The Brave Next Step

As we step into a new year, I wanted to pause and challenge the way we think about New Year’s resolutions. I share why I am not a huge fan of big, dramatic goals set in January, and why so many of them quietly fall away by the end of the month.

This episode is about reframing resolutions as habits, and giving yourself permission to start, stop, adjust and recommit without judgement.

I also reflect on the goals that have actually worked for me, and the common thread between them. Small steps, realistic expectations and accountability made all the difference.

If you are feeling pressure to overhaul your life right now, this conversation will help you take a calmer, more sustainable approach to growth this year.

Highlights:

(01:10) Why a New Year’s resolution is just a goal in disguise

(02:58) The problem with all or nothing thinking in January

(04:47) Why habits take longer than 21 days to stick

(06:12) How small, flexible goals create lasting change

(07:45) The power of accountability when building new habits

(09:10) A realistic approach to health, strength and consistency

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

As we close out 2025, I wanted to slow things down and talk about gratitude, not in a cliched end of year way, but as a real, everyday leadership practice. 

I share research that shaped my own thinking, showing how much more weight negative thoughts and interactions hold compared to positive ones. Understanding this has changed the way I speak to myself and the way I show up for others.

In this episode I walk through my own weekly gratitude habits, the tiny moments that keep me grounded and the impact they have had on my mindset, resilience and leadership. I also explore what happens when we extend this practice to the people we lead, and how appreciation strengthens morale, engagement and trust. 

As the year wraps, I share the things I am most grateful for in 2025, what surprised me, what stretched me and the joy I have found in creating this podcast.

Highlights:

(01:42) The research that explains why negative thinking hits harder

(04:15) How I practise gratitude weekly in small, simple ways

(06:58) Why leaders must recognise what is going well, not just what needs fixing

(09:25) Building a team culture where appreciation is normal

(10:39) My personal reflections and wins from 2025

(12:55) A thank you to listeners and my hopes for 2026

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

This episode is a little different, because instead of sharing my reflections, I am handing the space over to you.

As we reach the end of the year, it is the perfect moment to pause, look back and make sense of what shaped you as a leader in 2025. Reflection is one of the strongest predictors of leadership growth, yet it is the habit most people skip when the pace picks up.

Across twelve thoughtful questions, I guide you through the moments that tested you, surprised you and changed you. You will explore what worked, what wobbled and what you want to bring into 2026 with intention.

If you follow the prompts fully, you will finish with clearer insight, better self awareness and a leadership focus you can actually commit to next year.

Highlights:

(01:42) Why year end is the ideal moment for reflective practice

(02:55) The question that reveals your most defining leadership moment

(04:30) How hidden assumptions shaped your choices

(06:05) Spotting unintended consequences you may have missed

(07:48) What recurring habits say about your leadership style

(10:12) Choosing the behaviour that will matter most in 2026

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

I loved recording this one because it is such a classic leadership trap. We rush straight into the topic, full of energy and opinions, but skip the one thing that would actually help us reach a decision. 

This episode came from a real moment on a rugby club committee where an innocent line in a terms of reference opened up a bigger question about what collective decision making truly means.

I talk through the simple shifts that help groups make decisions with far less friction. Whether you prefer consensus, majority rule or delegated accountability, the clarity you set at the start will shape everything that follows. 

If you want meetings that stop circling the drain and start creating momentum, this one is for you.

Highlights:

(01:32) The committee moment that sparked this whole episode

(02:40) Why groups stall when no one agrees the decision process

(04:05) The pitfalls of assuming consensus without saying so

(06:12) How majority rule works when not everyone agrees

(07:45) When one person should take the final decision

(09:10) The question to ask before any meeting with decisions ahead

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

In this episode, I reflect on something sparked by my son's athlete review and how the four part athlete development model mirrors the gaps we often leave in our own leadership growth. 

We are brilliant at focusing on skills, outcomes and delivery, but far less disciplined when it comes to the mental and emotional fitness that actually keeps us performing well.

I share my own experiences with therapy, coaching, supervision and mentoring, along with the very human moments that nudged me towards each. 

No single method solves everything, but a thoughtful mix creates the resilience and clarity we need for sustainable leadership. This is about choosing not to leave your psychological development to chance.

Highlights:

(01:36) The athlete development model that shifted my thinking

(03:12) Why leaders often ignore the psychological side of performance

(06:05) My experience of therapy and how it supported major transitions

(09:48) Coaching as a thought partner when the mind feels noisy

(12:41) Supervision and the deep insights it opened up

(14:55) How informal relationships can quietly spark real change

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

This episode starts with a moment at Twickenham that completely caught me off guard and ended up teaching me more about leadership than I expected. 

I was there to enjoy the Rugby match, not to learn a lesson, but what happened in those first few minutes made me stop and think about expectations, assumptions and how easy it is to react before you truly understand what is going on. It reminded me how important it is, especially in a new environment, to observe first and act later.

As I reflected on the woman behind me and her reaction, I realised how often we do this at work. We step into a new organisation or team and challenge something before we have taken the time to understand the culture, the behaviours or the unwritten rules. 

When we rush, we risk creating conflict or misjudgment that could have been avoided. Giving ourselves that brief pause, the one Viktor Frankl describes so well, helps us respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally. 

This simple moment at the rugby became a powerful reminder that leadership often begins with noticing.

Highlights:

(01:22) The unexpected moment at Twickenham that made me stop and think

(03:41) How quick assumptions can create unnecessary tension

(06:31) Why observing a culture first helps me lead better

(08:34) What I learned about espoused values versus real behaviour

(10:00) How pausing helps me respond rather than react

(10:44) Why Viktor Frankl’s model now stays in my mind at work

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

In this episode, I wanted to open up a conversation that has been pressing on my mind for months. 

So many HR leaders are running on empty, holding the emotional weight of organisations while feeling they have nowhere safe to take their own challenges. 

When I read the latest figures showing just how many people professionals are close to burnout and simply getting on with it, I knew we needed to talk about what is really happening and why the current system expects far too much from the people who support everyone else.

I invited Ben to step into the host seat so that he, Erica and I could explore this honestly. We discuss the isolation HR leaders face, the pressure of confidentiality, the emotional load of complex organisational decisions, and why supervision can offer the grounded support so many have been missing. 

This conversation means a lot to me, because HR deserves far better than carrying everything alone.

Highlights:

(01:32) The data around HR burnout that stopped me in my tracks

(03:23) Ben hosting as we dive into the emotional reality of HR work

(06:21) The invisible load people professionals are expected to hold

(11:02) How political and organisational pressures intensify the strain

(16:25) What supervision truly offers and why it is not a luxury

(31:12) Why we created The HR Space and what the year long container provides

https://mindvaluesleadership.co.uk/the-hr-space/

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

In this episode, I sit down with consultant, coach and author Steve Hearsum to talk about the uncomfortable realities of leadership, change and why there really isn’t a “fix it fast” solution for complex problems. 

We dig into his book There’s No Silver Bullet and explore why the need for certainty often stops leaders from doing the deeper, inner work that actually matters.

It’s a conversation about courage, fragility and the importance of dialogue – the kind that helps us face the messiness of real organisational life without pretending we’ve got all the answers. 

It’s smart, honest and full of those moments that make you pause and think.

Highlights:

(02:00) – Steve’s serendipitous journey from The Guardian to organisational development

(06:00) – The myth of fixability and why leadership “solutions” often fail

(10:15) – The danger of pretending to know the answers

(17:40) – HR, consultants and the “magician” role inside organisations

(25:00) – Why dialogue is the real silver bullet

(33:50) – Supervision, shame and doing the inner work that sharpens your practice

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

This week, I want to speak directly to the CEOs and managing directors out there - and honestly, to anyone leading a business. 

How often do you check in on your HR leader? Not just on their workload, but on their wellbeing? HR carries an invisible weight that so often goes unseen. They hold space for everyone else through restructures, grievances and endless waves of organisational change, but rarely have a space to process their own emotional load.

HR professionals deserve the same kind of reflective support that therapists and coaches receive - a safe, structured space for supervision where they can process what they’re holding. That’s what I’m committed to creating. 

So, if you’re a CEO or leader, I’m asking you to make this a priority. Give your HR team permission, budget and time to access proper support. When they thrive, your whole organisation does too.

Highlights:

(00:46) – A call to CEOs: are you checking in on your HR leaders?

(02:10) – The unseen emotional weight of the HR profession

(04:00) – My personal experience with burnout and what it taught me

(06:20) – Why HR needs supervision spaces, not just strategy

(08:10) – What real support could look like in practice

(09:30) – A direct invitation to CEOs to take action

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

What kind of leader are you when no one’s watching? 

In this episode, I’m talking about what it really means to lead from within - starting with who you are, what you stand for, and the values that shape your decisions. 

I share the story of how a misalignment between my personal values and my corporate role pushed me to make one of the biggest pivots of my life, and how clarity on my values became the foundation of my leadership.

If you’ve ever felt that quiet tug of dissatisfaction or wondered why certain situations feel off, this episode will help you see what your inner compass might be trying to tell you.

Here are the highlights:

Why “leadership from within” is the only place to start (01:20)

The moment I realised my values and work didn’t align (05:15)

How knowing your triggers reveals what you truly value (09:00)

Simple questions to uncover what matters most to you (10:45)

Why your personal values shape your leadership impact (13:00)

Connect with Emma:

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This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio