The Steam Engine - Exploring Values-Based Leadership with a practical lens Lucy Starbuck & Jayani Samaranayake

Welcome to another episode of The Steam Engine Podcast, where Lucy and Jay continue with part two of the self-awareness theme. In this episode, the hosts discuss the complex topic of self-awareness and the importance of understanding who we are. They dive into internal self-awareness, discussing how being aware of our internal feelings, desires, and values can help us make better decisions and react to situations in a more productive and positive manner. Our internal self-awareness also reduces stress, anxiety, and depression and improves job satisfaction and productivity. This episode also covers:
 
●      The importance of external self-awareness, particularly for leaders
●      The impact of not having external self-awareness and not fully appreciating how others perceive you
●      How this impacts people, with an example of a manager who multitasks during meetings, giving the impression that they are not fully present
●      How this behavior can make others feel unimportant and explore the potential consequences of this in a business setting
●      The importance of external self-awareness and the need for leaders to be present and attentive in their interactions with others
 
Join us and listen to this crucial aspect of personal growth and development!
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify

Are you struggling with saying "no" to your boss or colleagues? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, Jay and Lucy discuss the importance of being able to say "no" and the difficulty of doing so. With Kat Maynard, who is a business psychologist with over 17 years of experience in the field of leadership assessment, she is here to enlighten the hosts and the listeners on the topic of being able to say "no" in the workplace. 

This episode also covers:

The challenges faced by leaders in the current hybrid work environment and how it has made it even more challenging to say "no"
The reasons why people struggle to say "no" and how it can be detrimental to one's mental health and overall well-beingThe reasons why saying no is important, the cultural implications of saying no, and how to say no successfully without sacrificing your relationships or your professional reputationExperience with hustle culture and how they eventually realised it wasn't for themThe struggles with leadership and learning how to lead through people, and the challenges of working remotelyExperiences of saying "no" to senior leaders and discuss how it's essential to have transparency and a clear rationale for tasks
Saying "no" is not always easy, but it's necessary to maintain a healthy work-life balance and set priorities. Whether you're just starting your career or have been in the workplace for a while, this episode will help you gain the confidence to say no when you need to. So, let's dive into this conversation and discover the importance of being able to say "no" in the workplace.
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify

Self-awareness is a critical element of personal growth and development.

 Understanding our values, aspirations, and priorities, and how they align with our environment is essential to achieving job satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, personal and social control, and happiness. In this episode, we'll explore why self-awareness is important in leadership and how it can positively impact personal and organisational growth. 

We'll also discuss the importance of aligning personal values with professional aspirations and how they can lead to a more fulfilling life.
 
Join us on this journey of self-discovery and personal growth!
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify

In this episode, we discussed the importance of having a successful and fair hiring process to get the right people with exceptional leadership skills or the ability to develop themselves into your business. As leaders, we may hire people at different levels, and it is crucial to explore how to have a consistent and fair process to ensure long-term success. This episode features an expert in organisational psychology, Kat Maynard, who discussed the different techniques that you can use to draw out the most important things in a particular role at different levels of an organisation. We also looked at:
●      The raw behaviours required for a graduate entry-level role, the importance of traditional competency-based polls for middle management
●      The need for assessing the strategic vision of senior leaders
●      Factors to consider in recruitment, including cultural fit, leadership style, and ability to prioritise
●      The importance of defining what you actually need from a leadership role before starting the recruitment process
●      The importance of consistency throughout the recruitment process to ensure fairness and clarity for both internal and external candidates
●      The pros and cons of polls and discuss some of the ways companies can make their recruitment process more effective
●      How different levels of recruitment require different assessment methods and how companies can reduce subjectivity in their polls process
●      The importance of providing feedback to job candidates who have gone through the interview process
 
A successful hiring process is essential to have a long-term successful career, so tune in as we explore how to achieve that.
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify

Are you tired of hearing conversations being called "difficult" or "tough"? Do you dread having to initiate a conversation that might lead to conflict or tension? If so, you're not alone. In this episode, Jay and Lucy dive into the topic of empowering conversations and how they can be used to break 
down the stigma of difficult conversations. They explore what empowering conversations mean and why they are important, both in the workplace and in personal relationships.

Jay and Lucy share their own experiences of having difficult conversations and how they have learned to approach them in a positive and productive way. They discuss how difficult conversations are often labeled negatively and how this can impact the way people approach them.
They emphasize the importance of communication, trust, and respect in empowering conversations and how they can lead to more positive outcomes. They also provide tips on how to prepare for difficult conversations and how to navigate them effectively.
Overall, this episode aims to encourage listeners to reframe their perspectives on difficult conversations and embrace them as opportunities for growth and empowerment.

Join us as we delve into this important topic and learn how to empower yourself through conversations.
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify

Values are more than just words displayed on a website. They are a reflection of an organization's culture and can greatly impact an employee's sense of fulfillment and motivation. In today's episode, Jay and Lucy discuss the importance of having aligned values between personal and organizational values. They explore how personal values drive actions and how organizational values need to be aligned with personal values to create a sense of peace and fulfillment. They use examples like a company that implies its values, to show how candidates can gauge a company's values during the interview process. Jay and Lucy also emphasize the importance of leaders living and breathing the corporate values authentically to ensure the organization's culture thrives. Tune in to this episode to learn more about aligning personal and corporate values and how they can make a difference in your career.

About The Steam Engine Podcast
 
The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.
 
Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on  LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify
About The Steam Engine Podcast

The Steam Engine Podcast is a down-to-earth, practical leadership podcast exploring why people-first leadership is so critical in the workplace. Hosted by two friends who also happen to be accountants (self-proclaimed - cool accountants!!) who are passionate about the subject of people-first leadership. They bring another POV to the ever-so-important conversation about people centricity through their 35+ years of combined work experience in the corporate world.

Follow The Steam Engine Podcast socials on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Spotify