82% of new managers step into leadership roles without any formal training. And yet, research shows your line manager has more influence on your mental health than your doctor, therapist—or even your partner.

In this episode of Work is Weird Now, we sit down with Naomi Regan—certified leadership coach, people & culture strategist, and co-founder of CAPE People Development—to explore one of the hardest and most overlooked transitions at work: moving from expert to leader.

🔑 What we cover:

• Why being promoted for technical expertise often sets you up to struggle as a leader
• Why leadership is really about conversations—not frameworks
• Naomi’s “hot potato test” to stop rescuing and start empowering your team
• What organisations must do differently when developing leaders
• How AI makes human-to-human leadership more important than ever

Naomi also gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming book, Beyond the Small Talk, where she explores the five conversations that truly make work work.

🎧 Tune in now for practical, thought-provoking insights on how to let go of being the expert, embrace leadership, and create the conditions for others to thrive.