Why Hiring Feels Hard for Leaders, And What Often Gets Overlooked

Can Your Team Sail Without You? Team Empowerment Lessons Every Leader Needs

Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dee-brief-show/id1825883899] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1mcSGvY9Yd8tpYpGQ4GlS3"] What does it take to build a team that performs at its best even when you are not there? This week's guest Brendan Hall knows. A winning skipper who led an improbable crew of amateurs, 27 nationalities, ages 17 to 63, through 40,000 miles and a North Pacific hurricane. Real team empowerment lessons you can bring straight back to dry land. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube via linktr.ee/deeclayton [https://linktr.ee/deeclayton].

Too Much Workload, Not Enough Time. One Leader's Strategy That Actually Works

Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dee-brief-show/id1825883899] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1mcSGvY9Yd8tpYpGQ4GlS3"] What if your workload problem has a real solution? Not a theory, but a practical strategy someone is living right now. This week's guest is Andrew Fraser, a senior global leader under constant pressure who has genuinely figured out how to stay on top of it. In this episode, he shares the principles and habits that help him manage the pressure without burning out, and explains why protecting your time makes you better at your job, not worse. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube via linktr.ee/deeclayton [https://linktr.ee/deeclayton].

The Moment Burnout Becomes Impossible to Ignore

Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dee-brief-show/id1825883899] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1mcSGvY9Yd8tpYpGQ4GlS3"] In this episode of The Dee-Brief Show, Dee is joined by Derek Thomas, a former headteacher and author. Derek shares his personal story of pushing on for years, holding himself to high standards while his health slipped down the priority list—until a major health wake-up call forced him to stop. He reflects on rethinking priorities, restoring balance, and making different choices, including climbing Kilimanjaro. Derek also discusses what that shift revealed about how he now lives and leads.

Why Hiring Feels Hard for Leaders, And What Often Gets Overlooked

Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dee-brief-show/id1825883899] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1mcSGvY9Yd8tpYpGQ4GlS3"] Hiring feels hard for leaders right now, and not just because of the market. In this episode of The Dee-Brief Show, Dee is joined by Claire Bond and Suzanne Sherriff from Bond Williams Professional Recruitment to explore why hiring feels so demanding in the current climate, and what often gets overlooked when recruitment is squeezed in alongside the day job. With skills shortages, candidate hesitation, changing expectations and the rise of AI tools, hiring is often assumed to be simpler now. In reality, for many leaders it has become a high-stakes responsibility carried alongside everything else, where delays, uncertainty and missed signals can quickly cost you the right candidate. Drawing on their experience as professional recruiters, Dee draws out the seven most common hiring mistakes, and what can be learned from the way recruiters think and work. They also explore how hiring behaviour signals leadership and culture, and why repeated small missteps can create longer-term hiring challenges beyond a single vacancy.

Is Your Inner Critic the One Leading the Team?

Listen on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dee-brief-show/id1825883899] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/1mcSGvY9Yd8tpYpGQ4GlS3"] In this episode of The Dee-Brief Show, Dee Clayton is joined by psychodrama psychotherapist Julie Lacy to explore how an inner critic can quietly shape leadership behaviour. The conversation explores: * How self-criticism shows up under pressure * The different impact it can have on leaders and their teams * Why high standards are sometimes driven more by anxiety than by purpose Through their discussion, the episode highlights how greater self-awareness can restore flexibility, strengthen connection, and expand choice at work.