Leadership Letters

Our guest in this episode, Dr Lucy Ryan holds a PhD in Organisational Behaviour and an MSc in Positive Psychology. Her most recent book ‘Revolting Women: why midlife women are walking out and what to do about it’ is an important and highly engaging call to action to pay more attention to multi generational workforces and in particular the challenges and biases faced by women in Mid Life. She is the author of two other books, including one recommended previously on this podcast, ‘Lunchtime Learning for leaders’ and she has worked with leaders from a range of organisations including the BBC, Siemens and UNICEF. Lucy shares an extraordinary letter written by her grandfather to his brother during World War II. During our conversation, we talked about:Compassion and strengthAutonomyWorking for entrepreneursManaging with strengths in mindMulti-generational organisations and leadership.Taking it seriously without taking ourselves too seriouslyDefining, and redefining, ‘hard work’Gender equalitySabbaticalsMidlife check insLove in leadershipLoneliness in leadershipThe power of pauseThe impact of a letter‘Revolting Women: why midlife women are walking out and what to do about it’ by Dr Lucy RyanWorking Identity by Herminia IbarraDiary of a CEO by Stephen BartlettOperation Judgement: The Battle Of TarantoLUCY’S LETTER + QUOTESWe’re honoured that Lucy shared a letter written by her Grandfather, Captain Denis Boyd, to his brother in the aftermath of one of the most extraordinary events of World War II, the Battle of Taranto. It was deeply moving to hear the words of a leader from so long ago, navigating such dire circumstances. We went on to talk about love in leadership, the power of pause, and the act of writing a letter.“I wonder how many leaders today would write with such emotion”+“Leadership as this combination of passion and strength”+“So often they need a temporary pause..they don’t want to leave.’”+“I think a lot of organisations are not serious about long lasting change.”+“Leadership is in a really interesting period of transition.”On our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, we will look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Lucy’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already subscribed to Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed.GET IN TOUCHIf there’s anything else you heard and would like to know more about, please get in touch.And while you’re here, we would love to know what topics and guests you would like to hear on this podcast, so please do send your suggestions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our leadership conversation in this episode is with Chief People Officer for EXA Infrastructure, Carrie Cushing.Carrie is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has more than 20 years experience working in HR roles across a range of industries including financial service, healthcare, energy and tech. She has a passion for developing talent and culture where people and performance can thrive. With extensive leadership experience both as a leader herself, and as an HR partner to so many leaders, there was so much we wanted to talk to Carrie about and she shares a ton of insight, wisdom, reflection and advice in this episode. You can find Carrie at EXA Infrastructure and on LinkedIn. During our conversation, we talked about:Confidence that inspires and intriguesIntentionally choosing your leadership shadowEquality RelationshipsWorking at sharing who you areGetting to know and playing to your strengthsCourage in leadership - stepping towards challengesWhen stillness is as important as activityFlipping the ‘don’t make mistakes’ mindsetProjecting confidence, including comfort with what you don’t knowAlways asking questions about the feedback you receive.A Perfect Story by Karen EberBank Of Me by Jane SparrowCARRIE’S LETTER + QUOTESIn Carrie’s letter to ‘The Leaders Who Were Not Like Me’ she shares valuable lessons from leaders, and the leadership shadow they cast, that she encountered earlier in her career. These include patience, managing emotions, resilience and intentionally managing her own leadership shadow.“Seeing myself as at cause not effect”+“If you’re not sure what to do - sit still.”+“Mistakes are the currency of growth”+“Intentionally choose the shadow I want to cast.”“Ask the questions. Take the guesswork out.” On our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, we will look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Carrie’s insights will be coming soon. If you already follow Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our leadership conversation is with CEO of The Sport and Recreation Alliance, Lisa Wainwright. Lisa has held a number of senior roles at Sport England initiating the work on the safeguarding standards, clubmark and volunteering before moving to become CEO at Volleyball England in 2008 and then British Basketball in 2016.  Internationally she has held roles on the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) World Ethics Panel, European Volleyball (CEV) Credentials Panel as well as being a Director of the British Olympic Association. She is currently a Technical Director for International Volleyball (FIVB) and is a member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Governance Commission and in 2018, was ranked number 12 in the Top 100 Executive LGBT+ Allies by FT OUTStanding and became an Ambassador for Women on Boards UK. With such depth and breadth of leadership experience to draw on this conversation is full of insight into the mindsets, behaviours, skills and communication of leadership. Learn More about The Sport and Recreation Alliance and find Lisa on LinkedIn.During our conversation, we talked about:Taking a holistic approach to people and the skills of holistic leadershipShared and reciprocated vulnerabilityCatching physical reactions and pausingValues and visionCalling out and dealing with defensivenessDifferent ways of speaking upUsing humourConsistent messages, individually tailoredThe importance of people who are not like youCourage in leadershipSaying ‘I don’t know’Billie Jean KingCelia BrackenridgePersonal BoardroomLISA’S LETTER + QUOTESLisa’s letter to Billie Jean King both appreciates and celebrates the ‘mark made not just on the tennis stage but on the world stage’ and the continuous courage it took to do that. In a moving letter Lisa’s admiration of how Billie Jean King has ‘shone a light on the possible’ and the impact that has had on her as a leader serves as a starting point for a conversation about the role of courage in leadership.“A person is a person in so many different ways.”+“I’m still just a teacher - yes, my title is CEO, but what I try to do is help people develop themselves.”+“I don’t know.”+“You need people you trust around you, and a collective belief in what you are trying to deliver.”On our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, we will look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Lisa’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already subscribed to Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back for a new season! In this episode, for only the second time in Leadership Letters history, we have co-founders joining us on the podcast and sharing why two heads really are better than one. Stephanie Otty and Jamie Fletcher founded Radio News Hub in 2014 having met at Sky Sports News Radio. Radio News Hub provides news bulletins to over 400 radio stations across the UK and beyond. Learn More About Radio News Hub and find Steph and Jamie on LinkedIn.During our conversation, we talked about:The power of twoWhen to step in and when to step backMaintaining standards without micromanagingAlignment on mission and visionHearing, using and filtering feedbackConversation vs disagreementConstant dialogueNurturing long lasting relationshipsLearning from those around youThe importance of taking a breakTHEIR LETTER + QUOTESSteph and Jamie’s letter combined words of gratitude and appreciation for former employees with an invitation to stay connected, noting that to honour the past and to ensure continued success that it is crucial to put ‘people at the heart of everything you do.’“We talk openly with people about what they want to achieve and how we can help them achieve that.”+“I’ve always likened it to running a marathon. You need someone to run with who is experiencing the peaks and troughs at different times.”+“Your contribution left a lasting impression.”+“Because we have the constant conversations we come to the conclusions naturally because we’ve talked it through at length.”+“People are you best PR.”+“Everybody I meet I like to learn and take something from them.”+“Switch off at some point. You don’t always have to consuming.”On our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, we will look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Jamie and Steph’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already subscribed to Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed.SUBSCRIBEThe Leadership Letters and Towards Leadership Podcasts are produced by Anything But Footy. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Towards Leadership from Leadership Letters. In today’s episode we are looking at how the Ego States or Parent-Adult-Child model developed by Eric Berne, can be useful to us as leaders.Sometimes when our thinking and relationships at work feel stuck, it can be difficult to find a way to name and give voice to what is happening without getting into blame and judgement of each other and indeed of ourselves. It can also be difficult to think of ways to change and shift what feels stuck. It’s in taking responsibility for ourselves and our relationships, naming what’s happening, and doing something about it, that so many individuals and teams we have worked with have found this model useful. In Part 1 of this two part summer series, we share the origins of this work, talk you through Parent, Adult and Child and look at their benefits, and pitfalls, so that you can apply this awareness to your own interactions. RECOMMENDATION LINKS:Being - And Staying - The Adult In The Room - Using The Ego States Model for Better Conversations by Lizzie Bentley BowersGames People Play by Eric Berne Working It Out At Work by Julie HayTransactional Analysis Coaching by Karen PrattSUBSCRIBEThe Leadership Letters and Towards Leadership Podcasts are produced by Anything But Footy. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or wherever you get your podcasts.GET IN TOUCHIf you’d like to book a deep dive into Ego States work for you or your team, or if there’s anything else you heard and would like to know more about, please get in touch. And while you’re here, we would love to know what topics and guests you would like to hear on this podcast, so please do send your suggestions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest in this episode is Greg Baker.Greg was instrumental in the success of British Para Table Tennis achieving multiple medals at the London 2012 Paralympic games, and securing record breaking results in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, helping Great Britain secure 2nd place in the overall medals table. As an ex-England International table tennis athlete, former National Coach, Head Coach and current Performance Director at Boccia UK, he has successfully competed and worked in elite sport performance leadership and management positions for over 20 years. As a certified executive coach working in all sectors, he believes in leadership responsibility at all levels within an organisation and brings his values of trust, respect, honesty and togetherness.During our conversation, we talked about:Seeing wellbeing as a performance advantageWhen not to change the planThe responsibility of the leaders to create the environment for others to be at their bestKnowing the individuals in your team and adapting to their needsEssential headspaceComfort zones and consciously moving out of them in order to understand ourselves under pressure Doing vs beingThe importance of asking yourself what you are avoidingConstantly tweakingJacinda Ardern, Ernest Shackleton and Winston ChurchillEndurance by Alfred LansingBelonging by Owen EastwoodTurn The Ship Around by David MarquetDo join us on our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, where we look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Greg’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already subscribed to Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed.The Leadership Letters Podcast is produced by Anything But Footy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest in this episode is Sean Turner.Sean is Associate Director on the West End and UK Touring productions of the hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong, and has directed numerous productions of the show across theglobe. He has recently completed a tenure as Artistic Director of Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells and he trained at the National Theatre as well as in Devising with Complicite. On top of directing shows at venues like the Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre and Trafalgar Studios, Sean was responsible for unearthing the script of Arthur Miller’s first play, No Villain, he then directed the World Premiere at the Old Red Lion and later transferred the production to the West End. Last year Sean’s first foray into film work won an NME Award (Best Music Video, 2022) when he co-directed the video for ‘Wake Me Up’ by the band ‘Foals’. During our conversation, we talked about:Connecting and bonding a team both at speed and authenticallyTransient teamsNavigating artistic differencesManaging feelingsKindness and treating people wellThe importance of casting TrustLetting people failBeing presentHaving to deliver disappointing newsNational Service: Diary of a Decade at The National Theatre by Richard EyreDo join our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, where we look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on Sean’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already subscribed to Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed.The Leadership Letters Podcast is produced by Anything But Footy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest in this episode is a global leadership consultant and keynote speaker, Karen Eber, who’s talk on TED.com: How your brain responds to stories – and why they’re crucial for leaders has almost 2 million views and is one I have shared hundreds of times, including through this podcast. As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, she helps companies reimagine and evolve how they build leaders and teams, transform culture and tell stories - and excitingly is publishing The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire with HarperCollins in 2023.She and I share a passion for the power of stories, and for equipping people to tell them so I was delighted to have the opportunity to listen and learn alongside all of you as we talked all things leadership, and listened to the Leadership Letter that Karen wrote to her niece and nephew.Karen is publishing The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire with HarperCollins in 2023 and you can find and connect with her at https://www.kareneber.com and on LinkedIn.During our conversation, we talked about:Storytelling The importance of establishing a reflection habit early in your careerQuestions as the most powerful tool of leadershipHow you land on others, versus how you think you are landingWho you are ok disappointingAmplifying other voicesImmersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness by Paul J ZakDo join our sister podcast, Towards Leadership, where look in more detail at tools, reflections and practical application of the ideas, insights and inspiration we get from our guests on Leadership Letters. An episode focused on storytelling and on Karen’s insights will be coming soon. If you are already follow Leadership Letters, look out for it in your podcast feed.The Leadership Letters Podcast is produced by Anything But Footy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Towards Leadership from Leadership LettersFor me, an effective, curious, compassionate, decisive, resilient and successful leader is able to serve the needs of their organisation, their community, themselves and indeed the wider world in a way that is about thriving and about sustainability in both the individual energy sense, and a global sense. It is leaders that are equipped to go towards anything and everything their world of work presents to them with that will contribute to better, happier, sustainable and empowered workplaces and it’s our mission to help you do that.We promised you more on ADHD at the end of last month. In our most recent Leadership Letter, Katie Friedman wrote to the leader she was before she was aware of her ADHD, and the leader she is now post diagnosis. It’s a letter that offers layers and layers of experience, insight and food for thought for all of us listening. In this episode of Towards Leadership I reflect on my own experiences of preparing for Katie’s episode in which I catch myself being less inclusive than I would hope to be, share some of my own experiences of ADHD and offer an exercise I, and clients, have found useful time and again as a way of reflecting on conversations, and noticing what we could be doing differently when it comes to meeting needs, including our own.“I had been a leader who unconsciously saw need as negative because I didn't understand my own.”I also share some of my own recent lived experience of ADHD as an insight for leaders around the moment when someone discloses something about themselves, and share an exercise that is useful for reflecting on any aspect of conversation, including our levels of inclusiveness. You can find the corresponding blog post here.  In our resources section I reflect on the distinction between ‘the truth’ and ‘a truth’ when talking about ADHD and share a great TED talk offering insight and questions reflection on the intersection of ADHD with other characteristics. RECOMMENDATION LINKS:The Talk Yes, Black women have ADHD too and need your attention! by Abigail AgyeiThe Post Kelly Morris’ response post on LinkedIn (Make sure you’re signed in to your LinkedIn account to view this post.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the very first 'Towards Leadership from Leadership Letters' with Lizzie Bentley Bowers For me, an effective, curious, compassionate, decisive, resilient and successful leader is able to serve the needs of their organisation, their community, themselves and indeed the wider world in a way that is about thriving and about sustainability in both the individual energy sense, and a global sense. It is leaders that are equipped to go towards anything and everything their world of work presents to them with that will contribute to better, happier, sustainable and empowered workplaces and it’s our mission to help you do that.I'm passionate about the fact that hearing insights, inspiration, approaches and experiences from our guests on Leadership Letters is an important and rich resource. And I’m equally passionate that in sharing those ideas, it’s important to equip you, if you need it, with a sense of how to do those things; some ways to get there. Towards Leadership is where we will chew over the ’how to’ of Leadership and where you will find resources in our read, watch and listen to section, as well as tools, techniques, reflective exercises and thinking to support and challenge you as a leader, whether you have been in the C suite for many years, or are just starting out in your career with an eye on your future as a leader.The focus of this episode is listening and relationship building, inspired by insights from Tanya Marwaha in S3 Ep 05 of Leadership Letters. We share the impact of distractions and not paying attention to others, and go on to take a dive into how to listen better and ways bringing our attention back when it wanders. We also look at hope to prepare to listen better, particularly to the people you disagree with.In our section offering recommendations of resources for leaders in the form of something to read, to watch and to listen to, we begin by looking at the value of a book by an old favourite of the Towards Leadership podcast, Susan Scott. We then draw insights and skill building exercises from Melissa Reiner’s talk at TEDX London Business School. Finally we start a conversation about ADHD with the help of Grace Timothy’s podcast.“Our work, our relationships, and our lives succeed or fail one conversation at a time. While no single conversation is guaranteed to transform a company, a relationship, or a life, any single conversation can. Speak and listen as if this is the most important conversation you will ever have with this person. It could be. Participate as if it matters. It does.”Susan ScottRECOMMENDATION LINKS:The talk How to listen like a musician by Melissa ReinerThe book Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, which you can also find in my Library!The podcast Is It My ADHD with Grace Timothy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Leadership Letters, the podcast reflecting on all things leadership. And we've also been reflecting on the future this summer, therefore in this episode we have some exciting news!Lizzie writes a special letter to you, the Leadership Letters listener, about the guests we have coming up for the rest of this year, but also the brand new plans, starting next month (October), to put our usual 'Leadership Letters Lowdown' into a new home called 'Towards Leadership', which will also be part of a wider resource launching soon.But for now it starts with the podcast, where as Lizzie explains it'll be where you find tools, techniques and thinking to support and challenge you as a leader.This is the Leadership Letters Podcast, produced by Anything But Footy. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or all of them so far on Lizzie's website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, our guest is Co-Founder of Inventum Group, Adam Tobias.Adam has worked in the staffing industry for over 20 years and his experience spans recruitment, contingent workforce management, executive search, management roles and leadership development. With a passion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion born from his desire to remove the barriers faced by diverse and underrepresented talent in the job market, he advises organisations and leaders on Equity Diversity & Inclusion, with an approach that focuses on Ethics, Risk & Performance. If you would like to learn more about Adam and connect with him, you can find him on LinkedIn.During our conversation, we talked about:Inclusion and allyshipCommunicating the downs and the upsTailoring leadership to individualsAppreciating and valuing differenceChanging our behaviour, rather than expecting someone else to change theirs.In the Leadership Letters Lowdown, we covered:Delivering difficult messagesBeing a sponsor or stakeholder in coachingCX Stories by John SillsThe Case For A 4-Day Work Week by Juliet SchorHow To Find Ultimate Fulfilment at Work: Steven Bartlett and Marcus BuckinghamSUBSCRIBEThe Leadership Letters Podcast is produced by Anything But Footy. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.