Pressure and performance
When pressure builds, people can move into survival mode: thinking narrows, collaboration suffers and performance can drop.
Workload, unclear priorities, leadership behaviour and an always-on culture can all keep that survival response switched on, long after the actual threat has passed.
I draw on neuroscience to explain what happens in the body and brain when people are under pressure. Chronic stress can affect memory, attention and our ability to think flexibly, making good decision-making harder.
Employee assistance programmes, wellbeing apps and mental health days can help people cope. But when work itself is causing the strain, people also need changes to workload, expectations and leadership behaviour. The pressure has to shift for recovery to last.
You can’t wellbeing your way out of a culture problem. I help organisations change the behaviours and leadership habits that keep people stuck in survival mode. I spent years leading global wellbeing strategy at Burberry, so I know how hard organisational change really is, and what it takes to make it stick.
Research
In 2024, Oxford researcher William Fleming compared survey data from 46,336 UK workers across 233 organisations. Participants in resilience training, mindfulness and wellbeing apps reported no better wellbeing than non-participants. This was an observational study, so it cannot establish cause and effect.
I use this research to show exec teams and boards why workload, priorities and leadership behaviour also need attention.
Services
As a keynote speaker, I explore what happens to people under pressure, how it affects performance and culture, and what leadership teams can do about it. My approach brings neuroscience together with lived experience, and every keynote is tailored to your audience, with practical ideas people can use afterwards.
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I design hands-on workshops and leadership programmes around your brief, your audience and what you need to achieve, whether that's building psychological safety, preventing burnout or improving neuroinclusion. Every engagement is tailored to your organisation and your audience.
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I work alongside leadership and HR teams to understand what’s getting in the way of performance and what needs to change. From diagnostic reviews to longer-term support, we build a practical plan that works for your organisation.
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Testimonials
Clare has been an absolute joy to partner with over the last few years. She is responsive, knowledgeable and excellent at delivery, always open to adapting to our ever-changing needs and so easy to work with.
33 years with KPMG and that was the best session I have ever joined. It was amazing, emotional but uplifting, and I learned so much.
She creates an environment where people feel psychologically safe to contribute, challenge themselves, and grow. They end up inspired and motivated, willing to apply what was covered in the session.
My experience
I understand what unhealthy workplaces cost people, because I've experienced them myself and I know what it takes to make change happen.
My perspective draws on neuroscience, my own lived experience of anxiety and ADHD, and a career spanning more than two decades in learning, development and leadership, including leading global wellbeing strategy at Burberry.
Today, my work focuses on psychological safety, burnout prevention and neuroinclusion: the conditions that determine whether people can do their best work.
Learn and explore
Twice a month
Short, practical insights on understanding survival mode, preventing burnout and creating psychological safety.
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Guides and tools to help you build psychological safety, prevent burnout and improve neuroinclusion.
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