Manage What Matters

Jackie Handy

If you’re managing people and wondering why motivation is dropping, conversations feel harder, or your best people are exhausted, you’re not alone. Manage What Matters is a practical, human podcast for people leaders who want to improve performance without losing people (or themselves) along the way. Each week, host Jackie Handy explores real leadership challenges - from feedback and burnout to conflict, belonging, and purpose - through a lens that focuses on what actually drives behaviour at work. With years of experience in leadership, inclusion, and culture change - and plenty of lessons learned the hard way - Jackie brings clarity, warmth, and honesty to conversations many people leaders are having privately, but rarely out loud. This isn’t a podcast about being nicer or doing more just for the sake of it. It’s about leading better - without needing more time, more budget, or burning out on the journey. Because when people know they matter, and the work matters too, everything changes. Welcome aboard!

  1. 13: How Leaders Can Boost Their Wellbeing Through Self-Care

    6d ago

    13: How Leaders Can Boost Their Wellbeing Through Self-Care

    For over 30 years, Pam Burrows has been on a mission to help leaders and teams stress less, smile more, and perform at their best and she does it with a contagious energy that leaves a lasting impact. From boardrooms to international conferences, Pam’s powerful, practical approach to wellbeing has transformed workplaces and won awards, including a European Health and Safety Award for reducing stress in the workplace. Armed with expertise as a Nursery Nurse, Social Worker, and Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Pam blends science with heart to create interactive, high-energy sessions that spark real change. A Fellow of the Professional Speaking Association and author of books - Burnout Buster and The CARE Wellbeing Model - she’s not just about theory, she’s about real-world results that help people feel good and work smarter. Our conversation focuses on the importance of human connection, wellbeing, and self-care in organisations. It explores the challenges of hybrid working, the impact of introversion in the workplace, and the role of managers in modelling wellbeing and self-care. The discussion also highlights the intersection of psychology and physiology in wellbeing, the value of small changes for wellbeing, and the joy found in human connections. Takeaways Importance of Human ConnectionWellbeing and Self-CareModelling Wellbeing and Self-CareBlending Psychology and Physiology Chapters 00:00 Boosting People and Wellbeing in Organisations06:09 The Role of Managers in Wellbeing11:11 Renewed Focus and Energy22:23 Finding Joy in Human Connections Connect with Pam via her website here Or check out her YouTube channel here

    29 min

  2. May 26

    12: Creating Small Weekly Leadership Habits That Matter To You And Your Team

    This solo episode with Jackie focuses on the significance of small habitual moments, the value of questions, and the impact of midweek and end-of-week check-ins. It recaps on some of the previous guests from the show and emphasises the importance of feeling heard, modelling boundaries, and the fresh start effect on Mondays. Connect with Jackie on LinkedIn here Take the FREE Flowfinder quiz here Takeaways Small moments matterMidweek and end-of-week check-ins are important for team engagement Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Value of Questions07:08 Modeling Boundaries and Fresh Start Effect

    18 min
  3. 11: Overcoming Confidence Compensation And Be The Leader You Were Born To Be

    May 19

    11: Overcoming Confidence Compensation And Be The Leader You Were Born To Be

    Jen Smollett is a Leadership and Confidence Coach who helps leaders lift the invisible weight of Confidence Compensation - the exhausting cycle of second‑guessing themselves while working twice as hard to prove themselves and become the confident, authentic leaders they truly are. Our conversation discusses the concept of confidence compensation and its impact on leadership effectiveness. It explores the damaging effects of overcompensating, the impact on leadership and team performance, and the wider role of confidence in leadership. Jackie's guest today, Leadership Coach Jen Smollett, also speaks about the impact of praise and self-doubt, navigating new territory in leadership, and transferable skills that took her from intensive care nursing to leadership coaching. The episode concludes as always, with a focus on Million Dollar Moment takeaways for what matters most in your leadership. Connect with Jen on LinkedIn here Grab the FREE resources from Jen's website here Take Jackie's FREE Flow Finder assessment here Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Confidence Compensation06:54 Creating Change and Assessing Leadership15:16 Transferable Skills from Intensive Care to Leadership21:36 What Matters Most in Leadership

    26 min

  4. May 12

    10: What Makes Training Sticky (And Where It Falls Flat)

    In this short episode, Jackie Handy discusses the importance of starting with the end in mind when it comes to leadership development. She shares the need for a learning needs analysis and the importance of ongoing learning and development beyond formal training programs. Takeaways Starting with the end in mindLearning needs analysis

    9 min
  5. 9: Men's Mental Health Matters

    May 5

    9: Men's Mental Health Matters

    Leading with courage, freedom and authenticity, Stephen J.Whitton is speaker and founder of a movement that aims to help leaders (especially men) to gain clarity, confidence and purpose.  Having gone through his own calamitous situation in 2020, Divorce, business collapse, pandemic AND coming out, Stephen reflects on his career in a very male dominated and target driven industry, that was so focussed on results it didn’t have space for considering the wellbeing of its people, Stephen is leading the march to change that and recognises that men’s mental health and the impact on the environment around them, is key to authentic leadership, inclusion and sustainable results. In our conversation, Stephen shares his journey through a male-dominated industry, highlighting the impact of early experiences on mental health and the challenges faced by leaders. He discusses the creation of Menable and its approach to supporting mental health in the workplace. The conversation examines the importance of mental health in leadership and provides advice for leaders to support mental health effectively. Takeaways Authentic LeadershipMental Health AwarenessMillion Dollar Mental Health Moments Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn or via his website, StephenJWhitton.com To explore Menable.org click here

    25 min

  6. Apr 28

    8: Why Listening Feels So Difficult - And How To Do It Better

    This solo episode with Jackie Handy explores the importance of listening, the different layers of listening, generative listening, challenges in listening, barriers to effective listening, and strategies for overcoming listening challenges. Takeaways Listening builds trust and reduces conflictGenerative listening enables new thinking and shared ownership. Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Listening07:05 Overcoming Listening Challenges

    10 min
  7. 7: Exploring Leadership Restoration & Why It Matters

    Apr 21

    7: Exploring Leadership Restoration & Why It Matters

    Rachael Edmondson-Clarke is an executive leadership coach and founder of Ellevar. She works with CEOs, founders, and senior leaders who want to lead with calm, clarity, and alignment to what matters most — even in the most demanding moments. With a background in leadership psychology, behavioural science, and twenty years of commercial and organisational experience, Rachael is known for her calm authority and her ability to help leaders see clearly, regulate their internal state, and make decisions rooted in purpose and presence. Her work strengthens the inner capacities that leadership demands — emotional steadiness, personal alignment, courageous thinking, and the ability to shape cultures where people and performance thrive. Our conversation explores the challenges of leadership, specifically the importance of well-being, the integration of restoration into work life, and the power of presence and connection in leadership. It emphasizes the need for leaders to prioritize self-care and emotional regulation to create a positive impact on their teams and organizations. Takeaways Leadership challenges and well-beingIntegration of restoration into work lifeThe power of presence and connection Chapters 00:00 Leadership Challenges and Well-being15:37 The Power of Presence and Connection

    25 min

  8. Apr 14

    6: What Actually Builds Trust (And What Can Break It)

    The episode delves into the critical role of trust in the workplace, introducing the trust equation and exploring its components. It discusses the impact of credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation on trust, highlighting the connection between trust and leadership. The episode concludes with a focus on building trust over time through self-awareness and consistent actions. Takeaways Trust is a critical factor in the workplace, impacting communication, efficiency, and emotional energy.Credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation play key roles in building and maintaining trust within teams.

    10 min
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Trailer

About

If you’re managing people and wondering why motivation is dropping, conversations feel harder, or your best people are exhausted, you’re not alone. Manage What Matters is a practical, human podcast for people leaders who want to improve performance without losing people (or themselves) along the way. Each week, host Jackie Handy explores real leadership challenges - from feedback and burnout to conflict, belonging, and purpose - through a lens that focuses on what actually drives behaviour at work. With years of experience in leadership, inclusion, and culture change - and plenty of lessons learned the hard way - Jackie brings clarity, warmth, and honesty to conversations many people leaders are having privately, but rarely out loud. This isn’t a podcast about being nicer or doing more just for the sake of it. It’s about leading better - without needing more time, more budget, or burning out on the journey. Because when people know they matter, and the work matters too, everything changes. Welcome aboard!

Information

  • Creator
    Jackie Handy
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jackie Handy

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