Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Leading Through Uncertainty
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| #107: Donna O’Toole on a strategic approach to winning awards | 24 Jun 2024 | 00:36:16 | |
Donna O'Toole is the Founder of August Recognition, a business dedicated to helping other businesses to win awards as part of their marketing strategy. Donna and her team advise on the strategic timing of award entries, leveraging past successes, and aligning award participation with business goals. Donna also talks about her own challenges as a business leader, including navigating uncertainty, adapting to change, and providing clarity to her team. I’ve entered and won awards in the past but Donna has explained how much more there is to creating a compelling entry. I particularly loved her award personas and the fact that mindset and different perspectives are also a key component to being successful. I’ve worked with Donna and her team over several years and seen her grow her business substantially. Their dedication to helping their clients demonstrate credibility and achievements is exemplary. Donna’s ability to balance business ambition with empathy ensures she gets the best from and for her team, enabling them to do the same for their clients. How well are you balancing results, with empathy and relationships? You can find out more about Donna O’Toole and August Awards at https://www.augustawards.com Topics covered:
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| #106: Eman Al-Hillawi on piloting her way through business adversity and recovery | 18 Jun 2024 | 00:32:23 | |
Eman Al-Hillawi is the CEO of Entec Si, a business change management consultancy. Eman discusses the challenges her business faced during the pandemic, including the financial strain and the emotional impact of redundancies. She reflects on the importance of relationships and the need to balance business growth with nurturing the team. The conversation also covers the shift to hybrid working and the significance of trust and flexibility in the workplace. Eman is such an inspiration and I love the parallels between managing uncertainties as a pilot and in business and the importance of preparation, risk assessment, and adaptability. Having worked with Eman over a number of years, I know how hard it has been for her to navigate the challenges of recovering from the pandemic. Her resilience and honesty are inspiring. So many businesses have had some tough challenges since 2020 with recovery from the pandemic, as well as navigating new innovation and new ways of working, and yet so often people have struggled alone. How are you faring in the post-pandemic era and what do you need now to support you to move forward? You can find out more about Eman Al-Hillawi and her business at www.entecsi.com Topics covered:
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| #97 Anne Shaw on West Midlands transport and leading change | 28 Feb 2023 | 00:37:15 | |
Anne Shaw is the Executive Director for Transport For West Midlands. She talks about the challenge of managing a variety of stakeholder groups, from users to transport providers, the government, as well as her own team. She explains that change can be positive or negative for people by how well we engage and include them in the process and decisions. Anne recognises the need to balance the needs and desires of everyone, with the primary focus on the end users who rely on the transport services to ensure they are able to access health, jobs, school and other daily activities. Anne has certainly sold the transport industry to me, making it sound exciting with change, innovation, diversity, technology, people and variety at its core. It’s a reminder that when we are curious and passionate about change, it’s much easier to inspire and be inspired. Anne talks about the need to be clear about the purpose behind change in order to help people navigate the emotions and uncertainty with curiosity. Some of the most uninspiring things we have to do could be more motivating by changing how we approach them. What’s the purpose of the change you are experiencing? and how do you use that purpose to motivate yourself and others? Topics covered:
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| S2E3: Jude Jennison reads Leading through uncertainty: Emotional Engagement | 22 Apr 2019 | 00:27:14 | |
Jude Jennison reads chapter three of her book Leading through uncertainty and explains the importance of emotions in decision making and the need to use them as a source of information.
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| Episode 3 - We are not machines! | 11 Dec 2017 | 00:06:39 | |
In this short podcast, I explain why technology has an impact on uncertainty, the emotional challenges we face as a result and the need to embrace them as part of leadership. I also introduce why I work with a herd of horses to help senior leaders and executives lead through uncertainty, how the horses respond and why they create such great learning.
©2018 Jude Jennison. All Rights Reserved.
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| S2E2: Jude Jennison reads Leading through uncertainty: Human beings vs supercomputers | 15 Apr 2019 | 00:21:57 | |
Jude Jennison reads out chapter two of her book Leading through uncertainty and explains the context of uncertainty, how technology is driving a rapid pace of change and the emotional disconnection experienced in work.
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| Episode 2 Elizabeth Cronin NY Victim Services | 01 Dec 2017 | 00:47:23 | |
Elizabeth Cronin is the Director of the New York State Victim Services department. A former lawyer, her team provide support for victims of crime, anything from domestic violence to mass shootings or events like 9/11. She understands the challenges faced daily by her team in leading through uncertainty where anything can happen at any time without warning. There are lots of leadership hints and tips for leading though uncertainty, whatever industry you are in.
©2018 Jude Jennison. All Rights Reserved.
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| S2E1: Jude Jennison reads Leading Through Uncertainty Introduction | 08 Apr 2019 | 00:27:27 | |
In season 2 of the Leading Through Uncertainty podcast Jude Jennison reads chapters of her book, explains why she wrote each chapter and unpicks it.
In this episode, she reads the Introduction.
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| Episode 1 Introduction to Leading through uncertainty | 18 Nov 2017 | 00:05:09 | |
Jude Jennison from Leaders by Nature explains the challenges we face when leading through uncertainty and sets the context for the Leading through uncertainty podcast series of interviews with business leaders.
Jude provides strategic leadership solutions to large organisations as an author, speaker, executive coach and Horse Assisted Educator.
©2018 http://www.judejennison.com (Jude Jennison). All Rights Reserved.
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| #96 Ann Hiatt on failing to learn, insatiable curiosity and psychological safety | 14 Feb 2023 | 00:33:01 | |
Ann Hiatt is a Leadership Strategy Consultant working with scale-up companies to create rapid growth. Ann talks about personal and professional change and the skills needed to navigate the uncertainty of change. She advocates a need for an “insatiable curiosity” and draws on her experience of working with Jeff Bezos at Amazon to demonstrate how companies can grow through a recession through innovation and technology. I particularly liked her phrase “Having talented people is more important than a solid business plan because your business plan can pivot but you need talented people to deliver it.” I’m impressed by Ann’s ability to balance being a perfectionist with her willingness to fail in order to learn and apply the learning in innovation. She draws on Carol Dweck’s book ‘Growth Mindset’ to explain the importance of seeing failure as an opportunity to learn, even though it is excruciatingly painful at times! As we continue to lead change in organisations in a context of economic and political instability, as well as a cost of living crisis, having the resilience and growth mindset to lead through uncertainty becomes ever more critical. Where could you have an insatiable curiosity? Where is the opportunity for you to learn from failure? Topics covered:
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| #95 Gillian Bailey from Maintel on hybrid working and stabilising change | 17 Jan 2023 | 00:38:10 | |
Gillian Bailey is the Operations Director for Maintel, a technology organisation. We talk about the backdrop of the pandemic, as well as economic and political uncertainty and how all of these impact employees as well as business. Gillian explains how Maintel is handling hybrid working and the challenge of balancing the needs of a business with the needs of employees. We discuss the complexity of leading an organisation and developing middle managers to create business results in harmony with the physical and emotional well-being of employees. I’m struck by the courage that it takes for a senior leader like Gillian to put a stop to certain projects in order to focus on the key priorities. Many leaders I talk to at the moment are struggling to prioritise because everything is deemed to be important. We can’t execute as fast as we can create new ideas so it takes awareness, humility and empathy to recognise when to say no and how to make sure the key priorities are aligned all the way through the organisation. Gillian’s humility in recognising that she’s not got it all perfect is refreshing. That humility opens the door for a better quality of conversation. Where do you need to say no? What would you prioritise if you accepted that you can’t do it all? Topics covered:
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| #94 Tony Langham on reputation management and changing behaviour | 13 Jun 2022 | 00:36:40 | |
Tony Langham is the Executive Chair and co-founder of Lansons, a reputation management and public relations firm based in London and New York. We discuss the importance of approaching reputation management as the way people perceive each other and companies. With an increased focus on ESG, Tony explains how companies need to change their behaviour to stay relevant. We also discuss anti-racism, balancing tension with comfort and much more! I loved Tony’s explanation of balancing adrenaline and tension with comfort in order to create change, and engage employees (including yourself!) without leading to chaos and burnout. It’s a delicate balance that many organisations and leaders are grappling with today. It’s also good to hear a white male championing anti-racism and understanding the changes in behaviour that are required to do so. After 33 years of leading a business and a team, Tony really understands what makes people tick and goes the extra mile to make his organisation one of the UK’s Great Places to Work. Where do you need to find more balance? What changes in your behaviour would make your team or organisation a great place to work? Topics covered:
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| #93 Tara Rule on curiosity, coaching and positive mindset | 09 Jun 2022 | 00:30:50 | |
Tara Rule is the Senior Director of Commercial Strategy Go to Market and Operations at Adobe, responsible for looking at how Adobe make smart commercial decisions. Tara manages to juggle her full-time role as a director in a fast-paced global business with launching a leadership programme, being a working mum as well as a professional coach. She talks about the importance of curiosity in leadership, the power of having a positive mindset without sugar-coating reality and how we need to look after our teams. And much more! Tara is so inspirational. Her energy appears to be boundless and she seems to have worked out how to focus on what is critical so she can achieve many things without burning herself out. I also liked the fact that the leadership programme she has implemented doesn’t require one person to do everything. It spreads the load by including many people and enables leaders to collaborate, think creatively and be empowered to shape things. How do you empower your team to be a part of the solution, both the design and the implementation? How could you take more pressure off yourself by not having all the answers? Topics covered:
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| #92 Dr Mersha Aftab on design management and emotional intelligence | 23 May 2022 | 00:40:05 | |
Dr Mersha Aftab is the co-host director for MA Design Management courses at Birmingham City University. She specialises in design leadership within large organisations, exploring how designers design and lead strategically in business. We discuss how designers have a voice and a platform to give them the agency to lead even though they don't have the position in an organisation. We cover emotional intelligence, designing the future and the skills needed to act as a bridge between user experience, technology and business. I like the idea that design management is the bridge between design and business, enabling business to create meaningful products for customers. I’m also struck by the reminder that professionals need to develop new skills in every part of the business. In this case, design thinking requires business to explore business viability, functionality through technology, and desirability from the user experience side. And it's the perfect combination of these three things that make a good product or a good service. And that at the heart of all of this is the emotional intelligence to explore things from different points of view and collaborate effectively together. How do you ensure that business, technology and user experience or employee experience all come together in a seamless way in your business? Topics covered:
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| #91 Phill Elston on inspiring teamwork, collaboration and radical change | 28 Mar 2022 | 00:42:39 | |
Phill Elston is Operations Director of Brompton Bicycle and is responsible for leading the manufacturing organisation in the production of the famous Brompton bicycles. Phill joined the company because his values were aligned, and he felt able to express himself. He talks about the importance of being driven not being at the expense of having joy and fun and seeing a team as an organism. He has a special way of bringing his team together called ‘Rum and Coke’ that has transformed the relationships and results. I enjoyed hearing about Phill’s leadership style and the way he encourages his team to be themselves. I particularly loved his phrase: “I like being myself because it takes fewer calories’! So true! The ongoing and constant disruptive change people are experienced often leads to fear and Phill’s approach to helping his team navigate those fears is refreshing. If we can encourage people to be themselves and show up fully, we can resolve tension and differences of opinion more quickly before they build out of proportion. What are you currently concerned about? What would the authentic version of you think, say and do? Topics covered:
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| #90 Sarah Foster on confidence and the environment | 08 Mar 2022 | 00:33:24 | |
Sarah Foster is the Managing Director of Comply Direct, an environmental consultancy and compliance business. She is also the author of Yabba Dabba Do It, a book on self-confidence. Sarah shares her three steps to self-confidence – Prepare, Do and Review. We also talk about the environment, of course, Sarah’s business is based on it but we also discuss relationships, emotional intelligence, boundaries and so much more! I love how Sarah brings everything back to confidence because, at our heart, we’re all ethical and responsible and want to do great work. We often know what we want to say and do, but when things get tricky, we can so easily get pushed off course and modify our behaviour based on other people’s expectations. Ture collaboration is when we have the confidence to show up fully with what we think and feel and work through differences of opinion that may exist with others. Where are you holding back? What differences of opinion need to be resolved? Trust in your self-confidence and show up fully today. You might even surprise yourself! Topics covered:
Other free resources:
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| #89 Rich Horth on the great resignation and recruitment | 24 Feb 2022 | 00:33:31 | |
Rich Horth is Operations Director for Adecco, a large recruitment agency with 80 offices throughout the UK. Rich talks about the great resignation, how that creates a candidate-led market and what that means for employers. With the highest number of vacancies ever seen, Rich talks about the importance for organisations to look after their employees and keep people engaged. He shares some of the things they do at Adecco to make work more fun. It's easy to think that people leave their job for more money but all the research shows that people leave because of their manager. Not every organisation can pay top salaries so I’m glad Rich offered some alternatives that show people that the organisation cares about them. Ultimately if we know the job market is candidate-led and people are looking for more purpose and a greater sense of enjoyment in their role, every manager needs to consider how they can create that for their team. We don’t need to keep people in jobs they don’t want to be in so sometimes people moving can be an opportunity to do things differently. Who in your team is disengaged and what might you do differently to either re-engage them or reorganise the way you lead your team? | |||
| #88 Cathy Brown on purpose, connection and communication | 21 Dec 2021 | 00:40:05 | |
Cathy Brown is the Chief Executive of i-SE, a social enterprise that provides business support services for social enterprises in the West Midlands. Cathy brings a wealth of experience from both the commercial sector as well as social enterprises and social movements. We discuss the importance of having a strong sense of purpose in an organisation and the importance of social value in business. Talking to Cathy, I’m struck by how everything comes down to connection and communication. If we build good relationships and we communicate effectively, we can do great work in the world that has a positive impact on society. That sounds so easy yet we all know how tricky relationships and communication can be! The purpose of my own business is to enable people to thrive at work through connection and communication. I wonder if we switched our perspective to enabling humans to thrive, we might deliver work that was more purposeful and ultimately lead the change we need to see in the world What change do you want to see in the world and how does your work lead or support that change? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #105: Chad E Foster on resilience and blind ambition | 11 Jun 2024 | 00:40:05 | |
Chad Foster is a keynote speaker who became blind at the age of 21 due to an eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa. Chad had a dream as he was growing up to be in the medical field but had to change this due to his eyesight and ended up going to Harvard Business School and became the first executive to graduate from their leadership programme. I feel grateful for having had the chance to interview Chad. He is genuinely a wonderful human being who has this incredible sense of purpose and meaning as a result of going blind at the age of 21. I love how the tough love that Chad learned from his father is in Chad’s words today. He speaks with such clarity and his words felt like an arrow to the heart, not in a cheesy way but his straight-talking truths hit me hard at moments and make me want to be more ambitious and a better person. In Chad’s words: “The stories we tell ourselves about our circumstances either limit us or propel us towards our goals.” You can find out more about Chad on his website www.chadefoster.com and his book Blind Ambition at www.blindambitionbook.com Topics covered:
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| #87 Bella Lewis-Smith on setting up an employee owned business | 07 Dec 2021 | 00:39:42 | |
Bella Lewis-Smith is the founder and MD of Salad, a design and digital agency based in Dorset in the UK. Bella talks about the process of selling her business to become a 100% employee-owned business and the challenges she faced along the way. She explains how selling the business into an employee-owned trust enabled her to be much more honest about what she wants personally. Even though Bella is still the MD, I can’t imagine how hard it was to let go of making all the decisions when the company was founded by her in the first place. That speaks volumes about her willingness to be bold and courageous, to work through the difficult conversations and build a deeper level of connection and trust in the process. Whether you are considering an employee-owned business model or not, there is much to take from her radical honesty and ability to bring people with her. Where are you not being honest, either with yourself or with others? What would you say if you spoke with the radical honesty that Bella mentions? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #86 Jane Huntington on agile working and technological change | 23 Nov 2021 | 00:32:42 | |
Jane Huntington is the Head of Application Development for Guide Dogs. I’ve worked with Jane and her team and I have some understanding of the complexity and volume of technological change that they are leading. Jane talks about using an agile way of working to lead change, continually taking the next step forward, reviewing progress and adapting quickly where needed. And of course, she reminds us that accessibility is critical when using technology so we don’t leave people behind. What Jane and the Guide Dogs team have done is enhance the way they communicate as a result of remote working. I love how they have a culture of learning something and building on what works and dropping what doesn’t. You can only innovate if you are willing to embrace trial and error. Jane is a reminder that we can use technology to deepen connections but it’s how we use it that matters. That of course is down to humans, to us as leaders. Who do you want to create a deeper connection with and how might technology enable that to happen? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #85 Sope Agbelusi on inclusivity, race conversations and authenticity | 16 Nov 2021 | 00:38:46 | |
Sope Agbelusi is a leadership consultant and coach and founder of the business Mindset Shift and the podcast host of Everyday Leadership. We discuss the need for courage and vulnerability in order to be authentic and have an inclusive workplace. Sope outlines the steps needed to create an inclusive workplace and is clear that the conversation is just beginning. I loved how Sope reminds us that creating an inclusive workplace and society doesn’t need to be a mountain to climb but to consider it a bridge to cross to create connection. That can fundamentally shift the way we approach it because when something feels enormous, there is a tendency to drop it and see it as too big a problem. Instead, the invitation is to look at which bridge we can build to support one person and one conversation. Who would benefit from your ability to build bridges and create connection? How might that shift the mindset, behaviour and culture in your organisation? | |||
| #84 Lee Evans on working with fear and living your values | 12 Apr 2021 | 00:34:03 | |
Lee Evans is the founder of Mind Power Solutions and coaches the British Army’s leadership as well as elite athletes and business owners. He talks about how fear is the biggest challenge that every leader faces and how we need to change our relationship with it, moving from avoiding it to working through and with it. We also talk about finding your flow and the importance of self-awareness, especially when you are out of your comfort zone. Lee’s story of working in Afghanistan where he didn’t live his value around listening was such a powerful one and a reminder of how difficult it is to balance different values and be inclusive where others may have a different set of values. I echo his belief that living values is a courageous act and defining them without living and breathing them is worse than not defining them at all. How well are you living your values? What happens when your values are at odds with those in your team? Contact Lee: www.highperformancegrowth.com Contact Jude: www.judejennison.com | |||
| #83 Mary Gregory on leadership, the ego and self-awareness | 09 Feb 2021 | 00:36:52 | |
Mary Gregory is a leadership consultant and coach and the author of the book Ego: Get over yourself and lead. We discuss the emotional side of change and the need to include the people side of change as a priority. Mary unpicks the ego in leadership and in relationships, exploring how it can be useful, as well as how it can get in the way. We discuss the shadow side of leaders, the importance of self-awareness and making conscious choices in service of the team and organisation. Talking to Mary, I’m reminded of the importance of fine-tuning, to reflect on the choices we are making moment by moment in how we relate to others so that we get the best out of teams as well as bringing our best leadership to work. What small change might you make today to make you more effective as a leader? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #82 Rebecca Mander on overcoming personal setback | 26 Jan 2021 | 00:31:46 | |
Rebecca Mander is the Founder of GuruYou coaching. As an executive coach, she specialises in supporting people in business who are undergoing personal setback. None of us are strangers to personal setbacks. We all experience challenges in life and work. Rebecca is an inspiring leader who has turned her own personal setback into a business supporting others. I first met Rebecca two years ago and I invited her to share her personal story on this podcast. Her story is both heartbreaking and inspirational. She has applied what she knows and it works. I’m always struck by what it takes to bounce back from personal setback and how we all do it in different ways. Rebecca is one of the most warm-hearted, generous and giving people I’ve ever met. Her warmth always lifts a room. She’s a testament to the incredible human spirit and what we can overcome. The key thing is reaching out for support – something she does wholeheartedly as well as giving generously. I encourage you to do the same. What’s your biggest challenge and who might support you and give you a new perspective on it? | |||
| #81 Rachel Fletcher from Ofwat on collaboration and problem solving | 12 Jan 2021 | 00:35:11 | |
Rachel Fletcher is the CEO of Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales. Rachel shares the challenges for the water industry of the increased demand for water and the expectations on the environment. She talks about collaboration with different companies, as well as local environmental groups, communities and end users. Partnerships and collaboration are the key to everyone being part of the solution, a message that is very relevant to other businesses and industries too. The subtlety of collaboration requires an ability to have humility, vulnerability and to relinquish control. In talking to Rachel, I’m struck by the delicate balance of problem-solving in an emotionally intelligent way using data and science to inform and guide. Our world is no longer binary, so we need to work in a more systemic and distributed way so that everyone becomes part of the solution. I think this applies to any business and industry. How can you collaborate with others outside of your team or organisation? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #80 Jess Lonsdale from Virgin Media on being human in the workplace | 05 Jan 2021 | 00:37:26 | |
Jess Lonsdale is Internal Communications Director for Virgin Media. We discuss the importance of engaging in dialogue in a crisis to stay connected to employees. We also discuss the vulnerability of emotional connection, bringing your whole self to work, being more human in the workplace, changing the world, pushing boundaries, empowering others, resilience, and so much more! My head was buzzing after talking to Jess. We covered so much – from remote working to being human. Jess’s warmth shines through and it shows that when there is the desire to create emotional connection, we can drop the masks and just show up as human beings. I love Jess’s view that we should try to change the world. I think if we all do a piece of that, we genuinely can. How does your work make a difference? In your team? Your business? And in the wider world? And how can you create a more human conversation in your team? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #79 Deb Leary of Forensic Pathways on innovation and trust | 08 Dec 2020 | 00:34:07 | |
Deb Leary is the CEO of Forensic Pathways, a business she set up in 2001 after overhearing a chance conversation at a police conference. Deb has built her business on innovation, designing products and services that meet specific market needs in the security sector, despite having no prior experience in that market. She talks honestly about the need to know when to let go of products when they are not hitting the mark and to continually look forward, hone those products or develop something new. At a time when every business is having to adapt, it is crucial to consider what needs to be re-designed, dropped or created. I loved Deb’s approach to building a team who are better than her, as well as the stories of the family rows they have had around the table. Wouldn’t you love to be a fly on the wall for those? Seriously, I’m inspired by her ability to stay focused on pulling the team together despite their differences of opinion, and the ability to achieve a common goal whilst also providing space for the team to make mistakes. I particularly enjoyed her line: “You have to let your team breathe or you’ll stifle creativity.” With the current uncertainty, leaders and teams definitely need to find a more emergent and fluid way of working together, without the need to control. Where do you need to let go of control? What might creativity open up for you and your business? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #78 Rachel Repper on collaboration and COVID-19 response for NHS supply chain | 24 Nov 2020 | 00:32:45 | |
Rachel Repper led the COVID-19 response for the NHS Supply Chain. She was responsible for ensuring that hospitals had the right equipment to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. People’s lives literally depended on her decision-making. She talks about the challenges of leading in a crisis, the learning curve of working with a new and expanded team and how having a shared purpose generated focus and commitment. She’s frank about her limitations as a leader and aware that others can do things better than she can. Such an enlightened and important awareness to have when she was right at the sharp end of getting equipment out to the NHS right at the heart of the COVID-19 crisis. The image I had talking to Rachel is that her mobile phone is like a brick, full of phone numbers of people she can call on, no matter what the crisis is. Building and using the power of your network is underestimated but Rachel recognises that she can’t solve problems alone and having that extended network literally in the palm of her hand enables her to make better decisions collaboratively. I find it a comforting thought to know that in our mobile phones we might just have the answers to all the world’s problems if we are open to reaching out to others. How willing are you to help others? How willing would they be to help you if you reached out to your network? How might you develop your network in a more collaborative way? Somebody’s life might just depend on it. www.judejennison.com | |||
| #104: Fabrice Desmarescaux on How Retreats in Nature Help Leaders Navigate Uncertainty | 28 May 2024 | 00:38:51 | |
Fabrice Desmarescaux is a Partner at McKinsey and works with CEO’s and their teams to increase in their performance and effectiveness. He also creates the next generation of leaders working with team members who are not yet on the executive committee. He talks about the benefits of retreats for his clients and how slowing down and being in nature can have a positive impact. Fabrice tells us the importance of changing the environment and where the team work together helps to see the world in a different way. When immersed in nature Fabrice explains how leaders can deal with uncertainty differently. As someone who works with a herd of horses in nature, I certainly resonate with everything Fabrice talks about. I found myself slowing down and getting really present with Fabrice and my nervous system calming. I’m someone who often works at 300 mph and taking time to be really present is such a gift. For anyone who is sceptical about slowing down, I love how Fabrice explains that nature demonstrates the ability to move from chaos to beauty and order. If you want to create less chaos and more order in your organisation or team, then maybe it’s time for a retreat for you too? How do you ensure you slow down in order to access your creativity and leadership? Topics covered:
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| #77 Jane Ashcroft CBE on care homes, listening and collaboration | 12 Oct 2020 | 00:37:21 | |
Jane Ashcroft is the Chief Executive of the Anchor Hanover Group, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for older people. Jane was awarded a CBE in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to older people, some 7 years ago but as you’ll hear, her passion and enthusiasm for older people has definitely not waned. She talks about the importance of listening and collaboration as a CEO balanced with clarity, scorecards and compliance. I think that’s a tough balance to juggle that she seems to have mastered in her organisation. Jane has encouraged me to think differently about ageing, both in the workplace and for me personally. She was so inspiring in her ideas. I enjoyed hearing about her Grip and Pace approach – the idea that we need to have a grip on the basics and approach change with the appropriate pace. I was struck by the idea that a diverse workforce that spans 4 or 5 generations can work collaboratively together if they have a shared passion and listen to each other’s points of view. That’s so crucial. How do you find the balance between scorecards, compliance and collaborative thinking? How do you encourage diversity of thought as the basis for getting results? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #76 Adrian Packer CBE on education and transforming schools | 05 Oct 2020 | 00:33:14 | |
Adrian Packer CBE is the CEO of the Core Education Trust, who runs a number of academy schools in the Birmingham area. Adrian has a fascinating career, having started as a teacher at the Brit School, teaching pupils such as Amy Winehouse. He was given the unenviable task of turning around a number of failing schools. He’s keen to point out that academically the children were excellent but the governance and finances were all over the place. Here’s what he has to say about aligning a team in a crisis. I loved Adrian’s dogged determination balanced with a collaborative approach. Those two things might seem at opposite ends of the spectrum but I’m impressed by his ability to hold the polarity of strength and gentleness. He had “One Love” as his mantra, knowing that he had tough decisions to make and a variety of stakeholders with differing needs and opinions to manage. I think that speaks volumes about Adrian’s ability to lead and he’s honest about how challenging it is to lead a team in crisis. Where do you need to balance dogged determination with collaboration? Where might a “One Love” approach help you with tough decision-making? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #75 Sally Palethorpe on change management | 28 Sep 2020 | 00:33:26 | |
Sally Palethorpe is the Managing Partner of Inspired Partners, a change management consultancy. She talks about the need to support leaders and organisations through change, using her Other framework which provides the skills needed to lead change. She explains the challenges of changing behaviour and why change programmes fail when we ignore the human beings behind the change. I loved Sally’s Other framework – tenacity rather than resilience. It’s so strange how we still refer to soft skills which are anything but. Some of the hardest skills we can develop are the soft skills. Empathy is tricky – too much empathy and you lose sight of what you are doing, too little and you lose people. Finding that perfect balance is one of the most difficult things you can do in change. How do you strike the balance of empathy and being human so you have the same clarity of direction in harmony with bringing people with you in a way that works for everyone? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #74 Aaron McCormick on personal introspection, empathy, energy and joy | 21 Sep 2020 | 00:43:18 | |
Aaron McCormick is one of my more unusual podcast interviews. Born on the south side of Chicago to a difficult background, he developed an incredible career by bucking every trend and refusing to conform. Instead, he listened to his intuition and inner guidance to be in the 1% of “Best of Best” in IBM as well as running his own tech companies. Aaron’s energy is infectious. I found myself smiling and nodding a lot because he speaks to the need for balance and the polarity and complications of leading our lives. Whilst he talks about listening to our inner guidance and not bowing down to external pressure, I personally know how difficult this is in practice. So many of us have learned to conform, to fit in and belong. If you’re not yet feeling in flow at work or in life, this podcast will encourage to spend more time introspectively. Where are you feeling out of balance? Where do you want more ease and flow? www.judejennison.com Aaron McCormick is the author of Unbounded - Journey to Your Within available from Amazon and other booksellers. | |||
| #73 Denise Bobb on black engagement and change | 14 Sep 2020 | 00:41:04 | |
Denise Bobb is a highly established Portfolio Manager, leading complex change programmes for organisations across both the private and public sectors. I spoke to Denise about how we increase black engagement so that black businesses have a stronger voice as well as BAME employees not being overlooked in organisations. Denise makes it clear that a “spray and pray” approach to racism and black engagement is not going to cut it. She’s advocating a structured systemic approach to educate everyone and that it must be on the agenda of every organisation. We need to plan it in a structured way just as we would a project. The need for greater openness and a willingness to “get it wrong” is crucial if we are to have some of the difficult conversations that need to be had in every workplace and community. There’s lots to be done. What are you doing in your organisation to promote BAME leaders? What are you doing in your community? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #72 Ahmed Farooq CFO of Wesleyan on diversity, ethnicity and role models | 07 Sep 2020 | 00:38:55 | |
Ahmed Farooq has been the CFO of Wesleyan Assurance for 5 years. He talks openly about his experience of being an ethnic minority leader in the workplace, about Ramadan, the vulnerability of being curious about other people and the discomfort of having honest and transparent conversations about race and diversity. Ahmed is such an inspiration and a great role model for future generations. His blend of attention to detail and nurturing others demonstrates his range as a CFO and the ability to bring out the best in others. I’m always talking about expanding our range because the more well-rounded we are as leaders, the more effective we can be in different situations. Perhaps that’s the key to embracing difference too? The more we stretch into new ranges, the more we can acknowledge it in others. Where do you need to expand your range as a leader? How can you embrace diversity in the workplace more? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #71 Piers Tincknell from Atomic Smash on failure as learning | 31 Aug 2020 | 00:34:06 | |
Piers Tincknell is the MD of AtomicSmash, a creative design agency. He talks about the need to adapt and see failure as part of the evolution of learning. He recognises that encouraging his team to learn, to innovate through trial and error is how the business can push boundaries and do great creative work through technology. Piers has such a balance between the art and science of using technology for innovation and he recruits and develops his team in the same way. I’m fascinated by how we blend creativity and logic, left and right brain, to solve some of the problems in the world. With technology being a fundamental part of how we live and work, we need to continually be curious about the world we live in and have the humility to recognise when something is not working. How do you balance creativity and logic? Which one might need more attention in your work or your team? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #70 Andy Childerhouse from Viewpoint on business transformation | 24 Aug 2020 | 00:35:15 | |
Andy Childerhouse is the CEO of Viewpoint. He talks about the transformation of a business that was close to failure to a thriving business today. He led the team to redefine the strategy, business model and product base, and crucially the organisation’s culture so that everyone was engaged in the transformation. Andy’s inclusive team approach shows how important it is to achieve results through relationships. His humility and transparency of communication were key to the business transforming in an agile way in a challenging environment. As we continue to deal with the Covid 19 pandemic, these skills are crucial for every business today. How do you bring people with you at times of extreme change and uncertainty? How do create an environment where communication is transparent and based on collaboration, clarity and empathy? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #69 Amanda Ling from SFM on transforming business culture | 17 Aug 2020 | 00:36:38 | |
Amanda Ling is the MD of SFM Limited. She talks about the challenge of transforming organisational culture when it is less tangible than transforming a business strategy. The way she runs her fascinating business shows the potential of focusing on people, profit and planet and how we need to integrate both critical logical thinking with the emotional connection of the heart. Amanda truly embodies holistic leadership. Amanda is clear that if we want to transform the business culture, we need to be open and honest. I loved her story of three people in a room telling three different stories about the same thing. That is so common in conflict where every perspective is valid and subtly different and how easy it is to misunderstand people. Perhaps if we all listened more beyond the words, we could eradicate conflict and misunderstandings earlier. So much easier said than done though don’t you think? How do you resolve differences of opinion? What changes need to be made in the culture of your organisation for everyone to thrive and what’s your first step? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #68 Derek Redmond world champion athlete on adaptability | 10 Aug 2020 | 00:34:26 | |
Derek Redmond is a British World and European champion of the 4 x 400m relay, having raced extensively in the 1980s and 90s. He talks about how he and the relay team bucked the trend and took risks to gain the edge on their competitors, as well as overcoming injury and switching what he knew about sport to building a business. Derek role models the importance of having humility as a leader in business. He talks openly about his failures, learning from them and taking bold action as a way of having competitive edge. He has picked himself up repeatedly throughout his career and is one of the most warm-hearted people I’ve had the privilege to interview. How do you role model humility and resilience at work? How do create an environment where failure is part of the process of learning, both for you and your team? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #103 Daniel Astarita on overcoming adversity and innovation in retail | 21 May 2024 | 00:35:05 | |
Daniel Astarita is the Managing Director of Kesslers, a business that he bought when it went into administration. He’s also MD of a London-based mannequin business, having bought the assets from another business that had also gone into liquidation. He explains how he took a risk to run the business in a different way. Instead of chasing revenue and profit in isolation, he realised that retail needs to be an experience for the consumer, particularly after the impact of COVID-19 on retail. Regardless of the sector you are in, there is so much to learn from listening to Dan’s story and leadership. What really comes across when talking to Dan is how much he cares about the people and sees them as being fundamental to the success of the business. I love that he encourages his staff to ask questions and seek guidance as much as possible. Having space to be curious is so critical. Dan was open about his leadership, his desire for fairness and honesty and spoke about the emotional toll it took on him when dealing with redundancies which I could really see when talking to him. Where can you be more curious with your team and organisation? Topics covered:
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| #67 Corin Crane of the Black Country Chamber on diverse workforce | 03 Aug 2020 | 00:28:37 | |
Corin Crane is the Chief Executive of the Black Country Chamber and came in to shake up the Chamber for the modern-day. Corin has been CEO at the Chamber for almost 4 years, with a team of 31 people and a £2m turnover. The Black Country is one of the most diverse regions on the planet and Corin passionately champions that diversity. The Chamber and Corin’s aim is to bring businesses together, find them new customers, new ways of working and shout when they are being held back or doing something amazing. I felt inspired after talking to Corin, confident that with the right energy and enthusiasm, regions can transform themselves for the future and business can too. What’s the transformation that your organisation or team need to make to position you solidly for the future? www.judejennison.com | |||
| #66 Elizabeth Cronin of New York Victim Services on adapting quickly | 27 Jul 2020 | 00:47:10 | |
Elizabeth Cronin is Director of the New York State Office of Victim Services. She was appointed in 2013 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. She has had the most astonishing legal career, specialising in the prosecution of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse and sex crimes and worked closely with crime victims. She continues her work now leading the organization that support victims of crime. As such, she applies her own knowledge of people and human behaviour to lead her team. Elizabeth was the first person I interviewed for y previous podcast Leading through uncertainty, so it seems fitting that she kicks off this new podcast Rethinking Leadership Elizabeth is one of many leaders who have had to adapt rapidly to working remotely. What makes her work different from many though is the fact that her team are on the front line, supporting victims of crime, whilst dealing with the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic on themselves and their families. The resilience and fortitude needed to do that is beyond my comprehension. How do you build resilience and fortitude in your team so you can adapt quickly, not just to Covid 19 but other disruptive change in the future? ©2020 www.judejennison.com | |||
| 65: Garry Honey of Chiron on risk, resilience and uncertainty | 12 May 2020 | 00:37:20 | |
Garry Honey runs a business called Chiron, a risk and resilience company specialising in uncertainty. I was excited to speak to him as he approaches uncertainty in a different yet compatible way to me. Garry works with boards of organisations on managing the uncertainty of risk and talks about the importance of treating risk management as part of strategy, rather than compliance.
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| 64: Jude Jennison is interviewed by Duncan Brodie on uncertainty | 05 May 2020 | 00:34:24 | |
I was delighted to have the tables turned this week as Duncan Brodie interviewed me on the skills that are needed by leaders in uncertain times. Of course, I had plenty to say about that. Not only did I write the book Leading through uncertainty, but I’ve also run over 20 masterclasses in the four weeks that we’ve been in lockdown, as well as having additional conversations. It has dominated my thoughts (and occasionally my sleep) as I’ve learned even more from every interaction with every person.
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| 63: Surlender Pendress of Love Writing Co on pivoting her business | 20 Apr 2020 | 00:39:45 | |
Surlender Pendress is MD of the Love Writing Co, a business providing resources for children learning to write. She had to pivot her business rapidly to survive as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown. I’m inspired by her great messages for both small businesses wanting to explore how they stay in business but also for employees who want to re-ignite their passion for the business they work for.
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| 62: Fergal Dowling of Irwin Mitchell on leading in lockdown | 01 Apr 2020 | 00:39:39 | |
Fergal Dowling is a partner at Irwin Mitchell and Head of Employment law. He shares the challenges of moving to remote working with very short notice and how they are operating under pressure with a significant increase in workload at a time when regulation is changing daily.
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| 61: Bev Messinger of IOSH on vision, values and engaging people | 10 Mar 2020 | 00:32:40 | |
Bev Messinger is the CEO of IOSH. A former HR Director, Bev understands how important it is to include people in developing a vision and ensuring everyone is on board. Bev talks about the switch from HR Director to CEO and how putting people at the heart of the charity is crucial to the last three years of transformation.
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| 60: Tracey Pritchard of Prostate Cancer UK on physical and emotional resilience | 03 Mar 2020 | 00:28:27 | |
Tracey Pritchard is Executive Director of Engagement for Prostate Cancer UK. She talks about the uncertainty of life, developing physical and emotional resilience, having a clear vision and being agile and flexible in uncertainty.
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| 59: Anita Bhalla OBE on pushing boundaries and inclusive leadership | 25 Feb 2020 | 00:29:43 | |
Anita Bhalla OBE is a leading figure in Birmingham where she holds a number of key roles, including Chair of the Birmingham Symphony and Town Hall and Head of the West Midlands Combined Authority Leadership Commission. Anita talks about setting up an Asian Women’s refuge in Leicester, her extensive career as a broadcaster for the BBC and the role of the Leadership Commission in engaging business in being more inclusive to lead social change in the region.
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