People First! with Morag Barrett

Recognition isn’t a new idea. And yet, engagement continues to decline.

In this conversation, Morag and Chester Elton explore why gratitude and recognition remain underutilised—and how leaders can create meaningful change in the moments they control.

⏱️ Key Moments

• 00:01 From broadcasting to recognition 
• 04:21 Why recognition creates real business impact 
• 09:47 The disconnect: why engagement is still falling 
• 12:09 Broken trust and the employer-employee relationship 
• 14:23 What leaders can control (even in broken systems) 
• 15:50 The ripple effect of appreciation 
• 17:27 Why culture spreads through small teams 
• 18:30 Designing a life of gratitude 
• 20:33 The power of random acts of kindness 
• 22:14 The “gratitude stone” story 
• 25:22 Making kindness a daily discipline 
• 26:48 “You have to choose to be offended” 

💡 Key Takeaways

• Recognition is still seen as optional—and that’s the problem 
• Leaders underestimate how much small moments matter 
• Culture isn’t built at the top—it’s built in teams 
• Gratitude isn’t a mindset alone—it’s a practice 
• You don’t need permission to create a better culture around you 

• (00:01) - From broadcasting to recognition

We’re more connected than ever. So why do so many leaders—and teams—feel disconnected?

In this episode of People First!, Morag speaks with Rhea Ong-Yiu about the growing gap between doing work and actually connecting at work.

They explore:

• Why transformation doesn’t happen as quickly as leaders expect 
• The difference between “doing” and “being” in leadership 
• Why structure doesn’t restrict people—it can liberate them 
• How AI is amplifying the need for human connection 
• The role of community in creating meaningful work 
• Why showing up matters more than joining another platform 

This isn’t about adding more to your day. It’s about changing how you show up in it.

• (01:55) - From expectations to finding your own path

Menopause isn’t a moment. It’s a journey that can last years—and affect how people show up at work every day. 

So why are we still not talking about it?

In this episode of People First!, Morag sits down with Becca Borden to unpack the reality of menopause—and why it’s often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or ignored.

They explore:

• Why menopause is more than a single point in time 
• The wide range of symptoms most people don’t connect 
• How women can go years without understanding what’s happening 
• The role of hormone therapy—and why it’s often misunderstood 
• What women can do to better advocate for themselves 
• Why organizations need to start paying attention 

This isn’t just a health conversation. It’s a workplace conversation.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Menopause is a long-term transition—not a single event 
• Symptoms are often misunderstood or misdiagnosed 
• Women need better information—and better advocacy tools 
• Small lifestyle changes can make a significant difference 
• Organizations have a role to play in supporting this conversation 

Learn more about Becca: https://hotstuffcoaching.com/about-menopause-coaching

We all have coworkers who frustrate us. Different styles. Different approaches. Different ways of thinking. According to Stephen Shapiro, that’s not a problem—it’s your advantage.

In this episode of People First!, we explore why teams struggle not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of difference—and how misreading people leads to disengagement, poor performance, and stalled innovation.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

• Why teams become “cult-like” (and why that’s risky)
• How different thinking styles impact innovation 
• The hidden cost of mislabeling people 
• Why strengths can become weaknesses 
• How to build teams that actually perform under pressure 
• The real purpose behind Personality Poker 

💡 Key Takeaways

• Innovation needs different perspectives, not agreement 
• Teams often overvalue similarity 
• Misalignment drains energy and performance 
• The people who frustrate you often fill critical gaps 
• High-performing teams value all contributions 

🔗 Connect with Stephen Shapiro

• Website: theinnovationspeaker.com 
• Personality Poker: personalitypoker.com 
• Book: fulldeckbook.com 

• (00:00) - Introduction


We talk about performance, productivity, and potential. But what if we’re misunderstanding how some of our best people actually work?

In this episode of People First!, Morag sits down with Sandra Crespo to explore how ADHD and neurodiversity show up in the workplace—and why many systems unintentionally create friction instead of support.

🎯 What You’ll Learn

• Why ADHD is often missed—even by high performers 
• The hidden cost of “fixing” vs understanding 
• How leaders misinterpret neurodivergent behaviours 
• Simple workplace changes that unlock performance 
• Why “reasonable accommodations” might be the wrong model 
• How to design environments where people can actually thrive 

💡 Key Takeaways

• Neurodiversity is often misunderstood as a deficit 
• Success can mask underlying struggle 
• Small environmental changes can have a big impact 
• Leaders don’t need all the answers—but they need awareness 
• Designing for difference benefits everyone 

🔗 Connect with Sandra Crespo

• Website: theneurospicysw.com 
• LinkedIn: Sandra N. Crespo 

• (00:00) - Introduction

When Leaders Become the Bottleneck.

Why Letting Go Is the Hardest and Most Important Leadership Skill.

Most leaders I work with aren’t trying to control everything. But somewhere along the way they become the person every decision, every problem, and every stalled project flows through.

Not because their teams are incapable. Because leadership quietly turns them into the hub of everything.

In this week’s People First! podcast, I sit down with author and entrepreneur Atiba de Souza, who wrote The Delegation Trap: It’s Not Them, It’s You.

We unpack a tension many leaders recognize:

• Why leaders struggle to let go even when they know they should

• The hidden cost of the “superhero leader” mindset

• Why teams often perform at 80% when leaders don’t create ownership

• The shift from doing the work → building a team that thinks like owners

One line from our conversation stuck with me: “Good is the enemy of great— and most teams get stuck at good when leaders stay in the middle of everything.”

And a question for you: Where might you be unintentionally acting as the bottleneck for your team?

Learn more about Atiba here:
Website: thedelegationtrap.com 

LinkedIn: meetatiba.com 

Intentions don’t matter.

At least not as much as most leaders think.

In this week’s episode of People First, I sat down with Trevor Blondeel, founder of Manufacturing Greatness, and we unpacked a moment many leaders quietly recognize.

Trevor was running a plant meeting. He explained the plan. Gave direction. Walked out thinking everything was clear. Then his assistant pulled him aside. “You really pissed those guys off.” That moment led to a realization many leaders eventually face:

Good intentions don’t guarantee good leadership. Because leadership isn’t judged by what we meant. It’s judged by how our actions land with others.

In our conversation we explore:

• Why good leaders sometimes damage relationships without realizing it
• The disconnect that often exists between leadership and the front line
• Why curiosity is one of the most underrated leadership skills
• The three conversations that can transform how teams work together

1️⃣ How are we showing up?
2️⃣ What are the expectations?
3️⃣ Where does accountability sit?

Simple conversations.
But most teams never actually have them.

If you lead people — whether in manufacturing, healthcare, tech, or anywhere in between — this episode is a reminder that the real work of leadership isn’t control. It’s connection.

🎧 Watch or listen here:
 [YouTube link]

And a question for you: When was the last time you asked someone, “How am I showing up for you?”

Culture doesn’t grow from strategy decks or value statements. It spreads.

In this episode of People First!, I sat down with Kyle S. King and Daniel Freeman, the organizers behind the Contagious Culture Conference—where I’ll also be speaking this year.

Our conversation explored something many leaders overlook:

Culture is built through relationships.

Not policies.
Not posters.
Not slogans.

Through how people treat each other every day.

Kyle and Daniel describe three pillars they see in organizations that create lasting impact:

• Kindness — how we show up for one another
• Community — the relationships that hold teams together
• Capital — the resources that allow good ideas to scale

Remove any one of those, and the culture weakens. But the idea that stayed with me most from our conversation is this:

People are hungry for connection again.

After years of disruption, remote work, and organizational change, many teams are operating with functional relationships—but very little real connection. And without connection, culture becomes fragile. If leaders want stronger cultures, the work isn’t abstract. It starts with the everyday interactions between people.

🎧 The new People First! episode is live.

Care has a reputation problem.

Too soft. Too sentimental. Not “serious leadership.”

In this episode of People First!, Morag Barrett and Kristin Stapleton explore leadership development, workplace relationships, and why care may be one of the most misunderstood drivers of high performance. Together, they discuss how connection, accountability, respect, and empowerment create stronger teams and more sustainable results.

Kristin shares the CARE framework, a practical approach to leadership built on four principles:

• Connection
• Accountability
• Respect for alternative perspectives
• Empowerment

Through personal stories, leadership lessons, and practical examples, Kristin explains why care is not the opposite of accountability. Instead, it creates the trust, ownership, and collaboration that allow teams to achieve more together than they can alone.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership multiplication begins when leaders move beyond ego and embrace collaboration.
• Connection creates the foundation for trust, teamwork, and performance.
• Accountability starts with personal ownership rather than pointing fingers.
• Respecting different perspectives leads to stronger decisions and innovation.
• Empowering others creates momentum that spreads across teams and organizations.

In This Episode

• Why relationships accelerate leadership success
• The leadership failure that changed Kristin's career
• The airport experience that inspired the CARE framework
• How leaders create accountability without blame
• Why diverse perspectives improve team performance
• The role empowerment plays in multiplying results
• Three questions to help identify your unique strengths
• Why self-care remains foundational to effective leadership

Frequently Asked Questions

What does CARE stand for? Connection, Accountability, Respect for alternative perspectives, and Empowerment.

Can leaders care about people and still maintain high standards? Yes. Care strengthens accountability, trust, and ownership while maintaining expectations for performance.

Why is care important in leadership? Care creates the conditions for stronger workplace relationships, greater collaboration, and sustainable high performance.

Related Episodes

• Recognition Done Wrong with Chester Elton
• Psychological Safety Isn't a Slogan with Bryan Powell
• When Inclusion Isn't Easy with Vered Kogan

Connect with Kristin Stapleton:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kstapleton-growth-catalyst/
YouTube: https://youtu.be/plSFC2bJJVs

Connect with Morag Barrett:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/

Website: https://www.skyeteam.com

Subscribe to People First! for conversations on leadership development, workplace relationships, team culture, and human connection at work.

We love to attribute high performance to talent. Charisma. Intelligence. Experience.
But in this week’s People First! conversation with Christian “Boo” Boucousis, we explore a harder truth:

High-performing teams aren’t built on talent.
They’re built on design.
Under pressure, three things matter:

1. A clear mission
2. A disciplined method
3. The right mindset

Without clarity, teams drift.
Without method, they scramble.
Without mindset, they fracture.

The teams that consistently perform don’t rely on brilliance.
They rely on alignment.

If you’re leading a team in uncertain conditions, this episode will sharpen how you think about performance — not as inspiration, but as architecture.

Listen in.