Episode 7 of PiXL Pearls Series 9, hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), takes an unexpected route into a leadership superpower of fostering better conversations.

Using the rise, reinvention and return of speed dating as the lens, this episode explores what research reveals about connection: why four minutes can be enough to build rapport, how affirmation and well-timed interruption can deepen understanding and why a tiny bit of planning talk reduces anxiety and improves flow.

This is not an episode about dating. It is about the thousands of micro‑conversations that shape trust at work: corridor chats, stakeholder calls, one‑to‑ones, quick check-ins, tough feedback and small moments that decide whether people feel seen or sidelined.

Tune in to get more intentional, not more scripted – because connection does not happen by accident, it happens by design.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free downloads

 Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

 Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠

Charm is powerful. Discernment is paramount.

This episode of the PiXL Pearls Series 9 explores how charm can connect and elevate – and how it can also distract, manipulate and conceal what really matters. Hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), this episode uses the story of Enron to examine what happens when magnetic personalities, weak oversight and silence create the perfect conditions for ethical failure.

A powerful reflection on the bright and dark sides of charm, how “charm offensives” work, and why leaders and followers alike must learn to spot the difference between connection and performance.

Have a listen to get wiser as a leader, not wowed as a follower. Remember! Charm may catch your attention but discernment protects your judgement.

Plus, there are free downloadable resources on the PiXL website to help you take the reflection further.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free downloads

 Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

 Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 5 of PiXL Pearls Series 9 steps into the beauty industry’s meteoric rise and asks what its “glow up” can teach leaders about real, lasting change. Hosted by Rachel Johnson, this episode moves beyond products and playlists to the inner work of transformation – the shift from awkward starts to confident practice, and from solo excellence to helping others shine.

Tune in to hear how an industry powered by small luxuries, creators and micro‑influencers has reframed value, trust and attention, and why that matters for classrooms, staffrooms and boardrooms. Explore the difference between a surface makeover and a meaningful shift in mindset, how situational leadership turns pressure into progress, and what it takes to move from “blow up” to “glow up” without losing your footing.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠⁠⁠

One small habit built, one major leap for leaders.

In Episode 4 of this series of the PiXL Pearls, Rachel Johnson explores the lesser-known side of astronaut Chris Hadfield’s story. Not the rockets and headlines, but the rituals, humour and learning that kept him steady when the stakes were highest.

Selected for Canada’s space programme without any certainty of ever flying, Hadfield ‘turned himself into’ an astronaut through manuals, drills and hundreds of checklists. He was stress‑tested for claustrophobia, rehearsed disaster scenarios and even prepared for the emotional anti‑climax that follows life in orbit. Yet his anchor was simple: find signs of home, sweat the small stuff and create small moments of joy.

This episode shows how comfort is built, not found. It explores why leaders benefit from grounding themselves in what is familiar when everything feels uncertain, and why anticipating problems is not worrying but productive, because as Hadfield reminds us, ‘every single thing that you learn really just gives you more comfort’.

Tune in to get calm not complacent – because pressure may be unavoidable, but the comfort you design through habits, perspective and preparation can be exceptional.

Listen to Comfort and download the free resources on our website to deepen your reflections.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠⁠⁠ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠⁠⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠⁠⁠

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠⁠

Taylor Swift is not just a global music icon; she is one of the most strategically astute leaders of our time.

In this episode of PiXL Pearls, Rachel Johnson explores what truly sits beneath Swift’s extraordinary success. Beyond the record-breaking tours, the cultural moments and the internet-breaking releases lies a carefully crafted approach to ownership and energy.

From identifying an uncontested “blue ocean” audience at just 13, to resisting premature reinvention, to navigating criticism, conflict and public scrutiny with what can only be described as productive paranoia – Swift has built a career defined by intention rather than accident.

This episode examines how she has retained creative control, protected her core audience, responded to detractors and repeatedly evolved without losing her identity offering powerful lessons for leaders in any sector.

You don’t have to be a fan to learn from Taylor Swift. You just have to be paying attention.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠⁠ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠⁠

⁠⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠⁠

⁠⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠⁠

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠

⁠⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠

Unintended consequences are inevitable. Unintended opportunities are optional.

In Episode 2 of this series of the PiXL Pearls, Rachel Johnson uncovers the lesser-known effects of Abraham Lincoln’s now-iconic beard and the extraordinary story of the man it nearly ruined.

When Lincoln took the advice of an 11-year-old girl and changed his appearance, one small printing business collapsed almost overnight. What followed was not a tale destitution, but a radical reinvention and from the ashes of one business rose a legacy born of speed, creativity and resilience. 

This episode explores how unintended consequences can become unintended opportunities, why leadership demands movement (even when outcomes are uncertain) and how reframing setbacks can open doors we never intended to walk through.

Tune in to get better, not bitter – because consequences may be unavoidable, but the possibilities of where you’ll end up if you adapt are exceptional.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: ⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/⁠ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books: 

⁠ Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them⁠

⁠Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them⁠

⁠ Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead⁠

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

⁠ Subscribe on Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠ Subscribe on Spotify⁠

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking.The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: ⁠https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership⁠

In the opening episode of Series 9, Rachel Johnson revisits an extraordinary moment in history: an 11-year-old girl’s bold letter to Abraham Lincoln that altered not only his appearance, but the public imagination of a future president.

Weeks before the 1860 election, young Grace Bedell wrote to Lincoln with a candid suggestion: that he grow a beard to soften his “thin” face and win the favour of voters. What might have been dismissed as childish audacity instead became a catalyst for one of the most enduring images in political history.

 This episode explores why the story has resonated for more than a century. It offers a rare glimpse of Lincoln’s humanity in an era accustomed to curated images and strategic messaging. His willingness to listen, to change, and to honour the voice of a child invites us to reconsider what effective leadership looks like: responsive, humble, attuned to the people it serves.

 Tune in to hear Rachel's deeper lessons for leaders today on the power of small acts to shape change, the significance of symbolic gestures when entering a new season and the importance of using our voices even when we fear they make little difference.

 Lincoln’s beard may be iconic, but the story behind it is a reminder that leadership is, at its heart, profoundly human. And as Rachel hints at the end of the episode, this tale holds an unexpected twist  ̶  one that had unintended consequences for someone whose livelihood depended on Lincoln remaining clean-shaven.

Featuring Sonya Garcia from Pinedale Elementary, Clovis Unified School District, California, USA. With thanks to teacher Aide Garcia Madrigal. 

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: https://www.pixl.org.uk/ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books: 

Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them

Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them

Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe on Spotify

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking.
The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership

We think we know what strength looks like – superheroes, boxers, bodybuilders. Search online and the images confirm it: muscle, might and physical power.

But real strength often looks very different.

From Evander Holyfield to Rio Ferdinand, some of the world's most celebrated athletes quietly turned to ballet to sharpen their balance, focus and flexibility. Strength, it turns out, is as much about rhythm, control and grace as it is about power.

In this episode of the PiXL Pearls Podcast, Rachel Johnson (CEO, PiXL) unpacks the surprising ways strength shows up in leadership. With lessons drawn from ballet and beyond, she explores the "3Gs" of true strength: grunt, grit and grace – and why spotting, balance and composure are as critical to leaders as they are to dancers.

Expect challenge, perspective and encouragement as you reflect on your own leadership dance.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: https://www.pixl.org.uk/ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books:

Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them

Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them

Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe on Spotify

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership

Three men. One destination. Three very different approaches.

The early 20th-century Race to the South Pole has fuelled endless books, films and leadership lessons. Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen each chased the same goal, but history has judged them in radically different ways — heroes to some, flawed men to others.

In this episode of the PiXL Pearls Podcast, Rachel Johnson (CEO, PiXL) explores how hindsight reshapes reputations, what these expeditions reveal about decision-making under pressure, and why the essence of a leader often shows most clearly when things fall apart.

From compassion in the face of disaster to ambition that cuts corners, this story prompts us to ask: how will our own leadership be remembered? And when pressure comes, what will spill out of us?

Expect reflection, challenge, and lessons that go far beyond the ice.

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: https://www.pixl.org.uk/ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books:

Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them

Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them

Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe on Spotify

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership

We say we value kindness. We talk about ethics, creativity, and community. Yet in the push for results and profit, these often slip through our fingers. Can you really be both principled and profitable?

In this episode of the PiXL Pearls Podcast, Rachel Johnson (CEO, PiXL) explores the paradox at the heart of Lush – a business that makes bubbles and bath bombs while building an "oasis of kindness." From playful innovation to ethical leadership, from profit to purpose, this is a story of holding opposites in tension and thriving because of it.

Expect inspiration, challenge, and a fresh perspective on what it means to lead in today's "Kindness Economy."

If you enjoyed PiXL Pearls...

Check out the PiXL website: https://www.pixl.org.uk/ for free downloads

Read Rachel's three books:

Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them

Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them

Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead

Listen to the PiXL Leadership Bookclub.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe on Spotify

PiXL Pearls are short reflections on life and leadership which inspire, encourage, motivate and challenge thinking. The series is hosted by Rachel Johnson (PiXL CEO), who draws on literature, life and experience in leadership to explore different elements of what it is to be a good leader and how we can become even better leaders, both in and out of schools.

PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.

PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership