Show Notes
Emotional intelligence is not an optional extra in schools. It is a foundational capability that influences how leaders lead, how staff relate, and in terms of wellbeing and psychosocial safety. In this episode, I’m joined by Emma Gentle, former teacher and Assistant Principal turned Emotional Intelligence Coach, to explore why emotional intelligence and nervous system awareness sit at the heart of staff wellbeing and psychosocial safety. When leaders and teams can recognise stress responses, regulate under pressure, and communicate with clarity and care, schools move from reactive to responsive, and the conditions for a safer and more sustainable culture are created. We unpack how emotional intelligence shows up beyond theory in: capacity, boundaries, behaviour responses, difficult conversations, and the micro moments that either build trust and safety or slowly erode them. In this episode, we cover: Why emotional intelligence is a core leadership capability and how it shapes the climate of a whole school How nervous system awareness connects directly to staff wellbeing, burnout risk and psychosocial safety at work Why one-off professional learning rarely creates lasting change and what it takes to embed emotionally intelligent practice into culture Why supporting the adults changes what is possible for students and why trying to fix students misses the point How leaders can seek feedback about their emotional impact in a way that is safe and constructive First small steps to build emotional intelligence, including noticing patterns, journaling and choosing regulation strategies that match your nervous system About Emma: Emma Gentle is a former teacher and Assistant Principal turned Emotional Intelligence Coach with more than a decade of experience in education. Her work sits at the intersection of emotional intelligence, trauma-informed practice, nervous system awareness and neuro-affirming education. After beginning her career as a primary teacher and moving into school leadership, Emma became increasingly aware that many of the challenges facing educators were not about strategy or compliance, but about regulation, capacity and unprocessed stress. Her own journey into motherhood and personal development deepened this insight and shaped the direction of her work. Emma now supports educators and school leaders to move from reactive to responsive, from punitive to restorative, and from stressed to regulated. Through her coaching, workshops and leadership programs such as The Emotionally Intelligent Educator and Lead with EQ, she helps schools build emotionally safe, connected environments where both adults and students can thrive. Her approach blends practical tools with deep inner work, supporting leaders to understand their own patterns, imprints and nervous system responses so they can lead with clarity, compassion and sustainability. Connect with Emma via: Connect with Emma Gentle on LinkedIn: Em Gentle Website: https://emmagentle.com.au/ Email Emma: [email protected] Emma’s resources mentioned: Momentum Call - https://emmagentle.com.au/momentum-call The Emotionally Intelligent Educator Thank you so much for listening. I’m so honoured that you’re here and would be so grateful if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or on your preferred podcast app, so that we can inspire and educate even more people together. Connect with me via: My website: adriennehornby.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205/ Email: [email protected] Well-Led Schools Partnership Program - https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Across Australia, the perception that leaders build trust sits at just 58%, and the staff carrying the most did not ask for less work. They asked for better communication, better people management and leaders who hold the line on below-the-line behaviour. When we look beneath the surface of workplace strain, the data points at people skills. This week I’m joined by Jenny Cole, leadership coach, self-described “recovering principal”, and author of Teach, Lead or Leave. Jenny spent twenty years in special education before walking out of a crisis meeting and never going back. Her advice to leaders is unpopular, and she knows it: once you step into leadership, stop going to courses on curriculum and behaviour. Your job now is to lead people, and nobody trains you for that. In this episode, we explore: Why trust comes before results, every time The professional learning leaders actually need (and where to find it) The five people every school leader needs around them Why norms don’t stick, and the two-minute meeting practice that fixes it Above and below the line behaviours and personal accountability to notice when you dip What makes frameworks last beyond the staff meeting A one-page user manual for every staff member to unlock hidden strengths About Jenny Jenny Cole is a leadership and executive coach, facilitator and educator. After twenty years as a teacher and principal in special education, she founded Positively Beaming and Beam Consulting, and works alongside school leaders across Australia to embed the leadership practices that make a difference to staff wellbeing and culture. She is the author of Teach, Lead or Leave (2026). LINKS AND RESOURCES Book: Teach, Lead or Leave by Jenny Cole https://www.teachleadleave.com.au/ Jenny's webinar Series: https://www.teachleadleave.com.au/webinarseries Tune into her Podcast, Positively Leading: https://positivelybeaming.com.au/podcast Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: The BRAVING Inventory: brenebrown.com/resources/the-braving-inventory Article: Who Owns Staff Wellbeing and Why Leaders Must Make the First Move https://adriennehornby.com.au/who-owns-staff-wellbeing-why-leaders-must-make-the-first-move/ Report: State of the Nation: Staff Wellbeing Across Australian Schools (2026) https://mailchi.mp/adriennehornby/band-report-full Connect with Jenny Website: https://positivelybeaming.com.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennycole-beaming/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivelybeamingjenny/ Email: [email protected] Connect with Adrienne Website: https://adriennehornby.com.au LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205 Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: https://adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships
Women make up 72% of Australia's school workforce, and every one of them will navigate perimenopause and menopause. Many do so during peak leadership years, carrying symptoms easily mistaken for burnout. With one in two educators reporting burnout and fewer than half feeling encouraged to discuss health at work, this is a psychosocial safety issue, not just a health conversation. If you are a male leader or early career educator, do not skip this. Building sustainable, psychologically safe schools requires understanding what impacts nearly three-quarters of our colleagues. To open Term 4 and mark Menopause Awareness Month, I am joined by Mary Coustas. Best known for her iconic character Effie, Mary is also an acclaimed author and advocate. After a decade-long IVF journey, Mary met menopause immediately upon entering motherhood. It didn't just hit her; it king hit her. She wrote MaryPause to make sense of it, then co-founded UnPause, a digital health platform connecting women with menopause-literate doctors, now partnered with Teachers Health. In this episode, we explore: Mary's story navigating IVF, motherhood, and sudden menopause The three biological phases and when to pay attention Symptoms beyond hot flushes, from rage to imposter syndrome Why women are misdiagnosed with depression when depleted How burnout and perimenopause work in cahoots What genuine organisational support looks like in schools Streamlined clinical care via UnPause and Teachers Health About Mary Mary Coustas is an iconic Australian actor, writer, and comedian, celebrated for her Logie Award-winning character Effie, who debuted in Wogs Out of Work before headlining the television sitcom Acropolis Now. Alongside her extensive stage and screen career, Mary is an accomplished author. Her memoir, All I Know, documented her decade-long journey through 23 rounds of IVF, the loss of her daughter Stevie, and her path to motherhood. In 2025, Mary published MaryPause, transforming her experience into an open, national resource. That same year, she co-founded UnPause, a digital health platform that gives women direct access to specialised clinical care, symptom tracking, and ongoing midlife support. Mary continues to tour nationally, currently performing in her stage show Frigid to Feral, using comedy, candour, and lived experience to dismantle systemic stigmas. LINKS AND RESOURCES UnPause: Telehealth Menopause Care, Australia-wide: unpause.com.au/?srsltid=AU7gw4U4aYsznwkcQbC1DqoW2qCZr-cUvrYox_hO1QSRsKsJFI4lEpNz Book: MaryPause by Mary Coustas: unpause.com.au/marypause?srsltid=AU7gw4WF_tP9kOwEzuNzrM_F_cL3zqJFqF65ihU1yNQi-PE08aC3iNTD Connect with Mary Websites: www.maryandeffie.com unpause.com.au LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-coustas-43347938b/?isSelfProfile=false Instagram www.instagram.com/mary_coustas/ www.instagram.com/unpauseposse/ www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/ www.instagram.com/unleashed.show/ Connect with Adrienne: Website: adriennehornby.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adrienne-hornby-a4126a205 Staff Wellbeing Survey: adriennehornby.com.au/staff-survey Well-Led Schools Partnership Program: adriennehornby.com.au/school-partnerships
Only 57% of Australian school staff report that work positively affects their mental health, and 1 in 2 are currently experiencing burnout.
Conditions in primary schools are more likely to be reported as positive according to our State of Staff Wellbeing in Australia report. Above-average ICSEA primary schools recorded the strongest results in the national dataset, with 67% of staff reporting high morale and 77% a positive culture. However, below-average ICSEA primary settings carry a very different load characterised by severe resourcing constraints, complex student behaviours and needs, and intense support demands.
Staff in below-average ICSEA secondary schools reported the toughest conditions in the State of Staff Wellbeing in Australia report, with poor leader-staff communication at an average of 71%, staff shortages at 63%, and lack of trust amongst staff sitting at 58%.