Explore every episode of the podcast Battling with Business

In this week’s episode we revisit one of our most popular discussions from August 2024 and explore Bruce Tuckman’s model of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. We discuss why high performing teams do not appear by accident and how the journey from uncertainty to trust is often messy, uncomfortable and full of friction. Drawing on experiences from both military operations and commercial product teams, we explore how teams build relationships, develop confidence and learn to work through disagreement to achieve meaningful results.

A strong team is not one that avoids conflict. It is one that understands how to turn disagreement into progress. We examine why the storming phase is often the most important stage of development, how leaders can recognise where their teams are, and why shared experiences create the trust needed for long term success. We also explore the often overlooked concept of adjourning and why teams need time to reflect, celebrate achievements and reset before taking on the next challenge.

Whether you lead a team, work within one, or are simply interested in leadership and management, this episode provides a practical framework for understanding team dynamics. If you have ever wondered why some teams click while others struggle, or how to help a group move from frustration to performance, this conversation will give you plenty to think about.

In this week’s episode we conclude our two part exploration of Xi Jinping and examine what he has done with power once he reached the top of the Chinese Communist Party. We explore the enormous scale of the Belt and Road Initiative and ask whether it is a masterclass in long term strategic thinking, a tool of geopolitical influence, or both. We also tackle some of the most difficult and controversial aspects of Xi’s leadership, including the treatment of the Uyghurs, China’s response to COVID 19, and the country’s approach to Taiwan.

The discussion goes beyond politics and focuses on leadership, management, decision making and power. We explore the trade offs between democratic and authoritarian systems, the advantages of clarity and long term planning, and the dangers of concentrating too much power in the hands of a single leader. Along the way we compare Xi with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Narendra Modi to better understand the different ways leaders pursue influence, stability and national ambition.

This episode brings together the key themes from both episodes. Whether you admire his strategic discipline, question his methods, or simply want to understand one of the most influential figures of the modern era, this episode will challenge assumptions and encourage deeper thinking. If you are interested in leadership, management, strategy and how decisions made at the very top shape the world around us, this is an episode you will not want to miss.

In this week’s episode we start a new Influencers series by turning our attention to one of the most important and least understood leaders in the world, politician Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. We explore how China’s rise from relative isolation to global superpower has changed the balance of power around the world and why so many people in the West still underestimate both China and its leadership. We discuss the long term strategic thinking that sits behind modern China, the country’s 2049 vision for national rejuvenation, and the way long range planning differs from the short political cycles seen in Western democracies.

We also dig into Xi Jinping’s personal story, from growing up as the son of a Communist revolutionary hero to seeing his family purged during the Cultural Revolution. We explore how years spent working as a rural labourer shaped his views on power, stability and leadership, and how those experiences helped forge the leader who now governs more than 1.4 billion people. Along the way we look at anti-corruption campaigns, the removal of presidential term limits, the balance between prosperity and authoritarianism, and the uncomfortable questions that emerge when strong leadership delivers undeniable economic results.

This episode is not about deciding whether China is right or wrong. It is about understanding how different political systems think, how leaders are shaped by history, and why it is dangerous to dismiss competitors simply because they are culturally different from us. If you are interested in leadership, strategy, power, organisational thinking or the future of global politics, this conversation sets the foundation for a fascinating two part series on Xi Jinping and modern China.

In this week's episode we dive into systems thinking and why so many of the problems we complain about in business, government and everyday life are far more connected than they first appear.

We explore why seemingly simple frustrations like potholes, missed deadlines or poor customer service are often symptoms of much larger systems working exactly as they were designed to work. Gareth brings his military perspective while Chris looks at the realities of software development, leadership and business operations, and together they unpack how decisions, incentives, behaviours and unintended consequences shape outcomes over time.

One of the big themes throughout the episode is the danger of simplistic thinking in complex environments. Chris and Gareth discuss why organisations often rush to blame individuals or search for quick fixes instead of stepping back and asking deeper questions about how the whole system operates.

From military procurement and climate change through to burnout in software teams and the economics of running a coffee shop, they look at how systems thinking can help leaders make better long term decisions rather than chasing short term wins that create even bigger problems later.

They also explore the practical side of systems thinking. This is not about building endless flow charts or creating process for the sake of process. It is about improving decision making, understanding relationships between people and teams, spotting hidden dependencies and identifying where small changes can have huge positive effects over time.

If you have ever wondered why organisations struggle to fix obvious problems, why politics increasingly rewards simplistic answers, or why good leaders seem to think differently from everyone else, this episode is packed with practical examples and ideas and a great reminder that better leadership often starts with asking better questions.

In this week's episode we take on a question that feels increasingly uncomfortable in today's climate. Have we been getting it wrong when we've talked about what makes great leaders and leadership? If you watch the news you might be forgiven for thinking that empathy and psychological safety are dead and the old ways of leading are just hippy constructs. Might makes right and all you need to do is just to tell people to shut up and get on with it!

Sitting in a country pub with a drink in hand, Gareth, Chris and returning guest Lisa Lloyd from It's Time for Change (www.itstimeforchange.co.uk), dig into the tension between strategy and leadership, and whether outcomes are starting to justify behaviours that many of us instinctively resist and is what defines good leadership really changing? 

We explore what happens when organisations change direction quickly, sometimes abandoning long held values, and whether that is a failure of leadership or simply good strategy in action. It raises a deeper challenge around trust. If values can shift so quickly, what should teams actually believe in, and how should leaders communicate those decisions so people understand the why, even if they do not like the change.

We also challenge the obsession with speed. For years we have been told to move fast and prioritise action over reflection, but we ask whether that mindset is now creating fragility rather than resilience.

What if the real skill of leadership is knowing the right speed rather than simply going faster? Empathy, psychological safety, and inclusivity all come under scrutiny. Are they strengths, or have they bee misunderstood and misapplied?

We argue that these are not soft ideals but tools, and like any tool they can be overused, underused, or used in the wrong context. The real challenge for leaders is understanding when to dial them up and when to dial them down.

There is no simple answer in this episode, but there is a clear takeaway. Leadership has not fundamentally changed, but the environment has made it more complex and more visible. The leaders who succeed will be those who take the time to think, reflect, and communicate clearly about what success actually means. If you are leading a team, shaping a business, or simply trying to make sense of what good leadership looks like today, this is a conversation worth listening to.

In this week’s episode we take on one of the most uncomfortable realities in leadership and management: what do you do when the problem is your boss? We move beyond the easy label of a “bad boss” and unpack what that actually means in practice, from incompetence and misaligned incentives through to absentee leadership, toxic behaviours and micromanagement. The conversation quickly reveals that this is rarely black and white, and that one of the hardest but most important steps is working out whether the issue really sits with your leader, or with your own expectations, context or perspective.

We share personal experiences of working under leaders whose behaviours had real consequences, including stress and loss of trust, and explore the grey areas where intent, pressure and organisational context complicate what looks like poor leadership on the surface. A key theme throughout is the need for self-reflection and clarity before acting, especially when the stakes involve your team, your career and your own wellbeing.

From there we get practical. We talk through how to diagnose the situation properly, how to approach difficult conversations without emotion, and how to manage upwards in a structured and effective way. We also explore where that line sits between supporting your boss and compensating for failure, and what it really means to protect your team without undermining authority.

Finally, we tackle escalation and the reality that at some point this becomes a personal decision about what you are willing to tolerate. Whether that means nudging, formally raising concerns, or ultimately leaving, we discuss how to act with integrity and effectiveness throughout.

If you’ve ever found yourself questioning your boss, or wondering whether to stay, speak up or walk away, this episode will give you a framework to think more clearly and act more deliberately.

In this week’s episode we dive into one of the most extraordinary leadership stories ever told as part of our Influencers series, exploring the life and decisions of Ernest Shackleton. What starts as a failed expedition to cross Antarctica becomes something far more compelling. It becomes a masterclass in leadership under extreme pressure, where survival replaces ambition and every decision carries life or death consequences.

We unpack how Shackleton built and led a team through conditions that most of us can barely comprehend. Trapped in ice, losing their ship, and stranded in one of the most hostile environments on earth, the mission changed completely. What stands out is not just that they survived, but how they survived. Shackleton’s relentless focus on his people, his ability to adapt the mission, and his clarity of purpose meant that every single member of his core crew made it home alive.

We explore the tension between success and failure and challenge the idea that achieving the original goal is the only measure that matters. Shackleton failed in his stated mission, yet succeeded in the outcome that truly counted. Along the way we discuss team selection, morale, discipline, routine, and the often overlooked reality of leadership which is the weight of making decisions alone.

The key takeaway is simple but powerful. Leadership is not about sticking rigidly to a plan or chasing glory. It is about understanding what matters most in the moment, protecting your team, and having the courage to change course when circumstances demand it.

If you want to understand what leadership looks like when everything goes wrong, this is an episode worth your time.

In this week’s episode we continue our exploration of the second in command and why this role is often the difference between a team that performs and one that quietly struggles. If leadership is usually framed around the person at the top, this conversation flips that idea and focuses on the individual who makes leadership actually work in practice.

We build directly on part one by moving beyond what the role is and into how it is executed well. We unpack how trust between the leader and their second in command is created and maintained, and why misalignment at this level quickly cascades into confusion across the wider team. We also get into the tension of being close enough to challenge the leader while still being fully aligned in public, and why that balance is harder than it looks.

A big theme in this episode is translation. The second in command acts as the bridge between strategy and execution, turning intent into something the team can actually deliver. That includes filtering noise, shaping communication, and ensuring that decisions land in a way that drives action rather than ambiguity. We also discuss how this role becomes a force multiplier by enabling the leader to focus on the bigger picture without losing control of delivery.

We reflect on what good looks like in practice, from creating psychological safety for upward challenge to managing competing priorities without becoming a bottleneck. There is also a candid look at failure modes, including what happens when the second in command becomes either too passive or too dominant, and how both undermine the system.

If you are in a leadership role, this episode will make you think differently about who sits beside you and how you use them. If you are operating as a second in command, it will give you a clearer framework for how to add real value rather than just taking on more responsibility. This is one of those roles that is easy to overlook but incredibly difficult to replace when it is done well.

In this week’s episode we tackle one of the most critical and least discussed roles in leadership and management: the second in command. It is the role that frequently and quietly determines whether strategy actually turns into results, and yet almost nobody talks about it. This is the first of two episodes where we break this down and take a deep dive into the topic.

We explore what a 2ic really does beyond the job title, drawing on both military and civilian experience. We get into the reality that leadership is not a solo act and that the effectiveness of any leader is heavily dependent on the person beside them. From translating intent into execution, to protecting time and focus, to acting as both a challenger and a stabiliser, the 2ic is central to how teams actually function day to day.

A big theme throughout is trust. Trust to challenge privately and align publicly. Trust to take decisions without constant oversight, and trust that both roles are working towards the same outcome even when there is disagreement. We also unpack the risks when this goes wrong, including ambiguity, ego, and the confusion that comes when organisations do not clearly define the role.

One of the key takeaways is that being a great second in command is not just a stepping stone to leadership. It is a distinct role with its own skills, responsibilities, and value. Done well, it creates the space for leaders to think and act effectively. Done badly, it creates noise, friction, and failure.

If you have ever worked in a team, led one, or sat just behind the leader, this episode will likely change how you think about that dynamic. In part two we will go further into how to find great 2ic's, how to develop them, and how to transition from that role into one of the leader.

In this week's episode we get into a question that sits at the heart of leadership but is often misunderstood in practice. Are we actually being strategic, or are we just very busy executing tactics and convincing ourselves that progress equals success? Using the unfolding situation in the Middle East as a live case study, we challenge ourselves to separate activity from intent and to ask what success really looks like when the environment is complex, fast moving and uncertain.

What seems to stand out most in this conversation is how easy it is to confuse doing things well with doing the right things. We explore the difference between measuring performance and measuring effect, and why leaders who focus only on outputs risk missing whether they are achieving anything meaningful at all. We also dig into the danger of having too many goals, or worse, shifting goals, and how that leads to confusion, mission creep and ultimately a loss of direction.

We spend time on the importance of clarity of purpose, the role of dissent and diversity in decision making, and the uncomfortable reality that without challenge and red teaming, leaders can end up surrounded by agreement rather than insight. That leads us into a deeper discussion about truth, narrative and trust, and why leadership credibility depends on being able to explain not just what is happening, but why.

This is one of those conversations where the example is extreme, but the lessons are everyday. Whether you are leading a team, running a product, or shaping strategy in a business, the same principles apply. If you want to understand the difference between activity and impact, and why so many teams drift without realising it, this episode is well worth your time.

In this week’s episode we explore what really drives resilience, leadership, and high performance when everything is on the line. What happens when ordinary people, just like you or me, are placed in extraordinary circumstances and there is no escape from the team, the pressure, or the goal?

We sit down with Felicity Ashley, a mother of three and former marketing leader who decided while recovering from a hip replacement to row the Atlantic. What follows is a story that challenges almost every assumption about leadership, preparation, and what people are capable of when they truly commit to something.

We unpack what it takes to build a team that can survive 40 days at sea on two hours on, two hours off rotations, and why most teams fail not because of capability but because they neglect the fundamentals of alignment, purpose, and relationships. We explore how clear shared intent, deep understanding of individual needs, and deliberate preparation turned a team of underestimated “ordinary” people into a high performing unit.

There are powerful lessons here for any leader,  but more importantly something for each and everyone of us to think about, irrespective of what we do in our day to day lives. We learn why purpose only works when it connects to the individual. Why resilience is built long before the moment you need it. And why small, human actions inside teams often matter more than grand strategies.

If you are leading a team, building one, or trying to understand what separates those who endure from those who fall apart, this episode is worth your time.

In this week’s episode we explore a deceptively simple idea that reshaped the modern world. We tell the story of Malcom McLean and the rise of the shipping container, not as a tale of invention, but as a masterclass in leadership, systems thinking, and the real impact of change.

We start by stepping back into a world where global trade was slow, fragile, and expensive. Goods were moved by hand, ports were bottlenecks, and inefficiency was built into the system. From that chaos, McLean saw something different. His insight was not about building a better ship, but about removing friction across the entire system. By standardising how goods were moved, he connected trucks, ships, and ports into a seamless flow.

The leadership lesson is powerful. Real transformation does not always come from new technology. It often comes from rethinking how things connect. McLean’s willingness to prioritise scale and interoperability over control, even giving up his own patent advantage, shows what it means to lead beyond short term gain.

We also confront the harder side of progress. Entire industries were disrupted. Jobs disappeared. Cities declined. The container made the world more efficient, but it forced painful transitions that leaders struggled to manage.

Whether we are talking about globalisation or AI today, the challenge is the same. How do you lead through change that benefits the system but harms individuals in the short term? How do you communicate trade offs honestly and act early enough to shape the outcome?

If you are interested in leadership that deals with real complexity, this episode is worth your time. It is a story about systems, consequences, and the responsibility that comes with changing how the world works.

In this week’s episode we continue our two part series exploring one of the most unusual leadership problems imaginable. How do you prepare an organisation or even an entire country for something that everyone hopes will never actually happen.

In the previous episode we introduced the idea of the British Government War Book, a set of detailed plans created to guide the country through the first chaotic moments of a national emergency. These documents attempted to answer an extraordinary range of questions about what would happen if the United Kingdom suddenly found itself at war.

In this second episode we move beyond the idea of planning and start asking a more difficult leadership question. How much should leaders rely on plans and how much should they rely on the people expected to execute those plans when reality refuses to cooperate.

That debate leads to a fascinating discussion about the balance between preparation and adaptability. Plans are valuable because they force leaders to think through difficult scenarios in advance. But no plan survives contact with reality and the individuals responsible for executing the mission still need the judgment, experience and confidence to adapt when circumstances change.

We explore how this tension appears both in military environments and in business. Detailed preparation can create clarity and alignment, but it can also create a false sense of certainty. The real test of leadership comes when events begin to unfold in ways that nobody fully predicted.

The episode also reflects on what these historic wartime preparations can teach modern leaders about resilience, decision making and the importance of building capable teams rather than relying purely on process.

If the first episode was about the challenge of planning for catastrophe, this second episode is about what really matters when those plans meet reality. It is a conversation about leadership under pressure and about the human judgment that ultimately determines whether preparation succeeds or fails.

In this week’s episode we start the first of a two part series looking at how people plan for events that they hope will never actually happen.

The story begins with a visit to the National Archives at Kew where Chris spent time reading declassified documents about real British wartime planning that started just after the First World War and continued late into the Cold War. This plan, the British Government's War Book, raises a fascinating challenge that is relevant not just for the Government of the United Kingdom, but also for every other kind of organisation. How do you plan for something that is unlikely but world changing?

In this first episode we explore the idea that good planning is not about predicting the future perfectly. Instead it is about preparing organisations to deal with a range of possible futures. We discuss the concept of a cone of plausibility and why the further you look ahead the wider the range of possible outcomes becomes.

We also look at why organisations often struggle to take low probability but high impact risks seriously until they actually occur. Using examples from wartime planning and more recent events such as the Covid pandemic, we explore how leaders try to make sense of uncertain futures and what practical preparation can look like.

The discussion starts to touch on the British government War Book, a detailed set of preparations that attempted to answer practical questions about how the country would function if war broke out. These plans covered everything from broadcasting and aviation to the mechanics of keeping government running during a national emergency.

This first episode focuses on the leadership challenge of thinking ahead and recognising risks that may feel distant or unlikely. In the second episode we will explore what happens when those plans collide with reality and what leaders can learn when planning meets execution.

If you are interested in leadership, strategy and decision making under uncertainty, this is a fascinating starting point for a conversation about how individuals and organisations prepare for the unthinkable.

In this week’s episode we explore a simple but uncomfortable truth about leadership: pressure is the point. It is not something to be avoided, minimised or delegated away. It is the arena in which performance is revealed.

We sat down with Simon Jeffries, a former Special Boat Service operator turned mindset and performance coach, to unpack what elite military environments can teach leaders in business. From Royal Marines training to Special Forces selection and operational life in small, high stakes teams, Simon shared what it really means to operate when the margin for error is zero.

We talked about the difference between discomfort and damage, and why learning to sit with discomfort is a trainable skill rather than a personality trait. We explored how selection environments expose mindset weaknesses long before they expose physical ones, and why in both military and business settings the stories we tell ourselves under pressure often determine whether we push on or quit.

One of the strongest themes was performance as a system. Not motivation. Not inspiration. A system. Simon broke it down into three practical pillars: hardware, which is your physical state and nervous system; software, which is your mindset and self talk; and structure, which is the habits and routines that either create control or chaos. The insight was clear. Most businesses train skills but ignore performance.

We also discussed small team dynamics, dissent under pressure and why effective debriefs create cultures where vulnerability exists in behaviour even if it is never labelled as such. There were powerful lessons about culture being defined by behaviours rather than words on a wall, and why clarity around expectations beats slogans every time.

If you lead people, run a business or simply feel that you are operating below your potential despite outward success, this conversation will challenge you. It is direct, practical and grounded in lived experience at the sharp end of performance.

This episode is about ownership, resilience and the discipline of showing up well when it matters most. If you want to think differently about leadership and how to perform under pressure, this one is worth your time.

In this week’s episode, re-released from the heady early days of the podcast in 2023, we tackle a question that sits at the heart of leadership and management: how do you move from a bold vision to meaningful action? It is easy to talk about strategy. It is much harder to create a clear destination that inspires people and then connect it to what people are actually doing on a Monday morning.

We explore the concept of the Big Hairy Audacious Goal, first introduced by Jim Collins in Built to Last. A BHAG is not a polite target or a marginal improvement. It is a statement of intent that feels almost out of reach. It should be compelling, energising and transformative. Think of enabling human settlement on Mars, or putting a computer on every desk at a time when computers filled entire rooms. If you already know exactly how to achieve it, it is probably not bold enough.

But vision without execution is theatre. So we introduce the idea of the Three Year Highly Achievable Goal. This is where long term ambition meets operational reality. What does the organisation look like in three years if we are genuinely on track? What capabilities must exist? What numbers must be true? What would customers say about us? By breaking the audacious goal into achievable stages, leaders create a golden thread that links strategy to quarterly focus and even weekly priorities.

Along the way we compare business thinking with military concepts such as operational art and mission command. We discuss how leaders generate the moral energy that motivates people to contribute to something bigger than themselves. We also confront the risk of becoming obsessed with managing the plan rather than delivering the outcome.

If you have ever felt that your organisation has a strategy on paper but no clear sense of direction in practice, this episode is for you. We move beyond abstract discussion and offer a practical framework you can apply immediately. Listen in if you want to connect bold ambition with disciplined execution and give your team a destination worth striving for.

This week we revisit, as a re-released episode, one of the most controversial figures in political and leadership thinking as part of our Influencers series. We ask a simple but uncomfortable question. Do good leaders sometimes have to do bad things? It seems particularly relevant given the world around us today.

We return to Niccolo Machiavelli and explore whether he truly deserves his reputation as the patron saint of manipulation and ruthless ambition, or whether he was in fact one of the first serious thinkers to describe leadership as it actually is rather than as we might wish it to be.

As we unpack The Prince and his wider thinking, we explore realism versus idealism, virtue versus effectiveness, and the enduring tension between being loved and being feared. We look at why Machiavelli separated personal morality from the morality of leadership, why he believed fortune favours the bold, and why he thought leaders must be prepared to act decisively in a world where not everyone plays by the same rules.

This re-release feels strikingly relevant. From modern geopolitics to business leadership and even product management, the dilemmas he described five hundred years ago remain unchanged. How do you balance ethics with outcomes. When does pragmatism become compromise. And if the good people refuse to get their hands dirty, who fills the vacuum.

If you care about leadership in the real world rather than leadership in theory, this episode will challenge your assumptions and sharpen your thinking. Whether you end up agreeing with Machiavelli or not, you will almost certainly see power, influence and responsibility differently by the end.

In this week’s episode we conclude our three part series on AI by tackling one of the most uncomfortable and important questions of all: surveillance, control and the future of decision making.

If AI can see more than we can, interpret more than we can and act faster than we can, what does that mean for leaders, managers and the societies we operate in? Are we witnessing a natural evolution of tools that improve safety and efficiency, or are we quietly normalising a level of oversight that could reshape trust, accountability and power itself?

We explore how surveillance is not new. From CCTV networks to financial forensics, from Rolls Royce monitoring engine performance to battlefield targeting systems, organisations have always gathered data to understand and act. What AI changes is the speed, scale and autonomy of those decisions. Dashboards become insights. Insights become actions. And actions increasingly happen without a human in the loop.

We dig into the tension between efficiency and control. When machines outperform humans, should we step back? Or does leadership require us to retain oversight, even if it slows things down? We examine real examples from autonomous vehicles to military defence systems to workplace monitoring, asking where trust ends and overreach begins.

A central theme emerges: explainability and accountability are not optional. If we cannot understand why a system made a decision, we have already surrendered more control than we realise. The challenge is not rogue robots. The challenge is how people use powerful systems, and whether we build in the guardrails that protect values, culture and civil liberties.

This episode is not about easy answers. It is about asking better questions. As leaders, managers and participants in organisations, we cannot afford to treat AI as someone else’s problem. The pace of change is accelerating. The trade offs are real. The responsibility is ours.

If you care about leadership, decision making and the future of power in organisations, this is an episode you will want to hear.

In this week’s episode we continue our exploration of what it really means to lead and manage in a world increasingly shaped by AI. Rather than asking whether AI is good or bad, we focus on a harder and more important question: how leadership, culture, trust and experience change when intelligent systems begin to make decisions alongside us, or instead of us.

We reflect on how quickly AI is moving from a visible tool to an embedded part of everyday systems, much like navigation or automation in heavy industry, and what that means for managers who may find themselves acting less as decision makers and more as the accountable interface between machines and organisations. We dig into the uncomfortable reality that junior roles, often the foundation of experience and judgement, may be the first to disappear, and ask how organisations can still develop depth, mastery and resilience without simply hollowing out the future talent pipeline.

The conversation then turns to values, culture and trust. If AI systems increasingly communicate with customers, recommend actions, or even shape strategy, how do leaders ensure those systems reflect the culture they claim to stand for. We explore why culture is not something you can just encode once and forget, why predictability matters, and why leading by algorithm demands very different skills from leading by example.

We also challenge the idea that humans will always retain a unique edge, questioning assumptions about creativity and empathy, while still arguing that leadership choices, trade offs and restraint matter more than ever. This episode is not about answers. It is about asking better questions, understanding the risks of being confidently wrong, and recognising that how leaders respond now will shape whether AI strengthens organisations or quietly undermines them. If you lead people, build teams, or care about the future of work, this is a conversation you cannot afford to ignore.

In this week's episode we start a new mini series by asking a question that sits underneath all the noise about artificial intelligence and jobs.

What does leadership and management actually mean when AI becomes a permanent participant in how organisations think, decide, and act?

Rather than debating whether AI is good or bad, we focus on the practical reality that it is already here and already shaping behaviour, decisions, and power. We explore how leaders can lead when parts of the organisation are no longer human, how experience and judgment are built if entry level roles disappear, and what happens to values, culture, and trust when decision making becomes increasingly opaque.

Drawing on examples from business, education, policing, medicine, and the military, we talk through why this is not just a philosophical discussion but a very real leadership challenge.

The leaders who succeed will be the ones who understand how to work with AI as a judgment system rather than treating it as a simple tool or a replacement for thinking.

This episode sets the context for the rest of the series and makes the case that leadership in an AI enabled world will demand more clarity, accountability, and intent than ever before. If you care about building teams, developing future leaders, and retaining trust in complex organisations, this is a conversation worth spending time with.

In this week’s episode we look at one of the most uncomfortable leadership stories of the modern business era. Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos force us to confront how easily confidence, narrative, and status can be mistaken for competence and truth. We explore how a young, driven, and highly credible founder built a nine billion dollar company, attracted world class investors, and became a symbol of innovation, while quietly crossing the line from ambition into deception. We talk about the cult of leadership, the danger of survivor bias, and why we are so keen to believe in heroic founders. We examine the grey area between selling a vision and selling something that simply does not exist, and how leaders can gradually drift from optimism into outright dishonesty without a single dramatic moment of failure. The episode explores integrity, authority bias, and the responsibility of both leaders and followers. We discuss why intelligent, experienced people can still be fooled, what this story teaches us about accountability, and how leaders should balance hope, confidence, and truth when the stakes are high. This is not just a story about one flawed individual. It is a lesson for anyone who leads, invests, follows, or wants to believe in simple stories of success. If you care about leadership, ethics, and decision making under pressure, this episode will challenge some comfortable assumptions.

In this week’s semi-emergency episode we discuss the recent events in Venezuela attempting to look beyond the obvious political and moral dimensions, and instead look to see what we can learn from a leadership, management and culture perspective. Of course, knowing Gareth and Chris it also leads to a conversation about the future of NATO!

If you've ever wondered what it takes to plan a military raid, well you've come to the right place.  Gareth shares his military knowledge and shares what it takes to plan and execute the kind of raid we saw the US deliver in Venezuela on the 3rd of January. 

However, beyond the military approach to planning, we also discuss some of the more uncomfortable truths in leadership and management. Most organisations talk endlessly about leadership and culture while quietly tolerating behaviours that undermine it. What are the short and long term impacts of this raid on culture and strategy not just in Venezuela and the US, but around the world.  Was this raid a brilliant strategic success or is the answer more complicated?

We explore where leadership narratives drift away from reality, why management systems often reward the wrong things, and how well intentioned leaders can slowly lose credibility without ever noticing. We discuss why clarity, accountability, and trust are harder to maintain in modern organisations than most leaders admit, and why confidence is often mistaken for competence.

If you care about building teams that perform under pressure, leading people who trust your judgement, or understanding the potential long term impacts of your tactical actions, this conversation will resonate. It is a candid discussion designed to provoke reflection and, ideally, better leadership in the real world.

Leadership under extreme pressure is rarely about heroic speeches or rank. It is about judgement, trust, and knowing when to lead and when to follow.

In the second part of our conversation with Baz Gray former Royal Marine, polar explorer, leadership coach and now Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London we explore what Shackleton’s Antarctic expeditions really teach us about leadership today. Baz draws on his own experience recreating Shackleton’s most dangerous journey, sailing and climbing with 100 year old equipment, to unpack how teams survive when everything goes wrong.

We discuss why selecting the right people matters more than technical brilliance, how leaders earn authority by being good followers, and why humility and self awareness are non negotiable in high pressure environments. Baz also reflects on transitioning from extreme expedition leadership to a highly traditional public facing role at the Tower of London, and what modern organisations can learn from both worlds.

This episode is for anyone leading teams through uncertainty, complexity, or sustained pressure. It challenges simple leadership models and replaces them with something more honest, demanding, and human.

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener record from one of the most iconic leadership environments in the UK, the Tower of London, joined by Baz Gray, former Royal Marine, Arctic explorer, and Yeoman Warder.

Drawing on a career that spans reconnaissance operations, mountain leadership, extreme expeditions, and senior military command, Baz explores what calm, credible leadership really looks like under pressure. The discussion challenges loud, performative models of leadership and instead makes the case for quiet competence, consistency, and trust.

From leading soldiers in whiteout conditions to shaping behaviour in corporate boardrooms, Baz explains how leaders are revealed under stress, why patience and observation matter more than charisma, and how high performance teams are built deliberately over time.

Listeners will gain practical insight into decision making under pressure, the importance of self control, and how leaders earn respect through behaviour rather than authority. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in leadership that endures when conditions are hardest.

Battling with Business returns with Part Two of its Influencers series on Charles de Gaulle, moving from wartime exile to political dominance and lasting national legacy.

In this episode, Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener examine how leadership is forged not just through bravery or competence, but through narrative control, political instinct, and an unyielding sense of purpose. As de Gaulle outmanoeuvres rivals, frustrates allies, and repeatedly puts the idea of France above consensus or popularity, the discussion asks an uncomfortable management question: when does conviction become arrogance, and when does arrogance become effective leadership?

We discuss the rivalry with Henri Giraud, the power of communication and symbolism, leading without formal authority, and how long term vision can outweigh short term cooperation. The episode also explores de Gaulle’s post war leadership, his role in reshaping the French state, and the enduring impact of values driven leadership.

This is a nuanced discussion about legitimacy, influence, and the cost of single minded leadership. Ideal listening for anyone leading teams through ambiguity, politics, or competing centres of power.

In this Part 1 of 2, re-release of an earlier Influencers series of Battling with Business, Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener explore the leadership and influence of Charles de Gaulle, a figure often overlooked in British narratives of the Second World War. Through the lens of military history and modern management thinking, they examine how conviction, strategic foresight, and personal ego combine to shape leaders in moments of national crisis.

What does it take to declare yourself the voice of a nation when no one has elected you, few are listening, and defeat seems inevitable? Charles de Gaulle did exactly that, and in doing so reshaped France and Europe.

In this episode we'll learn that leadership is not always granted. Sometimes it is asserted. We'll also hear how sometimes strategic thinking often emerges from adversity, reflection, and exposure to different perspectives and that rigid doctrine can be comforting, but adaptability wins in complex and changing environments. We learn more about De Gaulle's personal conviction and how ego can both enable and endanger effective leadership. Influence often precedes authority, not the other way around.

Join us in this first episode and reflect on how de Gaulle’s journey from overlooked officer to self-declared leader mirrors modern challenges in business and organisational leadership. This episode challenges assumptions about legitimacy, strategy, and what it really means to lead when the stakes are highest.

This episode explores how leaders can navigate unprecedented change by understanding the hidden forces reshaping conflict, technology, and decision making. In this conversation with Dr Matthew Ford, we unpack how the smartphone has quietly transformed modern warfare and why leaders in every sector must rethink how they interpret information, manage uncertainty, and respond to rapid shifts.

We start to look at how the smartphone has blurred the line between civilian and combatant, reshaping risk and responsibility and how modern conflict is now inseparable from a participatory media environment where everyone contributes, knowingly or not. We discuss how organisations struggle when they assume they understand the environment and how leaders must cultivate curiosity, humility, and systems thinking.

It's clear that AI is not the beginning of radical change but the acceleration of trends already reshaping society and leaders must protect core expertise while adapting to technological change.

This episode  of Battling with Business dives deep into modern leadership and management through the lens of defence innovation. Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener are joined by John Ridge, Chief Adoption Officer at the NATO Innovation Fund, to explore how technology, agility and organisational culture shape today’s capabilities.

Leaders often talk about innovation, speed and agility, but how do those ideas work when the stakes are measured in national security rather than quarterly targets? This episode reveals what real innovation looks like when it must be fast, iterative and mission‑critical.

You'll hear how and why NATO created a multinational deep‑tech venture fund and how modern defence challenges mirror classic product management problems. You'll learn why iteration, modularity and open architectures matter more than ever and how leaders can create cultures that embrace experimentation while managing risk. We also talk about the critical role of passion, mission alignment and end‑user closeness.

Listen to hear a powerful conversation that blends defence, technology and leadership lessons relevant for every leader, in or out of uniform.

In this episode Battling with Business explores leadership and decision making under pressure through a deep dive into “The War Game,” a five‑part immersive geopolitical simulation from Sky.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-wargame/id1547225334

Gareth and Chris unpack how realistic war gaming exposes blind spots, stress‑tests assumptions, and reveals how people truly behave when everything happens at once.

Leadership is easy when nothing is at stake. The real test is how you think, act, and adapt when the world tilts under your feet.

We hear why immersive simulations reveal more than theoretical discussions, how pressure changes decisions that seem obvious in hindsight, what war gaming teaches us about communication, clarity, roles, and information flow, how leaders can use structured stress‑testing in business just as effectively as governments use it in crisis planning and why confronting unlikely but high‑impact risks is essential for modern leaders.

Listen to hear how a fictional crisis uncovers real lessons for leaders in any environment.

"Thank God I have done my duty."

This episode explores leadership through the life and legacy of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Gareth and Chris unpack the myth, the reality, and the enduring lessons behind one of Britain’s most iconic naval commanders.

What makes someone a great leader when history elevates them to near‑mythical status? And what happens when we discover the real person beneath the legend?

Nelson’s success came from clear communication, trust, preparation, and personal courage. His “Nelson touch” showed how leaders build unity and belief through simple, human behaviours. While mythmaking distorts history, core leadership principles endure across eras and great leadership is not about perfection but about consistent, purposeful action.

This episode encourages listeners to reflect on what truly builds trust and followership, and why understanding leaders of the past helps us lead better today.

In this the week of remembrance in the UK, we commemorate those who have served and died in conflicts.

In a worthy re-release of a previous episode we sat down with Commander Roly Woods, a retired Royal Navy officer with over 46 years of service, to explore the personal and institutional journey of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the British Armed Forces.

This week's re-release is particularly relevant as only this week at the National Memorial Arboretum the Fighting with Pride team were invited to attend the Armistice Day service, in the presence of HRH The Princess of Wales, at which the Bishop of Lichfield talked of HM The King’s Dedication of the LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial.

Roly Woods, laid a wreath at the LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial. The wreath was affixed with a card which read:

“For those members of the LGBT community we have lost, many of whose names we will never know. Lest We Forget.”

As the LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial Officer for the charity Fighting with Pride, Roly reflected on his early motivations to join the Navy, leadership experiences, and the dramatic transformation of military culture since the lifting of the ban on LGBT personnel in 2000.

Together, we delved into the challenges LGBTQ+ service members faced under institutional discrimination, from living in secrecy, to emotional isolation, to dishonourable discharges and loss of medals. Roly shared deeply moving personal stories and historic insights into how courageous individuals and strong leadership drove systemic change across the Royal Navy, leading to today’s more inclusive and emotionally intelligent environment.

We also discussed the ongoing efforts of Fighting with Pride, including:

• Raising awareness of the Veterans’ Financial Recognition Scheme
• Supporting LGBTQ+ veterans in restoring medals and service records
• Building community through initiatives like the Snowdonia retreat
• Leading the creation of the LGBT Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum

Whether you’re interested in military leadership, organizational change, or the evolving rights of LGBTQ+ veterans, this episode provides an essential perspective on how empathy, courage, and advocacy can reshape even the most traditional institutions.

Listen now to hear about the untold stories behind the UK military’s transformation, and how leaders like Commander Woods continue to inspire change today.

Leadership is not just about having data. It’s about knowing when the data matters, and how to apply your experience. In a world obsessed with dashboards and algorithms, are you still cultivating your leader’s instinct?

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth and Chris  dive into one of the most pressing questions for modern leaders: how do you balance data with intuition? From battlefield intelligence to product strategy, they explore when leaders should trust the numbers and when human judgment, instinct, and experience must take the lead.

Data is powerful, but insufficient without human interpretation and strategic context. Intuition is informed by experience, not guesswork. The best leaders fuse insight from multiple data sources rather than rely on one. AI amplifies decision‑making but doesn't replace judgment, creativity, or innovation. Knowing what question to ask is often more important than knowing the answer.

Change is inevitable, but how leaders handle transitions, both their own and their team’s, defines long-term success. In this reflective episode, Chris  and Gareth explore the many faces of transition: from promotions and career shifts to redundancy, retirement, and identity change.

Drawing on Chris’s recent personal experience of redundancy, they unpack how leaders can guide themselves and others through the uncertainty of change with honesty, empathy, and resilience. The discussion ranges from the emotional impact of transitions to practical advice on handovers, adaptability, and reframing identity.

They explore how leadership is tested most during times of transition, how managing emotional as well as operational aspects of change is critical. They also discuss how every transition, personal or professional, is an opportunity to grow. Leaders must support both those leaving and those staying behind and change, handled well, strengthens resilience and adaptability.

If you’ve ever faced a major shift in work or life, or led others through one, this episode offers grounded wisdom, humour, and perspective. Tune in to reflect, reset, and rethink how you handle transition.

In this high-stakes episode, a release of one of our very first episodes, Gareth Tennant shares a gripping real-world account of how a small, well-trained team of Royal Marine Commandos outsmarted a group of Somali pirates, and what it reveals about building truly adaptive teams.

Discover how elite military units use repetition, rehearsals, mission command, and common operating procedures to stay agile under pressure. From battlefield coordination to business boardrooms, this episode breaks down the core principles behind high-performance teamwork in unpredictable environments.

Whether you're leading in crisis or just want to level up your team's adaptability, this story-driven episode is packed with actionable insights on resilience, trust, and executing flawlessly when it matters most.

Perfect for leaders, entrepreneurs, and teams who want to thrive under pressure.

Tune in now to learn how to build agile, high-functioning teams that can outpace the unexpected.

In this episode of Battling with Business, hosts Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener explore the life and leadership lessons of Sir Richard Branson the entrepreneur, adventurer, and founder of the Virgin Group. Branson’s story is one of audacious vision, relentless optimism, and authentic leadership that continues to inspire generations of business leaders.

What does it take to build a global empire while staying true to yourself, and still have fun along the way? Leadership isn’t about control, it’s about curiosity and courage. Failure isn’t fatal; it’s feedback for the next attempt. Passion and fun can drive exceptional performance. Authenticity builds loyalty faster than authority ever can. Vision, optimism, and risk-taking create lasting impact.

From selling records and surviving a near-drowning in the Atlantic to building airlines and space ventures, Branson’s journey reveals how courage, curiosity, and compassion can coexist with commercial success. Gareth and Chris unpack his philosophy, from hiring to your weaknesses and putting people first to embracing failure as a path to learning.

Tune in to hear how Branson’s life of adventure mirrors the principles of great leadership, and why “Dr. Yes” might just be the ultimate example of leading with positivity.

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener take on the challenge of Red Teaming, a structured way to challenge assumptions, stress test plans, and think like competitors or critics. They put the concept into practice by running a live exercise on air.

Listeners will learn why Red Teaming is different from everyday critique or boardroom debates, how it helps organisations avoid blind spots, groupthink, and overconfidence along with real examples from military operations, business transformations, and the COVID-19 crisis and then finishing up with a quick discussion about practical tools for applying Red Teaming in organisations of any size

Whether you are a CEO, team leader, or individual contributor, this episode will get you thinking differently about planning and resilience. Imagine a business where Red Teaming is a habit rather than a rarity. That's a business far better prepared for the unexpected!

Listen in to learn how Red Teaming can sharpen your strategy and strengthen your leadership.

Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener reveal the second half of the UK military’s seven-step planning model, and show how every business can boost resilience and performance with clear, communal frameworks.

This episode focuses on turning strategy into execution: allocating resources, orchestrating timing, defining coordination, and establishing practical control measures. The discussion tackles cross-departmental alignment, reporting cycles, culture, and learning how to manage through real-world complexity and unexpected change. Listeners will discover how the discipline of “chunked” planning and cascading communication connects even the most junior team members to the outcome.

If you’re serious about building agile, winning teams in any industry, don’t miss this practical, engaging conclusion to the Combat Estimate series, and walk away ready to apply a proven template for smarter, faster business execution.

Unlock the secrets of robust planning and flexible leadership by learning from both the battlefield and the boardroom. In the first episode of our exploration of the British military’s Combat Estimate, Gareth and Chris kick off a two-part deep dive into the UK military's renowned 'Seven Questions' Combat Estimate — a practical, repeatable approach for building resilient teams and effective management strategies.

This episode charts how military planning models, built for complexity and clarity, can transform business practices. Explore why a decision is better than indecision, and why planning is not just about the document but the discussion and alignment across every level. Key takeaways include the power of context, the importance of communicating intent, and the principle that adapting is winning — whether you're leading eight people or a thousand.

Don’t miss the engaging debate on why organizations often rush into execution over thoughtful strategy, and how adopting a repeatable planning framework can drive competitive advantage. Listen now for insights and prepare for Part 2, where Gareth and Chris unravel the remaining questions and reveal how every business can use the Combat Estimate to win in fast-changing environments.

Episode Summary: Dwight D. Eisenhower – Leadership Lessons for Business and Beyond

In this Influencers episode of Battling with Business, Chris and Gareth explore the leadership legacy of Dwight D. Eisenhower — Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and later the 34th President of the United States. Known for his calm authority and strategic thinking, Eisenhower shaped the course of history through coalition building, careful planning, and decisive action.

The conversation unpacks how Eisenhower managed complex teams, balanced powerful personalities, and made critical decisions under pressure skills as relevant to today’s business leaders as they were on the battlefield. 

From military command to political leadership, Eisenhower’s legacy offers timeless insights into delegation, organisation, and building trust. Whether you’re leading a team, a business, or just looking to sharpen your decision-making, this episode reveals what modern leaders can learn from Eisenhower’s example.

Rerelease: Command, Leadership & Management

We’re taking a step back into the archive to revisit one of our most listened-to episodes of Battling with Business: our deep dive into command, leadership, and management.

In this conversation, Chris and Gareth unpack the often-confused but vitally important differences between these three concepts. Drawing on both military and business experience, we explore how they overlap, where they diverge, and why understanding the distinctions matters for anyone trying to get the best from their team. Crucially, we highlight why being clear about the differences is especially important in the military, where lives can depend on the balance between command authority, leadership influence, and effective management.

We look at questions such as:

• What makes a good commander versus a good leader or manager?

• Why do organisations so often blur these roles?

• How can clarity improve performance in business, teams, and on the battlefield?

This episode is a straight rerelease — no edits, no new intro — just the original conversation as it was recorded, highlighting lessons on leadership and management that are as relevant today as when we first released it.

In this special episode of Battling with Business, Gareth and Chris are joined by Professor Damian O’Doherty, an academic at the University of Liverpool whose work explores leadership, organisational culture, and critical management studies. Together, they dive into the philosophy of leadership and management, exploring ideas like: Reconstructing organization: moving beyond modern vs. postmodern management thinking. Loungification of society: why our workplaces (and even leadership styles) might look more like lounges than factories. The myth of the heroic leader: why hero-worship in leadership can be dangerous and how bureaucracy might be due for a comeback. Ethnography in business: what we learn when we actually live inside the organizations we study.

This episode is less about practical frameworks and more about challenging ideas that shape how we see leadership today.

In this rereleased episode of Battling with Business, Chris and Gareth unpack one of the most important questions in business and leadership: what is strategy, really?

While many people mistake strategy for a plan, true strategy is something deeper. Strategy is the process of making decisions and allocating resources to achieve long-term goals under uncertainty and change.

✅ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between strategy and planning.

• Why uncertainty, risk, and competition make strategy essential.

• How to connect vision, mission, and goals to strategic action.

• Practical examples of strategy in business and the military.

🎯 Who is this episode for? Business leaders, entrepreneurs, managers, consultants, and anyone searching for clear answers to:

• What is business strategy?

• Difference between strategy and a plan

• How to develop a strategy under uncertainty

• Why strategy matters for long-term success

🔍 Whether you’re running a startup or leading in a complex organisation, this episode will give you a practical framework for understanding strategy as a living process — not a static document.

In this Influencers episode, Gareth and Chris shine a light on one of the most overlooked pioneers of leadership and management thinking: Mary Parker Follett. A radical voice from the early 20th century, Follett challenged the rigid, hierarchical models of her time and instead promoted collaboration, empowerment, emotional intelligence, and decentralized decision-making — decades before these ideas were popularized.

Gareth and Chris explore why her ideas were ignored, how they’re still relevant (and often misunderstood), and what lessons leaders can draw from her work in today’s AI-driven world. If you think “power with” sounds obvious, think again — Mary said it first, and it was revolutionary.

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth Tennant and Chris Kitchener are joined by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Harvey to explore how games—from ancient board games to modern war gaming and gamified business practices—can teach powerful lessons about leadership, decision-making, strategy, and team behaviour. They challenge the idea that games are childish or trivial and show how, when used properly, they become serious tools for simulating complex situations, developing strategy, breaking down biases, building trust, and improving communication. From role-playing games and corporate war gaming to gamified cybersecurity and leadership development, the trio dive deep into how games can help leaders and teams thrive in uncertainty.

If you think games are just for kids, think again.

In this rereleased episode of Battling with Business, hosts Chris and Gareth explore one of the most misunderstood areas of organisational strategy: the difference between mission, purpose, vision, and goals — and how they work together to drive business success.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The true meaning of purpose in business and why it matters.

• How a clear mission statement guides daily operations.

• What a compelling vision looks like and how it inspires long-term direction.

• How to set strategic goals that align with your purpose, mission, and vision.

🎯 Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, manager, or consultant, this episode will help you:

• Avoid common mistakes in strategic planning.

• Align teams with a clear and motivating direction.

• Build a strong organisational foundation for sustainable growth.

🔍 Perfect for listeners searching for:

• “Difference between mission and vision”

• “What is business purpose?”

• “How to set strategic goals”

• “Vision vs mission vs purpose vs goals”

• “How to align business strategy”

This episode offers clear explanations, practical insights, and real-world examples to help you better understand and apply these key concepts in your own organisation.

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth and Chris welcome psychologist and workplace culture expert Lisa Lloyd. Together, they dive deep into the emotional and psychological dynamics that underpin effective leadership and high-performing teams.

Lisa brings insights from her work in psychology and behavioural science, exploring the importance of understanding emotional needs, building trust, and creating psychological safety. The conversation debunks leadership myths, discusses how to be vulnerable without undermining authority, and outlines how even the smallest behaviours shape culture.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just stepping into management, this episode challenges you to reflect, connect, and lead with greater awareness.

In this episode of Battling with Business, Gareth and Chris delve into the life and leadership of Arthur Tedder, Marshal of the Royal Air Force and one of the most underrated military figures of WWII. Far from the front-page headlines, Tedder played a crucial strategic role as Eisenhower’s deputy, reshaping how air power supported ground operations and building the logistical frameworks that helped win the war.

We explore Tedder’s journey from fighter pilot to senior commander, highlighting his diplomatic skills, cross-service curiosity, and ability to combine strategy with operational execution. This is a conversation about what it really takes to lead at scale—and why the best leaders are often not the loudest ones.

In the Second of two episodes of Battling with Business, Chris and Gareth visit the Royal Air Force Tedder Leadership Academy to explore the core themes of leadership, management, and command with: Group Captain Emma Keith and Warrant Officer Mark Willis.

Together, they delve into:

• The distinct but interrelated roles of leadership, management, and command in military and civilian contexts.
• How the RAF develops and nurtures leaders across all ranks and trades.
• The importance of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity in effective leadership.
• The evolving challenges of leading in a modern, multi-domain environment.
• Reflections on how leadership theory is translated into practical delivery through real-world experience and education.
• Insights into how the Tedder Academy is shaping the next generation of RAF leaders and contributing to wider Defence thinking.
• What is the role of legacy and handing over command.

This episode provides a fascinating window into the RAF’s leadership philosophy and raises thought-provoking questions about what it takes to lead well under pressure, whether in uniform or in business.

In the first of two episodes of Battling with Business, Chris and Gareth visit the Royal Air Force Tedder Leadership Academy to explore the core themes of leadership, management, and command with: Group Captain Emma Keith and Warrant Officer Mark Willis.

Together, they delve into:

• The distinct but interrelated roles of leadership, management, and command in military and civilian contexts.

• How the RAF develops and nurtures leaders across all ranks and trades.

• The importance of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity in effective leadership.

• The evolving challenges of leading in a modern, multi-domain environment.

• Reflections on how leadership theory is translated into practical delivery through real-world experience and education.

• Insights into how the Tedder Academy is shaping the next generation of RAF leaders and contributing to wider Defence thinking.

• What is the role of legacy and handing over command.

This episode provides a fascinating window into the RAF’s leadership philosophy and raises thought-provoking questions about what it takes to lead well under pressure, whether in uniform or in business.

In this powerful episode of Battling with Business, we sit down with Commander Roly Woods, a retired Royal Navy officer with over 46 years of service, to explore the personal and institutional journey of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the British Armed Forces. Now the LGBT Armed Forces Community Memorial Officer for the charity Fighting with Pride, Roly reflects on his early motivations to join the Navy, leadership experiences, and the dramatic transformation of military culture since the lifting of the ban on LGBT personnel in 2000.

Together, we delve into the challenges LGBTQ+ service members faced under institutional discrimination — from living in secrecy, to emotional isolation, to dishonourable discharges and loss of medals. Roly shares deeply moving personal stories and historic insights into how courageous individuals and strong leadership drove systemic change across the Royal Navy, leading to today’s more inclusive and emotionally intelligent environment.

We also discuss the ongoing efforts of Fighting with Pride, including:

• Raising awareness of the Veterans’ Financial Recognition Scheme

• Supporting LGBTQ+ veterans in restoring medals and service records

• Building community through initiatives like the Snowdonia retreat

• Leading the creation of the LGBT Armed Forces Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum

Whether you’re interested in military leadership, organizational change, or the evolving rights of LGBTQ+ veterans, this episode provides an essential perspective on how empathy, courage, and advocacy can reshape even the most traditional institutions.

Listen now to hear about the untold stories behind the UK military’s transformation — and how leaders like Commander Woods continue to inspire change today.