Ep22: Flying Out of Your Comfort Zone and Putting People Into Focus With Captain Emma Henderson
Human Wise
Welcome to Human Wise, the podcast that explores the commercial advantage of being human at work.
With host Helen Wada, executive coach and founder of The Human Advantage, each episode will explore what being human at work looks like across a wide range of industries, from people in senior management to those on the ground.
Discover how setting workplace boundaries and fostering genuine human connections can revolutionize your work-from-home life in the latest Human Wise Podcast episode. Former Easyjet airline captain Emma Henderson joins host Helen Wada to discuss her journey from aspiring lawyer to commercial pilot, and the transformative role empathy played in her career. With invaluable insights on creating work-life balance, the importance of peer support, and the challenges of remote work, Emma shares her experiences co-founding a support initiative for NHS staff during COVID-19, and how stepping out of her comfort zone led to new opportunities.
Tune in as Emma reveals her plans to run a half marathon for the first time in 20 years and climb Kilimanjaro for charity, reflecting on her career, workplace culture, and the importance of maintaining human connections in modern work environments. Learn why establishing boundaries, pursuing personal goals, and embracing humility and humor can make all the difference in your professional and personal life.
This episode offers inspiration and practical advice for anyone navigating the complexities of remote work, aiming for career growth, or striving for a better work-life balance in 2025 and beyond.
Topics Discussed:
- Balancing work-life boundaries remotely
- Initiatives supporting NHS workers
- Human connection in remote workplaces
- Stepping outside comfort zones
- Grounded leadership principles in business
About Emma Henderson
Multi-award-winning Professional Speaker, Author, Airline Captain, Founder and CEO of Project Wingman Foundation Ltd.
Does your leadership team know how to lead, and know what the difference is between Leading and Managing? Do you want to lead a diverse and inclusive team that feels empowered and understands what their purpose is in your workplace? Do you want to know how to manage "the Great Return" and build successful teams in these days of Hybrid and Remote working?
What do you do when something goes wrong? How do you manage it and how do you teach your teams to solve problems? Do you have a tried and tested way of making decisions that works for everyone in your company? And how do you and your personnel manage the stresses and strains of everyday life and keep a healthy balance in your workplace?
With over 30 years experience in the aviation industry as a pilot and working for a large European airline as one of fewer than 500 female airline captains in the world, I not only learned how to LEAD FROM THE FRONT, I was taught and assessed on essential LEADERSHIP SKILLS which I put into practice every day.
When I took Voluntary Redundancy in 2020 from the career I loved, I didn't even know I had these skills but I have learned that not
Further links to follow:
Helen Wada: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/helen-wada
The Human Advantage: https://www.thehumanadvantage.co.uk/
