Truth, Lies and Work

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Truth, Lies and Work episodes

November 06, 2025247. Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast, with Dr Ryan Martin
It’s Thursday, and we’re back with a guest conversation built for leaders who want practical psychology without the fluff. Today: how to feel better, think clearer, and lead smarter with Dr Ryan Martin — The Anger Professor.

Guest intro
Dr Ryan Martin is a psychologist and emotion researcher known as The Anger Professor. In this conversation he explains why emotions are information, not emergencies, and how small, upstream decisions shape how you feel hours later. His new book lays out 50 research-backed “emotion hacks” that anyone can use at work and at home.

Episode summary
We start with a classroom exercise that reveals our brains still run ancient threat software. Ryan’s Why We Feel model shows how stimuli, mood, interpretation, feeling, and expression combine to create what we experience as emotion. He shares practical in-the-moment tools, then challenges leaders to address root causes: sleep, hydration, nature, worldview, and daily choices. We finish with a manager’s checklist for mapping emotional incidents and a simple mantra method for tough moments.

Key takeaways
Treat emotions as signals. They give you information and energy to act.

Most regulation happens upstream. Sleep, hydration, nature, movement, and digital boundaries set your baseline.

Worldview matters. Beliefs about people, self, and the future can drive anger, anxiety, or resilience.

Use in-the-moment tools wisely. Breathing, grounding, and naming the feeling help you de-escalate and think clearly.

Leaders need a map. Diagram the stimulus, mood, interpretation, feeling, and behaviour for yourself and for your team before you act.

Practical tools mentioned
Grounding: 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, and so on.

Mantras: a short phrase to anchor attention and guide the next step.

Nature with attention: unplug and actively notice what you see to reduce rumination.

Recognition over suppression: acknowledge the feeling, then choose the response.

Worldview audit: do I trust people, see myself as capable, and view the future as hopeful?
Resources and links
Pre-order Dr Ryan Martin’s new book, Emotion Hacks: 50 Ways to Feel Better Fast
https://www.amazon.com/Emotion-Hacks-Ways-Feel-Better-ebook/dp/B0F3WNB6HP
Find Ryan
Website: https://alltheragescience.com
TikTok and Instagram: @AngerProfessor
Substack: https://angerprofessor.substack.com

Support with Mental Health and Well-being
Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

Connect with Al and Leanne
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
Email: [email protected]
Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat
48 min
November 05, 2025 246. Career catfishing, outrageous interview hacks and recognition at work. PLUS! The truth behind the 10,000 hours rule.
It’s time for another This Week in Work — your Tuesday round-up of workplace news, research and real-world dilemmas. Hosted by Leanne Elliott, Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and Al Elliott, business owner.
This week: fake job ads, clever interview hacks, the power of recognition, and whether it really takes 10 000 hours to master anything.

🔥 Stories Covered
Career Catfishing
Nearly 80 percent of workers say they’ve been misled during hiring. The job they took wasn’t the job they got. Broken promises break trust fast.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nearly-80-us-workers-victims-183000581.html

Why People Keep Giving
MSc researcher Mary Luu found volunteers who give the most often feel happiest — because meaning and recognition matter more than reward.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trambaoluu/

Interview Hack or Workplace Deception?
A Reddit user says calling employers and claiming “I was told to schedule my interview” landed five callbacks. Smart or dishonest? It’s forcing everyone to rethink how hiring really works.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/InterviewCoderPro/comments/1ohsuq9/i_started_calling_companies_and_saying_i_was_told

🧠 Truth or Lie — The 10 000-Hour Rule
Does it truly take 10 000 hours to master something?
Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson’s research showed practice matters — but not that hours alone guarantee mastery. Quality, feedback and context count more than time.
Verdict: mastery takes effort and structure, not a stopwatch.

💬 Workplace Surgery
• Should you give a Christmas bonus or gift?
• How do you present a strategy you don’t believe in?
• What do you do when a new hire is 40 minutes late on day one?

🎧 Coming Up Thursday
Dr Ryan Martin — better known as The Anger Professor — joins Leanne and Al to explore how we can hack our emotions to perform better in life and work.

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

54 min
October 30, 2025245. How to dress for success: The surprising psychology of workwear, with Style Coach, Angela Foster
In today’s episode, Leanne and Al are joined by Angela Foster, an expert in the fashion and beauty industry with over 20 years of executive experience.Angela empowers high-achieving women to craft wardrobes that radiate confidence and align with their professional and personal goals.

Through her SPARK method, Angela has transformed how her clients think about fashion, helping them dress for success and feel their best every day.

In this episode, we explore:
Do first impressions really count? The science of enclothed cognition and how clothing influences confidence, cognition, and perceptions.

Why what we wear at work matters: How professional attire affects leadership perceptions and workplace dynamics

Crafting your signature look: From tailored staples to bold accessories, Angela shares tips to define a personal brand that’s unforgettable.

Navigating modern dress codes: Striking the balance between inclusivity, professionalism, and personal style in today’s workplaces.

Angela’s SPARK method: A five-step guide to understanding your body shape, building versatile wardrobes, and curating a style that works for you.

Key Takeaways:
Dress for Success: First impressions are formed in seconds, and attire plays a huge role in shaping them.

Create a Signature Look: Stand out with a style that reflects your personality and professional brand.

It’s Not About Buying More Clothes: Angela emphasizes starting with a strategy before shopping.

Professionalism and Confidence: Learn how the right wardrobe can boost your workplace confidence and enhance others' perceptions.

Inclusivity in Dress Codes: Angela shares practical advice for employers crafting dress codes that are fair, clear, and aligned with organizational values.
Angela’s Free Gift:
Take Angela’s Body Shape Quiz to discover the styles and silhouettes that suit you best. Visit ⁠AngelaFoster.co/Leanne⁠ to get started!
Connect with Angela:
Website: ⁠Angela Style Coach⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠Angela Foster⁠

Instagram: ⁠@AngelaStyleCoach⁠

Support with Mental Health and Well-being
If any of the topics in this episode have affected you, or if you need mental health support, please reach out to one of the following resources:
UK: ⁠Mind⁠ offers mental health support and information. For those in distress, call Samaritans at 116 123 or email [email protected].

US: Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.

Rest of the World: Visit ⁠Befrienders Worldwide⁠ to find a helpline in your country.

Connect with Truth, Lies & Work
YouTube: ⁠Truth, Lies & Work YouTube Channel⁠

TikTok: ⁠Truth, Lies & Work TikTok⁠

Instagram: ⁠Truth, Lies & Work Instagram⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠Truth, Lies & Work LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Al Elliott: ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Connect with Leanne Elliott: ⁠LinkedIn⁠

Email: Reach out at [email protected]

Book a Meeting: Schedule a meeting with Al & Leanne ⁠here⁠.
57 min
October 28, 2025244. Waitrose axes autistic volunteer, A.I. clones and managing hiring chaos. PLUS! Are first born children natural leaders?
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this week’s stories dig into workplace trust, exploitation, and the psychology of staying too long.

🔥 This Week’s Stories
🛒 Waitrose Under Fire for Axing Autistic Volunteer
A 27-year-old man with severe autism was reportedly “sacked” after his family asked if he could be paid for some of his work. After volunteering at Waitrose for four years and clocking up more than 600 hours unpaid, his placement was suddenly suspended.
We explore the line between inclusion and exploitation — and what true inclusive employment should look like.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15211181/Autistic-volunteer-sacked-Waitrose-family-asked-start-paid-years-stocking-shelves-free.html

🧠 AI Clones Are Coming for Your Coworkers
Two co-founders from the $2.1B AI recruiting startup Eightfold just raised $35M for a new company, Viven — an AI “digital twin” of every employee that lets coworkers message your clone when you’re offline.
We unpack the privacy risks, ethical dilemmas, and whether this is innovation or invasion.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/15/eightfold-co-founders-raise-35m-for-viven-an-ai-digital-twin-startup-for-querying-unavailable-coworkers/

📅 The 3-Month Notice Period Problem
Three-month notice periods used to be for senior executives. Now they’re everywhere — from middle management to entry-level jobs. We ask whether forcing people to stay longer is about succession planning or control — and what it’s doing to motivation and trust.
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/career-advice/working-three-months-notice-period-drain/

🧩 Truth or Lie: Are Firstborn Children Natural Leaders?
Firstborns dominate CEO lists and political leadership — but is it nature or nurture? We explore decades of research showing that while firstborns do have a statistical advantage, it’s more about parental attention and early responsibility than genetic destiny.

💬 Workplace Surgery
“How do I manage chaos when hiring without spending a fortune?”

“My manager invited me to lunch — do I have to go?”

“Can I opt out of birthday collections at work without looking antisocial?”
🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: ⁠https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/⁠– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email ⁠[email protected]⁠

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork⁠– Al Elliott: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott⁠– Leanne Elliott: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne⁠– Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠– Book a call: ⁠https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat
51 min
October 23, 2025 243. What if leadership didn't need a leader? With Psychologist and Author, Danny Wareham
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
This week, Al and Leanne talk to Danny Wareham, organisational psychologist and author of Constellation Leadership: Reimagined for a Connected Age, about why leadership might not need a single leader at all.
From Navy SEALs to small business teams, Danny’s research explores what happens when you remove the leader from the room — and discover that, in the right conditions, performance can actually increase.

🔥 What We Cover
📘 What is Constellation Leadership?
Danny introduces his model — a flexible, culture-driven approach where leadership shifts based on context and capability, not hierarchy or titles.

🧭 Why culture can replace hierarchy
Learn why clear purpose, shared trust and behavioural norms can guide teams more effectively than top-down control.

💡 The North Star principle
Before defining roles, policies or perks, Danny says every organisation must answer one question: why do we exist? That North Star then becomes the anchor for every decision.

⚙️ How small organisations have a natural edge
Danny’s research shows that companies under 150 people — below Dunbar’s number — perform best when they keep teams small, autonomous and purpose-led.

💬 The Navy SEAL mindset
We unpack “mission command” — how elite teams rotate leadership fluidly, with the person best equipped for each situation taking charge in real time.

🧠 The psychology of trust and autonomy
From imposter syndrome to cultural alignment, Danny explains what it really takes to create teams that lead themselves.

🎧 Want more from Danny Wareham?
– Website: dannywareham.co.uk
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-wareham/
– Constellation Leadership: https://dannywareham.co.uk/constellation-leadership/

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

47 min
October 21, 2025242. Amazon sacks HR, bosses blame Gen Z and new-job red flags. PLUS! Does your vibe really attract your tribe?
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this week’s headlines dive into generational friction, AI disruption, and Amazon’s latest layoffs — plus the psychology behind “Your vibe attracts your tribe.”

🔥 This Week’s Stories
🧃 Gen Z vs Everyone Else
The Telegraph says Gen Z are ruining the workplace — dodging phone calls, dressing down, demanding safe spaces, and setting firm boundaries. But is this generational chaos or cultural evolution? Leanne breaks down what’s really going on when work expectations clash across age groups.
📰 Source: The Telegraph – Six ways Gen Z are “ruining” the workplace

🤖 40 Jobs AI Might Replace (and 40 It Can’t)
Microsoft analysed 200,000 Copilot conversations to rank which jobs are most at risk from AI. Translators top the list at 98%, coders at 90%, and even DJs at 74%. But the real story isn’t about job loss — it’s about job evolution. Al explores how automation could actually create more work, not less.
📰 Source: Sky News – The 40 jobs most at risk from AI

📦 Amazon’s AI-Fuelled Layoffs
Amazon is reportedly cutting up to 15% of its HR division as CEO Andy Jassy doubles down on AI investment. Fortune reports that the People Experience & Technology team (PXT) is bearing the brunt. We unpack what happens to trust, culture, and psychological safety when “learn AI or be left behind” becomes company policy.
📰 Source: Fortune – Amazon plans new round of layoffs

🧠 Truth or Lie: “Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe”
Does your energy really shape the people around you — or is it just another social media myth? Leanne examines the science behind attraction, similarity, and social mirroring. From the “chameleon effect” to homophily, find out what really draws people together (and what pushes them apart).

💬 Workplace Surgery
A remote employee might secretly be working two full-time jobs — what should you do?

How do you motivate your team to actually upskill?

You’ve started a new job full of red flags — do you fix it or flee?

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat
50 min
October 16, 2025 241. What if meetings were the best part of your day? (Yes, really!). With Mamie Kanfer Stewart
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture — brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.
Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode is a masterclass on one of the most dreaded parts of working life: meetings.
Our guest is Mamie Kanfer Stewart — host of The Modern Manager podcast, author of Momentum, and founder of Meeteor — who has dedicated her career to transforming meetings from time-wasting nightmares into spaces for decision-making, creativity, and genuine collaboration.

🔥 What We Cover

📌 Why most meetings fail
Mamie shares how growing up in a culture that encouraged open, challenging conversations gave her a unique perspective — and why most organisations get the fundamentals of meetings wrong.

📌 Feedback conversations that don’t implode
Learn Mamie’s frameworks for difficult one-to-one meetings, including how to give feedback to someone more senior without tanking your reputation.

📌 Group decision-making without the chaos
From dominant voices to silent stakeholders, Mamie explains how to prepare for and run complex meetings that lead to real decisions instead of endless back-and-forth.

📌 The “zero to five” strategy
Mamie reveals a simple but powerful technique that turned a potentially hour-long battle into a 15-minute consensus — and how you can use it too.

📌 When meetings should be emails — and when they really shouldn’t
We tackle the internet’s favourite complaint. Mamie explains the real issue behind “this could’ve been an email” and why the answer isn’t fewer meetings, but better ones.

🎧 Want more from Mamie Kanfer Stewart?
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mamiekanferstewart/
– Meeteor: https://www.meeteor.com/
– The Modern Manager: https://www.themodernmanager.com/
– Mamie KS: https://www.mamieks.com/

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat
50 min
October 14, 2025240. Starbucks’ CEO fail, toxic superstars and Dubai’s Wolf of Wall Street? PLUS! Is Maslow's hierarchy a myth?
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work — the award-winning podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network. Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, every Tuesday we unpack the biggest workplace news stories, decode the psychology, and tackle real listener dilemmas.

🔥 This Week’s Stories

🍞 Breadcrumbing at Work
A new HR buzzword has arrived. Originally a dating term, “breadcrumbing” describes when managers hint at promotions, raises, or development opportunities but never follow through. In a shaky economy where pay rises and mobility are stalling, leaders may be tempted to keep talent with vague promises — but the psychology shows this kills trust and motivation.
Source: Cangrade, “2025 HR Buzzwords”
https://www.cangrade.com/blog/talent-management/24-hr-buzzwords-to-know-in-2025/

☕ Starbucks’ “Fabricated Empathy” Problem
New CEO Brian Nichol’s “Back to Starbucks” plan mandates scripted customer interactions — eye contact, cup messages, four-minute service times — alongside tighter dress codes and reduced remote work. The goal: revive sales. The risk: forcing fake connection and alienating both staff and customers.
Source: Minda Zetlin, Inc.com
https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/starbucks-just-announced-a-new-policy-its-a-failure-of-leadership/91243638
https://x.com/mindazetlin

📞 The Dubai Sales Machine
Would you make 100 calls a day for £24,000 a year? A London firm is hiring trainee wealth managers in Dubai with brutal daily quotas and little base pay. They call it “resilience.” We break down why high pressure without autonomy or purpose can wreck motivation.
Source: Louis Goss, The Telegraph
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/l/lk-lo/louis-goss/

🧠 Truth or Lie
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is on every business school slide, but is it actually true? We dig into the real history — including the missing “sixth level” Maslow added — and what modern psychology says about human motivation.

💬 Workplace Surgery
What do you do when your top performer is destroying team morale?

How can you keep remote teams genuinely connected?

And how do founders protect their wellbeing when the business never switches off?

🧠 Support with Mental Health and Well-being
– Mind UK: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
– Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123 or email [email protected]

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: [email protected]
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat
48 min
October 09, 2025239. Why your founder's culture dies at 50 employees (And what to do about it), with Work Futurist, Josh Levine
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture.
Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, this episode features Josh Levine, work futurist, author of "Great Mondays," and culture consultant who's helped companies like Credit Karma navigate the treacherous waters of hypergrowth.

Episode Summary
Picture this: You've built something special. Your team of 15 feels like family. Everyone knows everyone. The culture just works. But now you're staring down growth - maybe to 50, maybe to 100 employees. And there's this gnawing fear: what if scaling breaks everything we've built?

What We Cover
The 50-Employee Breaking Point
Why founder's culture has an expiration date and the physics behind cultural breakdown
From Implicit to Explicit
How to transform unspoken behaviours into values that actually scale beyond personal influence
The Three-Step Framework
Identify, codify, and communicate the most important decisions that move the needle
Why Most Values Fail
The difference between values as wall decorations versus business tools that drive decisions
Recognition Done Right
How Wells Fargo's outcome-focused rewards destroyed trust and what to do instead
Trust as Infrastructure
Why relational infrastructure matters more than physical infrastructure in distributed work
The WD-40 Case Study
How Gary Ridge reframed failure as learning and invested in humans, not just outputs
Measuring Culture at Scale
Why Employee Net Promoter Score captures what matters as you grow

Resources
Connect with Josh Levine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akajoshlevine
Follow Josh on Instagram: @greatmondays_culturedesign

Great Mondays website: https://greatmondays.com

Great Mondays Radio: https://radio.greatmondays.com

Great Mondays YouTube: https://youtube.com/@GreatMondays

Get the book "Great Mondays" at greatmondays.com

Mental Health Support
This episode discusses workplace stress, burnout, and the challenges of scaling culture. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health:
UK:
Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7 helpline) - https://www.samaritans.org/

Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 - https://www.mind.org.uk/
US:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7) - https://988lifeline.org/

NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) - https://www.nami.org/
International:
Befrienders Worldwide: https://www.befrienders.org/ (directory of crisis helplines worldwide)

International Association for Suicide Prevention: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/ (global crisis center directory)

Connect with Your Hosts
Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Join the discussion about this episode on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork/

Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram: @truthlieswork

Chat with us on X: @truthlieswork

YouTube channel: @TruthLiesWork

Check us out on TikTok: @truthlieswork
Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]
Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]
42 min
October 07, 2025238. Mr Beast on hiring A-players, digital hangovers and risky workplace humour. PLUS! Are tall people really more successful?
Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning podcast where behavioral science meets workplace culture.
Hosted by Chartered Occupational Psychologist Leanne Elliott and business owner Al Elliott, bringing you the latest workplace stories that actually matter.

News Round Up
Digital Hangover - The New Workplace Epidemic
That feeling when you've been on your laptop all day, mindlessly scroll Instagram, and suddenly feel wired but weirdly drained? That's a digital hangover.
Psychologies Magazine article: https://pocketmags.com/us/psychologies-magazine/oct-25/articles/the-science-of-wellbeing-how-to-shake-off-a-digital-hangover?srsltid=AfmBOorVwGPxFvEpTNB5EZru-bMQUVahEMrR_Nk5KLVp4daxRgI7CV3W

Is Workplace Humour Too Risky?
New research from Peter McGraw, Adam Barsky, and Caleb Warren suggests workplace humour might be too risky to attempt.
Research article: https://phys.org/news/2025-09-funny.html

MrBeast's Vibe Check: Smart Hiring or Commitment Avoidance?
The world's biggest YouTuber has introduced 90-day trial periods for all new hires, complete with temporary housing and rental cars. The goal is testing whether someone can adapt to high-speed, high-stakes production work.
Business Insider article: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-mrbeast-vibe-checks-new-hires-2025-10

Truth or Lie?
Are Tall People Really More Successfully
The verdict: TRUE, but with massive caveats. Research shows height correlates with career success - each inch predicts about £600 more in annual earnings. Since 1900, the taller US presidential candidate has won 81% of elections. But height explains only 7% of earning variation, leaving 93% to actual skills, education, and other factors. The effect operates through perceptual bias (we see tall people as more leader-like), modest correlations with intelligence and health, and self-fulfilling prophecies from being treated like a leader from childhood.

Workplace Surgery
Real listener questions this week:
How do you build a reliable team when you're used to doing everything yourself without losing quality control?

What do you do when you have to let someone go even though they're trying their best and improving?

How do you keep great people when you can't compete on pay with bigger companies?

Mental Health Support
This episode discusses workplace stress, burnout, and the impact of digital overload on mental wellbeing. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health:
UK:
Samaritans: 116 123 (24/7 helpline) - https://www.samaritans.org/

Mind: 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 - https://www.mind.org.uk/
US:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7) - https://988lifeline.org/

NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) - https://www.nami.org/
International:
Befrienders Worldwide: https://www.befrienders.org/ (directory of crisis helplines worldwide)

International Association for Suicide Prevention: https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/ (global crisis center directory)

Connect with Your Hosts
Connect with Al on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott/

Connect with Leanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Join the discussion about this episode on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork/

Email: [email protected]

Follow us on Instagram: @truthlieswork

Chat with us on X: @truthlieswork

YouTube channel: @TruthLiesWork

Check us out on TikTok: @truthlieswork
Want a chat about your workplace culture? [email protected]
Got feedback/questions/guest suggestions? Email [email protected]
53 min