The Boardroom by Heather Elkington

Is being nice holding your team back? Being nice feels safe. You avoid the awkward conversations at work, keep everyone happy, and stay LIKED.But nice managers are the most dangerous people in your company.In this episode:People-pleasing vs being caring & honestWhy you're only allowed to be nice until 25How to have that tough conversationWhy ignoring the problem isn't kindHow to deal with defensivenessDilemma: promoted to director and drowningGot a situation at work you don't know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherI’ve built a free 2-minute scorecard to help you get your Team Health Score and see where your team actually needs attention. Tap here to take the quiz.Join 32,000+ managers in the Custard Culture Club, getting weekly leadership tips in their inbox - here.

1 in 3 UK workers who left their job last year did it because of a bad manager. And 82% of managers are "accidental", promoted with no formal training.Most of the managers you and I have had probably shouldn't have been managers at all.In this episode, Heather shares the 10 small daily habits that stop you from becoming the leader people quit, and make you the manager they're still talking about years after they've left.In this episode, Heather covers:Pushing back on meetingsBeing the agenda personDocumenting everythingStop saying sorryGetting good at saying noThe habit most managers get wrongDilemma DiariesGot a situation at work you don't know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.The Strategic Leadership Challenge is OPEN. It's 6 weeks to go from accidental manager to strategic leader → Tap hereNew episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherWant to understand how your team really feels about work? Try Custard free → Tap here

Are your 1on1 meetings with your team just status updates?Here's how to run one-on-ones that actually work, with the questions and agenda I use.Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky went viral for saying one-on-ones are a waste of time. My take: if you're running a multi-billion-pound company, maybe. But if you're a manager in the middle, your one-to-one meetings are how you spot problems before someone hands their notice in, and how you stop micromanaging for the rest of the week.In this episode:Why managers need 1on1sFortnightly vs 90-day 1on1sLet them talk 75%Questions beyond "everything's great"Never missing feedback on your managementHandling promotion conversationsThe 90-day retention questionBecause one-on-one isn't a waste of time. If you run them well, they're the most valuable 20 minutes in your diary.Got a situation at work you don't know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.Free 90-day one-on-one meeting agenda → https://custardlearns.com/90-day-agenda-downloadJoin the waitlist for The Strategic Leadership Challenge. There are only 500 spots → Click here New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherIf you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.

Are you doing great work from home but getting overlooked for pay rises and promotions?In this episode, Heather shares how to make working from home help your career rather than hold it back.Proximity bias is real. A UK study of more than 900 managers found they were 11% less likely to promote people who work fully from home, and 68% of employers say being in the office significantly affects promotion chances.What proximity bias isThe career-fatal assumption that your work speaks for itselfHow she went from 85k to 120k in one pay riseThe Friday "loud list"How posting on LinkedIn got her noticed by the CEO of SageHow to manage upHow to use office days strategicallyGot a situation at work you don't know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs is fine, and everything stays anonymous.New episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherWant to understand how your team really feels about work? Try Custard free → https://www.itscustard.com/?utm_source=captivate&utm_medium=EP19&utm_campaign=free_trial_promo&utm_content=ep19_wfh_showdescriptionJoin 32,000+ managers in the Custard Culture Club → https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

Heather shares the 5 business rules behind the £1M she’s made since leaving her corporate job, with a team of three.Heather reveals that one of the best emails she’s received is from an angry customer. From there, she breaks down the principles that guide every decision in her business and her leadership.You’ll learn:How to take accountability, even when it's not your faultHow to handle criticism without getting defensiveHow to control your reaction to things you can't controlHow to stay focused while running two businesses at onceGot a leadership or work dilemma? Send it to [email protected]. Everything stays anonymous.Get Heather's weekly leadership tips every Tuesday: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-homeIf you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard (tap here).Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

What do you do when you have a difficult manager?Maybe they’re inconsistent, make empty promises, message you at all hours, fill your diary with unnecessary meetings, or make you feel like you’re constantly walking on eggshells.In this episode, Heather breaks down how to manage up and take back some control when you can’t control the person above you.You’ll learn how to:Give difficult feedback upwardsSet boundaries around your time and actually stick to themDeal with managers who make everything feel urgentSay no to meetings without looking difficultStop letting your manager’s moods dictate your working dayKnow when you’ve tried enough and it might be time to leaveBecause managing up isn’t about trying to manage your boss. It’s about taking ownership of what you can control, communicating clearly and protecting the boundaries that allow you to do your best work.Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected]. Two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.Free 90-day 1on1 agenda: Click hereIf you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheather

We are back after a two week break, Heather is officially a married woman 💍 and we are finally answering some of the dilemmas you’ve emailed us at [email protected] navigating friendships at work and managing someone who could have had your job, to handling a difficult peer when you have no authority over them, Heather breaks down what she would actually do in each situation.We get into:When friendship and leadership blurDealing with resentment at workManaging someone who competed for the same jobSeeking approval from your teamChallenging a difficult peerGot a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?Send it in → [email protected] episodes every Wednesday, 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherIf you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.And btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week. Join here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

Hiring someone is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a manager, but how do you actually know who’s going to be great once they’re in the role?In this episode, Heather breaks down the interview process she uses to hire brilliant people, from attracting stronger candidates to making the final decision with confidence.She covers:The interview questions that help you spot great candidatesWhat to look for beyond skills, experience and a polished CVHow to structure an interview process that actually worksHow to score candidates and make more confident hiring decisionsHow to reduce bias and avoid relying too heavily on “gut instinct”If you’re hiring someone soon, growing your team or want to get much better at recognising great people in interviews, this episode gives you a practical process you can actually use.Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.New episodes every Wednesday at 8AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherIf you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in. Find out more at Custard.And btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week. Join here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-home

How do you support someone struggling with their mental health while still holding them accountable for their performance?In this episode, Heather shares:How to balance empathy and accountabilitySupporting mental health and burnoutWhen performance conversations are neededSupporting the team without becoming the therapistWhat ruinous empathy looks likeHow underperformance impacts team trustBecause being a supportive leader doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations. Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is be clear about what needs to change, while still treating someone with empathy.If you’re struggling to know what’s really going on in your team, Custard gives you clear weekly insight into your team’s culture, wellbeing, and performance, plus practical actions to help you know where to step in.Find out more at Custard.Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.New episodes every Wednesday at 8 AM.Follow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherAnd btw, Heather drops weekly leadership tips to over 32,000 managers every week; join here: The Custard Culture Club

Is AI really coming for middle management?Heather believes that is the wrong question.The better question is which parts of management AI will replace, and which human leadership skills are about to become more valuable than ever.In this episode, Heather covers:Why some parts of management are more vulnerable to AI than othersBeing a manager vs a leader at workHow to stay valuableBuild visibility as a managerHow to stop feeling overwhelmed by AIAI may change how managers work, but the leaders who combine human judgement with new technology could become more valuable than ever.Got a situation at work you don’t know how to handle?Send it in at [email protected], two lines or two paragraphs, whatever you need. Everything stays anonymous.New episodes every Wednesday, 8AMAnd btw Heather sends practical leadership tips to over 30,000 managers across the globe, join the link here: https://custardlearns.com/custard-culture-club-homeFollow us on Instagram: @the.boardroompodcast & @leadershipheatherAnd if you are a manager or business owner who wants a clearer picture of how your team is really doing and what to do about it, find out more at Custard.