The HR Uprising Podcast

By Lucinda Carney

Welcome to the HR Uprising Podcast. This engaging podcast explores HR ‘hot’ topics and challenges through conversations with relevant experts and real-life HR; O.D. or L&D professionals. HR Uprisi... more

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How many episodes does The HR Uprising Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 287 episodes available.

The HR Uprising Podcast episodes:

June 22, 2026Passion to Performance with Laura Best
Author, keynote speaker, and Passion Collective community founder Laura Best shares her personal journey from corporate burnout to becoming a leading expert on the power of passion in the workplace. Moving beyond simple definitions of engagement and purpose, Laura introduces the academic framework of the Dualistic Model of Passion, distinguishing between healthy harmonious passion and destructive obsessive passion.
She offers practical advice on how to stop running on pure grind, look past rigid corporate purpose statements, and intentionally sprinkle small, self-affirming sparks of personal passion back into their weekly routines.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
While purpose gets you out of bed in the morning, passion is the energy that drives and sustains you through the mundane tasks of the workday.

Authentic workplace satisfaction relies on cultivating harmonious passion which encourages connection, curiosity, and autonomy rather than destructive, obsessive passion that damages health and relationships.

Professionals often focus on what they want to acquire (titles, offices, status) instead of defining how they actually want to feel in their careers.

You don't need to overhaul your entire life to fight disconnection; intentionally scheduling just one hour a week to dabble in something you love can dramatically revitalise your well-being.
BEST MOMENTS
“I had the career that I always really wanted and that I'd built and sacrificed for. And yet, I got to this point where I literally felt like I was flatlining inside."
"Purpose can be a grounding, noble thing that we've got, but passion is truly the motivational force that can propel us forwards, upwards, sideways."
"Your goal should be based on what you want to acquire versus, how do you want to feel?"
"My word is 'fizzy' this sense of fizziness when I'm doing something that I love. And I know it sounds silly and stupid, but I don't care because when I focus on the fact that when I feel this way. I'm actually helping myself and helping other people."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT LAURA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauracbest/
Passion Collective Website: https://www.passioncollective.co/
Passion Collective Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passioncollective/
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
39min
June 08, 2026Beating Imposter Syndrome in High Performers with Laura Ogilvie-Jones
Lucinda welcomes career and leadership coach Laura Ogilvie-Jones to explore the rising corporate phenomenon of "comparativitis" where high-performing, senior professionals secretly lose confidence due to the pressures of social media, rapid technological change, and AI.
Laura shares her insightful, values-driven coaching methods such as the North Arrow and Buzz Sheets to reveal how HR professionals can spot warning signs of fading confidence and foster environments of vulnerability to help leaders rebuild their self-assurance.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
High performers often project a polished professional image externally while secretly battling severe imposter syndrome and eroding confidence underneath.

Constant bombardment from social media platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram pressures professionals to compare themselves to others, leading to self-doubt and second-guessing.

True, sustainable leadership confidence is built not by maintaining a flawless, numeric-driven facade, but by embracing emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and self-awareness.

HR can identify leaders struggling with confidence by watching for noticeable behaviour changes, such as withdrawal from opportunities, overthinking, or uncharacteristic defensiveness.
BEST MOMENTS
"They may well appear very confident externally... but actually underneath they might be struggling, and they might be losing confidence and having wobbles, having doubts, but they don't feel able to verbalise that."
"The word I often use with my clients to talk about is 'comparativitis'. We are absolutely bombarded with images, news, communication about other people and what they're doing and how amazing they are."
"When I'm working with someone one-to-one, it's the first time they've ever actually been honest, vulnerable, and authentic about what is actually going on and how they're actually feeling."
"If you don't have that self-awareness, you're just, you know, blissfully carrying on."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
33min
May 25, 2026Fractional HR Consulting with Sharon Green
Lucinda talks to HR transformation specialist Sharon Green to demystify the evolving world of independent people professionals. Sharon draws on her extensive 20-year career to clearly distinguish between traditional interim management and the emerging trend of fractional HR, which offers scalable, long-term strategic leadership for growing businesses that don't yet need a full-time executive.
Packed with practical advice, the conversation explores the mindset, adaptability, and relationship-building skills required to thrive as a solo practitioner in a changing corporate landscape.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
While interim roles are typically full-time, project-driven, or coverage-based for a finite period, fractional roles provide ongoing, long-term strategic leadership on a part-time basis tailored to a company's growth stage.

Succeeding as an independent consultant requires a high tolerance for ambiguity, as practitioners must frequently step into unfamiliar corporate cultures and hit the ground running without formal onboarding.

The value of a senior interim or fractional professional lies less in highly specialised industry knowledge and more in transferable leadership skills and the ability to view business challenges from an objective, outside perspective.

Managing the exit phase of a consultancy contract with a thorough handover is just as critical as the onboarding phase to ensure long-term trust and sustainable change for the client.
BEST MOMENTS
"You're not really leveraging off your domain knowledge... it's more about the transferable skills and experience that you bring to that organisation and the outside-in perspective."
"Clients aren't paying to manage you... they're paying for you to manage the work that they are engaging you to deliver."
"Doing a good job at the ending is just as important as doing that good job right at the start to build those trusting relationships."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT SHARON
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharongreenchiara/
Chiara Consulting Website: http://chiaraconsultancy.co.uk/
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
34min
May 11, 2026Rethinking Employer Brand in 2026 with John Tarrant
Lucinda talks to John Tarrant, Managing Partner at DNA, to dissect the critical role of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in 2026. Moving far beyond simple marketing imagery, John explains how modern EVP must be an authentic statement of intent that bridges the gap between leadership perception and the daily reality of the workforce.
From navigating the post-COVID trust deficit to leveraging AI for data analysis without losing the human touch, this conversation provides a strategic seven-step roadmap for organisations looking to reduce attrition, slash recruitment costs, and build a truly distinct employer brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A successful EVP is not just about pretty pictures or marketing; it must be a distinct, authentic, and compelling reflection of the actual internal employee experience.

Strategic EVP development requires a deep-dive discovery phase to identify and fix the disconnect between senior leadership’s vision and the reality of employees on the ground.

Implementing a robust EVP is a business investment rather than a cost, capable of significantly reducing early attrition and decreasing the cost-per-hire through improved employer reputation.

While AI can efficiently analyse large data sets and streamline admin tasks, it cannot manufacture an authentic brand; over-reliance on AI-generated content risks creating a generic, unbalanced narrative.
BEST MOMENTS
“We’ve defined an EVP as the statement of intent as to what you stand for as an employer."
"If the rate of change in the external market is greater than that within the organisation, the end is nigh."
"Your EVP's got to be distinct. It’s got to be authentic, and it’s got to be compelling, because this thing is going to have to work hard for you."
"You’re not really in control of that narrative now, so you have to take control"
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT JOHN
John LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-tarrant-494363a/
DNA Website: https://www.wearedna.co.uk/
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
35min
April 27, 2026Thriving Talent with Aoife O'Brien
Lucinda reunites with leadership and culture specialist Aoife O’Brien to explore how organisational thinking has shifted over the last five years.
Moving beyond the foundational concept of "belonging," Aoife introduces her Thriving Talent framework—a holistic temple model built upon psychological safety and supported by three critical pillars: Workplace Culture, Individual Drivers, and Organisational Capabilities.
They dive deep into the nuances of psychological safety, the dangers of toxic cultures, and the essential role of self-awareness in leadership.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Organisational success is structured like a temple: Psychological Safety is the foundation, Culture, Drivers, and Capabilities are the pillars, and Leadership is the capstone that holds it all together.

True psychological safety is not about being nice or avoiding conflict; it is the ability to engage in candid, constructive conflict and admit failure without fear of retribution.

While 95% of people believe they are self-aware, research suggests the actual figure is closer to 15%. Effective leadership requires bridging this gap by seeking external feedback to understand the impact we have on others.

A toxic culture often stems from a mismatch between stated values and actual behaviours (how people are rewarded or treated). Authenticity requires total alignment between the two.
BEST MOMENTS
"Psychological safety is not the answer to everything; it is the means to the end."
"Silence is a clear sign that you have not created psychological safety."
"We don’t set out to create a toxic work environment; it just accidentally happens. But it takes acknowledging the elephant in the room to change it."
"Leadership starts with leading ourselves first before we ever think about leading other people."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Download the Burke Litwin Model of Change Resource
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT AOIFE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aoifemobrien/
Thriving Talent: https://thrivingtalentbook.com/
Aoife's Previous Episode 107: Belonging at Work
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
44min
April 13, 2026HR Compliance in an AI World with John Rood
Lucinda explores the critical intersection of AI governance and compliance within modern organisations with special guest John Rude, founder of Perceptual, who emphasises that as major regulations like the EU AI Act emerge, AI oversight must transition from a niche IT concern to a cross-functional responsibility involving HR, legal, and executive leadership.
They discuss how high-risk applications, such as recruitment and performance management, require robust documentation and ethical frameworks to mitigate bias and liability, providing a wake up call to action for businesses to implement internal AI policies and tiered literacy training to navigate the rapid evolution of technology safely and strategically.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Organisations must prepare for the EU AI Act, which is set to establish a global standard similar to GDPR. It categorises AI uses by risk, with high-risk areas requiring extensive documentation and management systems.

While AI governance often lands on the desks of HR or IT, it must be an organisation-wide effort. Restricting governance to a single department can lead to "Shadow AI," where employees use tools without oversight, increasing liability and bias risks.

Effective governance requires a tiered approach to training. Executives need to understand strategic risk, middle managers need function-specific context, and all employees require a baseline of AI literacy to avoid basic security pitfalls.

The absolute minimum requirement for any organisation today is an Internal AI Use Policy. This document acts as the first line of defence, defining how employees can and cannot interact with AI tools to protect company assets.
BEST MOMENTS
"If we say governance just belongs only in HR, or only in information security, or only in IT, it doesn't end up working... the policies we create to put governance into place have to filter throughout the entire organisation."
"The EU often times sets a global standard based both on their desire to act quickly on new items... and the expansiveness with which they're willing to regulate."
"It's the potential risk to individuals to over-benefit some and disadvantage the disadvantaged... it’s that kind of impact on humans if not used with great ethics."
"Every organisation needs an internal AI use policy, and if you don't have it, that really is in my mind like an emergency."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
...more
33min
March 30, 2026Measuring Inclusion with Paolo Gaudiano
Lucinda talks to Paolo Gaudiano, a scientist and entrepreneur who applies computer simulations and analytics to the field of DEI.
Paolo challenges traditional diversity initiatives that focus solely on demographic quotas, arguing instead for a data-driven focus on inclusion. By linking specific workplace problems, such as exclusion from meetings or career development disparities, to tangible financial losses like decreased productivity and increased attrition, he provides HR leaders with a powerful framework to align people strategies with the organisation’s bottom line
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Focusing on inclusion is more effective than focusing on diversity because it addresses the root causes of attrition rather than just chasing demographic quotas.

HR leaders can build a stronger business case for DEI by quantifying how poor employee experiences lead to visible losses in productivity and increased turnover costs.

True meritocracy is achieved only when an organisation ensures that career outcomes like promotions and bonuses are decoupled from an employee's identity.

Instead of starting with identity groups, organisations should identify their biggest operational problems and fix them, which naturally benefits underrepresented groups the most.
BEST MOMENTS
"The problem is not so much that we're not hiring enough people... it's a problem that these people are more likely to leave because we're not treating them the same way as other employees."
"I want to get to the point where the HR leaders are able to use these simple concepts... to measure the right metrics and to be able to link them to the financial KPIs."
"It's easy to have a complicated idea, but it's very, very hard to have a simple idea."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT PAOLO
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgaudiano/
Book: https://measuringinclusion.com/book
Aleria Website: http://www.aleria.tech/paolo-gaudiano
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
38min
March 16, 2026Preventing Harassment with Dr Enya Doyle
Lucinda welcomes Dr. Enya Doyle, known as the "harassment doctor," to discuss effective strategies for preventing harassment in the workplace.
Dr. Doyle shares her background in academic research, particularly her PhD on sexism in classical music, and emphasises the importance of recognising and addressing harassment in all organisational settings, especially in smaller businesses where HR resources may be limited.
The conversation explores the significance of awareness, the role of leadership in fostering a respectful culture, and practical steps for HR professionals to take, including the need for tailored policies and the value of open communication
KEY TAKEAWAYS
It's crucial for HR professionals, especially in smaller organisations, to recognise that harassment can occur anywhere, regardless of the size or culture of the workplace. Silence or lack of reports does not mean that harassment is not happening.

Organisations should regularly examine their cultural norms and practices. Questions like "What would be considered normal behaviour here?" can help identify potentially harmful practices that may be overlooked.

Policies on harassment should reflect the reality of the workplace and be tailored to the specific industry. Generic, cookie-cutter policies are ineffective if they do not address the unique circumstances of the organisation.

Training should not be limited to e-learning; instead, it should involve interactive discussions and real-life examples.
BEST MOMENTS
"It's really important... just because you are a HR department of one doesn't mean that people, individual bad actors or systems aren't going to create an environment where people are going to bully or harass their colleagues."
"If you were to receive a phone call from the police to say that one of your employees had been arrested for sexual assault, who do you not be surprised about?"
"Please don't make your entire harassment prevention strategy e-learning. If you do absolutely nothing else that I've said, please do not make that your entire strategy because it won't work."
"Curiosity is key. The one piece of advice that I always give... is ask one more question. Just be curious."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
41min
March 02, 2026Helping The Squeezed Middle Manager with Gary Cookson
Lucinda welcomes special guest Gary Cookson, an expert in leadership development and author of the upcoming book, The Squeezed Middle, to talk about the evolving and often invisible role of middle managers, who act as vital buffers and translators between senior strategy and frontline execution.
They explore how modern shifts like hybrid work, AI integration, and a greater organisational focus on individual well-being have transformed the middle management profile from a process-driven role into one defined by "learnership," high emotional intelligence, and lateral influence.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Middle managers are the "value zone" of an organisation where abstract strategy is translated into practical reality and organisational culture is truly embodied through daily interactions.

Remote and hybrid work have moved management from sensory observation (eyes and ears) to digital data processing, requiring managers to master asynchronous communication and new ways of gathering information.

There is an increasing demand for managers to treat employees as unique individuals rather than a collective group, necessitating high interpersonal skills and the ability to navigate individual well-being and career aspirations.

With the rapid onset of technologies like AI, managers are no longer expected to have all the answers; instead, they must model "learnership" by being open to unlearning old habits.
BEST MOMENTS
"If you want to know the true value of a middle manager, get rid of them. See what doesn’t happen as a result, and see what does that they're not there to stop happening."
"Strategy becomes reality, plans become real... it's a very misunderstood and often quite intangible role."
"It’s never important to have all the right answers; it’s more important to have all the right questions."
"You can't expect people to just swim when you throw them in the water for the first time... if you throw somebody in the water for the first time and they drown, that's on you, not on them."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
CONTACT GARY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garycookson/
Pre-order 'The Squeezed Middle': https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/isbn/9783111713748/html
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
...more
30min
February 16, 2026Leading with Heart with Roxanne Hobbs
Lucinda is in discussion with Roxanne Hobbs, founder of the Hobbs Consultancy, about the importance of leading with heart in the workplace.
They look at how empathetic leadership can foster inclusive and high-performing cultures, and Roxanne shares her journey from the advertising industry to advocating for women in leadership, highlighting the significance of balancing empathy with accountability.
They explore the complexities of modern leadership, emphasising the need for leaders to embrace both emotional intelligence and performance-driven strategies.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
And empathy-led approach fosters a more inclusive and high-performing workplace culture.

The model consists of three pillars: Connection (empathy and accountability), Authenticity (vulnerability and boundaries), and Consciousness (self-awareness and decisiveness). Leaders should strive to balance these elements to enhance their effectiveness.

Leaders need to engage in personal work to overcome past experiences and fears that may hinder their ability to lead with heart

A holistic approach helps identify underlying cultural issues and promotes sustainable performance.
BEST MOMENTS
"I want people to lead with heart, but I can't possibly say that out loud in the workplace. And he said, why not?"
"If you're using fear to push people harder, there's only so far you can go with that before people will completely disengage."
"The strength lies in the “and”. It's about being empathetic first and holding you accountable."
"It's not something extra, it's not something that costs money, but it's how can people really just consider it."
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Leading with Heart Whitepaper: https://thehobbsconsultancy.com/leading-with-heart-whitepaper/
The HR Uprising Podcast | ⁠Apple⁠ | ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Stitcher⁠
⁠The HR Uprising LinkedIn Group⁠
⁠How to Prioritise Self-Care (The HR Uprising)⁠
⁠How To Be A Change Superhero - by Lucinda Carney⁠
HR Uprising Mastermind - ⁠https://hruprising.com/mastermind/⁠
⁠www.changesuperhero.com⁠
⁠www.hruprising.com⁠
Get your copy of How To Be A Change Superhero by emailing at ⁠[email protected]⁠
ABOUT THE HOST
Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles and a further 10 as CEO of Actus Software where she worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. It was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.
“If you look up, you rise up”
CONTACT METHOD
Join the LinkedIn community - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13714397/⁠

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

Linked In: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucindacarney/⁠

Twitter: @lucindacarney

Instagram: @hruprising

Facebook: @hruprising
This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. ⁠https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
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27min

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The podcast currently has 287 episodes available.

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