Episode 5

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Published on:

5th Jan 2026

Ep 5 - Before You Push Forward: A Leadership Reset for 2026

with Alec Pearson.

As we step into 2026, many leaders aren’t lacking ambition — they’re carrying sustained pressure.

Motivation has dipped. Clarity feels harder to access. And simply pushing harder no longer works.

In this short solo episode, Alec Pearson invites you to pause before you plan. Not to retreat — but to reset how you lead.

Drawing on recent conversations with senior leaders and his own experience of stepping back to think clearly again, Alec explores why motivation returns through clarity, not force — and how small, deliberate shifts can restore energy, judgement, and direction.

This episode reflects on:

  1. Why many leaders feel tired and demotivated, even after a break
  2. The strategic power of pausing in a high-pressure environment
  3. How clarity changes team ownership, trust, and accountability
  4. Why progress often comes from doing the basics properly
  5. Rethinking strategy and innovation for 2026 through experimentation, not acceleration

If you’re entering the new year feeling the weight of responsibility, and wondering how to lead with more purpose, focus, and sustainability, this episode is for you.

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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

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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

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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

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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.