Truth, Lies and Work

Is Burnout an Individual or Organisational Problem? (Feed Drop: Fried: The Burnout Podcast)

In this special summer feed drop, we’re taking a short break from our regular format to bring you a conversation from a show we genuinely love and listen to: Fried: The Burnout Podcast, hosted by the brilliant Cait Donovan!

In this episode, Cait puts our very own Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Leanne Elliott, in the hot seat. They dive deep into the messy, nuanced reality of workplace culture, systemic stress, and employee wellbeing. Cait doesn't let Leanne off lightly, challenging her on everything from the validity of psychometric tests to where manager training fails and where individual responsibility ends and organizational responsibility begins.

If you’ve ever wondered why workplace stress persists despite wellness initiatives, or how we can build truly supportive work environments, this honest, no-bullshit discussion is for you.

🎙 Key Takeaways

The System vs. The Individual: Burnout isn't just about an individual's resilience or biology, nor is it purely an organizational failure. Sustainable workplace mental health requires looking at both the person and the system they operate in.

Middle Managers Are Set Up to Fail: Managers have the single biggest impact on employee engagement and mental health, yet over 90% of new managers receive zero formal training. We must equip leaders with prosocial skills, empathy, and listening tools.

Culture is Defined by What You Tolerate: From micro-incivilities to vague role expectations, toxicity often starts in subtle daily behaviors. True psychological safety means creating an environment where friction can be addressed safely before it turns toxic.

🕒 Timestamps & Chapter Markers

00:00 – Introduction: Welcome to Truth, Lies & Work & Feed Drop Announcement

02:00 – Leanne Joins Fried: Being Real on LinkedIn & Ethical Gray Zones

08:00 – Occupational Psychology vs. Medical Science in Burnout Research

10:30 – Diagnosing Workplace Culture & Psychosocial Risk Factors

15:30 – Psychosocial Risks vs. Culture: Which Comes First?

21:00 – "Right Parcel, Wrong Address": Bad Fit vs. True Workplace Toxicity

24:30 – Recognizing Subtle Incivility & Emotional Manipulation at Work

31:00 – Generational Myths vs. Managing Early-Career Employees

38:00 – The Middle Manager Crisis: Why 92% of Managers Are Unprepared

48:00 – Constructive Conflict, Self-Reflection, and Building Awareness

56:30 – Wrap-up & 3 Key Takeaways from Al & Leanne

🔗 Connect with Cait Donovan & Fried: The Burnout Podcast

To learn more about Cait's corporate workshops, keynote speaking, and her mission to eradicate chronic stress, visit her website or connect with her on social media. Don't forget to listen to Leanne's guest appearance on Fried: The Burnout Podcast this week!

Listen to Fried: The Burnout Podcast: https://caitdonovan.com/podcast

Website: https://www.caitdonovan.com

BurnBold Website: https://www.burnbold.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caitdonovanspeaks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitdonovan

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com

Are workplace dilemmas ever really black and white?

Welcome back to another Summer Session of Truth, Lies & Work! For this episode, Al and Leanne are ditching the traditional workplace news to tackle some of the internet's most controversial, outrageous, and downright petty workplace dilemmas—Am I the Arsehole? style.

Joining the panel is organisational psychologist and friend of the show, Dr. Jake Tuber. Together, they dissect real-life workplace conflicts to decide who is in the right, who is in the wrong, and who was completely out of order.

⚖️ The Dilemmas on Trial Today:

The $1,800 Stolen Chair: What happens when a colleague steals your high-end office chair, your boss tells you "first-come, first-served," and the police get involved?

The Tragic Firing: Is a company justified in firing a 22-year-old employee whose performance dropped right after losing both parents in a tragic accident?

The Public Ultimatum: What should happen when an employee bypasses their line manager to escalate an issue publicly to senior executive leadership?

Whether you're listening on your morning commute or relaxing by the pool, play along and see if you agree with the verdicts!

🤝 Connect with Dr. Jake Tuber

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaketuber/

Website: http://www.ticonadvisory.com

Podcast: https://www.ticonadvisory.com/podcast

🎁 Special Offer: Get 6 months of free access to Jake's Substack, Workwise: https://workwise.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=1e481d0b

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals.

When was the last time you came back from a holiday genuinely refreshed? For many leaders, managers, and high-achieving professionals, summer isn't relaxing. You spend weeks clearing your inbox before you leave, spend your holiday feeling guilty for not working, check your emails "just in case", and come back to an overflowing inbox needing another break.

So why is switching off so difficult?

In this episode, hosts Al and Leanne are joined by Dr. Rachel Morris, former GP, keynote speaker, and host of the You Are Not A Frog podcast. Together, they explore why high achievers struggle to rest, how summer can inadvertently trigger burnout, and 5 practical strategies to genuinely recharge before September.

💡 What You'll Learn in This Episode

The "Responsibility Trap": Why conscientious professionals struggle to unplug.

The Pre-Holiday Firefight: Why working double time before taking leave backfires.

Rest vs. Guilt: How to reframe the guilt you feel when stepping away from work.

5 Practical Recovery Tips: Actionable ways to protect your energy and return to work genuinely refreshed.

📌 Dr Rachel Morris's 5 Tips to Switch Off

Book your recovery in before anything else

Get clear on what’s in your control in the summer

Stop rescuing other people

Expect the guilt and use it as evidence

You don’t need to earn your rest

🔗 Links & Resources

Self-Assessment Resource: Download the Am I Stressed, Overwhelmed or Burned Out PDF Self Assessment Toolkit: https://youarenotafrog.com/toolkit/

Connect with Dr Rachel Morris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-rachel-morris

Listen to You Are Not a Frog Podcast: ⁠https://youarenotafrog.com/about/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Welcome to another edition of our Truth, Lies & Work Summer Sessions! For this episode, Al and Leanne take a quick break from workplace news and heavy behavioural science to host a special summer game: Corporate Family Fortunes.

Joining the fun is organisational psychologist, leadership expert, speaker, and author Danny Wareham. They dive into survey results on the most irritating workplace habits, awkward social activities, how people really unwind after a stressful day, and the hidden psychological traps of office life.

⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 – Intro & Summer Sessions Housekeeping

02:40 – Introducing Danny Wareham & Constellation

05:00 – Post-Book Tour Life, Award Season, & Authentic LinkedIn Content

09:50 – What Makes a True Christmas Movie? (In August!)

13:05 – Round 1: Most Annoying Office Habits & Smelly Food

16:45 – Round 2: What Makes People Angriest at Work?

20:50 – Round 3: Which Work Social Activities Do People Avoid?

28:00 – Round 4: What Keeps Employees from Quitting?

34:00 – Round 5: Annoying Communication Styles & Voice Note Debates

45:30 – Round 6: The Weirdest Things Found in Desk Drawers

51:00 – Round 7: How Workers Really Unwind After a Stressful Day

57:50 – Wrap-up & What’s Coming Next Week

🎧 Want more from Danny Wareham?

– Website: dannywareham.co.uk
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-wareham/
– Buy Danny's Book: https://dannywareham.co.uk/constellation-leadership/

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com

Have you ever looked at a calendar packed with back-to-back, colour-coded blocks and felt a strange sense of pride?

In today’s workplace culture, a hectic diary isn’t just a schedule—it’s an identity. But what if all those reflex "yeses," endless Zoom syncs, and low-value emails are actually destroying your performance and pushing you toward burnout?

In this episode of Truth, Lies & Work, host Al Elliott sits down with executive coach, author, and speaker Chris Lovett to discuss how applying a "less is more" mindset to your job can lead to radically better results.

From stepping on an old 1990s CD case to convincing a senior leader to decline every meeting for a week, Chris shares actionable strategies to help you break free from busywork, reclaim your time, and become a true "corporate athlete."

The Break Point: How stepping on a Mark Morrison CD case led Chris to sell almost everything he owned, board a flight to Copenhagen, and completely redefine success.

The Meeting Experiment: What happened when a senior leader declined a whole week of meetings—and why only one person noticed?

The "Needing to Be Needed" Trap: Why we treat calendar invitations like hits of dopamine, and how over-helping your team actually stunts their growth.

Are You a Corporate Athlete? Why high performers build tactical rest into their days, and how back-to-back meetings drop your attention and engagement by up to 40%.

Strategic Laziness & Small Rebellions: Tactical scripts and questions you can start using today to protect your time without burning bridges or looking uncooperative.

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://chrislovett.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lovett-29176933/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok/@chris_lovett

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christolovett/

Books: Relentless & Discovery of Less

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork
– Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott
– Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne
– Email: hello@truthliesandwork.com
– Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

Mental health support
UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org
UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk
US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org
Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au
Global helplines
https://findahelpline.com