In this episode we take on one of the most widely accepted ideas in leadership and ask a difficult question: what if resilience isn’t enough?
In Shatterproof, organisational psychologist Dr Tasha Eurich challenges the belief that we should simply “push through” tough times. Instead, she offers a more honest and sustainable approach, one that recognises that resilience has limits and that growth comes not from endurance alone, but from understanding and responding to what we truly need.
Rachel Johnson is joined by Paul Staveley and Anna‑Marie Rooney to explore what this means in the context of school leadership. Together, they reflect on the pressures leaders face, the reality of feeling stretched too thin and the habits that can keep us stuck in cycles of exhaustion.
This is a conversation about moving beyond coping. From recognising personal stress triggers to replacing unhelpful patterns with ones that restore energy and clarity, the episode offers practical, research‑informed ways to turn challenge into meaningful growth.
Honest, thought‑provoking and deeply relevant, this episode invites leaders to rethink not just how they survive difficult moments, but how they emerge from them stronger and more self‑aware.
If you enjoyed PiXL Leadership Book Club...
Check out the PiXL website: https://www.pixl.org.uk/ for free downloads
Read Rachel's three books:
Time to Think 1: The Things that stop us and how to deal with them
Time to Think 2: The Things that stop our teams and what to do about them
Box Clever: Quadrants to change the way we live and lead
Listen to the PiXL Pearls.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Spotify
PiXL Pearls Podcast is a We Are In Beta Production.
PiXL is a partnership organisation of thousands of schools, colleges and alternative education providers spanning KS1-5.
Find out more about how you could gain value from a PiXL subscription: https://www.pixl.org.uk/membership
