Can fathers build a successful career and be fully present at home? In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Anna Machin, a world-renowned evolutionary anthropologist and fatherhood researcher, and Steve Cardwell, founder of Deliberate Dad and coach to ambitious fathers, to explore one of the biggest challenges men never talk about: how becoming a father changes you, and what workplaces get wrong about it.
We get into the “supercharged dad brain” and the real hormonal and psychological changes new fathers go through, why the first three months back at work are a make-or-break retention risk, why paternity support has to be built specifically for men, and the practical steps both leaders and dads can take. If you lead a team, manage new fathers, or are becoming one yourself, this conversation will change how you see the role.
What We Cover:
00:00 Trailer
01:13 The biggest problem facing fathers at work today
03:13 Why the first three months back at work are so critical
04:18 What’s changed: dual-income homes, and dads stepping up
06:56 Why Steve left a seven-figure business to become “Deliberate Dad”
08:23 What being a “deliberate” dad actually means
10:18 The “supercharged dad brain”: how fatherhood boosts performance
13:09 Three things a CEO should do when a new dad returns
15:01 The fears that stop dads from speaking up at work
19:11 Dads’ guilt, and the hidden risk of paternal depression
21:14 Why supporting fathers has to start at the top
24:43 How real change happens: dads speaking up, not just policy
26:08 The conference moment that bonded a room full of fathers
29:12 Three tips for dads to succeed at work and at home
31:05 Managing expectations and the “parenting confidence gap”
36:31 Advice for mums: how to support a new dad
40:12 Busting the myth that dads “come back to work for a break”
43:26 The questions to ask a new dad who might be struggling
46:51 What courageous leadership means for fathers at work
Key Leadership Insights:
• Why new fathers return to work as more focused, decisive, and empathetic leaders
• Why the first three months back are a make-or-break retention window
• Why paternity support must be designed for men, not repurposed from maternity programmes
• Why cultural change starts with senior leaders taking their full paternity leave
• How one honest question (“how are you really doing?”) can change everything
• Why fathers are essential from day one, not just once the baby is older
🎧 Listen to the full episode for the best practical leadership coaching:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1B0U13S37tjpy9ZYZJcZb4
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-courageous-leaders-podcast/id1594924295
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Connect with our guests:
Dr Anna Machin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-machin-552751123/ | https://annamachin.com
Steve Cardwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedeliberatedad/ | https://deliberate.dad/
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