“You don’t have to be liked as a leader, but you must always be kind.”

Those are the words of this week’s Unmuted podcast guest, Zoe Egerickx, a leadership and team coach who spent 30 years in the NHS.

Zoe began training as a coach at weekends whilst still working as a nurse to help others find what she had discovered herself: that real, lasting change at work starts with how we relate to each other.

We cover:

• Why moving into leadership can be so overwhelming and why nobody warns you it will be
• The difference between being nice and being kind and why it matters more than you'd think
• Why "clear is kind" in the relatives' room, the boardroom, and everywhere in between
• How burnout is spreading at every level and what we can actually do about it
• The power of reverse mentoring and why your most junior colleague might have the most valuable perspective in the room
• Why we need to stop outsourcing the responsibility of our own wellbeing

She believes everyone is born with the potential for EQ but not everyone fully develops theirs. It can be grown through experience and self-awareness, and it underpins everything from clinical care to executive leadership.

Whether you’re an established leader, new to leadership and management, or simply looking for inspiration to grow your own emotional intelligence for the workplace - this podcast delivers a masterclass in how to hold space for others whilst taking care of yourself.

Music: 'Spirit of Fire' - fiftysounds.com

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