The Boardroom by Heather Elkington

1 in 3 UK workers who left their job last year did it because of a bad manager. And 82% of managers are "accidental", promoted with no formal training.

Most of the managers you and I have had probably shouldn't have been managers at all.

In this episode, Heather shares the 10 small daily habits that stop you from becoming the leader people quit, and make you the manager they're still talking about years after they've left.

In this episode, Heather covers:

• Pushing back on meetings
• Being the agenda person
• Documenting everything
• Stop saying sorry
• Getting good at saying no
• The habit most managers get wrong
• Dilemma Diaries

Got a situation at work you don't know how to handle?

Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.

The Strategic Leadership Challenge is OPEN. It's 6 weeks to go from accidental manager to strategic leader → Tap here

New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

Want to understand how your team really feels about work? Try Custard free → Tap here

Are your 1on1 meetings with your team just status updates?

Here's how to run one-on-ones that actually work, with the questions and agenda I use.

Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky went viral for saying one-on-ones are a waste of time. My take: if you're running a multi-billion-pound company, maybe. But if you're a manager in the middle, your one-to-one meetings are how you spot problems before someone hands their notice in, and how you stop micromanaging for the rest of the week.

In this episode:

• Why managers need 1on1s
• Fortnightly vs 90-day 1on1s
• Let them talk 75%
• Questions beyond "everything's great"
• Never missing feedback on your management
• Handling promotion conversations
• The 90-day retention question

Because one-on-one isn't a waste of time. If you run them well, they're the most valuable 20 minutes in your diary.

Got a situation at work you don't know how to handle?

Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.

Free 90-day one-on-one meeting agenda → https://custardlearns.com/90-day-agenda-download

Join the waitlist for The Strategic Leadership Challenge. There are only 500 spots → Click here

New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.

Are you doing great work from home but getting overlooked for pay rises and promotions?

In this episode, Heather shares how to make working from home help your career rather than hold it back.

Proximity bias is real. A UK study of more than 900 managers found they were 11% less likely to promote people who work fully from home, and 68% of employers say being in the office significantly affects promotion chances.

• What proximity bias is
• The career-fatal assumption that your work speaks for itself
• How she went from 85k to 120k in one pay rise
• The Friday "loud list"
• How posting on LinkedIn got her noticed by the CEO of Sage
• How to manage up
• How to use office days strategically

Got a situation at work you don't know how to handle?

Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.

New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

Want to understand how your team really feels about work? Try Custard free → https://www.itscustard.com/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=EP19&utm_campaign=free_trial_promo&utm_content=ep19_wfh_showdescription

Join 32,000+ managers in the Custard Culture Club → https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

Heather shares the 5 business rules behind the £1M she’s made since leaving her corporate job, with a team of three.

Heather reveals that one of the best emails she’s received is from an angry customer. From there, she breaks down the principles that guide every decision in her business and her leadership.

You’ll learn:

• How to take accountability, even when it's not your fault
• How to handle criticism without getting defensive
• How to control your reaction to things you can't control
• How to stay focused while running two businesses at once

Got a leadership or work dilemma? Send it to [email protected]. Everything stays anonymous.

Get Heather's weekly leadership tips every Tuesday: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard (tap here).

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

What do you do when you have a difficult manager?

Maybe they’re inconsistent, make empty promises, message you at all hours, fill your diary with unnecessary meetings, or make you feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells.

In this episode, Heather breaks down how to manage up and take back some control when you can’t control the person above you.

You’ll learn how to:

• Give difficult feedback upwards
• Set boundaries around your time and actually stick to them
• Deal with managers who make everything feel urgent
• Say no to meetings without looking difficult
• Stop letting your manager’s moods dictate your working day
• Know when you’ve tried enough and it might be time to leave

Because managing up isn’t about trying to manage your boss. It’s about taking ownership of what you can control, communicating clearly and protecting the boundaries that allow you to do your best work.

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.

Free 90-day 1on1 agenda: Click here

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

We are back after a two week break, Heather is officially a married woman 💍 and we are finally answering some of the dilemmas you’ve emailed us at [email protected].

From navigating friendships at work and managing someone who could have had your job, to handling a difficult peer when you have no authority over them, Heather breaks down what she would actually do in each situation.

We get into:

• When friendship and leadership blur
• Dealing with resentment at work
• Managing someone who competed for the same job
• Seeking approval from your team
• Challenging a difficult peer

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in → [email protected]

New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.

And btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week. Join here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

Hiring someone is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a manager, but how do you actually know who’s going to be great once they’re in the role?

In this episode, Heather breaks down the interview process she uses to hire brilliant people, from attracting stronger candidates to making the final decision with confidence.

She covers:

• The interview questions that help you spot great candidates
• What to look for beyond skills, experience and a polished CV
• How to structure an interview process that actually works
• How to score candidates and make more confident hiring decisions
• How to reduce bias and avoid relying too heavily on “gut instinct”

If you’re hiring someone soon, growing your team or want to get much better at recognising great people in interviews, this episode gives you a practical process you can actually use.

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.

New episodes every Wednesday at 8AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in.

Find out more at Custard.

And btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week. Join here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

How do you support someone struggling with their mental health while still holding them accountable for their performance?

In this episode, Heather shares:

• How to balance empathy and accountability
• Supporting mental health and burnout
• When performance conversations are needed
• Supporting the team without becoming the therapist
• What ruinous empathy looks like
• How underperformance impacts team trust

Because being a supportive leader doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is be clear about what needs to change, while still treating someone with empathy.

If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in.

Find out more at Custard.

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.

New episodes every Wednesday at 8 AM.

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

And btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week; join here: The Custard Culture Club

Is AI really coming for middle management?

Heather believes that is the wrong question.

The better question is which parts of management AI will replace, and which human leadership skills are about to become more valuable than ever.

In this episode, Heather covers:

• Why some parts of management are more vulnerable to AI than others
• Being a manager vs a leader at work
• How to stay valuable
• Build visibility as a manager
• How to stop feeling overwhelmed by AI

AI may change how managers work, but the leaders who combine human judgement with new technology could become more valuable than ever.

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.

New episodes every Wednesday, 8AM

And btw Heather sends practical leadership tips to over 30,000 managers across the globe, join the link here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

And if you are a manager or business owner who wants a clearer picture of how your team is really doing and what to do about it, find out more at Custard.

Stoicism has changed the way I lead, handle failure, and respond when things don’t go to plan.

In this episode, I’m sharing the Stoic principles I’ve used for years to become calmer, more resilient and more intentional in the way I lead.

Breakdown of this episode:

• How to separate what you can control from what you can’t
• How to respond when things go wrong instead of reacting emotionally
• Why failure and mistakes can actually make your team stronger
• How to take ownership without constantly blaming yourself
• The role ego, comparison and other people’s opinions can play in your decisions
• The simple habits I use to manage my thoughts

If you want to handle pressure better, overthink less and become a calmer leader, this episode is for you.

And if you’re a manager or business owner who wants a clearer picture of how your team is really doing, and what to do about it, find out more at Custard.

Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?

Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.

New episodes every Wednesday, 8AM

Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

And btw Heather drops practical leadership tips to over 30,000 managers every week, join the link here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home