In this second episode of Zentano’s Confidence in Leadership series, Rich and Dave go beneath the surface to explore the forces that quietly drain confidence in capable leaders. Rather than dramatic failures, confidence is often eroded through constant micro pressures, organisational politics, and the need for perfectionism, all of which trigger unconscious “masks” designed to protect self-worth.

Rich introduces the idea of psychological masks, such as the Pretender, Overachiever, Striver, and Self-Doubter, and explains how these coping strategies can become unhealthy when they operate unconsciously. Drawing on his research into confidence and self-esteem, he unpacks the delicate balance between self-worth and competence, and why leaders often lean too hard on control and performance when their sense of self is under threat.

The episode closes with practical micro-habits leaders can use in real time to stabilise confidence, reconnect with their “connected centre,” and move away from performative confidence towards something more grounded, human, and sustainable.

1. Why leadership confidence rarely collapses in a single moment and instead erodes through micro-pressures over time
2. The concept of psychological masks and why leaders often wear them unconsciously
3. How pressure, organisational politics, and perfectionism act as “silent confidence killers”
4. The relationship between self-worth and competence, and how imbalance drives over-control and over-performance
5. Why performative confidence is not the same as grounded confidence
6. Four common masks leaders adopt: Pretender, Overachiever, Striver, and Self-Doubter
7. How political environments amplify insecurity through unhelpful internal narratives
8. Why perfectionism is often the fear of being truly seen
9. Practical micro-habits to stabilise confidence:

Many leaders have done everything right. They have built experience, delivered results, and earned their place. Yet despite this, they often feel unsettled, exposed, or quietly unsure of themselves.

In the first episode of their Confidence in Leadership series, Rich and Dave explore why experience alone is not enough to create real leadership confidence. Drawing on personal stories and insights from coaching leaders with confidence issues, they unpack the difference between competence and confidence, how pretend confidence erodes trust, the hidden impact of the “promotion shock”, and why so many senior leaders feel less secure as responsibility and visibility increase.

This episode reframes confidence not as performance or a personality trait, but as an inner practice. It explains why confidence is something that can be developed deliberately, through emotional regulation, grounded self-awareness and finding a healthy balance of competence and self-worth, rather than through qualifications, status, or bravado.

Key Talking Points

· Why highly experienced leaders can still feel unconfident

· The difference between competence and confidence, and why confusing the two causes problems

· Under-utilising competence vs over-relying on it as a form of armour

· Why confidence often dips after promotion and at senior levels

· The difference between looking confident and being confident

· How performative confidence undermines trust and psychological safety

· Confidence as an internal practice rather than a fixed trait

· Introducing the idea of the “confidence bucket” and micro-habits for rebuilding confidence

· Why healthy confidence creates collaboration, trust, and calm leadership under pressure

In episode 55 of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave is joined by experienced Executive Coach Nick Marlow to explore how leaders can create positive leadership ripples and enhance the performance of both their own teams and the wider organisation they represent.

Drawing on his own development challengers and over 25 years of coaching leaders and senior professionals, Nick shares a compelling perspective on why real performance starts with self-awareness. Together, they unpack an evolved version of the classic performance equation first mooted by Tim Gallwey, and explore why high performance, full engagement and wellbeing must be developed together, not treated as separate agendas.

This is a thoughtful and purposefully thought-provoking conversation for leaders who want to create sustainable performance, healthier cultures and meaningful impact, by starting with themselves.

Key Talking Points:

1. Why most people operate far below their true potential
2. The role of self-awareness in unlocking purpose and performance
3. Embracing the ABC of life, Awareness + Balance + Choice
4. The dangers of promoting people away from their natural strengths
5. How leaders create positive ripples by doing their own inner work first
6. Practical reflections leaders can use to reconnect with what energises them

As 2026 begins, Rich and Dave tackle a question many leaders avoid but feel deeply: How happy is my team really… and what role am I playing in that?

A recent 2025 report states that just over half (51%) of UK workers are frequently happy in their jobs, a quarter (25%) often don't feel appreciated, and 22% feel undervalued at work.

Moving beyond perks, incentives and short-term fixes, this conversation breaks workplace happiness down into five core leadership conditions that consistently drive engagement, wellbeing and performance: meaning, autonomy, progress, connection and fairness.

Drawing on research, real leadership experience and everyday situations, Rich and Dave explore the two forces every leader can shape; the eco-systems people work in and the mindsets they bring to work, and why small leadership shifts often produce the biggest results.

This is a grounded, honest and practical discussion about what it truly takes to build teams that are not only happier, but stronger, more resilient and more effective in the year ahead.

Key Talking Points

1. Why perks, benefits and wellbeing initiatives rarely fix disengagement, and what moves the needle
2. The two forces every leader can shape (whether they realise it or not): systems and mindset
3. Meaning and purpose: how leaders create the “golden thread” between daily work and real-world impact
4. Autonomy without abdication: building trust, confidence and ownership without micromanagement
5. Why progress and mastery mean people feel they’re getting better, not just getting through.
6. Connection and belonging, and why psychological safety is the number one predictor of team performance
7. Fairness and recognition, people don’t need constant praise, but they do need to believe effort is noticed and they are treated fairly
8. Practical leadership shifts that improve happiness, engagement and performance without adding pressure in 2026

In this episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave explore one of the most common leadership bottlenecks in senior roles: when everything still comes back to the leader.

They discuss why shared leadership, emotional intelligence, and team coaching will define high-performance teams in 2026 and beyond

Drawing on research, real-world experience, and Zentano’s Connected Leadership approach, they unpack why traditional, hero-centric leadership models are no longer fit for purpose, and what replaces them. The conversation explores shared leadership as the emerging gold standard, where decision-making, ownership, and influence are distributed across the team rather than concentrated at the top.

Rich and Dave discuss the role of power, emotional intelligence, and team coaching in unlocking collective intelligence, reducing blind spots, and creating teams that adapt, innovate, and perform under pressure. Practical examples and clear takeaways help leaders reflect on where they may be unintentionally acting as a bottleneck, and how to shift toward a more connected, sustainable leadership model.

Key Talking Points

1. Why capable leaders often become unintentional bottlenecks
2. The shift from heroic leadership to shared leadership
3. Power, hierarchy, and mindset: what really needs to change
4. How shared leadership improves decision-making, agility, and ownership
5. The four Connected Leadership personas and their relationship with power
6. Why emotional intelligence is the “glue” that makes shared leadership work
7. The role of team coaching in building accountability, resilience, and performance
8. Practical ways to start embedding shared leadership without a culture overhaul

Courage in leadership is often misunderstood. It’s not about bold speeches or dramatic decisions; it’s about the everyday choices leaders make between comfort and effectiveness.

In this re-released Leadership Unscripted episode, Dave and Rich explore how experienced leaders can unknowingly drift towards comfortable leadership: avoiding difficult conversations, over-relying on familiar approaches, or choosing short-term harmony over long-term impact.

Drawing on current research into psychological safety, adaptive leadership and behavioural risk, they examine why courage becomes harder, not easier, as leaders become more senior.

Through the lens of Zentano’s Connected Leadership framework, they look at how true leadership courage starts internally, shows up in behaviour, and ultimately shapes trust, performance and growth in others.

This conversation is for leaders who know that staying comfortable may feel easier in the moment, but comes at a much higher cost over time

Key Talking Points

• Why courage is a conscious choice, not an innate trait
• The link between courage, mindset, and stepping outside your comfort zone
• How to work with, not against, your inner critical voice
• The role of reframing language and narratives (both internal and external)
• Cultivating confidence through competence, preparation, and humility
• The power of small, deliberate steps when facing big challenges
• Why courage is a “team sport”, building your “courage network”
• Staying calm under pressure by managing the fight–flight–freeze response

Many capable leaders are delivering results yet quietly feeling more disconnected, from their teams, from peers, and sometimes from themselves.

This isn’t a personal failing. It’s a predictable consequence of pressure, complexity and the way senior leadership roles have evolved.

In this episode, we explore why disconnection is becoming more common at senior level, even among highly experienced operational leaders. Drawing on leadership psychology, current research and Zentano’s Connected Leadership framework, we unpack what disconnection really looks like, how it shows up in everyday behaviour, and the hidden costs it creates, for performance, trust and long-term impact.

This conversation is for leaders who sense something isn’t quite right, even though everything looks fine on the surface, and who want to lead with greater clarity, connection and influence without simply pushing harder.

Key Talking Points

1. Disconnection from Self – The erosion of reflection, emotional insight, and intuition.
2. Disconnection from Others – Overreliance on transactional leadership, the myth of the heroic leader, and the undervaluing of time spent building relationships.
3. Disconnection from Complexity – Treating organisations as machines, not ecosystems; wanting certainty and ignoring adaptive thinking.
4. Disconnection from Purpose – Losing sight of meaning in pursuit of efficiency, and an insufficient focus on values-led leadership.
5. Disconnection from Nature & Sustainability – Operating in extractive ways that ignore our embeddedness in larger systems.

Why Leaders Under Pressure Make Worse Decisions

As leaders, we’re expected to make good decisions, even when we’re tired, stressed or running on empty. But what if that expectation is fundamentally flawed?

In this reflective end-of-year episode, we explore a provocative truth: tired, stressed and sick people don’t make good decisions. Drawing on leadership psychology, decision-making research and lived experience, we unpack why energy, not time, is the real constraint on leadership effectiveness.

As we head into Christmas, when fatigue often catches up with us, we look at why leaders are especially vulnerable to decision fatigue, how depleted energy quietly shapes judgement, and what it costs organisations when leaders “power through”.

This isn’t about resilience or weakness. It’s about biology, behaviour and leadership responsibility, and how protecting energy is one of the most strategic decisions leaders can make going into the year ahead.

Key Talking Points

1. Energy, not effort, determines decision quality
2. When energy drops, leaders don’t just decide worse, they decide differently
3. Why leaders are uniquely vulnerable to decision fatigue
4. Energy management matters more than time management
5. Protecting decision quality requires deliberate leadership shifts