Why Values-Driven Organisations Still Get Stuck with Jayo Macasaquit (Episode 87)

What does it take to lead change without relying on control? Jayo Macasaquit, Chief People Officer at The 19th News, joins Josephine Palermo and Iain to explore organizational adaptability, psychological safety, distributed leadership, and the hidden assumptions that keep teams stuck. They discuss the “immunity to change” framework, moving from “hero to host” leadership, the challenge of delegation, and how reflection, coaching, and experimentation can help organizations thrive in uncertainty. Chapter index 00:00 — Introduction 02:45 — Jayo’s journey into HR and people strategy 06:42 — The 19th News and equity-centered leadership 13:10 — When mission and internal culture don’t align 16:05 — Why leaders struggle to delegate 19:02 — Understanding “immunity to change” 22:41 — Using community and accountability to create change 25:22 — Moving from “hero” to “host” leadership 28:27 — Hierarchy, attention, and distributed decision-making 32:45 — Reflection, coaching, and courageous conversations 34:35 — Building operational resilience in a changing world 41:10 — Psychological safety, failure, and imposter syndrome 46:38 — Balancing self-belief with openness to feedback 48:52 — Clarity over certainty 50:44 — Jayo’s closing reflections: from blamestorming to brainstorming Contact Josephine www.josephinepalermo.com.au Share your views with us at [email protected] Watch on Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL18BTBLfckRwwraLZMvbpNj-MjHHy-cSH&si=pXJAR_mmTGGEcO2q