Peter Cheese – Make ‘good work’ your North Star

Peter Cheese – Make ‘good work’ your North Star

From Nottingham Business School Business Leaders by Nottingham Trent University

May 5, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 80

About this episode

Peter Cheese discusses the importance of making 'good work' a guiding principle for leaders in the evolving workplace.

Peter Cheese is long-serving CEO of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – and one of the UK’s most influential voices on the future of work. His book The New World of Work is often cited as a must-read for anyone in leadership. In Episode 80 of the Nottingham Business School’s Business Leaders’ Podcast, he offers a stark warning to business leaders: adapt to uncertainty, or risk being left behind. Author of the book The New World of Work, Peter reflects on 14 years at the helm of the CIPD, where he helped shape thinking on skills and workplace culture for more than 160,000 members worldwide. He tells Honorary Visiting Professor Mike Sassi that leadership in 2026 is defined less by certainty and control, and more by humility, adaptability and ethical responsibility. His most striking message is about ‘good work’; that is, work with purpose, fairness and meaning. “Leaders must make ‘good work’ their North Star…” he says, “…guiding decisions not just for profit, but for people and society.”

People in this episode

Host: Mike Sassi

Guest: Peter Cheese

Topics covered

  • future of work
  • leadership
  • workplace culture
  • adaptability
  • good work

Keywords

  • leadership
  • good work
  • future of work
  • workplace culture
  • adaptability

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

Books & works: The New World of Work

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