Are you tired of 'either-or' thinking? Struggling to balance competing demands in your personal and professional life? Join us as we explore 'Both/And Thinking' by Marianne W. Lewis and Wendy K. Smith. In this insightful book, Lewis and Smith provide tools and lessons for transforming paradoxes into opportunities for personal growth and innovation. They draw from more than twenty years of pioneering research to help readers cope with multiple, knotted tensions at the same time. Aaron Marsham, an Assistant Headteacher and PiXL Raising Standards Leader, and Angela Schofield, Programme Development Lead for Excelsior Multi Academy Trust, explore practical ways to apply Both/And Thinking in a school setting to improve diversity, manage the core school culture while innovating for the future, and much more. Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher and discover how to break free from either-or thinking and embrace the power of Both/And Thinking for personal and professional success. PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production.  

Do you want to bring love back into your school environment? Join us for a game-changing episode of the Leadership Bookclub podcast, where we discuss 'Love + Work' by Marcus Buckingham. In this eye-opening book, Buckingham shows how to break free from conformity and decode your own loves and those of others to create an environment that thrives on love and connection. Our guest speakers for this episode are Yamina Bibi (Assistant Headteacher for Teaching and Learning and Resilient Leaders Elements Consultant) and Jenny Corbett (Deputy Head Teacher at Knole Academy). Joining Rachel Johnson, PiXL CEO, they delve into their experiences of incorporating love and connection into their school environment and provide practical tips to help you do the same. This episode will inspire you to infuse your school with love and create an environment where students, teachers, and staff feel valued and empowered to bring their best selves to work every day. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher and discover how to bring love back into your work and personal life with "Love + Work". PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production.    

Join us as we explore 'Everybody Matters' by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia. Discover how to create a school culture where every staff member and student feels valued and motivated to contribute their gifts and talents towards a shared future. Our inspiring guest speakers, Laura Brogan (Key Stage 1 Leader and Phonics Leader for a Multiple Academy Trust) and Louise Jaunbocus-Cooper (Deputy Head Teacher at Wellington School and Co-Founder of MixEd), share their practical experiences of creating such an environment. Along with PiXL CEO, Rachel Johnson, they draw on Chapman's and Sisodia's transformative insights to drive morale, loyalty, creativity, and performance.  Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher to discover how to transform your school culture and make certain that your staff and students know that in your school, everybody matters. PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.

Are you tired of feeling burnt out and unfulfilled at work? Join us as we explore Bruce Daisley's inspiring book 'The Joy of Work' and discover how to find happiness and satisfaction in your career. As one of the UK's most influential voices on ‘fixing work’, Bruce Daisley's insights and advice are sure to inspire you to find joy and fulfillment in your own work. Whether you're a teacher, a school leader, or in any other profession, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to rekindle their passion for their career. In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by two exceptional school leaders, Richard Uffendell (Headteacher at Ashton Park School), and Andrew Wilkinson (Assistant Headteacher at Al Rabeeh School). Together, with PiXL CEO Rachel Johnson, they share their experiences of creating a positive and enjoyable work environment for themselves and their colleagues.  PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.

Tessa West, an expert on interpersonal communication, discusses strategies to handle difficult colleagues in the workplace with grace and professionalism. The podcast covers different types of 'jerks' at work, the importance of recognizing negative behaviors, and practical tips for creating a positive work environment. Guest speakers share real-life examples and insights on dealing with challenging personalities in educational settings.

The conversations we have with ourselves can have a profound impact on our mental health, ability to lead, and overall well-being. Award-winning psychologist Ethan Kross takes a deep dive into the power of our inner voice in 'Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It'. Experienced and insightful school leaders Debbie Christiansen (Headteacher, Peel Brow School) and Rebecca Simister, (Assistant Headteacher, Goldington Green Academy) join Rachel Johnson to discuss their biggest takeaways and how they have harnessed their “chatter” to overcome challenges. With real-life applications, in and out of the educational setting, tune in to this episode of the Leadership Bookclub podcast to find out how they have turned their inner critic into their inner coach. PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.

Have you ever wondered why some moments in life stick with you forever, while others fade into the background? In "The Power of Moments", authors and brothers Chip and Dan Heath explore the four elements that make up our most memorable positive experiences: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. To kick off the fourth series, PiXL CEO Rachel Johnson is joined by Alex Pape (Assistant Headteacher at Vyners School) and Adam Lewis (Deputy Headteacher at Sewell Park Academy) as they discuss how, as leaders, they try to create powerful and impactful moments in their educational environments by utilising those four essential elements. Join us on this illuminating and engaging Leadership Bookclub episode as we delve into the fascinating mysteries of experience. We also learn how these educators and leaders have harnessed the power to become the authors of their defining moments, and how they share that with those they lead every day, whether it’s their staff, students, or themselves.  

Whether it’s within schools, our personal lives, or any other professional endeavour, many of us find ourselves falling into patterns of wanting to be liked and pleasing others. When we forgo our own needs for the needs and requests of others, this becomes a pressing issue, especially when we are in positions where we need to lead. In this final episode of the third series of the Leadership Book Club, PiXL CEO Rachel Johnson is joined by experienced school leaders Mags Gee and Jay Davenport as they unpick each of their own valuable takeaways from Psychotherapist Emma Reed Turrell’s life changingly insightful book, ‘Please Yourself: How to Stop People-Pleasing and Transform the Way You Live’. These leaders explore how they identify their own people-pleasing tendencies, and how, using the practical advice uncovered within the pages of this book, they can ensure they are pleasing themselves, without compromising the best interests of each situation they are leading. Emma Reed Turrell has worn a multitude of hats throughout her life, from reading English at Cambridge University, to working in sales and marketing roles, but it is her passion of psychotherapy where she holds immense impact. In her debut book ‘Please Yourself’ she outlines how to care about others in the right way, and ultimately, help you better yourself, too.  PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.

Rachel Johnson, Sonia Thompson and Tracey Swinburne discuss Accomplishment by Sir Michael Barber.  Listen to these school leaders explore their various fears and how they have countered those fears. They discuss the practical things you can do to get yourself unstuck and move forward, and suggest ways to effectively communicate your school's vision and values. Sir Michael Barber is a global leader in system delivery and change, former policy director under Prime Minister Tony Blair, and a renowned educationist. In Accomplishment, he distils complex processes to manageable steps, encouraging us to “Speak plainly, speak clearly and listen with care” with the promise that if you can do that, you can accomplish anything. PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.

If we have the humility and curiosity to reconsider our beliefs, we can always reinvent ourselves. That’s what Adam Grant argues in his book ‘Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know.' Rachel Johnson (PiXL, CEO), Shayne Elsworth (Vice Principal, Bede Academy) and Ruth Georgiades (Deputy Head, Tring School) discuss the states you operate in when you don’t stay curious, where the sweet spot is and how to get there. They talk about why it’s important to be open, how to go about being more curious yourself and how they have helped others to be. They explore the three negative modes you might fall into when you aren’t ‘Thinking Again’ and how to avoid them. How are you encouraging others to be open and curious in your school? PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5. Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership PiXL Leadership Bookclub is a We Are In Beta production. Subscribe now to download every episode directly to your phone automatically.