What can leadership learn from nature? And from fishing in particular? From operating in demanding, choppy waters with lives on the line to the individualised attention each catch needs, there are a great many similarities according to my guest in this episode, Oleg Konovalov. As you’ll hear it’s not just fishing but nature itself that can teach us…

How do you respond when you’re caught off guard? Imagine holding a meeting but you don’t know how to respond to a situation. The way you react to your anxieties can negatively impact the outcome you want to achieve. It doesn’t have to be this way; you can be prepared. In this episode I am joined by Matt Abrahams, an expert in communication. He says…

What impact do the biases you hold have on your work? Living and working in a more critical manner allows you to be more informed and less impacted by bias. This can have positive impacts on your work and those around you, just by challenging yourself to think differently. In this episode I am joined by Alex Edmans, author of May Contain Lies. He s…

How well do you ask questions? Asking questions can be more than a way to elicit an answer. They allow us to form connections. Used in the right way they are a powerful tool for us to learn from each other. In this episode I am joined by philosopher, Dr Pia Lauritzen, who spends her life researching the art and science of question-making. This is b…

Fixing problems is often seen as a slow, complex process but it doesn’t need to be this way. You can solve the hardest problems your organisation faces at speed; you just need to know how. In this episode I am joined by Harvard Business School professor Francis Frei. She talks about what it takes to build trust fast, and how to focus on the hard pr…

What is the culture in your organisation like? Culture is more popular and necessary for management to consider than ever. Talking about culture is one thing, improving it, evolving it into something better, more inclusive, and higher performing is quite another. In this episode my guest is Aga Bajer, a leading authority on culture. We talk about w…

What type of stimuli helps you to think? Leaders often shy away from using visual stimuli as it can be seen as gimmicky. But knowing where, when, and how to use it can transform how problems are solved. My guest in his episode is Holger Nils Pohl, one of the best at using visual thinking to tackle complex problems. He discusses how to apply it, and…

How do you create purposeful success? As a leader it can be challenging to define what success means to you. To achieve this, you need master your inner journey by reflecting, collaborating, and reinventing yourself. My guest in this episode, Paolo Gallo, is an expert in developing leaders who do just this. We talk about the importance of foundatio…

Are you considering a career transition? More people are. But it’s not an easy endeavour. It comes with a sense of excitement and fear. In this episode Herminia Ibarra gives insights into what it takes to transition careers. She discusses why having a grand plan is the wrong move, the importance of developing your own story and why practice makes p…

Is your company a responsible business? Taking the higher ground in business is integral to doing work ethically and with integrity. This is a necessity if you look at the systemic challenges we're facing, whether it's climate change, social inequality, or fragile geopolitics. My guest in this episode, Alison Taylor, shares her wisdom and recommend…

Have you ever suffered from anxiety? We all have anxiety. At best, it gives us energy, drive and ambition, but at its worst it can be debilitating. I haven't met or worked with a leader who isn't anxious. The problem is that not many talk about it privately or even publicly. My guest in this episode, Morra Aarons-Mele, is raising our consciousness,…

How do you rate your communication skills? Being able to communicate with creativity and conviction is something leaders need to encourage their teams to contribute more and give meaningful ideas. In this episode I am joined by Neil Mullarkey, comedian, actor and coach to senior executives. He is also a co-founder of the world-famous Comedy Store p…

How do you view work life balance? For some it's an indulgence or luxury, for others, it's an essential, non-negotiable aspect of work and life. Whatever your view being more aware of what you want in life is surely an important step for all. In this episode I am joined by Dan Pontefract, who redefines and refrains it by calling it work life bloom.…

How can you improve your customer and employee experience? People in the CSuite can forget customer and employee experience are linked. If you change how customers interact with products or services, your employees change the way they work too. In this episode I am joined by Tiffani Bova, a growth expert. Her research shows 80% of customer facing e…

How can you undergo digital transformation successfully? Too often, it is led without a clear vision by those at the top of the organisation who are just looking to launch technology pilots across the business. To do it well means you may have to challenge your thinking to inspire new ways of working. David Rogers is my guest in this episode, an ex…

What dictates meaning? Cultural engagement plays a critical role in influencing people to think and act differently. It can be the difference between meaningful or transactional relationships. To be successful in marketing we need to understand people's values and beliefs more deeply, and how we can then appeal to them. My guest in this episode is …

What does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? Discipline for a start. Not just in your work but how you stay true to your values and the way you lead your life. It’s one of the reasons why Keaton Hoskins, my guest in this episode, has successfully scaled a number of multi-million dollar businesses. Keaton discusses how he identifies unmet need…

Have you ever felt stale, overwhelmed or directionless? You might be performing well, but something's missing. The voice inside your head is getting louder, asking you questions about what your purpose is in life, what you are here to do, and who you are here to serve. My guest in this episode is Tammy Gooler Loeb and she helps people find answers …

How should we be using AI positively and constructively? AI is part of our lives both personally and professionally whether you like it or not. Any senior executive or entrepreneur should be learning more about how best to use AI in their organisation, but there are many implications of its use that need to be considered. In this episode Juliette P…

What can we learn from our childhood? Imagine sailing around the world for 10 years starting from the age of seven, covering more than 47,000 nautical miles. You experience different cultures and enjoy some amazing sights, whilst also dealing with many hardships, including isolation, hunger, and a lack of education. That was Suzanne Heywood's child…

What can we learn from Chinese entrepreneurs? China is home to some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and companies. Yet, much of the management thinking and practices we use comes from Western companies. This episode fills this gap by delving into what it takes for companies to thrive in this dynamic, unpredictable, and hyper-competitiv…

How do you connect in a virtual world? The virtual world was thrust upon us all with the pandemic and it has since become a way of working life. That doesn’t mean everyone makes their virtual work engaging, inspiring and thought provoking. Robbie Samuels is the perfect guest to talk to about creating virtual events people will remember. He talks ab…

How does nutrition impact strategic leaders? This episode is all about feeding your brain and body with the right stuff. In other words, how can you enjoy a good nutritious diet, and why it matters for our performance and wellbeing at work, and indeed in life. Dana Chapman, a leading nutritional therapist joins me to share her advice on how to do t…

How do you develop a reinvention mindset? Who better to talk with than Aidan McCullum, who's used this mindset as he's moved from being a professional rugby player, to commentator, to innovation leader, to transformational consultant, keynote speaker, and host of the successful Innovation Show. He talks about what it takes to reinvent yourself, how…

How do you stimulate innovation? In this episode, Alex Osterwalder, CEO and Founder of Strategyzer, talks about what it takes to stimulate and pursue innovation in a difficult and dynamic context. He talks about why CEOs need to invest at least 40% of their time on innovation activities, how they should use new measures (AKIs that complement OKRs),…

How do you lead creative people in a high profile organisation like the BBC? Tom Fussell is the CEO of BBC Studios, the BBC’s production and distribution business. Most recently, his team was responsible for the coverage of the King’s Coronation and the Queen’s Funeral. It doesn’t get much bigger or more under the spotlight than that. In this episo…

Do you let the little things get to you as a leader? Everyone has those moments of irritability that you regret afterwards. You were stressed. It happens, doesn’t it? But it doesn’t have to if you know how to manage your microstresses and what causes them. As a leader you can be more resilient and create a stronger, richer identity if you know how …

Why should companies encourage their employees to build their personal brand? A question that many companies shudder at the thought of. Individuals sharing their own ideas and opinions can’t be good for the company, right? Wrong. Personal branding can be used by companies to share values and ideas through the individuals that work for them with far…

Do you get enough sleep? The answer to that question has far reaching implications for your health, performance and wellbeing. As leaders there are many benefits to ensuring sleep is prioritised over work, from being able to make better decisions, improving your mental and physical health, to getting the best out of your teams. But how do you ensur…

How do you create the best places to work? This is a question many leaders are asking themselves as they figure out new hybrid environments. To do this, they need to understand the features and characteristics of high performing workplaces and the enabling organisational culture. In this podcast, Julia Hobsbawm, author of The Nowhere Office and Blo…

How do you lead a group of clever, brilliant people? That’s a question I posed of Francois Ortalo-Magne, Dean and CEO of the London Business School. We delve into his world as the leader of the one of the world’s most prestigious business schools. We talk about: Harnessing the collective intelligence of his faculty and students for the greater good…

How good is your writing at work? It's rather important. Think about your bids, pitches, presentations, Executive or Board papers, investment cases and, of course, emails. Too often writing is dry, technocratic, and overly complex. It makes it hard for the reader to understand in one go, or at all. It limits your ability to convince them of your th…

The news is littered with examples of ethical lapses and corruption. In fact, a Strategy& study showed that it was the biggest reason for CEOs resigning. Yet, compliance is still a word and a practice that is not always considered pivotal to the success of organisations. It’s often perceived as part of the bureaucracy that stops or slows down progr…

How much do you suppress your emotions at work? What if you could be more aware of them, in control of them, and learn from them? That’s the topic of my conversation with Liz Fosslein in this episode. She shares her stories, research, and experience of tapping into Big Emotions, captured so brilliantly in her book of the same name, co authored with…

You’re looking to build a higher performing team, or organisation, where more people can do their best. Sounds simple, right? But there are some biases and blockers in the way. You know that you’ve got work to do but you’re not sure where to start. You look around and realise that you hire and promote people who look like you and the other members …

What can a banker who built one of the biggest financial empires in the world and was a major philanthropist teach us about strategic leadership? A lot, in fact. I talk to Dan Gross, the author of a biography on Edmond J. Safra called ‘A banker’s life’. It’s a fascinating counter to many of the practices we hear and see – for better or worse – in m…

Bill George tells me that this the most difficult time to be a leader he’s seen in his life as they face major generational, political, societal shifts and challenges. The traditional command and control approach to leadership and management doesn’t work. Instead, we need more authentic leaders have a clearer, longer-term view of what it takes to m…

What would it take to show and give your absolute best at work? Even having to ask the question suggests there’s something amiss. Perhaps it’s because we’ve been told what we’re not good at that we’ve forgotten what we are good at. Or we’ve been wearing a mask for so long that it’s all become part of a performance. Andy Woodfield has spent his care…

When you’re feeling life is tough, you’re typically told to ride it out, put your head down, get through it. That might help some people, for a while. But it’s missing something. Only when we reach out to others, find a connection, get some support that we truly feel better – using fortitude. In this podcast Bruce Daisley challenges conventional wi…

Inclusion has been one of those terms we might reserve for HR, an initiative, or a special interest group. Wrong. It’s critical to the success of any organisation, and a moral responsibility. For too long, traditionally disadvantaged groups – by race, gender, sexuality – have progressed slower and had poorer experiences at work. Their leaders – fro…

We’re moving into the age of psychological capital based on curiosity and creativity. We need to harness data on behaviours more effectively to help us understand people in an unbiased, objective, and meritocratic way. It might sound straightforward but it will require overcoming resistance especially from those who have grown into senior leadershi…

How strategic are you with your time, attention, and energy? Many successful executives aren’t, surprisingly. Their days are overly busy (some feel proud of this), as if their schedules run their life. They’re racing against the clock, trying to get through never-ending to-do lists. They feel exhausted by the weekend, and frustrations fester as the…

Work relationships can be hard. Too often we grin and bear it as if we have no choice. Or throw up our hands because one-size-fits-all solutions haven't worked. Many of us walk away, avoiding difficult people. But we can only endure so much thoughtless, irrational, or malicious behaviour—there's your sanity to consider, and your career. In her book…

Time is running out for our planet. We are taking more than we are giving. CSR targets don’t go far enough. And societal inequality is on the rise. It requires a rethink of how we do business, how we lead organisations, how we measure impact. Who better to set out the manifesto for change than Paul Polman, the former CEO of Unilever and co founder …

You feel there’s something important to say at work. An idea that could make a big difference. Or a behaviour that’s not good. But you’re not sure whether you should because there isn’t enough psychological safety. Perhaps there’s toxicity in the culture or a strong prevailing way of doing things. You calling something out might be risky to your st…

Many organisations say that they are customer-centric. But when you look inside they’re far from it. Customers come a distant second to their product or service. And when they do focus on them, they often apply simplistic assumptions about how we think, feel, and behave. Andrea Olson is a behavioural scientist who has studied how to learn what cust…

About Jeffrey: Jeffrey Shaw is a speaker and small business coach who helps self-employed and small business owners gain control of their business in what seems like otherwise uncontrollable circumstances. Drawing on his experience as a renowned portrait photographer, Jeffrey shows business owners how to see business through a different lens and st…

You're a founder, Board member or Senior Executive. Tasked with scaling your business profitably and sustainably. But you're facing a complex, dynamic, volatile and uncertain environment. How do you make smart decisions about where to focus, and how to stimulate innovation in a world of ecosystems? How do you use venture capital wisely? How can you…

How do you scale-up a start-up? How do you make sure a large corporate doesn't stifle innovation? These are questions - and many more - that Steve Blank has been addressing for decades as one of the world's leading authorities on entrepreneurship and innovation. In this podcast find out what: Companies do to innovation as they grow. The problem wit…

Summary: Imagine your daughter or son, niece or nephew telling you that they couldn’t access the facilities like a museum, taxi, or arts gallery. What would you do? You’d feel disappointed. You might even write a letter to complain. But would you try to overhaul the system? That’s a big ask for any parent or relative. But that’s exactly what Janice…