MAD Leaders Podcast: workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing

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Got a workplace culture challenge you just can’t crack? Or an employee health and wellbeing problem that seems messy and overwhelming? But you really want to make a difference to individuals thriving at work? You’re not alone, even though we know it may sometimes feel like it working in this field. This is the show where ambitious professionals share real stories, real mistakes and real solutions to the toughest culture and wellbeing problems. Think of it like your own personal agony aunt. Let’s make a difference, together :)

  1. 21h ago

    How can I stop treating employee mental health as a problem? Sir Norman Lamb

    In this special episode of the Make a Difference Leaders podcast, we are in conversation with former Health Minister and mental health reform advocate - Sir Norman Lamb. He's passionate about shifting from managing employee mental health as a problem to treating people as human beings (so passionate, he's just written an entire book on the topic!). Drawing on his background in government, the NHS, and employment law, Lamb argues society and workplaces intervene too late, letting people fall into crisis. He urges employers to focus on prevention through better workplace culture and evidence-backed line manager training. He warns against “medicalising” distress caused by toxic environments and advocates addressing root causes rather than defaulting to antidepressants. The discussion also covers UK productivity, record ill health absence and presenteeism, Charlie Mayfield’s prevention-focused analysis, the “Higher Health” soft-skills programme for young people and NEETs, AI-driven anxiety and the need for humane communication, rebuilding community and social connection (including social prescribing), and a proposed “wellbeing premium” to incentivise employers via National Insurance discounts. Time stamp of conversation: 00:00 Welcome to Leaders 00:44 Meet Sir Norman Lamb 02:45 Preventing Workplace Crisis 04:40 Training Compassionate Managers 07:11 Productivity and Wellbeing 08:46 Prevention and Soft Skills 11:15 Stop Medicalizing Distress 13:03 Humane Change in Hard Times 15:29 AI Anxiety and Control 20:20 Rebuilding Community Connection 22:04 Business as a Force for Good 24:20 Wellbeing Premium Proposal 26:10 Final Thanks and Subscribe

  2. Aug 27

    How can I make myself, and my profession, more credible to other functions? With Hannah Pearsall and Affinity Health at Work

    In this episode we discuss why workplace wellbeing still lacks credibility in 2026 and what can be done about it. Our experts this week are Hannah Pearsall, recent Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at recruitment giant Hays, and Claire Agate, Senior Consultant and Occupational Psychologist at Affinity Health at Work. Pearsall has completed the University of Nottingham's MSc in Workplace Health and Wellbeing (graduating top in her year, no less!) and has been involved in Affinity’s research into creating a professional framework for the industry. The conversation covers a raft of topics such as the lack of clear career pathways, the problem of language, lived experience as a common career entry point and Affinity's work on a new professional framework. Time stamp of conversation 00:00 Welcome and Leaders Club 00:44 The Credibility Challenge 01:57 Why Roles Lack Definition 04:53 Qualifications Build Gravitas 07:23 Building a Professional Framework 09:46 Framework Pillars Explained 11:38 Proving Impact With Data 15:01 Future of the Profession 19:07 Educating Leaders and Government 24:05 Getting Boardroom Buy In 27:22 Alien Pitch Job Design 29:37 Wrap Up and Subscribe

  3. Aug 17

    How do I set up a Domestic Abuse Strategy that actually makes a difference to employees? With Dawn Dallas at Allianz

    In this podcast episode, Dawn Dallas, Director of People Experience at Allianz Insurance, talks about the practical steps involved in creating a Domestic Abuse Strategy that actually works. As she says, statistics for England and Wales show that one in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse and the majority (51%) will not talk about it due to stigma. She believes it’s employers’ role to support employees in dealing with this issue, particularly line managers faced with a colleague experiencing it. Topics covered include: psychological safety, face to face connection, engaging senior management, consistency, line manager training, mental health first aiders with specialist expertise, an online hub and the importance of communicating about the strategy. Time stamp of the conversation: 00:00 Welcome to Leaders 00:35 The Workplace Challenge 01:37 Why Allianz Acted 02:34 The Support Gap 04:04 Lived Experience First 05:19 Building the Policy 08:09 Resources and Hub 09:10 Iterating the Strategy 10:10 Launching the Campaign 13:40 Challenges and Buy In 15:36 Employee Response 17:02 AI and Policy Writing 19:57 Top Tips to Start 21:36 Breaking Shame and Stigma 22:43 The Alien Question 25:13 Closing and Subscribe

  4. Jul 29

    Leading with Humanity in an AI-Driven Workplace: Wellbeing, Fear & Burnout with Cisco’s Global Wellbeing, People & Communities Head

    With AI transforming the workplace so rapidly, it has huge implications for not only employee productivity, but also health and wellbeing. For this week’s episode we’re joined by Sheila Champion-Smeeth, Cisco’s Global Head of Wellbeing, People, and Communities, who calls on professionals to “take a beat” and consider these implications carefully. She argues AI should build capability and free time, but leaders and individuals must consciously use that space for strategy, skill-building, wellbeing, and human connection, rather than simply producing more.  She also talks about burnout - a topic close to her heart, having suffered personally - as well as the need for leadership role modelling and balancing automation with key human skills.  Fear of AI taking jobs is also addressed, with many practical tips for managers on how to lead constructive conversations. 00:00 Welcome to the podcast 00:35 This Week’s AI Challenge 01:06 Meet Sheila from Cisco 02:48 AI as Capability Builder 04:00 Using Freed Time Wisely 07:53 Recovery Like Athletes 09:51 Fear and Mindset Shifts 13:15 Automation vs Augmentation 17:38 Protecting Human Connection 21:44 AI and Burnout Risks 24:57 Hiding Struggle at Work 26:31 Happiness Summit Takeaways 28:10 The Alien Budget Pitch 29:57 Final Thanks and Wrap Up

  5. Jun 29

    How do you create a consistent workplace culture with multiple sites & hard-to-reach employees? With Ruth Jackson

    In this episode, Ruth Jackson, Chief People Officer at The Gym Group, discusses workplace culture and how to engage frontline staff across 260 UK sites and over 2,000 employees - most of whom aren't desk based. She covers a raft of practical strategies such as centring on the employee life cycle, which is at the heart of the government's Keep Britain Working approach - of which the Gym Group is a vanguard. She also touches on communication formats and the importance of managers cascading messages and anchoring to company purpose. Time line of conversation: 00:00 Welcome to the podcast 00:44 The Multi Site Challenge 02:41 Reaching Frontline Teams 04:09 Managers as Comms Hubs 04:54 Female Health First Pilot 07:08 Grassroots Channels That Scale 09:38 Life Cycle Wellbeing Strategy 12:02 Running ERGs Across Sites 13:19 Face to Face and Tech Blend 14:49 Purpose Brought to Life 19:55 Measuring Culture and Retention 22:24 Mentoring and Reverse Mentoring 24:19 Future Culture Priorities 26:18 The Alien Question Finale 27:54 Wrap Up and Subscribe

  6. Jun 2

    How can employers boost social wellbeing at work? With Welcome Break's Nic Marshall

    In this latest MAD Leaders Club Podcast, Nic Marshall, People Director, shares how Welcome Break has cultivated connection between employees - especially different generations, and made people feel valued and recognised. She also explains the importance of employees getting behind the values and purpose of the organisation and how she's done this.  And she covers why success depends heavily on approachable managers who recruit for attitude and guide younger workers while enabling reverse mentoring across generations.  This focus on building social wellbeing has led to teams that have a sense of pride and camaraderie, and that work better together. She shares, too, how Welcome Break encourages employees to take part in community volunteering and how those that do are more engaged at work. Nic touches on practical steps she's taken to embed social wellbeing as well as reward and recognition. Time stamp of conversation: 00:00 Welcome to Leaders Podcast 00:44 The Connection Challenge 01:19 Meet Nic Marshall 03:32 Connection Through Purpose 05:17 Creating Space on Site 06:41 Recruiting for Attitude 07:59 Generations and Mentoring 11:27 Volunteering and Community 13:35 Peer Recognition Postcards 17:01 Little and Often Rewards 19:36 Unlimited Budget Ideas 21:17 Hybrid Work and Inclusion 24:09 Are We All Social 25:28 The Alien Pitch Finale 26:34 Wrap Up and Subscribe

  7. May 11

    How & why senior dads must parent more visibly for true culture change, with Elliott Rae

    In this episode, we discuss how family-friendly employers can encourage senior dads to be visible as parents with Elliott Rae, Founder of Parenting Out Loud, Equal Parenting Week and Working Dads Summit.  Rae argues senior leaders strongly shape workplace culture and dads’ willingness to take enhanced paternity leave or work flexibly, and explains how fear of judgement and presenteeism drives concealment of caregiving.  He links equal parenting to reducing the motherhood penalty and gender pay gap, and outlines practical actions employers can take across policy, culture and leadership. This wide ranging conversation also touches on traditional masculinity,  the ‘masculinity crisis’, creating safe spaces for male leaders through storytelling, and proposes societal investments such as shared parental leave, a four-day week, affordable childcare and cost-of-living reforms. Time Stamp of Conversation 00:00 Welcome to Leaders 00:49 The Senior Dads Challenge 01:55 Why Leaders Shape Culture 04:34 The Case for Equal Parenting 05:58 Policy Fixes That Work 07:38 Flexible Work Beyond Hybrid 09:21 Culture and Manager Influence 11:35 Why Men Stay Silent 13:11 Stories That Shift Leaders 17:08 Make the Business Case 18:39 Tailor and Measure Actions 21:11 Progress Takes Time 22:05 Is There a Masculinity Crisis 25:19 Alien Budget Big Ideas 28:56 Final Thanks and Subscribe

  8. Apr 14

    How can I make Rewards & Benefits something that changes culture, not just transactional? With BA's Josephina Smith

    If you’re in any doubt that Reward & Benefits can transform culture, or how, and looking for creative inspiration to replicate BA’s success at your organisation, then this episode is a must-listen. Josephina Smith is Reward and Recognition Director at the airline and has boundless enthusiasm for this topic. A former CPO, she sees herself as not a “reward professional” but as a “reward change professional”. This distinction informs the way she operates and, particularly, her drive to communicate the discipline’s strategic advantage across the company, from function to function.  Time stamp of conversation: 00:00 Welcome to Leaders Podcast 00:44 This Week’s Challenge 01:06 Meet Josephina Smith 03:18 Reward as Culture Change 04:50 Cost Conscious Not Cutting 06:57 Trends Shaping Benefits 09:21 BA Global Benefits Overhaul 11:11 Trust Through Face Time 12:16 Reward Psychology and Creativity 13:18 Cross Functional Influence 14:54 Comms Clarity and Personalization 18:11 Personalized Total Reward Video 22:04 Digital Buzz and Suppliers 24:27 AI Powered Benefits Future 26:42 Advice for Reward Pros 28:04 The Alien Budget Question 29:28 Wrap Up and Subscribe

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Got a workplace culture challenge you just can’t crack? Or an employee health and wellbeing problem that seems messy and overwhelming? But you really want to make a difference to individuals thriving at work? You’re not alone, even though we know it may sometimes feel like it working in this field. This is the show where ambitious professionals share real stories, real mistakes and real solutions to the toughest culture and wellbeing problems. Think of it like your own personal agony aunt. Let’s make a difference, together :)

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