Does it feel like you’re constantly defending yourself at work? This can turn into a downward spiral of defensiveness that can be very draining (for you and your team) and unhelpful for your career progress.  But did you know there are some tested tools and techniques to help you with this? (It’s true, my love - I’ve helped clients with this very thing!)  Let’s talk about what to do if you’re feeling defensive at work.  In today’s episode, I’m sharing my biggest takeaways on defensiveness in the workplace - how it manifests in our leadership & teams, the psychology of what’s going on, and my favorite tips for tackling it.  Ready to break the cycle and feel calmer and happier in your career?  Let’s go to the show! I dive into: The defensiveness spiral, what it is & how to shift out of it My favorite tools and techniques for MORE collaboration and LESS defensiveness in your career How unconscious bias & imposter syndrome are related and what to shift here to become less defensive One of the BEST ways to diagnose defensiveness My TOP TIPS to help you deal with difficult colleagues and react better to feedback & bad news Why I want you to prioritize THIS for 1 month to tackle defensive behavior And more   **Useful links** If you are ready to uplevel your career, and get a boost (and a salary bump) by shortcutting your way to success, find out more about Toni’s Coaching at: https://tonicollis.com/workwithtoni  Alternatively, go straight ahead and book a free Discovery Call, to find out more and discuss the type of support you would most benefit from: https://bit.ly/DiscoverToni  Catch the show notes, and more details about today's episode here: https://tonicollis.com/episode126 Join the Leading Women in Tech community in Slack where we discuss all-the-things for women’s tech leadership, covering everything from early-career leadership to C-level executives.