The Sticky From The Inside Podcast

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.

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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.

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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

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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
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Useful Links
Follow Corinne Gavlinksi on LinkedIn here
Find The Gav Group website here
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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.

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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.

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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

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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
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Useful Links
Follow Stephen W. Hinch on LinkedIn here
Find Stephen's website here
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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.

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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.

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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

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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
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Useful Links
Follow Bruce Mayhew on LinkedIn here
Find the Bruce's website here
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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.

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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.

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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

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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
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Useful Links
Follow Chris White on LinkedIn here
Find the Non-Optional Collaboration website here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

We've never had more workplace wellbeing initiatives. More employee assistance programmes. More mindfulness apps. More resilience training. More engagement surveys. And yet burnout remains stubbornly high, stress-related absence continues to rise, and employees seem more exhausted than ever.

So what's really going on?

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by workplace wellness and organisational culture expert Andria Barrett to explore why the answer may have less to do with individual resilience and more to do with how modern work is designed.

Together they unpack the hidden causes of workplace exhaustion, why burnout is becoming harder to spot, the role leaders play in creating healthier environments, and why genuine human connection remains one of the most powerful drivers of performance and wellbeing.

They also explore the opportunities and anxieties surrounding AI, and why technology should help people reclaim time rather than simply increase workloads.

If you've ever wondered why people seem to be working harder than ever but feeling less energised than before, this conversation offers a timely and practical perspective.

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Key Takeaways

Burnout Has Gone Underground. Employees may still be showing up and performing, but many are quietly reaching their limits and considering their next move.

Wellbeing Is A Design Choice. Sustainable wellbeing comes from how work is structured, not from occasional initiatives or one-off programmes.

Connection Drives Performance. People do their best work when they feel supported, valued, and able to reach out for help when they need it.

Leaders Set The Tone. Employees take their cues from leaders, making healthy behaviours and sustainable ways of working essential to model.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

0:01:11 – Why are so many people exhausted at work?
0:03:45 – Meet Andria Barrett and her approach to workplace culture
0:05:26 – Why feeling better helps people perform better
0:07:34 – The growing challenge of leadership and management burnout
0:09:51 – Burnout has gone underground
0:13:44 – Productivity, pressure and the modern work dilemma
0:17:22 – Why leaders must take responsibility for healthier workplaces
0:19:49 – Why workplace wellbeing initiatives often miss the mark
0:23:03 – Better hours, not more hours
0:26:01 – Using creativity and sensory learning to unlock innovation
0:31:05 – Stress, cortisol and the physical impact of overwork
0:35:35 – The six personal batteries behind sustainable performance
0:36:09 – Why leaders must model healthy behaviours
0:37:30 – Connection as a workplace superpower
0:39:45 – AI anxiety and the future of work
0:42:41 – Andria’s 3 Sticky Notes for healthier workplaces

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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
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Useful Links
Follow Andria Barrett on LinkedIn here
Find the Andria's website here
----more----
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here