How I Work

• My biggest leadership mistakes from 2024 (Part 1)

  I got leadership wrong in 2024. That’s how I started a newsletter earlier this year that scared the hell out of me to publish. In this episode, I share what happened - and the high cost of indecision, fear, and people-pleasing. Today, I’m turning the mic on myself. I’m joined by psychologist and friend Sabina Read to unpack the personal and professional fallout of the hardest year I’ve had as a leader. From delaying redundancies to clinging to hope, to letting fear and likability steer my decisions - I share the choices I regret, what I learned from them, and how I’m showing up differently in 2025. Sabina and I discuss: Why I refused to consider redundancies (and what it cost) How fear, not strategy, drove my biggest decisions The freeze response I didn’t realise I was stuck in What my therapist told me that sent me into a spiral How psychological safety broke down on my team - and what we do now to protect it The cultural check-in we do every 6–8 weeks to catch small issues before they explode Why listening deeply matters more than making the “right” decision How I started letting go of the need to be liked Key Quotes “Hope is not a strategy. But that’s what I was relying on.” “I had a very high need to be liked—and that was making me a really bad manager.” “You can’t rest on your laurels with culture. It takes conscious work.” Connect with Sabina via her website, Instagram, or check out her podcast Human Cogs. My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanthai If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: How Laura Henshaw broke free from destructive people-pleasing

  Giving feedback to someone else is hard, especially when it involves constructive criticism or even outright bad news. For those who have a need to be liked, we often end up beating around the bush, hiding the feedback in praise, or avoiding the conversation entirely. Naturally, this can have some pretty poor consequences, often worse than if we had just been honest in the first place. This is something that Laura Henshaw knows all too well and has worked incredibly hard to overcome. Laura is the co-founder and CEO of the highly successful KIC App and co-host of the chart-topping KIC podcast. Laura shares: Why you’ll never succeed at getting everyone to like your decisions. The one thing you should prioritise over kindness when giving feedback. Why giving feedback as a "shit sandwich" doesn’t actually work. Listen to the full interview with Laura here. Connect with Laura on Instagram, subscribe to KIC APP and follow KIC Pod My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast ButlerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• BEST OF: Want to make time for the things that count? Oliver Burkeman has your time management answers

  BEST OF In an effort to make time for ourselves, many of us fall back on using To Do lists and time blocking. But often these strategies can end up with the same result: getting lost in chasing productivity. So how do we make time for the things that truly count? Oliver Burkeman is a New York Times bestselling author of books such as ‘Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals’ and ‘Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts’. Oliver is also a regular columnist for The Guardian. If there is anyone who truly understands the philosophy and psychology of time management and happiness, it’s Oliver. Oliver shares: The mindset you should be using when you first approach a task if you want it to be achieved easily How you can free up time by minimising time spent on worrying The strategy you should be utilising instead of a to-do list to actually create a sense of achievement Why being open to distractions can actually be beneficial Key Quotes:“Don’t start from the position that unexpected things happening must be bad.” “There is this tendency to set things up in your mind so that you can never feel like you’ve done something well enough.” Connect with Oliver via his website, or get his latest book, Meditations for Mortals, here My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin Imber See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Quick Win: How to quit single-use waste - even when you're travelling

  What if I told you that one simple kit could make your work and travel more sustainable - without adding extra hassle? The best eco-friendly habits are the ones that fit seamlessly into your daily routine. But when you’re hopping between shared workspaces, traveling for business, or just navigating a busy schedule, it’s easy to fall back on single-use plastics and convenience items. In this Quick Win episode, Lottie Dalziel, sustainability advocate, author, and NSW Young Australian of the Year, shares a practical strategy to reduce waste and make more conscious choices on the go. Lottie and I discuss: The Single-Use Quitter Kit—what it is and how it helps you cut waste effortlessly Simple swaps to make your workspace and travel habits more eco-friendly Why small changes add up, especially when they inspire those around you Listen to the full interview with Lottie here. Connect with Lottie via her website, Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn. Check out Lottie’s book 365+ Ways to Save the Planet and Your Money at the Same Time My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• BEST OF: Ramp it up or shut it down: How ConvertKit’s Founder and CEO made his most important business decision

  BEST OF How does an entrepreneur go from being told to shut down their business to building a software company worth over $200 million and serving over 50,000 creators? In this episode of How I Work, Nathan Barry, founder and CEO of ConvertKit, shares his incredible journey and the counterintuitive strategies that propelled his success. In this episode, we discuss: Nathan’s annual life review ritual: We delve into how he not only assesses business opportunities but also tracks his adventures, home life updates, fitness endeavours, and personal goals. The turning point: Just 18 months into launching ConvertKit, a friend advised him to shut it down. Discover the pivotal questions Nathan asked himself and the framework he used to make that crucial decision. Nathan shares his transformative experience of writing 1000 words a day for 600 consecutive days and how this habit has evolved over time. What on earth are flywheels? We unravel this concept and discuss how Nathan applied it to the sales process at ConvertKit. The importance of team building and its ripple effects on business success. Tune in to discover more about Nathan’s incredible journey, or catch his documentary (which he reluctantly filmed!) on YouTube. Don’t forget to visit his website: nathanbarry.com, where you can sign up for his weekly newsletter or tune in to his podcast, “Billion Dollar Creator.” My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/ Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai) If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at [email protected] Credits:Host: Amantha ImberSound Engineer: Martin ImberSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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