In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Rachael Morgan, an experienced Head of Technology. She has worked in different industries, from the NHS, betting and gaming, and is currently in finance.

Zoe and Rachael dive into a challenge every technology leader will recognise. Between the excitement of project kick-off and the celebration of delivery lies an unpredictable and challenging phase that often determines success or failure. Rachael calls this the messy middle. It is the period where unknowns surface, processes expand or falter, and teams must navigate complexity while maintaining momentum.

Drawing on her experience across regulated industries and large-scale engineering environments, Rachael explains why tech projects get messy, why process alone cannot fix it, and why the human element always sits at the heart of delivery. She also shares the leadership practices and mindsets that help teams survive and thrive through the toughest parts of a project.

Discover

What separates a good team from a truly great one? In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham sits down with Sean Riches, founder and managing director of Erskine Nash Associates, to explore the science and psychology behind high-performing teams.

With over 20 years’ experience in leadership, organisational psychology, and consultancy, Sean has worked with global giants like Vodafone, Oracle, Microsoft, and TCS. Through his CAB model — Clarity, Alignment, Behaviour — he helps leaders and teams move beyond competence to excellence.

Together, Zoe and Sean unpack the real drivers of team effectiveness, from psychological safety to behavioural alignment, and share practical ways to measure and improve performance across thinking and feeling dimensions.

In this episode, discover:

The five key traits of high-performing teams (from Google’s Project Aristotle)

How to measure both the cognitive and emotional sides of team effectiveness

Why clarity, alignment, and behaviour are the foundation of lasting performance

How leaders can overcome fear, complexity, and disengagement

Real-world techniques for assessing and improving team dynamics

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In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham talks with Clare Sudbery — independent technical coach, consultant, and international speaker with over 25 years in software engineering. Clare has worked across healthcare, insurance, and travel, and now helps technical teams boost performance through clarity, alignment, and collaboration.

Together they explore ensemble working — also known as mob programming or software teaming — and why it’s a powerful shift from solo coding to true collective problem-solving. Clare explains how ensemble working speeds up delivery, reduces risk, and builds stronger, kinder teams that learn faster and work better together.

Discover:

What ensemble working is and how it extends pair programming

Why complex systems demand collaboration, not heroics

How agile and XP principles shape ensemble practices

The hidden costs of handoffs and meetings — and how to remove them

Why onboarding, training, and new features are ideal starting points

How kindness and fast feedback drive high performance

See Clare live on 16 October at Outpace Conf Manchester → outpaceconf.com

In this episode of The Digital Lighthouse, host Zoe Cunningham speaks with Catherine Stagg-Macey, executive coach, advisor, and host of the Unsaid At Work podcast. After more than 20 years in consulting and operations, Catherine has seen how traditional command-and-control leadership fails in fast-moving tech environments.

Together they explore why authenticity and vulnerability are not weaknesses but core strengths for today’s technology leaders. Catherine shares how letting go of the illusion of control, acknowledging challenges, and treating teams like adults can transform culture, build trust, and unlock better performance—even in turbulent times.

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