Welcome back Listeners! This 2026 first episode of the People Performance Podcast features Scott Morrison and our newest T2 Senior Consultant, Alex Mather.

Scott and Alex discuss the importance of shifting focus to a human-centered approach in learning and development (L&D) for 2026.

Alex, who has over 20 years in the L&D space , stresses that leaders should focus less on performance and more on the people, what motivates them and what they are trying to achieve.

The conversation offers actionable advice for leaders, especially at the start of the new year, to avoid burnout and sustain performance:

• Model the behaviour you want to see in your team, and take initiative to organise your own regular check-ins with your manager.

  
  

• Protect your space by blocking out non-negotiable reflection time, such as at least 30 minutes a week in your diary.

  
  

• Integrate L&D into the business as usual routine rather than treating it as a special, one-off event.

  
  

• Conduct regular team check-ins and build an environment of psychological safety to ensure honest engagement.

  
  

Alex shares that his purpose is to develop awareness in himself and others so they can be as effective and healthy as possible.

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In this episode of the People Performance Podcast, Martin Johnson, is joined by former Navy SEAL commander and author Rich Diviney. The discussion centres on human performance, focusing primarily on Rich's second book, Masters of Uncertainty, and related concepts.

The main topics covered include:

Uncertainty, Anxiety, and Fear: Martin and Rich discuss how humans deal with uncertain situations and pressure. Fear is hypothesised to be the combination of external uncertainty and internal anxiety. Anxiety is described as "fiction" because it is always focused on the future. They explore the neurological and evolutionary reasons for the fear response (the "lizard" or "chimp" brain taking over) and the goal of mastering oneself to "degrade fear" and perform effectively.

Moving Horizons (Duration, Pathway, Outcome): This technique is presented as a way to "buy down uncertainty". It involves taking a large, overwhelming situation and chunking it down into an immediate goal, creating a new, controllable Duration, Pathway, and Outcome (DPO). This process helps prevent feeling overwhelmed by the entire situation and gives the brain a reward (dopamine hit) for reaching the shortened horizon.

Optimal Performance: Martin and Rich argue against the societal pressure (often driven by social media) to be at "peak" performance all the time. Optimal performance is instead defined as doing the best you can with the time and resources available, which includes moments of high flow, "gutting it out," and even recovery.

Trust and The Attributes: The conversation briefly touches on Rich Diviney's first book, The Attributes, which profiles 41 human attributes. They discuss trust as being built on four factors: Competence, Consistency, Character, and Compassion. They also emphasise a leader's responsibility to model the desired behaviours first and reward them.

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In this episode of the People Performance Podcast, T2 consultants James Cooper and Spencer Locker, deep-dive into leadership styles based on the situational leadership model used by T2.

The key takeaway is that effective leaders must be able to adapt and deploy the most appropriate leadership style for a given situation and the mindset of the person they are leading, rather than relying on a single, default style.

The six leadership styles discussed are:

• Visionary : Getting people behind the long-term dream or "flag on the hill". It sells the why without giving day-to-day steps. Deploying it inappropriately can be ineffective if people are missing strategy or need immediate answers.

  
  

• Amiable : Focuses on peace, harmony, and promoting trust within the team and environment (psychological safety).

  
  

• Coaching : Utilising coach-like skills for development and improvement. It involves helping people find their own ways to address strengths and weaknesses. It is deployed when people are open to development but may not be performing as desired.

  
  

• Collaborative : Proactively bringing people together to be inclusive and involve them in decision-making, especially in newly established but knowledgeable teams. This style can establish a collaborative culture where the leader may eventually step back to be just the decision-maker.

  
  

• Pace Setting : Setting high standards and moving at pace, but only when appropriate and with competent people. It should not be mistaken for micromanaging; it is about providing high-quality intelligence and giving people the freedom to apply themselves. It is used to challenge and push people beyond competency to avoid complacency.

  
  

• Directive : Characterised by a lack of ambiguity and absolute clarity, not aggression or confrontation. It's a "call to action" and is appropriate in critical situations, like emergency services, where clear instructions are paramount. In a performance context, it gives a clear choice with consequences for growth or further conversation.

  
  

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