Organisations invest heavily in change. But how much do we actually teach people about managing change for themselves?

In this final episode of Season One of We Are Powerful, James Russell and Alex Sellers are joined by Dr Grant Van Ulbrich, founder of The PCM Company and creator of the Scared So What Personal Change Management methodology.

Grant's argument challenges a familiar assumption in organisational life: that people naturally resist change. He suggests that what leaders often label as resistance may instead be unprocessed change. People are trying to make sense of what is happening, what it means for them and how they feel about it.

The conversation explores why organisational change management and personal change management are different, and why we may need both. Grant explains the thinking behind Scared So What, a framework designed to help people recognise fear, question assumptions, consider their choices and develop their own response to change rather than simply having change done to them.

We also get into some wider questions about leadership.

What changes when leaders move from telling people what to do towards asking better questions? What happens when we give people greater voice, agency and choice? And, as AI and other technologies accelerate the pace of transformation, are organisations developing human capability at anything like the same speed?

In this episode

• Why Grant believes there is a gap between organisational change management and wellbeing
• Why apparent resistance may sometimes be unprocessed change
• The thinking behind Scared So What
• Why feelings, uncertainty and fear belong in conversations about organisational change
• The importance of choice and agency when people are navigating change
• Why technology adoption is as much a human challenge as a technical one
• The difference between transactional and transformational leadership
• Why vulnerability can matter when leading through uncertainty
• How asking rather than simply telling can transfer greater ownership to people
• Grant's ambition to make Personal Change Management a capability people can learn and use throughout their lives

One of Grant's simplest messages for leaders is also one of the most practical: ask more questions. Leadership during change is not simply about communicating the answer. It is about creating the conditions in which people can think, participate and take greater ownership of what happens next.

The episode also brings Season One of We Are Powerful to a close, with James Russell and Alex Sellers looking ahead to where the conversation might go in Season Two.

Dr Grant Van Ulbrich shares the Scared So What app in the episode as a free resource for people wanting to explore personal change, alongside The PCM Company. Personal Change Management. Where Transformation Begins and his LinkedIn presence. Take a look here at the Scared So What Our FREE APP

For more from We Are Powerful, visit WeArePowerful.org, and get in touch if there is an issue, idea or perspective you would like us to explore in Season Two.

What difference can one encouraging conversation make?

In this uplifting and deeply personal episode of the We Are Powerful Podcast, James Russell and Alex Sellers welcome Tracie Nemeth to share her remarkable story of overcoming a challenging childhood marked by poverty, uncertainty and trauma.

Tracie reflects on the powerful influence of a teacher who saw potential in her when she couldn't yet see it in herself. A few simple words of encouragement became a pivotal turning point, helping her develop the self-belief to make different choices and shape a brighter future.

The conversation explores social mobility, the role of community, the importance of positive role models and why small acts of kindness can have life-changing consequences.

Tracie also shares her passion for supporting young people through her work with Break Charity, a Norfolk-based organisation supporting children and young people in and leaving care.

This episode is a powerful reminder that while we may not always realise it, we all have the ability to influence someone's future through the time, belief and encouragement we offer.

In this episode:

• Tracie's experience growing up in difficult circumstances
• The teacher who changed the course of her life
• Why self-belief is often built through the belief of others
• The realities of social mobility and opportunity
• How volunteers, mentors and community organisations can make a lasting difference
• Why visibility and access to opportunities matter for young people
• The value of giving back and becoming a "net giver"
• How small acts of kindness can create powerful ripple effects

Key Quotes

"When you have that self-worth and that self-belief bolstered, that's the foundation for everything."

"You can be useful to someone in a moment, and it will always be worth it."

"If you see the good thing in someone, tell them."

"Life can be a lottery. That's why it takes more people rallying around young people and opportunities."

"When you give back, you cannot fail to have an impact in your local community."

Resources Mentioned

Break Charity Supporting children and young people in care and leaving care across East Anglia. https://break-charity.org

We Are Powerful https://wearepowerful.org

About Tracie Nemeth

Tracie Nemeth has worked in financial services for over 20 years, is an award-winner marketer and proud Mum to two young daughters. Having come from a background impacted by poverty, violence and trauma, she passionately advocates for the role we can all play in supporting social mobility - both for school students and those who are seeking opportunities and pathways in the workplace. Since January 2026, she has expanded into keynote speaking, drawing on both her lived experience and professional career to speak on social mobility, resilience and the transformative power of opportunity.

Connect with Tracie - Search for Tracie Nemeth on LinkedIn.

Why do so many change initiatives fail, even when organisations invest heavily in new systems, training programmes and transformation plans?

In this episode of We Are Powerful, James and Alex are joined by systemic coach Karen Lord to explore a different way of thinking about change. Drawing on more than two decades of experience across sectors, Karen argues that organisations often focus on the visible aspects of change while overlooking the human dynamics that ultimately determine success.

The conversation explores why resistance is rarely about the change itself, how organisations become trapped in optimisation mindsets, and why genuine transformation requires curiosity, experimentation and what Karen calls, "connected autonomy".

Karen shares practical examples from healthcare, charities and large organisations to illustrate how teams can unlock innovation, improve engagement and create lasting change when people are trusted to think, learn and solve problems together.

In this episode we discuss:

• What systemic coaching is and how it differs from traditional executive coaching.
• Why organisations often solve the wrong problem and focus on symptoms rather than causes.
• The difference between the "visible" and "invisible" economies of an organisation.
• How optimisation can unintentionally drive decline when circumstances change.
• Why curiosity is one of the most important leadership capabilities during periods of uncertainty.
• The power of peer-to-peer influence over hierarchical change programmes.
• Why Karen avoids labels such as "change agent" and believes change agency belongs to everyone.
• How boards and leaders can benefit from the "wisdom of crowds".
• Real examples of teams transforming performance through mindset shifts rather than new procedures.
• How systems naturally rebalance and regenerate when people are given the freedom and agency to contribute.

Key Takeaways

✅ Notice what your results are telling you.

✅ When current approaches stop delivering results, more optimisation is rarely the answer.

✅ Curiosity often creates more progress than expertise.

✅ Sustainable change happens through relationships and conversations, not instructions.

✅ Every person in an organisation has the capacity for change agency.

✅ Culture shifts when people understand both the visible and invisible dynamics of the systems they work within.

Memorable Quote

"Connected autonomy. It's peer to peer that does it. It's not the consultant at the front of the room or a directive from the board. It doesn't work that way. It works systemically and humanly." - Karen Lord

Find Out More

You can connect with Karen Lord | LinkedIn, where she regularly shares practical tools and insights on systemic leadership, mindset and organisational transformation.