Coaches & Leaders Assemble: The Coaching and Leadership Podcast

In this episode of Coaches and Leaders Assemble, host Laura Royal is joined by the brilliant Hayley Ramm, founder of The Efficient Elephant, for a powerful conversation about mentoring in business and beyond. Hayley shares her own squiggly career journey, from HR and recruitment to self-employment, children's coaching and ultimately to her true passion: business mentoring.With honesty, humour and heart, Hayley unpacks the real purpose of mentoring acting as a trusted sounding board, offering clarity, accountability and support for business owners and professionals alike. She explains her unique six-step mentoring approach, the importance of chemistry and connection and how even a simple question can unlock transformative insight. Whether you're new to mentoring or looking to deepen your practice, this episode is for you.

How do you really know if your team feels safe to speak up, make mistakes, or challenge the status quo? In this episode of the Coaches and Leaders Assemble Podcast, Laura Royal dives into the heart of psychological safety and how to spot when it’s missing. Laura will guide you through seven powerful diagnostic questions that every leader should be asking and the subtle signs that might be telling you something’s not quite right in your culture. From silence in meetings to the revolving door of leavers, we’ll explore what to look for, what to listen for and how to start making meaningful change. Whether you're leading a small team or a whole organisation, this is your pulse check on trust, truth and what it really means to feel safe at work.

In episode 50 of the Coaches and Leaders Assemble podcast Laura Royal introduces the idea of Actifest...her wordination blend of action and manifesting as a way to help people get unstuck and move forward with purpose. Rather than focusing on vague goals or big leaps, this episode explores how asking the right question at the right time can spark clarity, shift energy and lead to meaningful progress.Laura shares a variety of practical coaching questions that are designed to help people take small, intentional steps. These aren’t fluffy or overly complicated...they’re direct, useful prompts that can be used in coaching sessions, leadership conversations or for your own personal reflection. Whether you're a coach, a leader, or someone who just needs to get out of a rut, these questions will help you create movement without the overwhelm.If you’ve been feeling stuck, circling the same thoughts, or waiting for the “right” moment, this episode will give you a toolkit to take aligned action and make real progress, starting today.

In this episode of the Coaches and Leaders Assemble podcast, host Laura Royal chats with leadership development specialist and business psychologist Charlotte Angus who also happens to be one of Laura's earliest mentors in the world of learning and development.They dive into the topic of imposter phenomenon, those moments of self-doubt many people experience and why it’s important to understand it properly. Charlotte explains the difference between terms like imposter syndrome and imposter thoughts and shares why she prefers more accurate and less clinical language. She also talks about how these feelings often link to things like perfectionism, self-esteem and comparison with others and how recognising them can actually be useful.Charlotte also shares ideas from her research and experience, including how reflection can help us avoid getting stuck in unhelpful thinking patterns. The episode includes practical insights on building confidence, learning from feedback and creating a work environment where people feel safe to speak up and try new things. Charlotte and Laura also discuss how social pressure, gender roles and unrealistic expectations can shape how imposter thoughts show up, and why talking openly about them can make a real difference.Make sure you connect with Charlotte on LinkedIn to find out more - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotteangus/

If you’re thinking about becoming a coach or exploring coach training for the first time, you’ve probably come across a whole mix of terms - certification, accreditation, qualification - and a range of organisations like CMI, ILM, ICF, EMCC, and the AC. It’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed trying to figure out what’s what.In this episode we cut through the confusion and make sense of the coaching credential landscape, especially if you're searching for a training provider and want to understand what kind of training or recognition actually matters.We explore the difference between coach training (the learning process), certification (proof you’ve completed a course), qualifications (regulated learning like ILM or CMI), and accreditation (professional recognition through coaching bodies like ICF, EMCC, or the Association for Coaching).We break down what each term really means, explore how organisations like CMI, ILM, ICF, EMCC, and AC fit into the picture.Find out more about our coach training programmes here www.dnacoach.co.uk/coachtraining

Great leaders and coaches don’t just provide answers—they ask better questions that unlock deeper thinking, problem-solving, and engagement. In this episode of Coaches and Leaders Assemble, we explore the neuroscience behind powerful questions, including how they activate the brain’s problem-solving centre, reduce psychological threat, and trigger dopamine-fuelled motivation. By understanding how our brains respond to questions, you’ll learn how to foster more effective, insightful, and action-driven conversations in your leadership and coaching practice.We also introduce the 5C Coaching Questions Framework, a simple but powerful approach to asking better questions that lead to clarity, curiosity, challenge, commitment, and check-ins. Whether you're managing a team, mentoring a colleague, or coaching a client, these techniques will help you guide conversations that empower, rather than dictate. Tune in to discover how small shifts in your questioning can drive big changes in engagement, ownership, and results.4o

In this episode of Coaches and Leaders Assemble, Laura explores the transformative power of setting intentions and reflection—two simple yet powerful practices that can elevate your leadership, coaching, and decision-making. Whether you’re leading a team, coaching clients, or striving for personal growth, setting daily intentions ensures you show up with clarity, purpose, and impact. Laura breaks down the difference between goals and intentions, why they matter, and how they can shape your mindset, behaviours, and leadership presence. Plus, I share powerful questions to help you start each day with intention and end it with meaningful reflection.Start today - let's go!!

Coaching is one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional growth, yet so many misconceptions prevent people from using it effectively. In this episode, we’re busting a good few of the biggest coaching myths, from the belief that coaching is just about giving advice to the misconception that it’s only for executives or underperformers. Laura dives into why coaching isn’t about having all the answers, how it can happen in just a few minutes, and why it’s a key leadership skill—not just a formal, structured process. Whether you’re a leader, aspiring coach, or simply curious about coaching, this episode will challenge what you think you know.

Welcome to Coaches and Leaders Assemble with me, Laura Royal! In today’s episode, Power Questions That Create Breakthroughs, I’m sharing the one question that changes everything—well, actually, ten! These are the kinds of questions that stop you in your tracks, spark fresh thinking, and help you shift from feeling stuck to making real progress.Great coaching isn’t about giving advice—it’s about asking the right question at the right time. Whether you’re a coach guiding others, a leader looking to empower your team, or someone who wants to develop stronger self-leadership, these questions will help unlock insights, challenge limiting beliefs, and inspire bold action. So, grab a notebook, because by the end of this episode, you’ll have a set of transformational coaching questions ready to use in your own conversations—both with yourself and with those you lead.Reading mentions in the episode features the wonderful work of Michael Bungay Stanier and his book The Coaching Habit. And also from my lovely friend, Jenny Drew, and her book Stop Playing Small.Find out more about what we do at DNA Coach - www.dnacoach.co.uk

In this episode of the Coaches and Leaders Assemble Podcast, Laura Royal explores the concept of Relentless Inclusion—why it matters, how it shapes our workplaces, and why it must go beyond a tick-box exercise. Drawing from personal experiences of exclusion, I reflect on the deep human need for connection and belonging and why inclusive workplaces are essential for people to thrive.I also discuss the recent shifts in the political landscape and their implications for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). With policies being rolled back in some parts of the world, the need to actively champion inclusion has never been greater. Inclusion is not a policy to be removed or diluted; it is a practice that must be embedded in daily interactions and workplace culture.I explore the principles of psychological safety, particularly the foundational need for inclusion, drawing on the work of Timothy Clark. I also share insights from a Chartered Management Institute article on tackling the growing resistance to EDI, highlighting why diversity initiatives must be more than compliance-driven efforts.Creating truly inclusive cultures requires sustained effort, leadership accountability, and embedding inclusion into everything from hiring to career progression and everyday workplace interactions. It is not enough for leadership teams to talk about inclusion at a surface level—it must be reflected in everyday behaviours and decision-making.If we are to create workplaces where people feel valued, heard, and able to contribute fully, inclusion must be the norm, not the exception. Policies do not change culture—people do. And that starts with each of us.CMI article referenced - Seven ways to fight back against the diversity and inclusion backlash - CMIJoin the Conversation:Got thoughts on today’s episode? Drop me a message on LinkedIn or share your biggest takeaway on social media using #RelentlessInclusion.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review & share it with a friend!See you next week—and yes, I’ll probably still be eating cake as today is my birthday. 🎂 😄#Inclusion #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership #EDI #Belonging