Your middle managers are not underperforming. They are under-resourced. With Toluwa Hughes

Brigid sits down with Toluwa Hughes, behavioural scientist, two-times TEDx speaker, and founder of Zoah Consultancy, to explore why the manager layer is so often the most overlooked group in any organisation and what L&D can do about it right now.

Toluwa has coached over 4,000 leaders across the UN in East Africa, tech scale-ups, and global enterprises including HSBC, Dell, and Alzheimer's Society. 

Her work sits at the intersection of behavioural science and real-world leadership pressure - helping managers stay steady through growth, change, and AI adoption.

In this episode, she breaks down the hidden cost of ignoring middle managers from the two things their role actually demands (translation and emotional regulation) to why high performers are the ones most quietly burning out. She also challenges L&D teams to stop asking managers what training they need, and start asking better questions entirely.

If you work with or support managers, this episode will sharpen how you think about development, wellbeing, and where L&D can have the most impact.

What you'll learn:

1. Why middle managers carry more than any job description acknowledges and why they rarely say so
2. The two types of managerial silence, and how to tell them apart
3. Why 82% of managers step into leadership with no formal training and what that actually costs
4. How mindset, not skills, determines behaviour under pressure
5. The three things L&D already has that are more valuable than budget permission, proximity, and trust
6. Why leadership development and wellbeing must be the same conversation
7. The questions that surface what managers are really carrying

🔗 Connect with Toluwa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toluwa-oyeleye/

Zoah Consultancy: https://www.zoahconsultancy.co.uk

📬 The Assembly Debrief A short, practical email unpacking the best ideas from each episode, designed for modern learning leaders who want insight without the noise. https://www.assembleyou.com/the-assembly/newsletter

👋 Come and connect with us We're always keen to hear what's resonating or what you're seeing in your world. Adam Lacey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamlacey/ Richard Ward - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardpward/

More from The Assembly & Assemble You Learning that feels more like great content than training. Explore podcast-style lessons, video shorts, and series designed for real work. https://www.assembleyou.com

This podcast is hosted by Transistor. For privacy information visit: https://www.transistor.fm/privacy

What is The Assembly?

The Assembly: Where L&D Minds Assemble

The future of workplace learning doesn’t live in theory — it lives in lived experience, fresh research, and honest conversations.
That’s what The Assembly delivers.

Hosted by Adam Lacey, Co-Founder of Assemble You and digital learning veteran, and Brigid McCormack, a newcomer to the world of L&D, this is your go-to space for rich, real talk on what’s driving L&D forward.

In each episode, you’ll find:
Richer insights that go beyond surface-level tips to unpack what really works in learning today
Expert perspectives from leaders shaping the L&D landscape
Access to new research on tech, methods, and innovations defining tomorrow’s learning culture
Practical strategies you can use right now to build essential skills like leadership, communication, and adaptability

Whether you’re designing programs, shaping strategy, or driving culture change — if learning is your thing, this is your podcast.

Formally known as L&D Challenges.