What does neuroscience actually tell us about what makes a great leader? And what is your brain quietly doing to undermine you when you least expect it?

In this episode of Awakening Conscious Leadership, Emily and Johnny sit down with Bret Freeman, organisational psychologist, neuroscientist, and executive coach, to explore the brain science sitting underneath every leadership moment.

Brett brings three core beliefs: leadership is a behaviour not a title, clarity changes everything, and communication is the most underrated competitive advantage in any organisation. What follows is one of the most practically useful conversations we have had on this podcast.

From why predictability builds deeper trust than charisma ever can, to how ambiguity triggers a threat response that shuts down rational thinking, Brett translates complex neuroscience into tools leaders can pick up and use immediately. Honest, grounded, and packed with insight, this episode will change the way you see yourself as a leader and the people you lead.

KEY PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS

1. Be predictable - consistency creates the psychological safety people rely on to bring you problems early
2. Shift focus from yourself to others - redirecting attention outward changes your brain state and your impact instantly
3. Move towards, not away - visualise success rather than avoiding failure; your brain follows what you move towards
4. Use if-then planning - decide your response to a trigger before it happens, when you are calm
5. Own your impact - intentions matter far less than the effect your behaviour has on others
6. Use SCARF to self-regulate - naming which element is triggered (Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, Fairness) creates a cognitive shift and brings rational thinking back online
7. Protect your best brain time - match high-value decisions to your cognitive peak and save routine tasks for natural dips
8. Reduce ambiguity for others - simple signposting before meetings and difficult conversations lowers threat and raises engagement
9. Give people time to process - sharing context before a hard conversation makes it collaborative rather than defensive
10. Check bias with someone else - invite a different perspective before making decisions where bias is likely
11. Reframe overwhelm - it is biology, not failure; treat it as a signal to manage cognitive load more intentionally

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

In this warm and joyful conversation, Emily and Johnny sit down with Jayaraja, senior member of the Triratna Buddhist Order and founder of Alfoxton Park House, a Buddhist eco retreat centre in Somerset.

Jayaraja takes us back to an extraordinary moment at age 11, when a sudden awareness of mortality led him to one quietly revolutionary conclusion: the only thing truly worth doing in this life is learning how to love. That insight eventually brought him to Buddhism, to community, and to over 25 years of teaching mindful communication.

We explore what mindful communication actually looks like in practice for leaders, and how staying genuinely present to both your own needs and those of the people around you can transform the way you lead.

We also dig into what "needs" actually means (hint: it's not chocolate, though we do get into that), why saying "no" is often the most generous thing you can do, and why real leadership has far less to do with authority than with the courage to own your vulnerability out loud.

Warm, wise, and genuinely life-giving, this one will stay with you.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

What does it really take to transform workplace culture from the inside out? In this episode, we sit down with Margaret Brown, executive leadership coach and author of Culture Pays, to explore her LeaderShift Model, a practical five-step framework built on listening, learning, leading with vision, leveraging potential, and living by values.

Margaret shares how she helped one organisation reduce staff turnover from 12% to under 1% in just three years, earning them a place in the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For. The changes weren’t always dramatic, sometimes it was as simple as a leader showing up on the frontline or fixing a pool table. Small actions, she argues, can have an outsized impact on morale and belonging.

With Gallup’s latest research showing that 59% of employees are disengaged, at a cost of $10 trillion to the global economy, Margaret makes a powerful case that investing in culture is not just the right thing to do, it’s a financial imperative. Whether you hold a formal leadership title or simply influence the people around you, this conversation will challenge you to reflect on the legacy you’re building and whether your daily actions truly reflect your values.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

We speak with Maddy Samakosky, co-founder and CEO of AshtonQ and PhD candidate specialising in behaviour change, to explore what it really means to lead well in the age of AI.

Maddy shares the story behind AshtonQ's 360-degree leadership assessment — a tool that measures 12 behavioural intelligences and 60 competencies to help leaders build genuine self-awareness and drive lasting behaviour change.

We dig into why human qualities like empathy, relationship-building and navigating ambiguity matter more than ever, and why the best leaders treat feedback not as a threat, but as a gift.

If you're curious about what separates good leaders from great ones, this one's for you.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Alder, executive coach, Zen priest, and founder of the Executive Wisdom Partner Institute, to explore what leadership demands in the age of AI.

Chris unpacks the difference between intention and agenda, makes the case for inner stillness as a leadership skill, and explains why wisdom, not just strategy, will define the next generation of executives. As technology accelerates, he argues, human depth and presence become the real competitive advantage.

A sharp, timely conversation for leaders ready to evolve.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

At the start of 2026, we gather three powerful voices for a special roundtable on awakening more conscious leadership: Nathan Blair, founder of The Somatic School, bringing a body-based lens to leadership; Hetty Einzig, leadership coach, transpersonal psychotherapist, and author, offering a spiritual and transpersonal perspective; and Marcus Stone, life coach and coach nurturer, speaking from heart-centered presence.

Together, we explore the shift from spectacle to substance in an increasingly chaotic world asking: What is my purpose? What does authentic leadership require now? The conversation moves from the pull of inauthenticity and cultural pendulum swings to the call for creativity over critique, the inter-dependence of polarity, and the possibility of a new Axial Age.

From “archipelagos of creativity” to the idea that we each ‘contain multitudes’, this episode is a rich, wide-ranging inquiry into what conscious leadership might mean in the year ahead and why depth, embodiment, and presence matter more than ever.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

In this episode, sound strategist Herwig Kusatz, founder of Sound Strategy, invites us to tune in differently. From the hidden cost of “noise” that drains attention to the kind of signal that builds trust and clarity, Herwig breaks down how sound quietly shapes leadership, culture, and decision-making every day.

You’ll hear the fascinating story behind the Vienna transport system’s sound identity. Herwig speaks to the impact of the internal sounds of our mind on our communication and the significance of silence, and how the sounds of your organization affect how messages actually land. Plus, Herwig shares insights from his brand-new Sonic Starter Kit, a practical way for organizations to sound as intentional as they look.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by noise, curious about brand identity beyond visuals, or interested in leading with more presence and impact, this conversation will have you listening in a whole new way.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.

Johnny and Emily reflect on their podcast’s journey in 2025. They discuss key insights and moments that stood out for them, including the balance between trusting the unknown and planning, the importance of presence, and the integration of ego and soul needs. They highlight themes like surrender, somatic awareness, and the power of the present moment. Looking ahead to 2026, they express hope for deeper connections, more spiritual practices, and continued co-creation with guests. They also mention the upcoming roundtable discussion and invite listener suggestions for future guests.

Emily & Johnny own the copyright in and to all content in and transcripts of the Awakening Conscious Leadership podcasts, with all rights reserved, as well as their right of publicity.

All opinions expressed by the Podcast Guests & Participants are solely their current opinions and do not reflect the opinions of Emily & Johnny. The Podcast Guest and Participant opinions are based upon information they consider reliable, but neither Emily, Johnny nor the companies with which such guests & participants are affiliated, warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.

No one is authorized to copy any portion of the podcast content or use Emily’s or Johnny’s name, image or likeness for any commercial purpose or use, including without limitation inclusion in any books, e-books, book summaries or synopses, or on a commercial website or social media site (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) that offers or promotes your or another’s products or services.