What if the secret to better team results wasn't working harder, but leading differently?

Research shows that creating the right environment for people to thrive can boost team performance by up to 30% — and it all comes down to how you lead.

In the first episode of our new series on Leadership, Gwen and Will dive into Daniel Goleman's Six Leadership Styles — a framework that reveals why no single "best" way to lead actually exists.

Together, they unpack each style: what it looks like, when it shines, and how to wield it with real impact. Along the way, they explore the surprising power of vocal tone, why knowing your natural go-to style matters, and why your biggest growth often lies in the styles that feel the most unfamiliar.

But here's the catch: the wrong style can quietly erode the trust you've worked hard to build.

Listen to discover how to lead with the kind of versatility that turns good managers into great leaders.

Lack of pay rise. Unacceptable behaviour. Awkward chats about personal issues such as hygiene or dress...

In this episode Gwen and Will tackle the conversations every manager fears — and keeps putting off.

Building on the last episode on feedback, they dive into the most difficult conversations you'll ever have as a leader, pulling from their own experience and tried and tested advice for navigating them with confidence. Because dodging these conversations doesn't just make them disappear — it erodes your team's trust and your credibility as a manager. Listen to uncover how to face the discomfort head-on and come out the other side as a stronger leader.

In this episode, Gwen and Will have an honest conversation about one of the most important — and most uncomfortable — parts of management: feedback.

They unpack what feedback really is, why it has such a powerful impact on performance, and how regular, well-delivered feedback can help build a culture where people don’t dread it — they actively seek it out.

Gwen and Will also explore the common reasons managers hold back: uncertainty about how to give feedback effectively, fear of damaging relationships, worries about emotional reactions, and the simple fact that these conversations can feel awkward for everyone involved.

They explore the difference between being nice and being kind when it comes to feedback.

Finally, they share practical techniques for delivering feedback with clarity and empathy, handling difficult reactions, and turning challenging conversations into opportunities for development and stronger working relationships.

In episode 2 of the manager series, Gwen and Will focus on the evolution of the performance management process, and the reasons why the process can feel like a “tick-in-the-box” exercise.

They talk about how managers need to focus on what’s most important, the conversation, and the ingredients of an effective performance conversation, including career expectations and development.

They look at why avoiding having these conversations can be perceived by employees as a lack of caring, and why saying nothing can create a gap that gets filled with assumptions, rumours or misunderstandings.

Lastly, they explore how regular informal performance conversations mitigate the impact of challenging ratings discussions by managing employee expectations.

Welcome to Season 2 of Talking Sense! The theme for this series is Management.

Gwen and Will talk about the definition of a manager, what they’re responsible for, and the challenges of the leap to manager. In particular the pitfalls of being a “super doer”, perhaps something that enabled the promotion in the first place.

They discuss how being a great manager first of all means a change of mindset, and how a manager’s focusshould be on ensuring they create a motivated and empowered team. Who, when they perform well, in turn reflects positively on the manager.

There also needs to be a willingness to deal with difficult situations, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, thereby removing the barriers to better performance.

Enjoy!

In this last episode of the first series, Gwen and Will discuss how the different conflict management techniques from the last session can help us deal with different opinions effectively.

Our mindset is key when dealing with other peoples’ opinions, and having an open or growth mindset will ensure we deal more effectively with our biases and adopt a more neutral state, thereby behaving less emotionally or irrationally.

Providing the right environment is also important, so giving people as much information as you can in advance of a discussion, as well as meeting people beforehand to “set the scene” really help, then people can air their opinions safely without the associated strong reactions.

This time Gwen and Will talk about how different needs drive the potential for conflict, and how levels of assertiveness and cooperativeness are key to identifying the most appropriate way to negotiate, using the five conflict management styles.

They discuss what you need to do when entering into a negotiating-type conversation, how each of the five styles are appropriate in different situations, and how they also depend on whether the outcome you want to achieve is to preserve arelationship or to achieve a specific goal.

They also talk about mindset, and how important it is that we maintain focus on the outcome, versus the awkward feeling when entering into this type of conversation.

In this episode, Gwen and Will build on ideas from the previous episode, exploring how to flex your style to influence others, even when they’re not immediately on board...

They break down practical techniques to reduce resistance, gain buy-in, and move ideas forward, from the power of words, pace and tone to smart, subtle selling strategies. They also unpack how influence shapes perception - and why mastering it is a defining skill for career success and great leadership.

Credits:

Original music by Matt Davis

In episode two, Gwen and Will dive into the real driver of great collaboration: rapport. It’s easy to connect with people like us—but what about those who aren’t?

They share simple, practical techniques to build rapport in any setting, whether face-to-face or remote, and explore how the right mindset can fast-track trust, strengthen relationships, and transform the way you work with others.

Credits:

Original music by Matt Davis

In this first of five episodes, Gwen and Will focus on the foundations of effective workplace communication, and how self-awareness plays such an important part in different situations, because people communicate differently.

They refer to the various different behavioural assessment tools available to increase your self-awareness, and they discuss each of the four Social Styles, the simplest tool to help with this.

With practical techniques to help you adapt and connect, this episode builds a core skill set that becomes increasingly vital as your career progresses.

Credits:

Original music by Matt Davis