Authentic Ewe is the podcast about creating places where people love to come to work and feel free to be their Authentic Selves
Each episode cuts through the corporate noise to explore what really builds trust, sparks connection, and inspires people to bring their authentic and best selves to work.
From leadership insights to practical strategies, Penelope and her guests share real-world conversations that help leaders and teams create cultures where everyone thrives.
Your Leadership is contagious Dr. David Hamilton
In this episode of Authentic Ewe, Penelope sits down with Dr David Hamilton to explore the powerful science behind kindness, leadership, and emotional contagion.
Many workplaces still operate under the assumption that strong leadership means being tough, decisive, and emotionally distant. But what if the real strength of leadership lies somewhere else entirely?
Drawing on his background in pharmaceutical research and neuroscience, David explains how our emotions quite literally spread through teams — and why the mood a leader brings into the room can shape everything from stress levels to performance and even organisational results.
In this conversation, we explore:
Why kindness is not weakness, but a biologically powerful leadership tool
The science of emotional contagion and how leaders set the emotional tone for teams
Why kindness is actually the physiological opposite of stress
How empathy and connection improve retention, wellbeing and organisational performance
The role of vulnerability and psychological safety in building high-performing teams
Practical ways leaders can start creating cultures people genuinely want to work in
David also shares personal insights from his own journey researching the mind-body connection — including how posture, self-belief, and compassion influence not only our mindset but our biology.
At its heart, this episode asks a simple but profound question:
If leadership is contagious… what are you spreading?