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Imposter syndrome at work is often reduced to low confidence. In this conversation, executive coach and imposter syndrome specialist Sarah Farmer unpacks that and other common myths, taking a broader view: any mask, from overconfidence to underconfidence, that can stop someone from being as effective as they want to be. She separates imposter syndrome from the normal nerves of doing something new, challenges the idea that it fades with seniority, and looks at why there’s no quick fix. The conversation also covers how to tell when it’s worth working on, through three lenses: mental, physical and financial. Our Guest: Sarah Farmer Sarah Farmer is an international multi-award-winning executive coach, imposter syndrome specialist, bestselling author of Leader Unleashed and host of the Lead Brightly podcast. As Founder of Bright & Brilliant Ltd., Sarah helps senior leaders, leadership teams and business owners develop the right level of confidence, emotional intelligence and people skills to lead themselves and others brilliantly. Blending neuroscience, psychology and practical leadership development, her work helps people challenge the thinking and self-doubt that can hold them back, create lasting behavioural change and take greater control of the future they want to create. Her mission? A brighter future powered by brilliant leaders. References: Sarah Farmer LinkedIn profile www.brightandbrilliant.com

REPLUG launched just weeks before the pandemic. It went remote out of necessity and stayed remote by choice. Co-founder Luca Mastrorocco, who spent years managing teams in person, shares what that shift taught him about running a company where people rarely share a room. The conversation covers why remote work isn’t for everyone, why REPLUG now looks for people who have already worked remotely, and why junior profiles may need a mentor close by to grow. Luca explains why deliverables matter more to him than a 9-to-5 schedule, and how he approaches trust: everyone starts at 100%, backed by written processes and clear quality standards. When work falls short, his first question is whether he communicated expectations well enough. He also questions companies that call people back to the office for the sake of trust and culture, and closes with practical advice for founders and employees considering a remote-first setup. Our Guest: Luca Mastrorocco Luca Mastrorocco is an Italian entrepreneur based in Berlin and co-founder of REPLUG, an agency helping companies grow their app businesses. With over a decade of experience in digital and mobile advertising, he leads the company’s commercial growth and runs an international, remote-first team alongside his co-founder. A father of two, Luca speaks candidly about the practical realities of running a company, leading people, and making work fit around a life that includes more than work. References: Luca Mastrorocco LinkedIn profile www.rplg.io

Influencing without authority isn’t just a challenge for junior employees: it follows people all the way to the top of an organization. This episode breaks down what influence actually means, using a simple framework of control, influence, and concern, and explores why pushing too hard, too fast, can trigger pushback rather than agreement. The conversation covers how to identify the people who actually shape a decision-maker’s thinking, why relationships built long before you need them matter more than any tactic, and what it means to manage your own ego when you don’t have formal power to rely on. Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas Costas is the Founder & CEO of In Tune Executive Coaching. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. To know more about Costas, please visit any of the links below. References: Costas Kalisperas LinkedIn profile www.intune-exec.com

In this episode, we talk with Geoff Curtis, author of Embracing Your Own Purgatory, about what happens when the identity you built around your work disappears. Geoff describes the armor he built around his career, and how he used work to avoid dealing with harder things in his own life. We talk about destination addiction (always chasing the next achievement without stopping to ask why) and what he thinks the antidote is. Geoff also shares why he believes productivity and progress aren’t the same thing, and how he’d approach a career transition today, in a job market where trust between companies and employees feels harder to build. We close on authenticity at work, and whether most workplace cultures are actually ready for it. Our Guest: Geoff Curtis Geoff Curtis is former executive vice president, corporate affairs and chief communications officer at Horizon Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on researching and developing treatments for rare diseases. During his nearly 30-year health care communications career, he has worked in various roles on both the client and agency side. Geoff is a committed mentor and coach to young professionals and undergraduate college students, and an avid philanthropist committed to education equity and access. He and his wife recently launched Future Voices Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting first-generation college students pursuing careers in public relations and communications. Additionally, Geoff recently published his first book, Embracing Your Own Purgatory.  He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Lake Forest College, a Master of Arts from DePaul University in public relations and advertising and completed the Leadership and Society Initiative fellowship at the University of Chicago. Geoff currently serves on the board of trustees for Lake Forest College, is a member of the board of directors for Hope Chicago and the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization; is a member of the board of advisors for The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations; serves as Vice Chair for the Commission on Public Relations Education; is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the DePaul University School of Communications; serves on the advisory committee for the University of Chicago Leadership and Society Initiative and on the Graham Council for the University of Chicago Graham School. References: Geoff Curtis LinkedIn profile Embracing Your Own Purgatory (Amazon Link)

Giovanni Di Felice talks about what it takes to build a personal brand while representing an employer. He shares why he sees personal branding as helpful rather than necessary, how his following grew organically over just few years, and where he draws the line on authenticity (open about work challenges and opinions, but private about deeper personal moments). The conversation also covers his view that a well-crafted LinkedIn profile can replace a CV, what counts as a red flag on a candidate’s profile, and the tension between being an executive and being a content creator. Our Guest: Giovanni Di Felice Giovanni Di Felice is Director of Talent Acquisition at Statista. He is passionate about talent acquisition and people development and enjoys building high-performing teams of experts, which he leads with a consultative leadership style. Outside of work, he appreciates art and enjoys engaging in conversations on a wide range of topics. References: Giovanni Di Felice LinkedIn profile

Giving feedback is one of the hardest parts of managing people, and most of us were never taught how to do it. In this conversation, we sit down with Katie O’Brien Ceccarini, Certified Executive Coach and author of Fearless Feedback, to unpack what actually makes a feedback conversation work. We start with mindset (Katie’s reframe of feedback as “food in someone’s teeth,”) and why she stopped calling it feedback altogether, choosing instead to think of it as information that helps someone succeed. From there we move into her “Headline, Observation, Ask” framework, walking through what a good opening line sounds like versus the kind that puts people on the defensive before the conversation even starts. We also get into when feedback is actually worth giving, using her “instance, pattern, and role-fit framework” and how often managers should be sharing it, including her 5-to-1 ratio and the idea of staying “high cadence, low stakes” rather than letting things build up. We close with a quick tip on how to receive feedback better, too. Our Guest: Katie O’Brien Ceccarini Katie O’Brien Ceccarini is the Founder of Endurance Management Coaching, a Certified Executive Coach, and author of Fearless Feedback: Everything Managers Have Never Been Taught About Feedback. Over the last 20 years, she’s managed, trained, and developed thousands of people — from scaling Customer Success at Yelp to leading Learning & Development at Opendoor. Today she works with organizations like eBay, LinkedIn, and AllState to build high-performing teams with the power of feedback. References: Katie O’Brien Ceccarini LinkedIn profile Fearless Feedback: Everything Managers Have Never Been Taught About Feedback (Amazon Link)

In this conversation, leadership and performance facilitator Richard Gordon Kelly explores the invisible beliefs we carry about who we need to be, and how those beliefs, more than the work itself, create pressure and burnout. The discussion covers where these beliefs originate, why pressure acts as “expensive fuel,” and what happens when a thought is noticed rather than believed. It closes on presence and slowing down as a way of staying close to what is actually true in the moment. Our Guest: Richard Gordon Kelly   Richard Gordon Kelly is a leadership and performance facilitator working with executives, leaders, and teams across Europe. For more than 25 years, Richard has worked with people and organisations to explore what allows individuals and teams to perform at their best while staying connected to what matters most. He often notices something simple in his work: people are rarely struggling with work itself as much as with how work is being experienced internally — through pressure, thought, and the meaning we attach to what is happening.  Through conversations focused on trust, presence, and human connection, Richard helps people see their experience more clearly in real time. And when that clarity emerges, things often begin to shift naturally. Less pressure. More awareness. Better conversations. More sustainable performance. Not because something new is added, but because people reconnect with what was already there. References: Richard Gordon Kelly LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg joins Stepsero to discuss her co-authored paper, “AI is turning research into a scientific monoculture.” The conversation covers how reliance on the same AI tools drives convergence in language, methods, and questions, plus a productivity paradox, where individual gains in output create more collective work rather than less. It also touches on leadership overconfidence in AI leading to less oversight, and the risk of losing purpose and skill development when the effort behind work is handed to AI. Our Guest: Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg is a Dr in Psychology from University of Cambridge and an assistant professor of digitalisation at copenhagen business school, where she conducts research on the intersection between psychology and technology. References: Cecilie Steenbuch Traberg LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

In this episode, Olga Solovyeva explains why AI adoption inside organizations is so uneven, often coming down to leadership. Some leaders give teams freedom and time to experiment; others pause and “park” AI altogether. That caution has a cost. When leadership restricts AI, employees often turn to personal accounts instead (what Olga calls shadow AI use) which strips away any oversight the organization would otherwise provide. The conversation then turns to risk: data leaks from sensitive information entered into AI tools, and hallucinations that have already damaged reputations at major consulting firms. Olga closes on a subtler one: as AI makes longer reports easy to produce, those reports get AI-summarized on the receiving end too, leaving discussions built on content no one’s actually read, and no one’s accountable for. Our Guest: Olga Solovyeva   Olga Solovyeva, PhD, works at the intersection of technology governance and strategic communications. She advises boards on AI governance and risk at Chairwell Partners, and writes on the human side of AI adoption. Her doctoral research examined how tech companies wield political power — a thread she’s now pulling through a book on the transformation of one of Russia’s largest tech firms under state pressure. References: Olga Solovyeva LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Most people approach their careers the same way: skip the thinking, go straight to applying. Hundreds of applications to roles they half-want, hoping something sticks. Alex McCann has spent the last few years trying to understand why, and building something to fix it. In this conversation, he breaks down why so many career decisions get made on autopilot, why the debate between following your passion and following your skills is more nuanced than most career advice suggests, and what it actually takes to find work that fits. Along the way, there are some honest reflections on the entrepreneurial path, including what building Rumbo has taught him, and what he’s still figuring out. Our Guest: Alex McCann   Alex McCann is the co-founder and Commercial Director of Rumbo, an AI career coaching platform that helps people understand themselves and the kind of work that suits them before they start applying for jobs. He also writes Still Wandering, a newsletter about careers, work and the changing labour market that reaches more than 18,000 readers. References: Alex McCann LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Psychological safety is one of those terms everyone has heard, and most people misunderstand. It's not about being nice. It's not about avoiding conflict. And it's certainly not about lowering the bar. In this episode, Mehmet Baha breaks down what psychological safety actually means, why the data behind it is hard to ignore, and what gets in the way of building it in most organisations. The conversation also moves into AI territory: what happens when employees don't feel safe admitting they don't understand the tools they're expected to use, why transparency around AI use matters, and what responsible AI adoption looks like in practice. A practical, grounded conversation for anyone leading a team in today's workplace. Our Guest: Mehmet Baha His surname is Baha and everyone calls him Baha. From Amsterdam to Singapore, Washington DC to Dubai, Baha delivers inspiring keynote talks. He has given talks at the world's leading business summits where TED speakers and New York Times bestselling authors were also speakers. After obtaining a scholarship from Fulbright, he finished his master’s in the USA on the topic of Conflict Resolution. He has lived and worked in Germany, Turkey, Ireland, Guatemala, and the USA with more than 24 years of work experience. Baha was one of the first employees of Facebook in Europe. So far, he has delivered training and given talks in more than 28 countries across 5 continents. Recently, he completed Harvard Business School’s Online Executive Education Programme “Organizational Leadership”. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Turkish, and German. In his free time, he loves to play percussion, travel with his family, and play basketball with his 9-year-old daughter. “Playbook for Engaged Employees“ is his first book. In September 2024, his second book “Creating Psychological Safety at Work“ was published. Daniel Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author, describes it as a “timely book filled with fascinating case studies, robust research, and practical tools for driving change.”References:Mehmet Baha LinkedIn profileCreating Psychological Safety at Work: The Essential Guide to Boosting Team Performance Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Stress happens when the demands of a situation outweigh the resources available to meet them. In the modern workplace, that gap is widening and it's costing more than most people realise. In this episode, stress scientist Alexandra Crosswell breaks down what chronic low-grade stress is actually doing to the body, why AI has introduced a new kind of threat that hits differently from other workplace pressures,  touching both livelihood and sense of belonging, and what can be done practically to start recovering. Alexandra also touches on why the messy middle of uncertainty, as uncomfortable as it is, might also be where the most creativity lives. Our Guest: Alexandra Crosswell, PhD Alexandra D. Crosswell, PhD, is a stress scientist, leadership advisor, and former faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco. After more than 15 years leading NIH-funded research on stress and resilience, she now helps leaders navigate high demand, high stakes, work environments. Through her advising, speaking, and coaching work, Alexandra translates cutting-edge science into practical strategies to guide people in purusing ambitious work without sacrificing their health and well-being. References: Alexandra Crosswell LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

What happens to your professional identity when the role that defined you disappears? In this conversation, executive coach Costas returns to Stepsero to explore one of the most pressing questions in modern work: how do we stay relevant and grounded when everything around us is changing? We get into why identity and job title are not the same thing, and why confusing the two is one of the biggest blockers to reinvention. Costas shares his own path across law, banking, private equity, and coaching, and what curiosity, intellectual humility, and a willingness to start at the bottom taught him along the way. We also look at the WEF Future of Jobs 2025 data together, and ask the uncomfortable question: if the skills that matter most (resilience, empathy, critical thinking) are nearly impossible to put on a CV, how do you actually make them count? Our Guest: Costas Kalisperas  Costas is the Founder & CEO of In Tune Executive Coaching. His focus is on helping leaders to be in tune with themselves and their environment, tap into their inner resourcefulness and manage their interactions with others more effectively. To know more about Costas, please visit any of the links below.References:Costas Kalisperas LinkedIn profilewww.intune-exec.com Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Something feels off at work, and it's not just you. We are experiencing unprecedented levels of cognitive demand in the modern workplace. People are exhausted, struggling to prioritize, struggling to focus, and struggling to make decisions. And yet we keep reaching for resilience training and wellness programs as the answer. In this episode, we get into what cognitive overload actually is and how to spot it. We talk about why individual solutions alone won't fix a system problem, and what both individuals and leaders can actually do about it. We also get into how we got here: the addiction to constant connectivity, hybrid work blurring the boundaries between work and life, AI accelerating the rate of change, and workplaces that now reward responsiveness over effectiveness. And we close with an honest answer to a hard question: are we positive about where this is going? Our Guest: Debbie Pearmain Debbie Pearmain is a dynamic executive coach and leadership consultant who specializes in unlocking the potential of people, teams, and workplace cultures. With over 25 years of experience in leadership development, workplace culture, and employee engagement, she partners with organizations to drive higher performance, stronger collaboration, and resilient, values-based leadership. Debbie has worked as a consultant, facilitator, and coach with globally recognized organizations, including Accenture, Global Knowledge, LHH Knightsbridge, DDI, Homewood Health, Gallagher, and TELUS Health. Her coaching style blends strategic insight with a practical, people-first lens—supporting leaders to navigate complexity, strengthen decision-making, and inspire sustainable change within their teams and organizations. A thought leader with Erickson Coaching International, Debbie contributes to the advancement of the coaching profession through leadership insight, applied practice, and thought leadership. She is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at conferences and industry events on topics such as Resilient Leadership, Creating Cultures of Accountability, Emotional and Positive Intelligence, and Employee Engagement. Known for her ability to connect, challenge, and empower, Debbie creates safe yet high-impact coaching spaces where leaders gain clarity, confidence, and capability. She is deeply passionate about helping organizations build workplaces where people and performance thrive together. Debbie is an ICF-certified coach and holds certifications as a Flourishing Life Coach and Flourishing Workplace Coach. She is also certified in emotional intelligence, personality, resilience, and leadership assessments, enabling her to integrate robust data with human-centered coaching for meaningful and measurable outcomes. References: Debbie Lang Pearmain LinkedIn profile Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes

Gen Z gets called quiet, disengaged, even entitled. Generational Strategist Benoît Vancauwenberghe thinks that read is simply wrong. In this episode, Benoît makes the case that silence at work isn't the absence of a message, but rather the message itself. He walks us through why Gen Z operates on what he calls a different "operating system," shaped by a communication shift that began with the smartphone, and what that means for how this generation expresses disagreement, discomfort, or distrust without ever raising their voice. That silence becomes harder to ignore once you understand what Benoît calls the three selves (private, professional, and social) all of which now show up at work, and all of which make trust something to be earned, not assumed. It's also why someone leaving a company can look sudden to a manager, when in fact the signals were there all along, just not in a form leaders were trained to recognize. The conversation also turns to AI, and a surprising claim: Gen Z isn't afraid of the technology itself, but has a sharp instinct for spotting what's authentic and what isn't. We close on something more personal: what Benoît has learned, after years of co-living and working alongside young people, about where the real insight actually comes from. A conversation for anyone who manages people and wants to understand what they might be missing. Our Guest: Benoît Vancauwenberghe  Benoît Vancauwenberghe is a European keynote speaker and leadership auditor. After nearly two decades working with major brands as co-founder of the Brussels-based agency 20something, he found himself facing a paradox: the more he “understood” younger generations, the less his own organization worked. What he first saw as a generational problem turned out to be something else entirely, a structural failure in how companies are designed and led. Today, he works directly with executive teams across Europe to audit and redesign leadership models that have become economically incoherent. The Gen Z Shift is the result of this fieldwork.References:Benoît Vancauwenberghe LinkedIn profilehttps://www.20something.be/Get the book: The Gen Z Shift Listen to the next Episode All Podcast Episodes