YES AND... CEOs Are Human Too!

YES AND... CEOs Are Human Too!

In this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope Aiken is joined by Minette Norman, speaker, author and former tech executive, for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to create workplaces where people feel safe to be their authentic selves. Together, they explore Minette’s five plays for inclusive leadership: communicating courageously, mastering the art of listening, managing your reactions, embracing risk and failure, and designing inclusive rituals. Through the lens of psychological safety, authenticity and human-centred leadership, this conversation asks an important question: what changes when we remember that CEOs, leaders and employees are all human too? Penelope also introduces the HUMAN LENS™ as a way of thinking about the conditions people need in order to feel safe, valued and able to contribute fully at work. This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about listening, staying open, being brave enough to get it wrong, and creating cultures where people can be honest, human and connected. In this episode, we explore: * Why courageous communication matters in leadership * How deep listening creates trust and psychological safety * Why leaders need to manage their reactions, especially in hard moments * The role of humour, humility and humanity at work * How risk, failure and inclusion are connected * Why rituals matter in shaping culture * How leaders can create workplaces where people feel safe to be their authentic selves Learn more about Minette Norman: https://www.minettenorman.com [https://www.minettenorman.com] Connect with Minette on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman [https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Explore The Psychological Safety Playbook: https://thepsychologicalsafetyplaybook.com/ [https://thepsychologicalsafetyplaybook.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Explore The Boldly Inclusive Leader: https://www.minettenorman.com/boldlyinclusiveleader [https://www.minettenorman.com/boldlyinclusiveleader?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Learn more about Authentic Ewe: https://www.authenticewe.com [https://www.authenticewe.com] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Performance Reviews are Trash with Blake Proberts

n this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope speaks with Blake Proberts, founder of Acorn PLMS, about why organisational learning is broken and why performance reviews are often “trash”. Together they explore how capability frameworks, clearer role expectations and everyday coaching can turn learning and performance development into something more meaningful, human and useful. This conversation connects strongly with Authentic Ewe’s HUMAN LENS™ framework — showing how psychological safety is built through clarity, purpose, feedback and the everyday conversations that help people feel safe to be their authentic selves at work. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Human Wisdom and Better Leadership with Beth Rudden

In this episode, Penelope speaks with Beth Rudden, CEO and co-founder of Bast AI and author of AI for the Rest of Us. Beth shares why there is an alternative to black-box AI, why wisdom matters when using AI, and how the best systems should augment humans rather than control them. Together, they explore explainable AI, bias, leadership, values, reciprocity, and why human connection still matters most in an increasingly technological world. A thoughtful conversation about clarity, kindness, power, and what responsible AI really looks like in practice.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Your Leadership is Contagious with Dr David Hamilton

In this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope sits down with Dr David Hamilton to explore the powerful science behind kindness, leadership, and emotional contagion. Many workplaces still operate under the assumption that strong leadership means being tough, decisive, and emotionally distant. But what if the real strength of leadership lies somewhere else entirely? Drawing on his background in pharmaceutical research and neuroscience, David explains how our emotions quite literally spread through teams — and why the mood a leader brings into the room can shape everything from stress levels to performance and even organisational results. In this conversation, we explore: * Why kindness is not weakness, but a biologically powerful leadership tool * The science of emotional contagion and how leaders set the emotional tone for teams * Why kindness is actually the physiological opposite of stress * How empathy and connection improve retention, wellbeing and organisational performance * The role of vulnerability and psychological safety in building high-performing teams * Practical ways leaders can start creating cultures people genuinely want to work in David also shares personal insights from his own journey researching the mind-body connection — including how posture, self-belief, and compassion influence not only our mindset but our biology. At its heart, this episode asks a simple but profound question: If leadership is contagious… what are you spreading? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Story of the Nervous System with Benjamin Fry

What really drives conflict, silence, burnout, and sudden resignations at work? In this powerful conversation, Benjamin Fry unpacks the story of the nervous system and why so many workplace reactions have nothing to do with performance, capability, or attitude—and everything to do with unfinished threat responses stored in the body. Drawing on ideas from his book The Invisible Lion, Benjamin explains why humans overreact, underreact, freeze, fawn, or suddenly flee workplaces they once loved. Together, we explore: * Why workplaces amplify nervous system dysregulation—especially where hierarchy exists * The difference between shutdown vs containment, and why “appropriate reactions” build trust * How boundaries are not about controlling others—but about caring for your own nervous system * Why psychological safety isn’t about being “nice,” but about feeling safe enough to stay regulated * How leaders can spot dysregulation in real time—and slow moments down before they escalate * Why listening is often more regulating than anything you can say * Benjamin also explains the origin of the Invisible Lion metaphor—why behaviour only makes sense when we understand the unseen context behind it—and how workplaces can stop leaving people alone with their lions. This episode is essential listening for leaders, HR, OD practitioners, and anyone who wants to build cultures where people don’t just perform—but feel safe enough to stay, speak, and be themselves. EXPLORE BENJAMIN FRY’S WORK 🌐 Website: https://benjaminfry.co.uk/ [https://benjaminfry.co.uk/] 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-fry [https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminfry/] 📘 The Invisible Lion (book): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1910919246 [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=invisiblew+lion] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.