The Leadership Enigma

What happens when John Cleese personally selects you to play Basil Fawlty in the West End revival of one of the most iconic sitcoms in TV history? If you're Adam Jackson-Smith, you say yes… and then quietly panic. In this special episode of The Leadership Enigma, we go behind the curtain with the man trusted to resurrect Basil on stage. Adam shares the rollercoaster ride from virtual auditions (complete with tweed jacket and moustache) to 300+ physically demanding performances that quite literally sweated the weight off him. From Zoom auditions with Cleese himself to hilarious backstage stories (including what Jonny Vaughan whispered before curtain up), Adam lifts the lid on the resilience, leadership, and full-body slapstick needed to become a comedy legend — without simply mimicking one.

In this powerful and timely episode, Adam sits down with Olivier Award-winning director-turned-writer Mark Rosenblatt, the creative force behind Giant, the searing and sensational play that explores the genius and the darkness of Roald Dahl. Starring the legendary John Lithgow—who also took home an Olivier for Best Actor—Giant dives deep into the tangled web of brilliance, grief, controversy, and antisemitism that surrounded one of the world's most beloved and most complicated authors. Recorded in front of a live audience in central London to mark the 20th anniversary of The Heart Cells Foundation, this episode celebrates creativity, courage, and the quiet revolution of stepping into your truth. Just three days before filming, Mark received his own Olivier at the Royal Albert Hall, presented by Ewan McGregor and Elizabeth Debicki. In an emotional and honest conversation, he shares what it felt like to be recognised for his first-ever play and the journey that took him from self-doubt to centre stage. Mark reveals how the seed for Giant was planted when Sir Nicholas Hytner casually suggested he might try writing—an idea that sat dormant until lockdown gave him the space to bring it to life. Inspired by his own childhood love of Dahl's stories, and compelled by the writer's antisemitic remarks during the Lebanon War era, Mark began to unpick the moral complexity of Dahl's legacy. Rather than cancelling Dahl, Mark chose to examine him—with empathy, intellectual honesty, and a dramatic lens that lets the audience grapple with their own beliefs. We talk about the emotional weight of writing as a British Jew exploring antisemitism, the tension of launching a controversial play amid the Israel-Gaza conflict, and how Dahl's personal tragedies—from his daughter's death to his son's life-altering accident—informed both his work and Giant itself. With John Lithgow perfectly cast as Dahl (thanks to Hytner's inspired suggestion) and Elliot Levey winning Best Supporting Actor, Giant has become one of the most talked-about plays in the West End. A Broadway transfer is on the cards. This episode is a tribute to the healing power of art, the bravery of reinvention, and the impact of asking bold questions in a world that often demands easy answers. Special thanks to The Heart Cells Foundation for their incredible work and for hosting this unforgettable live event. www.heartcellsfoundation.com admin@heartcellsfoundation.com

In this episode, I am joined by Tom Stevenson – Investment Director at Fidelity, respected columnist, and broadcaster – for a wide-ranging and brutally honest look at the global economic storm we're all trying to navigate. From tariffs and Trump to inflation, war, and AI-driven disruption, Tom unpacks why we're entering a new era of unpredictability – one where the calm of the past few decades has well and truly ended. For leaders and organisations, the message is clear: adapt fast or risk irrelevance. Tom shares three critical strategies every leader should focus on: 1. Plan for every scenario – hope is not a strategy. 2. Diversify everything – from supply chains to markets. 3. Maintain financial flexibility – cash is still king. We also explore: • The true cost of tariffs (spoiler: growth and inflation take a hit). • The dual nature of AI – a once-in-a-generation opportunity and a massive systemic risk. • Why ESG, infrastructure, and tangible assets like gold and land are gaining renewed attention. • What a second Trump term might really mean for global trade and China. • The growing concern over digital currencies in a fragile, outage-prone world. Above all, Tom reminds us that in a world out of our control, humility, emotional intelligence, and long-term thinking are more valuable than ever. "Where The Evidence Takes Us" is available from Amazon Connect with Kevin O'Leary (Red Leadership) https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevoleary/ https://www.redleadership.co.uk/

In this powerful episode, I welcome Spencer Gore, the dynamic CEO of Gorely Group and owner of Chelmsford City FC. A serial entrepreneur with seven ventures under his belt, Spencer shares the raw truths of leadership, innovation, and purpose-led business.

In this raw and powerful episode, Adam sits down with Josh White, the accidental CEO and co-founder of Cano Water – the eco-conscious drinks brand shaking up the industry. Josh opens up about his journey from addiction, ADHD, and mental health struggles to building a brand that's now selling 15+ million cans a year and backed by global icons. From school dropout to DJ, from rock bottom to rehab, Josh's story is one of pain, purpose, and planet-positive disruption.

The Dean of Dumbassery Returns to The Leadership Enigma In this energising episode, Garry Ridge, former Chairman & CEO of WD-40 (yep, that iconic blue and yellow can with a red top), returns to the Leadership Enigma – flying in from the West Coast to London just for this chat!

In this captivating episode, we dive deep into the remarkable leadership journey of Tiger Tyagarajan, former CEO of Genpact, who led the company from a humble team of 20 to a global powerhouse of 130,000 employees with over $5 billion in revenue. Tiger's story is one of curiosity, humility, adaptability, and relentless growth.

Charl Bassil is the BBC's first-ever Chief Brand Officer, tasked with developing a unified brand strategy to engage global audiences, strengthen loyalty, and drive digital growth. With a background in marketing and leadership, Charl, originally from South Africa, brings a fresh, external perspective to one of the world's most iconic institutions. The BBC, founded in 1922, has been at the heart of historic moments—from the first high-definition broadcast in 1936 to the moon landing in 1969. It has shaped global culture with programming like Match of the Day, Peaky Blinders, and MasterChef. However, the organisation faces constant scrutiny—license fee debates, leadership controversies, and the challenge of maintaining trust in an era of misinformation. Charl acknowledges the weight of his role and the need for continuous innovation. He discusses how the BBC's leadership is focused on transformation, ensuring the organisation remains relevant, resilient, and committed to its public service values. Balancing objectivity with the demand for instant news is a critical challenge, but Charl emphasises that the BBC prioritises accuracy and integrity over speed. During the interview, Charl reflects on his personal purpose aligning with the BBC's mission. Asked if he wanted to join to help protect democracy and free speech, he found the challenge irresistible. His goal is to empower the team, simplify complexity, and sustain the BBC's brand in a fragmented media landscape. With technology and audience engagement at the forefront, his vision is clear—build for the future while staying true to the BBC's legacy.

Kelly Latimer is no ordinary pilot. A former NASA, Virgin Galactic, and Boeing test pilot—and a combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan—Kelly has spent her career navigating high-stakes environments, from military command to the outer edges of space. As Virgin Galactic's first female test pilot, she stepped into the role after the tragic VSS Enterprise crash in 2014, helping push the boundaries of space travel and human potential. In this episode, Kelly takes us inside the world of test piloting—where every flight is an experiment, every decision carries immense weight, and leadership is as much about precision as it is about people. From flying massive military jets to hand-flying a spaceplane at 55 miles above Earth, Kelly shares what it takes to lead under extreme pressure. Key Leadership Lessons:

Greg Orme is a global educator and author of Business Book of the Year, "The Human Edge." 'The Human Edge' focused on the fearful narrative that was and is growing around the use and development of AI. If we challenge AI on it's own ground we will certainly lose, Greg explains. Greg's book researched how leaders can differentiate themselves in this world of AI and digitisation. He constructed the 4C's Consciousness - which is finding meaning and vision and a sense of purpose in your work Curiosity - to ask better questions and change faster than the world is changing around you Creativity - the process of having good ideas that work in the world and Collaboration - how can you form collaborations with fellow human beings and AI too, to get your ideas into the world. The rate of change and development in this arena continues to increase. We only experienced the release of Chat GPT just over 800 days ago and now we have the announcement of 'Stargate' and the release of 'Deepseek'. Do leaders still think that AI is a fad and will dwindle over time? The strange answer is yes. The reality is very different and leaders have to grasp the importance of human centred leadership as a superpower. Greg explains we are at the bottom of the 'S' curve in the development of AI and what got us here is becoming exponential in growth especially with the introduction of quantum computing. Ai used properly can increase productivity by 40% giving us all more time. The question is what do we focus on in that time? This is where the human centric leadership skills play their part. Think of AI not as your auto-pilot but as your co-pilot. We must thrive in the knowledge that we can't stop AI. It will be more intelligent than humans possibly by 2027 and we will make mistakes along the way. No one can forecast where the destination is. Is super intelligence capable of consciousness? Will humans become the weakest link? Will AI consider the eradication of humans as the simplest answer to stop war, violence, global warming, exploitation and other human based issues? Connect on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorme/ Greg's website: https://gregorme.org/ To buy The Human Edge: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Greg-Orme/author/B00JH11WQ4?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true To read Greg's latest thinking on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/gregorme/

Dan Hart left his 34-year career at Boeing to embark on a new adventure as CEO of Virgin Orbit. Working for Richard Branson's startup was the opportunity of a lifetime during the heyday of new space, and the company enjoyed a string of successes before the company filed for bankruptcy in April 2023. The 1969 moon landing had a big impact on Dan in his early years and he simply cold called NASA to see if he could get a job! To his luck, they answered and he found his way to Kennedy Space Centre. The Challenger accident occurred in January 1986 and it impacted all the individuals in the industry and halted the programme for a number of years. Dan himself watched the events unfold with his team and they were all reminded of the dangers of the work they were involved in. It was in 2016 that Dan was asked to take on the CEO role of Virgin Orbit. Dan had been following the recent space race developments and Virgin Orbit working along side Richard Branson was an appealing challenge. Note: Virgin Orbit was set up to launch satellites whereas Virgin Galactic was focused on space tourism. Virgin Orbit was trying to be the first to launch a liquid rocket off the wing of an aeroplane. The X1 and X15 many years ago had been liquid propelled but none had been orbital. A liquid rocket is a complicated machine with multiple variables and unknowns. The legacy of the space industry was the compelling reason Dan said yes to Virgin Orbit with high risk and high reward on the agenda. Why is space so compelling for iconic billionaires such as Branson, Musk and Bezos? Dan considers it to be the potential for limitless learning, legacy and impactful world changing technologies and scientific breakthroughs. Dan remains excited as to the developments in space science such as expeditions to Jupiter and Mars to enhance our ability to understand the universe. Dan explains moving from Boeing to Virgin felt liberating as he took charge of a small, agile start up with a mandate to reinvent from the go. Great technical talent met creativity so anything was now possible. I ask Dan what it was like working shoulder to shoulder with Richard Branson? Dan talks about Richard's, awareness, inquisitive nature and visionary qualities allowing others to flourish and thrive. As CEO Dan needed to be the positive drive for others to push for achieving the never achieved before but also mindful of the lessons of the past, such as Challenger. Dan was involved in projects where they were 'punching above their weight' due to the attractiveness of the space industry. Virgin Orbit was invited to the G7 Summit in 2021 and worked with Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the first launch ever from the UK. There was no 'playbook' for this type of event and adventure. Dan tells the story when he feared his team could be arrested by the police from continuing the project as the explosive charges of the rocket were being considered as manufacturing ordnance. Whilst these things slowed the project down, the team found the resilience to overcome all obstacles. Virgin Orbit launched successfully 4 times in a row which was a huge achievement for a new start up in the sector. They also experienced significant failures along the way as failure was inevitable. Dan remembers after one failure, Richard Branson immediately said to him, 'when's the next ride going to be ready?' A leader's ability to bounce back allowed for the whole team to move on to thinking about tomorrow and not just the failure of today. As the CEO Dan remembers the times when he was there to push and motivate the team and yet he also remembers those times when the team pushed and motivated him. When Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy in 2023 Dan reflected on the group of people who achieved so much in the knowledge that they changed space technology for the better. "Everything pulls us forward, even when the lights go out behind you."

Doctor Thom Mayer has been a leader in times of crisis for over 25 years, navigating some of the most significant challenges imaginable. He is the Medical Director for the NFL Players Association, as well as an emergency physician-sports medicine leader of international renown. He served as the Command Physician at the Pentagon Rescue/Recovery Operation on 9/11, Incident Commander for the inhalational anthrax outbreak in Washington, DC that same year, and led a Team Rubicon Mobile Emergency Team in Ukraine following the outbreak of war. He is among the most widely respected leaders in times of crisis and is a highly sought after speaker and consultant across many businesses and industries. He was recently nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame and the Hanover College Athletic Hall of Fame. USA Today named him one of the “100 Most Important People in the NFL.” Thom has built his career by building relationships as opposed to merely his resume. He was a football player in his youth and loved the game. He studied theology for two years but was convinced by his professor to try medicine instead. Once a qualified physician, Thom was always drawn to treating the sickest and most needy and crisis medicine was an environment that Thom thrived in. An extreme example was when Thom was the Command Physician for the Pentagon emergency response during 9/11 and actually attended the scene. Thom tells the story of the iconic red phone that is only connected to the Secret Service that rang for the first time in his memory informing him that Dulles Tower had a plane missing and it was imminently going to crash, which it did, into The Pentagon. This event tested Thom's training to breaking point as chaos reigned and the incident became one of the world's deadliest terrorist attacks. The power of a leader to pause can't be overstated. Thom's mantra is to 'Pause - Reflect - Reconsider'. Thom's standout lesson from 9/11 was 'stop sucking up, start sucking down'. Thom's focus as a leader in a crisis environment is to always take time and listen to those closest to the issue and not necessarily the most senior in attendance. 'Don't worry about the C-Suite, worry about the We-Suite.' Thom also describes the anthrax outbreak at Washington which was the first bio-terrorism attack on US soil and how his team saved the lives of a number of postal workers who were contaminated. Many incidents have required Thom to lead a new team, thrown together in response to an emerging crisis. His success is based on his unrelenting focus on building relationships quickly with humility and gratitude. As the leader, Thom wants everyone in his team to understand how important they are. Thom became the NFL Players Association Medical Director in 2001 after the inconceivable death of a football player from heat stroke that year. Thom went on to create the original concussion guidelines for the NFL, creating mandated response plans which to this very day are still being used to minimise injuries and long term results on players and their families. To this day, every concussion injury is studied by specialists to increase understanding and iterate the science and protocols. Thom has taken all of his experiences to write the book 'Leadership is worthless, but leading is priceless.' Thom is an advocate for action over words and contends that everyone is a leader regardless of rank, role, tenure and expertise. 'It's not the words on the wall, it's the happenings in the hall.' Thom's last advice to me was for all of us to discover our individual deep joy with the deep needs of our environment. Connect with Thom: thommayermd@gmail.com www.thommayermd.com Get his book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leadership-Worthless-But-Leading-Priceless/dp/1523006153

211: Angela Cretu is the former Global CEO of Avon. She is now an active Board Member, Beauty Industry Advisor, and Angel Investor. Angela took over as CEO just before the pandemic but had worked for Avon for 25 years starting her career in Romania. Growing up in a communist country meant that life was quite predictable, equality was standardised and the right to self expression was non existent. This set of experiences helped shape the leader that Angela was to become. Avon as a company was founded in 1886 and the business model from the very beginning was for women to share the products within their own micro communities (direct selling) which in turn would share wealth creation amongst many. The products and the model for selling were both breakthrough at the time and all focused on empowering women. It grew it's relevance over the years especially with it's in-house R&D capabilities however in the 2000's it started to lag behind its competitors by not keeping the pace with the market to follow and understand the behaviours and purchasing insights of women around the world. Avon's strong legacy was actually a burden, hampering its ability to be agile in a fast changing world. At one point Avon had approximately 6.5 million representatives with over 20,000 employees and revenues in the multiple billions. It was the ultimate social selling machine. This all changed during the pandemic and cost cutting was at the heart of the race to survive. Avon changed three CEO's over 12 years as the strategic dilemma was to decide if Avon was a brand or a channel and a number of mistakes were made as different executives tried to find the answer. Angela was always of the view that their millions of women sellers were brand equity creators and they needed to be empowered and leveraged across the world. When Angela took over, Avon was tipping on the edge of its own demise, until Natura decided to acquire Avon. Angela did not even apply for the role of CEO in 2019 and she was surprised to be summoned to Sao Paulo, the HQ of Natura and invited to apply, to which she initially said no. Natura knew that they needed someone with significant insight and experience of the business to drive the transformation that was necessary in order to survive and thrive. Once Angela knew she would have a real mandate for change from the board, she agreed to take the role. What was required was an end to end change, modernisation and overhaul of Avon. The essence of Avon was still the high touch and personal service that came from the millions of Avon sellers across the world and the strong purpose and movement that had been built since 1886. Aspirational beauty at irresistible value was the answer. During Angela's tenure as CEO, one of the main focus areas was her ability to change the history of Avon by tackling the biggest taboo, which was the direct selling methodology. She changed the question from what are we to why are we? She truly believed the world is a better place with Avon in it. As the debate raged as to whether Avon was a brand or a channel she decided that Avon was both, especially in the age of an omnichannel world. Avon today is located in 2,000 stores and has leveraged a number of strategic partnerships and digital nomad sellers utilising the power of social media. Angela stripped out the complexity of the business and dismantled the hard wiring beliefs before she instilled new values. Looking back Angela is able to reflect on the hard work that was necessary to transform Avon but during the events themselves she agrees that crisis was her daily dish on the leadership menu. Angela has 5 key reflections as a CEO: 1. A new type of leadership is required in todays world to become a force for good. 2. Moving from peer to leader - managing the weight of expectation 3. Being a multiplier not a pleaser - creating connections to allow others to act with purpose and autonomy. She also talks about the importance of being able to tell others who she is as a leader. 4. Unity amongst division - the devil of choosing a direction and managing the paradox without ignoring the nuances of both sides. 5. Redefining imposter syndrome - Angela feels the word imposter is a negative word and this more about leveraging your self doubt to learn. www.linkedin.com/in/angela-cretu/

Bob Skinstad represented South Africa Rugby at all levels. Having captained the under 21 Springbok side in 1996 and 1997, he ascended to the adult team as a replacement on 29 November 1997 against England. He would go on to play 42 tests for the Springboks, scoring 11 tries – and captained the national side to its second Rugby Union World Cup in 2007, before retiring. Bob is now a Partner at the challenger consultancy firm Elixirr. Very recently Bob and Andrew Mehrtens (former All Black) completed the takeover of French second division club Beziers, heading up a consortium which also features ex-Formula 1 boss Eddie Jordan.Bob and I have a very candid chat about what is was like growing up in Zimbabwe as a white privileged child in an affluent family. During his teenage years Bob started to become fully aware of the challenges within South Africa during Apartheid. In fact Bob went on to meet Nelson Mandela in his role as national captain of The Sprinboks. Bob shares some great memories of chatting to Nelson Mandela and his incredible leadership and approach to inclusivity even after decades of incarceration. Bob reflects on his early life in South Africa and even with his obvious sporting talent he accepts that he took things for granted and didn't have a mentality for all out winning. Today, as a leader in business, Bob describes himself and learner as opposed to leader. The older he gets the more he realises what he doesn't know. When Bob started to play rugby it wasn't a profession for a full time role, it was all amateur. That changed for South Africa during the 1995 World Cup as Rugby started to mean more to the nation. Bob lived the transformational change within South Africa and became the first professionally contracted rugby player in the country. He made his men's debut in 1997 against England. Bob recalls having two district careers in rugby, one was the young devil may care maverick player that catapulted him into the national team and one was the captain and leader of a nation where he had to learn the history and scarred memories of many of his players who did not have the upbringing that he experienced.Belonging is a principle need for humanity and Bob explains how this is a powerful contributor to a high performing team, especially within a sporting context. Leading and managing chaos is inevitable on the international rugby field and Bob explains the importance of strategy, planning, speed of decision making and practice to help mitigate the chaos. One of Bob's standout lessons is that there are different types of people 'givers need to learn when to stop because takers never do' and so Bob realised how important it was to find his tribe with belonging purpose and passion.www.elixirr.com/en-gb/person/bobskinstad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was filmed in front of a live studio audience at Vorboss in central London. Kevin O'Leary spent 30 years as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police retiring as a Chief Superintendent. Kevin was also, now famously, episode No.1 of The Leadership Enigma which started during the pandemic. This episode is a fascinating insight into the world of crime and punishment including undercover policing, hostage negotiation, stolen vehicles, riots, serial killers and more. Kevin decided to become a police officer after he was robbed at knife point at 14 years old and the police solved the crime and actually recovered his bicycle. As a very young probationary police officer Kevin found himself policing the miner's strike in the 1980's during the time Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister and also the Broadwater Farm riots which involved the murder of PC Keith Blakelock, all providing Kevin with a baptism of fire into the world of policing. Kevin's time with the Stolen Vehicle Squad was his initiation in the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and learning how to carry a case load of allocated reactive investigations. In 1999 Kevin became involved in the Admiral Duncan Pub bombing. He was around the corner on an unrelated surveillance operation when the bomb was detonated. At the scene, Kevin was faced with chaos and destruction. As one of the first on scene his ability to make quick decisions and prioritise were tested to the max. As a police officer and leader, picking up on 'weak signals' is a must in a world of constant change. Kevin tells the story of dealing with a High Risk missing person which turned into uncovering the actions of an international serial killer, John Sweeney, who is currently serving life in prison and will be the focus of a recent television documentary. Kevin as a senior officer held the role of Head of Undercover Policing for the Metropolitan Police and explains the iconic investigation he was involved in that was headlined in the newspapers as 'The Hip Hop Cop Shop.' Kevin had to make a series of difficult and at times unpopular decisions for the ranks and file officers in order to help protect them from the rigours and stresses of undercover operations. One of Kevin's final roles in his career was as Bronze Commander during the London 2012 Olympics with a funny story of the cycle protest group 'Critical Mass' that had been infiltrated and decided to see if they could intercept the Queen! Kevin is also the 'referee' for the award winning TV show 'Hunted' which is on our screens each year. www.kevinoleary123.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Monahan took on the role of CEO of Heidrick & Struggles in 2024. He came to Heidrick & Struggles with a decades-long career of building and leading innovative technology, data, and services companies and as a long-time Heidrick & Struggles client.Most recently, Tom was president and CEO of DeVry University, where he led the university to digital innovation, sustained growth, outstanding student success metrics, and financial strength as a newly independent institution.Tom is passionate about people and the role that leadership has to create a world better led. Tom explains to me that the right people, in the right role leading in the right way is the single most important driver for high performing organisations. Tom's decision to take up the CEO role of Heidrick & Struggles was based on the ability of H&S to really make a difference for organisations in finding the right leaders and to co-create great performance on an individual and collective basis. Tom describes leaders are Magpies, building their nests out of anything they can find within themselves and in their surroundings based on insatiable curiosity and a beginners mindset.I ask Tom about his parents and family background as I search for clues into his focus and success. His answer will surprise you.Tom tells me that in his role as CEO he is the steward of the business and the people are the only thing that won't be worth less from the day they begin working in the organisation. Each and every day a person grows, learns and experiences in a way that builds the sum of the parts. It is the human capital that is the most precious resource of any business.One of Tom's primary strengths is his ability to frame a problem or issue in order to create focus as opposed to always having an answer. 'Fast Starts matter' Tom explains, so getting quick insight is paramount for any leader and organisation in gathering the collective intelligence to focus on the issue or problem and resolve it.Leading experts has always been a leadership challenge and Tom tells me that he is expert in the way we used to do things and not how we should do things so he has to get out of the way of his people and allow them to operate in a way that they know is best.As CEO Tom is focused on creating an environment where the best people come to do their best work. Tom also understands that any new CEO must be 'courageously humble' as he tries to understand the business that he is taking over, the people that he leads and the culture that he initially inherits. The most dangerous thing a CEO can do, is be a focus group of one.Tom is an introvert by nature so the very social and public facing element of the role is a constant challenge for him and he fondly remembers the advice from an inebriated aunt that if something is worth doing, it is worth overdoing.www,hedrick.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stevie Ward is the former captain of the Leeds Rhinos Super League Rugby team, winner of the Super League and Challenge Cup and he was also one of the youngest captains aged only 26. Stevie had 10 operations during his playing career and had to retire early due to a brain injury. This is a powerful episode of humility, vulnerability and resilience. Stevie was lucky enough to play for Leeds during the 'Golden Generation' playing with a number of England Internationals including the late Rob Burrows. He made his debut at 18 years old sharing his formative years doing battle on the professional rugby field. I explore Stevie's background to try and understand what allowed him to find the the strength to enter professional rugby at such a young age with maximum intensity and dedication to being the best he could be. Stevie was named captain at just 26 years old and this official leadership role meant he felt the enormous pressure to perform and succeed which initially led to a feel of overwhelm and essentially sub optimal performance. Stevie remembers the toughest times when the team lost their unique identify and didn't know who they were which translated into poor performances on the pitch. The team needed to overcome fear and reflect on how they could leverage their unique differences and personalities to create something special, authentic and compelling as a team. How could they create their own high performing culture? There is so much uncertainty in a Rugby League team amongst a group of warriors who needed to create a high level of psychological safety for all the players to all feel able to bring their best without fear of failure and or criticism.A brain injury (multiple concussions) forced Stevie to step away from professional rugby whilst he was in his prime. To this day he still feels the effects of the injuries he suffered on the pitch and he has had to completely reassess who he is and what he is passionate about.Stevie filmed a Sky Sports documentary 6-8 months after stepping away from the game and he initially hoped that he would actually be able to return to the game but even attending the stadium as a spectator for the documentary, Stevie found was a sensory overload and he had to leave at half time. Stevie also emotionally remembers his friendship and playing time with Rob Burrows who fought very publicly against motor neurone disease but unfortunately passed away in June 2024. Stevie hosts 'Mantality' and works with individuals and organisations focused on the importance of mental health, psychological safety, courage, humility and masculine vulnerability, all potentially a paradox with the brutal and competitive world of professional rugby. Don't miss this episode. www.stevieward.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loree Draude (call sign 'Rowdy') was one of the first female combat pilots in the US Navy with over 300 aircraft carrier landings and two deployments to the Persian Gulf. Loree who is based in Boston is currently an author, executive coach and keynote speaker with a passion for focusing on the human being and not just the human doing. Leadership and service are part of Loree's personal values and she leverages her military experiences to help teams across the world. Loree grew up in a Marine Corps family and after college she went on a field trip that changed her life after visiting a number of naval stations and seeing a variety of aviation options. At that time women were not allowed to fly most aircraft, they were either trainers or crew. She went for her first flight with a friend and suddenly she knew the way forward, especially when the first Top Gun movie came out! As part of her flight training she was in awe of all the people who made military flying possible and then about one and half years after she earned her wings, the ban on women flying combat aircraft was lifted. in 1991 military officers were alleged to have sexually assaulted or engaged in improper and indecent behaviour with up to 83 women and 7 men at the Las vegas Hilton at the 35th annual Tailhook Association which became known as the Tailhook Scandal of 91. This was a major catalyst for the evolution of change and Loree had her opportunity. She became part of the first wave of female combat pilots for the US Navy and was flying the F18 Hornet and S3B Viking anti submarine warfare jet. Loree vividly remembers her first landing on an aircraft carrier and the feelings of terror and thrill combining. Once she deployed to her fleet squadron she then flew night time carrier landings which was a very different challenge.As a combat pilot, I ask Loree about her role and mindset required to potentially have to take the life of another. Loree explains that this is a very real part of her role, fortunate to never have to, but the expectation was constant and heavy. She also recognises the distance between her and the enemy as compared to the infantry, was also a factor in how she processed her role. As she tested her own limits she speaks of the need and requirement for high levels of trust with her leaders to determine life and death decisions. Finally Loree chats about her one woman show that was delivered just off Broadway which was part of her inner journey that also became part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Check out: www.loreedraude.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features Sir Max Hill KC who was the former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Tom Sprange KC who is the Managing Partner of the London office of King & Spalding, the international law firm. Both are highly experienced trial lawyers who have made the transition from individual contributors to leaders and experts in their respective fields. The path into the legal profession was not easy for either Max or Tom yet both have risen to highest levels with humility and gratitude. King & Spalding provided both of them a vibrant and inclusive working environment with the ability to harness deep expertise and capability across the world in helping their clients deal with the trickiest of legal issues. King & Spalding has a rich history dating back to 1885 so Tom as a senior leader is a gatekeeper for that legacy with the role to continue building a sustainable professional services supplier for the next generation of lawyers. Tom explains the need for professional excellence, business acumen in a competitive market whist also ensuring that the generation behind them is well equipped to be better than the existing leadership. Organisations have to remain relevant with a strong purpose in order to be attractive to the talent market. Tom explains this is always a challenge but he ensures the firm offers high quality work, good remuneration combined with a working environment that is supportive, inclusive, professionally robust and purpose driven. Max has been with the firm for only 4 months after completing his 5 year term as DPP and Tom explains the way the leadership has deliberately crafted the culture of the firm to be inquisitive, best in class and competitive with and effective global listening system to ensure they are capable of advising clients in the most serious and high profile legal matters. The law is more of a people business than outsiders might think with a higher level of innovation required than in previous years especially in a digitally changing landscape.Max outlines his strong belief as a leader to always see value in others and realise how any individual will always be bolstered by the talents and hard work of others.Enjoy this great panel discussion with The King's Counselwww.kslaw.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edwin Brenninkmeyer is the CEO of Oriens Aviation and this episode was filmed on a Pilatus PC24 jet at Biggin Hill. The Pilatus PC24 can carry 8 passengers and 2 pilots although it can be flown by a single pilot. Edwin started the company back in 2015 as he is passionate about aviation having qualified as a pilot at 17 years old. Edwin comes from a family of 6 generations celebrated within the fashion and retail industry as the original founders of C&A and now their business interests reach across multiple horizons.His upbringing provided him a strong belief in doing business ethically and this is at the foundation of his leadership. He studied an executive MBA at Oxford where he describes the benefits of studying with such a diverse group of people from all over the world.Oriens Aviation started working with a Swiss manufacturer Pilatus and is now a one stop shop for those flying privately creating a high customer service and cost effective model. Edwin's philosophy is entrepreneurial in spirit as he is always looking to scale and be intentional about standards and customer centricity. He is passionate about doing business with a strong purpose, sharing what he has learned in the aviation industry with a wider community. The private aviation industry can be an easy target for those who believe the industry as elitist and unsustainable in a world full of excess. Edwin explains that pre pandemic, 90% of people who could afford to fly privately chose not to, yet the pandemic pushed many of those people into using private services which increased usage and commitment. The vast majority of those flying privately (especially in the US) are middle management and not top executives as businesses understand the importance of time saving and increased productivity.Private aviation is heavily regulated and Edwin is passionate in trying to help the world understand the realities of the industry and myth bust. For example, emissions are minuscule. Aviation is 2% of global emissions and private aviation is 2% of that. The industry continues to strive to become even more sustainable. Electric aviation is underway and predictions are that by 2035 we will start to see the technology make a real impact on the industry.Customer centricity is a particular focus for Edwin, especially within the high net worth community. His belief is that the purpose of business is to create a community of value and good rooted in 'unreasonable hospitality' whilst also providing a positive experience for the body mind and spirit of those working within the business. Edwin as CEO is focused on creating a culture where 'to work is to create and to create is being human.' A key focus in on being the favourite supplier as opposed to just being the best supplier.Safety is paramount for Edwin and the industry so trust is at the heart of all his customer relationships. 'It's a people business' as Edwin explains and congruence between what is said and done is critical.As CEO Edwin is learning everyday and explains his role as culture creator and visionary to explore where the business can go next. His management team are all entrepreneurs and value creators in their own right.Edwin is a humble and value driven leader who hopes he can help shape and define the aviation industry for a better future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Lisa Bodell is the CEO of Future Think, award wining author and one of the world's Top 50 Keynote speakers on issues such as creating simplicity and killing complexity. This episode was filmed in New York City during the 'Future of Everything' Festival. Lisa always thought of herself as a helper and was naturally creative from an early age. She grew up in Michigan, studied business and wanted to go into marketing and advertising. However, she wanted to find a path where her ideas would be heard and mattered. At this point, the entrepreneur emerged and Lisa decided to do her own thing, start her own business and create a platform for ideas and collaboration. Lisa's books became a global calling card for her thought leadership and ability to help others learn and master new skills and capabilities. Time is a non renewable resource that we never get back and this became the catalyst for Lisa's focus on simplification. In a society fixated with more, Lisa is intent we also see the value in less. This requires focus and an ability to get rid of things. What will you stop doing is a wonderfully powerful question for all leaders although fear is something that holds all of us back. Stopping and saying 'no' is a critical ingredient for innovation. Simplicity is not about being more productive, its the front end of innovation and gives people the space to do what matters. It's also not about getting rid of everything, it's about getting rid of unnecessary complexity, the invisible waste, the work without the benefits. This is all about getting to the work that matters and not being more productive. As a leader, are you defining what meaningful work is? Grooves and ruts look and feel the same. Grooves are productive, ruts are a waste of time. Lisa speaks all over the world and I asked her in this episode what she wanted to talk about that she doesn't usually talk about in order to make this episode truly memorable. She decided to connect simplicity to wellbeing so we can feel that we are doing what we were born to do.Lisa explains that much of our daily workload is based around meetings and emails, therefore within our control to change, yet most will not. As Lisa says during her keynotes, many of us 'survive another meeting that should have been an email.'Technology has amplified the issue of complexity and the ease to create meeting after meeting. If you could kill off any 2 rules at work, what would they be? Many of the answers she hears are not even rules, they are just historical methods of working.Lisa's top tips include (1) for leaders to mandate the right for people to get rid of things that they feel are unnecessary, and (2) model the behaviour.All businesses fear becoming irrelevant, especially during great technological change. To be relevant we must change, we must innovate and people need time to think. People want to leave a legacy, not shareholder value. Simplicity is not a productivity exercise it's a about helping people to get to the work that they were hired to do in the first place and be their best self. Simplicity is also a foundation for a high performing culture. In an age of Generative AI, time is something to harness and allow people to think more. As Lisa explains. 'thinking is a daring act'. Perhaps now, we have more time to be human which is actually the basis of our leadership capability. www.futurethink.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giuseppe Stigliano is the global CEO of Spring Studios in New York which which was the venue for the Wall Street Journal 'Future of Everything' Festival. We filmed this episode on the rooftop of the studio overlooking The Hudson river and surrounding area. Giuseppe is Italian and moved to Milan to study marketing working in multiple businesses with early experiences of leadership. He now travels between London and New York in his role as CEO for Spring Studios. He has an entrepreneurial spirit so the NYC location is a multiple use site including an event space, studio business, private members club and more making it a unique agency with a core business focused on luxury, fashion and lifestyle. Giuseppe is an entrepreneur by background, an author with Philip Kotler (the grandfather of marketing) adjunct professor and keynote speaker who also holds a Phd in marketing and economics. Giuseppe believes that the more you curiously explore opportunities and relationships the more life has to offer. He is currently redefining retail in a landscape of significant digital transformation and specialises in helping people navigate the 4P's of marketing (product , price, place & promotion) with a mindset shifting from making people want things to making things people want. Is the High Street dead? Giuseppe says no, if you can make it absolutely compelling for people to leave their sofas and online lives. Some of the biggest shifts for a retail business is the role of 'Figital', a three dimensional world of the physical, digital and the virtual. The plethora of data allows business to target the right message to the right person at the right time. Gen AI is changing the landscape again as it can create new ways of using what we already have available to us. However, Giuseppe also reminds us that AI will give us back time and can never compete with the truly human centred capabilities such as curiosity, empathy and creativity, simply more time for us to be human. Marketing is key for every business. This is also changing. Supply exceeds demand so the competition is high. Marketing has historically been focused on making people want things but now the sheer amount of data available allows people to consider what do we need to create for the people based on the insights we have. Gen AI can now help the smallest of businesses to master the data analytics. Giuseppe is always learning as a leader. He is a believer that the next generation of employees require servant leaders but also recognises that no one size fits all. Leadership has to flex to the context of the businesses growth and maturity. Giuseppe understands the importance of allowing smart people who are more expert that the CEO to be allowed and fully empowered to operate as they see fit. A leader must know when to get out of the way. www.linkedin.com/in/giuseppestigliano/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Viv Anderson MBE is our special guest for Episode 200 filmed in front of a live audience at Capco in central London in support of the amazing charity Leadership Through Sport & Business, which Viv is a patron. Viv has played for a number of teams including Manchester United, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. He was the very first player signed by Sir Alex Ferguson and played for Brian Clough winning the Football League, European Cup, League Cup, FA Cup and made British sporting history by becoming the first black player to play a full international for England.This is an amazing insight into Viv, his family, the Windrush generation and how he went on to become a trailblazer for diversity in the beautiful game. His big break came via a scout from Sheffield United which in turn led to a scout from Manchester United asking him to trial as a young schoolboy. Manchester United rejected Viv which he explains was devastating however that prompted him to try for his home team, Nottingham Forest which in turn led to his debut at 17 yers old. The Nottingham Forest years meant that Viv played for the iconic Brian Clough. Viv shares some incredible stories about life under Clough as a young black player in the 70's and 80's and how Clough helped him to build the personal resilience to cope and still play whilst dealing with overt racism. We discuss the state of diversity in football and football leadership in the modern game and concede that there is still much to do. When Viv found out that he had been selected for England, Brian Clough was again a supporting influence in his life whilst also keeping him grounded and humble. Viv also remembers being signed and playing for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Alex Ferguson was a passionate but hard task master. Alex Ferguson's early years were not easy but he knew how to man manage each and every player which led to him becoming the serial winner that we know today. Both Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson had clear non-negotiables with their superstar players. Viv outlines how senior players had a positive impact on his career including Brian Robson We also have a few surprises for Viv, with messages from Stuart Pearce and Marlon Harewood. For more information on Leadership Through Sport & Business (LTSB) www.ltsb.charity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah MacDonald operates in a world that has been dominated by men since 1209. She is a Canadian-born conductor, organist, pianist, and composer, living in the UK, and she holds the positions of Fellow and Director of Music at Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Director of the Girl Choristers at Ely Cathedral. This episode is a glimpse into a world few know about but many have experienced including during the Queen's funeral and the King's Coronation. Sarah has recently been appointed to the role of President of the Royal College of Organists, where she is the third woman to hold this role which is the highest position offered within this niche world. The world of cathedral music is steeped in history and tradition and is celebrated globally especially during Christmas. As a young girl growing up, Sarah was not allowed to sing in the choirs so she discovered that being female would not preclude her from conducing so she decided to become an organ scholar at Cambridge University and essentially never left. In the cathedral tradition, all roles were male for hundreds of years. In fact it was only in the late 19th century that female students were allowed to study at Cambridge University. In this incredible episode Sarah explains the history and nuance to working, studying and leading at Cambridge University where she became the University Organist, a role founded in 1670 and Sarah is the first female in that role. The role of religion is an obvious element to the world of cathedral music and Sarah explains that it is a community of all faiths and none as they promote inclusivity for all. We discover how Sarah balances her intense search for perfection with teaching her students to experiment, make mistakes yet strive to be the very best they can be in high stakes performances. www.sarahmacdonald.live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Julian Edwards is the strengths explorer! As leaders always learning, should we focus on our strengths or our development areas? Mark suggests it should be our strengths. All the research shows if we fully develop our strengths, we are going to be 3 time happier and more productive. This episode is all about how we identify our latent talents and complimentary strengths and partnerships. The context and success of our work is about how we combine abilities to leverage the sum of the parts. Micro organisations and start-ups tend to play to peoples' strengths more readily than large scale organisations This suggests that competency frameworks are problematic as we are not always great at everything. It is the leader's role to set the tone as how an organisation will identify people's strengths and combine them. Mark explains that our strengths are fairly set by our mid 20's, it can still morph but it is more about how we increase our awareness of how we partner, collaborate and add value with others. Mark explains that some of the happiest leaders he meets and works with are those who truly understand who they are, what they are good at and are content to identify and work with people who are better than them. A leader's happiness is directly linked to their ability to be genuinely happy for others to thrive and succeed. Mark took a turn in his career when he finished a project in Majorca and then reflected on what next? He identified his own core strengths as connection, creativity, humour and play. Based on these he decided to embark on a photo portrait book titled ‘Faces of Majorca' interviewing and photographing 59 locals. This project led to a series of accolades including writing for Lonely Planet, exhibiting at various photographic festivals, travel show presenting and more. It's about our ability to be vigilant and see the strengths in others and tell people about them. In this episode Mark also helps me understand my results from The Clifton Strengths Finder diagnostic tool that he asked me to complete prior to recording this episode. Mark also outlines that a strengths based culture is where everyone is aware of their own strengths but also aware of how best to apply them for the work and how best to combine talents to drive results. www.thestrengthsexplorer.com Ted X Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ig9uXAhXm2I Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Sundberg is the co-Chief Executive of Board Intelligence a technology company helping thousands of businesses make better decisions. Jennifer was originally a strategy consultant, and her light bulb moment came when she was asked to be a ‘fly on the wall' during a client's board meeting. The client was riding high, but the storm clouds were gathering as regards future challenges. During the three hours she observed the board, they never got to the heart of the matter. It wasn't based on the wrong people being on the board, she realised it was because they simply didn't have the right information in front of them within the reams of paperwork. All the information they had was backward looking. Jennifer realised that all boards are drowning in information partially based on habit and convention, much of which doesn't matter, so they struggle to find the signal through the noise. Together with her business partner, Pippa, she started Board Intelligence to try and help boards leverage better and more appropriate information on which to base their strategic and critical decision making. Jennifer is genuinely bemused as to how she became a successful entrepreneur as she in her own words ‘doesn't fit the stereotype'. However, she also realises that her intellect and insatiable curiosity drove her to choose this path. Jennifer is motivated to promote and empower women on boards. She outlines that we have seen great changes. From 5% of women on boards to 40% and from half the FTSE 100 boards being male only to none today. Jennifer's first client was EasyJet which propelled her business into numerous discussions with boards. At this point they had no idea of the technology angle that they were set to embark on. Board Intelligence moved from a very analogue and paper driven approach to a business that today is a fully developed technology business. This change in business model was based on the realisation that very similar questions were being asked by CEO's and Boards. They started to build up a question bank and then using technology packaged them up into a technology platform called ‘Lucia'. This created the ‘Question Driven Insight Model' Today, Board Intelligence is helping executive teams and boards focus on the conversations that matter, avoid wasted time and effort and do less harm with the right data and information. Badly informed boards make bad decisions. Board Intelligence will help people manage the big audacious and knotty problems all businesses now face. Jennifer's new book ‘Collective Intelligence' is based on her desire to help more and more people leverage the collective in making better decisions and cascade it through entire organisations by building three critical capabilities. In this episode, Jennifer explains those capabilities/habits that are necessary. They are. 1. Critical thinking: 2. Clear communication: 3. Focus: It is every leader's responsibility to empower the level below them. As one CEO told Jennifer, ‘The important decisions are not made in my boardroom' as he was aware that it was his people working day to day who were making the most critical decisions. Too much power concentrated in one person makes us stupid. www.boardintelligence.com Collective Intelligence is available on Amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ralph de la Vega is the former Vice Chairman of AT&T Inc. and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions and AT&T International. Ralph had a 42 year career at AT&T and is now living in Florida.  His father was in the food distribution business and he came from a strong and religious tight knit family in Cuba. Once the Castro Regime took over they nationalised all food production and distribution and his fathers business was taken over by the regime, food was rationed and small kids were being indoctrinated in schools to turn on their parents if they held views that were against the revolution. Ralph's parents decided to leave Cuba for the USA when he was 10 years old and in doing so they had to turn over all of their possessions to the Government. Once they arrived at the airport as a family of four (both parents and his younger sister) they were met by the militia who said to them five words that Ralph will never forget, "only the boy can go."Ralph's parents made the heart wrenching decision to send Ralph by himself to the USA which is where he stayed alone without his family for four years. When he arrived he spoke no English and had not a dollar to his name. From this incredibly humble start Ralph became the Vice Chairman of a Fortune 10 company, AT&T. Ralph credits his Grandmother for helping him reach his potential as when she arrived in the USA she told him "don't let anybody put limitations on what you want to achieve." His mantra to young adults is to dream big. Ralph tells me that his early years of adversity meant that when it came to his oversight of the merger with AT&T Wireless for $41bn, that was easy!Ralph has learned his leadership skills over four decades with over 200,000 employees and operations in 200 countries. The best leader is one who can take a group of talented individuals and get them to do things that they thought were impossible to do. Inspiring people is always more powerful than coercing and pushing. Followership is  important especially in a large organisation. Ralph hopes that as an immigrant to the USA he can inspire others to achieve their dreams and potential. Ralph is very proud that in his career he worked with Steve Jobs in launching the iPhone, connectedTesla cars for Elon Musk and launched the Kindle with Jeff Bezos worldwide, yet his favourite memory is that 24 of his previous employees that he directly led have gone on to become CEO's of their own companies. This is an episode packed full of anecdotes and stories from a senior leader who believes in helping talented people fulfil their dreams as he is now the sponsor of the De la Vega Entrepreneurship Award which is in its 4th year. This episode also includes Ralph's fond memories of working and sharing the stage with Steve Jobs who was a great practitioner for promoting simplicity. Ralph is the author of "Obstacles Welcome: How to Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life." available from Amazon. Ralphdelavega.comWatch & Subscribe:

Donna Easton is a Joyologist. What's a Joyologist I hear you shout? It's somebody who is obsessed with the things that make us feel happy and the things we can do to help ourselves to feel more joy in life. In a world of constant change and chaos we could all do with a little more fun and joy in life, so enjoy this episode. Donna outlines the importance of each of us building a baseline in happiness not based on toxic positivity but by creating enough joy in our day to day activities in order to mitigate the challenges and tough times when they inevitably come. Donna has not always been the happiest person in the room. Childhood trauma, rejection within the performing arts,  alopecia and other life challenges all pushed Donna into making the decision to dedicate her time and effort to identify what humans can do to create more joy and happiness in a crazy world. All of us have to deal with the inner critic and Donna has called hers 'Crow.' 'Crow' is always reminding Donna that good things should not happen to her and that she is not worthy or competent enough to deal with life's opportunities. Thankfully, Donna has learned how to address what 'Crow' says and still be able to push through and not feel paralysed by the negative thinking. Our inner voice is actually just trying to keep us safe. Donna has created 6 steps of the ELATED System.  Everything starts with the practice of Gratitude followed by Energy (how we are showing up for ourself and others) Laughter (find your Wally brian), Access the Creative (connect your body & mind), Try new things, Exist in the Now (with a sense of wonderment) and Do You (in a way that is beautiful and kick arse). Happier people are 17% more productive, but you know that don't you!!!www.mylifeshines.comWatch & Subscribe:

Sane Ngidi is a young female black leader in Africa working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This is an episode of two halves, the first focuses on some of the learning Sane has gained in her early corporate life and the second is a story of vulnerability, self reflection and resilience. Sane started corporate life as an industrial psychologist with her initial roles in Durban until she moved to Johannesburg. Sane is thankful for the strong role model of her mother when growing up and being told that you can always pave the way for others and lift those around you. During Sane's Phd she carried out research into perceptions of black African leaders in financial services. A common theme was of leaders not feeling ready or worthy of the role. However they also reported the power of male ally ship which helped them through their careers. Sane describes Africa as a place that lacks diversity but craves diversity in the workplace. Organisations are trying to ensure that they 'see' everyone as they build diversity of thought in their leadership teams. The Employment Equity Act is also a powerful guide for African businesses for the quotas they must fulfil. When Sane initially moved to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2021, life changed. In December 2021 Sane's father died suddenly and unexpectedly. She later discovered he knew he was dying but didn't share the news with his family. Whilst still grieving, in February 2022 Sane's aunt fell ill and died, followed in April 2022 her uncle was tragically stabbed and died. Sane realised that the cumulative impact of these losses meant she was not coping and she openly asked for help. She was not able to be her best self and she took a break from work for about 6 weeks. Then in September 2022, Sane's mother passed away. Of all the deaths, her mother's was emotionally peaceful due to a long illness. 2022 fundamentally changed Sane's view of mental health. She told this story in 2023 at the 'Ignite' staff event so people could understand her personal story. She was overwhelmed by the care, love and compassion from others and for their understanding that is OK not to be OK at times in our life. Trauma, grief and mental health can't be seen and Sane realised the need to speak up and be vulnerable in order to get the help she needed. Big thank you to Mark Watt, Partner at Heidrick & Struggles for being my super connector for great guests especially in Africa. Watch & Subscribe:

Jane Van Zyl is the CEO of Working Families, a UK based charity focused on helping working parents and carers. Their mission is to remove the barriers that people with caring responsibilities face in the workplace. They do this in three ways, a free legal advice line to help people with their issues and concerns, working with employers to help create and sustain flexible working and thirdly by pushing for practical and positive change at a policy level. Working Families has contributed to the Government's Flexible Working Task Force since 2018. As part of this close consultation and a recent private members bill, employees in 2024 will be able to request flexible working from day one of their employment and be able to make that request three times in one year whereby employers must respond to the request. The ability of an employer to understand and consider flexible working is an attractive proposition for a modern, diverse and talented workforce. What does flexibility actually mean? It's not a new concept. It refers to all of the ways you can work flexibly, such as term-time working, part time, hybrid, job share etc. The pandemic shone a light on people working from home for increased periods of time.  Jane explains to me that working from home during the pandemic was desperately difficult for so many in shared, cramped and isolated accommodation. However the pandemic also allowed us to understand what roles could be delivered successfully form home or other virtual locations. Many countries experienced the rise of the digital nomad! Working Families have also carried out in depth research which highlighted that lower income families were not able to access flexible working options that were available for different demographics of the workforce. Jane outlines that the role of the office has changed forever. Why do we even need offices? Perhaps it is to enhance the ability for people to collaborate, educate and celebrate as opposed to endless meetings and zoom calls. Jane explains that one of the primary keys to success for any organisation is the ability to truly understand the each job design and define the job description with clarity so that the flexible options can be identified early on for all parties with the intent to ensure that the role can ensure the role is 'human sized.'  Leaders must role model or in Jane's words 'real model' how their businesses can adapt and adopt more modern processes and practices to enhance flexible working. Jane is passionate about her work as she shares a deeply personal story of how flexible working transformed her relationship with her father. Working Families as an organisation that itself is now wholly remote and their work is helping families all across the country.  This episode is a fascinating and essential insight for any leader of any sized business into the changing world of work. You can access research and other important information by visiting www.workingfamilies.org.ukWatch & Subscribe:

Paul Russo is the CEO of Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). This episode was recorded in Nairobi on the site of KCB's Leadership Centre. KCB is part of the critical financial infrastructure for 33 million people. They are present in 7 East African countries running over 300 branch networks, over 4000 agency outlets with 12,000 staff and a strong legacy as KCB is over 120 years old. Paul is a deeply committed CEO who believes passionately that 'people are everything' Paul is a also a  very humble leader from humble beginnings which has crafted the human leader he has become. He is from a family of 6 siblings, his parents were nomads from the north and he was the only one to go to school due to the efforts of the Catholic Church and local community and the NGO Indigenous Information Network. Paul is incredibly grateful to the community who ensured he was able to get an education, he therefore uses his role as CEO to lift as many people as possible.Paul has committed time to continually engage staff across the business as he understands that his leadership must be 'energy expensive.' As the CEO Paul understands that he must absorb the difficulties of the business in order to allow his people the space and time to create the value necessary for success. He is the role model to thousands inside the business and is well known across the country so his actions matter to millions. The new purpose of KCB if 'For People, For Better' and Paul is committed this will be  the North Star for the financial success that the bank must also attain and sustain. People technology and partnerships are Paul's primary focus yet people remain the paramount consideration. Paul's background is human capital and he leverages that experience to focus and understand his own human centred leadership style. Paul remembers his late parents and the resilience instilled in him as a child dealing with drought, bandits, disease and disadvantage. He leverages these experiences to harness his own ability to overcome challenge combined with his burning desire to never go back to his old way of life. Paul is an outstanding example of a Human Centred Leader driving his business as a Force for Good. Paul explains he is paid to care and the results will come and he works tirelessly to provide all of his people the reason to believe. Additional Heidrick & Struggles article with Paul Russo https://www.heidrick.com/en/insights/leadership-assessment/people-dont-just-matter-they-are-everything_an-interview-with-paul-russo-group-ceo-of-kcb-groupWatch & Subscribe:

Rob Moore was riddled with debt before reinventing himself to become a multi millionaire property investor, world champion, author of 19 books including his latest, 'Money Matrix' and the host of Disruptors with over 1000 episodes serving over 3 million subscribers across platforms. This episode turns the tables on Rob from interviewer to interviewee as we peek behind the curtain of Rob Moore. This is a deeply personal episode with Rob who has a very public face for millions as regards his mission and passion to create global impact and educate as many people as possible to manage and enhance their personal finances. Rob shares his early memories of watching his father (his role model) deal with mental health issues and the impact it had on him to push himself through intense feelings of shame in order to strive and make personal changes in his life. Rob understands that he has become a successful financial provider for his loved ones and his expanding team across fourteen businesses. With this responsibility comes an increased sense of accountability and personal purpose. Rob and I candidly discuss a number of his proudest moments in life and also his thoughts on the difference between being liked and respected. Rob never refers to himself as a leader and this episode requires Rob to think about his own style of leadership across 14 businesses with an extreme focus on leading self, first and foremost which Rob explains is all about managing emotions with extreme self awareness. For Rob, leadership is about how many people you nurture and lift up not how many direct reports you may have. Rob understands the difference between being liked and respected. He used to do all he could to be liked as it is much easier to be liked. To be respected requires a level of challenge with care. He now focuses on being respected based on the clear and non negotiable standards he holds for himself and those who are part of his businesses.  Rob's best advice for entrepreneurs in a world that is constantly changing features in his new book 'Money Matrix' where he outlines the 4 stages of wealth. Make it, Manage it, Multiply it and  Maintain it. Start Ups need to 'start now and get perfect later.' More mature businesses need to rekindle their start up spirit and avoid slowness. If the pace of change external to your business is faster than the pace of change within your business, it's all over! Money loves speed and hates friction and therefore will inevitable become more digitised centrally which Rob explains carries certain dangers where we become the product and susceptible to unwanted levels of control. Rob tells me that the biggest misconception about money is that money is not one of the biggest issues in our lives. This fuels Rob's passion to help educate as many people as possible to learn how to build and manage their wealth. Always pay yourself first Rob explains, never spend more than you earn. He outlines a simple procedure where each of us must save a third, invest a third and spend a third.  As part of Rob's role as the host of Disruptors, he has interviewed numerous guests including the eclectic and controversial. Guests include the Tate Brothers, David Icke, Chris Eubank, Will.I.Am, Jordon Peterson, Dan Wootton, Grant Cardone, Katie Hopkins and many more. I ask him what he has learned from recently spending 7 hours interviewing the Tate brothers post their recent arrest. You may be surprised at this answer.  www.rob.teamMoney Matrix is available from Amazon Watch & Subscribe:

Dominic George is from California but is now based in New York City and has a passion for helping black men working in middle manager positions. This episode is all about how to leverage the Messy Middle. George's passion for education and continuous learning was sparked by his 5th grade teacher and he learned the value of relying on other people when he was competing as a professional athlete in the swimming pool. Middle managers in George's view are the group who have a direct tie to the leaders who are creating company strategy, policy and vision and a direct tie to the individual contributors within an organisation. The middle manager population can sometimes be missed due to their size and scale with competing interests and priorities. This can be the issue for many who decide to transition from a business as they get fed up of waiting for some form of focus and effort on their needs. The reality is that the messy middle is full of diverse thought and skills and is actually the dynamo of the business which can either drive and enable change or even block change. One of the biggest challenges is communication or the lack of communication with the messy middle, partly associated with the different demographics that now exist within our organisations. George also tells me that new first line managers also make up the messy middle. They are full of enthusiasm and zest as they start to get traction in their careers and then suddenly they find themselves lost in the sheer size and inaction of the centre of the organisation and their momentum stalls. Limiting beliefs also exist within the middle manager group, for example visionaries don't think they can have the impact they should have and as such some lose self confidence and even start to abdicate their personal power to the more senior levels.George's top tips for any senior leader to get the most from the messy middle include: 1. Really see and connect with your people in this space to really understand the value, need, challenges and successes of this group. 2. Tailor professional development opportunities for this group, their sheer size and influence can drastically shift the momentum of an organisation. 3. Pull people forward. Senior leaders must create space and opportunity for the middle managers to step into new growth experiences. George also focuses on helping black men within the middle of a business. He sees that they are under leveraged in most instances and are waiting for permission to step up or they lack the opportunity to show what they can do. George coaches black men to define those spaces for themselves and identify sponsors within a business to be ambassadors for the change needed. Thankfully George is seeing positive change within organisations. www.linkedin.com/in/dominiccgeorge dominic@visionleadershipforlife.com Watch & Subscribe:

Adam Howe is a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles based in their New York office and specialises in helping organisations to proactively kill complexity and promote simplicity. This episode is essential for leaders of any sized business. Adam realised during the delivery of large scale transformation programmes that people were overwhelmed and overloaded and that the idea of taking things away and subtracting tasks would improve productivity. Complexity is a huge issue and has never been higher. Research has found that on average, large publicly traded companies waste 10.2% of their EBITDA and high tend to suffer from low employee engagement ad lack of innovation. The solution for many companies is rooted in good leadership and culture. Heidrick & Struggles research has shown that companies who have high quality cultures drive 90% more revenue growth and 30% more profit growth over 5 years. The vast majority of organisational complexity is actually self generated by peoples decisions and behaviours. Leaders must become complexity conscious and be able to distinguish between good ad bad complexity. Good complexity is where the value of the complexity outweighs the cost and the inverse is true for bad complexity. As the context of an organisation changes, good complexity can become bad complexity so leaders must remain curious and vigilant. The role of complexity being used to undermine is well known as Adam explains how the CIA taught its operatives to use complexity in the 1940;s in its fight against governments it was at war with. Adam outlines the major root causes of complexity and the need for leaders to look holistically across the business. He also shares some examples of organisations who have benefited from killing complexity and promoting simplicity.As humans we are wired to create complexity and we need to avoid 'zombie complexity' which Adam explains as complexity that is simplified but the root causes were never dealt with so the complexity comes back. To sustainably drive simplicity within your business you must have a culture where everyone can call out complexity, they can speak up with our fear and know they will be listened to. Adam's advice is for leaders to be bold, clear trusting, pragmatic and obsessed in becoming complexity conscious. Check out the episode to hear about Home Depot, the Balance Bike and JEEP (Just Enough Essential Parts) Adam's top tips for any leader are to do the following:1. Write down on one page your top 3 priorities and your team are aligned on them2. Empower your team and your teams teams to really identify where bad complexity is getting in the way. Thereby getting clear on your complexity shadow. Start today by asking yourself and your teams, 'what have you said no to today?'www.heidrick.com/en/people/h/adam_howeWatch & Subscribe:

Alice Breeden is Regional Managing Partner CEO & Board practice for Heidrick & Struggles based in London. This episode is based on the recent research completed by Heidrick focused on CEO and Board confidence. Alice highlights that there is so much happening in the world over shorter time periods that no leader has all the answers and every leader must be ever ready for the challenges. CEO and Board positions are a world that only few will occupy. Those who do, will need to operate in an environment of constant change, pressure and expectation. The Confidence research is being tracked quarterly by Heidrick throughout the year  in order to help advise leaders and also stay up to date and relevant as possible. The research findings represents data from almost 3,500 respondents from major organisations and key findings included low confidence in an organisations ability to reach their 2024 goals and low confidence in the longer term succession and leadership planning. The low confidence around reaching goals was predicated on leaders dealing with themes beyond their control combined with strategy being difficult to execute without  constant amendments, This compares with the fact that confidence is high in executive teams so organisations feel they have the right people but the landscape is problematic. The role of the Board has also changed over time, they too have shifted in their capabilities coupled with a deep sense of curiosity to deal with complex topics such as AI, climate and sustainability to name just a few. I also ask Alice about her thoughts on the role of Human Centred Leadership in CEO and Board roles . She explains that those in role understand success will be determined not just by their technical competence but very much by their ability to lead as a human with a deep sense of propose, curiosity, humility. constant learning, adaptability and agility. The Top 4 concerns for CEO's according to the Heidrick research included 1. Economic uncertainty2. Geopolitical volatility 3. Workforce attraction and retention and 4. Shifts in market dynamics. We also talk about culture in this episode as 83% of the companies surveyed are actively working on their culture as it is a key differentiator in the quest for success. To access the research: https://www.heidrick.com/en/insights/board-of-directors/ceo-and-board-confidence-monitor-a-worried-start-to-2024www.heidrick.com/en/people/b/alice_breedenWatch & Subscribe:

Dr Graham Curtis is Director of learning and research at Roffey Park Institute and leads their Masters programme. Roffey Park was first established in the 1940's by the UK Government and a number of sponsoring companies focused on the rehabilitation of workers after the war. Today, Roffey Park is established on a multi acre site in Horsham helping to deliver educations and research to aid the health and well being of the workforce (they are validated by the University of Sussex). Roffey Park specialises in carrying out research to try and help leaders make better decisions based on evidence as opposed to mere hunches or biases. They are also passionate to help organisations identify and recognise talent from all levels to ensure that talent is maximised and where you were born or what school you went to is not a disadvantage. Graham explains that every single organisational context is different and those in senior leadership must remain attached to what is happening at the lower levels which means spending time on the 'shop floor' in order to pressure test assumptions, listen and learn from those closest to the customers and problems and being open and vulnerable to pivoting and changing direction. Graham talks passionately about coming from Sunderland and growing up on a tough estate and attending a comprehensive school but was always alive to opportunity as and when it came knocking. He remembers an incident when he was 7 years old and hospitalised through ill health yet he became the centre of attention through the love he received from family, teachers and medical staff. This helped him understand that he was worthy of investment, something that continues to motivate Graham in seeking to always help others. www.roffeypark.ac.uk to access multiple research papers including their important post pandemic research. www.linkedin.com/in/dr-graham-curtis-6b931911Watch & Subscribe:

Nuala Walsh is a former senior executive for a FTSE 100 company, behavioural scientist, Ted X speaker, non executive director (including the Football Association and British & Irish Lions) various businesses and charities,  author  of 'Tune In' and has been recognised as one of the most influential women in finance. Nuala has interviewed Presidents, top sports stars and executives so this episode focuses on her learning and experience as a senior leader with an insatiable curiosity to understand why people do what they do.In a noisy world, when we are rewarded by speed, the crisis is growing as regards a leaders inability to ensure that they are making safe, sound and ethical decisions that truly consider the wider implications. Nuala's Ted X talk was at the University of Salford and focused on 'How to overcome Indecision.' The key message is that indecision is temporary, hidden and is normally a state of mind. No leader admits they are indecisive. Leaders's can control it by understanding one of three barriers that may exist (1) the decision is too big (2) it's too far in the future and a decision doesn't need to be made (3) or its too hard a decision.  The solution is to chunk or split the decision into smaller and easier components whilst visualising the end result. 'Tune In' is all about how to make smarter decisions in a noisy world. Nuala describes that the world is very visual and fast paced with too much data coming at leaders from all directions but inside a leader's head is just as crowded and noisy as the external world. Nuala also describes 'Power Recognition' as one of 10 misjudgement traps. She explains that there are three categories which include 'power seekers', 'power holders' or  those who have 'lost or are afraid of losing power.' and she provides some interesting examples which highlights that many leaders have an obsession with identify, title and status. Leaders must consider their own deaf spots - ask yourself are you a tuned out or tuned in leader? If you are not tuned in you are missing signals that matter. Nuala has interviewed Presidents, the first man on the moon, top sports stars and executives and she has always been curious as to the human being element of their accomplishments. In this episode she shares some insights from her interview with former President Bill Clinton and top golfer José María Olazábal. Don't miss this episode.www.nualagwalsh.comTune In is available on Amazon Watch & Subscribe:

Dr Gary Crotaz is a former medical doctor, professional ballroom dancer turned coach, author and podcast host. This episode is a collaboration between The Unlock Moment and The Leadership Enigma. Gary realised after 8 years of medical training that he wanted a different career which in turn created opportunities for him in consulting and retail. Ballroom dancing had always been a parallel passion so Gary and his wife also travelled the world competing in professional tournaments with those who are well known to us from the TV hit 'Strictly Come Dancing.' Gary's shares my passion for curiosity, learning and conversation. One of Gary's first client's called him at 4am to declare that he realised that he wanted to pursue happiness and not success for the sake of it. This in turn allowed Gary to realise that people have unlock moments of clarity.An Unlock Moment is a moment when you think back and remember exactly where you were, who you were with and you suddenly know something that you had not realised before. Perhaps some may call it an epiphany.Two critical questions for all of us are firstly "if we want to really understand the person you are today, where do we need to start the story?" and "if you think about a remarkable moment of clarity, what do you think about?"In this episode Gary asks me a number of questions which lead me to remember a deeply personal moment with my daughter which was the catalyst for my exploration into my own Human Centred Leadership and sense of purpose. What is your Unlock Moment? The Unlock Moment: https://open.spotify.com/show/4yzWepuXTf5rursAv9O1NZwww.garycrotaz.comThe Idea Mindset is available on Amazon. Watch & Subscribe:

Blaire Palmer is a global educator, keynote speaker, former journalist and producer at the BBC and now the author of multiple books including 'Punks in Suits'This episode explores our ability to fake it as opposed to bringing our true authentic self to the workplace through fear or lack of self confidence. Is our youthful rebel or inner punk an asset that we cease to rely on in order to comply? Blaire discovered coaching early on in her professional career as she became disillusioned with  journalism. She decided to help leaders myth bust and stop operating on old Victorian values whereby we view work and the people at work as part of a machine to deliver a mere product or service. The role of a leader is not to simply get people to do what you want them to do! Many of the challenges in the system come from Gen X based on the values and experiences they had growing up in the 70's and 80's. Now is the time to stop and reflect to consider the inefficiencies in the system in trying to create the best environment for humans to thrive. Blaire describes the concept of 'Punks in Suits' as capturing the spirit and irreverence of our youth when we questioned everything, embraced our individuality and authentically explored what was possible. The collective wisdom of what makes a good leader requires an element of 'faking it' in all of us. Blaire is keen to explore how leaders feel on their last day when they hand their laptop in and come face to face with who they could have been and the legacy they could have left having navigated and survived over three decades of corporate life. Blair's advice to any leader within the Gen X demographic is to consider your willingness and ability to trust others on a daily basis combined with an acceptance to be wrong or at least not right on everything! "Listen so hard so that you might change your mind.Blaire also suggests we change the focus on autonomy (the role of self)  to citizenship (the power of we and taking responsibility for your part in the world)www.thatpeoplething.comPunks in Suits in available from AmazonWatch & Subscribe:

Simon Lancaster is one of the world's top speechwriters. He first became a speechwriter in the late 1990s working for Tony Blair's Cabinet. He has since written speeches for the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the world including Unilever, HSBC and InterContinental Hotels Group. A leader's ability to communicate is critical to success and first impressions last! Simon's journey started as a musician with a dream of becoming a songwriter yet by the age of 24 he became a Minister's Private Secretary. Not bad he tells me for a kid that grew up on a council estate with his single mum.  Simon was paired up with Alan Johnson MP who became an important mentor in his life as Alan went on to become Secretary of State for Education and Skills from 2006 to 2007. Simon listened to Alan deliver multiple iconic speeches over the years mixing his personal story with the national story during the Thatcher years.  Simon explains that a good speechwriter has to find what's inside someone's soul. Most great speeches must not simply contain a list of your attributes and achievements as the audience is not that interested. Simon remembers advice from Peggy Noonan (speechwriter to Ronald Reagan) who said "reading is collecting wisdom and writing is spending it."Simon has a passion for helping the younger generation learn this skills and shares his advice of 'be proud to be yourself and be proud to show yourself to the world.'  Simon's 3 Top Tips for any leader include:1. The audience is more important than the speaker. It's not what you want to say but what the audience want to hear. 2. Emotions are more powerful than logic, this is based on biological fact. 3. Less is more www.bespokespeeches.comHe is the author of 'Connect' a book that helps a general audience that wants to be better at connecting and communicating with people. Available on Amazon. Simon would love to write a speech for Oprah, so if you are listening...........!Watch & Subscribe:

Louis Gump is a digital veteran. He was at the heart of the digital revolution in 2001 as part of the team at The Weather Channel and then moved to helping CNN develop their first ever mobile app based approach to expanding their audience across the world. Louis is now also the author of 'The Inside Innovator' which is an Amazon Bestseller. I ask Louis about the current issue of 'fake news' and the polarisation of society. He considers this to be one of the most important issues facing us today. He says that 'reliable and professionally produced news that is fact based is critical to our society.'Intrapreneurship is described by Louis as 'creating value through innovation and growth through a larger organisation.' He explains that it remains the close cousin of the entrepreneur.Some organisations fear that great intrapreneurs will want to become entrepreneurs and exit the business to start their own ventures. Those who embrace their intrapreneurs find that the benefits outweigh the perceived risks. Why would you want to encourage intrapreneurs? One primary reason is that they drive a large proportion of the future value of companies and it helps train the next generation of leaders within.   Another critical aspect of intrapreneurship is the acceptance of a degree of risk and failure and self understanding that the success will come from failure. Failure to keep reinventing can lead to examples such as Kodak and Blockbuster. Many CEO's fear their organisations becoming irrelevant in an era of constant change. Disruption comes as a function of being a steward of a companies brand. Leaders listening to this episode need to:  1. Create a budget for intrapreneurship2. Ensure the budget goes to the right people and ideas3. Consider what evaluation criteria you need to put in place that match the task. The key message is identify your most promising talent and give them assignments to innovate. It delivers results for the business and trains the leaders of tomorrow.  The key traits in identifying the right talent include: 1. Curiosity2. Action oriented3. Ability to build bridges 4. Risk tolerance 5. Grounded optimismwww.louisgump.comWatch & Subscribe:

Margot Faraci is a leader, author, writer and podcaster. She happened to be working in the UK from Australia so we asked her to come into the studio....which she did. Margot is a former lawyer and banker who at the age of 14 reflected that her style, in her own words, of 'mean girl' was not appropriate as it was based on deep insecurity. Margot was a blend of her parents and her first job as a leader was to truly know herself.  Margot also knew that she was a natural leader and it was worth trying to harness the right skills and capabilities by letting go of what was safe and what was known. As we get older and wiser we also travel through different phases of our own development and at age 40 Margot realised that she was burnt out so she took some time out and then entered a period of irrelevancy which is a leaders biggest fear.It was at this reflection point that Margot realised that there was a balance between fear and love and if she was to return to the corporate world she needed to do it on her own terms with a focus on love not fear. Things happen in life so all of us have to find the lesson and the gift in any situation, so Margot decided to start researching these issues within organisations and discovered that the UK alone was losing £2bn a year in productivity as a result of over a third of leaders leading from unconscious fear. Besides the numbers it also meant that teams and individuals were burnt out and avoidance was used by many to simply play safe. Courageous leaders however were hard on the problem and soft on the person. Margot uses me as an example in the studio to demonstrate how a leader might deal with a toxic star performer through the lens of Love not Fear and leading a conversation with curiosity whilst being Brave, Clear & Fair.  As humans we are judging machines, which historically keeps us safe, however we miss the power of curiosity to provide us with more objective facts to find the win win solution. https://www.margotfaraci.com/https://www.margotfaraci.com/loveleadershipsurveyWatch & Subscribe:

Allyson Stewart-Allen is a CEO, advisor, broadcaster and author. I see Allyson each week on TV as she is a regular on Sky News and has been on several seasons of 'The Apprentice , You've Been Fired.' It was time to invite Alyson into the studio for a visual tour of brands. If you don't proactively work on your personal brand, someone else will do it for you and you may not like the results. Brands can take years to build and seconds to destroy and all leaders need to consider their own brand, their product or service and their collective organisational brand. To avoid an international failure, leaders must surround themselves with diversity of thought and experience and display huge amounts of humility and curiosity when expanding across regions. Allyson completed two degrees in International Marketing, at USC and her MBA at Claremont with Peter Drucker. Allyson was raised in Germany and has been in the UK for 36 years. She is the author of 'Working with Americans' which was a finalist at the International Book Awards. This is definitely an episode you want to watch on our YouTube channel as Allyson brings this episode to life showing  a number of incredible products from her 'cupboard of curiosities' as regards what does and does not work internationally and why. We talk about a number of products from Kit Kat in Japan to a Canadian chocolate called 'Seriously Helps You To Energise' also known as SHYTE!In between the amazing examples that Allyson talks about, we delve in to the leadership lessons relevant to any sized business on the basis that if you have a website, you are already global. In the UK we are currently experiencing the outcry into the Post Office scandal where a number of reputations and brands are squarely in the cross hairs of public opinion, which is yet another example of how vigilant leaders must be to their practices, exposure and impact on the world. www.allsysonstewartallen.comwww.internationalmarketingpartners.comWatch & Subscribe:

Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the author of 10 books and over 150 scientific papers. He is the Chief Innovation Officer for Manpower Group and and international authority in people analysts, talent management, leadership development and the Human AI Interface. This is the first episode of the New Year and we tackle questions such as 'Why are so many incompetent men made leaders?' and 'Why we should be more sexist!' as Tomas is a data driven feminist. However, the primary focus of this episode is based on Tomas' latest book 'I-Human' and the need for us all to dial up our human centred leadership capabilities. Tomas was born and brought up in Buenos Aires and became fascinated in leadership from an early age after seeing and experiencing years of national leadership crises. His Phd allowed him to specialise in investigating the data behind numerous people analytic assumptions and biases. Tomas quickly began to uncover the realities of how important EQ was compared to IQ and how many misconceptions have hindered how we identify talent. From an evolutionary perspective humans have always over focused on confidence than competence on the basis that if we BS ourselves it is much easier to BS other people! Leaders must be self aware enough to balance their self confidence with the realities of their capabilities. Confidence and drive remain critically important but with moderation applied to also avoid pathological insecurity. Tomas has recently focused on the role and impact of AI on the talent market. AI get a lot of criticism for augmenting biases but AI has the capability to unlearn faster than humans and make organisations more data driven in their people operations. In an age when so much ion our thinking and creativity could be outsourced to machines, leaders must be alive to the necessity to humanise their organisations and the work that they do in the world. AI will continue to upgrade and evolve but will we? Tomas' research indicates that AI is increasing and developing some of our worst traits such as bias and narcissism. Many of us blame AI for simply uncovering the bias that we have created and embedded into the various systems that we operate with. Algorithms used in AI often track and solidify our focus on what we already like, believe or subscribe to, which in turn may be the basis for such a polarised world. Digital narcissism is the norm and at the heart of many becoming global influencers, however the same behaviour repeated in the office would probably involve HR! We are thinking less, optimising and outsourcing more and becoming less and less patient with having to wait even a few seconds for what we want. In this environment we have to double down on curiosity, empathy and our human centred 'power' skills. Historically we promoted people for their technical skills and with AI these have been become disrupted and out of date. The Human Being is now the most powerful asset we have in a Digital world. Leaders with strong human centred skills will rise and AI has commoditised, crowd sourced and synthesised our access to vast amounts of information that it is akin to a Microwave Meal in that it is not very nutritional, healthy or nourishing but it's easy, fast, lazy and even free option that gives us the quick fix. Our ability to 'slow cook' ideas with real wisdom and experience and unleash our deep curiosity regardless of our status, experience level or age. www.drtomas.comWatch & Subscribe:

Errol Gardner is the Global Vice Chair (Consulting) for Ernst & Young. He is a member of the Executive Team and leads the consulting practice  globally of over 125,000 people.  EY has over 400,000 employees in 154 countries and in 2022 they received over 2 million job applications. Errol's job incudes defining the strategy for consulting and making sure they are clear on their market proposition for clients and ensuring his people are thriving. I ask Errol about the responsibility of being part of a broader global executive team leading over 400,000 as a leader of leaders and how he tries to cascade the human centred approach through all levels of the organisation. Errol's role requires him to travel for 60% of the year as he meets people within the organisation who help him sense-check and sense-make  what unites them and what is important at the local level. Errol understands that as he travels around the various EY global offices, he is a role model to many people that he does not personally know, however his leadership shadow is cast far and wide.  Errol recounts the George Floyd incident during the pandemic and the ripple impact it had on people who became much more vocal within their own organisations as regards injustice and for Errol it became a catalyst to become a voice for those who needed advocacy and so the Global Social Equity Task Force was born. EY has a fundamental role within many global businesses (financial integrity) but also sees itself as a Force for Good in the world's challenge areas such as sustainability, equity and social justice which Errol explains is brought to life though the very purpose of the business. 'EY Ripples' is just one example of such an internal initiative. Errol was born and bred in Leeds attending the local comprehensive and knew immediately the difficulties of being a black child in a predominantly white area, which in turn provided him the resilience and mechanisms to thrive. He started his professional career in 1990 leaving University to work in audit. He quickly took the opportunity to go to Jamaica (his parents are Jamaican, his father was on board one of the original Windrush ships) and after 5-6 months he was luckily offered a consultancy role and never looked back, this was in Errol's words his 'sliding door moment.'  Jamaica provided Errol the unique opportunity to grow his confidence working within a predominantly black environment and understand the dynamics of prejudice, inclusivity and the power of diversity of thought. He returned to the UK knowing that there were no excuses for him other than to show up and make a difference. Today Errol reflects on his incredible career and feels an obligation to help others to achieve their dreams. He loves working in a people business and providing opportunities for others to learn and thrive. Leading a global business requires a constant awareness of trends and critical geo political issues in an ever changing world and having a presence in 154 countries means that EY can remain a force for positive change. Errol is a human centred leader of leaders who uses his experiences and interactions as a constant reminder that people are at the heart of all success. All leaders create a lived experience for those around them, let 2024 be the year for creating the conditions for all to thrive and succeed. Enjoy this wonderful episode. Watch & Subscribe:

L Vaughan Spencer is a leadership and motivational guru with a unique mantra of 'Don't be Needy, Be Succeedy." L-Vo to his friends has the unenviable background of having attended the University of the Isle of White studying table tennis with intermediate French. He is wise, vocal and motivates people by shouting at them! We was delighted to help me understand that I am not a failure.......just a non achiever. The Sunday Time describes L-Vo as Borat meets The Office. What could possibly go wrong with this episode. Merry Xmas everyone! https://succeedy.com/https://neilmullarkey.com/Watch & Subscribe:

Tim Creswick is the CEO of Vorboss. After his studio episode on The Leadership Enigma Podcast, he decided to invite me to his 'Better Connection' event held at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool Street, London. In front of a live audience Tim became the interviewer as we chatted about the podcast, the learning and insight from almost 180 episodes and also about the origins of the show born from the pandemic lockdown. This episode also provides some powerful insights from Tim as to what is takes to be a human centred leader day in and day out. Watch & Subscribe:

Dr Mark Goulston was a professor of psychiatry at UCLA for over 25 years. He is the author of multiple books including 'Just Listen' which has been translated into 28 languages and has become the world's leading book on listening. He is currently one of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 coaches and recently discovered that he is suffering from a terminal illness. This episode is deeply personal, powerful and inspiring. Mark contemplates his own mortality in this episode as he reflects, hopes and inspires. Mark outlines the extent of his current condition, medical treatment and desire to share with the world some of his most powerful life lessons. Mark's specialist area during his professional career was death and dying and that gave him a front row seat of what makes a good death and what makes a bad death. He used to do house calls to help people, especially those with suicidal tendencies. Mark remembers a very powerful conversation with a patient who had seen great success in his life and who said to him 'I have all the love money can buy, however everything I thought was important isn't and everything I thought wasn't important is and i've run out of time to fix and I don't like that.' Mark himself is at peace because he has lived his entire life to his core values of kindness, generosity, service and curiosity. Too many people climb a ladder all their life only to discover it's on the wrong wall. Mark's criteria for a good death is to avoid pain and suffering but surround himself with a good team of both family and medical experts. Mark wants to be with the right people not necessarily the smartest people. He wants to consider the human being not just the human doing. Mark's condition has required him to be emotionally honest with those he loves the most. These conversations has taught Mark the power of connection, authenticity, humility and compassion. True vulnerability is not a sign of helplessness but a sign of courage and absolute human connection. The reality is that we have very few 'raw' emotional conversations with those that we love. Mark urges all leaders to emotionally know the people that they love and really connect with the people that they lead. It is an honour and not a burden to really care. Mark explains that if you can identify a feeling you are having and you just allow yourself to feel it, it dissipates in 90 seconds. However 99% of people will get emotional and run from those feelings. Mark's model for coaching leaders is for them to engender trust, confidence, respect, safety, admiration and inspiration, it also helps to be liked by those you lead! Three areas where leaders need to make good judgement calls are strategy, people and crisis. Visionary leaders do not see the unknown as a danger to be avoided and feared but an adventure to be dived into and lived. They define reality, declare their intentions to make it so and decide on a strategy to make it happen. Please enjoy on the most powerful episodes to date. Mark has created a series of 'I'm dying to tell you' videos on YouTubewww.youtube.com/@ImdyingtotellyoudrmarkWatch & Subscribe:

Jenifer Rosenberg OBE has enjoyed a life of incredible opportunity and hard fought success. She was the founder of the UK's largest privately owned clothing manufacturer after a career at Marks & Spencer during the roaring 60's. She voted Veuve Clicquot Woman of the Year and today is the Chair of the Board of The Heart Cells Foundation. This episode focuses on three key stages of Jenifer's life. By her own admission she was never an academic but excited to leave school and seek opportunity within the creative field. Marks & Spencer offered her a job in the post room which whilst not very exciting, it provided Jenifer the chance to prove herself even at the tender age of 16. Jenifer found the simple administrative task of collecting senior leader signatures on cheques as a way to increase her personal brand within the organisation. Once Jenifer found herself a role within the buying department of M&S when the swinging 60's started to take shape with the likes of The Beatles, Twiggy, Mary Quant and Vidal Sassoon as London proved to be the epicentre of it all.  Jenifer, when moved to the skirts department, she suggested the trial of the mini skirt and before she knew it her career exploded as the mini skirt became synonymous with the era. Jenifer always appreciated the interaction, communication and humility of the M&S senior leaders combined with their ability to embrace risk and opportunity.  Jenifer left M&S in 1973 following a series of personal life decisions which led to her start J & J in Newcastle when Ted Heath was Prime Minister and the three day week was imposed during to the strikes. J & J was to become the UK's largest privately owned women's clothing manufacturer . During Christmas 1975, Jenifer lost her second husband having already lost her father. This had a huge impact on Jenifer who was now responsible for the leadership and growth of J & J.  Jenifer met her third husband who ended up merging with J & J which in turn led to a business with 3,000 people and 12 factories across the UK. That business was sold in 1992. Jenifer was on the receiving end of many accolades and offers of appointments at this point and she realised that life was for living as opposed to sitting back on past successes. Today, Jenifer is passionate about the Heart Cells Foundation founded in 2004 with her third husband (Ian) who later died from heart failure, however his life had been extended for three years after stem cell therapy treatment originally located out of Germany. Heart failure is currently the number 1 killer in the UK and one person dies every three minutes.  The charity focuses on the ability to use a person's own Stem Cells to repair their heart and it is revolutionising the practice of medicine. Their goal is to make this treatment readily available to everyone. Jenifer is responsible for raising millions of pounds for the Foundation and her passion for helping others is insatiable. www.heartcellsfoundation.comWatch & Subscribe:

Dustin Seale and Ed Manfre are both partners at Heidrick & Struggles and the authors of 'Lead Through Anything.' Dustin has focused his career on helping leaders get better results through culture and leadership regardless of the challenges they may be facing. Ed shares the same passion and explains how his career was 'accidental' after starting professional life in a family owned boutique and how some very specific events catapulted him towards wanting to understand the dynamics of leadership.  The impact of both good and bad leaders is widespread as they create a lived experience for those around them. The essence of 'Lead Through Anything' is one of hope and application for leaders to successfully navigate the chaos. The average leader is 10 years into their career before they are offered any form of leadership training. Why? This book is a springboard for any leader. The book focuses on three key principles that will make a difference in creating a world better led. Purpose, Vitality & Agility. The magic is when all three are in play at the same time! Purpose: This is about leaders creating the right environment for success and who are ambitious for impact not self.  Vitality: At the self level it is to marshall, create and sustain your energy and to connect yourself to others and connect others as a team in order to create something greater than the  sum of its parts. Agility: Willingness to never be done and always learn. They explain the analogy of a rocket traveling through space, appearing to travel in a straight line but actually its constantly calibrating itself and course correcting.  The same is true for leaders, always adjusting and adapting  to the circumstances.  Dustin explains 'outside - in' and the leaders ability to think like a scientist to analyse and adjust to data. The 'inside - out' is all about vulnerability. Ed also explains in this episode the importance and role of simplicity. The book uniquely explains how we can understand our 'home base', a centre of gravity that we can come back to again and again as individuals and organisations as we explore and experiment how we can unleash the three principles of Purpose, Vitality & Agility to thrive.  http://www.leadthroughanything.com/bookhttp://www.leadthroughanything.comWatch & Subscribe: