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Leading YouA Podcast dedicated to business owners and leaders to inspire you to make it count Author: Julie Hyde Language: en-au Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Can You Care and Still Achieve a High Performing Culture?
Episode 269
Monday, 30 March, 2026
We’ve been taught that leadership is about performance. Results. Output. Driving outcomes. But what if the real driver of performance… is care? In this episode, I sit down with Graeme Cowan to have a conversation that I think more leaders need to hear. Because right now, people are under pressure.Nearly one in two managers are experiencing severe stress every week. That’s not just a wellbeing issue. That’s a leadership issue. We talk about what caring leadership actually looks like in practice, not as a “nice to have”, but as something that directly impacts performance, resilience and culture. This is a grounded conversation about how you show up as a leader when things are hard, how you support your people without lowering standards, and why connection is becoming one of the most important leadership skills we have. In this episode, we cover: Why care is not soft… it’s a driver of performance The reality of stress and pressure leaders are navigating right now Why leadership is about creating environments where people feel seen and supported The difference between pushing for performance and enabling it Practical ways to have better conversations with your team The four pillars of care: self-care, crew care, red zone care and creating a “code green” culture Timestamps 00:00 Start better conversations00:43 Meet Graeme Cowan01:43 Depression behind success03:56 Recovery and purpose06:19 Relationships and resilience08:26 Why care matters now11:25 Mastermind break12:37 Four pillars of care14:00 Building caring teams16:01 Red zone care framework19:10 Changing corporate incentives22:43 Intentional actions for mood25:23 One practical leadership move27:42 Wrap up and close Links: Learn more about my group coaching program here Connect with Graeme:Website: https://graemecowan.com.au/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graemecowan1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/graemecowan/ Connect with Julie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/Instagram: @juliehydeleadsWebsite: https://juliehyde.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
