Presence: Presence starts with positive leadership

Presence: Presence starts with positive leadership

Author: brucedaisley.com April 24, 2024 Duration: 38:30

Flow is the state of being in which people become so immersed in the joy of their work or activity “that nothing else seems to matter.”

Presence is to be in a flow state of connection with others.


Here’s the last discussion about the Happiness Track

Sign up for the newsletter

Emma’s new book Sovereign

HBR: The Best Leaders Have a Contagious Positive Energy

HBR: Proof That Positive Work Cultures Are More Productive


Today is the first of series of podcasts about an idea that needs more consideration in our workplaces. The idea of presence.


Emma Seppala is a psychologist and lecturer at the Yale School of Management – she also runs the Women’s Leadership program there. I first spoke to Emma about 6 years ago when I came across her book the Happiness Track. The hypothesis of that book was in many ways the sweet spot of this podcast: the notion that if you make workers happy then they do their better work. Emma had a new book out this week called Sovereign and it felt like a great reason to have a new conversation. 

The conversation leads into the next block of podcasts which are all about the idea of presence. Over the last 4 years we’ve seen discourse from CEOs about wanting workers back in the office but in many ways they’re putting things the wrong way wrong. A lot of us find ourselves making our way into work and sitting on video calls all day. Or having headphones on because its so noisy. We got home at the end of the day thinking ‘what was the point of that’. 


When bosses say they want us to be present in the office, what they actually describe is something different. They talk us about us interacting, having ideas, watercooler moments. Bosses say they want us to be present in the office, but what they really want is presence, for us to be in each others company.

For me presence is related to flow

Sign up to the Make Work Better newsletter or check out the best ever episodes at the website.

Eat Sleep Work Repeat is made and hosted by Bruce Daisley.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


There’s a conversation happening about how our jobs shape us, and Eat Sleep Work Repeat sits right at the heart of it. Host Bruce Daisley approaches workplace culture not with prescriptive advice, but with genuine curiosity, digging into the science and social dynamics behind why we work the way we do. Each episode feels like a thoughtful exploration, blending research from management, psychology, and sociology with real-world stories. You’ll hear discussions that challenge conventional wisdom about productivity, teamwork, and wellbeing, moving beyond simple fixes to understand the deeper systems at play. This podcast recognizes that improving work isn't just about office perks; it's about examining the rhythms, relationships, and expectations that fill our days. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered how to make their team more resilient, their own work more meaningful, or simply how to disconnect at the end of the day. With millions of listens, it’s become a trusted resource for rethinking the modern work experience. The tone is engaging and accessible, turning complex ideas into practical reflections. For more from Bruce Daisley, visit brucedaisley.com.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Eat Sleep Work Repeat - better workplace culture
Podcast Episodes
Your colleagues like you more than you realise… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:38
Dr Gillian Sandstrom is a researcher whose work explores her fascination with our conversations with other people - whether colleagues, friends or strangers. She’s just published a fabulous new book ‘Once Upon A Stranger…
Life Reclaimed with Pippa Grange [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:46
A return interview with Dr Pippa Grange, a performance ("regenerative") psychologist who has worked with the England men's football team and who has earned the admiration of Brene Brown.I'm always excited to hear from th…
We-ness: The secret cause of Psychological Safety [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:06
I saw a post by Professor Rob Briner about the enigma of psychological safety, and in the replies it was discussed that in fact PS isn't so much an enigma, there's evidence that it is the output of group identity. It fel…
The more you talk about culture, the less people believe you [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:03
Today's conversation is with Professor Benjamin Laker, someone I've long admired for his cutting edge work on the evolution of culture. His article on Meeting Free Days is probably the piece of research I've shared the m…
Flourishing at Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:11
Daniel Coyle returns to reflect on what has changed since we last spoke. He's moved attention to an examination of what contributes to us getting a fulfilling experience from work - and life.We talk attention, community…
What makes for the Best Place to Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:18
I'm joined by Daniel Zhao, chief economist of Glassdoor, who talks me through their new rankings of the best places to work in 2026.It's an intriguing list, is a car wash really better than some of the most famous tech b…
Culture is built on 'moments of truth' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:46
Kevin Green is the Chief People Officer for First Group.He's set about reinventing the culture of the organisation from the ground up.I heard Kevin speak at an event last year was completely bowled over by the way he tal…
People-watching in the workplace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:32
Dr Karen Bridbord is the author of a new book, The Relationship-Driven Leader that invites us to bring a psychologist's lens to our job and the relationships with those around us.Her perspective is to use psychology to u…
What Gen Z need from work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:38
Gen Z have been shaped by recessions, the pandemic, geopolitical instability, not to mention financial insecurity and world changing technology.That's the finding of the Edelman Gen Z Lab as told to me by the leader of t…
Is training really corporate sludge? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:21
Most company training is a waste of time that turns firms into bureaucratic sludge holes. That’s roughly the conclusion of today’s episode which is a conversation with Andre Spicer and Mats AlvessonThey have a new book o…