The Sticky From The Inside Podcast

Did remote and hybrid working really break your culture, or did they simply expose what was already fragile?

In this episode, Andy Goram sits down with Ellie Holbert, founder of Impact Advisory Services, to challenge one of the most common narratives in modern leadership. When teams went remote or hybrid and performance dipped, trust wobbled and misunderstandings grew, many leaders blamed distance. But Ellie argues something far more uncomfortable: remote didn’t create dysfunction, it revealed it .

Together they explore the neuroscience of ambiguity, why unclear systems trigger threat responses in the brain, and how leaders often misinterpret perfectly human reactions as performance problems. You’ll hear why a lack of clarity around roles and “definition of done” drives behaviours that frustrate leaders and what to do instead .

Most powerfully, Ellie shares a case study where addressing simple team fundamentals transformed performance from a 2.4 to a 4.8 team health score in eight weeks, delivering zero regrettable turnover, a critical project six months early, and a 45x return on investment.

This isn’t an episode about remote versus office. It’s about clarity versus assumption. Systems versus personalities.
And leadership that unlocks value already sitting inside your team.

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Key Takeaways

Remote and hybrid exposed fragile systems. Distance removed the informal cues that were masking ambiguity.

Ambiguity triggers threat, not laziness. Feedback-seeking behaviour is often a signal the system lacks clarity.

Clarity reduces friction and unlocks performance. Shared roles and a defined “definition of done” dramatically improve team effectiveness.

Fixing fundamentals delivers serious ROI. From 2.4 to 4.8 in eight weeks. $4.5 million of added value and a 45x return.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

0:01:11 – Did Remote and Hybrid Break Culture?
0:06:04 – Remote Revealed Gaps That Were Already There
0:07:26 – Culture Is “How We Get Work Done Around Here”
0:08:06 – Why Hybrid and Remote Reduce Communication Signals
0:10:23 – The Neuroscience of Ambiguity and Threat
0:23:14 – When Ambiguity Drives Feedback-Seeking Behaviour
0:23:38 – The Power of a Shared Definition of Done
0:30:14 – A Team in Crisis: Starting at 2.4 Out of 5
0:32:15 – From 2.4 to 4.8: Unlocking Hybrid and Remote Team Performance
0:33:53 – The 45x Return on Clarity and Leadership
0:42:30 – Three Fundamentals for Stronger Hybrid Leadership

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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 Ellie Holbert on LinkedIn here
Find the team effectiveness assessment tool here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

Pressure at work feels higher than ever. Change is constant, expectations are relentless, and leaders are often told they simply need to be more “resilient”.

But what if resilience isn’t about coping, endurance, or pushing through at all?

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by Russell Harvey, often known as "The Resilience Coach", to explore a far more human take on resilience. One that places leadership behaviour and the manager–employee relationship right at the centre of the conversation.

Russell reframes resilience as springing forward with learning, not bouncing back to how things used to be. Together, they unpack why people’s experience of pressure and change is shaped far less by big organisational strategies and far more by how their line manager shows up day-to-day.

They discuss what resilient leadership actually looks like in practice, why “shut up and move on” cultures are so damaging, and how optimism, grounded firmly in reality, can help people face difficult situations without pretending everything is fine.

If you care about performance, wellbeing, and creating workplaces where people can genuinely say “I’m okay”, this conversation is a powerful reminder that resilience starts with relationships.

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Key Takeaways

Resilience isn’t coping, it’s learning. Russell reframes resilience as springing forward with learning, not enduring more or bouncing back to how things used to be.

Leadership behaviour shapes resilience more than strategy. People experience pressure and change through how their manager shows up day-to-day, not through lofty organisational initiatives.

Line managers aren't responsible for other people’s happiness, but they hugely influence it. An individual’s ability to say “I’m okay” at work is strongly shaped by the quality of their relationship with their manager.

Optimism is a leadership skill, not forced positivity.
Grounded, realistic optimism helps people face hard truths without slipping into denial or despair.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

0:01:16 – Pressure, burnout and why resilience gets misunderstood
0:02:57 – Why managers shape how work really feels
0:09:27 – Defining resilience as springing forward with learning
0:12:01 – The three things resilient leaders are responsible for
0:14:25 – The disproportionate power of the line manager relationship
0:18:00 – Optimism vs toxic positivity
0:22:43 – Recovery, resilience and the danger of “shut up and move on”
0:26:18 – How personal resilience gives leaders the confidence to challenge upwards
0:30:00 – Why resilience shouldn’t feel like ‘one more thing to do’
0:36:40 – How resilience builds the confidence to challenge unsustainable systems
0:41:45 – Sustainable work practices as a leadership responsibility
0:47:08 – Russell Harvey’s 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 Russell Harvey on LinkedIn here
Find the Russell's website here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

We all start life curious. Asking questions. Exploring. Wondering why.

Yet somewhere along the way — especially at work — curiosity can begin to fade. Not because we stop caring, but because we’re rewarded for certainty, speed, and having the answers.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by leadership strategist, researcher, and TEDx speaker Dr Debra Clary to explore why curiosity isn’t a “nice-to-have”, it’s a leadership superpower.

Drawing on decades of experience inside global organisations like Frito-Lay, Coca-Cola, Jack Daniel’s, and Humana, Debra shares why curiosity can be learned, measured, and deliberately strengthened. Together, they unpack how curiosity drives performance, engagement, trust, and better decision-making — and why leaders who stop asking questions often unintentionally shut others down.

They also explore Debra’s research-backed Curiosity Curve, the four drivers of optimal curiosity, and why curiosity matters even more in a fast-moving, AI-driven world.

If you care about building teams where people feel seen, heard, and able to contribute, this conversation will change how you think about leadership.

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Key Takeaways

Curiosity is learned, not innate. Debra’s research shows curiosity can be developed, measured, and strengthened at every level.

Certainty kills contribution. When leaders prioritise speed and answers over questions, they unintentionally shut people down.

Great leaders play the long game. Asking questions builds confidence, capability, and future leaders — not just short-term efficiency.

Curiosity is a human advantage in the AI age. AI delivers answers; humans still need to ask the right questions and apply discernment.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Why curiosity is natural — and why it matters at work
07:57 – “Can curiosity be learned?” The question that changed everything
10:54 – What an Italian train journey taught Debra about certainty
13:36 – “Curiosity killed the cat” — the part we all missed
17:41 – Why disengaged employees feel unseen and unheard
26:15 – The Curiosity Curve explained
34:30 – Why senior leaders score higher on curiosity
38:51 – Curiosity, AI, and discernment
42:49 – Debra’s 3 Sticky Notes for curious leadership

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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 Dr Debra Clary on LinkedIn here
Follow Dr Debra Clary on Facebook here
Follow Dr Debra Clary on YouTube here
Find the Dr Debra Clary's website here
Find The Curiosity Curve here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

Leadership training is rarely short on inspiration, but it’s often short on impact.

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by Dr Jenn Yugo, Managing Director of Corvirtus and an industrial–organisational psychologist, to explore why so much leadership training fails to create lasting behaviour change.

Jenn explains that the problem isn’t motivation, effort, or even the quality of the training itself. It’s that organisations treat behaviour change as a one-off learning event rather than a system supported by environment, habits, identity and social reinforcement.

Together, Andy and Jenn unpack what the science of behaviour change actually tells us, from the forgetting curve and feedback loops, to the powerful role of values, authenticity and team involvement. This conversation challenges the idea that leaders need to “do more”, and instead reframes leadership growth as doing things differently, consistently, and together.

If you’ve ever wondered why great leadership intentions fade once people return to the day job, this episode offers a grounded, human, and evidence-based answer.

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Key Takeaways

One-off learning moments aren’t enough. The forgetting curve shows how quickly knowledge fades without reinforcement.

Leadership training isn’t a motivation problem, it’s a behaviour change problem. Jenn reframes development as sustained behavioural shift, not information intake.

Environment beats willpower. Feedback loops, systems and social support matter more than personal discipline.

Lasting change is social, not solo. Leaders who involve their teams in their development see far greater impact over time.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Why Leadership Training Creates Energy but Rarely Lasts
03:52 – Introducing Jenn Yugo and Her Work in Behavioural Psychology
06:20 – Moving from Academia to Business: Applying Behavioural Science at Work
09:15 – Leadership Development as a Behaviour Change Challenge
13:10 – The Science Behind Why Training Is Quickly Forgotten
16:40 – Why Leaders Blame Themselves When Change Doesn’t Stick
20:05 – The Role of Environment, Feedback Loops and Daily Systems
24:10 – Values, Identity and Authenticity in Leadership Behaviour Change
28:40 – Involving Teams in Leadership Development to Reinforce Change
32:55 – Open Learning, Peer Connection and Cross-Organisational Insight
37:15 – Designing Leadership Development as a Journey, Not an Event
42:10 – Sustaining Behaviour Change Through Habits, Nudges and Measurement

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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 Dr Jenn Yugo on LinkedIn here
Find the Corvirtus website here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

What if the real reason we’re overwhelmed isn’t the volume of work we’re facing — but the fact we’ve lost sight of what really matters?

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy is joined by coach, author and founder of On The Up Consulting, Julia Wolfendale, to explore the rising tide of overwhelm affecting leaders, teams and everyday life. Julia has coached hundreds of leaders, and her book Five Ways to Focus feels more relevant than ever in a world that’s always on, overstimulated, and full of competing demands.

Together they unpack why overwhelm hits even the most capable people, how fear quietly drives busyness, and why we often underestimate our capacity while overestimating the workload ahead of us. Julia introduces her powerful Five Motivational Drivers: freedom, fulfilment, fellowship, finance and kudos; a simple lens that helps people understand what they’re really seeking, and what they should prioritise next.

If you’re feeling stretched, stuck or fizzing with that nervous-system overload Julia describes, this conversation offers a calm, practical reset. Five ideas. Five drivers. And a way of getting life and leadership back on the up.

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Key Takeaways

Overwhelm is less about volume and more about clarity. People often know what needs doing but lack the focus to start. Overwhelm grows when we lose sight of our capacity and what truly matters.

Fear quietly drives busyness and self-worth gets tied to doing. Julia highlights how fear-based behaviour makes people equate being busy with being valuable, trapping them in cycles of overwork.

The Five Motivational Drivers help us re-centre our priorities. Freedom, fulfilment, fellowship, finance and kudos offer a simple way to understand what you’re really seeking and why certain tasks feel heavy or draining.

Time expands when we regain perspective and shrinks when overwhelmed. Julia’s Five Time Frames tool (2 hours, 24 hours, week, month, 3 months) helps recalibrate our sense of time and focus on what’s actually achievable.

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Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

1:10 – Setting the Scene: Why Overwhelm Is Everywhere Today
3:53 – Meet Julia Wolfendale & Her Mission to Tackle Overwhelm
5:18 – The Overstimulated, Always-On World We’re Struggling to Navigate
8:28 – What Overwhelm Really Feels Like: Capacity, Volume & Nervous-System Load
11:39 – Fear, Busyness and the Self-Worth Trap
15:02 – Introducing the Five Motivational Drivers
20:59 – When Intentions Don’t Match Behaviour: Freedom vs Control
24:23 – How Overwhelm Warps Our Sense of Time
27:29 – Scheduling Everything: A Practical Way to Regain Focus
29:03 – Ideas vs Actions: The Two-List Clarity Tool
33:00 – Momentum, Micro-Actions and the Power of Breaking Things Down
43:59 – Julia’s Three Sticky Notes for Beating Overwhelm

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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 Julia Wolfendale on LinkedIn here
Find the On The Up Consulting website here
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Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here