Episode 88 - Emotion at Work in Beautiful Leadership

Episode Summary In this episode, Phil is joined by Dawn Stallwood, the brilliant author behind the book Beautiful Leadership and a seasoned corporate M&A lawyer. Dawn brings nearly three decades of experience in high-stakes environments to the table, sharing why she wrote this book as a legacy piece to mark her 50th birthday and to build an "army of beautiful leaders". The conversation begins with the signature "innocuous question", exploring the environments Dawn chooses when the pressure is on and she needs to create capacity. This sets the perfect stage for the episode, as Phil masterfully hijacks Dawn's book structure (the seven phases of a Red Admiral butterfly's flight) to use as the flight path for their conversation. They dive deep into capacity versus competence, the F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) framework, checking your "empathy tank", and the profound realisation that leadership is a human endeavour that requires bravery, not perfection.

Key Topics Discussed:

The Innocuous Question (01:27): Dawn shares how she creates capacity when the pressure is on, whether that is finding an unfamiliar quiet coffee shop, using noise-reducing headphones, or taking walking meetings.

The Red Admiral Metaphor (09:27): Why Dawn chose the Red Admiral butterfly as the emblem for her framework, recognising that everything needed for transformation is already present within us.

The Defining Mark & Istanbul (12:18): Dawn shares a touching story about her mother in Turkey and the phrase "Sen güzelsin" ("You are beautiful"), redefining beauty in leadership as how someone is experienced, received, and perceived.

Flight Pressure & Capacity (22:48): Exploring how high-pressure environments (like M&A deals) often expose a lack of capacity rather than a lack of competence, and how fear and pride can manifest as toxic workplace behaviours.

Wing Notes & F.E.A.R. (34:47): A life-changing reframe of fear as "False Evidence Appearing Real", and how this tool can stop leaders from catastrophising.

In Flight & Guarding Space (40:34): The importance of leaders setting boundaries, acting as stewards of their roles, and intentionally creating space so they do not get wrung out.

A Vulnerable Pivot (47:21): Dawn shares a deeply personal and recent story of a severe health scare that forced her to critically evaluate her own "always-on" operating model, highlighting the very real consequences of ignoring your capacity limits.

Stretch & The Empathy Tank (53:34): Understanding your superpowers versus your kryptonite, and how checking the building blocks of empathy can help you replenish your tank.

Release & Imperfection (01:02:09): The freeing realisation that you do not need to be a perfect leader; you just need to be a beautiful one

Guest Bio Dawn Stallwood is a corporate M&A lawyer and advisor with nearly 30 years of experience guiding CEOs, founders, and boards through high-stakes deals and critical transitions. She is the author of Beautiful Leadership, a book she wrote as a legacy piece to mark her 50th birthday. Dawn is on a mission to build an "army of beautiful leaders", helping professionals slow down, build true capacity, and embrace the beautiful imperfections of leading people.

Find out more about Dawn Stallwood:

Website & Book: www.thebeautifulleader.com

LinkedIn: Search for Dawn Stallwood

Email: dawn.stallwood@floodlightbusiness.com

Episode Summary

Phil Willcox is joined by Sara Sabin to explore the internal game of leadership and why tools and frameworks aren’t enough without emotional mastery. Sara explains that mastery isn’t about being emotionless, it’s about noticing emotions without resisting them, regulating in the moment and spending more time in emotional neutrality (calm and clear, not suppression or “not caring”).

They share a practical pathway, awareness, acknowledgement, acceptance, labelling and processing, plus two quick regulation tools: the power of the pause and a short mental rehearsal before high-pressure moments.

The conversation also tackles “repellent energy” (neediness that leaks through communication), how to stay ambitious without over-attaching to outcomes and why many leaders build confidence on external validation. Sara introduces internal scaffolding, a steadier confidence that holds up when work and life shake your identity.

Key Topics Discussed

• Emotional mastery and emotional neutrality
• The regulation pathway: awareness, acceptance, processing
• The pause (hard hack) vs mental rehearsal (easy hack)
• “Repellent energy” and reducing attachment to outcomes
• External vs internal confidence scaffolding
• Using challenges as “stress tests” to strengthen identity and self-worth

Guest Bio

Sara Sabin is a Business Profits and Leadership Strategist who works with founders and senior leaders of high-growth SMEs to strengthen performance, confidence and impact. She supports leaders who recognise that sustainable growth requires more than strategy alone, blending leadership strategy with mindset and emotional mastery to help clients lead under pressure, build resilient teams and achieve greater results without burnout.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-c-sabin-coach/

Email: https://www.sarasabin.com/

Website: https://www.sarasabin.com/

Working Joyfully and Living Fully with Dr. Tiffany Slater

Episode Summary

In this episode, Phil is joined by Dr. Tiffany Slater, a seasoned Human Resources professional and the CEO of HR TaylorMade. Tiffany is passionate about helping small business owners create HR systems and policies that support the whole company, driven by her philosophy: "Work Joyfully, Live Fully".

The conversation begins, as always, with the "innocuous question." Tiffany shares her love for cooking breakfast for her family—specifically pancakes, eggs, and a special "monkey bread" biscuit dish—which sets the stage for a discussion on family, connection, and joy.

Tiffany then opens up about her personal journey from a miserable corporate existence to entrepreneurship. She shares a vulnerable story about how health scares and a spiritual calling pushed her to leave a job where she was unhappy, eventually leading her to build a business that allows her to live her life to the fullest .

Phil and Tiffany dig deep into the practicalities of creating a joyful workplace. They discuss why HR policies shouldn't read like a "prison handbook," but instead should be clear, kind, and effective. They also explore the vital distinction between being "nice" (surface level) versus being "kind" (compassionate candor), and why frequent feedback is essential because, as Tiffany jokingly puts it, "people suck and it's our fault" when leaders fail to set clear expectations.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The Innocuous Question: Why breakfast is the meal that brings Tiffany’s family together

• The Pivot: How Tiffany moved from professional misery to joyful entrepreneurship through faith and resilience

• Overcoming Fear: The importance of cataloguing past successes to get through the scary moments of running a business.

• Joyful HR: Creating employee policies that are punitive only when necessary, but supportive and flexible by design

• Feedback Loops: Why annual reviews aren't enough and the need for quarterly touchpoints.

• Nice vs. Kind: Understanding why clear, direct feedback is kinder than polite ambiguity.

• The Three Big Questions:

  • What impact do you want to make?

  • How do you want to improve the lives of others?

  • What do you want your story to be?

Guest Bio

Dr. Tiffany Slater is a human resources professional with over 20 years of experience. She is the CEO of HR TaylorMade, where she focuses on inspiring others to reach their highest level of achievement. Tiffany is known for having real conversations about success, failure, and the joy of a well-lived life.

Connect with Dr. Tiffany Slater:

• Website: Fractional Human Resources Built For You

• Email: support@hrtaylormade.com