What makes people really want to stay with your organisation? In this special episode, Helen Beedham hands over the hosting reins to Jen Sundberg, who turns the spotlight on Helen and her brand new book, People Glue: hold on to your best people by setting them free.
Drawing on extensive research, personal experience, and interviews with more than 25 CEOs, COOs, and Chief People Officers, Helen shares the big paradox facing modern workplaces: how do you retain top talent when people want more freedom and individualisation in their work lives than ever before?
In this candid conversation, Helen and Jen explore:
⭐️ Why retention has become one of leadership’s toughest challenges and why the freedom to curate a meaningful career matters to people more than ever
⭐️ The quiet, early warning signs your people may be preparing to leave (and what you can do before it’s too late)
⭐️ The 4 freedoms that your team/organisation should be offering
⭐️ How retention means very different things depending on life stage, gender, and career stage
⭐️ Why blanket office mandates create brittle loyalty and what actually builds trust and commitment
⭐️ Practical, actionable steps you can take today to create a ‘sticky’ team/organisation
Plus some behind-the-book chat about Helen's highs and lows of writing People Glue.
If you’re a leader or manager wanting to keep your best colleagues, this episode will change how you see retention.
About Jen Sundberg:
Jennifer co-founded Board Intelligence, building it into the UK’s leading provider of board software and governance insight. More than 80,000 leaders across the Fortune 500, FTSE 100 and beyond use the platform to raise the quality of thinking and decision-making in boardrooms worldwide.
In 2024 Board Intelligence was acquired by a US investment house and Jen turned her focus to the next generation. She launched The Park, a pioneering holiday programme that blends outdoor adventure with the science of critical thinking — helping children develop the skills and the habits to question well and make great decisions.
Jen has been recognised as EY London Entrepreneur of the Year and The Times Young Businesswoman of the Year, and wrote a regular column for Management Today. With her long-time business partner Pippa Begg, she co-authored Collective Intelligence: How to Build a Business That’s Smarter Than You, shortlisted for Business Book of the Year 2024 and selected as an FT Book of the Month.
Follow Jen on LinkedIn and find out more about her work here.
People Glue launches on Monday 26th January 2026 (e-book edition) / Tuesday 27th January 2026 (paperback and hardback editions).
To get your copy: Pre-order or buy the paperback/hardback here: https://mybook.to/PeopleGlue (this link automatically directs to your local country site for your chosen bookseller).
Snap up the e-book for just 99p for 1 day only on Amazon on 26th January: https://mybook.to/PeopleGlue-eb. Download a calendar reminder here: https://calendar.app.google/1CeLgh8gZTemJAPF9
Follow me on LinkedIn to like, comment on and share my book launch posts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenjbeedham/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenjbeedham/
(Tip: click the bell icon on the top right of my Linked In profile to automatically see all my posts in your feed.)
Please leave an Amazon rating and review here: https://mybook.to/PeopleGlue to help others discover the book too.
Download the Freedom Index for free here: https://www.helenbeedham.com/people-glue
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