Human Capital Lab

Leadership is more than giving direction; it’s about sparking the conversations that move people forward. In this episode of the Human Capital Lab podcast, host Dr. Rich Douglas speaks with Nicola Brown, a specialist in dialogue and system relationships, about how leaders can “set the weather” for their teams, bring unspoken tensions into the open, and guide change in ways that preserve trust. The conversation moves from big-picture thinking to grounded examples, revealing how dialogue shapes team dynamics and long-term resilience. 00:00 Introduction to the Human Capital Lab Podcast 01:00 Meet Nicola Brown and her path from ecology to leadership development 03:21 Why dialogue is vital in leadership 06:13 Building trust and integrating new ideas into existing knowledge 08:36 Naming the “elephant in the room” in leadership conversations 10:15 Leading without all the answers and inviting team input 13:05 “Setting the weather” and pacing change for your team 14:45 Asking questions to build trust and agency 18:03 Moving from buy-in to commitment 20:50 Understanding motivations and self-leadership 23:00 How urgency and self-interest can undermine trust 25:00 Radical honesty and curiosity in leadership dialogue 26:14 Using dialogue to uncover team motivations 29:19 Why asking is more powerful than telling 31:00 Linking emotions to outcomes in teams 34:23 Empowering others without losing leadership power 36:16 Leading at the pace of the relationship 37:18 Using questions as a primary leadership tool 38:06 Group-based leadership development at Kokoro 39:36 Always ask the question 40:00 Closing reflections and contact information Connect with the Guest, Nicola Brown; LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kokoro-change/Website: https://www.kokorochange.com/ Connect with Rich Douglas;  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-douglas-92b71b52/  Connect with the Human Capital Lab; Website: https://humancapitallab.org/ Interested in Being a Guest? https://humancapitallab.org/podcast/