Are you unintentionally holding your team back?

In this solo episode of the Happier at Work podcast, host Aoife O’Brien dives deep into her newly developed framework for understanding leadership blind spots through eight distinctive Leadership Archetypes. Drawing from years of leadership research and firsthand experience, Aoife explores how values alignment, needs satisfaction, and individual strengths impact team performance and engagement. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or new to managing teams, this episode offers a transformative guide to recognising your leadership patterns, overcoming hidden challenges, and creating an empowering work environment.

Curious about which leadership archetype you are? Take Aoife’s quick assessment at happieratwork.ie/archetype, and join the conversation on LinkedIn. What’s one thing you’ll do differently to become a happier, more effective leader?

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

1. The Happier at Work Leadership Archetypes Assessment and its foundation in values, needs, and strengths.
2. A breakdown of the three core psychological needs at work: autonomy, relatedness, and competence, and why ignoring unmet needs leads to frustration and disengagement.
3. How to spot your blind spots and move beyond them to cultivate happier, more engaged teams.
4. The importance of aligning both your personal values and your team’s values with the organisation’s mission for greater engagement and retention.
5. Why leadership archetypes are dynamic and how you can evolve from one type to another as your self-awareness grows.

Related Topics Covered:

Leadership, Values at Work, Psychological Safety, Purpose at Work

Connect with Aoife O’Brien | Host of Happier at Work®:

1. Website
2. LinkedIn
3. YouTube

Related Episodes You’ll Love:

Episode 223: Imposter Syndrome The Invisible Barrier to Workplace Success.

Episode 235: Empowering your Career and Overcoming Hurdles with Aoife O’Brien

Episode 254: How to Progress your Career with Purpose with Rumana Shaikh

About Happier at Work®

Happier at Work® is the podcast for business leaders who want to create meaningful, human-centric workplaces. Hosted by Aoife O’Brien, the show explores leadership, career clarity, imposter syndrome, workplace culture, and employee engagement — helping you and your team thrive.

If you enjoy podcasts like WorkLife with Adam Grant, The Happiness Lab, or Squiggly Careers, you’ll love Happier at Work®.

Website: https://happieratwork.ie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HappierAtWorkHQ

Mentioned in this episode:

Thriving Talent book

Book