The Sticky From The Inside Podcast

Employment law is changing. But the bigger question is whether your leadership is ready.

The biggest changes to UK employment law in a generation are placing greater responsibility on organisations to manage people fairly, consistently and confidently. But while many businesses are busy reviewing contracts and updating policies, are they asking the most important question of all?

Have we equipped our managers to lead?

In this episode of Sticky From The Inside, Andy Goram is joined by Aliya Vigor-Robertson, Founder of JourneyHR, to explore why the new legislation isn't simply an HR issue, it's a leadership capability challenge.

Together they discuss what the Employment Rights reforms mean in practice, why poor management has always been expensive (and is about to become even more so), and why investing in managers may now be one of the smartest commercial decisions an organisation can make.

The conversation goes far beyond legal compliance, exploring why performance management should never begin when things go wrong, the difference between being nice and being kind, and why HR can advise, but managers must lead.

Whether you're a CEO, HR professional, business owner or line manager, this episode offers practical insight into building workplaces where people perform, grow and thrive.

Key Takeaways

The law isn't creating a leadership problem. It's exposing one. The new legislation simply raises the consequences of poor management that many organisations have tolerated for years.

Compliance doesn't create capability. Policies matter, but it's confident, capable managers who build trust, handle difficult conversations and create high-performing teams.

HR can advise. Managers must lead. HR provides the framework, but every day-to-day conversation that shapes culture belongs to leaders and managers.

Clarity is kindness when it arrives early enough to make a difference. The earlier managers tackle difficult conversations with honesty and care, the more likely they are to help people improve rather than create bigger problems later.

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:38 – If Every Management Decision Went to Tribunal, How Confident Would You Be?
05:37 – HR’s Real Role: Turning Employment Law Into Good People Practice
08:04 – Employment Law Is Catching Up With Good Employers
09:13 – The Big Changes: Six-Month Protection and Uncapped Awards
15:07 – This Isn’t a Policy Exercise. It’s a Behavioural One
15:58 – Why Managers Now Need to Manage Properly From Day One
19:34 – Performance Management Isn’t Just for When Things Go Wrong
22:21 – HR Can Build the Rails. Managers Have to Drive the Train
24:09 – Kind, Not Nice: Why Avoiding the Conversation Helps Nobody
27:06 – Why Do We Still Treat Management Like an Intuitive Skill?
28:43 – The Cost of Poor Management Just Got Much More Real
34:36 – Why Leadership Development Can’t Be a Two-Day Fix
38:17 – Behaviour Only Matters When It’s Linked to Business Performance
39:49 – The Human Cost of Handling Workplace Complaints Badly
42:29 – Sticky Notes: Audit Behaviour, Act Earlier and Treat Management as a Profession

Join The Conversation

Follow Andy Goram on LinkedIn
Visit Andy's website Bizjuicer.comhere
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Useful Links
Follow Aliya Vigor-Robertson on LinkedIn
Visit journeyhr.com
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full episode transcript

Why can good leadership go bad when we already know so much about what works?

In this episode, Andy Goram is joined by psychotherapist and leadership researcher Dr Amar Dhall to explore what happens when leadership, power, pressure and human psychology collide.

Amar introduces a powerful distinction between capability, what a leader is able to do, and capacity, their ability to access those capabilities when it really matters. From there, Andy and Amar explore why behaviours that once made us successful can become overplayed, why leaders can become increasingly certain under stress, and how genuine care can tip into the Superhero or Rescuer role.

They also discuss the hidden effects of power, why technical expertise doesn't automatically translate into relational leadership, and Amar's memorable proposition that leadership is like dancing: you can know everything about the steps and still struggle on the dance floor.

The conversation finishes with practical reflections on curiosity, self-awareness and the possibility that the next stage of your leadership might require less effort rather than more.

Key Takeaways

Good leadership can fail when capacity drops. Knowing how to coach, delegate or create safety is not the same as being able to access those behaviours when pressure is high.

Your strengths can become liabilities through overuse. Responsibility can become over-carrying, confidence can harden into certainty, and helping can become Rescuing.

Power changes the room, even when your intentions are good. Leaders need to recognise that challenge feels different when one person holds more authority, status and consequence than the other.

The next step may require less, not more. More effort, more control and more knowledge are not always the answer; reflection, curiosity and the ability to let go can be part of mature leadership.

Key Moments
The key moments in this episode are:

01:11 – Why Do We Still See So Much Shitty Leadership?
04:53 – Capability vs Capacity: Knowing Isn't the Same as Accessing
06:23 – When Responsibility Becomes Over-Responsibility
08:31 – How Our Strengths Can Turn Into Their Opposites
11:57 – Why Stress Can Make Certainty Feel So Convincing
13:34 – What Does Power Actually Do to Us?
18:46 – When Accumulating More Becomes the Leadership Trap
21:13 – When Leaders Learn to Use Pressure as Fuel
27:02 – The Superhero Reflex: When Helping Becomes Rescuing
31:55 – Leadership Is Like Dancing: Why Knowledge Isn't Enough
36:44 – Power, Challenge and the Illusion of an Open Culture
40:39 – From Knowing Better to Doing Better: Curiosity, Reflection and Sticky Notes

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 Amar Dhall on LinkedIn here
Find Amar's website here
Follow Amar on Facebook here
Follow Amar on Instagram here
Take Amar's Pressure Assessment here
Full Episode Transcript

Get the full transcript of the episode here

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.

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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