Podcasts

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

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.

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

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

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

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!