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. Jul 28

    21: From Psychology to Practice: Turning Care Insights into Leadership Impact

    Today's episode introduces Karen Mills, a Business Psychologist, entrepreneur and academic based in the West Midlands, UK. Karen brings a powerful combination of psychological expertise and real-world leadership experience, particularly in the social care sector. She’s Director of Business and Strategy at the Psychology Business Incubator, where she helps psychologists around the world turn their expertise into impactful and sustainable businesses, while championing collaboration across the profession. Alongside this, Karen leads KPF Services, a consultancy focused on quality improvement and leadership development in adult social care, and she also works directly within services supporting individuals with complex physical and mental health needs. Karen is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Wolverhampton, researching dual diagnosis in substance use and mental health — work aimed at improving support systems for people who are often overlooked. Our conversation covers the challenges of workplace wellbeing, the messy middle of leadership, the passion and purpose in adult social care, leadership challenges and stagnation, addressing addiction and stigma, creating value through acknowledgment, and reflection and growth. Key takeaways include the importance of workplace wellbeing and the challenges faced by leaders in managing the messy middle of leadership. Connect with Karen on LinkedIn here Takeaways Workplace WellbeingLeadership Challenges Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Workplace Wellbeing09:05 Leadership Challenges and Stagnation20:07 Creating Value through Acknowledgment

    21: From Psychology to Practice: Turning Care Insights into Leadership Impact
  2. Jul 14

    19: Taming Your Inner Child For Leadership Success

    Brooke Bownes is an accredited trauma coach, therapist, global No.1 bestselling author and speaker. She works with businesswomen who struggle with feeling stuck and beliefs that are holding them back, helping them find their power, confidence and release any limiting beliefs, so they can lead themselves and others.   Brooke is passionate about this as she once felt powerless & was scared to show up in the world as herself. She then started working on her mindset, doing the inner work, she discovered who she was & loves the feeling of inner contentment & confidence. She went from scared to speaking on stage.   Brooke describes herself as "an introvert that discovered how to rewire my mind & regulate my nervous system, release my beliefs that held me back so I could achieve my dreams & now I help people do the same. I can hand on heart say ‘I know it can be done, I have walked in similar shoes to yours, I have felt your fears, I have been frustrated by my outdated beliefs." Our episode discusses the importance of self-leadership and the impact of limiting beliefs on behaviour. It explores the challenges of self-leadership, the influence of limiting beliefs, the process of rewiring belief systems, managing emotions and conflict, and strategies for overcoming limiting beliefs. Connect with Brooke on LinkedIn here Or book a breakthrough call with her here Takeaways Self-leadership is crucialLimiting beliefs impact behaviour Chapters 00:00 The Challenge of Self-Leadership07:05 Rewiring Belief Systems13:05 Managing Emotions and Conflict19:01 Overcoming Limiting Beliefs

    19: Taming Your Inner Child For Leadership Success

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!