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What happens when flexibility stops being a perk and becomes the backbone of inclusion, well-being, and high performance? In this episode, we sit down with Michelle McDaid, founder of The Leading Place and long-time engineering leader across FinTech and HR Tech, to unpack how trust, autonomy, and psychological safety reshape the modern workplace.
Michelle brings over two decades of experience leading and scaling global distributed product development teams — most recently as Senior Director of Engineering at Workhuman, and previously at Fidelity Investments and AIB. Now, through The Leading Place, she helps organisations design flexible, people-centred cultures that actually work. A qualified coach and MSc candidate in Work & Organisational Behaviour at Dublin City University, Michelle is widely recognised for her leadership in DEIB, gender equity, and Women in STEM. She has championed ERGs, mentored underrepresented groups, completed the 30% Club Ireland Board Ready programme with Deloitte, and has been honoured as a finalist in the Everywoman in Technology Awards and the Diversity in Tech Awards. She was also named in DiverseIn’s 133 Women Who Change The World.
🔗 Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleamcdaid/
Together with Danny, Marion, and Cacha, Michelle digs into the truth about flexibility:
Why it matters, who gets left behind when it’s taken away, and how brave leadership — not buzzwords — creates cultures where free-range humans thrive while battery-hen systems crumble.
We explore:
• Why flexibility is infrastructure, not a perk
• The weaponisation of resilience
• ADHD in women and the unseen cost of masking
• Gender equity and the real state of DEIB
• Trust as the starting point for performance
• Psychological safety inside rigid systems
• Courage vs. consistency in leadership
• The future of flexible work — and why it’s about design, not location
🔥 Full Show Notes
If you care about flexible work, inclusion, or building teams where people actually flourish, this episode will hit you right in the truth gland.
📩 Got a hot take or a workplace horror story? Email us at elephant@thefearlesspx.com
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🎙️ About the Show
The Elephant in the Org drops new episodes every two weeks starting April 2024 — fearless conversations about leadership, psychological safety, and the future of work.
🎵 Music & Production Credits
🎶 Opening and closing theme music by The Toros
🎙️ Produced by The Fearless PX
✂️ Edited by Marion Anderson
⚠️ Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests, and do not necessarily reflect any affiliated organizations' official policy or position.
Topics: employee surveys, listening culture, trust, people analytics, psychological safety, employee voice, ...
