Podcasts
Manage What Matters
My own podcast, where I sit down with brilliant guests to explore what really makes workplaces worth staying for.
7: Exploring Leadership Restoration & Why It Matters
Rachael Edmondson-Clarke helps leaders find calm, think with courage, and shape cultures where people and performance both thrive.
Rachael Edmondson-Clarke is an executive leadership coach and founder of Ellevar. She works with CEOs, founders, and senior leaders who want to lead with calm, clarity, and alignment to what matters most — even in the most demanding moments.
With a background in leadership psychology, behavioural science, and twenty years of commercial and organisational experience, Rachael is known for her calm authority and her ability to help leaders see clearly, regulate their internal state, and make decisions rooted in purpose and presence.
Her work strengthens the inner capacities that leadership demands — emotional steadiness, personal alignment, courageous thinking, and the ability to shape cultures where people and performance thrive.
Our conversation explores the challenges of leadership, specifically the importance of well-being, the integration of restoration into work life, and the power of presence and connection in leadership. It emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize self-care and emotional regulation to create a positive impact on their teams and organizations.
Takeaways
- Leadership challenges and well-being
- Integration of restoration into work life
- The power of presence and connection
Chapters
- 00:00 Leadership Challenges and Well-being
- 15:37 The Power of Presence and Connection
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6: What Actually Builds Trust (And What Can Break It)
I explore the trust equation, the role of credibility, reliability and self-orientation and how leaders can build trust over time.
The episode delves into the critical role of trust in the workplace, introducing the trust equation and exploring its components. It discusses the impact of credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation on trust, highlighting the connection between trust and leadership. The episode concludes with a focus on building trust over time through self-awareness and consistent actions.
Takeaways
- Trust is a critical factor in the workplace, impacting communication, efficiency, and emotional energy.
- Credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation play key roles in building and maintaining trust within teams.
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5: Why Your Leadership Feels Stretched And The Questions That Can Help You
Helen Joy turns overstretched managers into capable leaders who drive performance, engagement, and retention, without burning out.
Helen Joy is the founder of People Spark. She works with professional services firms to turn overstretched managers into confident, capable leaders who drive performance, engagement and retention, without burning out or micromanaging.
She spent 15 years as a manager herself, so she understands the reality: the deadlines, the pressure, the people issues no one teaches you how to handle. Her workshops are practical, engaging, and designed to cut through the noise, giving managers tools they’ll actually use the next day. Helen’s focus is simple: better supported managers, stronger teams, and measurable business impact.
Our conversation covers leadership challenges, time management, financial decisions, competing with team members, the importance of listening, creating a sense of value and belonging, and the power of listening and asking questions in effective leadership.
Takeaways
- Leadership challenges: Managers are spread too thinly, with large teams and limited time for effective management.
- Listening and asking questions: The importance of listening to team members and asking open-minded questions to understand their needs and challenges.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction to Helen Joy
- 05:04 Competing with Team Members
- 10:45 Creating a Sense of Value and Belonging
- 15:49 The Power of Listening and Asking Questions
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4: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: My Leadership Journey
I share key insights on the management transition, why personal relationships shift and why the right development support matters.
Jackie Handy shares her experiences and insights on the challenges of transitioning into a management role, the pitfalls of relying on personal relationships, the importance of learning and development, and the need for guidance and support for people leaders. She highlights the role of leadership strategy and the impact of learning and development on effective management.
Takeaways
- Leadership strategy
- Learning and development
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3: Getting In The Zone: Finding Purpose And Flow
I explore how purpose and flow unlock peak performance, why they are essential for engaged teams and how leaders can develop both.
In this conversation, Jackie Handy discusses the importance of purpose in the workplace and its role as the glue that holds everything together. She also introduces the Matter Model, which helps identify where individuals and teams are positioned in terms of belonging, mattering, and purpose. The impact of generational differences on workplace expectations is explored, along with the identification of zones of engagement and the achievement of sustained performance in the flow zone.
Takeaways
- Purpose is the glue that holds everything together
- The Matter Model helps identify where individuals and teams are positioned in terms of belonging, mattering, and purpose
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2: How To Stretch Your Team Without Burning Them Out
I explore why disengagement is so costly, the warning signs leaders often miss and the steps you can take to re-engage your teams.
The conversation explores the impact of disengagement on employees and the importance of growth, development, and leadership in maintaining employee engagement and motivation. It emphasises the need for a balance between stretch, support, and meaning in the workplace to foster growth and prevent burnout.
Takeaways
- Belonging and mattering are not the only things crucial for motivating high-performing team members.
- Disengagement leads to isolation, disconnection, and boredom, impacting employee behaviour and performance.
- How to get development right!
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Got a message worth sharing?
I’m always interested in thoughtful guests with fresh ideas, useful experience and a great story to tell.
On Other Podcasts
Conversations I've joined as a guest, talking culture, leadership, and belonging with hosts around the world.
Creating a Culture of Belonging - The Barefoot Mediator Podcast
I explore belonging and connection in a digital world and share the A Frame Concept for engaging teams and increasing performance.
Why do so many people feel disconnected at work? And what can leaders actually do about it?
In this episode with The Barefoot Mediator Podcast, I explore the topic of belonging and connection in a digital age — and introduce something I call the A Frame Concept. It is a practical framework designed to help leaders engage their teams, drive inclusion and increase performance in a world where staying connected has never felt harder.
With over two decades of experience in executive recruitment, leadership and inclusion, I believe that belonging and engagement are not nice-to-haves — they are the foundation of everything. When leaders get this right, the results are real: greater productivity, stronger retention and a culture where people can bring their best selves to work.
Takeaways
- How to create a genuine culture of belonging and engagement
- How to stay connected and inclusive in a digital world
- Why so many people and leaders feel disconnected — and what to do about it
- The A Frame Concept and how to apply it with your team
- The business impact of belonging, from productivity to retention
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Exploring Life's Path with Jackie Handy - Amy Rowlinson
I share what walking 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago taught me about balance, purpose and letting go of what no longer serves.
What can 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago teach you about life? More than you might expect.
In this episode, I joined Amy Rowlinson to share my experience of walking this extraordinary journey through the landscapes of Spain — and what it opened up in me along the way. It was challenging, awe-inspiring and deeply enlightening. I found myself letting go of unnecessary burdens, adjusting my boundaries and reconnecting with a deeper sense of what really matters.
I share how nature became my greatest teacher, offering new perspectives on life balance, purpose and connection — one small step at a time. Because as I discovered on the Camino, nature doesn't ask you to be anything other than yourself.
Takeaways
- What the Camino de Santiago can teach us about life and leadership
- How to let go of what no longer serves you
- The power of adjusting boundaries and reconnecting with purpose
- Why nature's wisdom holds lessons we often overlook
- Learning to embrace life one small, intentional step at a time
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The Road to Inclusivity and Diversity — Stephen J. Whitton
I talk candidly about the challenges of inclusive culture and share my own story and the lessons that have shaped everything I do.
Building a truly inclusive culture is one of the hardest things a business can do. In this honest conversation with Stephen J. Whitton, I share why — and what it actually takes to get there.
I talk openly about the real challenges organisations face when trying to move beyond surface-level inclusion, and why so many fall short. But this episode is personal too. I share my own story — what it felt like to be on the wrong side of inclusion and the lessons that experience has taught me. Those lessons are at the heart of everything I do now as an inclusive leadership expert, author and speaker.
If you want a candid, no-nonsense conversation about inclusion, this is it.
Takeaways
- The real challenges businesses face in achieving a fully inclusive culture
- Why surface-level efforts are not enough
- Jackie's personal story and the lessons it has taught her
- What genuine inclusive leadership looks like in practice
- How lived experience shapes the most powerful inclusion work
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Jackie Handy: Simple Steps to a More Inclusive Workplace - Jo Dodds
I explore inclusion through self-reflection, safe conversations and how small, consistent behavioural steps create lasting change.
When we leverage the power of humanity in all its forms, we really have the possibility to make magic happen.
In this episode with Jo Dodds on The Power to Live More Podcast, I dive into the themes of diversity and inclusion through the lens of self-reflection. I share my own personal experiences in the workplace - including hiding my authentic self - and how those moments inspired my mission to spread the message of inclusion through my speaking and training work.
I talk about how joining the Professional Speakers Association transformed the way I share my story, and how my most recent book - written during COVID-19 quarantine - acts as a springboard for conversations about inclusion and the small, consistent behavioural steps anyone can take toward a more inclusive culture.
We also get into the practical side: how I create valuable video content, stay productive, manage my time and keep learning, even on the challenging days.
Takeaways
- The personal experiences that shaped Jackie's passion for diversity and inclusion
- The power of self-reflection in building more inclusive workplaces
- How to encourage safe conversations around inclusion
- Why small, consistent behavioural steps are the key to lasting change
- Tips for creating valuable video content and staying productive as a speaker
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Elif Köse with Jackie Handy | Creating space for everyone in business
I share both sides of inclusion, my DEI expertise and why conscious inclusion helps every person feel safe, valued and understood.
I have seen inclusion from both sides — and that changes everything about how you approach it.
In this episode with Elif Köse, I share my personal experience of exclusion and how it shaped my mission as a DEI specialist, TEDx speaker, consultant, trainer and author of The Little Book of Belonging. I explore what it truly means to be consciously inclusive and why it is not enough to simply want to do better — leaders need to think and act differently.
When that happens, the rewards are real: a workforce that is true to themselves, motivated and successful; a diverse talent pipeline; and stronger brand positioning. Inclusion is not just the right thing to do — it is good business.
Takeaways
- What DEI looks like from both sides of the coin
- Why conscious inclusion requires leaders to think and act differently
- The business rewards of building a truly inclusive workplace
- How to help every person feel safe, valued and understood at work
- Key insights from The Little Book of Belonging
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Why Inclusion and Diversity Matter More Than Ever - Ideas on Stage
I explore inclusion in public speaking, the impact of language and how small steps can build a more inclusive communication style.
In this episode, I joined the podcast as a guest to share my thoughts on inclusion, diversity and the power of language in the workplace. Drawing on two decades as a top-performing manager and my work as a TEDx speaker and author of The Little Book of Belonging, I explore what it really means to embrace inclusion — not as a tick-box exercise, but as a consistent, everyday habit.
I share how the language we use shapes the way people feel at work and why small, intentional steps can have an outsized impact on belonging and communication. Whether you lead a team, speak on stage, or simply want to show up more inclusively, this episode is packed with practical insight you can apply straight away.
Takeaways
- How to embrace inclusion and diversity in public speaking
- The impact of the language we use on belonging and engagement
- Small steps to develop a more inclusive communication style at work
- The business value of inclusion and why it matters for performance
- How business leaders can begin to show up more inclusively every day
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