The Leadership Woman with Jill Saville

Kicking off the series of podcasts all about 'Self help Classics', put together by @Tom Butler-Bowdon, is James Allen with As a Man Thinketh. He is not the first to say that we are can be the master of our thoughts but he says it eloquently and is often quoted. Listen to this short introduction to the book which I hope will either move you to read it, or if you already know you can master your thoughts you move onto 'how can I do that?'.   

Hello everyone Ready to listen to the latest episode of The Leadership Woman podcast? I have put my head above the packing cases for a while to give you an update of what is happening in my life and introduce a new series looking at self help books over the years.  I am calling it the GOLDMINE series and I wish I could coin a different phrase other than 'self-help' because that implies we are below par.  However, all of the books I will talk about will come from a more positive perspective of unlocking possibilities to be even more capable and successful! Have a listen and make sure you click on the like/subscribe button in order to be notified of the next episode.    

Episode 60 of The Leadership Woman podcast and I am thrilled to have interviewed one of my mentors and a great coach, Ed DeCosta. I met him in 2012 when he was working as a Faculty member for the John Maxwell Team and even though we haven't met for about 7 years, he was so easy to talk to and we had a good conversation. So good in fact that I had to break this into a few podcasts! Here is the beginning where he talks about being called 'smart' at school and being upset that that meant more work not less!:-) For the people in the Aspiring Leaders group, this is the "Plan the Work: Work the Plan" guy that I promised you.

The latest podcast interview is here! Many people in Luxembourg will have met Orsolya at the beautiful office solutions space - Gingko. Few of you will know how she came to be in Luxembourg in the first place.  She just came for a holiday when she was 19 and an accident confined her to a hospital bed for weeks.  Hear how she turned that experience into a positive life and how Luxembourg became her home.  

Here is the latest episode of The Leadership Woman podcast with the Head of Behaviour Change at SUSTRANS in London, Ruth Chiat. What would it take to get you to move from your car to a bike? How hard would it be to make that change?  It's more than supplying more bikes to rent, you have to change hearts and minds and remove barriers. Listen to Ruth's journey from quiet school girl to passionate activist and finally working to make change from within communities. I am even considering having another go at learning to ride a bike!  

Listen to the latest episode of The Leadership woman podcast! This is quite a personal one as I have had a few weeks of radio silence and here I explain what I've been doing and the gifts I have found.  Also excited about guests I have lined up in the next few weeks!

Episode #56 of The Leadership Woman Podcast! I met Jess Majekodunmi some years ago when she was brand strategist for Girl Effect in Ethiopia, trying to impact the lives of 14 year old girls. She is now Director of the Human Science Studio of Accenture based in The Dock, Ireland and she got there by taking on roles she had never done before and being a beginner in the room. She also works with leaders to ask different questions. Not the usual 'how can we?' but asking 'should we....?'  For example, should we automate this activity? Listen as she talks about growing up in England with Nigerian and Irish roots and how she learned to accept that there are many ways to be creative.

I thought a lot this week about what could I speak about as we all try to understand and manage what is happening in the world. I have been in many conversations this week and people wanted to talk about the events and their effect. As well as directly affecting Ukrainian people, Russians who I know in Europe are being treated differently and sometimes blamed for Putin's actions. In the end, I decided to mention The Gift by Edith Eger, an Auschwitz survivor who spent decades feeling guilty for surviving when others didn't. I think many of us are feeling sad, helpless and guilty that, by and large, we are fine. Our lives are continuing and we can still enjoy life. Listen to my thoughts pulled from Edith Eger and Shirzad Chamine's book Positive Intelligence as I explain why we need to keep ourselves positive and energetic more than ever. It is not a time to wallow in negative thoughts. They help no one. In times like these, we want to be around hopeful, passionate and probably humorous people who keep our spirits up. What I want for us all is to strive to be those people. Thank you for reading and listening.

Et voila! The latest episode of The Leadership Woman podcast. I have been going through John Maxwell's 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth with the Aspiring Leaders Group and thought I would share my thoughts on the law of Environment. You (like an acorn) can only thrive if you are in the right place. Have you known people who do really well in one team and then when they transfer, they seem to go downhill fast? Or maybe you have had that, or the opposite, experience?  It is all to do with the Environment, particularly the people around you. Listen to the 33% rule and decide which 33% are you in? And as important, which 33% are the people you surround yourself in?

A week after International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, I spoke to Myriam Mhamedi to discover what led her to her role in End FGM EU. Born in France and raised between there and Morocco, she talks about the challenges and gifts of being part of two cultures and how they shaped her. Talking about FGM, she says 'everyday people are the ones who are going to change the world'.

Today in The Leadership Woman podcast, I am back to my theme of personal growth and give a quick outline of what I am doing at the moment. Curiously, I forgot to mention my daily Positive Intelligence (PQ) practice which tries to reduce my saboteurs.  The rest is here though. I mention the two weekly leadership groups; the Influencers and Aspiring Leaders, who make what I do all worth while.  What are you doing that will change your life for the better? Have you set the intention?  To quote the ever quotable John C. Maxwell: "Change is inevitable, growth is optional"

A fascinating podcast in which I had my preconceived notion of Siberia challenged:-) Listen to Evguenia Jeitz as she explains how an exchange programme, fully funded by George Soros some years ago, took her to the USA for a year. Far from being a waste of a year which would delay her career, it was the springboard to her moving on into Europe; Paris first and now Luxembourg. If you need inspiration to change direction and follow your interests, this is the podcast for you.    

As this is the 50th episode, I thought no one would mind if I hogged it and talked about 4 things I learned when I was an employee. 1 Promotion is the only way to develop 2 You don't have a right to a career 3 Leaders come in all shapes and sizes 4 You need to be INTENTIONAL to get different results I will begin a new Mastermind Group on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth in February. One hour a week for 5 weeks on Saturday. There are people signed up from Iceland to India (a real stretch of timezones). Let's have a chat if you want to know more or send me a message.

What a way to begin the New Year.  Let's all expect 2022 to be our best year yet! And to get us in the right frame of mind, here is my great friend, Fabiana Mariano Green, talking about her life that began in Brazil, took her to many other countries and now happily settled in Geneva, Switzerland. Hear how a career path can not only go sideways, there are times you have to take a step back to get realigned with who you are. If you want to know more about her, here is her website https://www.leadinlife.com/company/  

We have come to the end of the year for guests and what a note to finish on! I had the privilege of meeting this young man soon after his arrival in Luxembourg.  He asked if he could join a Mastermind group I had advertised on Meetup as he wanted to learn to be a leader.  Although he struggled with the language, he showed up every week, determined to learn. He had decided not to be a refugee who complained, he wanted to integrate into the country that accepted him.  He began to advocate for other refugees and began an association that reached out to other nationalities of refugees. The association also gained money from Mateneen and they trained 400 refugees in the importance of having a calm mind. Listen to his promise to his girlfriend when he had to flee. Worthy of a line in 'Last of the Mohicans!'

We have reached almost one year of The Leadership Woman podcast and I have loved every interview. Listen to Episode 47 with an inspirational young leader, Joy Bonsu Schmutz, who asks herself what are the problems that she can bring solutions to. And at the same time, how does she make those solutions sustainable in a human way? She uses technology to scour the internet to pre-empt possible human trafficking, for example. One thing she said stayed with me. If we don't end treating women as a commodity to be sold, a generation of children like hers may grow up with the wrong perspective of women. That is not the way to be sustainable. Listen to how she takes various ideas and 'just starts!' https://abeyiestudios.com/ Traffik Alert www.traffikalert.com  

Latest episode of The Leadership Woman podcast with Darren Robinson and it is easy to see why he is in the top 100 expats in Luxembourg! He takes us from his fun childhood in Leamington Spa to his career shock in 2018 which pushed him to set up Anderson Wise.  He credits his success to the people around him and is honest about his change of heart over remote working since the pandemic forced change onto us all. We had fun recording it as you will hear from the outtakes :-))  

Latest Episode of The Leadership Woman Podcast! I was curious to know what inspired this well-educated young woman to return to her native Albania and do her best to make a difference. Listen as she describes her family's journey across mountains to Greece when she was 4 years old after traffickers who they trusted stole their papers. We often find it hard to put ourselves in the shoes of people who lost everything and stories like this matter. Anxhela used her experience to go back to her native Albania and see what good she could do, rather than follow the path she was on. Inspiring woman.  

What a treat for the latest episode of The Leadership Woman podcast! If you have a soft spot for a Scottish accent it is an added bonus.  Neil Cocker of Vodafone and Tomorrow Street talks about his early life in a castle (I kid you not), which ignited his imagination. He mentions various roles which created his 'messy CV' and how he fits his novel writing into the hectic world of innovation. Have a listen!  

Welcome to The Leadership Woman podcast! Episode 43 was inspired by a workshop I gave for #Empowerfull on Saturday - a non profit in Albania working to benefit women and girls, founded by the inspirational @Anxhela Bruci. I paused to reflect on some of the skills I have developed over the years that enabled me to give the session.  As you listen, think of the different parts of your life and what you learned. What did you bring with you on your journey that was the most useful? How did you add skills together to create something different that you originally didn't know you could do?        

Many people I interview set off down one path and then change their direction. Listen to Anil describe growing up with his extended family in Chikhli, Maharastra, working in his uncle's shop aged 9 and thinking he wanted to be like the salesmen who visited.   After training in commerce and marketing he realised one day that he wanted to do something that answered the question 'Am I helping nature?'  The two World Heritage sites he mentions near him are the Ellora and Ajanta caves.  

This interview with Zoe Cohen of Extinction Rebellion (XR) was recorded as part of the BCC for Luxembourg Leadership Forum. Many people who listened to this told me they had changed their view on both the urgency of climate change and XR.  Have a listen.

What do you imagine the world of the future will look like?  Will we have deliberately shaped it or transformed something out of the ashes? Listen to this week's episode of The Leadership Woman podcast where I reflect on climate - the subject of the 2021 Leadership Forum of the @BritishChamber for Luxembourg. Take 10 minutes to get into the mood for Wednesday's conversation on Building a Sustainable Future - 6pm at the Chamber of Commerce in Kirchberg. And if you prefer a lunchtime online event Monday and Tuesday click here.  

Listen to my conversation with Mary McGuire, author of the excellent book The Female Edge, out now!   As usual in the podcast, we talk about what led her to this point: from her Irish Catholic roots in Birmingham, her passion for education and the support of her partner of over 30 years - Joy!   https://twitter.com/MarytmcGuire  https://www.instagram.com/marymcguire_99/

If you haven't listened to podcast #37 with Dr Sethina Watson, then you have missed a gem. So much so that I thought some things are worth repeating so this week I have used The Leadership Woman podcast to reflect on her journey.  I pulled out 5 key leadership lessons that are useful for everyone so I hope you enjoy it!

Listen to the latest episode of The Leadership Woman with an inspiring woman - Dr Sethina Watson - who doesn't listen when people say she cannot! Have you ever wanted to do something but people tell you it is not for you?  Here are a few things that Sethina heard over the years: 1 This school is not for you 2 Why not go to secretarial school? 3 Girls don't do science 4 You won't get into University 5 We don't encourage people over 30 to become a doctor (no intellectual aptitude) 6 You won't get into medical school

I am sure I have mentioned Your Brain at Work in previous podcasts but it bears repeating. If we understand how our brain works, we can use it to its best advantage and be more efficient, calm and healthy. We are all human which means we have a limited capacity of 'thinking power' and so we need to use it wisely. In this podcast I describe the stage analogy from his book. #YourBrainatWork #Neuroleadership 

The Leadership Woman podcast is back! Thanks for your patience while I was in the UK reconnecting with family. Listen to Brian Ballantyne as he talks about how his early life led him into his passion for Equality and Diversity which led to him co-founding Men for Inclusion. A candid reflection of his life and what broought him here.

Thank you to everyone who has supported The Leadership Woman podcast. It has reached almost 2000 downloads so I expect this episode to tip it over the edge :-) Last week, people clearly overcame our regional accents as so many of you downloaded my conversation with Jane Cosgrove. I realised when editing it, there were so many things that related to the 12 habits that were outlined in How Women Rise that it bore a closer look.  For example - a desire to please. I would recommend that you listen to Jane's interview first but you will be able to follow this audio if you haven't.  

WARNING Given the comments last week by a certain English baron about regional accents, this conversation has two of them!! I am from north Notts and my guest @JaneCosgrove - People Director of the Civil Aviation Authority - is from Birmingham. :-) As I edited this episode, I realised that anyone who has read #HowWomenRise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith, should listen to this podcast with a list of the 12 habits and tick them off as Jane mentions many of them. This is a must listen for women of all levels but particularly those wanting to rise.  

Do you always do your best? I was worried when I saw this 4th agreement to always do my best as some days are better than others. Is it the same for you? But Don Miguel Ruiz gives a different way of looking at things in his book, The Four Agreements and I hope that this podcast does it justice. Taking action is the key to doing our best so listen and see if you can develop a new habit.  

Listen to Keith talk about his career with NATO and now as a Career Coach in Luxembourg. We had fun recording it and I couldn't resist adding an outtake after the end music :-) He wrote an article for a book which was entitled, 'Mentors, Medians and Minotaurs' which he explains at the end. I have been wondering who the minotaurs have been who sap the life out of you... As usual, it would be great to hear your comments. You can contact Keith via www.keithamoss.com  

As we continue with the book, The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz we come to the 3rd. Don't make Assumptions. Assumptions can cause conflicts and pain and the author says the world would be better if we made the agreement not to make assumptions about anything. To quote my favourite book of the moment, Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine, 'who knows if it is good or bad?' When did you last make an assumption? How could you have viewed it differently? What plan can you have when you notice that you have made an assumption?

Imagine you had to write your Master's thesis in these strange times; with restricted social interaction, limited travel and confined in what was briefly a war zone! Anyone who has written one knows it takes hard work in 'normal' times and the last year has been anything but normal. Listen as Ruby gives us a millennial's view of her challenges, and how it feels to hand it in on time. 'Invincible!'

Do you sometimes take things personally? I know that I do and then I find out later that the person didn't mean me. And even if they did mean me I now realise that I have a choice whether to accept it or not. Listen to this short podcast with my thoughts on this 2nd Agreement from the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. If you missed the 1st one, it is podcast #26.  

Immigration to the UK is a much discussed topic at the moment and in this latest podcast, Daniel talks candidly about growing up as the child of a Hungarian father and German mother in a time when if was possible to thrive. He talks of the importance of understanding who you are. In following your intuition and interests rather than a career plan to a role that may not exist in the future. A passionate advocate of the need to change to create a sustainable future, he is developing a startup in Luxembourg to help GenZ understand finance.

Have you read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz? It's a useful book in the personal/leadership growth arena which I have used in  leadership roundtables. The simplicity of the theory belies the difficulty in putting these agreements into practice.  Ruiz (from ancient Toltec wisdom) is convinced that these 4 agreements are all you need to transform your lives. Listen to the first agreement - BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD.        

Do you spend your life looking for things you've lost? In this episode I focus on how we can turn a challenge into a gift or opportunity using the Three Gifts technique from Positive Intelligence. I am open about being an imperfect human who doesn't always see the point of being organised until hit by a 'disaster!'

This week I thought I would give you an insight on the topics that I have been reading, discussing or thinking about over this last week. 1 ARTICLE - Flex working post covid. IMD Sam Smethers 2 HOW TO STOP RUMINATING - How Women Rise Sally Helgesen & Marshall Goldsmith 3 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUDGING & BLAMELESS DISCERNMENT - Positive Intelligence  Shirzad Chamine 4 EYE ON THE FUTURE -  Post Growth - Life after Capitalism - Tim Jackson

For those who like to hear the whole interview unbroken, here it is. What brought Marcus to decide that enough was enough? He could stand the lies from politicians no more - he would take Boris Johnson to court for lying!   Hear about how he began, what kept him going and the potentially explosive documentary due this autumn 2021.

In Part 1 we heard what decided Marcus to tackle lying in politics, from ALL parties. In Part 2, he talks about the devastation of the High Court throwing the case out after less than 24 hours deliberation, what keeps him going, and what is coming in 2021! You can follow him on Twitter @marcusjball to see the story continue.  

How many people at the age of 26 would decide to take the Prime Minister of the UK to court for lying?! Many of us disagree with things that happen around us but how many of us decide to do something other than moan? Listen to the first part of my interview with Marcus Ball who as a non-lawyer, took a private prosecution in 2019 against one of the most influential politicians in the world. To follow his progress and look out for his documentary, find him on Twitter https://twitter.com/MarcusJBall      

Think back to when you moved to be a leader of a new team; a new organisation; a new political party maybe, like Jeremy Corbyn to Keir Starmer. How do you wish the previous leader had acted? When it comes to you passing on the baton, this podcast is for people wanting to leave well.... Here is the link to John McCain's speech making way for Barack Obama in 2008, which I mention as one of the best examples of a person putting party and country over personal interest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvgqRKYapU8&ab_channel=C-SPAN

Are you living a stressful life? Surrounded by negative messages? Taking no time for yourself? What happens when it all catches up and turns into a DISEASE? I am very grateful to this week's guest, Denise Clarke, for trusting me with her story which only her family and close friends knew until now.  I met her a few months after her first diagnosis of an inoperable tumour.  How we lead ourselves in times of crisis is an indication of character and I invited her to share how she took control of her life and walked towards joy. She now uses her experience and psychotherapy training to prevent others going down the same path. Notes: TED Talk Rangan Chatterjee - How to make diseases disappear Action for Happiness - location of groups. (Click on the map to join next session in Luxembourg 11 May.) Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramahansa Yoganand Musician - Fia Love, Medicine and Miracles - Bernie Siegel

I was asked a question about vulnerability in a the Aspiring Leaders group last week.  In particular, is it ok to be vulnerable in every profession? If you have not listened to the 2011 Ted Talk on the subject by the fabulous Brene Brown, I recommend it. If Leadership is influence, then we cannot influence anyone if we don't first connect. Showing our true selves and being vulnerable is the way to that connection.

I love the quote 'Be a River not a Reservoir'. It seems to fit training and mentoring well and pushes us to pass on what we are learning, not waiting until we become an expert.  What are you learning and how can it add value to others?

What happens when you put your heart and soul into a business and you watch it die when Covid hits? How can you pick yourself up and face the reality of 'What now?' Listen to a story of determination, preparation and growth that made sure that Annica was ready when opportunity knocked! #Podcast 

What's the thing you hate most? Mine is organising - sorting stuff out - choosing what to keep and what to throw out, or deciding what to do now and what to do later. The good news is, there are ways we can calm down our brain to make the tasks we hate more do-able. There are 6 tips at the end! #podcast

[Transcription link below] Do you have a leader you enjoyed working with? Who brightened up the office because he got up every morning and decided to be happy? Mike Jeacock is such a person for me. Former Executive Director of the Legal Services Agency, COO of Jersey's financial regulator and all round 'good egg' talks to me candidly about his experience as a leader and how, above all, to be people focused. For non native English speakers, this accent is Mancunian (Manchester) :-) Transcription can be found here - https://www.jillsaville.com/podcast-transcriptions.html  

John Maxwell says 'Leadership is Influence, nothing more nothing less' and I like that definition because a) it is simple and b) we all have influence with someone and can increase it. In this podcast I go through John's 7 pillars of Influence.  Which ones do you rely on to grow your influence with people? Remember to follow the podcast to get reminders when I post them on Mondays. Also, I love to receive comments and questions which I can cover in future episodes.

It is said that our choices in life have made us who we are. My friend Dieter Jansen has written a great book - Decision Point - with stories of his life and decisions he made. He joins me on the podcast and explains how the book is structured and we discuss some of the questions he poses like: Do we play to win or PLAY NOT TO LOSE? Do we respect all or some people? Do we want to be popular or hold our principles? I hope you enjoy it and please leave any comments, questions or suggest topics for future podcasts.