In this episode of The HR Big Meet Podcast, Emma Djemil sits down with Dr Adele Currie to talk about toxic workplaces, mental health, leadership and one of the hardest lessons many HR professionals ever have to learn:

You cannot fix everything.

Adele shares the story behind the breakdown she spoke about at the very first HR Big Meet, what recovery looked like afterwards, and why so many HR professionals carry impossible levels of responsibility for problems they didn't create and can't solve alone.

Together, Emma and Adele explore:

• toxic workplace cultures and the impact they have on our mental health
• why HR professionals often feel responsible for fixing everything
• the danger of staying too long in environments that are harming us
• the surprising similarities between toxic workplaces and toxic relationships
• confidence, self-worth and knowing when enough is enough
• ethical leadership and doing the right thing, even when it's uncomfortable
• why "being nice" isn't always the kindest thing to do
• the importance of community, support and reaching out when you're struggling
• creating an escape fund and giving yourself more choice and freedom at work

This is an honest, wise and occasionally hilarious conversation about burnout, boundaries, courage and what happens when we stop carrying responsibility for things that were never ours to hold in the first place.

Expect stories about breakdowns, leadership, suffragettes, skirts tucked into knickers, the importance of finding your "Norah Balls", and plenty of moments that will leave you feeling a little less alone.

If you've ever felt trapped in a role, responsible for fixing a broken system, or worried that you're somehow failing because you can't change everything around you, this episode is for you.

If this episode resonated, firstly, welcome. You are very much amongst your people here.

You can connect with Emma on LinkedIn, where she spends a lot of time talking about confidence, leadership, visibility, self-trust and the realities of working in HR.

If you're at a point in your career where you're questioning things, feeling stuck, disconnected from yourself or wanting greater impact without sacrificing your entire nervous system in the process, Emma also works with women in HR through 1:1 coaching. Find out more about that here.

If you enjoyed this episode, do all the lovely podcast-y things: subscribe, leave a review, share it with your HR bestie, or stick it on LinkedIn so more women realise they're not the only ones feeling this stuff.

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