Powering Workplace Proactivity with Dr Joanne Gray

Powering Workplace Proactivity with Dr Joanne Gray

Author: Ross McIntosh June 17, 2026 Duration: 27:38

What happens when success no longer feels quite right?

In this episode of People Soup, Ross speaks with organisational psychologist, consultant and author Dr Joanne Gray.

Joe shares the story of a major career transition that took her from a senior corporate leadership role into the world of business psychology and consulting. Along the way, she reflects on the warning signs she experienced, the role of values in shaping career decisions, and the moment she realised something had to change.

The conversation then explores Joe's work on workplace proactivity – what it really means, why organisations often struggle to create the conditions for it, and how leaders can unintentionally shut it down.

You'll also hear a simple and practical framework that can help us think about taking action when something matters.

In this episode

  • Joanne's journey from corporate leadership to organisational psychology
  • Recognising the signs of exhaustion and burnout
  • What happens when workplace culture no longer aligns with your values
  • Why proactivity is more than simply being helpful
  • The difference between reactive and proactive work
  • Why proactivity can sometimes become another workplace demand
  • The Can Do, Reason To, Energised To framework
  • Leadership, psychological safety and fairness
  • Joanne's walk-on music choice

A question to reflect on

When you're considering a change, taking initiative or speaking up, ask yourself:

  • Can I do it?
  • Do I have a reason to do it?
  • Do I have the energy to do it?

Walk-on Music

Everybody's Free (To Feel Good) – Rozalla

People Soup: Real conversations about work, leadership, and being human — grounded in behavioural science, with practical ideas you can actually use.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider following People Soup, leaving a rating or review, or sharing it with someone who might find it useful.

Every recommendation helps more people discover practical, evidence-based conversations about work, leadership and being human.


Here's the People Soup Website.

And you can subscribe to the People Soup YouTube Channel here.

Visit Ross' Website.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn

People Soup on Instagram which also features plenty of Ross' photos of the Andalusian life.


Ever wonder why we do the things we do, especially at work or when trying to lead others? People Soup digs into that question, but it doesn’t stop at theory. Each episode is built on a foundation of behavioural science, which means you’ll get more than just interesting stories-you’ll get a clearer understanding of the human ingredients that make up our daily interactions. The conversations here feel real and unscripted, often touching on the messy, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating experience of simply being human. You’ll find that this podcast operates at the intersection of our professional ambitions and our personal well-being, exploring how they influence each other in ways we might not immediately see. It’s for anyone who has left a meeting baffled by a colleague’s reaction, struggled to motivate a team, or just wanted to navigate their own goals with a bit more clarity and less friction. The ideas discussed are deliberately practical, designed to be used almost immediately, whether you’re looking to improve a process, a relationship, or your own mindset. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful analysis and actionable insight that aims to make the complex recipe of human behaviour a little easier to understand and work with.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

People Soup
Podcast Episodes
Quick Spoon: Pressure reveals what's running us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00
Pressure has a way of revealing patterns we'd rather not see.Defensiveness.Control.Avoidance.Reactivity.But these experiences aren't signs that we've failed.They're opportunities to notice what's driving our behaviour.In…
Quick Spoon: Let your light shine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00
Starting a new role, joining a new team or entering a different culture can be unsettling.The expectations feel different.The responses you receive aren't what you expected.And sometimes, without realising it, you start…
Quick Spoon: Avoidance rarely feels like avoidance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01
Avoidance Rarely Feels Like AvoidanceMost workplace avoidance isn't dramatic.It's the difficult conversation that gets pushed into next week.And then the week after.In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores one of the most comm…
Quick Spoon: When we avoid disappointing others [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07
Success doesn't always feel like success.In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on a coaching conversation with someone who appeared to have everything going for them: successful, respected and on track for a remarkable care…
Quick Spoon: Awareness often begins with a metaphorical itch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06
You can't lead beyond what you notice and awareness often begins with a metaphorical itch.A feeling that something isn't quite right. Something isn't fitting. Something needs attention.In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects…
Quick Spoon: The leadership skill that's going out of fashion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05
We're encouraged to be quick, responsive and always on.But what happens when urgency becomes identity, reaction becomes leadership and speed becomes a virtue?In this Quick Spoon, Ross reflects on why he believes the paus…
Why good leaders go off track - A People Soup special #1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:41
Why do good people do things they later regret?It's a question that's fascinated me for years.Before I became a coach, studied organisational psychology, or discovered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I spent yea…
Quick Spoon: Leadership starts feeling difficult [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:51
In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the fourth skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Adaptability.Inspired by a candid reflection from Gabriella Braun, this episode explores what happens when leadership becomes unce…
Quick Spoon: What's love got to do with it? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:29
In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the third skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Authentic Action.Inspired by a powerful insight from Gabriella Braun, this episode looks at the tension leaders face between acting…
Quick Spoon: I always had an eye looking in [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09
In this Quick Spoon, Ross explores the second skill in the McIntosh Leadership Framework: Awareness.Inspired by a reflection from Gabriella Braun, this episode looks at the leadership power of noticing what’s happening b…