Thriving Leaders Podcast

Why do so many strategies sound compelling in the boardroom but struggle to shape what people actually do? In this episode of the Thriving Leaders Podcast, I speak with Alicia McKay, an Aotearoa New Zealand-based writer, speaker and strategist who has spent 15 years advising leaders on strategy, change and leadership. She is also the author of From Strategy to Action, You Don’t Need an MBA and Local Legends. In this direct and thought-provoking conversation, Alicia and I challenge familiar assumptions about strategy, leadership and collaboration. We also examine what may be lost when judgement and decision-making are increasingly handed to automated systems. If you have ever watched a strong strategy lose momentum after the planning session, this conversation will give you a different way to understand why—and what you can do about it. In this episode, we cover: How strategy is different in local government and the public sector than in corporate organisations Why strategy often loses momentum after the planning process How strategic thinking shows up in everyday leadership What leaders may misunderstand about people and change The transition from subject-matter expert to strategic leader What gets in the way of cross-functional collaboration How organisational systems influence behaviour The relationship between trust, agency and accountability What automation could mean for human judgement Watch the full episode to hear Alicia’s refreshingly direct perspective on what it really takes to turn strategy into action. About Alicia McKay Alicia McKay is a writer, speaker and strategist based in Aotearoa New Zealand. She works with executive and elected leaders to improve strategic thinking, decision-making and leadership in complex environments. Alicia is the author of: From Strategy to Action: A Guide to Getting Shit Done in the Public Sector You Don’t Need an MBA: Leadership Lessons That Cut Through the Crap Local Legends: How to Make a Difference in Local Government Resources and links Alicia McKay’s website About Alicia McKay Alicia McKay’s books You Don’t Need an MBA From Strategy to Action Subscribe to the Thriving Leaders Podcast for practical conversations about leadership, team performance and creating thriving workplace cultures.

Why do capable people find it so difficult to ask for help? Leo Bottary argues that strong teams treat asking for help as an act of resourcefulness—not an admission of weakness. In this Best Of episode of the Thriving Leaders Podcast, Leo and I explore the connection between psychological safety, feedback and shared accountability. We discuss why team members can struggle to speak up, how a simple change in language can make asking for help feel more inviting, and what happens when feedback becomes everyone’s responsibility. Leo also shares a memorable team exercise that demonstrates how difficult it is to improve when we are effectively working blind. You’ll hear us explore: – Why successful people view asking for help differently – How to turn a request for help into an invitation – Why teams need consistent feedback loops – The role of trusted intent when giving and receiving feedback – How preparation and shared expectations support teams under pressure Leo Bottary is an author, speaker, facilitator and the founder and managing partner of Peernovation. His work explores how peers help one another learn, perform and achieve more together. Watch the full conversation: https://youtu.be/DJa8pzThdjc I’m Claire Gray, leadership and team facilitator, executive coach, keynote speaker and author of Thriving Leaders and Thriving Teams. Through the Thriving Leaders Podcast, I share practical ideas for building stronger leaders, healthier cultures and high-performing teams. Learn more: https://thrivingculture.com.au Subscribe for practical conversations about leadership, psychological safety, accountability and creating teams where people can do their best work. #PsychologicalSafety #HighPerformingTeams #Leadership

Most meetings are designed around content. Someone presents, everyone else listens, and contribution is invited at the end with: “Any questions?” By then, it may be too late. Chad Littlefield believes connection is not the warm-up before the real work. It is part of the work — particularly when leaders need people to think together, speak honestly and collaborate beyond their usual teams. Chad is the co-founder and Chief Experience Officer of We and Me, a TEDx speaker, and the co-author with his late partner, Will Wise, of Ask Powerful Questions and How to Make Virtual Engagement Easy . He also created the We! Connect Cards, which are used in more than 80 countries. We explore how leaders can invite contribution earlier, create connection without resorting to awkward or unrelated icebreakers, and design meetings that feel more purposeful from the moment people arrive. We also talk about a challenge I see frequently in organisations: leaders may have strong relationships within their own functions, yet struggle to build the horizontal connections needed to deliver strategy. Chad shares a practical idea for helping those relationships continue after an offsite or senior leader forum — rather than leaving everyone with good intentions that disappear once they return to work. In this episode, we cover: Why connection shapes the quality of the work that follows What changes when leaders design for contribution rather than passive listening How Chad’s Contribution Method rethinks the flow of a meeting Why “connection before content” is different from an icebreaker How a simple shift in format can change the energy in a room Why teams need the right amount of connection — not necessarily more How to extend cross-functional relationships beyond a one-off event The question Chad believes can keep a team learning If you lead meetings, bring large groups together or want stronger collaboration across boundaries, Chad offers a different way to think about the time people spend together. And he leaves us with a question that is worth returning to — as leaders, as teams and as human beings. Chapters 00:00 – Why connection is part of the work 03:00 – Chad Littlefield’s work and why connection matters 04:20 – Where Chad’s interest in connection began 09:00 – Positive social risks and Chad’s first speaking opportunity 12:00 – Why small groups are the units of transformation 16:00 – The five-part Contribution Method 20:00 – Connection before content 23:00 – Designing content for contribution 27:00 – How to close a meeting with energy 29:00 – Applying the method in everyday meetings 40:00 – The minimum effective dose of team connection 45:00 – Making cross-functional connection continue after an event 48:00 – The question that keeps a team learning 49:30 – AI, speed and the value of slowing down 51:00 – Being purposeful about time away from work Links and Resources: We and Me / Chad Littlefield We! Connect Cards Ask Powerful Questions by Will Wise and Chad Littlefield How to Make Virtual Engagement Easy by Chad Littlefield Explore more leadership resources from Thriving Culture

How can teams disagree without damaging trust or making the conversation personal? Claire Gray and Dr Kaye Monk-Morgan explore how leaders can create healthier conflict and make honest challenge less risky. In this Best Of episode of the Thriving Leaders Podcast, Kaye explains why people sometimes need explicit permission to disagree, why challenging an idea is different from challenging authority, and how shared language can help teams work through difficult conversations. You will hear practical insights on: – Inviting healthy challenge within a team – Separating an idea from the person who raised it – Avoiding groupthink without creating unnecessary conflict – Using curiosity and shared language to depersonalise disagreement – Creating courageous spaces for honest feedback Dr Kaye Monk-Morgan is President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center. Claire Gray is a leadership and team facilitator, executive coach, speaker and author of Thriving Leaders and Thriving Teams. Explore leadership programs, team development, coaching and more: https://www.thrivingculture.com.au Subscribe for practical conversations about leadership, high-performing teams, psychological safety, accountability and workplace culture. #HealthyConflict #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership

Do leaders need to know who is neurodivergent before they can lead more inclusively? I’m joined by Mariane Power, a behavioural scientist and former clinical psychologist whose work sits at the intersection of neurodiversity and leadership. Mariane works with neurodivergent founders and executives, workplace and government teams, and elite sport. She is also the creator of Master Your Magic and host of the Jagged Brilliance series. Many leaders want to create a more neuroinclusive workplace, but are unsure where to begin. They may be worried about using the wrong language, making assumptions or asking people to disclose something they would rather keep private. Mariane brings a thoughtful and practical perspective to those questions. We look at what leaders can do without knowing anyone’s diagnosis, why the day-to-day experience of work matters as much as policy, and how to make space for different ways of thinking and working. We also get into one of the harder tensions in this space: how leaders can offer flexibility and support while still having honest conversations about expectations, feedback and accountability. In this episode, we cover: What neuroinclusive leadership means beyond labels and formal accommodations Why some people choose not to disclose their neurodivergence at work What leaders can ask instead of making assumptions about what someone needs How psychological safety shapes people’s experience of inclusion What universal design can teach us about creating better workplaces The opportunities and challenges facing neurodivergent leaders How flexibility, feedback and accountability can sit alongside one another I wanted to ask Mariane some of the questions leaders may be thinking but feel nervous to ask. What if someone does not want to disclose? What if a leader gets the language wrong? And what happens when a request for flexibility begins to affect the role, the team or the work? Mariane does not reduce these questions to easy answers. She gives leaders a more useful place to start. If you are thinking about neurodiversity in your team, or wondering whether your workplace genuinely works for different minds, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who is part of that conversation. 00:00 – Why neurodiversity is becoming a leadership conversation 01:00 – Mariane Power’s path from clinical psychology to neuroinclusive leadership 02:40 – Moving beyond a deficit-based view of neurodivergence 07:00 – Why leaders find neurodiversity conversations difficult 12:00 – What workplaces can learn from inclusive education 17:00 – Disclosure, stigma and psychological safety 24:00 – Difference, masking and the double empathy problem 31:00 – Why teams should not diagnose one another 34:00 – Visibility, belonging and justice 40:00 – Universal design in practice 43:00 – Practical habits of a neuroinclusive leader 46:00 – Sustainable performance for neurodivergent leaders 50:00 – Neurodivergence, feedback and accountability 54:00 – Mariane’s message for thriving teams Resources Mariane Power website: https://www.marianepower.com.au/ Mariane Power on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianepower/ Master Your Magic: https://www.marianepower.com.au/masteryourmagic Jagged Brilliance: https://www.marianepower.com.au/jaggedbrilliance Jagged Brilliance YouTube series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdkWnsCuGuyLa9Kh-65uJYW1q-2j-uxvg Neurodiversity in Business and Birkbeck, University of London, Research Report 2023 (McDowall & Doyle, 2023): https://www.neurodiversityinbusiness.org/research/neurodiversity-in-business-research-report-2023 Neurodiversity in Business and Birkbeck, Research Report 2026 (McDowall & Srinivasan, 2026): https://neurodiversity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Neurodiversity_in_Business_Birbeck_Research_Report_2026.pdf Six-takeaways summary by Dr Nancy Doyle (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/drnancydoyle/2026/07/29/neurodiversity-in-business-report-2026-six-key-takeaways/ The three climates for psychological safety (Bruyère & Colella, 2022): https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/id/d77b6b1d-9111-4004-a35d-b2f3257139a9/9781003023616_1043249781003023616-2.pdf The double empathy problem (Milton, 2012): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008 Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective (Crompton, Ropar, Evans-Williams, Flynn & Fletcher-Watson, 2020, Autism ): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1362361320919286 The 7 Principles of Universal Design (Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University, 1997): https://universaldesign.ie/about-universal-design/the-7-principles-of-universal-design/ Subscribe to the Thriving Leaders Podcast for practical conversations about leadership, team performance, psychological safety and building cultures where people can thrive. #NeurodiversityAtWork #InclusiveLeadership #ThrivingLeaders

How can leaders build team trust when people think, communicate and work differently? Understanding different working styles helps teams turn potential friction into stronger performance. In this Best Of conversation, I speak with Claire de Carteret from Gallup about the relationship between strengths, leadership bias and trust within teams. Claire shares the example of a fast-paced leader who unconsciously judged candidates according to how quickly they walked and spoke. Recognising this bias helped her appreciate what a slower, more deliberative person could bring to the team, including deeper analysis and greater awareness of risk. In this Best Of, we discuss: - Why different working styles can create tension in teams - How a leader’s strengths can become a source of bias - Why cognitive diversity makes teams stronger - How to identify complementary strengths and partnerships - Why strengths-based leadership makes difficult conversations easier - Why focusing on strengths does not mean ignoring weaknesses Claire de Carteret is a leadership expert from Gallup. In this conversation, she shares practical insights into strengths-based leadership and how leaders can get the best from people whose natural approach differs from their own. I’m Claire Gray, a leadership and team facilitator, executive coach, speaker and author of Thriving Leaders and Thriving Teams. Through Thriving Culture, I help leaders and teams unite, align and achieve. Subscribe for practical conversations about leadership, high-performing teams, workplace culture, psychological safety and accountability: https://www.youtube.com/@thrivingculture Watch the complete conversation with Claire de Carteret: https://youtu.be/wZFFB0NBVrM?si=X01gmOieAFenLIOD Chapters 00:00 How to build trust quickly 01:00 The hidden bias towards speed 02:00 Seeing different working styles as advantages 03:00 Why differences strengthen teams 04:00 Leveraging strengths and team blind spots 05:00 Finding complementary partnerships 06:00 Strengths and difficult conversations 07:00 When feedback feels punitive 08:00 Strengths don’t mean ignoring weaknesses #teamtrust #strengthsbasedleadership #highperformingteams

Where does a leader’s time actually go? It is not only swallowed by meetings and email. Some of the biggest drains on our time never appear in the calendar. In this episode of the Thriving Leaders Podcast, I speak with Neal Schore, co-founder and CEO of The 25th Hour Group, former founder, president and CEO of Triton Digital, executive coach and author of The 25th Hour: How to Thrive (And Gain Ridiculous Amounts of Time) by Getting Out of Your Own Way. Neal challenges the way we typically think about time management. What if the problem is not simply an overloaded calendar, but the patterns quietly consuming our attention and energy? Neal offers a different perspective on where leaders lose time without realising it—and what it takes to break the pattern. In this episode, we cover: Why conventional time-management tactics only address part of the problem How fear, defensiveness and the need for control quietly consume time Why commiserating can masquerade as collaboration How asking yourself a simple question can prevent misinterpretation and improve performance How to stop reacting, interrupting or assuming the worst How the 10% meeting rule creates space and sharpens focus The words to eliminate from your vocabulary that can create avoidable ambiguity How small disruptions to familiar routines can strengthen awareness and creativity Why leaders need to become more comfortable with discomfort How probability-weighting a fear can stop hours of unproductive “swirling” Why “It’s my fault” is an exercise in agency rather than blame How a leader’s behaviour becomes a model for the wider team Neal’s message is not that leaders will never overthink or react defensively. It is that we can notice it sooner, manage ourselves more deliberately and stop giving away so much time. If you are working flat out but still feel as though there is never enough time, this conversation offers a different place to begin. Links and resources: Neal Schore on LinkedIn The 25th Hour Group The 25th Hour by Neal Schore SCARF Model by Dr David Rock Visit Thriving Culture website Brown, D. (2016). Compliance Test [video excerpt from Derren Brown: Pushed to the Edge]. Channel 4. Later released by Netflix as Derren Brown: The Push. Watch the excerpt on YouTube. Subscribe to the Thriving Leaders Podcast for practical conversations about leadership, team performance and creating thriving workplace cultures.

When everything feels urgent, teams become trapped in reactive work—and the strategic priorities that matter most keep getting pushed aside. In this Best Of conversation, productivity expert and bestselling author Dermot Crowley explains why workplace urgency is not simply a personal time-management problem. It can become part of the team’s culture, particularly when people feel they must immediately respond to every request from a senior leader. In this Best Of, we discuss: – Why teams become stuck in constant firefighting – The two reactive patterns that reduce productivity – Why a request from the boss is not automatically urgent – How leaders can unintentionally create urgency for their teams – The importance of giving people permission to negotiate priorities – Why teams should consider importance before urgency – How clearer expectations can help people focus on work with greater impact Dermot Crowley is a productivity expert, bestselling author and founder of Adapt Productivity. He has spent more than 25 years helping leaders and teams work more effectively. His books include Smart Work, Smart Teams, Lead Smart and Urgent. Claire Gray is a leadership and team facilitator, executive coach, keynote speaker and author of Thriving Leaders and Thriving Teams. Through Thriving Culture, Claire helps leaders build aligned, accountable and high-performing teams. If you want practical conversations about leadership, team effectiveness, accountability and workplace culture, subscribe to the Thriving Culture channel. What creates the most unnecessary urgency in your team, and what would help your people focus on what is genuinely important? Chapters 00:00 Why everything feels urgent 00:38 A proactive approach to priorities 01:40 Scheduling work before it becomes urgent 02:45 The two reactive work zones 04:00 It’s not urgent because it came from the boss 05:00 How leaders unintentionally create urgency 06:10 Importance before urgency 07:35 When everything is urgent, nothing is #leadership #teamproductivity #workplaceculture

Why do some teams consistently outperform others, even when they have similar talent, experience and resources? The answer often isn't strategy, structure or capability. It's how people experience leadership every single day. In this episode, I'm joined by Kristy Macfarlane, Deputy CEO of Diversity Partners, executive coach and one of Australia's leading experts in inclusive leadership. Over the past decade, Kristy has helped hundreds of organisations build workplaces where people feel respected, trusted and able to contribute at their best. Before joining Diversity Partners, she led Diversity and Inclusion at NAB and has held leadership, talent and capability roles across Australia and the UK. This conversation goes well beyond diversity and inclusion. We explore the everyday leadership behaviours that shape team culture. The decisions leaders make in recruitment, performance conversations, promotions, meetings and feedback all influence whether people feel safe to contribute or quietly begin to disengage. Kristy shares practical examples that any leader can apply immediately. From reducing unconscious bias and creating fairer opportunities to encouraging different perspectives and strengthening psychological safety, this episode is full of practical leadership ideas that improve both team performance and wellbeing. In this episode, we cover What inclusive leadership actually looks like in practice The six behaviours shared by highly inclusive leaders Why psychological safety starts with everyday leadership decisions How unconscious bias influences recruitment, promotions and performance reviews Why leaders should focus on culture add instead of culture fit The "moments that matter" that shape trust and belonging Practical ways to support neurodiverse team members How AI could reduce bias or unintentionally reinforce it What "Sunflower Bias" is and why leaders should stop speaking first in meetings One simple question every leader can ask to better support their team Perhaps the biggest idea running through this conversation is that culture isn't created through policies or annual initiatives. It's built through hundreds of small leadership choices that most people barely notice. Who gets invited into the discussion. Who receives the stretch opportunity. Whose opinion gets heard. Whether curiosity replaces assumption. Those moments shape whether people feel confident to contribute, challenge ideas and do their best work. If you're leading people, this conversation will encourage you to look at your own leadership through a different lens. Learn more about Diversity Partners: Website: https://diversitypartners.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diversity-partners/ Connect with Kristy Macfarlane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-macfarlane-934472109/

Why do leadership teams leave meetings believing they are aligned, only to discover later that little has changed? Often, silence is mistaken for agreement. People may support a decision in the room without feeling heard, committed or clear about what happens next. In this Best Of episode of the Thriving Leaders Podcast, I revisit my conversation with Professor David Clutterbuck, one of the world’s leading thinkers in coaching, leadership and team development. David shares a simple framework that helps teams hear different perspectives before moving into discussion. It can lead to healthier debate, clearer decisions and stronger commitment without requiring everyone to get their own way. In this Best Of, we discuss: – The three questions every leader should ask before team discussions – Why consensus is not the same as agreement – How to encourage healthy debate without creating conflict – Why feeling heard matters more than getting your own way – Practical ideas to improve leadership team decision-making immediately Better decision-making does not mean everyone gets the outcome they wanted. It means people have had a genuine opportunity to contribute, understand the different perspectives and support the way forward. If your team regularly revisits decisions, leaves actions unfinished or discovers disagreements after the meeting, this conversation offers a practical way to approach decisions differently. Watch my full conversation with David Clutterbuck here: https://youtu.be/weAsD-_7jls Subscribe to Thriving Culture for practical conversations about leadership, team alignment, psychological safety, accountability and building thriving teams. #LeadershipTeams #DecisionMaking #TeamAlignment

The pace of change isn't slowing down. AI continues to evolve, climate challenges are becoming more visible, organisations are under pressure to adapt, and many leaders are wondering how to make sense of it all. The question isn't whether things will change. It's whether we're willing to change with them. In this episode, I'm joined by Caroline Stokes, global leadership strategist, executive coach, Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2026 member, and author of Aftershock to 2030. Caroline has spent decades helping CEOs and leadership teams prepare for what's next, long before many of these conversations became mainstream. Together, we explore what leadership looks like in a world where technology is accelerating, information is everywhere, and certainty is becoming harder to find. Rather than trying to predict every change ahead, Caroline challenges leaders to build the capability to continually adapt, learn and reinvent. In this episode, we cover: Why reinvention is becoming one of the most important leadership capabilities What polymathic leadership means and why systems thinking matters How curiosity helps leaders make better decisions in complex environments Why AI should strengthen human leadership, not replace it The growing importance of collaboration across teams, functions and organisations Practical advice for leading people through change without leaving them behind Why organisations need new operating systems, not just new technology How leaders can prepare themselves and their teams for a future that is constantly evolving There is so much conversation right now about AI, the future of work, and what leaders need to do differently. What I appreciated about this discussion is that it goes beyond the technology itself. It's really a conversation about how we think, how we learn, and how we prepare ourselves and our teams for a future that will continue to evolve. If you're leading through change, or simply trying to make sense of everything that's happening around us, I think you'll really enjoy this conversation with Caroline.

One of the biggest misconceptions in leadership is that trust and psychological safety are the same thing. They're closely connected, but they're not interchangeable, and understanding the difference changes how you lead teams. In this Best Of conversation, I sit down with Amy Edmondson to unpack where trust and psychological safety overlap, where they differ, and why leaders need to pay attention to both. We also explore why people within the same team can have completely different experiences of psychological safety. Factors like tenure, status, previous workplaces, and individual experiences all shape whether someone feels comfortable speaking up, asking for help, or challenging an idea. If you've ever wondered why some people contribute freely while others stay silent, even in the same meeting, this conversation offers valuable insight into what's really happening beneath the surface. In this Best Of, we discuss: – Trust vs psychological safety – Why vulnerability matters – Why people stay silent – How leaders build psychological safety – Why team members experience safety differently – Creating environments where people speak up Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, thriving teams, psychological safety, accountability and workplace culture.

What if the answers to some of your biggest leadership challenges are already sitting inside your team, but nobody is saying them out loud? In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Wetzler, founder of Ask Approach, co-founder of Transcend, former Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America, and author of Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life . The reality is that the people around us know things we don't. They have ideas, perspectives, concerns, and feedback that could help us make better decisions, avoid mistakes, and navigate challenges more effectively. Yet so often those insights never get shared. Jeff has spent decades helping leaders understand why this happens and, more importantly, what we can do about it. In this conversation, we explore why people hold back what they're really thinking, how authority changes conversations, and the practical habits leaders can develop to hear more of what matters. We also dive into curiosity, listening, psychological safety, feedback, and what Jeff calls "the unspokens" that exist in every team and organisation. In this episode, we cover: Why people hold back feedback, concerns, ideas, and perspectives from leaders The hidden cost of the "unspokens" inside teams and organisations How power and authority make it harder for leaders to hear the truth The four things leaders are least likely to hear from their people Jeff's ASK Approach and the five practices that unlock collective intelligence Why curiosity is a choice, not a personality trait How to create environments that feel safe enough for people to speak up The difference between quality questions and the questions that shut down learning Why most leaders think they're better listeners than they actually are How to encourage more honest feedback, especially as you become more senior The role AI can play in helping leaders become more curious, reflective, and effective Many of the answers we are looking for already exist somewhere in the organisation. The challenge is that people don't always tell us what they know, what they're worried about, or what they're seeing. My favourite part was Jeff's perspective on curiosity. We often think of curiosity as something you either have or you don't. Jeff challenges that idea and offers a much more practical way of thinking about it. I also found myself reflecting on how easy it is, particularly when we're busy or under pressure, to move too quickly into problem-solving mode. Sometimes the most valuable thing we can do as leaders is pause long enough to ask another question. If you're leading a team and want to hear more of what people are really thinking, I think you'll get a lot from this conversation.

The way we think becomes the way we lead. Our habits, emotions, assumptions, and internal stories shape how we show up every day, often without us even realising it. In this episode, Sue Langley explores the science behind human flourishing and why understanding ourselves may be one of the most important leadership capabilities of all. I’m joined by Sue Langley, one of Australia’s leading experts in positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and neuroscience. Sue is the founder and CEO of The Langley Group and has spent decades helping leaders, teams, and organisations apply the science of human flourishing in practical and meaningful ways. She’s known for translating complex research into tools leaders can actually use every day. This conversation is packed with practical insights, powerful stories, and simple shifts that can help us better understand our emotions, strengthen our relationships, and lead with greater awareness and intention. In this episode, we cover: Why habits are not just behavioural, but also emotional and cognitive The neuroscience behind thought patterns and emotional regulation How leaders can strengthen emotional intelligence over time Why wellbeing directly impacts performance and decision-making The difference between powering through versus recognising emotional overload Why positive psychology is not about “being positive all the time” The role of psychological safety, empathy and emotional awareness in leadership How leaders can create healthier conversations and stronger relationships at work through active constructive responding Why accountability and wellbeing must coexist in thriving teams The importance of finding wellbeing strategies that genuinely work for you My favourite part of this conversation was Sue's discussion about active constructive responding. The questions we ask matter. When we respond with curiosity instead of judgement, possibility instead of limitation, we create space for better thinking, stronger relationships, and better outcomes. What might change if, instead of asking why something won't work, we started asking what could make it possible? If there’s one idea from this conversation that stayed with you, share this episode with someone who’d appreciate it too. Until next time, keep leading with curiosity and heart.

If you've been feeling stretched, reactive, or like you're constantly doing more without actually moving the needle, this episode is for you. I'm joined by Jennifer Garvey Berger, CEO and co-founder of Cultivating Leadership, Harvard-educated developmental psychologist, and one of the world's leading thinkers on adult development, complexity, and leadership. Jennifer is the author of four widely acclaimed books: Changing on the Job, Simple Habits for Complex Times, Unlocking Leadership Mind Traps, and Unleash Your Complexity Genius. I first came across her work through colleagues at Harvard Kennedy School, and I've been a fan ever since. This conversation goes deep on why complexity isn't just a business problem, it's a nervous system problem, and what leaders can actually do about it. We explore how polarity thinking reframes some of the most persistent tensions in organisations, why psychological safety isn't about comfort, and what it means to lead with embodied intelligence in a world where AI is changing everything. So many nuggests of gold in this episode. In this episode, we cover: Why complexity is experienced as a threat by the nervous system, and how that drives leaders and teams into reactive busyness instead of purposeful action The honest bind leaders are in right now: needing to project hope while being unable to guarantee anything What it really means to lead from the body, not just the head, and why Jennifer shifted from being a sceptic to a convert The power of polarity thinking: how holding two interdependent goods at once transforms cross-functional collaboration and team dynamics Why psychological safety is not about comfort, it's about the capacity to be in discomfort together How AI is changing the way we connect (including why nervous systems can't co-regulate through a screen the way they can in person) What thriving teams actually have in common: genuine liking, not just functional respect I loved this conversation for so many reasons, but the thing that really resonated with me was Jennifer's reframe of busyness. When leaders and team members say 'I'm just so busy right now', she suggests what they're really saying is 'I'm afraid.' And busyness becomes the modern response to a frightening world. It connects to something I see constantly in my work: leaders who are doing a lot, but not necessarily doing the right things. Pushing harder on what no longer works. Jennifer's reminder that doubling down is often a fear response, not a strategy, is one I'll be taking into my work with teams. Teams thrive when leaders slow down enough to actually show up. If this conversation sparked something for you, share it with a leader in your world who's navigating complexity right now. And if you haven't already, follow the Thriving Leaders Podcast so you never miss an episode.

Most of us know the feeling. There's someone at the table we don't agree with, don't particularly like, or don't quite trust, and the situation isn't going away. Whether it's a difficult peer, a misaligned executive, a stakeholder relationship that's gone a bit stale, or a cross-functional partnership that feels like it's going nowhere, the instinct is often the same: work around it, avoid it, or wait it out. And as Adam Kahane will tell you, that rarely works. Adam Kahane is founding partner of Reos Partners, a global organisation specialising in collaborative approaches to complex challenges. Over more than 35 years, he has worked in over 50 countries supporting governments, corporations, and civil society through some of the world's most difficult situations, from the democratic transition in post-apartheid South Africa to peace processes in Colombia. He is the author of six books, including the newly revised Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust (Second Edition, 2025), which carries a foreword from Nobel Peace Laureate Juan Manuel Santos. Nelson Mandela described his earlier work as addressing "the central challenge of our time: finding a way to work together to solve the problems we have created". In this conversation, Adam unpacks why working across difference is becoming harder just as it's becoming more essential, and what leaders can actually do about it. We explore his concept of "enemyfying", the limits of conventional collaboration, and why the real breakthrough in any difficult collaboration is rarely about changing the other person. In this episode, we cover: Why our capacity to work across difference is declining just as the need for it is increasing, and what's driving that gap What "enemyfying" actually means, why we all do it, and why it's such an unhelpful starting point for getting anything done The difference between conventional collaboration and stretch collaboration, and how to know which one your situation actually calls for Why telling people to "think of the whole" or "leave your interests at the door" is often unrealistic, and in many cases manipulative How complexity and conflict change the rules of collaboration entirely The four options we have in any difficult situation, and why collaboration is just one of them What Adam calls "The Click", the turning point moment that shifts a stuck group toward real progress The most practical thing you can do when you're tempted to keep telling someone they're wrong I loved Adam's framing that working with people we don't agree with, like, or trust is not a new idea at all. What's new is how much we've retreated from it, and how much the quality of our leadership, our teams, and our organisations depends on us getting better at it again. If this conversation resonated, share it with a leader or team navigating a difficult stakeholder relationship, a silo situation, or a collaboration that feels more stuck than it should be.

What if your team is using the same words, but imagining completely different futures? This conversation is a powerful reminder that alignment is not about sameness, it is about helping people see clearly, think together, and move forward with intention. In this episode, I’m joined by Rebecca Sutherns, trusted advisor, bestselling author, master facilitator, certified coach, and someone I deeply admire for the way she helps people unlock courage, clarity and momentum. With more than 25 years of experience, Rebecca works with mission-driven organisations to help leaders reimagine what’s next and get aligned on what matters most. In our conversation, we explore what it really takes to get people “watching the same movie” in teams and organisations. Rebecca shares why strategy needs more imagination, why leaders need to get clearer about the problem they are actually solving, and why waiting for perfect information can become the very thing that keeps teams stuck. This is such an important conversation right now because so many leaders are navigating complexity, competing perspectives, and decision fatigue. Rebecca brings a grounded, practical lens to all of it, and I think you’ll walk away with fresh ways to lead better conversations and better decisions. Let’s dive in. In this episode, we cover: Why teams can use the same words but still be picturing completely different futures How to create a vivid shared vision, not just another polished vision statement Why “what problem are we solving?” is one of the most important questions a leader can ask How to clarify decision-making criteria before people get attached to their preferred solution Why waiting for full information is often just a stall tactic in disguise How facilitation slows teams down at the beginning so they can move faster later Why thriving teams do not just predict the future, they help create it I loved this conversation because Rebecca puts language to something so many leaders experience but struggle to name. My favorite part was her reminder that alignment is not about making everyone the same, it is about making thinking visible so people can understand each other, challenge well, and move forward with intention. The future does not just happen to teams. The strongest teams help shape it. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a leader, facilitator or executive team who is working through complexity and trying to make better decisions together.

So many leaders are not short of ideas. What they are short of is space, confidence, and permission to bring those ideas to life. In fast-moving workplaces, creativity can feel like something we will get to later, but as Paul Fairweather reminds us in this conversation, later rarely comes. In this episode, I’m joined by Paul Fairweather, creative leadership speaker, workplace culture facilitator, former CEO of a 55-person architectural practice, award-winning architect, artist, and author of Bold, Brave, and A Bit Quirky. Paul helps leaders and teams reconnect with their creative confidence, not as a nice-to-have, but as a vital capability for problem-solving, connection, and innovation in a world increasingly shaped by AI. In our conversation, we explore what creativity really means, why so many capable people don’t see themselves as creative, and how leaders can create the conditions for more original thinking at work. We also unpack the tension between AI and human creativity, why uncertainty is part of the creative process, and what practical leaders can do to build more creative, thriving teams. This is such an important conversation right now, because in a world that is becoming faster, noisier, and more automated, the human skills of curiosity, creativity, courage, and connection matter more than ever. In this episode, we cover: Why creativity is often misunderstood, and why it is about far more than art How Paul defines creativity as identifying potential or opportunity, then fostering its development What leaders can learn from staying longer in uncertainty, instead of rushing too quickly to clarity The difference between using AI as a helpful tool, versus using it as a substitute for original thought Why many adults have had their creative confidence diminished over time, and how to rebuild it How simple, practical exercises can help teams think differently and unlock fresh ideas What thriving teams need in order to create, connect, and contribute more meaningfully together I loved Paul’s reminder that creativity is not just about ideas, it is also about the courage to do something with them. Thriving teams are not built by speed alone. They are built when leaders create enough safety, space, and confidence for people to think, experiment, and contribute in more meaningful ways. Creativity thrives when leaders make space for uncertainty, not just answers. If this episode resonated, share it with a leader, teammate, or creative thinker who needs a reminder that their ideas still matter. Until next time, keep leading with curiosity and heart.

Many leaders know collaboration matters, but far fewer have figured out how to make it work across silos, competing priorities, and complex stakeholder relationships. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Heidi Gardner, Distinguished Fellow at Harvard Law School, former Harvard Business School professor, Thinkers50 ranked thought leader, and co-author of Smart Collaboration and Smarter Collaboration. In this conversation, we explore what smarter collaboration really looks like in today’s workplace, and why working across boundaries is both more necessary and more difficult than ever. Heidi shares practical insights on trust, healthy conflict, over-collaboration, stakeholder alignment, and the leadership behaviours that create the conditions for innovation and high performance. In this episode, we cover: Why hyper-specialisation makes collaboration harder, just as the problems leaders face become more complex and multidisciplinary The importance of starting with a shared goal and being clear on each person’s role How over-collaboration drains time, energy, and trust in the very idea of collaboration Why conflict is not the problem, but unmanaged conflict is The difference between competence trust and character trust, and why both matter How leaders can create space for challenge, curiosity, and better decision-making under pressure Navigating collaboration within your team and cross-functional collaboration Practical ways to align with stakeholders, navigate conflicting priorities, and communicate progress toward big goals I loved Heidi’s reminder that collaboration is not about involving everyone in everything. It is about being intentional, drawing on the right expertise at the right moment, and creating enough trust for people to challenge each other without tipping into relationship conflict. Which is especially important in the complex environments teams are operating in. Smarter collaboration is not more collaboration, it’s better collaboration. If this episode resonated, share it with a leader or team who are navigating silos, stakeholder tension, or the complexity of cross-functional work. Links: ⁠Smart Collaboration⁠ ⁠Smarter Collaboration ⁠ ⁠Collaborating with GenAI: Lessons from Heineken’s Use of the “PowerBot”⁠ ⁠Using GenAI as a Collaborative Teammate

Many leaders are working hard to build cultures of trust, connection, and performance, yet people still leave work feeling unseen, overlooked, or undervalued. In this conversation, I sat down with Zach Mercurio, researcher, speaker, leadership development facilitator, and author of The Power of Mattering and The Invisible Leader , to explore why the need to matter is so fundamental to how we experience work and leadership. What I loved about this conversation is that Zach brings together deep research with practical leadership insight. We explore why mattering is more than belonging or inclusion, how meaningful work is shaped through everyday interactions, and why psychological safety may actually be mattering in disguise. This is such an important conversation for leaders who want to build thriving teams where people feel seen, heard, valued, and needed. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) – Introduction (00:46) – Introduction to Zach Mercurio (02:20) – Why mattering is a fundamental human need (03:05) – The research behind meaningful work (35:23) – Belonging vs inclusion vs mattering (37:08) – Why do perks not matter (37:33) – Mattering and psychological safety (39:05) – How leaders become a secure base (44:47) – Recognition vs affirmation (45:13) – How to help people see their unique contribution (53:04) – The one question leaders should ask their team (53:52) – Final Thoughts This is a refreshing reminder that people do not just want to belong, they want to know they are significant. They want to feel seen, heard, valued, and needed, and when that happens, it changes how they show up, how they contribute, and how safe they feel to learn, speak up, and grow. It also made me reflect on how easy it is for leaders to focus on structure, process, and performance, while overlooking the small daily moments that communicate care and value. This conversation is a reminder that thriving teams are built in those moments. When people feel that they matter, they act like they matter. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a leader who is trying to build a more human, grounded, and psychologically safe team.