

Register here to join the free live Boss&Buddy Webinar on Zoom:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/lJLy6mcrSTGDpScnHCKD1g#/registration

Take this quick quiz to find out if you’re a Boss or a Buddy:

https://global-mindz.com/boss-or-buddy-quiz/

Get all the details about the Boss&Buddy Webinar here:

https://global-mindz.com/boss-buddy-webinar/

This show’s host, Diane Rolston, is called THE Expert on Being Dynamic and living a Dynamic Life. After leading hundreds of events and programs in her two businesses, speaking on international stages, being a published author while raising two young children, Diane Rolston knows all about work/life balance and getting things done! As an Award-Winning Coach and the CEO and founder of Dynamic Women®, a global community of women, her purpose is to unlock the greatness in others. Diane works with professionals all over the world to provide clarity, confidence, and action. 

Visit my website and Sign Up for my WEEKLY NEWSLETTER and you'll get FREE tips on how to live a dynamic life:

www.dianerolston.com

The Dynamic Women® Podcast is an Award-Winning action-focused lifestyle and leadership podcast full of stories and strategies to help women design their success and unleash their “Dynamic Woman”. You can learn from the experts how to get clarity, build confidence, and get into action on your biggest goals and dreams.

Thanks for listening! 

It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation with us, head on over to our Facebook group at 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DynamicWomenGlobalClub 

With this podcast, we are building an international community of Dynamic Women® that we hope to inspire more women to unleash their dynamic selves and boost their lives in all areas especially business. If you know someone who would benefit from this message or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.  

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About the Podcast

Dynamic Women®
How do I have more balance in my life? How do I have more time for everything that matters? Am I ready to make a big change? How do I make more money? How can I have more energy? And the most common question is, Do I really have what it takes to reach my goals? Whether you are a business owner, a leader, a professional, the “boss” of the home and kids, or looking to jump into your next chapter, this is the show for you.

The Dynamic Women® Podcast is an Award-Winning action-focused lifestyle and leadership podcast full of stories and strategies to help women design their success and unleash their “Dynamic Woman”. You can learn from the experts how to get clarity, build confidence, and get into action on your biggest goals and dreams.

Host Diane Rolston, a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with over 20 years of experience teaching and training, shares with you her business strategies, leadership tools, lifestyle hacks, expert lessons, and motivational stories that will inspire you and support you to create a life and business you love! Diane is pulling back the curtain on what has helped her become an award-winning coach, speaker, and confident leader all while raising her kids. She breaks down processes she uses when coaching female leaders, so you can be dynamic in every area of life with more ease and confidence.

Not only will you get her tried and tested secrets, but she also interviews trailblazing experts who share stories of what helped them achieve success, as well as industry-specific tips you can apply to your life so you can achieve your success faster, easier, and with less effort.

The mission of Dynamic Women is to inspire more women to unleash their dynamic selves and boost their lives in all areas, especially business and leadership.

About your host

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Diane Rolston

As an Award-Winning Coach, Speaker, and the CEO of Dynamic Women® Global Club, Diane Rolston has been called THE expert on being Dynamic. She is a behind-the-scenes advisor and coach for many professionals, business owners, and high achievers. She helps her clients to have “clarity” on what to focus on, the “confidence” to go for it, and an “action” plan so they have tangible steps to reach the best results.

Diane left the life of the 9-5 employee and simultaneously became an entrepreneur and mother. Now a mother of two, business owner and community leader she considers herself an expert in change, work/life balance, efficiency, and prioritizing!