Emotional intelligence. Two words that have been talked about, trained, workshopped and plastered on LinkedIn until they mean almost nothing.

So why are we talking about it?

Because most of what you've heard about EQ only scratches the surface.

It isn't a personality type. And it definitely isn't something you either have or you don't.

In this episode of Beyond Leading, we get underneath it, the real, unfiltered version of emotional intelligence that shows up in how you lead, how you connect, and how you read the room when it actually matters.

We explore:

• why 85% of us are less self-aware than we think we are — and what that's costing us
• how your triggers, your energy and your values are shaping every relationship you have, whether you know it or not
• why face-to-face connection does something Zoom never will
• the assumptions quietly destroying your team relationships
• and whether the next generation of leaders are arriving in the workplace with an EQ gap nobody is talking about

This isn't another definition of emotional intelligence.

It's a challenge to how you think about it.

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In this episode of Beyond Leading, we explore a question that sits at the heart of leadership, growth and change:

Can we gain from pain?

When does discomfort lead to progress, and when does it simply wear us down?

How much of what we call “pain” is really fear, stretch, uncertainty or anticipation?

And what happens when the very thing we are avoiding may be the thing that helps us grow?

We explore:

1. the difference between positive stretch and toxic pressure
2. why growth so often feels uncomfortable
3. how leaders, coaches and individuals can think more carefully about what challenge is useful - and what challenge is too much.
4. fear, self-labelling, resilience, public speaking, personal growth, team development
5. the role of coaching in helping people move beyond the beliefs and experiences that keep them stuck.

If you are navigating change, supporting others through growth, or trying to understand the difference between discomfort that develops you and pressure that drains you, this episode will give you plenty to reflect on.

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When you hear “starting a business during Covid”, it’s easy to assume it was a brave leap.

But sometimes it isn’t a leap at all, it’s being kicked off a cliff and choosing to build on the way down.

In this episode Alec and Nick speak to Gemma, a business owner who launched a specialist relocation and buying-agent service in September 2020, right in the middle of uncertainty, restrictions, and a property market behaving in ways nobody could predict.

What follows is a conversation about how credibility is really built. Not through polish, shortcuts, or having the perfect plan, but through consistency, trust, and staying in your lane when distractions start shouting.

We discuss:

• Redundancy as a trigger and what it takes to act before you feel “ready”

• The buyer’s perspective, and the psychology behind major decisions

• Building credibility through consistency, opinion, and trust

• Staying in your lane: opportunity vs distraction

• Time, boundaries, and networking as a long game

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In this solo episode, Alec reflects on something many leaders are quietly feeling but struggling to name - why leadership feels heavier, even when nothing is technically “wrong”.

Drawing on his recent Aftershock Era series on The Strategic Leader on Substack, Alec explores how accumulated pressure, rather than dramatic crisis, is shaping decision-making, energy and strategic clarity across organisations.

In this conversation Alec explores:

1. Why leadership can feel heavier even in the absence of visible crisis
2. The difference between tired teams and thinning teams - and why it matters
3. How soft burnout quietly affects judgement, not just wellbeing
4. Why organisations can be busy yet feel like nothing is really moving
5. The subtle shift from strategic growth to cultural caution
6. How external fragmentation and AI acceleration are thinning the signal leaders rely on
7. The difference between decisions made from clarity and decisions driven by pressure
8. A simple discipline to restore focus, capacity and momentum when drift sets in

If you’re a CEO, founder, partner or senior leader sensing that something feels slightly off - not broken, just heavier - this episode offers language, structure and reflection to help you regain orientation.

For the deeper thinking behind this episode, explore the full Aftershock series on The Strategic Leader on Substack: https://thestrategicleader.substack.com

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When pressure hits, most of us think we’re responding logically.

But often, something else is running the show.

In this episode Alec is joined for the first time by R Tiffany David and Graham Da Costa to explore what happens internally when stress builds, decisions feel heavier, and that familiar inner voice starts to comment on everything we do.

Using the framework of Positive Intelligence (PQ), the conversation looks beneath behaviour and performance to the inner patterns that shape how leaders think, react and show up - especially in demanding moments.

Rather than treating PQ as a label or a trend, this episode explores it as a practical lens for understanding self-sabotage, emotional reactions and the quieter choices available to us under pressure.

In this conversation, we discuss:

1. What really happens in our minds when stress takes over
2. The inner voices that undermine confidence, focus and judgement
3. Why good intentions don’t always translate into good outcomes
4. How awareness creates choice — even in difficult moments
5. The link between mental fitness, leadership presence and trust
6. Why this inner work matters for teams, relationships and wellbeing

This episode isn’t about positive thinking or fixing yourself.

It’s about understanding what’s driving your reactions and how leaders can respond with more clarity, calm and intention when it matters most.

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Relevance is a question many people don’t ask until something shifts.

A role changes.

Technology accelerates.

Expectations move, quietly at first, and suddenly what once felt solid doesn’t anymore.

In this episode Alec, Nick and Tiffany have a candid conversation about relevance, not as a buzzword, but as a lived experience in today’s workplace and beyond.

Rather than focusing on age or technology alone, the discussion explores what sits underneath: awareness, resistance, communication and the choices we make, or avoid, as the world around us changes.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. What relevance really means and who gets to define it
2. Why age is often blamed, and what might actually be going on
3. How communication shapes connection across generations
4. The quiet impact of comfort, resistance and standing still
5. Why self-awareness keeps resurfacing in leadership conversations
6. What gets missed when reflection and boundaries slip

This episode isn’t about keeping up with everything.

It’s about noticing what’s changing - in the world, in work, and in ourselves - and deciding how we want to respond.

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In this episode, Alec Pearson speaks to Lizzie Cousins and Chelsea Dickinson from C&D Debt Recovery to uncover how a moment that could have stopped their careers instead sparked a bold new chapter.

After finding themselves redundant, Lizzie and Chelsea took a leap many think about but few commit to — building a business of their own. What follows is a grounded conversation about resilience, partnership and the practical realities of starting again.

In this conversation we explore:

1. How redundancy became the catalyst for launching C&D Debt Recovery
2. The early decisions, preparation and homework that set them up for success
3. Why communication and shared values are the backbone of their partnership
4. The leadership qualities they lean on most — honesty, integrity and confidence
5. The balance between working in the business and building on it
6. Strategy, growth and the importance of taking steady, sustainable steps
7. What they’ve learned — and what they want others to know before making the leap

Whether you're considering a business of your own, navigating uncertainty or simply curious about the realities behind a start-up story, this episode offers encouragement, insight and practical takeaways.

You can find out more about C&D Debt Recovery at: https://candddebtrecovery.co.uk/

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In this episode, Alec is joined by Nick Sellers and owner of EP Talent Search and Executive Coach Ellen Putz, from the Netherlands, to explore the real and often hidden pressures of leading from the top.

In this conversation we explore:

1. Why imposter syndrome shows up even when you wear the CEO title
2. How leaders handle the pressure to appear confident and certain when they’re not
3. What vulnerability looks like in senior roles — and whether it strengthens or weakens leadership
4. The delicate line between being liked and being respected
5. How CEOs balance communication across investors, boards and their own teams
6. Why delegation can feel harder the higher up you go
7. The surprising loneliness of leadership — and how leaders cope with it
8. Where senior leaders find support, space and perspective when the stakes are high

Whether you're already in a senior role, preparing for one, or simply curious about what happens behind closed boardroom doors, this episode lifts the curtain and sparks reflection on what leadership really demands.

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In this episode, we explore why patience — something we’re taught to value — can sometimes get in the way of progress. We look at the moments where waiting becomes hesitation, where caution becomes procrastination, and where leaders unintentionally stall their own momentum.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. The fine line between patience and procrastination — and why they’re not the same thing.
2. How fear, perfectionism and lack of confidence shape timing in ways we don’t always recognise.
3. Why leaders often wait for the “perfect moment” — and why that moment rarely arrives.
4. When patience fuels sustainable progress and when it becomes a subtle form of avoidance.
5. How passion, purpose and process influence our ability to act with clarity and conviction.
6. Simple practices to judge timing more effectively so you don’t miss out on opportunities that matter.

If you’ve ever found yourself waiting… and not quite sure why, this conversation will help you see patience in a new light — not as a fixed virtue, but as something we need to use deliberately, not automatically.

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As we step into 2026, many leaders aren’t lacking ambition — they’re carrying sustained pressure.

Motivation has dipped. Clarity feels harder to access. And simply pushing harder no longer works.

In this short solo episode, Alec Pearson invites you to pause before you plan. Not to retreat — but to reset how you lead.

Drawing on recent conversations with senior leaders and his own experience of stepping back to think clearly again, Alec explores why motivation returns through clarity, not force — and how small, deliberate shifts can restore energy, judgement, and direction.

This episode reflects on:

1. Why many leaders feel tired and demotivated, even after a break
2. The strategic power of pausing in a high-pressure environment
3. How clarity changes team ownership, trust, and accountability
4. Why progress often comes from doing the basics properly
5. Rethinking strategy and innovation for 2026 through experimentation, not acceleration

If you’re entering the new year feeling the weight of responsibility, and wondering how to lead with more purpose, focus, and sustainability, this episode is for you.

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In this episode, Alec and Nick are joined by Harrison Ward — known to many as Fell Foodie — whose journey from addiction and depression to hiking, outdoor cooking and public advocacy has inspired thousands.

We delve into the real story behind his transformation: the hidden struggles, the turning point that changed everything, and the steady, intentional steps that led him back to purpose and health. Harrison’s journey stands as a true inspiration for all of us.

We discuss:

1. What change looks like from the inside not the polished version, but the slow, uncertain, deeply human one.
2. Why rock bottom isn’t a single moment and how Harrison rebuilt himself one decision at a time.
3. The role of honesty, support and accountability when you’re trying to break old patterns.
4. How journaling, reflection and small wins shaped his recovery and fuelled the creation of Fell Foodie.
5. The power of authenticity and what happens when you finally stop wearing a mask.
6. What Harrison's journey teaches us about workplace stress, stagnation and the fear of changing direction.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed or unsure where to begin, Harrison’s story is a reminder that progress rarely arrives all at once, it grows from small steps taken consistently.

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In this episode, we explore three foundations that shape how you show up at work: your identity, your values, and the reputation others form around you.

Many people move through their careers without ever stopping to ask who they really are — or whether their values still match the environment they’re in. And reputation? That’s created entirely in other people’s minds, often based on behaviour we’re barely aware of.

Alec, Tiffany and Nick unpack how identity forms, why values quietly drive so many of our decisions, and how reputation is shaped through perception, consistency and context.

We also touch on what happens when these three elements fall out of sync — especially during promotions or major career transitions.

In this conversation, we explore:

1. Why identity evolves over time
2. How values influence what energises or drains us
3. What really shapes reputation
4. The tension between how we see ourselves and how others see us
5. Why stepping into leadership often requires letting go of old habits

If you’ve ever felt misaligned in a role, unsure how others perceive you, or curious about how your values shape your impact, this episode offers a thoughtful starting point.

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Soft burnout doesn’t look dramatic — which is why so many leaders miss it. You’re still performing, still meeting deadlines, still showing up… but inside, something feels heavier. Flatter. As if you’re dragging yourself through the day and slowly disconnecting from the things that once gave you energy.

In this conversation, Alec, Tiffany and Nick explore:

• what soft burnout actually is (and why it’s often invisible)

• why high performers and perfectionists are especially vulnerable

• how stress creates “fog” that narrows your perspective

• the role of boundaries, overcommitment and fear of judgement

• why people often make the wrong life changes when burnout hits

• how to notice the early signs in yourself and in your team

This episode blends personal insight, psychological clarity and lived experience. Whether you’re feeling a little off, running on fumes, or leading people who may be struggling quietly, this conversation will help you recognise what’s happening beneath the surface — and what small shifts can start to make a difference.

Follow Beyond Leading on LinkedIn for episode clips and updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-leading-podcast

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Good work doesn’t always get noticed, especially in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

This episode explores the visibility gap: the space between the value you create and what people actually know about it.

We unpack why high performers often stay quiet, how this affects progression, and how to advocate for yourself without feeling like you’re bragging.

In this conversation:

1. Why visibility isn’t arrogance
2. How to talk about your impact with clarity and confidence
3. What to do when others take credit for your work
4. The mindset shifts that make visibility easier
5. Practical habits for making your contribution visible

Follow Beyond Leading on LinkedIn for episode clips and updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-leading-podcast

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Across the podcast, you’ll hear a range of experienced voices exploring the decisions, challenges, and moments that define leadership today. No jargon, no glossy success stories — just grounded insight and ideas you can apply in your world.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

Follow the podcast and join us as we go beyond leading — and everything in between.