Beyond Leading

Beyond Leading

Welcome to Beyond Leading — the podcast that cuts through the noise to get real about leadership, team dynamics, personal growth, and the messy, brilliant reality of work, life, and everything in between. We’re your hosts, Alec Pearson, Tiffany Barnard and Nick Sellers — practitioners who’ve led teams, navigated pressure, and now coach leaders at every level. We’re here for honest conversations about what it really takes to lead well in today’s world. This isn’t another podcast full of jargon and glossy success stories. We share grounded insights from decades of real experience — the kind learned in the trenches, not in theory — along with practical strategies that genuinely stick. And one thing we’re clear on: we don’t claim to have all the answers. Every leader, every team, every situation is different. What we want to do is spark ideas, open new ways of thinking, and give you space to reflect on what will work in your world. If an episode helps you see a familiar challenge differently, we’ve done our job. Every fortnight, we dive into the challenges ambitious leaders and teams are facing right now — from building trust and navigating tough CEO dilemmas to handling soft burnout, staying relevant, or simply keeping pace when everything feels like too much. You’ll hear personal reflections, plenty of laughs, some sharp truths, and inspiring guests who’ve lived it, led through it, and grown because of it. If you're a leader, a team player, a business owner, or someone who wants to show up better and move forward with more purpose, this podcast is your space. Subscribe and join us every two weeks for conversations that challenge the status quo, spark real growth, and help you lead beyond the title. To download a factsheet for any of our episodes please visit: https://beyond-leading.captivate.fm/episodefactsheet 🎙 Let’s go beyond leading — and everything in between.

  1. MAR 5

    Ep 11 - When the Signal Thins: Leadership in the Aftershock Era

    with Alec Pearson. In this solo episode, Alec reflects on something many leaders are quietly feeling but struggling to name - why leadership feels heavier, even when nothing is technically “wrong”. Drawing on his recent Aftershock Era series on The Strategic Leader on Substack, Alec explores how accumulated pressure, rather than dramatic crisis, is shaping decision-making, energy and strategic clarity across organisations. In this conversation Alec explores: Why leadership can feel heavier even in the absence of visible crisisThe difference between tired teams and thinning teams - and why it mattersHow soft burnout quietly affects judgement, not just wellbeingWhy organisations can be busy yet feel like nothing is really movingThe subtle shift from strategic growth to cultural cautionHow external fragmentation and AI acceleration are thinning the signal leaders rely onThe difference between decisions made from clarity and decisions driven by pressureA simple discipline to restore focus, capacity and momentum when drift sets in If you’re a CEO, founder, partner or senior leader sensing that something feels slightly off - not broken, just heavier - this episode offers language, structure and reflection to help you regain orientation. For the deeper thinking behind this episode, explore the full Aftershock series on The Strategic Leader on Substack: https://thestrategicleader.substack.com Follow Beyond Leading on LinkedIn for episode clips and updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-leading-podcast Follow/subscribe to Beyond Leading for new episodes — wherever you listen.

    12 min
  2. FEB 26

    Ep 10 - What’s Really Running Your Mind Under Pressure? The Inner Game of Leadership and Positive Intelligence (PQ)

    with Alec Pearson, Tiffany David and Graham Da Costa. When pressure hits, most of us think we’re responding logically. But often, something else is running the show. In this episode Alec is joined for the first time by R Tiffany David and Graham Da Costa to explore what happens internally when stress builds, decisions feel heavier, and that familiar inner voice starts to comment on everything we do. Using the framework of Positive Intelligence (PQ), the conversation looks beneath behaviour and performance to the inner patterns that shape how leaders think, react and show up - especially in demanding moments. Rather than treating PQ as a label or a trend, this episode explores it as a practical lens for understanding self-sabotage, emotional reactions and the quieter choices available to us under pressure. In this conversation, we discuss: What really happens in our minds when stress takes overThe inner voices that undermine confidence, focus and judgementWhy good intentions don’t always translate into good outcomesHow awareness creates choice — even in difficult momentsThe link between mental fitness, leadership presence and trustWhy this inner work matters for teams, relationships and wellbeing This episode isn’t about positive thinking or fixing yourself. It’s about understanding what’s driving your reactions and how leaders can respond with more clarity, calm and intention when it matters most. Follow Beyond Leading on LinkedIn for episode clips and updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-leading-podcast Follow/subscribe to Beyond Leading for new episodes — wherever you listen.

    43 min
  3. JAN 29

    Ep 8 - Turning Redundancy into a New Beginning

    with Alec Pearson, Lizzie Cousins and Chelsea Dickinson. In this episode, Alec Pearson speaks to Lizzie Cousins and Chelsea Dickinson from C&D Debt Recovery to uncover how a moment that could have stopped their careers instead sparked a bold new chapter. After finding themselves redundant, Lizzie and Chelsea took a leap many think about but few commit to — building a business of their own. What follows is a grounded conversation about resilience, partnership and the practical realities of starting again. In this conversation we explore: How redundancy became the catalyst for launching C&D Debt RecoveryThe early decisions, preparation and homework that set them up for successWhy communication and shared values are the backbone of their partnershipThe leadership qualities they lean on most — honesty, integrity and confidenceThe balance between working in the business and building on itStrategy, growth and the importance of taking steady, sustainable stepsWhat they’ve learned — and what they want others to know before making the leap Whether you're considering a business of your own, navigating uncertainty or simply curious about the realities behind a start-up story, this episode offers encouragement, insight and practical takeaways. You can find out more about C&D Debt Recovery at: https://candddebtrecovery.co.uk/ Follow Beyond Leading on LinkedIn for episode clips and updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-leading-podcast Follow/subscribe to Beyond Leading for new episodes - wherever you listen.

    31 min

About

Welcome to Beyond Leading — the podcast that cuts through the noise to get real about leadership, team dynamics, personal growth, and the messy, brilliant reality of work, life, and everything in between. We’re your hosts, Alec Pearson, Tiffany Barnard and Nick Sellers — practitioners who’ve led teams, navigated pressure, and now coach leaders at every level. We’re here for honest conversations about what it really takes to lead well in today’s world. This isn’t another podcast full of jargon and glossy success stories. We share grounded insights from decades of real experience — the kind learned in the trenches, not in theory — along with practical strategies that genuinely stick. And one thing we’re clear on: we don’t claim to have all the answers. Every leader, every team, every situation is different. What we want to do is spark ideas, open new ways of thinking, and give you space to reflect on what will work in your world. If an episode helps you see a familiar challenge differently, we’ve done our job. Every fortnight, we dive into the challenges ambitious leaders and teams are facing right now — from building trust and navigating tough CEO dilemmas to handling soft burnout, staying relevant, or simply keeping pace when everything feels like too much. You’ll hear personal reflections, plenty of laughs, some sharp truths, and inspiring guests who’ve lived it, led through it, and grown because of it. If you're a leader, a team player, a business owner, or someone who wants to show up better and move forward with more purpose, this podcast is your space. Subscribe and join us every two weeks for conversations that challenge the status quo, spark real growth, and help you lead beyond the title. To download a factsheet for any of our episodes please visit: https://beyond-leading.captivate.fm/episodefactsheet 🎙 Let’s go beyond leading — and everything in between.