Under the Rug at Work

Narcissistic leadership leaves a trail of hidden costs - to people, culture and performance. This episode explores what it looks like, how it harms, and how leaders can choose courage over control.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. I’m your host, Nicole Turnbull, and today I’m chatting with Jane Phipps about the cost of narcissistic leadership.Jane Phipps is a heart-centred leader, resilience advocate and former COO turned consultant. A single mum who carved her path through male-dominated industries, workplace bullying and corporate politics, she wrote The Heart-Centered Leader to open the conversation and help others lead with trust, empathy and respect.We unpack how narcissistic and command-and-control behaviours show up at work, the toll they take on people and culture, and the hidden price leaders rarely count - disengagement, turnover and lost innovation. Jane shares the personal impact of toxicity including hypervigilance, anxiety and physical symptoms, and the slow steps that helped her recover with therapy, community and practical self-care.We also explore what heart-centred leadership looks like in practice - respect, trust, transparency, vulnerability and genuineness - and how to build fear-free teams where workers can think independently, challenge with facts and collaborate for purpose, not ego.If this conversation resonates, please subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to lead with more heart and less fear.Connect with Jane 👇🔹Website🔹Instagram🔹LinkedIn🔹Amazon

Menopause is a normal stage of life, yet it continues to be misunderstood and overlooked in workplaces. The lack of awareness, support, and empathy has a real cost that affects women, their teammates, managers, and the business itself.Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. I'm your host, Nicole Turnbull and today I’m chatting with Deidre Lekas, founder and facilitator at No Pause Menopause, about the silent cost of menopause at work.Deidre has been a passionate educator and facilitator for more than 35 years. Her own menopausal experience revealed the knowledge gaps, lack of workplace support, and absence of empathy faced by many women. This led her to establish No Pause Menopause, creating a path to improve education, build understanding, and help workplaces respond with care.In this episode, Deidre explains why she founded No Pause Menopause and the gaps she discovered in education and support. She explores the three C’s of menopause in the workplace – cost, care, and compliance and breaks down how unmanaged menopause impacts workers, teammates, managers, and productivity. Deidre also shows the financial cost of inaction compared to the benefits of support, and she outlines the first steps any workplace can take to become menopause friendly. If you’re looking for practical steps to create a menopause-friendly workplace, this episode is for you.Don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who’s ready to build a safer, more supportive workplace.Want to learn more or get in touch with Deidre?Website: nopausemenopause.com.au Connect on LinkedInFollow on Facebook

AI is here but are we using it the right way?From lifeless emails to generic marketing, workplaces are jumping on AI to save time. But without a human-first approach, we risk losing trust, connection and credibility.In this episode of Under the Rug at Work, host Nicole Turnbull sits down with Leanne Shelton, Global AI Coach and CEO of HumanEdge AI Training, to talk about the tension between panic and power in the age of AI.Leanne knows the impact of AI firsthand. When ChatGPT disrupted her long-standing copywriting business, she pivoted fast. She has since trained thousands of professionals on how to use AI ethically, effectively and with their humanity intact. Her book AI Human Fusion is now guiding leaders around the world to do the same.We explore the AI productivity trap and what it’s costing workplaces, why over-reliance is eroding human connection, and what a human-first approach really looks like in action. Leanne shares how to train AI tools to reflect your voice, values and context, offers practical tips for staying secure, transparent and ethical, and explains what leaders need to know about the future of AI agents.This conversation is for anyone navigating the blurred lines between tech and humanity in the workplace. Whether you’re hesitant, hopeful or somewhere in between, Leanne brings clarity, direction and warmth to a rapidly changing space.Don’t forget to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube and share this episode with someone who's rethinking how they use AI at work.Want to learn more or get in touch with Leanne?WebsiteLinkedInYouTube

Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. I’m your host, Nicole Turnbull, and today I’m chatting with Ruth Kent about proactive interventions.Ruth Kent is a workplace wellbeing consultant, trainer, and executive wellbeing and performance coach. She’s the Founder of Sunrise Well, where she helps organisations support the wellbeing of their employees and leaders through evidence-based health and wellbeing consultation, education and behavioural change coaching.In this episode, we unpack what proactive psychosocial safety really looks like and why culture, communication and co-design matter more than compliance alone.We cover 👇Ruth’s 3 domains of proactive interventionThe link between physical and psychological safetyHow fatigue, sleep and life outside work impact teamsWhat trust and psychological safety actually look like in practiceWhere managers can start – even tomorrow📌 Connect with Ruth:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruthkentsunrisewell/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sunrise-well/Website: https://www.sunrisewell.com.au/🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube👉 Subscribe, share and leave a review if this helped shine a light on something new.

Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine light on the things that are normally swept under the rug. I’m your host, Nicole Turnbull, and today I’m chatting with Dr Caroline Howe about the biggest problem employers face when managing psychosocial risk.Caroline is the founder of Create Today, How Safe and My Social Support Network. With over 30 years of experience across government, academia and frontline roles, she brings deep insight into why workplaces are still struggling to meet psychosocial safety obligations.In this episode, we discuss:The confusion around legislation, roles and responsibilitiesWhy many leaders still focus on physical risk and miss the cultural pieceWhat happens when employers get it wrong - and why the cost is too highPLUS, the launch of the Psychosocial Safety and Leadership Institute - an initiative designed to support leaders, HR and WHS professionals with practical tools, community and guidance they can actually use.Most organisations aren’t failing because they don’t care. They’re failing because they don’t know where to start, and they’re afraid of getting it wrong. The Institute exists to change that. We help leaders move from confusion to confidence, and from compliance to genuine culture change.Remember to subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.Find out more and join the community:Website: ⁠https://www.psychosocialsafety.institute/⁠LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/psychosocial-safety-and-leadership-institute⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/psychosocialsafetyinstitute/⁠Email: ⁠psychosocialsafetyinstitute@gmail.com⁠

Welcome to Under the Rug at Work, where we shine a light on issues that are often ignored in the workplace. In this episode, host Nicole Turnbull speaks with Dr Skye Charry – sex discrimination law expert, Associate Professor, and Chief Consultant at SAC Consulting – about how sexual harassment is legally addressed and practically prevented at work.This is part one of a two-part series. In this episode, we cover the legal frameworks you need to understand – and why every Australian workplace now has a Positive Duty to act before harm happens.We unpack:➡️The difference between WHS law and anti-discrimination law➡️What the Positive Duty means and how it works➡️How Safe Work and the Human Rights Commission approach enforcement➡️The spectrum of behaviours that can qualify as sexual harassment➡️The three-part legal test every leader should knowWhether you’re a worker, leader, or business owner, this conversation gives you the clarity you need to take meaningful action.🎧 Listen on your favourite platform: Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.Subscribe, share, and follow Under the Rug at Work for more real conversations on psychosocial safety, leadership and workplace culture.Connect with Skye on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-skye-charry-saunders-097a8a311/SAC Consulting website: https://sacconsulting.com.auWhispers from the Bush: https://federationpress.com.au/product/whispers-from-the-bush-the-workplace-sexual-harassment-of-australian-rural-women/Documentary: https://www.vwt.org.au/projects/grace-under-fire AHRC Guidelines: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/positive-duty-sex-discrimination-act/guidance-materials