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The People Impact Podcast

The People Impact Podcast

By Lisa Dempsey & Marjolijn Vlug

Welcome to the People Impact Podcast... because your impact on people matters.

This is for you if you are interested in expanding your perspective on people in your organization - and yourself as a human being.

We explore ideas about impacting and improving the way people lead and work together in organisations today.

For all of you out there who are open to new views, visions and dreams.

Featuring Lisa Dempsey and Marjolijn Vlug. We used to be HR Matters, now we are taking a wider view.
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Currently playing episode

Holding Space: the Under-the-Radar Skill You Want to Have

The People Impact PodcastNov 26, 2019

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Listener Note!

Listener Note!

Hey Listeners!


Lisa here with a quick update and important request.


Tune in to fund out more!

Mar 26, 202402:25
Developing Leadership, with guest Paul ter Wal

Developing Leadership, with guest Paul ter Wal

“How did you feel when you realised that?”

“I must say, I finally felt happy with it. This is making me happy because this makes sense.”


In this new episode we dive deep with Paul ter Wal, a former lawyer turned leadership developer and professional speaker who is reshaping the workplace through his motto, Happiness Makes Money: the well-being of employees isn't just a nice-to-have; it's a must-have for business profitability.


Paul shares his development journey from old-school top-down manager to a new shape of leadership. Achieving this isn't about quick fixes; it requires transforming traditional management mindsets focused on control into cultures of support. He realised that he needed to rethink our standard approach to human resources, from treating employees as mere resources to recognizing them as individuals with unique contributions and needs. Leaders asking "How can I help you?" instead of "What should you do?"—this is a simple but immense pivot. Paul experienced that something as casual as walking meetings or coffee chats can break down formalities and encourage genuine dialogue about what each person needs to thrive at work.


Reflect upon your core values at work – what are your non-negotiables?

Begin implementing supportive strategies within your team.

Start conversations that matter in our workplaces.


It’s these steps towards understanding and supporting one another that build more engaged teams, successful organizations, happier work lives.


More about Paul ter Wal:

Website https://paulterwal.com/team

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulterwal/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Mar 01, 202429:07
Exploring Radical Candor

Exploring Radical Candor

The right words at the right time can make all the difference—not just in business but life itself.


On this episode, we unravel the concept of radical candour developed by Kim Scott. Radical candour isn't a tool as much as a commitment to authentic conversations that drive meaningful change. It invites us to balance truth with care in the words we use. It is a feedback mechanism and more: a transformative approach to your interactions.


We also place radical candour in a cultural perspective; acknowledging that this will pan out differently across cultural (international) contexts where you’ll work together with people from other backgrounds.


Radical candour is built on two fundamental principles: caring personally and challenging directly. At its core, it’s about finding the sweet spot where empathy meets honesty. It facilitates an environment where people feel respected enough that they're open to constructive criticism. When leaders care deeply about their team members as individuals (not just as employees) while also having the courage to provide and receive (!) clear, direct feedback—even when it’s uncomfortable—true growth can occur.


Shift gears towards more impactful communication.


Referenced in this episode:

Radical Candor, by Kim Scott https://www.radicalcandor.com/our-approach/

The Culture Map, by Erin Meyer https://erinmeyer.com/books/the-culture-map/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Feb 09, 202432:35
From Burnout to Balance, with guest Julian Reeve

From Burnout to Balance, with guest Julian Reeve

The thing with burnout is… you’re largely unaware of it until it happens to you. When we’re ambitious, we’re driven by goals and metrics. Financial success denoted by things and the balance in your bank account. Who are you, in the journey towards that result you’re aiming for? Julian Reeve shares his experiences and wisdom with us in this episode. He's shaping the way organizations tackle stress and burnout and his story is a deeply human wake-up call for work-life harmony.


Julian journeyed from a high-pressure career as music director for Broadway’s "Hamilton" into a role where he now supports organizations and entrepreneurs in managing stress effectively as the founder of Perfect Equilibrium. From massive success to massive burnout to paying it forward, with a responsibility he feels deeply.


Essential realisations that he shares with us:

  • detaching his identity from his work and looking at what success truly means
  • focusing on the journey to the results, rather than just the results themselves
  • learning the tools to deal with the psychology of healthy, sustainable achievement


Having your identity tied up in your work can drive you towards unsustainable levels of perfectionism. But many people don't think they need to do anything before they reach the pain point. That's the most complex thing about burnout. People don't stop to really understand the pain that they're in, physically and psychologically. This is why Julian’s mission includes inspiring change before reaching critical pain points, with a three-question approach he developed specifically for this purpose.


We talk about

  • finding your purpose
  • recalibrating to create equilibrium
  • opening up workplace conversations about burnout


And much more.

“Figure out how to start talking to yourself as you would do a best friend, because if you can get that right, it really is a super superpower.”


Listen to this episode to get inspiration for creating a resilient organizational culture equipped to handle today's fast-paced business environment with gracefulness and agility.


And to be well.


More about Julian Reeve:

Website https://www.julianreeve.com/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianreeve

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/julian.reeve/


Referenced in this episode:

Reframing Perfectionism, the vital need for change – TEDxSantaBarbara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi-kD8_dyKw

Perfect Equilibrium https://www.perfectequilibrium.co/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Jan 18, 202429:21
Toxicity Unveiled: Deep Dive into Reality and Leadership

Toxicity Unveiled: Deep Dive into Reality and Leadership

In today's fast-paced corporate world, the term ‘toxic work culture’ is more than just a buzzword; it's a reality that can deeply impact both individual well-being and organizational health.


This deep dive into workplace dynamics ties together the recognition that toxicity isn't just about individual burnout or interpersonal conflicts; it can be embedded in structures and policies with ripple effects that shape our daily work lives.


From one bad apple or a single poor manager, to performance reviews fostering unhealthy competition or leadership strategies that inadvertently fuel burnout, all levels of toxicity issues deserve noticing.


Leadership is key—whether it’s managers with formal leadership or the personal leadership leveraged from any position, this is about taking the responsibility and opportunity to address toxicity. There are ways to choose (personal) leadership in how you show up when you find toxicity at each of these levels.


How do you, personally, want to be around each other and the organization?

How do you want other people to be around each other and the organization?


As we peel back the layers involving toxic work cultures, and the interplay between them, the goal isn't merely survival within these spaces but transformation so they become places where thriving is possible for all involved.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Dec 29, 202331:11
Culture, Leadership and Authentic Self, with guest Irene Riad

Culture, Leadership and Authentic Self, with guest Irene Riad

What is your work in the world?


Irene Riad is a multinational, multicultural executive coach and organizational culture coach (ICF PCC) who specializes in leadership transformation, complex drama recovery coaching and Jungian psychology coaching. She is also the founder of SIGHTcet, the Self Mastery Coaching Institute.


Her mission is supporting leaders to live their legacy through their work: the authentic expression of the whole of who you are. With her coachees she peels a little bit more of the onion, going deeper into all the dimensions of their experiences of their culture and how they identify as a person.


Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, with parents from Egypt, and having lived in Britain and Albania, Irene brings all the diversity of those cultures into her work and perspective. She recognizes that we take away pieces of culture when we meet friends or have extended family in various cultures as well. The beliefs, traditions, needs, habits interwoven in every culture. And this impacts how we see the world.


From experience, Irene knows that we often don’t realise what we’ve absorbed from different cultures into who we individually are. We are all a mosaic made from pieces of culture. With a growing awareness about that, we can start to choose what pieces we individually want to highlight in our lives. ‘What is it really that I believe in and want to bring into my life now?’


Irene’s focus is on growing self-mastery, the outcome of which is your authentic self, in mind, body and soul. And so, the process of growing into our authentic self involves this diversity of culture. Exploring when various pieces are widely different, sometimes in conflict. Identifying and then integrating them.


It takes some practice, Irene acknowledges, yet it is an opportunity for renewal and reawakening of your personal leadership, your chosen way of expressing yourself in the world.


A world where cultures meet and blend, around and within us.


More about Irene Riad:


More about us:


Dec 08, 202327:07
Diverse Leadership in Focus, with guest L. Michelle Smith

Diverse Leadership in Focus, with guest L. Michelle Smith

“My mission is to pick apart what women did who have succeeded – and success is defined by making it to the C-suite at these very, very large companies where the deck is stacked against her, but she still made it. And what I found is, these women, even if they don't call it positive emotion, tapped into positive emotion to make it through.”


Join us in this conversation with executive coach and three-time best-selling author L. Michelle Smith as we delve into leadership dynamics, corporate culture and the power of authenticity around women, and particularly women of colour.


L. Michelle Smith is an executive coach with expertise in applied positive psychology and neuroscience. She shares her insights into the unique challenges faced by – and solutions found by –women of colour in traditionally white male-dominated spaces. L. Michelle recently published "Yes Please, 7 Ways to Say I Am Entitled to the C Suite," which provides valuable tips for women navigating corporate culture and aspiring to climb up the corporate ladder.


As someone who started under female senior leadership herself, she observed first-hand how rare it was seeing other women, especially women of colour, occupy similar roles across different companies despite their qualifications matching or surpassing their male counterparts'. This observation, paired with her journalistic background, sparked her to investigate this in-depth.


L. Michelle’s approach to women leadership, rooted in evidence-based data, drives strategies for both individuals and organizations. She has made strides in advocating for women's leadership roles within the corporate world, researching and coaching on ways forward into the C-suite.


Despite being a 'double outsider,' L. Michelle's resilience led her to success while inspiring others along the way. A testament to this is her eight-year-old daughter who authored a children's companion book highlighting lessons of self-love and strength - values deeply rooted in her work.


Central themes throughout the conversation include:

  • Balancing authenticity within structures not designed for diverse leadership.
  • Discomfort that shows up when marginalized individuals exert power or authority.
  • The concept of privilege varying depending on context.
  • The part that healing plays in growing forward


More about L. Michelle Smith:

Mentioned in this episode:


More about us:

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Nov 17, 202337:19
Baking DEI into Your Organization, with guest Maria Morukian

Baking DEI into Your Organization, with guest Maria Morukian

Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't about isolated targets; it needs to be intertwined into every action we take as an organization. The broccoli gets bakes into the casserole to make the whole better and healthier.


Maria Morukian works with with people who, whether it's their formal or informal role, lead the systemic change for diversity, equity and inclusion. She also works with organisations to really embed the concepts of equity, justice and inclusion into the organizational fabric.


She shares the personal background that shaped her worldview and brought her to this work. Drawing from her multicultural background and experience in systemic change work, Maria gives her perspective on how to embed DEI into the fabric of an organization. and – sorry if you haven’t had dinner yet – we bring in some good cooking metaphors to elucidate the process.


She brings up the interesting concept of 'Immunity to Change,' (developed by Lisa Lahey and Robert Kegan) highlighting that DEI isn't merely a technical problem solvable by one-off decisions. DEI isn't about quick fixes but complex, adaptive challenges: hard to identify, which makes them easy to deny. It's more like untangling a knot, requiring us to uncover conflicting commitments in organizational structures and cultures.


Pulling back the curtain and asking: what is it that is causing these actions or inactions that are impeding progress toward what we say we want? Elements of organizational structure and culture are reinforced and perpetuated not only because they're easier and better known, but also because they tend to serve a certain segment of the population.


Uncovering hidden competing commitments in how organizations are set up and run means recognizing our subconscious actions and beliefs that may inadvertently create an immunity to much-needed change.


A workaround that Maria proposes is micro-change: nudges to challenge existing assumptions and initiate change, inch by inch, bite by bite, adding up to big impact.

We also delve with Maria into treating DEI as a fundamental part of making big decisions. This means, rather than to treat DEI actions like separate goals, or an ‘add on’ if we happen to have any space (or budget) left, to integrate DEI values into the core of business strategy. Which is where they belong, and have their true impact and benefit.


How are you embedding DEI principles into your organization? What would it mean to uncover potentially competing commitments – and integrate them instead?


More about Maria Morukian:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-morukian/

Website MSM Consulting https://msmglobalconsulting.com/about-maria-morukian/

Podcast: Culture Stew https://open.spotify.com/show/3typAAapfJZ14VL6N811Ob


And more about Immunity to Change https://mindsatwork.com/who-we-are/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Oct 30, 202332:11
Taking the Grief Out of Grievance, with guest David Liddle

Taking the Grief Out of Grievance, with guest David Liddle

David Liddle doesn’t beat about the bush as he identifies the root cause of toxicity in organisations: organisations get the culture and behaviours they deserve.

In order to create a turnaround, transformational justice is what David works towards.


David is the Chief Exec and founder of a consultancy called the TCM Group, which specialises in conflict resolution, culture change and leadership development programmes. Throughout his career he has focused on initiatives that promote mediation and majority justice.

He works with organizations to embed the principles of dialogue and justice, empowerment, engagement and inclusion, into policies, procedures, leadership, behaviours, board rooms, and into the whole culture of our organization.


Organisations are the architects of their own pain points, in a blame and shame cycle that shuts so many people down by checking boxes of procedures and policies: “Everything that makes us human is ignored in favour of ‘did I tick the box’?” Even having no designed processes and procedures works better than having destructive, restrictive ones that don’t connect with humanity and purpose.


Look at every word in your procedures, David recommends: are they driving people into defence? Or are they set up to be supportive to revolution and resolution?

“My job is to unblock factors that create toxicity, by bringing people, purpose and values to the centre.”


Problematic behaviours often stem from fear, avoidance and lack of dialogue.

It is crucial that we foster environments that promote fairness and meaningful conversations. HR systems play an integral role in this process; rather than escalating issues they should aim at resolving them effectively.


Sitting down and really hearing what other people say is possibly one of the toughest things – a tough skill rather than a soft skill – and also one of the most powerful things you can do. It’s transformative.


The goal? To inspire learning from feedback rather than fixating on mistakes, with restorative and transformative justice.


About David:

https://thetcmgroup.com/team/david-liddle/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liddledavid/

More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Oct 06, 202329:59
What is going on? Unveiling Workplace Bias, with guest Buki Mosaku

What is going on? Unveiling Workplace Bias, with guest Buki Mosaku

How can we look at unconscious bias in the workplace from a different perspective, so that we can address it more effectively?

Buki Mosaku is the founder of DiverseCity Think Tank, workplace bias expert, and author of ‘I Don’t Understand: Navigating Unconscious Bias in the Workplace’. We talk with him about what’s working and what isn’t in terms of addressing workplace bias.


His big eye-opener message: rather than a one-sided, siloed approach that splits people into camps, choose a multidirectional perspective.


In this conversation, we dive into navigating the inevitability of workplace bias acknowledging that we all have bias. Every human brain has bias. Typically, people and organisations try to compensate for its negative impact, mitigating behaviours to reduce the impact of bias with change programmes and policies, and that is fine. It’s also a unidirectional, top-down approach.


Since we’re all biased, and this is a dynamic going on all the time, Buki invites us to instead give all people the wherewithal to deal with bias in the moment, as and when it happens. Let’s not be reliant on ‘the people upstairs’ to change things to make people less impacted from bias.


Everyone has a role in changing bias.

Buki breaks bias down into

  • directional bias, happening towards you, because of an element of your identity (race, gender, age, socioeconomic background, disability, sexual orientation, etc.). And
  • reverse bias, where you may misinterpret unfavourable decisions towards you as driven by unconscious bias. Misinterpretation based on very real past experiences, on hearsay, and/or a wider narrative about people. Which can lead to an additional sense of disempowerment.


How do you distinguish actual biased decisions from misinterpretation – and how do you address it – without demeaning yourself or demonising the other person? Buki worked specifically on finding a way to address that sense of injustice towards you, and he proposes to create dialogue in a framework of dispassionate developmental inquiry:

  • Step into conversation, starting from the benefit of the doubt.
  • Slow down, using your internal GPS. Determine what’s going on.
  • Address the bias wisely, raising awareness.
  • Then go on and enjoy your lunch.

The result is transformational, as an “us versus them” mentality converts to one of “we”.


Buki suggests that we simply use three powerful words to start from.


Listen to the episode to hear more.


More about Buki Mosaku:


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Sep 19, 202333:44
Dealing With Toxic People At Work, with guest Ann Betz

Dealing With Toxic People At Work, with guest Ann Betz

Ann Betz is an expert on evidence-based neuroscience, human development and coaching, and she’s here to talk about toxic workplace culture and toxic personalities.


On the one hand, when coaches work with a coachee sitting in front of us, we focus on that person and what they want do differently in their lives. On the other hand, sometimes people are in systems where it is not up to them at all to get better at something, it’s the situation and work relationships that are toxic.


Being in a toxic environment can be like having someone smoking next to you: the solution is not to have a more patient, constructive, zen perspective about the smoke. You really just want to get rid of the smoke.


Toxicity often comes from someone with power in the organisation, with toxic traits and behaviours that are unregulated. Ann states that, in toxic workplaces, we tend to overlook that some people will not change. They will continue going from organisation to organisation, from role to role within an organisation, creating mental and physical health issues in their wake. Toxic people rise to certain levels. A part of it is because so much of what we believe leadership to be has been rooted in very toxic behaviours. Another part is that these people want to get to that level, badly.


We need to address this more and get rid of the smoker, rather than offering air filters, or face masks.


The great myth is that these toxic people are so valuable to the organisation that their bad behaviour is excused. What gets overlooked, Ann notices, is the value that gets destroyed because people are yelled at, shut down, creativity is gone. For the individual, the best solution is often to leave and find another job.


“I think, what was lost?”


Regulation is an important factor, and for that it is essential to spot the difference between a person who is having a bad day and someone who genuinely lacks self-regulation and self-awareness. Someone who isn’t going to change.


The distinction is in seeing patterns.


Ann shares clear patterns and red flags to consider, from the ‘fauxpology’ to ‘this is just who I am’ and even the ‘poor me’. She elaborates on the CRAVED model (developed by Dr Ramani Durvasula) for patterns of behaviour. And she recommends effective actions to take when you encounter highly powerful toxic people.


Do share this information, widely. It helps. Learn the ways to discern – and of flipping the script on someone who is genuinely toxic.


Then we have the opportunity to say: “The buck stops here.”



More about Ann Betz:


More about us:

Aug 24, 202331:39
Dance Your Way to Sustainable Leadership, with guest Irene Anggreeni

Dance Your Way to Sustainable Leadership, with guest Irene Anggreeni

Irene Anggreeni is a dedicated coach who specializes in mental health topics, fostering better self-care and sustainable success for both leaders and their teams. As an advocate for mental health, she works to remove the stigma surrounding it.


Her own life experiences have been formative in shaping her approach. Her work is deeply heartfelt and driven by her personal story.


In her pursuit of validation as a valuable member of society as an engineer, she pushed herself to the brink until she was diagnosed with clinical depression. This diagnosis marked a turning point, leading her on an uphill journey of self-healing.


Embracing this transformative experience, Irene retrained as a dance movement therapist and coach. This transformation gave her valuable tools that she is now passionate about sharing with others. Her approach emphasizes holistic self-care: how do we take care of ourselves and our emotions in a way that involves our whole being, not just our analytical minds.


She is still actively growing through these challenges, in a life-long process of integrating mindfulness, kindness, compassion, and self-connection in her daily life. That is also what we extend to other people, particularly as leaders that support and serve their teams, creating an environment where team members can learn and grow ensuring that their team have the chance to learn and grow. Demonstrating self-compassion is essential as it positively impacts how leaders carry forward their responsibilities and model how we can work together effectively.


A significant outcome of this approach is increased psychological safety. With openness and reduced fear of speaking up or asking questions, healthier dynamics and clearer communication lead to improved overall performance. When people feel safe to experiment and try new things, creativity and innovation flourish within an organization.


Before self-regulation can happen, you need to be aware of awareness of your internal state. Irene emphasizes the use of movement: when you recognize the sensations and emotions triggered within your body, you have the ability to channel them physically, through things like shifting your posture and conscious breathing.


It will bring you a sense of grounding and space and it is a way to escape the cognitive mind that wants to take over 100%. Sometimes words are not enough, or they get in the way. A lot of leaders know a lot. And sometimes, there’s sometimes missing – you need more than just knowledge.


Tap back into the nonverbal creative self that you are, too. Reclaim your body. Tap into it as your resource. Reconnect with your inner self and enhance your well-being. And dance more 😊


More about Irene:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanjava/https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanjava/

Website: https://leadersthroughdepression.com/

get Irene’s free Mindful Actions e-book from this page: https://leadersthroughdepression.com/actionbook


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Aug 03, 202328:20
Mastering Change Through Creativity, with guest David Chislett

Mastering Change Through Creativity, with guest David Chislett

So many people in this world do not perceive themselves as creative, and yet our creativity is the primary tool that we use to navigate change. You are actually being creative, every day. David Chislett helps us understand how creativity is our primary tool for embracing change and unlocking new possibilities in our lives.

David is a change pilot: he helps people and teams activate behaviours and activities within themselves that allow them to deal better with the inevitable process of change. Short and simple.

Coming from an entertainment industry background, having played in and worked with bands, and with fine artists and performers of all sorts, his flavour is creativity. He wants to relight that fire in as many people as he can.

Creativity is how we conceive of alternative realities; it is our imagination that thinks of plans for the future.

What we do when we’re being creative is joining the dots. What people who are very creative are doing is simply connecting dots that are further out in left field: “Hey, look, here’s a connection. If we take all of these dots and connect it to this one, that means we can do all this other extra stuff we hadn’t thought about before.”

It’s about finding those connections and being alert to the possibility that those connections are there to be found.

What do you want? And how much do you want it? Then what is really what you want?

What would you then do with your life? What simple step can you take tomorrow that will lay the first dot towards getting there, towards connecting your reality with your vision? Reverse-engineering it to what is available today, towards your goal?

When confronted with inevitable change, creativity helps you take control of the story that you choose to tell about the situation.

If you’ve got an idea, try it small. See what you learn, improve it, and try again. Results don’t have to come out fully formed. It doesn’t have to be a great show. Just start. Once you’ve started, doing is easy. After a month, look at how far you’ve come, and lengthen your stride. That’s how you get from A to B.

“So, tell me what you want, what you really really want?”


More about David:
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/davidchislettcreativity/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/DavidChislett
Website: davidchislett.com/
And subscribers to David’s newsletter get a free download of his Ideation Canvas from this page: davidchislett.com/newsletter-signup/


More about us:
Lisa Dempsey

www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/
www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug

www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/
www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Jul 13, 202327:20
From FOFO to GO-fo!

From FOFO to GO-fo!

Let’s get honest about FOFO. No, not fomo, the fear of missing out (not even jomo, the joy of missing out).


We’re talking about FOFO: The Fear Of Finding Out. The fear of finding out what’s actually going on.


The fear of finding out what’s actually going on rather than how it should be happening according to all of your policies and procedures and theories and rule books. As helpful as they’re meant to be, looking at those is not the same as gaining insight into, and dealing with, the real situation.

The fear of finding out the bigger picture. The fear of finding out the real-life details.

Staying in a seemingly safe comfort zone, the deceptive side of not knowing.


Getting honest and overcoming FOFO can take the shape of rewarding people for actual impact in your field, department, organisation. Of listening up when someone is actually pointing out what is going on in a situation or in the organisation, rather than blindly wanting to stick to procedure. Or of connecting the dots of what’s happening structurally, rather than discounting individual occurrences (and gaslighting).


The funny thing is, it’s really just the fear of finding out, it’s not the fear of what’s actually on the other side of finding out. Because once you get honest and find out, it may be less scary than you thought, easier than you thought, or even be incentivising and motivating you to make a change that needs to happen.

Think about what may be more important to you than FOFO, what is that?


Sure, you can be scared, and you can also just go ahead and do it anyway, see what’s actually on the other side, and lead with curiosity. Having the courage to be with fear is a massive (personal) leadership skill. Then prepare to be genuinely, deeply curious.


Let’s try to move past the FOFO and actually GO-fo!



Referenced in this episode:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/globalhsemanager_fofo-fear-of-finding-out-explains-why-organisations-activity-7025407176747700224-YvKy/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey

Marjolijn Vlug –

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Jun 24, 202326:36
How To Have Coach-Like Conversations

How To Have Coach-Like Conversations

A great way to improve the quality – and effectiveness – of your conversations is to have more coach-like conversations.

In this episode we give you five essential skills and tools that will change the quality of your conversations, your work communications and interactions.


The simple fact is, if you treat people like children, they will behave like children but when you treat people knowing that they are naturally creative, resourceful and whole human beings that you know they are – and that they were hired to be – they’re going to behave very differently.


Having more coach-like conversations means bringing an open mindset, instead of command-and-control.

Listening instead of waiting for the other person to stop talking, so you can start telling again, in a response ping pong back and forth.

Fundamentally, a shift away from telling, and moving into asking.

Clarifying what it is that you need, what it is that the other person needs, so you can create this space of ‘we’.


Explore all five with us:

1. levels of listening,

2. asking open questions,

3. parking your judgement,

4. self-awareness and self-management,

5. designing the alliance


Some of these may have you think “oh you’re right, thanks for the reminder”, and others, “wow, this one’s an eye opener”. Get in touch and tell us what this was for you (and have a good follow-up conversation with us about it).


All of these will improve all of your conversations, making them so much more productive and effective, with less stress and more connection.



More about us:

Lisa Dempsey

Marjolijn Vlug –

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Jun 02, 202335:49
New Shapes of Masculinity, with guest Yaniv Shein

New Shapes of Masculinity, with guest Yaniv Shein

In a world where societal expectations for men – to be strong, confident, composed, capable – are still prevalent, it can be challenging to break away and courageously embrace authenticity.

Life coach Yaniv Shein works mainly with men, facilitating men's groups for youth and adults. In this new episode he shares his philosophy on ‘what it means to be a man’ and the challenges men face in finding their path. A never-ending question that is always present and evolving.


Yaniv shares his personal journey, reflecting on his childhood, when he and his group of friends didn't care about what others thought and created their own rules for what it meant to be a man. As he grew older, went into the army and then the corporate world, he discovered that he didn't truly belong to the story that others were telling.

He encourages you to not trade off one aspect of yourself for another and to explore your individuality and authenticity, even if it means going against the norm. He also emphasizes the importance of becoming aware of, observing and exploring your own emotions and experiences – discovering what’s actually going on inside. One practical way to do that is in men's groups, as a safe space to speak and be vulnerable with others, often leading to powerful and transformative experiences.

Societal pressure on men can lead to a sense of fragility and aggression when capability seems threatened. But this pressure on men to be strong, confident, and not show weakness can be detrimental to mental health and well-being.

Instead, embracing the full range of your emotions and experiences as a human being (of any gender identification) leads to so many expanded options and new opportunities.


To lives more fully lived.


More about Yaniv Shein:


More about us:

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


May 15, 202337:38
Creating Space to Speak

Creating Space to Speak

Be intentional about inviting everyone to speak in your group meetings and reap the reward. Yep, that’s the gist of this episode. It’s that simple.


To help you start and keep doing this, we talk about how and why this works – and how to make it a habit.


Work results are better when people get to introduce themselves: research shows that when medical team members introduce themselves by name in an operating room, this can reduce complications. It is not necessarily because people share their name, but because when they’ve spoken, it becomes more likely that they’ll speak again.


It gets you into a space of more ease, remembering that your voice has just as much power and volume as everybody else’s. And when all get to speak, that makes it easier for everyone present to be the one to bring up that brilliant idea, whoever that happens to come from that day. By using your voice and encouraging other voices at the table you’re moving the dynamic of the group forward.


It sounds so simple. It’s amazing how it can change the dynamic in a room. And yet it gets overlooked all the time.


So, this is something you’ll want to remind yourself of. Either simply by inviting everyone to introduce themselves, or by always having a check-in that suits the situation (in person or online, small or large group).


Make it an intentional ingredient in the design of every meeting: inviting everybody’s presence into the space, inviting everybody’s voice to the table. Simply set the scene, every time.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Apr 21, 202331:30
Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape

Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape

Are you still feeling the lingering effects of the pandemic? We dive back into this topic as we noticed how much our earlier episode about Pandemic Fatigue still brings up for our listeners. We’re still finding our way, going from languishing to lingering.

It may seem like we’re expected to go back to normal, but we can’t. We’re in a different place. It’s like we have dug a tunnel and come out on the other side to a different landscape. On the other side, it’s a different world.


We put a lot of work into solving all kinds of problems, with a tremendous amount of creativity, perseverance and resilience – and perhaps we’re not quite as resilient as we’d like to think we are. We paid a heavy price. We had formative experiences.


Even though the official government bodies have declared the pandemic over, there is still a lot of debris and rubble left to be cleaned up and processed, including invisible emotional debris like grief and loss. And that still takes energy.


Take time to recalibrate and celebrate before rushing into post-crisis reconstruction (which is often not the strongest, most constructive). Acknowledge that you are where you are now.


Notice the landscape here and explore this new space.


What can you create from here?


Referenced:

Pandemic Fatigue, Weathering the Storm (episode from 18 Feb 2022): https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/peopleimpactpodcast/episodes/Pandemic-Fatigue--Weathering-the-Storm-e1eg8fq?%24

The NY Times article that named languishing as a feeling many people shared: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



Apr 03, 202326:02
Changing the Narrative, with guest Ruben Brave

Changing the Narrative, with guest Ruben Brave

Ruben Brave loves exploring the unknown, with a curiosity that drives him to a wide variety of places and an innate talent for generating visions for the future.


His story involves serial tech entrepreneurship: having set up several tech companies across Europe, Ruben has always been ‘one of the geeks’ (and a Spider-Man fan). Another side of him is fatherhood, living in Amsterdam, with roots in a big Surinamese family – providing him with cultural capital and a spiritual background that he brings with him into work and business.


Having spent so much time in progressive spaces, Ruben only recently became more aware of the massive impact of discrimination and exclusion. He spoke with 400+ people from underrepresented groups, people who don’t tick all the boxes of the ‘default tech entrepreneur’.


What he learned was that a lot of those people are being actively excluded through discrimination and less access to financial, social and representational capital. And they themselves see tech spaces as not welcoming. This makes valuable people move away from spaces that could in fact be interesting for them, and the world.


It made him realise we need to see how we are all connected, on a planet with finite resources, where we can complement each other’s limitations.


There are many dimensions to everyone’s identity. It is important to be aware of the historical and cultural narratives connected to parts of who you are, in terms of your gender, race, and more.


At the same time, Ruben invites you to free yourself of the limiting aspects of oppression by also seeing yourself in a different narrative.


Going back to your core and stepping into more than the framework that those limiting narratives can impose on you. That space of your inner leader where you know who you are and what you’re capable of.


How do you want to develop yourself, personally, to change the narrative and move the needle forward?

What can you create from all that you are in a sustainable way?

What is the first thing that you can do from where you are today?


More about Ruben Brave:

https://www.rubenbrave.com/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Mar 10, 202329:55
Don’t Forget About Ageism, with guest Mary Jane Roy

Don’t Forget About Ageism, with guest Mary Jane Roy

Ageing is the one thing we all share in common, if we’re lucky enough to have a long life. But is this on your radar for improving the diversity and inclusivity of your teams?

This is a conversation with Mary Jane Roy, who is into her 50th career year. Her career – so far – has spanned from being a nursing officer in the Canadian Armed Forces to a corporate career and independent consulting.


It was only recent that she first realised the effect ageing has on careers and the workplace – even already being in that age group herself. A ubiquitous example is the standard clause: “Your contract will end on your pensionable age date.” That means that at your pensionable age, you will automatically be out of a job; a policy that is rarely questioned. 


DEI strategies in most workplaces do not focus on ageing and ageism. Research from 8 years ago (yes it hasn’t even been researched more recently) found that only 8% of DEI strategies include ageism.


Why would you want to? 

  • People are living longer, healthier lives. We continue to learn throughout our lives, in different ways, as there are two kinds of learning and processing knowledge: fluid (up to around the age of 25) and crystallised intelligence. 
  • The workforce needs this group. Even in this tight job market, managers are significantly less willing to hire older employees.
  • People are being denied career development opportunities because they’re ‘too old’ when they may have another 15-20 career years ahead of them, with pension eligibility being extended further and further. 
  • Just like with other dimensions of diversity, multigenerational teams are more productive and innovative.


“Don’t cast the paintbrush over the whole group,” Mary Jane says. We all age so differently. Many people are still active as they age and want to be part of creating the future, for their grandchildren and others. People want to have the choice to do economically visible and active work.


So, have conversations with individuals. Listen with an open, interactive mindset - embracing this part of life. Find out what they look forward to in their lives. 


Referenced in this episode:


More about Mary Jane Roy:



Feb 17, 202324:52
The Sunk Cost of People Pleasing

The Sunk Cost of People Pleasing

How do you distinguish between constructive behaviour and people pleasing?

You may notice it in other people, and how they interact. And then there’s discerning your own people pleasing behaviour.


People pleasing in teams can become a disadvantage because managers and team members don’t get the feedback and information that they need.

Look at this as energy spent. Suppressing how you really feel ends up taking much more energy than dealing with saying no. Saying yes even when you don’t want to, because that seems just easier. Pushing it down, tucking it under, shuffling it under the carpet can be like pushing a balloon under water, holding it there, pushing it down even further.


It takes a bit of practice to start noticing. Follow the energy: what is it costing you – and others, what are you giving up, and is that worth it? Does it feel like a choice or the only way ever possible?


When people are discounting their own voices and choices, real information doesn’t get shared. In a team or organisation this can get problematic and dysfunctional quite quickly.

When you’re overachieving, what are you underappreciating? At the cost of what?


If you see this happening in your team as a leader, or just starting to notice, this can erode the trust in your team and even your own confidence.


It really helps to zoom out to the bigger picture. Be honest and clear to yourself and to others. Putting yourself at choice. Asking honest questions, to yourself or in a coaching conversation, can be a game changer.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Jan 27, 202330:29
How To Succeed at Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Work, with guest Sarah Cordivano

How To Succeed at Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Work, with guest Sarah Cordivano

When you’re the first DEI role in an organisation, not only are you starting a job from scratch, so is your employer: often they don’t yet understand what your role is. It’s not a plug and play situation but a new function inside an organisation without a lot of legacy to stand on.

Moreover, expectations of what this work is like are often different than the reality – for both the DEI professional and the organisation.


To share her own learnings, Sarah Cordivano wrote the book ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How to succeed at an impossible job’. A very honest and practical look at what it’s like to work in DEI – and how to turn that into a success. 


In Sarah’s experience, DEI work in an organisation mainly consists of change management, project management, communications and strategic thinking.


But this is also emotionally involved work: it’s very personal to people. It’s a delicate space, sometimes with trauma involved, and it’s directly connected to people and their identity in so many ways. And it’s often connected with deep motivation and personal experiences of the DEI professional themselves.


It’s hard to build something new in this emotionally charged space, to persevere and remain resilient in it. Working on DEI in organisations, and doing that successfully, can take you on an intense journey to figure out what resilience means to you (and coaching can be helpful there). “You have to do a lot of personal work to make sure that you succeed in the job and also that you have the resilience to stick with it for a long time.”


That starts with expectation setting: being clear about what you expect both of others and yourself. It also takes some work to align individual purpose and drives to reality. When you’re in this work, you want fast change and that may not be the speed of the reality of it.


Sarah realised she needs to make sure to have many motivators to do this work, including passion and purpose as well as realism and data. What helps is to have a frame of mind around success, and to use data to measure impact – not just as a reporting mechanism in the organisation, but for yourself as well. For Sarah, this has made it easier to get a sense of accomplishment along the way and to stay motivated.


On all of those levels: “You need to make sure that you get what you need so that you can make the impact you want to have.”


You need a little bit of everything to do this work successfully. And it’s important work. Let’s set you up to do it well, putting all of those pieces together.


More about Sarah Cordivano:

Personal Website: https://www.sarahcordivano.com/

Blog: https://medium.com/sarah-cordivano

Book: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: How to Succeed at an Impossible Job - https://amzn.eu/d/15VmRWa


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Jan 04, 202329:57
Leadership in Holiday Magic

Leadership in Holiday Magic

Holiday magic is made by women.


The holiday season would be a lot less magical without the work that mostly women do to create it. In homes and in organisations, creating happiness for other people. It’s an additional mental load, without us realising that it is.


At this time of year, most of us are dealing with end-of-year workload: having budget meetings, wrapping up performance reviews, aligning on 2023 strategy, plus lots happening in our social lives and personal lives. The dash to the end of the year.


But what about all of the little things that, put together, make you feel warm and fuzzy over the holidays… when you think about it: who does all of those things? Who adds the details that make the holidays special?

99% of Lisa’s female clients turn up in overwhelm this time of year – and she doesn’t hear her male clients being swamped in the same way .


It’s worth unpacking this and bringing in more gender equity.


Let’s recognise and appreciate the effort. Let’s notice the contrast between the happiness created and the workload & time that it requires. Let’s make conscious choices – up front – of what you want to do, skip or involve others in. Choose what works for *you.


Let’s also acknowledge that holidays can be difficult for people. Reach out to someone, to us. The holidays are not magic for everybody. If that’s you: there are people out there that are happy to connect with you, including Lisa and me.


And let’s become more aware that, actually, creating holiday magic is a real expression of genuine leadership skills. Being able to attune to other human beings is exactly what happens in organizations when amazing and highly effective teams are created.


Organizational magic is made by these skills. Recognise it as your interpersonal leadership skill that transfers to the workplace context.


Make it a season that is magical, inclusive of the people that put so much of the work in.

Happy holidays!


Referenced:

- ‘Holiday Magic Is Made By Women’, Gemma Hartley in Huffpost.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-labor-holidays_n_5a1ec905e4b0d724fed5588a

- ‘You should’ve asked’, https://english.emmaclit.com/2017/05/20/you-shouldve-asked/comment-page-1/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Dec 16, 202228:53
Why Quiet Quitting Is Such a Drag

Why Quiet Quitting Is Such a Drag

This is what makes Quiet Quitting such a drag.


People that Quietly Quit can become a huge slower-down of the change that you need in the current environment. A roadblock to collaboration, creativity, innovation and any forward momentum.

But Quiet Quitting is not the problem. It points to something else that is the actual problem. Let us give you a fair perspective on quiet quitting.

Why are people Quiet Quitting and why does that make sense, from their perspective?


“Going above and beyond just ain’t worth it anymore in this space and time.

No matter how much I do, how much effort I put in, either the effort isn’t going to matter, or I am not going to feel like I matter.

My efforts are not going to be seen, heard or valued.

So, you know what? I’ll do what’s required of me. But I’m going to stop coming up with funky ideas, trying to ask the hard questions, challenge the status quo.

I’ll turn up every day, do what I need to do, meet the minimum requirements, and that’s it.”


From your individual perspective: priorities are a key piece here. There is so much going on in our lives. How do you pace yourself when you’re spending a lot of energy but getting little in return? Intentionally choose how engaged you want to be.


From an organisational perspective: some organisations have painted themselves into a corner. How is your organisation’s setup (unintentionally) designed for quiet quitting, with structures that result in employees getting stuck? Take employee perspectives seriously and use that information to find out what the actual problem is.


“I’m being told this is my station in life, so why in the world would I want to try and go above and beyond? Why would I want to be part of a creative problem-solving process?” The cost of that is massive. Especially in a knowledge economy it’s important to have people engaged in the workplace. Disengagement has become more problematic and it has become more evident through the pandemic.

You end up with people who are married to the status quo in an organisation that has created rigidity.


🔍 So, talk about whether the current setup of structures is still serving you.

💡 And let go of the expectation that everyone needs to go above and beyond 100% of the time.


Referenced

  • “There are no verifiable sources as to who coined the phrase Quiet Quitting” says Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work-to-rule
  • The ‘Good Enough job’ from Emilie Wapnick’s book ‘How To Be Everything’ http://howtobeeverything.com/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Dec 02, 202238:38
When Grief Enters the Workplace

When Grief Enters the Workplace

Grief will show up in your life, whether your own or for people around you – including people at work. That friendly sounding invitation to ‘bring your whole self to work’? It includes grief.

Maaike Roseboom experienced a huge and sudden personal loss. Lisa was her HR manager at the time and they got to know each other at an intense level. Maaike’s personal journey dealing with grief and returning to work led her to making a difference for others going through this and becoming an expert speaker and advocate. She’s our guest on this new episode and shares what it was like for her to go back to work after intense bereavement, bringing so many deep insights to the conversation.

“When I returned to work, I felt like I had two jobs: I had my work, and I had that work of grief. I didn’t have enough brain space to advocate for myself, and to take up the space I needed to go through that grief journey.”

Every workplace deals with complex emotional issues, including very personal ones. Grief is definitely one of the complex ones. It has a profound impact on a person but the extent of grief cannot be measured by where someone sits in your family tree. Each individual grief process is different.

And yet it’s also very simple.

As manager or HR person, your role for a grieving team member is that of a resource connector: you can help navigate policies, advocate for support sources and find practical assistance.

The other part of your role is far more important: you are a human being and you care about the other person. Allow yourself to show empathy and compassion. That is ultimately the most important thing.

“When I came back to work,” Maaike told us, “One of my managers said, “I’m so sorry for your loss, my condolences again. And did you see my email from yesterday?”

Revisit your policies and procedures, advocate for their improvement, but mostly, learn how to interact with someone in this situation. You’re not there to fix the grief. You are empathetic to their wellbeing. You connect. Even when it’s through saying “I don’t know what to say.”

That stays the same even when you’ve gone through bereavement yourself, Maaike says: “I don’t know what to say most of the time when I deal with people that have experienced loss. But what I know from experience is that that is ok, because I’d rather have someone telling me ‘I don’t know what to say, and I’m sorry,’ than ignoring it.”

Holding space is what you can learn and choose to do: put your effort into making room for someone else to go through what they’re going through. Room for that emotional experience that they are processing, room for that other job the person has suddenly taken on.

By just being there.


Recommended: 

  • Maaike sharing her view on normalising the conversation in the workplace around loss and grief in a LinkedIn video https://www.linkedin.com/posts/maaike-roseboom_loss-grief-awareness-activity-6981256532654989312-9QZQ?
  • Book recommendation: It's ok that you're not ok by Megan Devine. In Maaike’s words: “Essential reading for anyone who is grieving or loves someone who is grieving (or just wants to get a better understanding of what grief can look like beyond the definition and stages that are described).”
Nov 18, 202236:20
100 Lightbulbs
Oct 28, 202227:45
How To Swim In Muddy Water

How To Swim In Muddy Water

Sometimes moving forward looks like standing still. So many more people than usual are picking up on big shifts going on, beyond our day-to-day practical things. It can be a floating feeling of unease that signals those bigger picture developments, or specific things that weigh on your mind. 

Zoom out and look at the bigger picture, at the water we’re swimming in. 

The world feels very chaotic at the moment. A big picture mess, bigger than most of us can map out and much of which is outside of our circle of influence. The newest acronym in town is BANI: brittle, anxious, non-linear and incomprehensible.

How do you navigate this and move forward in a constructive way? Especially knowing that (personal) leadership is all about connecting your day-to-day to that bigger picture?

How do you find your anchor in all of this, reduce the anxious buzzing energy and the static in your system?


... Sometimes moving forward looks like standing still, for just a moment. 

... Processing things beneath the surface. 

... Taking a breath and noticing who it is that you want to be.


Find more calm and solid ground to step from, and find a place of choice, to show up with resilience, compassion, or curiosity.

It helps to connect with other people, knowing you are not alone in this (Hello! We’re here), to remind yourself of bigger and better things, and to reconnect with the things you find truly important. Focus on the piece that you can chew, the part that you can play.

What helps you move forward in your leadership, to make things happen, do it – it’s worth it. Reconnect to your own resourcefulness.

We’re all swimming in muddy water right now. This is your reminder that you still know how to swim.


Referenced: 

BANI, an acronym made up of the words ‘brittle’, ‘anxious’, ‘nonlinear’ and ‘incomprehensible’ was coined by Jamais Cascio, an American anthropologist, author and futurist. Recent article: https://medium.com/@cascio/facing-the-age-of-chaos-b00687b1f51d


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Oct 14, 202232:10
Detoxing Your Workplace Culture

Detoxing Your Workplace Culture

Toxic workplace culture: this is what you can do about it, and why you want to.

Let us take you from the experience of it (check our previous episode) to the big picture.

Over the past 10 years, workplace culture has generally become more toxic. Research* has specified the main markers of toxic workplace culture:

  1. Non-inclusive
  2. Unethical behaviour, lack of integrity
  3. Disrespectful
  4. Abusive management
  5. Cut-throat, ruthless

Moreover, your body will tell you. It knows way more than you think. The kind of chronic stress that toxic workplace culture causes isn’t something you just step over.

Its sometimes difficult to differentiate between interacting spheres, to clarify what is

  • the me of it (you),
  • the we of it (your team members) and
  • the us of it (the organisation and wider system).

That top-5 list can help your brain catch up and notice, to spot how toxic behaviour shows up. Then, finding the courage to name it is what you can do: “I notice this happened and I have some concerns.”

Know that it is ok to say ‘this is not ok’. You don’t need to win the agreement of others. You can share your experience and name what it is that you want changed.

Know that it’s a good idea to process what you experienced, because you may be carrying it forward into new work situations.

Know that leaving is a really valid option.

And also know that you can make intentional choices about the impact that you have, notice and name what you – and your team – need to thrive, rather than survive.

You don’t always have full control over workplace toxicity, but you can certainly have an impact.


* Referenced:

“Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” - Donald Sull & Charlie Sull – MIT Sloane Management Review https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/

Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead Podcast: How Toxic Work Cultures Are Driving the Great Resignation,

with Dr. Donald Sull & Charlie Sull

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/how-toxic-work-cultures-are-driving-the-great-resignation/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Sep 30, 202236:18
Disentangling Toxic Work Culture

Disentangling Toxic Work Culture

“I went from being this courageous person, willing and loving to challenge the status quo, to feeling I have to be compliant and I need to placate. It was a black hole that sucked me in, and I didn’t realise it was toxic.”

“At what point did you recognise that?”

“Well, when I hit my burnout.”

This People Impact podcast episode gets both personal and insightful about toxic workplace culture, a meaty and meaningful topic that gets incredibly messy when you’re in the middle of it.

That right there is why we disentangle it.

It is so prevalent that it's no longer the exception, it’s becoming commonplace. Research has shown that toxicity in organisations has actually increased over the past decade.

As we have such busy lives and we’re under so much pressure from every direction, we have much less bandwidth to be able to deal with this.

The impact is massive.

What are the factors of toxic workplace culture? How do you spot it when you’re in it – instead of second-guessing yourself and blaming yourself?

Step into observer mode with us, separating out the Big Five contributors to toxicity, to see more clearly.


Referenced:

“Toxic Culture Is Driving the Great Resignation” - Donald Sull & Charlie Sull – MIT Sloane Management Review https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/toxic-culture-is-driving-the-great-resignation/

Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead Podcast: How Toxic Work Cultures Are Driving the Great Resignation,

with Dr. Donald Sull & Charlie Sull

https://brenebrown.com/podcast/how-toxic-work-cultures-are-driving-the-great-resignation/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Sep 16, 202240:32
Making the Case for Diversity & Inclusion, with guest James McKim

Making the Case for Diversity & Inclusion, with guest James McKim

Seeing that lightbulb moment happen when people realise that they can be better as individuals in their organisations, *and* their organisations can be better, by really living into diversity, equity and inclusion - that is what lights James McKim up.

James recognizes that organisations want to be diverse for social justice reasons, because it’s the moral thing to do. At the same time, DEI drives organisational performance.

At managing consultancy Organizational Ignition, he aligns people, processes and technology to really live into DEI as a way to achieve organisational performance.

“It’s through diversity that new ideas and new perspectives come out. That is how innovation happens.”

In addition, DEI expands customer markets, enables your organisation to serve those markets better, and makes your organisation more attractive to talented employees.

Research shows that organisations that have diverse leadership are at least 27% more likely to outperform peers. If you want a financial reason, there it is. DEI is not a financial risk, it’s a financial gain.

So, James invites you: let’s start with where you are. What in your daily job is making people feel like they’re not included, they don’t belong? What is useful for employees to become more aware of, to learn?

A key contributor to this – and much of life – is making sure you have a growth mindset, as much as recognising that we don’t and can’t know everything ourselves, that we need others.


More about James McKim:

https://organizationalignition.com/about


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Sep 01, 202231:02
Challenging Leadership, with guest Mick Spiers

Challenging Leadership, with guest Mick Spiers

When your reference point for how to be a leader comes from the leaders, managers and bosses you’ve had up to that point, that’s a really hit-and-miss affair. First-time leaders going through the rollercoaster of getting their new role frequently follow up their “Woohoo!” with “… now what?”

Mick Spiers, founder of The Leadership Project, inspires leaders to challenge the status quo of what it means to be a leader.

What do you do as a leader instead of repeating the mistakes you’ve seen your own managers make?

It’s essential to realise you’re having a real impact on people. That impact goes beyond the four office walls. You’re responsible for the place where people are spending their most precious resource: their time. Your impact is on the culture of the business, and everyone around to witness your interactions. It’s impacting everyone.

But your intention and impact can be wide apart. How do you deal with that?

Get intentional about the behaviour that you reward, celebrate *and* tolerate – in line with the goals and values of the team.

Plus the biggest key to great leadership, according to Mick: the ability to understand the people around you and treat them like they matter. Asking them better questions. With that information you can be much more intentional and accurate.

“I hope next year you have a better leader, and I hope that leader is me.”


More about Mick Spiers and The Leadership Project:

https://www.mickspiers.com/

More about Mick’s book ‘You’re A Leader: Now What?

https://www.mickspiers.com/yourealeadernowwhat


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Aug 12, 202226:04
The Secret to Life is Aliveness

The Secret to Life is Aliveness

The biggest and best kept secret of life is… aliveness :)

Sure, there’s being alive, your heart beating and your body breathing, that’s no big secret. But aliveness, that’s about feeling connected to the essential realness of your life and the tingle of possibility in the world around you.

Feeling the sunshine. Listening to music. Being immersed in a fascinating read. Taking an intentional break. Feeling pain, grief or anger. Aliveness lives in all sides of being a living human being.

Choosing life, in all its shapes and iterations. Paying attention instead of going on autopilot.

Why is this important in the workplace?

It’s an underlying ingredient in how you interact with people. It’s in the space for fresh ideas or giving leeway when it’s needed, in letting an honest compliment bubble up or having an unexpected conversation over lunch. It’s choosing to be more than routine and check-the-box procedures.

In organisations, as a part of workplace culture, aliveness is where innovation and creativity grow, where healthy resilience and agility live. It draws people in. There is so much more that becomes possible when organisations value aliveness.

Create ways of stepping out of that hamster wheel of the day-to-day routine. It’s not so much about planning ahead as it is about recognising aliveness in the moment and stepping into it.

Work is part of your life, not the other way around. If you spend 8 hours a day (or more) without feeling alive, then what’s your life like?

You get to live your life with aliveness.

PS: we are going on a Podcasting summer break – we need to recharge and this is the time to do it, to keep bringing our aliveness to life. See you, err, hear you on the flip side!


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Jul 21, 202231:60
Spaces for Anti-Racism, with guest Valerie Spain

Spaces for Anti-Racism, with guest Valerie Spain

We need to be talking about racism without people of colour present. 

The work Valerie Spain does - and the way that she does it - is pretty special. Valerie is a certified coach and antiracism educator, DEI consultant and group facilitator, particularly focusing on white people doing the inner work of racial justice and of developing an action plan.

Affinity groups and employee resource groups have been around for marginalised groups and minorities. Valerie hosts them for white people, coming together to learn about racism and whiteness. Educating ourselves as white people, with white people.

“Come together with other like-minded white folks who want to learn,” is her invitation.

Why do white people have to step into a separate group to do this?

It’s a way of talking about the work of anti-racism without adding to the emotional burden for people of colour – while acknowledging the work that many people of colour have already done.

It’s a way of doing our own work, in a safe space, to develop our emotional resilience. Even if this self-development is uncomfortable, or something you’re not used to doing, that discomfort is not a signal to stop. It’s a signal that something is happening for you, you are reacting to something – identify what you’re reacting to and then make a decision from there. That’s something you can learn.

Developing the awareness of whiteness, the ‘invisible’ nature of it. Noticing white supremacy culture in the world, in the organisation, between you and your colleagues.

White supremacy culture may seem at first like too big of a term in this context (and what is the discomfort signal, what is happening for as you were reading this?).

Whiteness is a concept that affects everyone, whether you’re a person of colour or not. Racism is embedded in our whole world.

In most parts of the world, and in most organisations, whiteness is prioritised, is the default, and has the best cards in the deck, simply put: that is white supremacy. Let’s examine how this shows up in your organisation. What is the bias that is built into your particular work environment?

Anti-racism work for white people means finding out what you can find out without asking people of colour. Valerie has shared resources for you – and feel free to ask for more if you’re looking for other information.

Because when you’re thinking, educating yourself, taking actionable steps, you can get ongoing support through your experience of learning and change, from people like Valerie.

And you’re welcome to join the company of likeminded people. It makes all the difference, when you want to make a difference.

More about Valerie Spain: https://valeriespain.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriespain/

More resources: see episode comments on the People Impact podcast page on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/people-impact-podcast 


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Jul 07, 202230:25
How To Choose In Chaotic Times

How To Choose In Chaotic Times

Life is messy. It’s a messy time to be alive in this world, with so much going on. Predictability is on the decline. Some (including us) would even call it a trend towards chaos.


This is a long-term thing. As Dutch Professor (in Sustainability Transitions) Jan Rotmans noted, “We are living not in an era of change, but in a change of era.”


You can’t keep your head down and wait until it’s over. You’re in the middle of it. We all are.


So how do you show up with it?


Which parts are happening to you? There is plenty that is outside of your control. How do you choose to be with it?


And what is your piece of the puzzle that you can make your own choices about?


Chaos will happen. When it does, what do you choose?


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Jun 23, 202231:59
Wellness Across the Board, with guest Tarin Calmeyer

Wellness Across the Board, with guest Tarin Calmeyer

Wellness is about effective, healthy habits for life. Your life, all sides of it. Your workplace has a huge impact on your wellness, and vice versa: an organisation will run so much better when team members are well.


Tarin Calmeyer makes this clear from various angles. She is a corporate wellness specialist, the founder of Remote Team Wellness, a multipassionate and multidimensional human being, and a global citizen.


Wellness means so much more than a 15-minute workout or one-time meditation event in the office. Not only is it

  • Mental Health & Mindfulness
  • Physical Fitness
  • Emotional Wellness
  • Financial Wellness
  • Occupational Wellness

Tarin too often hears the question “How do we make people more productive without burning out?” It’s actually this question that is the biggest change needed to wellness. People are not machines. Burnout is coming from productivity culture, hustle culture. This mentality is in dire need of change.


For organisations, this means creating a wellness practice. Wellness requires a culture and mentality that values human beings.


For you as an individual, wellness is a journey. That means ritualising wellness into our everyday lives. Allowing ourselves to look at ourselves as multidimensional human beings. Get it into your every day in every way.


How?


Start by taking a breath. Then another.


Your breath is the one constant thread that runs through your entire life. It can be the thing that shifts your state immediately. It is your own check-in point. The simplest things can be the most potent.


Allow yourself to show up as the fullest version of yourself. That’s what life is all about. Live yours.


More about Tarin Calmeyer:

https://remoteteamwellness.com/meet-our-founder-tarin-calmeyer/

More about Remote Team Wellness:

https://remoteteamwellness.com/


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Jun 10, 202228:07
Turning Teal, with guest Simon Dixon

Turning Teal, with guest Simon Dixon

The hierarchy of the classic pyramid org chart has very little added value for clients and, moreover, focuses your competitive spirit on beating your colleague to get the promotion, instead of on “we’re going to win or lose together”. So, Simon Dixon worked out a better way.


When Simon set up Hatmill, a specialist logistics consultancy, “The starting point was doing the opposite of doing the stuff I didn’t like in previous places,” where the people management structures and processes weren’t set up to get the best out of everyone.


At Hatmill, “what’s ingrained is the amount of trust that everyone has in each other. Trust in each other’s judgment. We trust people to work together, support each other, and trust each other to give each other feedback to improve, not to critique or belittle each other. We make sure that we operate on an adult-to-adult basis.” 


It gives the people on the team a different perspective on what work means: how you can feel about yourself and the work you do.


In addition to creating a nicer experience at work, it pays off in business: “We’ve grown about 40% over the last nine years. I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted it would generate that. We realised it happened because we’ve got people focussing on doing a good job and not screwing each other over in the next promotion cycle. There’s a sense of ownership, team, belonging and purpose.” 


What’s essential to shaping your organisation in this way, Simon points out clearly: you have to have someone at the top who is wholly committed to this. You can’t have only a bit of it. You either trust people or you don’t.


“The starting point has to be having a mind that is open enough to think there is a different way of running an organisation.” Having people who think, and know, that it is possible. “Step one is having an open mind.”


More about Simon Dixon:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-dixon-hatmill

More about Hatmill:

https://hatmill.co.uk/about-us

More about Teal organisations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teal_organisation


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


May 27, 202236:09
Consistency In New Beginnings

Consistency In New Beginnings

Sometimes a new beginning can mark a bigger shift, from the old you to the new you.


“Wait a minute. I changed my mind. But I’ve always done it this other way. Won’t I be labelled inconsistent, erratic, unpredictable or unreliable, if I suddenly change?”


Sure, but it’s your life. You get to make your choices.


It makes sense that with new information may come a change of mind: knowing what we know now, this is not taking us where we thought. What’s actually important is this other thing. We’re going to shift direction.


You choose. To either continue, because it works, or to make a new beginning. As big or small as is needed. Because you realise there’s something else that’s more important. That’s what helps you step into that new beginning calmly and confidently, in a grounded way.


Moreover, it is empowering to own and name the shift, the change.


There are other things that are always a part of you – that is what grounds you.


They are the values that have consistently been a part of you. Deeper, quieter, longer-term values. The consistency that is the core of you. Along the lines of what you care about, rather than the external “it’ll make sense to other people” or “it’s what others want me to do.” The bigger picture vision is about where you want to go in the long run.


The change and the consistency are both part of the total picture.


Life doesn’t sail in straight lines. Adjust course.


And celebrate your new beginning.



More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com



May 13, 202226:37
Living to Learn

Living to Learn

Learning is the one consistent thing that happens in our lives. In small kids you can see the speed of learning, and in our continuing development as adults we thrive when we’re learning a new thing. 


Yet, we can get trapped in ‘this is the way things should be’ or ‘this is the way things are’.


Give yourself space to learn.


Seeing your own and other people’s development on a longer timeline, giving yourself and others the space to learn, is vital. From this viewpoint, it’s easier to be aware how huge shifts can happen and become so natural that you can’t even imagine it was ever different - you’ve so completely integrated the learnings. 


Change - volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity - is the status of our environment. New pieces of information can give you new perspectives. The sooner you integrate those, the more agile you can be. It’s become essential to integrate learning into your day-to-day.


When you recognise your learning as a habit, it’s easier to do.


And when you celebrate your learning, you strengthen your perseverance and resourcefulness. You retain more information and make learning more attractive to keep doing.


There are so many things that you didn’t know. Now you know. And you can bring it forward.


Including big and small steps that make positive change.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Apr 28, 202225:08
How Men Become Allies in the Workplace, with guest Ray Arata

How Men Become Allies in the Workplace, with guest Ray Arata

It’s not always easy to be told about or recognize your own privilege. Or to show up and be your best person.


We’re sharing the story of Ray Arata, who has dedicated his life to working with men on living and leading from the heart. Advancing healthy masculinity in the leadership conversation. Creating a safe space for men to move out of their heads and be whole humans.


Ray shares his own experiences of recognising the rights, privileges and opportunities of being a (white) man. His man-in-the-mirror moment and how he ended up launching himself into the D&I space, forever an ally in training. An ally to gender equality at first, then broadening into wider diversity & inclusion consulting.


“Here’s an invitation to a men’s group. Call my wife, she’ll tell you. It changed my life.”


The unavoidable light is shining on men to rewrite the narrative. The outdated playbook of what it means to be a man.


To decide to get interested in what the lived experiences of other people are.


“This all sounds great, but where do I start?”


When you’re not yet past your fear of saying or doing the wrong thing – so you do nothing, for now. Or when you want to do something and aren’t sure yet what, exactly.


Ray shares his tips in four clear steps for, well, anyone wanting to be an ally to anybody.


Show up. Get inspired.


Are you being your best person? Life’s too short. Keep going. And maybe even go first.


More about Ray Arata:


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Apr 14, 202231:41
Integrate Your Values

Integrate Your Values

“Hey, wait a minute. Maybe one the reasons why I’m exhausted all of the time is because I’m doing things that are out of alignment with my values.”

Spend the time to find out what your values are and make decisions that are aligned with them.

Values are about understanding your own internal compass: what are the things that you as an individual find important? What are the things that bring you energy and take energy away from you? Everyone has their own top-# list in their own particular order. This is why you make your decisions and other people make completely different ones.

Figuring out more clearly what your values are, helps you make decisions that make sense in light of who you are.

Unless there are values that are competing for priority in a certain situation. What do you do when two of your values are pulling against one another? Like valuing results *or* relationships. Or spending time on your own learning *or* on being kind to other people.

That’s where knowing your values is an even more significant part of your personal leadership. While seeing the paradox, knowing both of those conflicting values are true for you, right then and there you can still make decisions. Because you have the capability and the resourcefulness to be with that.

Learn about a great way to focus on how they can actually help each other and integrate them together. Building your own unique foundation of personal leadership.


Referenced:

Ann Betz about valugration https://yourcoachingbrain.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/valugration/

More about Ann Betz and Ursula Pottinga at BEabove Leadership https://www.beaboveleadership.com/ 


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Apr 01, 202227:55
Who Is Your Inner Leader?

Who Is Your Inner Leader?

Pause, for just a moment. What does your entire being know?


We invite some special guests in this episode. And yet it’s just Lisa and Marjolijn talking – about checking in with a part of yourself that brings you calm clarity and helps you make decisions.


There are different words for this, and for now we call this your Inner Leader. A deeper, more grounded sense of who you are, your internal compass.


A way out of overwhelm.


Tap into who you really are, your inner wisdom and knowledge. The safe, grounded place within you. It’s deeply personal and individual. It’s a quiet place, and the more you engage with it, the stronger and clearer it becomes.


The more often you go there, the more strongly it will clarify

  • Who you really are in all this
  • What you know is true
  • Where you want to go from here


Check in with your inner leader. It pre-empts that right brain hemisphere wanting to analyse all the if-then scenarios. You can get into such a spin when you try to analyse everything to pieces. You think that’s where you need to go, but it makes the existing overwhelm even more overwhelming. It’s really noisy and it will not give you all the answers.


Bring forward the inner you that already knows.


This helps you use the knowledge that exists in all parts of you, not just that small analytical part of your brain. Connect with everything that’s going on in a more grounded way.


Then make more informed choices.


It will be ok. You have the tools, the ability and the knowledge to do what you need to do.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Mar 17, 202228:44
How to Celebrate What You Can, When You Can
Mar 04, 202230:30
Pandemic Fatigue, Weathering the Storm

Pandemic Fatigue, Weathering the Storm

On a stormy day (with severe weather warnings) we’re staying indoors and talk about covid fatigue, pandemic fatigue, languishing. We noticed how something has quietly crept into our spirits. And we notice how talking about it helps.


Dealing with our current covid reality is a permanent load to carry around. Covid takes up a big part of our already full plates. So many hoops to jump through – and they keep moving. With a pervasive undercurrent that makes it hard to recharge. 


What are your words and metaphors for what you’re feeling?


Let’s give this the recognition that it deserves.


For us it's a lack of energy, a lack of bounce. We get tired and overwhelmed more easily. We have less space to be positive and resourceful. Responsibilities are pressing on us. Little bandwidth left and little space to turn it off. Less possibility available for downtime and replenishment. The ever-present stillness and aloneness gets so much bigger than it ever has been before.


Lack of choice and autonomy. 


Lack of novelty.


Whether you want to acknowledge it in conversation or just go out into a field and scream, find an outlet. Air it out, all the stuff that’s been building. Let some of the fog get lighter and clearer. 


There’s power in naming it. There’s even something that physically changes in you after naming the hard things. There’s movement, a bit of relief.


Then let's see where we go from there.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Feb 18, 202231:05
Perspectives on Wisdom, with guest Kayvan Kian

Perspectives on Wisdom, with guest Kayvan Kian

The complexity of situations, these days, is too high to use only one way of making decisions.
You could follow Aristotle’s perspective, who said: obstacles are an opportunity to build character.
Or Bruce Lee’s, instead: be water. Like a river hitting an obstacle, move around it like water.
Which do you need right now? And what other perspectives are available?
We talk about this with Kayvan Kian who, simply put, likes to create things that help. Kayvan’s an author, consultant and entrepreneur who inspires and supports leaders by looking at what is not here yet, and at what we can create to help each other. Recently, this took the shape of his new book called ‘What Is Wisdom?’
Over a number of rocky years, Kayvan realised that there are many perspectives you can take to make a decision. Reading philosophers, from the classic to the unconventional, turned out to be as great an inspiration as his own upbringing. The key he offers us is the possibility to switch between decision methods in various situations and on varying complex topics - like shifting gears in a car.
Being aware of your natural tendencies and, in the moment, being aware of alternative perspectives. Then inviting yourself to switch.
“It’s not about what should I have done, or what will I do next week, or tomorrow. It’s about what perspective is helpful right now.”
“Because life is happening right now.”
Bringing you more flexibility to adapt to a world that requires a lot from all of us. Creating this life as a living piece of art.

More about Kayvan Kian:
kayvankian.com/
Books: ‘What Is Wisdom’, and ‘What is Water’

More about us:
Lisa Dempsey – www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - www.leadershiplabs.eu
Marjolijn Vlug – www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en
Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com
Feb 03, 202229:07
Relational Trauma in the Workplace

Relational Trauma in the Workplace

Think about the things you may hear when you’re in a toxic personal relationship. Would you say those same things to a friend in a toxic employment relationship?

And what do you tell yourself?

“You’re making this up. It can’t be that bad.”

“You should’ve done more. You should’ve acted differently.”

“You shouldn’t complain because they’re so nice in other ways.”

“It’s ok for your boss to yell at you because it’s your boss.”

“It’s professional to just suck it up.”

“In the workplace I can be treated as less than human. I get a paycheck and somehow that is enough.”

What does that do to you in the long run?

Employment relationships, the relationships between human beings and the organisation they’re in, are in fact very much like personal relationships. And when an employment relationship turn dysfunctional or even toxic, relational trauma can genuinely be the outcome.

Stuck in a relationship because someone makes you believe it’s too risky to leave.

Eating away at your self-esteem.

What’s happening for you, how you respond, how it can stick with you and inform the way you react to what happens in your next job, and the next. It’s a natural human response to trauma, rather than you being incompetent at work.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that somehow in the workplace these things are excusable. Just because we’re getting a pay check to be there, we can be treated in ways that in a romantic relationship or in friendships we know shouldn’t be putting up with. Somehow, workplaces have been given an escape card for far too long. People have been given permission to get away with bad behaviour, even been promoted for it.

But bullying has nothing to do with leadership.

It’s useful to see the parallels and look at this differently, honestly, to see what actually happens. When uncomfortable and dysfunctional turns into traumatising. When to set boundaries, or get out. When to get the support you need. How not to perpetuate the cycle.

Lisa and Marjolijn both get personal in this episode. We share our own experiences with relational trauma at work, and our recovery.

Hope this helps you, or someone you know, on your journey to prevent or heal.



More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Jan 19, 202230:46
People Impact Trends for 2022 and Beyond

People Impact Trends for 2022 and Beyond

Curious about the 10 top People Impact Trends for the coming year, and decade?

This is where the world is turning.

This is what our antennae are picking up on what will impact and improve the way people lead and work together.

We smilingly noticed that several of our topics were showing up as trends, either ahead of time or simultaneously. So, let’s have some serious fun with this and intentionally look ahead with our own list of trends for the future of People Impact.

Addressing major shifts and developments, such as

  • Organisations plunging into genuine relationship with employees
  • Co-creating a bottom-up purpose
  • Clear Listening as the new skill at the top of your wish list
  • Drastic shifts in where people will live and (flexibly) work
  • Resonant hopefulness and integrated resonance
  • Celebrating an abundance of resourcefulness

And changes impacting our deeply human daily lives, like

  • Acknowledging different kinds of rest
  • Privacy as a human right – including your employee data
  • Climate impact on your workdays, (remote) workplaces and diverse teams
  • Life Integration replacing work-life balance

Have a listen and expand your perspective on what’s ahead for the people in your organization, and yourself.

Shout out to the sources of several of these ideas and developments:


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com


Article in Dutch:

- De 5 grootste ontwikkelingen waar je als professional op moet letten (in Dutch) https://mtsprout.nl/partners/persoonlijke-ontwikkeling/de-5-grootste-ontwikkelingen-waar-je-als-professional-op-moet-letten

Continuing what’s been evolving over the past year:

- 9 Trends That Will Shape Work in 2021 and Beyond https://hbr.org/2021/01/9-trends-that-will-shape-work-in-2021-and-beyond

- 10 Workplace Trends To Watch For In 2021 https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/01/11/10-workplace-trends-to-watch-for-in-2021/


Jan 06, 202241:25
Leaders Are Made Every Day

Leaders Are Made Every Day

There’s an age old question: Are Leaders born or made?

In our latest People Impact Podcast we explore this question and the ins and outs of Leadership.

Leadership is changing, evolving and being redefined. What used to be a small and privileged niche is now shifting, expanding and inviting us to reconsider some the old stories we used to buy into about Leadership.

Let’s face it, today, no one inside an organization is an island. We are interconnected, interdependent, and working together with other human beings is required no matter what kind of role you have.

Leadership is all about impact and you can have impact from any corner, any level, any chair, inside an organization.

Leadership ability starts with being able to understand yourself, being the leader of one before leading many. Leadership is also a daily (active) practice, it’s not a destination.

Leadership is about having a point of view - without judgment - owning your own point of view and accepting that it can and needs to co-exist with others.

The heart of the matter is that Leadership is a journey that beings wherever you are, right now. Just like being in intimate relationships, there’s an art and science to learning to do it well, and there’s a natural learning curve. And there's a HUGE power in holding your hand up and saying this is something “I want to learn”.

Leadership is an acquired skill set, an acquired mindset that all humans have capacity for. Take yourself seriously enough to slow down enough to observe and get curious about it.

You are a human being therefore you are also a leader.

Grant yourself the time and space to be the leader that is YOU.

Tune into the latest People Impact Podcast episode and hear how Leaders are made every day.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Dec 22, 202127:06
Crafting Your Equity Lens, with guest Matthew Reynolds

Crafting Your Equity Lens, with guest Matthew Reynolds

What is your truth? What are the systems that get in the way? And what will be your way to build unconditional belonging, nonetheless?

In this episode we explore the sincere insights and genuinely beautiful approach of Matthew Reynolds to create a fundamental impact on the intersectionality of oppression (systems of racism, colonialism, sexism, capitalism).

Matthew is a recent author, former teacher, artist. He is a facilitator and consultant in the DEI space with a deep perspective on the human experience, doing powerful, foundational work.

He gracefully and bravely shares his own lived experiences that now inform his work to help people craft their own equity lens.

An Equity lens is a tool crafted by the individual, utilising their own lived experiences. Ever evolving, as one meets new people, has new experiences, gains knowledge and wisdom, and recognizes what their own definition of antiracist work is. For the purpose of building unconditional belonging. A call to action.

This means exploring:

What is your truth?

What does it mean for you to become your biggest, fullest and brightest? And equally offering others that personal dignity?

What gets in the way?

In this conversation we talk about spotting limiting beliefs as well as systems that are hurtful and harmful. To the point where you can calmly be in conversation and say, “No thank you. I don’t subscribe to that ideology.”

When you craft your own equity lens, you will have a tool for yourself that shifts your consciousness and truly changes the culture around you. And, big picture: shifts the consciousness of humanity.



(Pre)order Matthew Reynolds’s book: ‘BIGGEST, FULLEST, BRIGHTEST: Shifting the Consciousness of Humanity’

https://www.mrrconsulting.org/store/biggest-fullest-brightest

More about Matthew: www.mrrconsulting.org


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Dec 02, 202132:11
Redefining Success, with guest Susanne Grant

Redefining Success, with guest Susanne Grant

People have a life beyond their work desk. They have a mental health beyond the smile in your Zoom call. And they have a measure of success that is not, and should not be, the same measure of success for the organisation as a whole.

Our guest Susanne Grant, Dutchie living in Scotland, is an award-winning work-life balance expert and bestselling author of the book Drop the Motherf*cking Struggle. She supports organisations and individuals around the world to redefine success. With that new definition of success, they can have the impact they really desire without sacrificing health, relationships and well-being.

A degree, job title, money. Chasing the next thing and the next. So many hats we seem to need to wear in order to be good enough, to be successful. What’s your measurement of success? And who set that standard?

Susanne talks with us about where to start with finding your own real version of success, and about taking your health seriously as a success factor.

She shares her own story of redefining success, the symphony orchestra that includes our physical health and mental health, and how paying attention to that massively improved her health and well-being.

Success starts with how you define it for yourself individually, and grows through as many iterations as you need during the course of your life.


Susanne’s book: Drop the Motherf*cking Struggle

https://www.grantmethod.com/books.html


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Nov 19, 202130:55
Belonging vs Fitting In

Belonging vs Fitting In

Fitting in is not the same as belonging.

In this new People Impact podcast episode, Lisa and I discuss a shift and a deepening in perspective around this useful distinction.

Belonging is not, does not look like or feel like fitting in.

This is an intentional levelling up beyond ‘cultural fit’.

Belonging means not trying to ask a square peg to cut off its corners to fit into a round hole – because those corners are part of who they are.

No one should be expected to cut off parts of who they are. That’s fitting in. Trying to fit in is toxic on a personal level. It can be exhausting. The world is moving on from the idea that you decide what normal is, what fits. Requiring people to fit in – or excluding them when they don’t – is not constructive. You lose out.

Belonging means letting people be more of themselves. Bringing more of their talents, skills and energy. You get so much more of a person when they get to bring themselves, especially those corners. It’s so much more conducive to collaboration and innovation.

It means that in your organisation, you get to be YOU-shaped, belonging and acknowledged for who YOU are. Knowing that all the parts of you matter. Your voice is welcome at the table.

So, in your organisation, are people really feeling, sensing, experiencing that they can bring all sides of their identity, and that they matter? Making that happen for your team is truly human leadership.

Look around you and see who’s there.


More about us:

Lisa Dempsey – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakdempsey/ - https://www.leadershiplabs.eu

Marjolijn Vlug – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ - https://www.marjolijnvlug.nl/?lang=en

Reach us both at PeopleImpactPodcast@gmail.com

Nov 04, 202127:57