What if the "problem team member or leader" isn't the problem at all—but a symptom of a system protecting itself from the truth?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Nathalie Martinek, a former cancer researcher who discovered unsettling parallels between tumor metastasis and toxic workplace behavior. After experiencing a carcinogenic work environment herself, Nathalie hung up her lab coat to study what she calls "the human lab"—how good people become participants in dysfunctional systems, often without realizing it.

The Big Questions We Tackle:

What's the difference between psychological safety and a toxic workplace? Nathalie breaks down how teams can feel safe while existing in wider systems that aren't—and why the buffer won't last forever.

How does scapegoating actually work? Unlike bullying (which is personal), scapegoating is systemic—the organization turns on someone to avoid looking at itself. And yes, entire teams can become scapegoats too.

Are narcissistic leaders born or made? Nathalie challenges us to look at our own narcissistic traits and how low-trust environments bring out self-protective behaviors in all of us. The question isn't just "who's the narcissist"—it's "how am I participating?"

Can toxic cultures change? Only if people are willing to see their own contribution to the problem.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Don't take their word for it. Watch if what leaders say matches what they do—that's how you know if you're in a trustworthy environment.
  
  

• Preserve your integrity, not your honesty. You don't owe toxic systems your truth. Sometimes staying silent about certain things is self-preservation.
  
  

• Face your trigger points. That tricky person? They're going to show up at every job until you learn what they're teaching you about yourself.
  
  

• Recognize the pattern. If someone's blocking your moves, recruiting allies against you, or giving you impossible assignments designed for failure—you're likely being scapegoated. Get out.
  
  

• For Gen Z: Don't believe everything you're told about workplace culture. See for yourself. Be compliant without being exploited. And remember: work doesn't have to fulfill your purpose—it can just be a place you show up and do good work.
  
  

Connect with Nathalie

• Substack: Hacking Narcissism Newsletter
  
  

• Website: www.drnataliemartinek.com
  
  

• LinkedIn: Dr. Nathalie Martinek
  
  

• Books: The Scapegoating at Work (ebook), The Little Book of Assertiveness
  
  

More Resources

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What if navigating constant change isn't about moving faster, but noticing who's stuck at the edge of the bridge?

In this episode, we sit down with Suzanne Sitrin, a leadership consultant who's spent decades helping leaders guide teams through transformation: from the quality-management era to today's rapid growth and perpetual pivots. Suzanne shares what actually helps when the bar keeps moving and people are running out of runway.

The Big Questions We Tackle:

How do you lead when the goalposts keep moving? Suzanne unpacks what she's seeing in so many corporate environments: innovation at the top can translate into exhaustion at the bottom—especially when teams hit a milestone and immediately learn it "doesn't count" anymore.

What does psychological safety really require? We talk about trust, vulnerability, and how leaders create the conditions for productive disagreement (without it turning personal).

How do you lead across generations without generalizing? Suzanne shares what's changing in expectations at work—and why leaders need both clarity and flexibility: feedback and autonomy.

The Hard Truths

Not every team (or leader) is ready. Suzanne shares what happens when there isn't true willingness to do the work, and why "growth mindset" can't be lip service if transformation is the goal.

What You Can Do Right Now

• Stop assuming. Curiosity beats projection, especially in ambiguity.

• Ask more, tell less. You can name hard things if you do it with care and clarity.

• Celebrate before you raise the bar. Recognition affirms effort, and strengthens future performance.

• Build emotional intelligence on purpose. Your leadership doesn't end at 5pm; people take it home with them.

Connect with Suzanne

• Website: www.bluebirch.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-sitrin/

• Instagram: Blue Birch Consulting

What if everything you learned about leadership is actually holding you back? And what if the secret to thriving through AI disruption and remote work chaos isn't adding new skills—it's unlearning the old ones?

In this episode, we sit down with Karen Ferris, organizational change expert, author of eight books including Be Remarkable: Learn to Unlearn, and a voice that cuts through the noise on what teams actually need from leaders today. Karen has spent her career watching organizations struggle with change—and she's seen what separates the ones that thrive from the ones that collapse under pressure.

What does it really mean to be a remarkable leader? Karen breaks down her REMARKABLE framework—Resilient, Empathetic, Mindful, Adaptive, Resourceful, Known, Accountable, Brave, Listening, and Empowering. But this isn't just another list of leadership buzzwords.

At its core, this conversation is about having the courage and self-awareness to say: What served me yesterday is no longer relevant today.

Karen reveals why most leaders struggle to achieve 'Remarkable', because they are often missing the foundations of:

• Listening to understand

• Empowerment

• Vulnerability

• Psychological Safety

We also dig into why organizations are drowning in change fatigue—and why it's usually not about too much change, but too much badly handled change. Don't skip this episode, where Karen shares her proven formula for becoming more successful at better handling change.

• Find Karen on LinkedIn

• Visit her website: KarenFerris.com

• Check out her books, including Be Remarkable: Learn to Unlearn

• Alvin Toffler's Future Shock - The origin of "learn to unlearn and relearn"

• Daniel Pink's work on motivation - Autonomy, mastery, purpose

• Amy Edmondson's research on psychological safety

• Gallup's CliftonStrengths research - Trust, compassion, hope, stability as key factors

• Nick Shackleton-Jones on TikTok - The real reason for return-to-office mandates

• The Westpac vs. Carleen Chandler case - Groundbreaking Australian fair work decision on remote work