Explore every episode of the podcast Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend

In this episode of Leaders in Conversation, I talk with Dr Michael Josephson MBE, charity campaigner, successful businessman and mental health awareness advocate, about turning lived experience into purpose, the power of community and generosity, and inspiring others to act.

Michael has raised over £13.5 million for children's charities. In his early twenties he chaired the Childline Ball Committee, growing it from £250,000 a year to over £1 million annually for the NSPCC. In 2015 he founded the Michael Josephson Ball, which now raises over £1.1 million net each year. In our conversation he shares the story behind that work: surviving a suicide attempt in 1998, the care that changed the course of his life, and his commitment to making a difference for children and young people.

Please note: this episode includes Michael's account of a suicide attempt and childhood abuse. Do listen with care. If you are struggling, please talk to someone. In the UK, Samaritans are available on 116 123.

Michael's three encouragements to leaders:

1. Use your platform with purpose
2. Start with what you can do now
3. Make generosity practical

Connect with Michael

LinkedIn: Dr Michael Josephson MBE

Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaeljosephson1

Website: www.michaeljosephsonmbe.com

If this conversation has resonated with you, I would love to tell you more about Collaboration Equation, the leadership framework Lucy Kidd and I created together. Built on Curiosity, Care and Courage, it gives leaders and their teams going through change a practical, relational way forward. Get in touch directly at anni@annitownend.com or visit annitownend.com to find out more.

I also bring leaders together on Walking Partnerships days, time outside to think, reflect and talk honestly with people who understand what it means to lead through change. The next date is 8th October 2026 in East Sussex, you can find the details on my website.

About Leaders in Conversation

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders weave together the threads of their life and leadership stories, the people, experiences and places that have shaped them, to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership. I'm Anni Townend, podcast host, partner to leaders, executive coach to leaders and their teams, and co-founder of Collaboration Equation with Lucy Kidd.

Find out more at annitownend.com.

• Why comfort often hides behind good intentions, while culture is shaped by behaviour
• Why culture changes quietly, and how leaders often miss the warning signs
• What leaders do when inclusion challenges comfort and demands courage

1. Notice where you stay silent. Silence is data.
2. Hold yourself accountable before holding others accountable.
3. Act with Integrity, ask whether your decisions reflect those you expect others to live by

Jiten Patel is an inclusive leadership coach, DEI strategist and author of Demystifying Diversity. He works with leaders and organisations across global and local organisations, sport, healthcare, education and the third sector to help them understand how culture is shaped through everyday behaviour. His work is informed by lived experience, research and years of working inside organisations where good intentions often fall short. Jiten’s focus is on leadership responsibility, psychological safety and the choices leaders make when inclusion becomes uncomfortable.

Website www.diversync.co.uk

Phone: 07875 310824

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiten-patel-diversync/

Books: Demystifying Diversity

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to find out more about Collaboration Equation and finding your Collaborative Edge co-founded by Lucy Kidd and I do go to our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing and to George at Podcast Room Brighton for the production of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

My guest today is Neil McLoughlin, Director at Buckswood Overseas Summer School (BOSS) and ADHD Coach.

• Putting people before process: Neil’s leadership style is people first, leading through relationships, not rules.
• Bringing energy and honesty together: Neil brings huge enthusiasm, openness and honesty
• Understanding difference: Neil has dyslexia and ADHD which allows him to see the people who learn and work differently. He builds environments in which people can thrive.

1. Mind the many, not just the few. Do not let the small number of difficult people drain the energy that belongs to your whole team. The motivated ones notice where your attention goes.
2. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Look after your own energy and enthusiasm first, because it is contagious either way. Flat leaders make flat teams.
3. Lead with curiosity, not judgement. Find out what actually matters to each person before you try to motivate them. You will be wrong less often.

Neil McLoughlin leads with energy, creativity, and a deep belief in what education can unlock in young people. As Director of Buckswood Overseas Summer School, he runs global education programmes, and while he cares about standards, he cares more about people. He takes people as he finds them and builds trust quickly, creating environments where students feel safe enough to grow and staff feel trusted enough to lead. His background is in drama, and he has ADHD, both of which shape how he leads. Neil is also a qualified ADHD-informed coach, with the aim he brings to everything, helping people thrive as they are, not as they think they should be.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-mcloughlin-77890442/

Website: www.buckswoodsummerschool.com.

(Don’t have a personal one yet but will build one for my ADHD Coaching later this year.)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neiladhdcoach/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/buckswoodsummerschool

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media and Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing for the wonderful marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

My guest today on Leaders in Conversation is Omar Abouseif, a former professional basketball player and now Global Associate Sector Manager at Shell.

• Leading with purpose in business and in life
• Knowing and being yourself
• Engaging with and in others to deliver great performance
• The importance of paying attention to the soft skills

1. 1. Invest in people before outcomes, results will follow.
2. Be in the moment, be intentional in every interaction. Small moments build big trust.
3. Lead with genuine care, people will remember how you made them feel.

Omar Abouseif is a seasoned marketer with fourteen years of experience in the biggest multinational in the world (Unilever, Nestle & Shell). Currently, Omar is a Global Associate Sector Manager at Shell, working in global marketing for the commercial road transport sector. He is passionate about building meaningful relationships and turning everyday interactions into impact. Before entering the business world Omar spent 16 years as a professional basketball player, an experience that shaped how he leads, adapt, and perform. Shaped by his experience and basketball and diverse global exposure, Omar focuses on helping people feel better, perform better, and connect more deeply—both in business and in life.

LinkedIn: ‏Omar Abouseif‏ - ‏Global Associate Marketing Manager @Shell | xNestlé | xUnilever | xProBasketballPlayer‏ | LinkedIn

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to find out more about the work I do with Lucy Kidd go to our website www.collaborationequation.com

To find out more about the Future-Engage-Deliver approach to leadership, visit www.futureengagedeliver.com and the book ‘Leadership Plain and Simple’ by Steve Radcliffe.

To find out more about the Marketing Leaders Programme, and The Marketing Society do go to their website wwww.themarketingsociety.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com . Please share and subscribe to the podcast, and to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Victoria Rennoldson, is a coach, speaker and author specialising in global leadership, communication and cultural intelligence She is host of the podcast: The Culture Cuppa: Cultural Communication Confidence, and author of ‘Become a Global Leader: Amplify Your Impact, Lead Confidently Communicate Clearly and Connect Across Culture’. She dedicates the book to her father, who died in Spring 2025 and had a huge influence on her, and her values, beliefs, passion and purpose.

• How we need our human capabilities more than ever in an AI world.
• How the ability to connect and to have good conversations, and to build trust and relationships is ultimately our human differentiator.
• That so-called ‘soft skills' is a total misnomer and that there is nothing soft about people skills that impact individuals, teams and organisations.
• How in a time of divides in and out of work we need Cultural Intelligence more than ever.

1. Keep making space for curiosity about people - have conversations, make connections;
2. Cultural intelligence is an action, not what we know. We need to show, act and lead by example - even with people who have very different values, perspectives or behaviours from our own.
3. Yes, AI skills matter and our human skills matter just as much. Adaptability is key.

Victoria Rennoldson is a multi-award-winning coach, international speaker and best-selling author helping people lead across borders in a rapidly changing world.

As technology accelerates and AI reshapes how we work, Victoria focuses on what makes leaders distinctly human- clarity of communication, confidence, cultural intelligence and the ability to build meaningful connection.

She supports ambitious professionals and teams to increase their visibility and impact globally, helping them speak up with confidence and collaborate across cultures.

Victoria is the CEO and Founder of Culture Cuppa and host of a top-ranked global leadership podcast with over 170 episodes. Her book, Become a Global Leader, became an Amazon bestseller in Career Advancement and Professional Development on launch.

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

Website: https://culturecuppa.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culture_cuppa/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@culture-cuppa

Podcast: https://culturecuppa.com/podcast/

Book: https://culturecuppa.com/book

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

My guest today on Leaders in Conversation is Yasmin O’Neal, Senior Director for Global Brand at DECIEM. DECIEM is best known for its leading brand The Ordinary.

• How you can love your team, and you can win
• Kindness versus Niceness
• Being Curious
• How we all have an impact

1. Our sphere of influence matters. Leaders have, by nature, a bigger sphere of influence - how can we use it for good?
2. Belief should be a given. Expect little from people and they will give you little. Expect a lot and you’ll be rewarded tenfold.
3. Loving honesty. Tell it straight, but tell it straight from the heart. You’ll be helping if you do it.

LinkedIn: Yasmin O'Neal

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today's guest is Erin Rogers, Founder of ERA Collective, Executive Coach, and Leadership Development Partner.

• Motherhood - How becoming a mother made her a better leader, grounded in what matters, more emotionally intelligent, and ultimately led to her pivot into coaching.
• The mentor who saw her before she saw herself - she shares the Pink Hair story and the lesson of not waiting for permission.
• Leading through crisis - what her daughter's cancer journey taught her about presence, priorities, and refusing to wait for 'someday.'
• The power of being seen, and of not hiding.

• Make sure that you really see the people around you. Keep noticing. Name what you see in them. You might be the one who shifts everything. And don't wait - the window isn't guaranteed.
• Crisis Clarifies. You learn what actually matters - and you stop performing leadership and start living it.
• One moment of being seen can change everything. That's what psychological safety actually looks like. It's not a policy. It's a moment.

1. Stop waiting for permission. The mentor who asked about my pink hair wasn't giving me permission - she was showing me I didn't need it. And I almost waited too long.
2. See the people around you - even when they're hiding. Ask how they are doing. One question gave me permission to stop shrinking and start helping others.
3. Your next era can be your greatest era - if you're present, listening to the signals, and learning through your experiences. The things I've struggled with most - motherhood, menopause, my daughter's illness - are now the things I use to support other leaders. Nothing is wasted if you're paying attention.

Erin Rogers is the Founder of ERA Collective, an executive coaching and leadership development consultancy helping leaders show up with intention, build visibility, and navigate the messy middle of professional growth. With 25+ years in senior marketing and communications roles - including 12 years as Director of Brand, Marketing and Communications at EY Canada and 5 years as Country Head of Marketing at HSBC Canada - Erin brings a rare combination of strategic rigour and genuine warmth to her coaching. She is ICF ACC-certified and works with individuals, teams, and organizations ready to step into their next chapter. Erin lives in Toronto with her husband and three daughters.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erin-j-rogers

Website: eracollective.ca

Insights: eracollective.ca/insights

To listen to more episodes of Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend do go to my website, www.annitownend.com; and to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

If you would like a conversation with me do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

And please do subscribe, and share the podcast. Thank you for listening.

My guest today is Susie Partridge, round the world sailor and founder of the strategic marketing agency Blue Feathers.

I had the pleasure of being in conversation with Susie for an earlier episode of Leaders in Conversation in which she spoke about the people, places and experiences that had shaped her life and leadership; how following her passion for sailing helped her find her purpose and to set up Blue Feathers eight years ago.

• What the fast-changing marketing landscape means for capability in the industry
• The responsibility leaders have for developing marketers of the future
• How to drive capability as part of a marketing culture

1. Decide the role you want to take as a guardian of marketing – what matters to you to protect and pass on to the next generation.
2. Whatever that is, be the champion of it – share the passion, spend time thinking about how it applies as marketing evolves, and share that on.
3. Role model growth - normalise the cycle of learning and make it part of the everyday in our teams.

After a successful career in marketing at Unilever and British Gas, and then fulfilling her ambition of sailing a yacht around the world, Susie started her next adventure when she founded the strategic marketing agency Blue Feathers.

Susie’s aim was to help marketers to be their best and drive their brands to succeed. She now leads a team of marketing experts who work with major brands including Tesco, Primark, Michelin, Simplyhealth and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Susie believes that people do their best work when life is balanced – and that belief is reflected in how she leads the Blue Feathers team: a highly skilled, fully remote group, motivated through shared purpose and a deliverables-based approach.

Susie remains passionate about sailing and loves spending time on the water. She is also now a keen beekeeper and gardener, and enjoys spending time hiking.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susiepartridge/

Website: www.bluefeathers.co.uk

Instagram: @susiepartridge00

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

My guest today on Leaders in Conversation is Sally-Anne Airey, leadership coach, founder of Skilful Leaders and author of Mindful Command - the way of the evolving leader, and podcast host of Fearless Forward.

• What good leadership looks, sounds, and feels like.
• How becoming a better leader is less about what you do, and more about how you are.
• Why she created the concept of Mindful Command and what it is - Balanced Awareness (seeing things as they are), Clear Purpose (being clear what matters) and Fearless Compassion (cultivating the courage to do the right thing).

1. Pause
2. Look at the whole picture
3. Listen for what’s needed.
4. Be Present

SALLY-ANNE AIREY is a leadership coach who has devoted over 40 years to the art and skill of leadership. A Royal Navy officer for 23 years, she rose to the rank of Commander and was the first woman to continue in service as a mother. Later she worked for 8 years in Ukraine and Russia, where she discovered her coaching vocation on a consultancy project in Kyiv in 2007. She has been coaching leaders ever since. Inspired by the mountains surrounding her home in the French Alps, she developed the concept of Mindful Command – now the foundation for all her work with people who care about their impact on the world.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallyanneairey/

Website: https://skilfulleaders.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallyanne_airey/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SkilfulLeaders

Podcast: https://skilfulleaders.com/podcasts-blog/

Resources/Books/Free download: (If applicable) Mindful Command - The way of the evolving leader

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation and to find out more about Walking Partnerships do go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

My guest today is Jenny Latham, Executive Coach and passionate advocate for staying human in a digital world.

1. How our modern world is leaving us hyper connected but under bonded, creeping up so slowly that many of us haven’t realised what we’re missing;
2. Why the quality of connection matters more than the quantity; the importance of shared experiences and getting beyond small talk into more meaningful conversation;
3. How the Smartphone Free Childhood Movement is instrumental in protecting our children’s social health, and mental health more broadly;
4. The importance of identifying your own social needs and being intentional about wiring your world to meet them.

1. Reflect on your own social needs and be intentional in steering your life to meet them
2. Have the courage to get beyond small talk into more meaningful conversations and make time together count
3. If you have children, help them meet their social needs by setting healthy screen boundaries

Jenny Latham works as an independent Executive Coach, helping senior leaders (particularly across Government), to navigate their careers with a specialism in ‘what next’?

She made the move to freelance coaching in July 2023 following 16 years at EY, firstly client facing as a Management Consultant and then as a People, Market and Operations Director, working with the Consulting Leadership team to run the business. She was also part of the EY Professional Coaches network, supporting senior talent to develop.

She discovered coaching in 2020 and was increasingly drawn to a career which has helping people at the forefront and with a focus on solving more human societal challenges.

She has a deep passion for all things social health & connection. One of the reasons she loves coaching is the opportunity to help people put their masks down, to have a meaningful conversation and to connect with who they are and what they want.

She’s an active volunteer in her local community with the Smartphone Free Childhood Movement. She wants to see a society where real human to human friendship, belonging and tribe can flourish and this means using technology very intentionally.

LinkedIn: Jenny Latham

Websites: www.jennylatham.com and www.smartphonefreechildhood.org

Some of Jenny’s favourite books on connection:

1. Lost Connections: Johann Hari
2. The Art of Gathering: Priya Parker
3. Let’s Talk (How to have better conversations): Nihal Arthanayake
4. Together: Vivek Murthy
5. Talk To Your Boys: Joanna Schroeder, Christopher Pepper

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

And if you would like to join us on one of our Walking Partnerships days, please do get in touch with me.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

My guest today is Patrick Andrews, lawyer and co-founder with Erica Neve of Yoak. He is author of The Incomplete Circle - Rethinking Business from the Inside Out, published in 2025.

1. Participation - real change only happens when we move from observers to participants.
2. Wholeness - what it means to lead, organise and make decisions from a sense of interconnectedness rather than separation.
3. Flow - How individuals and organisations flourish when effort, skill and purpose align.

Participation: What does it mean to move from being an observer into becoming a participant? What happens when we choose to become a participant? What are some of the steps towards moving from being an observer to a participant in business and organisations?

Wholeness: In Patrick’s wonderful book - The Incomplete Circle he writes about the dance of wholeness, and how leadership is a practice not a position; and that leading involves deep listening, trusting and creating structures that are encouraging of interconnectedness rather than separation. What are some of the challenges to doing this, and how can we as leaders, and people in business develop this practice? What is the impact on decision making when we do this? What do we need to pay attention to that will help us?

Flow: We often talk about ‘going with the flow’ in our lives, and what it feels like to be in the flow when everything feels aligned. What can we learn from our bodies, and from nature about flow? What happens to individuals and organisations when effort, skill and purpose align? How can we get into the flow, and what is the impact on people, on business?

1. Listening to yourself including and especially to your body.
2. Listening to others - particularly critics and to the quieter, often unheard, voices.
3. Listening to the universe. Nature is our first and best teacher.

LinkedIn: Patrick Andrews

Website: yoak.uk

Book: The Incomplete Circle. Available on Amazon or here.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

1. Supporting change and transition for success
2. Helping people be their best
3. The link between engagement, development and performance
4. Equity and fairness in leading change and transition

1. It sounds so simple but really get to know your people
2. Great people and talent come in different forms – there isn’t a single formula
3. Take time to think about how life can / will change for you and what you want from it and what you might need to do differently or learn. Don’t put things off! And never give up on what you want

LinkedIn: Marisa Kismul

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter, and podcast and do follow me on LinkedIn.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest is Lulu Minns, Fifth Dimension (5D) Teacher and author of The Genius Wheel®.

1. Understanding and aligning with your personal growth cycle
2. Leading from authenticity and claiming your unique genius
3. Integrating natural seasonal rhythms with personal and professional growth
4. Supporting women’s wellbeing and empowerment in leadership

1. Slow down and tune in.
2. Commitment to your creative power, exceptional intelligence or natural ability.
3. Look back.

I am a 5D teacher and thought leader who helps individuals and organisations understand and align with the deeper patterns that shape personal and collective growth. My body of work, The Genius Wheel®, developed over a decade, explores how consciousness evolves through natural 7-year cycles — a framework that offers clarity, perspective and direction through times of change and transformation.

Working from a 5D perspective means seeing beyond surface-level events to recognise the energetic and emotional layers influencing them. I support female entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders to interpret these shifts with awareness and purpose.

My approach blends practical action with multidimensional insight, providing a bridge between inner evolution and real-world impact. Through 6-weekly empowerment circles and bi-annual retreats, I help women navigate their unique 7-year journey — providing a roadmap to navigate life’s big transitions.

If you don’t already have a copy of The Genius Wheel, you can get one at thegeniuswheel.com and use the discount code FRIENDS25 for a discount.

LinkedIn: Lulu Minns

Website: thegeniuswheel.com

Instagram: @thegeniuswheel

YouTube: @thegeniuswheel

Podcast: She Rebel Radio

Substack: @luluminns

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, do go to our website www.collaborationequation.com.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest is, Senior Civil Servant, Mark Burden.

• How presenteeism is not about visibility 
• The importance of seeking feedback
• Disability and the art of the possible
• And how everyone is integral to achieving the “thing”

1. Be comfortable in not knowing the answer but having the knowledge to connect people
2. Mistakes are great - learn from them rather than fearing them. It is an opportunity to move from fear to opportunity
3. Tell the story, explain the why and if possible the who and the when! The what bit is then quite easy! 

LinkedIn: Mark Burden

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest is Asad Dhunna Founder and CEO of the Unmistakables.

1. Creativity
2. Bravery
3. Humour
4. Spirituality

1. Work out what's going on for people.
2. Talk about what makes you nervous.
3. Sometimes you have to let go to let in.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asaddhunna/

Website: https://www.theunmistakables.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asaddhunna/

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

Today’s guest is Nicola Bettesworth, Defra Chief People Officer, Group Corporate Services, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.  

I had the joy of meeting Nicola when she was looking for a leadership partner to work with her and her leadership team. We very quickly built our relationship, and have enjoyed a true partnership for a number of years. I greatly admire Nicola, her vision and her passion and am looking forward to her sharing her leadership story today.

• Contribution and Community;
• How Everyone Matters, Everyone Counts;
• The importance of knowing who you are, and of choices;
• Making every single moment count.

Email her on: nicola.bettesworth@defra.gov.uk 

Go to my website: www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing, and to Louisa Penny of Penny Writing for the marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest are Kate Lowe Founder and Director and Alex Remington, Director of Partnerships at Both Barrels.

In our conversation Kate and Alex offer valuable insights into how their passions and purpose of Family, Relationships, Integrity and Never Giving Up are woven into the fabric of their lives and leadership.

1. Staying calm no matter what the situation;
2. Keeping the objective in mind when there are setbacks - and ability to pivot;
3. Building big trusting relationships

1. Trust and guide your team
2. Surround yourself with good people
3. Never be afraid to admit you don’t know something or when you are wrong

KATE LOWE:

Kate Lowe is a trusted PR and communications strategist with over 15 years of experience advising senior executives on how to harness sport as a platform to shape personal and organisational narratives.

Kate specialises in integrating into businesses to build a deep understanding of their goals, refining complex messaging into clear, impactful communications. Steering clients through the fast-moving world of sport and guiding C-suite leaders in navigating complex media landscapes to protect and enhance brand value.

Her established relationships across global sports and sports business media enable close collaboration in crafting messaging that achieves alignment and influence.

Her deep understanding of the business and cultural dynamics of sport enables her to build collaborative stakeholder relationships and deliver strategic communications solutions that build reputations and unlock commercial and reputational growth.

ALEX REMINGTON:

Alex Remington is a strategic partnership leader with over 18 years of experience driving transformative collaborations that position sport as a catalyst for business growth and cultural relevance.

A Harvard Business School alumnus, he combines expertise across sport, entertainment, media, and business, applying data and insights to guide commercial decisions and deliver sustainable results.

At Manchester United, Alex pioneered “performance partnerships,” redefining sponsorships as performance-driven collaborations integrating elite technology from sponsor brands into sporting operations.

He specialises in designing integrated strategies that align sporting operations with business objectives, building partnerships that deliver measurable impact, unlock new revenue streams, and create lasting competitive advantage for rights holders and brands.

LinkedIn: Both Barrels

Website: bothbarrels.co.uk

Instagram: @bothbarrelspr

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge™ with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.collaborationequation.com.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast with Louisa Penny, from Penny Writing.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Today’s guest is Lisa Partridge, communication skills specialist, facilitator, founder of SIXCOMMS and host of the SIXCOMMS podcast. I had the joy of getting to know Lisa through following each other on LinkedIn, and through our shared passion for working in nature with leaders. Lisa invites people to ‘Come Curious, and Leave Connected’.

In our conversation Lisa offers valuable insights into:

• The 3Cs of human-centred effective communication: Connection, Curiosity and Compassion;
• The benefits of taking conversations outside in nature;
• How being in nature allows us to listen more deeply and be more present with ourselves and each other;
• How taking our conversations outside in nature can unlock insight and give us the clarity to see the path ahead.

Lisa’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Connection first, always.
2. Step outside to see inside.
3. Slow down to lead strong.

About Lisa:

Originally from the UK and based in Singapore since 2009, Lisa Partridge is a communication skills specialist, facilitator, and founder of SIXCOMMS. She has worked with leading organisations including Singapore Airlines, Marina Bay Sands, Maxwell Chambers, and ADB Bank. Guided by her 6Cs of Effective Communication: Connection, Curiosity, Compassion, Clarity, Customization, and Consistency, Lisa helps leaders and teams communicate with greater impact. She also hosts The SIXCOMMS Podcast, now with over 70 episodes, and leads 6Cs walking sessions in Singapore’s parks, where a community of professionals “Come Curious, Leave Connected.”

To connect, follow and find out more about Lisa:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisasing/

Website: www.sixcomms.org

Instagram: @sixcommslisa

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@sixcommsconversations2025

Lisa's Podcast: sixcomms.buzzsprout.com

Free download: The 6Cs of a Thriving Communicator Guide

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com; to listen to Finding Your Collaborative Edge with Lucy Kidd and I, to do go our website www.Collaboration.Equation.

I had the joy of meeting Karen via an online supervision group organised by EY in collaboration with Henley Business School. Karen has written a book, Breaking the Coaching Code - how great coaches transcend the rules published in November 2025. 

• What it means to walk home to yourself. 
• The journey to and of self-acceptance. 
• And having a social conscience.

1. Reconnect with your unique self rather than trying to be what you think a good leader is
2. Understand your strengths and be clear about your purpose 
3. Build your ability to have effective conversations with clarity, compassion, curiosity and courage

Karen Foy has been coaching since 2003, her background before coaching was in the NHS working locally, regionally and nationally on policy related to patient experience. She caught the coaching bug on an Open University summer school whilst undertaking a module from the MBA on Creativity, Innovation and Change thinking about creativity innovation and change.

She heard about this thing called coaching and thought, that’s the thing she does when she’s supposed to be working and was blown away that she could do it as a career. She trained as a coach, built her business alongside her work, and then jumped in 2007 to become a full-time coach.

She already had a first degree in psychology and the next step for her was to undertake a master’s degree in Coaching Psychology which she gained in 2011. She is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, a Certified Mentor for ICF Credentials and she has a Professional Certificate in Coaching Supervision from Henley Business School.

She has recently retired from her lecturing role at Henley Business School where she was the Programme Director for Accredited Coaching Programmes. Joining an academic institution was a crash course in acceptance as she is a Yorkshire woman from a ‘dyed in the wool’ working class background who left school at 14 with no qualifications.

She has come to a place where she is more able to welcome her gremlin of not being good enough as the gift it is to her coaching.

Website: www.thecoachtribe.com

LinkedIn: @Karen Foy, MCC

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. 

To find out more about Collaboration Equation, do go to our website www.collaborationequation.com and follow us on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Tim when he came to speak on the Marketing Leaders Programme some years ago.  I had previously heard about his amazing adventures with the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project in Cornwall, the UK, from a mutual friend.

I then had the pleasure of meeting again at Anthropy 25 which was hosted at the Eden Project, a gathering of leaders and organisations to inspire and learn through meaningful collaboration, human kindness and unbound leadership.

In our conversation Tim offers valuable insights into:

• Losing your fear of being disliked
• Daring to dream
• Enjoying provocation
• Knowing your weaknesses

Tim’s Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Dare to have your dreams and then deliver on them or give them up and do something else.
2. Defeat the look in people's eyes or the tone in people's voices, which says, this isn't for the likes of you.
3. Embrace those dancing lessons from God, these random meetings, and you'll be amazed at how your life changes.
4. Always hire people that are better than you and tell them how much better than you they are.

To find out more about Anthropy 2026 go to anthropy.uk, the Anthropy Charter is made up of Human Kindness, Meaningful Collaboration and Unbound Leadership.

To read about, and visit Heligan, heligan.com

To read about Eden Project edenproject.com and to learn about other Eden Projects including Eden Morecambe all reconnecting people with nature, and all that we can learn and with nature.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. To find out more about Collaboration Equation, co-founded by Lucy Kidd and I, go to www.collaborationequation.com I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Rachel through The Marketing Society, and over the years of getting to know her through her love of the Walk and Talk, her excellent marketing and most recently through the Marketing Leaders Programme.

In our conversation Rachel offers valuable insights into:

• How to recognise and prevent organisational burnout;
• The business case for a positive mindset at work;
• The strategic power of content as a business driver when it serves brand objectives and real human needs;
• And finally building brand reputation through stakeholder engagement.

Rachel’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Align Your Strategic Vision with Personal Purpose.
2. Build Excellence Through Audience-Led Thinking.
3. Embrace the Power of Integrated Leadership.

About Rachel

Rachel Letham is Head of Brand and Communications at The Marketing Society, where she leads strategic brand development and integrated communications for the global membership organisation. As a key member of the Leadership Team, she has established the function as a centre of excellence, implementing bold, audience-led strategies that drive measurable improvements in brand visibility and stakeholder engagement.

With over 13 years of experience in strategic communications and brand development, Rachel combines commercial expertise with creative vision to transform organisations through innovative content strategies. 

At The Marketing Society, she oversees the development of impactful communications and content, ensuring consistent messaging while pioneering new approaches to enhance brand reputation and member engagement.

Alongside her corporate role, Rachel is a certified positive mindset coach, working with global organisations including Google, Target, and Kargo. This unique combination allows her to bring fresh perspectives to brand challenges, helping both individuals and organisations align their strategic goals with purposeful vision-setting. Her approach was shaped by her own experience of near-burnout in the fresh produce industry, leading her to develop sustainable approaches to professional growth and team development.

As a leader, Rachel is known for building and inspiring high-performing teams, fostering cultures of innovation and strategic thinking. She maintains a strong focus on data-driven decision-making and measurable outcomes, while ensuring that brand and content strategies deliver genuine business impact. Her work demonstrates the power of combining strategic brand thinking with positive mindset techniques to drive organisational success.

Through both her role at The Marketing Society and her coaching practice, Rachel helps organisations and individuals unleash their full potential, creating meaningful change through the intersection of strategic communication, brand development, and personal growth.

Connect with Rachel:

LinkedIn: Rachel Letham

Website: www.rachelletham.com, www.marketingsociety.com

Instagram: @rachelletham

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend:

Go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media Management for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

My conversation today is with Anna Deacon, photographer, writer and wild swimmer. I had the joy of meeting Anna at the Creative Light Photography Festival in the Highlands of Scotland in October 2022.  I was inspired by her, and by her many, many books on Wild Swimming. 

In our conversation Anna offers valuable insights into:

• How and why the wild swimming project started.
• Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
• How to find your peace in the wild/outdoors.

Anna’s three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Don’t be afraid to change things up/take risks
2. Believe in your gut intuition
3. Don’t write yourself off before you have really tried something

About Anna

Anna has worked as a photographer since 2007, specialising in wild swimming, portraits, nature and travel. She has worked with large and small brands like MINI, Speedo, Kit Kat, Visit Scotland, Cape Cove, Selkie and more to create content. Her photography work has been published extensively in the national press including The Guardian, The Telegraph, Stylist and The Scotsman. She has also had her work featured in large scale photography exhibitions. 

Since 2019 Anna has had seven books published, working with co-author Vicky Allan on Taking The Plunge (2019), For The Love Of Trees (2020), The Art Of Wild Swimming series (Scotland, 2021, England & Wales, 2021, and Ireland, 2022, The Ripple Effect published in 2023 and  Swimming Wild Ireland in 2024, all published by Black and White Publishing/Bonnier.  

Also in 2021 The Wild Guide Balearic Islands book was published by Wild Things Publishing, this extensive travel guide was co-written by Anna and her sister Lizzie Graham. Anna is working on her ninth book which is due for publication in Autumn 2026.  

Anna hosts a popular Instagram page @wildswimmingstories which The Sunday Times magazine named as one of the Top 7 influencers to follow in the ‘Health and Fitness’ category in 2023.  

Previous to this Anna worked in the music and entertainment industry in London for over a decade, specialising in PR and events such as NME Awards, Isle of Wight Festival, Ibiza Rocks, MOBO Awards, British Comedy Awards and Teenage Cancer Trust concerts. She co-founded the PR agency Amazing Media in 2004 who were at the forefront of working with brands such as Nokia, T- Mobile, Diageo and O2 to create dynamic partnerships with the live music industry.  Anna also worked in talent handling and personal PR for The Who, Jamiroquai, Anastacia, Beverley Knight, Sia, Big Brother, and many others.

Connect with Anna:

LinkedIn: @Anna Deacon

Website: www.anna-deacon.com

Instagram: @wildswimmingstories

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of connecting with Susie through a colleague. I enjoyed our conversation so much that I invited her to be a guest. 

Susie offers valuable insights into:

• Following your passion to find your purpose
• Living outside your comfort zone as a way to learn and grow
• Finding your balance to enable you to do your best work

Susie’s three key encouragements to leaders:

1. Take time to understand what matters to you - so you can enjoy doing what you do
2. Get comfortable being uncomfortable - it’s a source of growth
3. Be confident in finding your own rhythm - and then set your boundaries to stick to it

About Susie

After a successful career in marketing at Unilever and British Gas, and then fulfilling her ambition of sailing a yacht around the world, Susie started her next adventure when she founded the strategic marketing agency Blue Feathers.

Susie’s aim was to help marketers to be their best and drive their brands to succeed. She now leads a team of marketing experts who work with major brands including Tesco, Primark, Michelin, Simplyhealth and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Susie believes that people do their best work when life is balanced – and that belief is reflected in how she leads the Blue Feathers team: a highly skilled, fully remote group, motivated through shared purpose and a deliverables-based approach.

Susie remains passionate about sailing and loves spending time on the water. She is also now a keen beekeeper and gardener, and enjoys spending time hiking.

The best way for people to connect and follow Susie is:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susiepartridge/

Website: www.bluefeathers.co.uk and www.yachtadina.co.uk

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn Anni Townend, and Collaboration Equation.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of being introduced to Jane through Dawn Harding, a previous podcast guest on Leaders in Conversation and recent guest on Finding Your Collaborative Edge.

In our conversation Jane offers valuable insights into:

• Transitioning in life from one thing to another: School to University, University to the first job, career building and then a massive career change followed by leaving full time work to pursue voluntary roles and enjoying time which is less structured.
• The ability to let go, to move on without regret and to forge ahead with new adventures: Understanding that you will also lose contact with some people as your lives take different paths.
• Understanding the impact on others of your deeds, words and attitude.
• The importance of being authentic, whilst evolving, developing and changing and rocking up as yourself everyday.

Jane’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders: 

1. Learn from everyone you meet - everyone has something to give.  Be prepared to know a little about a lot of things and trust the experts in each field to know a lot about a little.
2. Stay  positive.  A positive attitude helps to make those around you positive and if things are going a little bit wrong, it is easier to turn it round with a positive attitude. A smile is infectious.  A frown turns people off.
3. Focus on the difference you are really making.  It is the stories behind the numbers which are of paramount importance.   The balance sheet and Key Performance Indicators are never enough!

To connect with Jane, follow and find out more about her:

LinkedIn - for her volunteering / corporate side of life

Instagram - for her wildlife snaps and fun things.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About Jane

Jane has had two different careers in her life, one in the hospitality industry and one in sport. She took learnings from the hospitality industry into her sport leadership role. Now she has moved into voluntary, charity roles and is travelling to many far-flung places where she is learning from different communities. She loves the outdoors, reading and encouraging total strangers to tell her their life stories.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

In this episode, my guest is Claire Bowden-Hughes, CEO and Founder at En2End, a leading sports fan engagement agency, founded on trust, respect, and reciprocity in relationships and leadership. 

In our conversation Claire shares valuable insights into: 

• The Balancing Act of thriving as a mother and as an entrepreneur: The real life challenges and triumphs of juggling these 2 demanding but extremely rewarding roles. 
• Excelling in a male dominated industry: The journey of being a female entrepreneur in the sports events world.
• The art of making lasting connections and exceeding expectations: The importance of building and nurturing a professional network in the sports event industry, how to make lasting connections and how relationships have been pivotal is driving business success.

Claire’s three Key Encouragements for life, entrepreneurship and leadership: 

1. Define the direction and hold the vision, but invite others into the journey: You have to take space for others to be able to be part of your journey. You won't be able to get there on your own.
2. Stay curious and adaptable because nothing ever stays the same: The landscape is always shifting. Technologies are always evolving, behaviors are always changing.
3. Your attitude sets the tone: The way that you come across, and the energy that you bring is something that can really inspire others and create momentum. 

Connect with Claire and find out more about her, and her amazing work:

LinkedIn: Claire Bowden Hughes

Website: www.en2end.com 

Instagram: @en2endltd

About Claire Bowden-Hughes:

Early Life and Education: A sheep farmer’s daughter from Mid Wales, Claire Hughes has always been ambitious and adventurous. Her journey began at the University of Central Lancashire, where she pursued a BA in languages ( French, German and Spanish with Tourism), laying the foundation for her career.

World Traveller: After university, she embarked on a 9-month world tour, absorbing cultures across Singapore, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, and America. This global exposure honed her adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and language skills, particularly French, which would become invaluable in her career.

Luxury Retail in London: Claire’s first foray into the professional world was in London’s prestigious New Bond Street, where she leveraged her fluency in French to excel in sales and account management for a high-end luxury brand, Lalique. Here, she mastered the art of client relations and high-stakes negotiation.

Sports Event Management: Moving to Manchester, Claire joined a small sports events agency, diving into the world of sportsman’s lunches and dinners with notable sporting legends such as Lawrence Dallaglio, Sir Alex Ferguson, Gareth Edwards, Shane Warne, Frank Bruno and more! This role expanded her network significantly and introduced her to the intricacies of event management and sports marketing.

TSMGI and Liverpool FC: Her career took a significant turn when she joined TSMGI, an American agency, where she was integral in the Aon-Man Utd shirt deal delivery. Subsequently, at Liverpool FC as Head of Partner Experience, she managed VIP match days, sponsor relations & international event programmes, further honing her skills in stakeholder management and sports activation.

Entrepreneurial Leap: Leveraging her extensive experience and network, Claire founded her own sports events agency. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, she innovatively pivoted to virtual matchday experiences, gaining recognition from UEFA and other prominent sports organisations.

Personal Life: At 45, Claire embraced motherhood with her daughter Bryony, marking a new chapter of personal growth and joy. With husband Andy by her side, she balances her passion for her work with the joys of family life, continuing to innovate in the sports marketing world while cherishing every moment as a mother and wife.

Current Focus: Post-maternity leave, Claire is back, driving forward new projects with AXA, UEFA, Visa and other exciting ventures, showcasing her resilience and innovation in the face of any challenge.

Values and Vision: Throughout her dynamic career and personal life, Claire remains committed to excellence, innovation, and nurturing relationships. Her journey from a rural upbringing to global business success is a testament to her adaptability, vision, and relentless drive. 

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; weaving together the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the pleasure of meeting Nick through a mutual colleague, Thurstine Basset. Together they were writing a book entitled ‘Trauma, Abandonment and Privilege’ and invited me to contribute something of my own experience. I was delighted to be asked by Nick to review his most recent book, edited by him, and released in April 2025, The Un-Making Of Them - Clinical Reflections on the Boarding School Syndrome.

In our conversation Nick offers valuable insights into:

• Why understanding our emotions is so important in our lives and leadership;
• The existential dynamics of power and vulnerability, and their relevance and importance to leadership; 
• How dissociation disconnecting from ourselves and our environment - has become the engine of the modern world;
• The importance of learning about what transference is and group dynamics in leading, coaching, mentoring and facilitation.

Nick’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders - taken from three principles given to Nick by the NHS to help with managing osteoarthritis:

1.  Understand your feelings: who you are, so your emotions can guide you rather than your feelings govern you;
2. Exercise: practise new ways of being and behaviour;
3. ‘Lose weight’: notice and let go of those things that are no longer serving you in order to be lighter, and to lighten what you are carrying.

To Contact Nick:

Woundedleadersco.uk

Boardingschoolsurvivors.co.uk

Genderpsychology.com

About Nick

Nick Duffell has a degree in Sanskrit from Oxford and is a psychotherapist, psychohistorian and author. His first book, 'The Making of Them: the British Attitude to Children and the Boarding School System' received wide critical acclaim, including endorsements by the British Medical Journal and John Le Carré. Here he set out his pioneering research in group therapy with ‘boarding school survivors,' as he provocatively named adult ex-boarders. Nick co-founded the Centre for Gender Psychology and co-authored 'Sex, Love and the Danger of Intimacy.' 

A contributor to the University of Surrey Human Potential Group's 'Dictionary of Personal Development' and to many psychological journals, Nick is committed to the development of psychohistory as a tool for understanding current world problems. He is particularly interested in promoting a Depth-Psychology perspective of issues which affect our public life very deeply, such as identity and emotions, fear and vulnerability, but about which political commentators currently lack the means to properly address. 

His books include ‘Wounded Leaders: British Elitism and the Entitlement Illusion - a Psychohistory,’ 2014, and ‘The SIMPOL Solution: solving global problems could be easier than we think’ with John Bunzl. 

He contributed chapters to ‘The Political Self,’ (Karnac 2016) and to ‘Humanistic Psychology: Current Trends, Future Prospects’, (Routledge 2017). He has recently worked on an experimental project at UCL to use VR technology in the treatment of developmental trauma, and his latest book 'The Un-Making of Them: Clinical Reflections on Boarding School Syndrome' is published by Routledge in April 2025.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Cal in person at the Women in Business Golf event that she hosted in September, 2024 and where my colleague Natalie Shering and I led an experiential workshop on leading with confidence.

I was inspired before the event and even more so during and after by Cal’s unswerving commitment and passion to enable women to connect and network with each other through playing golf. Cal has created a community of women, who enable, inspire and support each other personally and professionally - on and off the golf course. 

Cal is on a mission to change the face of women’s golf.

In our conversation Cal offers valuable insights into:

• How women can feel empowered if they play golf - on and off the golf course;
• The importance of social connection to Cal personally and within the community that she has created;
• How authenticity is integral to her personal life and to her business 

Cal's Three Key Encouragements to Leaders: 

1. We can always be learning and it’s essential to stay open-minded - to acknowledge and consider the value in other peoples opinions and suggestions - no one knows everything!
2. Make sure you’re a strong communicator. Don’t over complicate things, be direct and concise, but it’s essential to be kind in your delivery.
3. Create a vision that people are excited by and willing to follow.

How to connect with Cal:

LinkedIn: Caroline Shukla 

Website: www.skratchwomen.com

Instagram: @skratchwomen

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend is the podcast in which leaders weave together the threads of their life, sharing their leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped them, their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE:

I had the joy of being introduced to Gail through a previous podcast guest, Karen Dobres who told me what a wonderful guest Gail would be, and that she had written a book, a memoir about her life and leadership called Made in Whittingham Street

In our conversation Gail shares her story of leading with courage and gratitude, and offers insights into:

• The importance of not only finding your cause, your purpose, but of always being true to it, and to yourself.
• How staying true to your dreams, your hopes and aspirations really matters and that it is this which gives courage to and inspires others to follow their dreams and to stay true to them.
• Knowing what you believe in and having faith can give you the courage to keep going, and gratitude for what you have, and help reconcile challenges.

GAIL'S THREE ENCOURAGEMENTS TO LEADERS:

1. Be sincere and honest. Always be true to your cause.
2. Never give up on your dreams. Inspire others.
3. Have faith in what you believe in

Connect with Gail:

X: x.com/GailNewsham

Website: www.dickkerrladies.com

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT GAIL:

I left school at fifteen and went to work in a shoe factory. I have no formal qualifications to speak of but I think I’ve done ok. I’m just an ordinary lass who has been fortunate to do some extraordinary things. I suppose I have a strong belief and a tenacity to get things done.

Saving and recording the history of women’s football and of the Dick, Kerr Ladies became her mission - highlighting the courage of the women to play and to challenge the injustice of the ban on women in football.

Passionate about saving the legacy of DKL, and keeping true to their story. In their Centenary year we achieved the First Blue Plaque in the World for women’s football 2017. Memorial to DKL at PNE 2017. First ever National Women’s Walking Football Tournament 2017. Plaque on Ashton Park in Preston in 2021, where DKL played their first match after the FA Ban of 1921.

Always been proactive in helping the game grow when nobody gave tuppence for us. I served 12 years on the Management Committee of North West Women’s Regional Football League from 1981-1993. Chief fundraiser for my own club, organising Fancy Dress Treasure Hunts and many other initiatives.  Founder and organiser of the Lancashire Trophy in 1986, an International Women’s Football Tournament with teams from Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Eire, Scotland and England, all taking part over the years.

Proud to have served in the Women’s Royal Army Corps. Took part in the Remembrance Day Parade in London in 2016, honouring family who took part in/lost in WW1, and my dad in WW2. Proud to wear his medals.

Proud of my Memoir, Made in Whittingham Street. I’ve been lucky in my life, I’ve met a lot of people who I never thought possible, and I count my blessings on a daily basis. The theme of the book I suppose is Courage, my Mum in particular, Injustice and Reconciliation, that in the end, everything works out. Well, it has for me and I am very grateful. 

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their leadership story, weaving together the threads of their life; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Today’s guest is Jason Webber Senior Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability Manager Football Association Wales (FAW). I had the joy of meeting Jason at the Diversity and Inclusion Global Forum in 2024 where Lucy Kidd and I were exhibiting our Collaboration Equation™.

Jason and I had a conversation about leadership, about football and collaboration which led me to inviting him to be a podcast guest on Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend.

In our conversation Jason offers valuable insights into:

• Creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment
• Diversity/Representation at all levels especially in senior leadership.
• Education & Awareness
• Taking meaningful action and sustainable progress.

Jason’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Lead by example, be authentic and be an ally.
2. Listen to people's lived experiences and proactively educate yourself.
3. Take action and make a difference to someone's life.

Contact and to connect with Jason:

LinkedIn - Webber T Jason 

Website - jasontwebber.myportfolio.com

Instagram - @jasontwebber 

X - WebberTJason 

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. 

About JASON

Jason is an expert and leader in Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Sustainability currently working at the Football Association of Wales (FAW) as a Senior Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Sustainability Manager.

He has been integral in advancing the FAW’s EDI and Sustainability Programmes towards being a global leader in sport and has extensive experience as an educator, public speaker and advisor to a wide range of stakeholders for more than a decade.

He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with others and is committed to making football and society a better place for everyone.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

About this episode:

I had the joy of being in conversation with Febronia in a previous episode of Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend. Since then Feb has qualified as a coach and much more, and contacted me to say she would like to share more of her leadership story and journey. 

In our conversation Feb offers valuable insights into:

• Going back to Business School.
• Fantastic support from new peers and the marketing industry.
• The push towards and importance of accreditations from the Coaching Bodies.
• Building a business and launching exciting new services in 2025.

Feb’s three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Just do it. Try not to convince yourself of all the reasons why you shouldn't go. Instead, convince yourself of the reasons why you should, because you stand to gain so much more and learn so much more and meet so many new people. It's a fantastic experience.
2. Be patient with yourself.  Any career transition takes time. Give yourself time to enjoy the transition, the growth and the development. Be aware that the results are going to come in their own time at their own pace.
3. Surround yourself with people who want you to win. 

Connect with Febronia:

LinkedIn: Febronia Ruocco

About Febronia:

Febronia Ruocco is a multilingual, commercially impactful Global Strategic Insights & Analytics Director, with a proven track record of inspiring transformation & delivering winning insight; successful marketing strategy & commercial growth for iconic £1bn global brand portfolios in FMCG & OTC.

She is a certified Executive Leadership Coach (Henley Business School, end 2023) & accredited at Senior Practitioner Level EMCC and ACC ICF. In addition to her insight career, Febronia has coached over 150 hours, supporting senior global directors from the marketing/advertising/insight & MRX sectors.

Febronia is also a professional mentor, supporting WIRe; the Durham University Student Leadership Framework; Lancaster University & Henley Business School.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

How we met

I have had the joy of knowing Howard for many, many years as a friend, and as a colleague with whom I have worked alongside as well as supported in his leadership of teams, and companies. I have long admired him as a passionate, and committed leader who is on a mission to make a difference in how we live and lead our lives through driving the energy transition with purpose and hope.

About this episode

In our conversation Howard offers valuable insights into

• How trusting your purpose and having a vision in vital
• How he lives and leads through success and failure with commitment
• How stepping into the uncomfortable can lead to authentic connection

Howard’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders looking to lead with energy, purpose and hope

1. Be bold and stand up for what you believe 
2. Honesty and humility can be the strongest form of leadership
3. Help people understand the larger narrative and empower them to connect with their own purpose

Connect, follow and find out more about Howard:

LinkedIn: Howard Johns

Website: www.onezero.energy

Instagram: @howardsolar

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest is Ed Corbett "The Brand Plan Man", Head of Consulting, AI evangelist, Lover of marketing and Mentor to emerging businesses.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

I had the joy of meeting Ed over ten years ago when he was working at the pharmaceutical company MSD here in the UK. Ed had been to an event and heard my colleague, and mentor, Steve Radcliffe speaking about Future Engage Deliver, and being at your best. Ed invited Steve to MSD to do a session on being at your best, following which MSD asked for a proposal for a Leadership Development Programme. This FED programme was a huge success over many, many years and transformed peoples lives and leadership at MSD.

In this conversation Ed offers valuable insights into:

• How success is built on big relationships
• The importance of seeking out and really listening to feedback to grow
• Why being comfortable not knowing everything is key
• How we can inspire others to be the best they can be

Ed’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Acknowledge and accept that you are not and cannot be perfect
2. You can only really grow with and through the help of others
3. Relax into ‘you’ - Be comfortable in who you are and what you care about

To contact Ed:

LinkedIn: Ed Corbett

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

To find out more about Future-Engage-Deliver do get in touch with me, read the book ‘Leadership Plain and Simple’ by Steve Radcliffe. And to hear Steve sharing his personal leadership story do listen to my podcast episode with him.

A big thank you to SHMOGUS Media for the wonderful production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Today’s guest is Delia Lazaroiu, Senior Data Analyst and the title of our conversation is Kind leadership and diverse voices rising.

I had the joy of meeting Delia when she was working at the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Delia engaged with the leadership development work, and with myself and Emily Court. Since then we have kept in touch via LInkedIn, and as always Delia is immensely supportive and passionate about all she does. I am looking forward to hearing her story, and to getting to know her through this episode.

In our conversation Delia offers valuable insights into: 

• Making progress by aspiring to be the least knowledgeable person in that room
• Finding your tribe and thriving 
• Living in and leading with gratitude 
• Living a meaningful life as a leader and human by helping others and offering kindness 

Delia's Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Lead by lifting each other up
2. Stay true to your values
3. Visit places not visited by all your peers

Contact Delia:

LinkedIn - Delia Lazaroiu  

Instagram - @delialazaroiu

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing, sound production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

About This Episode

Today’s guest is David Dand, Managing Director of Coreus, the Brighton based Talent Acquisition agency. I had the pleasure of being introduced to David through a mutual friend, previous podcast guest, Dougal Fleming. If you haven’t already listened to that episode I highly recommend it. 

Dougal encouraged David and I to have a conversation, and that David has a wonderful story to share.

In our conversation, David offers valuable insights into:

• The five-step framework he uses when leading a candidate search to understand fit and motivation; 
• What you need to know about changing career and recruitment;
• Navigating career changes and your next big step;
• Hiring tips for leaders to ensure you have the right people in the right roles.

David’s three top tips for leaders looking to either make their next big move and, or ensuring that they make the right hire

1. Use the 5-step framework: 

• Consider salary and benefits
• Convenience
• Culture and brand reputation
• The day-to-day job
• Training and career progression 

2. Remember the stakes are high: 

• There are Soft & hard turnover costs, replacement & job hopping.

3.  Embrace individuality through knowing:

• What your key skills and strengths are
• What the conditions are for you to thrive 
• What Great looks and feels like, just because something is great doesn’t mean it is great for you!

To connect, follow and find out more about David and the The Five Step Framework go to:

LinkedIn: David Dand

Website: www.coreus.co.uk

Instagram: @coreus_talentacquisition 

About The 5 Step Career Change Framework 

A framework to help you understand career change and motivation, either for yourself or when you are hiring others to understand best fit.  

The five essentials are:

1. Salary & benefits 

• There is more to life than money. 
• And we have bills to pay. Responsibilities. Wants & needs. 
• Benefits: I work with an investment firm that offers a 20% pension contribution. 

2. Convenience

• Work-life balance
• Ability to manage work around your caring commitments, for example picking up children from school. 
• Work/life/harmony: Why, just because I am an accountant should I not have a weekend? 

3. Culture & Brand Reputation
I work with Accountancy / FS institutions. ‘Much the same.’ What is unique about this institution? What do I want?  

• Autonomy
• Challenge
• Sustainability

4. Day to day job

• Operational vs strategic 

5. Training and career progression

• Where is your career going, ideally
• What in an ideal world would you like to be true 

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your own leadership.

If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

About this Episode:

Today’s guest is Sue Cockell, Solo Traveller on a mission to help women in their mid-lives to enjoy the transformative power of travelling alone.

I had the joy of first meeting Sue when she was working at a pharmaceutical company where I was leading a leadership development programme. Sue was one of a small group of leaders with whom I worked over a period of time, supporting them in leading others.  As a group we got to know each other well, and during that time, some ten years ago, Sue lost her beloved husband. I remember Sue getting into solo travel, and helping me to feel confident about my youngest daughter travelling solo aged 18.

In our conversation Sue offers valuable insights into: 

• The transformative power of travel
• Solo travel for women in mid-life
• Embracing the power of “Yes!”

Sue’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders :

1. It’s not what happens to you in life, but how you respond that makes you who you are
2. You grow the most outside your comfort zone. Embrace those opportunities to stretch it, even if it scares you
3. Your life experiences are what makes you unique, relatable & interesting. Never be afraid to share them as you never know where it may lead.

The best way to connect, follow and find out more about Sue:

LinkedIn: Sue Cockell 

Website: www.suewherewhywhat.com

YouTube: @SueWhereWhyWhat 

Instagram: @suewherewhywhat

About Sue Cockell:

Sue Cockell is a Transformative Travel Coach, Solo Female Travel Expert, Blogger and YouTuber. She began her solo travel journey after tragically losing her husband back in 2014. Travel allowed her to breathe, grieve, heal and finally find herself again. She has now visited over 80 countries, across 6 continents and through her work she aims to inspire other women over 40 to embrace the power of travelling alone too. 

If you have a deep desire to explore the world but feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of planning and preparation involved. Sue has designed a new course specifically for you: Find Your Way: Your Ultimate Guide to Starting Your Travel Journey. If you would like to learn more, then contact her now at sue@suewherewhywhat.com.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing, sound production and marketing of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Today’s guest is Andrew Edwards, former BBC broadcaster, and now an Event Host, Trainer, Teacher and Mentor. The title of our conversation is ‘You Don’t Need to Be a Boss to Be a Leader’.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories; the people, places and experiences that have shaped their values, beliefs, passion and purpose to encourage and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your own leadership.

If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE 

I had the joy of being introduced to Andrew through his brother John Edwards. If you haven’t already listened to John and I in conversation, it is a great episode on Understanding Ourselves, and Understanding Others. 

John suggested that Andrew would make an excellent guest, and that he had produced, whilst at the BBC a podcast about their late Mum’s experience of living - and dying - with dementia, ‘Mum and Me: The Dementia Diary’ 

Andrew offers valuable insights into: 

• Leading by example through your leadership behaviour in an ‘on and off air’ frontline role.
• Looking down, up and out - remembering to consult your team, using the expertise around you, and never losing track of your real bosses - your audience, customers and the public.
• Swimming against the tide of expectation - your own and others’ expectations while looking after your own mental health.
• Differentiating the personal from the private, and the power of opening up in the right way to others and getting the balance right. 

Andrew's Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Be true to yourself and your values 
2. Listen more than you talk
3. Inspire others through your leadership behaviours 

Connect, follow and find out more about Andrew:

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/thebeardedbroadcaster

Andrew's website: www.theandrewedwards.com

X / Twitter: @RadioAndrewE

Instagram: @andrewedwardsleeds 

Email: beardedbroadcaster@icloud.com

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. 

About  Andrew Edwards

Andrew is a broadcaster, teacher, trainer and event host. He began broadcasting on hospital radio in his hometown, Hull, making his professional debut as a sports reporter on Viking Radio. He started his career in journalism at the Hull Daily Mail newspaper, before joining the BBC as a trainee in 1989. Andrew moved to BBC Radio Leeds in 1993 where he stayed, very happily, for the next thirty years. 

For many years he combined his on-air career with teaching radio journalism and spent seven years at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and Leeds Trinity University. He still mentors students and radio colleagues and is now doing freelance work at the University of Leeds.

Until 2022 he spent part of each week looking after his Mum, who died from dementia. He gives talks about, and hosts events linked to, dementia and hopes to write a book about his mother. He recorded a weekly audio diary called ‘Mum and Me: The Dementia Diary’, for which he was named a Dementia Hero at the Alzheimer’s Society’s awards 2021.

About this Episode 

Today’s guest is Meg Farren, General Manager, Chief Customer Officer, Chief Marketing Officer and much more! 

I had the joy of meeting Meg for the first time on the Marketing Leaders Programme, in early 2024. Meg opened the programme for us, and did a wonderful job of sharing her story and setting the context and the ambition of the programme.

Together Meg and I delve into the people, places and experiences that have made Meg the person and leader she is today. 

Meg’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Be Curious in Everything, make your first response a curious one, about yourself and about others - ask Why all the time
2. Lean into your Fear, build resilience through daring to ask - don’t hold yourself back
3. Have Fun, find and do what you love and gives you Joy

To connect, follow and find out more about Meg:

LinkedIn: Meghan Farren

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which I talk with leaders about their own life and leadership stories, to encourage you to reflect on your values, beliefs, passion and purpose, and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership. 

A big thank you to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production and promotion of the podcast.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Hello, and welcome to the second Collaboration Equation™ episode in Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend and Lucy Kidd. 

Today’s guest is Somya Agrawal, Leader, Collaborator and Motivator and the title of our conversation is Finding your Collaborative Edge™.

Leaders in Conversation is the podcast in which leaders share their life and leadership stories, and in our Collaboration Equation™ episodes their experience of collaborating and how they find their Collaborative Edge™ to encourage you to bring even more curiosity, care and courage to your leadership.  

If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In our conversation we talk about the application of Collaboration Equation™ and Somya shares her experience of collaboration and offers valuable insights into:

1. Bringing two teams together to get to know each other, to be able to have an open conversation, and how  this fast tracks success.

2. Connecting through being vulnerable in sharing her experience of hearing loss and how this has created meaningful connection  with others. 

3. Creating psychological safety that invites people to give and ask for help, getting what we need from each other and caring about each other.

4. Building trust through being human and authentic with colleagues.

5. Meeting people where they are at, and making time for everyone to have a voice, and for different thoughts and feelings to be heard.

6. Creating a culture of care and connection whether working online or in person.

To connect, follow and find out more about Somya:

LinkedIn: Somya Agrawal

Instagram: @somyaagr

To listen to more Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend visit my website www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design and marketing of the podcast and to Tom at Brown Bear Studios for the excellent production of this episode.

To contact Anni Townend and Lucy Kidd do email us on anni@annitownend.com and lucy@lucykidd.com, or via our dedicated email address connect@collaborationequation.com

To explore more about how to find your Collaborative Edge™,  visit our website www.collaborationequation.com, subscribe to our fortnightly Leadership Conversations and follow us on LinkedIn Collaboration Equation™.  

We look forward to connecting and collaborating with you, thank you for listening.

About this Episode:

Today’s guest is Somya Agrawal, Leader, Collaborator and Motivator. I had the joy of meeting Somya in June 2024, when she joined us for a Walking Partnerships day in Surrey, in the UK.

Somya offers valuable insights into: 

• Being the conductor and not the trumpet player - The difficult transition between manager and leader, how the role changes and the importance of building a high-functioning team.
• The ripple effect - leading by example - The importance of watching and learning from leaders around you and how we are always being watched, even when we think nobody is watching! 
• Dare to enter the arena - How we foster a culture of openness, transparency, honesty and collaboration. Ask questions and challenge with kindness and curiosity. It is not what you say, but how you say that it matters.

We discuss the People, Places, and Experiences that have shaped Somya and made her the person and leader she is today: 

People - "My parents, sisters and my tribe" 

Places - "Around the world. My family’s travelling style and how it reinforced the importance of teamwork"

Experiences - "The loss of my father and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro"

Somya's key encouragements to Leaders: 

1. ENGAGE - establish a rapport with your team and build trust which will allow you to be your authentic self. With passion for your purpose, you will be able to identify the best people for the job.
2. ENABLE - use your energy to have an impact on those around you to bring people to the table who also understand your vision, as nothing is done without collaboration.
3. EMPOWER - by engaging with energy and by enabling with empathy, you will lead a team that feels empowered. 
4. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. So remember to enjoy it and take your team with you.

Connect with Somya:

LinkedIn - Somya Agrawal

About Somya Agrawal:

Somya’s most recent leadership post as a Senior Civil Servant was as a Deputy Director for Product and Delivery at UK Health Security Agency. She became a DD after a very busy and demanding period as Product Introduction Lead during the COVID-19 pandemic where she was responsible for the design, development and launch of the COVID-19 lateral flow devices. Over 2.5bn LFDs were deployed during that time, so as you can imagine, it was a very high-profile and complex mission with a lot of ambiguity, unknowns and political sensitivities in play. However, Somya loved every second of it, because of the self-development it gave her but also the HUGE national impact that this job had.

Prior to being a Senior Civil Servant, she worked at the Royal Marsden Hospital, a specialist Cancer Hospital in London, where she believes her passion for positive outcomes in healthcare really came from, as during her stint there in Research and Clinical trials, she saw many oncology drugs become licensed after seeing patients not only surviving but thriving when given the right care and treatment.

Somya is one of 3 girls in her family (the middle one) who have been very fortunate to have been raised by parents who provided their daughters as much as they could within their means which did not come without sacrifices and we are all incredibly grateful for our childhoods and it making us who we are today. Though not yet married, she has a 6 year old niece who she absolutely dotes on and calls one of her best friends.

Somya is incredibly passionate about positive outcomes in healthcare and states that her stakeholder engagement skills and energetic personality have now become her USP that have contributed to the successes she has had in her leadership journey so far.

Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend is the podcast in which I talk to leaders about their own life and leadership stories, to encourage you to reflect on your values, beliefs, passion and purpose, and inspire you to be even more confident and courageous in your leadership.

About this episode:
 
Today’s guest is Carien Borst, Artist and Leadership Coach. In this episode we are talking about Creativity and Reflection in Leadership - how every job is a creative act, and how we all have a part to play in creating a workplace and environment in which there is harmony, diversity and contrast.

Carien offers valuable insights into:

• How as human beings we are all creative
• How through being creative it can be an endless source of life energy
• Knowing and being yourself - how being authentic and vulnerable gives others permission to be authentic and vulnerable
• Creativity and how it’s related to leadership 

Carien's Three Key Encouragements to Leaders:

1. Know yourself, and be yourself - We serve the world by showing ourselves who we are! 
2. Explore, experiment, play and be creative - Let go of the outcome and experience joy! Remember to play and take time to simply enjoy creative activities. 
3. We create all day - By choosing our words and by our reaction towards others. 

Connect, follow and find out more about Carien:

LinkedIn: Carien (Mooibroek) Borst 

Website: www.carienborst.nl 

Instagram: @carien_borst_art

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend:
 
Email me on anni@annitownend.com
Visit my website www.annitownend.com 
Follow me on LinkedIn

About Carien Borst:

Carien was born and raised in the Netherlands. She studied Art Therapy and Human Development. 

Carien worked for 15 years in mental healthcare, and for about 10 years in different leadership roles. She started as a team leader and the last years as a manager of the eleven sheltered living houses for people who suffered from all sorts of psychiatric diseases.

Around 7 years ago Carien started to realise she was missing creativity in her life. Due to a busy job, two young children and simply not prioritising what she needed. 

After a weekend spent in a monastery, filled with silence and creativity she decided to change things in her life. She woke up early every day to create in silence. Writing, creating an art journal, sitting still and taking time to think and feel. She chose to follow art courses and slowly new ideas developed. How could she bring this creativity into her leadership role?

She found the courage to bring three pillars together in her own business: creativity, leadership and reflection. Based on her experience as a leader in mental healthcare but also through her journey in opening up again for the power of creating and growing in being a painter and artist. 

Hello, welcome and welcome back to Leaders in Conversation with me, Anni Townend. 

Today’s guest is Guy Newey, Chief Executive Officer at Energy Systems Catapult, and the title of our conversation is ‘On Accelerating Net Zero Energy Innovation’.

I have had the privilege of partnering with Guy and working with a group of Future Leaders at Energy Systems Catapult - a company committed to accelerating NET ZERO in the UK through supporting innovators to commercialise, and helping design and deliver the future energy system.

Together Guy and I delve into the people, places and experiences that have made him the person and leader he is today. 

Guy offers valuable insights into :

• Communication and what he has learnt about communicating across the wider team.
• Resilience, how managing your own energy is key, along with helping to manage that of the team.
• Getting comfortable with not knowing everything, and how the more senior you become as a leader the less you know.

Guy's Three Key Encouragements to Leaders looking to innovate and commercialise for Net Zero 

1. There is a huge market out there - net zero is an incredible opportunity (as well as an essential mission)
2. It is not unusual to feel imposter syndrome - in fact it is super common
3. Learn fast - be prepared to pivot quickly if something you thought was going to work does not work.

To connect, follow and find out more about Guy:

LinkedIn: Guy Newey

Website: https://es.catapult.org.uk/

Twitter/X: @guynewey

To contact Anni Townend:

Email me on anni@annitownend.com or visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.

About Guy Newey

Guy was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Energy Systems Catapult, the innovation business, in June 2022. Guy joined the Catapult in 2018 as Director of Strategy after being an energy and political adviser to two UK Government Secretaries of State; Greg Clark and Amber Rudd. In Government, he was involved in many key decisions, including closing the UK’s coal-fired power stations, greater independence for the electricity system operator, and as an architect of the Clean Growth Strategy.

Before joining Government, he was Head of Policy at the challenger energy supplier, OVO Energy and Head of Environment and Energy at the influential think tank, Policy Exchange. He was previously a journalist, including three years as a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong for the international newswire, AFP. He is a non-executive director with UK100, a charity campaigning for greater environmental action by local authorities. He lives in Enfield, with his wife and two children.

Welcome and welcome back to Leaders in Conversation with me, Anni Townend, the podcast that helps you to grow confidence, care and courage in your leadership.

I created this series of candid conversations for leaders to share their inspirational personal leadership stories, weaving together the threads of their life - the people, places and experiences that have shaped them and made them the leader that they are today. 

Together we delve into what they really care about, their values and beliefs, their passion and purpose and how they live and weave these through their leadership every day, in all that they do. 

They offer valuable insights and rich experience to help and inspire you on your own unique leadership journey. If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Emma Harris, Finance Director, M&S Food, Property and Retail. Together we delve into: 

• How to bring alignment in corporate world
• The importance of amplifying your strengths
• Staying authentic in more challenging environments

Emma's three key encouragements to leaders:

1. Stay true to yourself and your values
2. Find an environment where you can thrive…doesn’t have to be easy, but you can bring value through your leadership
3. Amplify your strengths, that’s where you’ll get the highest ROI

About Emma Harris

Emma is a senior finance leader, balancing living in Yorkshire with her partner and 2 boys, and working her London-based finance director role. Spending over 20 years in retail, leading finance teams, Emma is passionate about driving shareholder value for the organisation through commercial curiosity, leading great teams and her own self development. 

To connect, follow and find out more about Emma:

LinkedIn: Emma Harris

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend:

www.annitownend.com/podcast

To contact me Anni Townend:

Email me on anni@annitownend.com
Visit my website www.annitownend.com
Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  

I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

Welcome and welcome back to Leaders in Conversation with me, Anni Townend, the podcast that helps you to grow confidence, care and courage in your leadership.

I created this series of candid conversations for leaders to share their inspirational personal leadership stories, weaving together the threads of their life - the people, places and experiences that have shaped them and made them the leader that they are today.

Together we delve into what they really care about, their values and beliefs, their passion and purpose and how they live and weave these through their leadership every day, in all that they do.

They offer valuable insights and rich experience to help and inspire you on your own unique leadership journey. If you are not already please subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Chris Harte, Chief Executive and Commercial Real Estate Partner at Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP - a leading Scottish law firm committed to providing straightforward advice, clarity on cost and to building strong trusting relationships with clients ensuring that their evolving needs are met with focus and care. Together we delve into:

• What it means to "Serve to Lead" and that leadership is not about you.
• The importance of Being Curious  and to remember firstly that "the issue is never the issue", and secondly ‘not knowing’ all of the answers is a feature not a bug!
• How focusing our energy - not dispersing it - is key to strategy and that limitations can be useful, and helpful rather than a hindrance.

Chris’s three key encouragements to leaders

1. Help others to succeed - be a leader - focus more on asking questions than providing answers;

2. Identify priorities - use limitations to help focus minds on conscious choices;

3. Retain a sense of perspective - keep a sense of humour close at hand and don't take yourself too seriously - a wee bit of humility goes a long way.

To contact Chris:

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/chris-harte

To find out more about Morton Fraser MacRoberts LLP follow them on linkedin and do go to their website.

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to my support team at the Conscious Marketing Group for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn. I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with my two guests, Susie Ballentyne an Independent Psychologist and Bob Judson, a fellow podcaster, facilitator, leadership coach, and keynote speaker.

We delve together into: 

1. The importance of continually developing your skills as a leader, both individually and as part of a team.
2. The value of both mentors and coaches to leaders.
3. The challenges of building, leading and inspiring teams in today’s complex and convoluted working environment.
4. The really key requirements of a good leader.

Susie and Bob’s Three key encouragements for leaders looking to grow and develop their leadership:

1. Always remember that others have been there before you.  Very few, if any, challenges are genuinely new and unique and people will always be prepared to help you be your best self if you seek the right support.
2. One of the key challenges for developing leaders is learning to let go of tasks that can be done by the team and freeing up time to focus on the larger issues.  The great thing is that by delegating well and empowering your team members you build trust and capability in them that they will really appreciate as they develop themselves.
3. Pay attention to your relationships and your personal brand as absolute priorities.  They are fundamental to your future success and deserve to be given very special treatment. 

Connect with Susie and Bob:

LinkedIn: Bob Judson and Susie Ballentyne

Website: Leading4Life

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to my support team at the Conscious Marketing Group for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Carolyn Youdell, Group eCommerce & Customer Engagement Director, Group Marketing Specsavers. 

I have known Carolyn for many years and am a huge fan, she is a regular speaker on the Marketing Leaders Programme, and herself a huge fan of developing marketing leadership.

Together we delve into:

• Embracing challenge 
• Becoming compelling
• Driving simplicity…  

Carolyn’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Be a Skilled Sailor - Change your mindset about problems – see them as unique and amazing opportunities to make you better than you were yesterday. 
2. Be Compelling - What will make people follow you?  Jeff Bezos famously said ‘Your brand is what people say about you when no one is listening’ - Do you know what that is for YOU? For your brand of leadership? 
3. Simplify - don’t buy into the complexity. My Chief Marketing Officer talks about focusing on the OUTCOME and the simpler you make this for your team the better. Do the work to make it simple, NOT complex.  

To contact Carolyn:

LinkedIn – Carolyn Youdell (she is the only one!)
Email: carolyn.youdell@specsavers.com

About Carolyn:

At work. I am a Marketer. I've spent over 20 years working agency and brand side. 
With and on world-famous brands.
Across all Marketing, Communications & Digital disciplines. 
As Group Marketing Director for Specsavers I am working collaboratively across regions and teams to drive the synergies and value that can be derived from centrally led activity. I am passionate about well-run teams, well-rounded teams. 

At Life: I am a Mum. Partner. Sister. Daughter. Friend. Dog lover. Pilates poser. 5Ker. Book reader. Stuff Hoarder. Traveller. Chef. Wine drinker. Shoe fancier.


To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com.

A big thank you to my support team at the Conscious Marketing Group for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Co-Founders Anni Townend and Lucy Kidd in conversation with Natalie Shering for a special episode of Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend podcast. Here they explore why Curiosity, Care and Courage are the mindset and behaviours that underpin their Collaboration Equation™ to:

• Build Psychological Safety
• Practise Inclusive Dialogue
• Invite Diversity of Thought & Feeling and
• Drive Collaborative Edge

Psychological Safety
Together they share how they met some 18 years ago and realised very early on in their working relationship that starting with and building psychological safety underpins creating cultures of care and connection in which people enjoy connecting, contributing and collaborating.

Curiosity, Care and Courage
They discuss how they partner with senior leaders and their teams helping them to bring the mindset and behaviours of Curiosity, Care and Courage to develop people and drive performance and how these underpin each of the building blocks of their Collaboration  Equation™.

Meeting People where they are at, and moving from ‘me to we’
They specialise in meeting people where they are at, on having people well met, and supporting them in leading and driving Collaborative Edge through Inclusive Dialogue, Diversity of Thought and Feeling. And why for them inclusivity comes before diversity, the importance of Inclusive Dialogue, and how language can have a huge impact on how people think, feel and behave.

Open Conversations to get to Collaborative Edge
Their approach is one of helping leaders do their best thinking together, to think differently, to have open conversations in which people feel confident and safe, enjoy Inclusive Dialogue, and can bring Diversity of Thought and Feeling in order to get to Collaborative Edge. The conversations are always in service of enabling performance and driving results through people working together.

CONNECT WITH US
Collaboration Workshops, We are all Culture Creators:
How to Find Your Collaborative Edge workshops.

Fortnightly Coaching Conversations Series:
A series of questions to prompt conversations that will help you to lead with Curiosity, Care and Courage. Subscribe here.

WHO WE ARE
Lucy Kidd is a leadership team and culture coach, and describes how culture is the wrapping that feeds change and, or stifles it. Lucy’s passion is to help people find meaning and connection in their lives and work.

Anni Townend is a leadership partner to senior leaders and their teams. Anni’s passion is to help leaders create a culture in which people feel safe and able to have open conversations and do their best work. Anni is the author of Assertiveness and Diversity, published in 2007.

Natalie Shering is a leadership coach specialising in creative leadership and using nature in leadership. She is a collaborator with Collaboration Equation™.

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Akin Thomas, CEO and Founder of AKD Solutions - an international learning and development consultancy - built upon an ethos of stimulating brilliance through providing the space for people to engage in transformative and disruptive, and impactful fun learning experiences.

Together we delve into:

1. How do we create a learning environment that stimulates brilliance and the right to be your very best person, the very best version of yourself.
2. How the quality of conversations that we have today has a direct correlation to who you will be in the next 5 - 10 years and beyond.
3.  The importance of disruption, and asking What happens if we do something differently, what is possible?
4. Being intentional about our impact, and conscious of how the decisions we make now have a massive impact beyond what we are conscious of now.

Akin’s encouragements to leaders looking to create a learning environment which stimulates brilliance:

• We each have a key role to play in expressing our humanity and raising our organisational and social consciousness.
• Believe in yourself, you are brilliant, practise looking in the mirror and saying ‘I am brilliant’ and share your gift that will bring warmth and light.

About Akin Thomas

I first met Akin at the Diversity and Inclusion Global Forum in May 2023. We, my colleagues and I, were blessed to have Akin and his team as our neighbours in the exhibitors hall. An experienced exhibitor used to sharing his wisdom and knowledge he readily shared with us. We spoke in passing about his being a guest on the podcast. Since then I have followed Akin on LinkedIn, and the prompt to ask him was a post in which he shared how he had been back to see his sister in Lagos and spent time researching his own history, including rediscovering his original name, Okukenu, which means ambition, independence, strength, reliability and determination.

AKD Solutions is all about brilliance, helping people to develop their unique potential and is fuelled by these beliefs:

1. Brilliance is in every person and organisation
2. In the uniqueness of every person and organisation
3. In the power of conversation to stimulate new thinking and change
4. In developing meaningful and genuine relationships
5. That everything should be fun

AKD Solutions has a special sports division dedicated to helping people and organisations develop their full potential in physical activity.

The AKD Team challenge a lot, laugh a lot, eat a lot - they have fun and are intentional in making a lasting impact in all that they do.

Contact:

LinkedIn: Akin Thomas

Website: AKD Solutions

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Karen Wilkinson, inspiring and award winning Marketing Director. We delve together into: 

1. The power of connecting with your Values & Purpose
2. How knowing your Strengths and not sweating your weaknesses is the best way to Focus and Fly
3. Why Courage & Belief and Stepping out of your comfort zone is all part of being Brave
4. Adventure Seeking - On seizing the day and going for it!

Karen’s three key encouragements to leaders looking to Be Brave, Fly and Focus

1.  Unlock the power of maximising your strengths - Acknowledge what support you need to be at your best - people who compliment you, your support team. And be mindful of overusing your strengths! 
2. Feel the fear and do it anyway - The immense power in self belief, power of possible, managed risks, seeking growth opportunities, believing in others.  Accept not everything will go to plan...that's ok! Adapt, pivot, change if you need to…. That’s all part of a Marketing Leaders toolkit.
3. Stay curious, embrace adventure.. And smile - The world, our teams, our customers (next gen!)technology is all changing. Stay curious, we’ll never ‘know it all’, seek adventure and find enjoyment in all you do . After all, we work, love, live to find fulfilment, growth and connect with our values .. whilst having fun along the way! 

About Karen

Karen is a passionate marketing leader - with over 25 years of experience working in consumer products and financial services & banking. Most recently Marketing Director for AkzoNobel, parent of Dulux for 9 years. Adding colour to lives and creating beautiful living spaces. 

Currently with Evergreen Garden Care as Marketing Director UK&I, where she continues to connect with her passions for colour, growth and being outdoors. 

She graduated from Dublin City University with BA in international marketing and languages, and has worked, lived and studied in Ireland, Spain, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. 

Karen lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband and is a parent to two teens. Their 19yr old son is on a solo adventure in Japan, and 18yr old daughter is preparing for A levels. Together they teach Karen to have fun, be brave and practise what I preach (to them!).  

She loves being outdoors and being active… running, cycling, hiking, swimming, skiing, walking! And never says no to a challenge with friends. 

She is always seeking new learning, travel and adventures.. Ice skating, painting, and has climbed 2000m mountains, cycled through the Alps and Dolomites, enjoys kayaking and cold water swimming.

Connect with Karen

LinkedIn: Karen Wilkinson 

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Helen Stephenson, CEO of the Charity Commission for England and Wales

We delve together into: 

1. How as a leader the main tool in your leadership is yourself, which means you need to understand how you work - your strengths and weaknesses
2. Why getting the right team is crucial and making sure you recruit people who are different from you, and who have the right skills and personality to fit with the organisation and its needs.
3. Why leadership is All about relationships
4. And how there is no perfect leader, and the importance of knowing when good is good enough rather than aspiring to be everything all at once!

Helen’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

• Know when you need to dive into the detail on an issue (you can’t/shouldn’t be across everything) and signal to your team that’s what you’re doing
• Being a leader is seeking to be a better version of yourself
• It can be lonely, have some support networks

To connect, follow and find out more about Helen:

LinkedIn: Helen Stephenson

Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission

To find out more about Future Engage Deliver, www.futureengagedeliver.com

Buy the book by Steve Radcliffe ‘Leadership Plain and Simple’

https://www.pearson.com/en-gb/subject-catalog/p/leadership-plain-and-simple/

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend do go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to my support team at the Conscious Marketing Group for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About Helen Stephenson

I was first introduced to Helen Stephenson by Steve Radcliffe, who thought we would partner well together in some Executive Team Coaching for Helen’s team.  He was right! Helen and I have worked together with her leadership team over the past few years. We have introduced them to Future Engage Deliver, a leadership approach developed by Steve Radcliffe and wonderfully written about in his book Leadership Plain and Simple. And have gone on to share with my colleague Emily Court the Future Engage Deliver approach with the wider organisation of leaders, and their teams. It has been a privilege to work with Helen, and to be trusted by her to lead this programme - her commitment to developing people, and their leadership in particular has never wavered. On many occasions she has joined a development day, and been part of the welcoming and opening of the day sharing her leadership story, her values and beliefs, her passion and purpose. So I was thrilled when we agreed she would be a guest on my podcast, enabling listeners to learn from Helen, to be inspired and motivated in their leadership.

Welcome and welcome back to Leaders in Conversation with me, Anni Townend, the podcast that helps you to grow confidence, care and courage in your leadership.

I created this series of candid conversations for leaders to share their inspirational personal leadership stories, weaving together the threads of their life - the people, places and experiences that have shaped them and made them the leader that they are today. 

They offer valuable insights and rich experience to help and inspire you on your own unique leadership journey. If you are not already please do subscribe to the podcast, review and share it. Thank you!

About This Episode

In this episode I am delighted to be in conversation with Julian Roberts, Executive Business Coach, Podcast Host of Helping Organisations Thrive

We delve together into: 

1. Why the need for resilience in leadership in today’s workplace is greater than ever.
2. How to create a resilient mindset to lead your team and organisation.
3. And how to create resilient teams that are better equipped to navigate challenges and thrive in an ever-changing environment.

Julian’s Three Key Encouragements to Leaders 

1. Lead by example, through developing a resilient mindset and behaviours that inspire confidence in others, helping them to adapt to change; and as part of that foster a supportive work environment, one in which people are helped to navigate challenges and uncertainties effectively.  
2. Create daily habits that build resilience as a leader all embedded within your purpose.
3. Focus on the 3 P’s of Purpose, Psychological Safety and Processes - Reduce, Regulate and Repair

Contact Julian:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julesroberts/

Website: https://www.julianrobertsconsulting.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julesroberts45/

To listen to other Leaders in Conversation with me Anni Townend go to my website, www.annitownend.com

A big thank you to my support team at the Conscious Marketing Group for helping me with all the marketing of the podcast, to Coco O’Brien for the wonderful intro and outro music, for the lovely design, and for the excellent editing and sound production.

To contact me Anni Townend do email me on anni@annitownend.com visit my website www.annitownend.com, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to connecting with you, thank you for listening.

About Julian Roberts

Julian Roberts, an Executive Business Coach with a background in commercial and sales, is passionate about people, resiliency, and business. He has held a number of senior strategic commercial positions for multinational corporations such as Heinz, Yoplait, and Johnson & Johnson, as well as for family-owned businesses.

In 2017, he launched his coaching practice, working with individuals and teams from various industries, including food, FMCG, retail, media, engineering, financial services, legal, construction, and medical.