The Sticky From The Inside Podcast

What if some of the effort you're putting into being a “good leader” is actually making leadership harder?

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram talks with former RAF pilot, executive coach and Free to Lead author Will Steel about leadership identity, pressure, internal narratives and the mental capacity leaders can lose when they're busy trying to be who they think they're supposed to be.

Drawing on stories from Will's childhood, RAF officer training, flying career and coaching work, the conversation explores why “be yourself” may be good advice but is much harder than it sounds, particularly when old beliefs, external expectations and the voice in your own head all feel completely real.

They also explore what happens under pressure, how separating circumstances from interpretation can create greater choice, and why becoming free to lead may require both self-awareness and discipline.

A conversation about who you're being, what's driving it, and whether it's leaving enough capacity to lead what's actually in front of you.

Key Takeaways

Your leadership identity can consume capacity. The more energy you spend managing how you lead, the less you have for what's in front of you.

“Be yourself” is harder than it sounds. Old beliefs, expectations and internal narratives can shape who you're being without you realising it.

Pressure can make interpretation feel like fact. Separating what's happening from the story in your head creates more room to choose your response.

Freedom to lead takes practice. Self-awareness isn't a one-off insight; noticing what's running you and choosing differently is an ongoing discipline.

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Could the Leader You're Trying to Be Be Getting in the Way?
03:09 – From RAF Pilot to Transformational Coach
06:38 – What Happened and What Did You Make It Mean?
10:09 – When Hidden Beliefs Become the Lid on Growth
12:53 – What Does It Actually Mean to Be a Leader?
16:11 – What Changed When Will Stopped Trying to Fit the Leadership Mould?
18:03 – Why Leadership Needs Spare Capacity
20:23 – Are Your Thoughts, Feelings and Identity Really “You”?
25:40 – Creating a Context That Changes How You Meet the Moment
30:25 – What Is Pressure Actually Doing to Us?
33:21 – From Overwhelm to What's Actually in Front of You
38:32 – Free to Lead: Clearing Space to Choose Who You're Being
41:21 – Sticky Notes: Schedule It, Do What You Said and Choose the Context

Join The Conversation

Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
Useful Links
Follow Will Steel on LinkedIn here
Find Will's website here
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

Why do so many capable people stay silent at work? It's rarely because they don't have something valuable to contribute. More often, it's because they're unsure how their ideas will be received, they question whether it's their place to speak, or they worry about saying the right thing in the wrong way.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by executive coach and leadership advisor Corinne Gavlinski to explore why leadership influence begins long before we speak.

Drawing on her own leadership journey, including a pivotal leadership moment that fundamentally changed how she thinks about influence, Corinne explains why leadership isn't simply about having the confidence to speak up. It's about understanding the impact you want to have, reading the room, managing your emotions and communicating with intention.

Together, Andy and Corrine explore why capable people often stay silent, why curiosity may be one of leadership's most overlooked skills, how vulnerability is often misunderstood, and why every leader benefits from having someone they can think out loud with before the highest-stakes conversations.

If you've ever walked away from a meeting wishing you'd spoken up, or wishing you'd said the same thing differently, this conversation will help you think about leadership influence in a completely new way.

----more----

Key Takeaways

Influence begins before you speak. The most effective leaders think about the impact they want to have before deciding what they want to say.

Confidence isn't the missing ingredient. Many people already have valuable ideas but stay silent because fear, uncertainty or organisational dynamics get in the way of expressing them.

Curiosity creates better conversations. Leaders who seek to understand before they persuade build stronger relationships, make better decisions and create greater influence.

Leadership starts with intention. Whether you're giving feedback, challenging upwards or navigating change, being clear about your purpose shapes how your message is received.

----more----

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Missed influencing opportunities we can relate to
03:49 – Why finding your voice is really about leadership influence
06:55 – The meeting that changed Corinne's approach to leadership forever
10:20 – Learning from leadership's darker side
13:23 – Why curiosity is one of leadership's most underrated skills
14:43 – Why capable people struggle to challenge upwards
19:20 – Why communicating intention creates better influence
21:21 – Why we teach feedback but not intention
23:07 – Is vulnerability changing in leadership?
30:18 – Why a thinking partner is a competitive advantage
32:17 – The hidden cost of staying silent
35:59 – The Four Leadership Zones
42:12 – Why every leader needs someone outside the organisation
44:04 – Sticky Notes: Three questions every leader should ask themselves

----more----

Join The Conversation

Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
----more----
Useful Links
Follow Corinne Gavlinksi on LinkedIn here
Find The Gav Group website here
----more----
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

Artificial Intelligence may be changing the way we work, but it isn't replacing the one thing organisations need most: human imagination.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by innovation expert, former Hewlett-Packard executive and author Stephen W. Hinch to explore why the organisations that succeed won't simply be the ones with the best technology, they'll be the ones that build an innovation culture where everyone believes their ideas matter.

Drawing on decades of experience leading billion-dollar product innovations, Steve explains why innovation isn't reserved for R&D teams or senior leaders. Instead, it's a leadership responsibility that depends on creating environments where people feel trusted, encouraged and empowered to think differently.

Together, Andy and Steve discuss the growing fear of becoming obsolete in the age of AI, why AI is a powerful tool but not a replacement for human creativity, the difference between incremental and disruptive innovation, and the organisational structures that help great ideas thrive instead of being quietly buried.

If you've ever wondered why some organisations consistently innovate while others struggle despite investing heavily in technology, this conversation offers a practical and refreshingly human answer.

----more----

Key Takeaways

Innovation begins with belief. Innovation starts by creating a culture where people believe their ideas are welcomed, valued and worth sharing.

AI supports innovation. It doesn't replace it. AI can accelerate knowledge and insight, but human imagination remains the true driver of breakthrough innovation.

Different innovation needs different leadership. Incremental improvements and disruptive breakthroughs require different structures, expectations and measures of success.

Innovation culture is built deliberately. Leaders create innovation by giving people the clarity, confidence and space to think differently.

----more----

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Why Innovation Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI
04:13 – A Career Built on Turning Innovation into Business Growth
06:05 – Why Innovation Remains a Competitive Advantage
09:23 – FOBO The Fear of Becoming Obsolete
11:10 – Why AI Can Support Innovation But Not Replace Human Imagination
14:29 – Different Types of Innovation Need Different Leadership
19:19 – The Curse of the Corporate Business Model
25:16 – Creating an Innovation Culture Where Everyone Believes Their Ideas Matter
31:09 – Giving People Permission to Innovate: Steve's 5% Rule
36:29 – Leadership Isn't About Having the Best Ideas
40:18 – Sticky Notes: Three Principles for Building an Innovation Culture

----more----

Join The Conversation

Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
----more----
Useful Links
Follow Stephen W. Hinch on LinkedIn here
Find Stephen's website here
----more----
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

For years, organisations have invested heavily in defining their culture through mission statements, corporate values and engagement initiatives. But leadership speaker, trainer and author Bruce Mayhew believes great workplace culture isn't truly created like that. It's built much closer to where work actually happens.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram explores Bruce's concept of micro-cultures: the relationships, habits and everyday interactions that shape how people experience work. Through the story of a challenging relationship with a colleague that ultimately became one of the strongest partnerships of his career, Bruce explains why trust matters more than chemistry, why fear quietly undermines collaboration, and how leaders can intentionally create environments where people thrive.

Together they discuss why the opposite of trust isn't distrust but fear, the surprising power of ten-minute one-to-one conversations, and how organisations can scale a healthy workplace culture without trying to control every behaviour.

If you've ever wondered how culture really develops, or what practical steps you can take to improve it, this conversation offers a refreshingly human perspective.

----more----

Key Takeaways

Great workplace culture starts locally. People don't experience culture through values posters or corporate statements. They experience it through the quality of their everyday relationships.

Trust is built before chemistry. High-performing teams aren't created because everyone naturally clicks. They're created when people understand one another's goals, strengths and intentions.

Fear quietly erodes culture. When people fear judgement, competition or hidden agendas, collaboration suffers. Reducing fear creates the conditions where trust can grow.

Leaders create environments. The most effective leaders don't try to control culture. They intentionally create the conditions where healthy relationships, shared ownership and strong team cultures can flourish.

----more----

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:10 – Why a Great Workplace Culture Is Built Two People at a Time

03:03 – Meet Bruce Mayhew and the idea of micro-cultures

04:27 – What is a micro-culture and why does it matter?

09:40 – The Merike story: how trust transformed a difficult relationship

13:44 – What Bruce would tell his younger self about building trust

16:19 – Trust before chemistry: why fear is the real barrier

20:22 – The simple leadership habit that strengthens trust every week

28:54 – Can micro-cultures build a great workplace culture?

35:20 – Lessons from The Path of an Inspired Leader

41:05 – Bruce's three Sticky Notes for creating healthier workplace cultures

45:24 – Final reflections and where to learn more

----more----

Join The Conversation

Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
----more----
Useful Links
Follow Bruce Mayhew on LinkedIn here
Find the Bruce's website here
----more----
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

AI is making individuals more productive than ever before.

But could it also be making organisations less connected?

As every function gains access to increasingly powerful AI tools, there's a growing risk that teams become more efficient at working independently while becoming less aligned with one another.

Chris White believes that's one of the biggest leadership challenges of our time.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram speaks with the former Cisco executive and author of Non-Optional Collaboration about why human collaboration is becoming more important, not less, in the age of AI.

Drawing on lessons from helping scale Cisco from $1 billion to $50 billion, leading global transformation programmes and building high-performing teams across multiple industries, Chris explains why collaboration can no longer be viewed as a soft skill or leadership nice-to-have.

Together, Andy and Chris explore the dangers of organisational silos, the myth of the hero leader, the lessons business can learn from elite rowing teams, and why the organisations that thrive in the future will be those that combine two powerful forces: Artificial intelligence and human collaboration.

----more----

Key Takeaways

AI may be making silos stronger. AI can dramatically improve productivity, but without intentional leadership it may also accelerate disconnection between teams.

Collaboration is an operating system. High-performing organisations don't leave collaboration to chance. They build structures, habits and processes that encourage alignment.

Great leaders improve people. The leaders who leave lasting impact are those who help people achieve more than they thought possible.

Team success beats individual heroics. Whether in rowing, business or transformation, sustainable success comes from coordinated effort rather than individual brilliance.

----more----

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Why collaboration has become non-optional
03:22 – Meet Chris White and the lessons of a global career
08:25 – The Cisco experience: learning to unlock team performance
11:07 – Why collaboration is no longer a nice-to-have
15:36 – What rowing teaches us about trust, rhythm and teamwork
18:28 – Inside the Non-Optional Collaboration framework
21:20 – The planning exercise that exposes hidden risks
24:03 – Why strategy fails when operating models don't align
28:32 – Collaboration versus teamwork: understanding the difference
30:43 – The myth of the hero leader
37:07 – Human collaboration: the second superpower
40:44 – Cancer, perspective and why the book had to be written
42:20 – Chris White's three Sticky Notes

----more----

Join The Conversation

Find Andy Goram on LinkedIn here
Listen to the Podcast on YouTube here
Follow the Podcast on Instagram here
Follow the Podcast on Twitter here
Follow the Podcast on Facebook here
Check out the Bizjuicer website here
Get a free consultation with Andy here
Check out the Bizjuicer blog here
Download the podcast here
----more----
Useful Links
Follow Chris White on LinkedIn here
Find the Non-Optional Collaboration website here
----more----
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here