Headflex

What if some of the biggest challenges at work aren’t meant to be solved alone?
In this episode of Headflex, co-hosts Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams explore why group coaching is gaining ground and how bringing people together to think, reflect and learn can create something that one-to-one coaching simply can’t.
While individual executive coaching remains incredibly valuable, today’s workplace challenges, from hybrid working and organisational change to increasing complexity, pressure and pace, are often shared challenges that need collective solutions. Group coaching creates a psychologically safe space where people can step out of the day-to-day, think differently and learn from the experiences of their peers.
But group coaching isn’t about teaching people what to do. It’s about creating the conditions for better thinking, honest conversations and meaningful action.
Diane highlights another powerful benefit: the realisation that “it’s not just me.” Whether it’s managing workload, giving difficult feedback, leading appraisals or simply keeping up with constant change, hearing others share similar experiences can transform isolation into connection.
And perhaps that’s why group coaching matters more than ever. We may be individually responsible for our work, but we don’t have to navigate its challenges alone.
Tune in to discover what makes group coaching different and why it could be the missing piece for organisations looking to support people through change.

Here are the highlights:
00:00 Intro: Why is group coaching gaining ground
01:24 How group coaching helps address shared workplace challenges
02:36 Group coaching is not training, but coaching people with shared goals
03:33 Exploring the value of pooling perspectives
04:33 How psychological safety and trust are built through group coaching
05:06 Common themes include change, AI pressures, resilience, feedback and confidence
06:13 Group coaching can alleviate professional isolation
08:21 How participants become more open and willing to share
09:39 Why accountability and continuity are natural outcomes
15:39 How diverse perspectives from across an organisation enhance problem-solving and learning.

About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme.
And, if time management is a challenge in your business then drop them a note and ask for details about their Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: www.headflex.co.uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Connect with Rebecca Walker: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by Winter Audio

About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme. We also offer Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk to find out more.
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: https://headflex.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@headflexcoaching
Connect with Rebecca Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by https://winteraudio.co.uk/
Produced by Winter Audio

Stepping into leadership often comes with pressure to adapt, perform and become the leader you think you’re expected to be. But what happens when that adaptation starts to pull you away from who you really are?
In this episode of Headflex, co-hosts Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams explore the tension between authenticity and expectation, and the hidden cost of constantly performing a version of leadership that doesn’t feel like you.
They discuss how overcompensating in a new role can erode confidence, credibility and impact, why emulating other leaders can leave you feeling disconnected from your own strengths, and the signs that you may be drifting away from your authentic leadership style.
Rebecca and Diane share personal experiences of masking, adapting and navigating the expectations that come with leadership, alongside practical insights into staying self-aware and grounded in your values.
Listen to learn more about why authentic leadership isn’t about refusing to change. It’s actually about adapting while staying connected to who you are and finding a way to lead with flexibility, confidence and integrity without losing yourself in the process.
Here are the highlights
00:00 Intro: How to become a great leader without losing yourself
00:22 What might you be losing when you shift into leadership mode
01:32 The subtle changes that happen when taking a leadership role
02:22 Exploring the tension between authenticity and expectation
03:07 The impact of adapting versus overcompromising
04:15 Constant performance erodes trust and leadership impact
06:14 Emulating others or suppressing your own style is exhausting and unsustainable
08:19 Introducing the authentic leadership model
09:20 Exploring the challenge of flexing your leadership style
11:41 Recognising signs that you’re losing yourself in leadership
14:08 Considering when an environment no longer fits your authentic leadership and deciding to move on
16:25 Advice on reclaiming your leadership identity and reflection questions for self-coaching

About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme. We also offer Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk to find out more.
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: https://headflex.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@headflexcoaching
Connect with Rebecca Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by https://winteraudio.co.uk/
Produced by Winter Audio

What if listening isn’t just about hearing words, but could be your most overlooked leadership advantage? In this episode of Headflex, Rebecca and Diane are joined by deep listening specialist Oscar Trimboli to unpack how listening shapes meetings, team dynamics, and leadership impact in the modern workplace.
Drawing on personal stories and research from over 60 professions, Oscar explains why great listeners have rituals and processes to bring their full attention to each conversation. Discover the powerful ripple effects when teams co-create listening environments including quicker meetings, increased trust, and true collaboration. The trio share practical strategies for leaders and participants alike, from setting meetings up for success (hint: don’t start on the hour!) to using the “compass question” that transforms conversations.
Hear why checking in on what’s been heard, not just said, leads to clarity, action, and strong relationships and why “listening to yourself” might be the place to start.
Here are the highlights:
00:00 Meet Oscar Trimbolil
02:17 The pivotal moment that launched Oscar’s listening journey
03:48 What does Coding your listening in the workplace mean?
07:06 Why research in listening is behind other leadership skills
10:09 The world’s best listeners prepare themselves
11:28 Only 20% of a conversation is spoken so what do we listen for in the other 80%?
13:22 Improve meetings by simply shifting when and how they start
15:24 The “compass question” that changes meetings
18:00 Moving from leader-led to team-led listening environments
19:46 The ways we can all influence better listening in meetings
22:54 Role modeling and spotlighting listening habits
28:56 Curating environments for listening
33:04 Tangible rituals to humanise online meetings & team connection
34:41 Should we police phones or make meetings more engaging?
38:08 Getting teams to listen for each other can break silos
44:45 Self-coaching questions
48:45 Oscar Trimboli: “Listening starts by listening to yourself.”

About Oscar Trimboli:
Oscar Trimboli is an author, host of the Apple award-winning podcast Deep Listening and a sought-after keynote speaker. Along with the Deep Listening Ambassador Community, he is on a quest to create 100 million deep listeners in the workplace.Through his work with chairs, boards of directors, and executive teams, Oscar has experienced first-hand the transformational impact leaders can have when they listen beyond words.
He believes that when leadership teams focus their attention and listening, they will build organizations that create powerful legacies for the people they serve – today and, more importantly, for future generations.

He is the author of how to listen – discover the hidden key to better communication – the most comprehensive book about listening in the workplace, Deep Listening – Impact beyond words and Breakthroughs: How to Confront Assumptions
Oscar loves his afternoon walks with his wife, Jennie, and their dog Kilimanjaro. On the weekends, you will find him playing Lego with his grandchildren.
Connect with Oscar:
Website: https://www.oscartrimboli.com/about-oscar/

About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme. We also offer Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk to find out more.
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: https://headflex.co.uk/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Did you know we have a YouTube Channel? You can watch the podcast here: ​​https://www.youtube.com/@headflexcoaching
Connect with Rebecca Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by https://winteraudio.co.uk/

Is trust just a “nice-to-have” in teams, or could it be the make-or-break factor for high performance and speed? In this episode of Headflex, Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams tackle why trust is more than a soft value. Instead, it’s a hard commercial driver that unlocks creativity, resilience, and successful team relationships.
They explore what happens when trust is missing: defensive behaviour, information hoarding, slower decision-making, and a pervasive sense of threat that stifles free thinking. Referencing brain science, Diane and Rebecca explain how low trust sends our brains into self-preservation mode, narrowing our attention and shutting down openness or risk-taking. In contrast, high-trust environments are described as “freeing,” making it safe to try new things, recover quickly from setbacks, and have honest conversations.
Expect a candid, practical look at why trust isn’t just the foundation for good teamwork; it’s also the engine for speed, truth-telling, and long-term business success.
Here are the highlights:
00:00 Building trust is a superpower for high performance
01:31 Low trust leads to a defensive mode and stifles creativity.
02:00 High trust enables teams to bounce back from setbacks
02:56 Low trust puts the brain in threat mode and shrinks resourcefulness
03:36 Trust allows people to feel free to be themselves, experiment, and take calculated risks.
04:10 Holding back information and decision-making gets worse in low trust environments.
04:49 Trust takes time to build and should be talked about overtly, especially in group settings.
07:21 Trust is an economic driver; higher trust speeds things up and reduces costs.
08:39 Low trust increases friction, defensive behaviour, and slower execution
10:14 Having honest conversations about how to handle conflict builds trust from the start.

About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme. We also offer Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk to find out more.
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: www.headflex.co.uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Connect with Rebecca Walker: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by Winter Audio

What really happens when you go from being great at your job to suddenly leading the team? In this episode of Headflex, Rebecca Walker and Diane Williams unpack why the transition into management can feel so unexpectedly tough and what new managers can do to make it easier.
They challenge the assumption that being good at your job naturally prepares you for management, highlighting the “shock” many experience when task-oriented work is replaced with the ambiguous, people-centric role of managing others. Diane and Rebecca discuss how new managers are often unprepared for the emotional complexity, shifting definitions of success, and the challenge of leading former peers and friends.
They explore common traps for first-time managers, including avoiding difficult conversations, trying to do everything themselves, and struggling to delegate. The conversation addresses the importance of letting go of old identities, stepping into a new mindset, and redefining personal measures of success from individual achievement to enabling others.
Expect an empathetic, practical discussion that shines a light on why moving from peer to boss is one of the toughest, yet most rewarding milestones in any career, and how it can become less of a shock with the right support and mindset shift.
Here are the highlights:
00:00 The shock of being made a manager, new skills are needed
02:27 It often feels like the rug has been pulled out from under you
03:03 Newly promoted managers frequently struggle with workload
03:30 Progression doesn't always have to mean promotion
04:32 Shifting the focus to leading and enabling people.
05:53 Success in a manager role becomes about the team's performance
07:16 Managing former peers and friends adds complexity
09:04 Avoiding difficult conversations and feedback is a common trap
10:10 Delegating is tough at first
13:26 Peer support and sharing common challenges can help
15:13 There’s no need to have all the answers as a new manager
16:05 Moving away from rescuing or fixing people
21:07 Self-coaching questions.
About Headflex:
If you're curious about coaching, Headflex offers a range of coaching programmes to suit different needs. 1:1 coaching, team coaching, group coaching and their Headflex in Residence programme. We also offer Headflex Lunch and Learn sessions. Visit www.headflex.co.uk to find out more.
Connect with us at Headflex:
Email: hello@headflex.co.uk.
Website: www.headflex.co.uk
Instagram: www.instagram.com/head.flex/
Connect with Rebecca Walker: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawalker13/
Connect with Diane Williams: www.linkedin.com/in/dianewilliams1
Produced by Winter Audio