Episode 21

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Published on:

23rd Jul 2026

Ep 21 - The Wellbeing Lie: Part 1 - Wellness Isn't Wellbeing

with Alec Pearson and Dr Calvin Lightbody

Every organisation says it takes wellbeing seriously. The fruit bowl, the yoga session, the mindfulness app someone signed everyone up to. And yet the people carrying the most keep quietly running on empty. Not because the perks aren't pleasant, but because almost none of it touches the thing that's actually wearing them down.

What if most of what your organisation calls wellbeing isn't wellbeing at all? There's a difference between wellness and wellbeing that most leaders have never stopped to notice, and once you see it, you can't unsee how much of the well-meaning stuff misses the point.

Calvin has watched it play out on the front line of an emergency department, and what he's learned there lands in every high-stakes workplace. Including yours.

We explore:

What's the difference between wellness and wellbeing, and why does mixing them up cost you more than you think?
Could your wellbeing initiatives actually be making things worse rather than better?
Why do the strongest, most capable people so often drive straight past their own warning signs?
What's the one question Calvin believes every leader should ask themselves on Monday morning, that almost none of them do?

If you lead people, and you care whether they thrive or just survive, this one is worth your time.

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About the Podcast

Beyond Leading

Beyond Leading is the leadership podcast for senior leaders and those building towards it — honest conversations about the real psychological and human experience of leading at the top. Hosted by executive coach and Non Executive Director Alec Pearson.

Most leadership content gives you frameworks and five-step plans. Beyond Leading goes somewhere different.

This is the podcast for senior leaders and those building toward that level, people who already know that leadership is harder and more human than any framework prepares you for.

Hosted by executive coach and Non Executive Director Alec Pearson, with regular contributions from fellow coaches Tiffany Barnard and Nick Sellers, Beyond Leading goes inside the real human experience of senior leadership. The pressure. The identity questions. The decisions that don't have clean answers. What's really going on beneath the surface when things get hard.

The conversations draw on SME business owners, corporate leaders and coaches who've been in the seat, people who'll talk honestly about what senior leadership cost them, what they got wrong, and what they'd do differently. No frameworks sold. No glossy success stories. Just the conversation senior leaders actually need.

We don't claim to have all the answers. What we do is ask the questions worth reflecting on, and give you the space to work out what they mean in your world.

If you're a senior leader, or someone building toward that level, this is your podcast.

Subscribe and join the conversation.

🎙 Let's go beyond leading — and everything in between.

About your hosts

Alec Pearson

I'm Alec Pearson, Non-Executive Director, Board Advisor and Executive Coach, with over 30 years' experience across professional services, law, technology, manufacturing, transport and founder-led SME's.

I work with boards and senior leaders when decisions feel heavier than they used to, complexity is rising, and clarity really matters. My approach combines independent board-level thinking with a coaching lens: pragmatic, people-aware, and straight-talking.

Beyond Leading is the podcast I wish had existed earlier in my career. It's the honest conversation about what senior leadership actually demands, the pressure, the identity questions, and everything in between.

Tiffany Barnard

I spent over 25 years leading teams and running a business in Tanzania, and those experiences shaped how I see leadership today. Now, I coach leaders around the world to communicate with impact, build trust, and lead in a way that feels true to them. The best part of my work is watching that moment when they realise what’s possible — and step into it. You can find me on LinkedIn if you’d like to connect.

Nick Sellers

Even leaders need a helping hand to achieve their potential. I bring decades of corporate experience and a keen interest in people to my coaching and mentoring activities. And I really like to help those who want to grow and develop.
For more information, you can find me on LinkedIn and schedule a quick call.