In this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope Aiken is joined by Minette Norman, speaker, author and former tech executive, for a powerful conversation about what it really takes to create workplaces where people feel safe to be their authentic selves.

Together, they explore Minette’s five plays for inclusive leadership: communicating courageously, mastering the art of listening, managing your reactions, embracing risk and failure, and designing inclusive rituals. Through the lens of psychological safety, authenticity and human-centred leadership, this conversation asks an important question: what changes when we remember that CEOs, leaders and employees are all human too?

Penelope also introduces the HUMAN LENS™ as a way of thinking about the conditions people need in order to feel safe, valued and able to contribute fully at work.

This episode is a reminder that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about listening, staying open, being brave enough to get it wrong, and creating cultures where people can be honest, human and connected.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why courageous communication matters in leadership
• How deep listening creates trust and psychological safety
• Why leaders need to manage their reactions, especially in hard moments
• The role of humour, humility and humanity at work
• How risk, failure and inclusion are connected
• Why rituals matter in shaping culture
• How leaders can create workplaces where people feel safe to be their authentic selves

Learn more about Minette Norman: https://www.minettenorman.com

Connect with Minette on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/minettenorman

Explore The Psychological Safety Playbook: https://thepsychologicalsafetyplaybook.com/

Explore The Boldly Inclusive Leader: https://www.minettenorman.com/boldlyinclusiveleader

Learn more about Authentic Ewe: https://www.authenticewe.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

n this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope speaks with Blake Proberts, founder of Acorn PLMS, about why organisational learning is broken and why performance reviews are often “trash”.

Together they explore how capability frameworks, clearer role expectations and everyday coaching can turn learning and performance development into something more meaningful, human and useful.

This conversation connects strongly with Authentic Ewe’s HUMAN LENS™ framework — showing how psychological safety is built through clarity, purpose, feedback and the everyday conversations that help people feel safe to be their authentic selves at work.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.