Talking Leaders

Even though the arrival of digital had a huge impact on journalism, as UK journalist Sirena Bergman explains, when it comes to building a career much remains the same. Sexism, racism and class privilege are still factors to contend with. Plus, as in many professions, journalists have the dilemma that in order to get recognition and achieve financial security they may need to take on roles that actually draw them away from doing what inspired them in the first place, writing. All that said, Sirena still loves her job and gets a huge kick from writing a piece that has an impact and maybe makes a real difference. Find Sirena here: https://www.insider.com/culture https://www.instagram.com/the.twigg/ On Twitter she is  @sirenabergman For more on data on proportion of senior journalists attending private schools: https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/study-reveals-drop-in-privately-educated-journalists-at-top-of-media-over-last-five-years/ https://www.talkingleaders.com  

Like his colleagues, noted environmentalist and co-founder of Sound Matters, Mike Edwards, started out wanting to climb the academic ladder. Then he went into the Australian bush. And there his perspective on life and what success meant to him changed. Mike explains how getting close to the more-than-human world, learning about the aboriginal ways of connecting with the land, and becoming an accomplished didgeridoo player had a profound effect on his perception of what it means to him to be successful in one’s work. Mike would not discourage others who are looking to get promoted, but he does have some suggestions for important questions they might ask themselves about their motivation. And he has a call to action for newly promoted leaders to use their new positions to challenge corporate norms for the greater good of the environment and the world as a whole. https://www.sound-matters.com https://www.talkingleaders.com

Is it possible to be an effective leader of experts in a highly technical field when you are not an expert in that field yourself? Karin Wingstrand thinks so and the evidence of her highly successful career leading experts in a number of disciplines concerned with drug development is proof. In this episode Karin to talks through her career as a leader of experts and shares advice distilled from her experiences. https://www.talkingleaders.com  

It’s one thing to be successful in getting promoted, but what about making a success of the new role once you’re doing it? Business Psychologist Katie Humes believes that you can enhance your chances of success by properly understanding yourself: your motivations, your preferences, your strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge will increase your chances of taking a promotion that is truly right for you and help you tackle the challenges that will come your way, including bolstering your resilience when things get tough. The Big Five Personality Traits: https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html If you would like to find out more about Katie and her work go to her website http://www.bizpsych.co.uk https://www.talkingleaders.com

What are your motivations for seeking promotion? Jeffrey Skolnik is a physician and senior VP in the pharmaceutical industry specialising in Oncology. Jeffrey’s  career has advanced to the point where he could quite probably leverage his experience and expertise to significantly enhance his income and his overall benefits, but in my conversation with Jeffrey one thing that came through is that while he does expect to be properly compensated for what he does there are other things that drive his interest in promotion, and that’s what this episode of focuses on, starting with the question what does the term promotion mean to Jeffrey. 20 mins 47 secs All views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals themselves and are not offered to reflect the stance or opinion of any current or former employer.   https://www.talkingleaders.com  

Deborah Litman-Goch is a senior HR professional with an extensive career in the field. Coming from HR Deb has a well-rounded perspective on the topic of promotion. In this conversation which is an extract from a much longer discussion we had, we concentrated upon her personal experiences of being promoted. Things to listen out for: How Deb’s reasons for seeking promotion have changed over time Why she turned down a promotion The negative effects being promoted can have on relationships with colleagues and friends. Plus, her excellent advice to others on how to make a success out of going for promotion. 28 mins 44 secs https://www.talkingleaders.com  

Season 2 of the Talking Leaders podcast “Conversation about promotion” is all about, not surprisingly, promotion: Why we seek it How reality matches expectations What can be learned from listening to the experiences of others. 3 mins 20 secs https://www.talkingleaders.com  

If as a leader, watching what has unfolded since the killing of George Floyd, you have been wondering what you could do. What action you can take in your sphere of influence to make a difference? Well, you’re not alone. While the subject of improving Diversity and Inclusion has been trending for some time, people who work in this field will tell you that since the surge in protest and calls for change, interest in going beyond just talking about diversity and inclusion to actually doing something has significantly intensified. So, what can leaders do? To answer this question we spoke with Claudia Iton of Replete Consulting. Claudia specialises in working with organisations who want to achieve meaningful and sustainable change with regard to Diversity and Inclusion. The good news is that there are practical steps you can take right away, although don’t go looking for quick fixes. Real change takes commitment and persistence. The best news is that achieving real diversity and inclusion can bring benefits b

When was the last time you were moved by something you heard? I don’t mean something someone said, I mean a sound. A sound other than music. Our grandchildren’s squeals of glee or leaves rustling in the breeze are two recent positive examples I can think of. What about fingernails down a blackboard? Makes me shudder just imagining it. Mike Edwards of Sound Matters is particularly attuned to the power of sound to impact how we feel and influence what we think. In fact, after hearing one particular sound in a café in Australia nearly thirty years ago, he was so profoundly affected it changed his life. In the latest episode of Talking Leaders, Mike talks about that experience and his work to use sound to engage minds particularly on environmental issues, climate change and resilience. 52 mins 25 secs https://www.sound-matters.com https://www.talkingleaders.com If you have a moment we would really appreciate your feedback:  https://ratethispodcast.com/tlp #soundmatters #leadership #climatechange

What gives great leaders their magic touch? This is a question that has fascinated Olly Purnell, Andy Cottrill and their colleagues at Q5 for over ten years. And in pursuit of answers, they have seized the opportunity when it presents to interview great leaders about how they got to where they are. Having amassed a library of these interviews Q5 is now releasing a selection in a book called “Magic Sponge – a collection of interviews with inspiring leaders of the 2010’s”. In this episode, we talk about who Q5 are, what sets them apart from other consultancies and discuss a selection of interviews from the book. 40 mins 54 secs. The Q5 website Contact Q5 here Talking Leaders website Ratings and reviews are really valuable to us. https://ratethispodcast.com/tlp #leadership #podcasting #leadershipdevelopment #Q5 #talkingleaders

Do you ever feel stuck with a problem? It’s something you know you should be able to deal with but the harder you think about it, the more you seem to dig yourself into a hole. Mindfulness coaching could be the answer. Following on from the previous episode looking at mindfulness coaching and leadership, Eric Le Gal takes us deeper into how mindfulness helps lift you out of this kind of thinking hole and allow you to see things with inspiring clarity. He also explains how gaining this kind of clarity allows leaders to become more authentic and ultimately achieve what he describes as “brilliant leadership”. 31 mins 56 secs Link to Eric's paper Contact Eric: ericlegal@ekwanim.com Link to Eric's website Link to the Talking Leaders website Contact Paul Gisby at paul.gisby@talkingleaders.com #mindfulnesscoaching #mindfulnessleadership #privatepodcasting #buildingtrust   

How true to yourself are you as a leader? Are the roles you adopt and the behaviours you display in line with your core values? Or are you living in what Eric Le Gal calls a duality: one person at work, someone different elsewhere. In this episode, Eric shares his experiences of being torn by these kinds of feelings, and how he turned to mindfulness, meditation and Buddhism for help. He found many valuable things there, not least he re-discovered himself. Now as a Buddhist lama (spiritual leader) and leadership coach, Eric helps others reconnect with who they really are and what they used to love about what they do. 38 mins 20 secs You can contact Eric at ericlegal@ekwanim.com. His website will be available shortly at www.ekwanim.com We are Talking Leaders. If you need to be heard, understood and to build trust, maybe we could help www.talkingleaders.com #leadership #mindfulleadership #talkingleaders 

Does business school theory get in the way of the development of good leaders? Laurence Barrett believes much of it does. He is a founding director of Heresy, the leadership and organisational development consultancy with a difference. Rooted in the principles of psychodynamics, Laurence and Heresy believe in the need to return to a grounded approach to leadership. An approach that connects at a human level. In this episode, Laurence outlines his and Heresy’s vision to develop leaders and organisations who inspire others with their humanity. Leaders who engage people through offering meaning, and then help those people to develop their own meaning and their own agency. 50 mins 03 secs https://www.heresyconsulting.com For more information on Talking Leaders visit our website: https://www.talkingleaders.com #heresyconsulting #leadership #talkingleaders #laurencebarrett #psychodynamics #podcasting

How do you get a team to think strategically? Do you have the people to deliver the strategy they develop? Is the organisation’s culture going to be a help or a hindrance? Working at the interface of these strategy success factors is Joanne Rencher’s sweet spot. After more than 25 years working as a senior HR professional, Jo knows her way around strategy. In a fascinating interview, Jo shares ideas and her experiences of making it work. Plus we talk about Jo’s passion for middle management, a group of leaders who are often overlooked and undervalued, yet who are essential not only to an organisation’s day-to-day running but also in making strategy really work in a practical way. 52 mins 30 secs Found out more about Joanne here: https://www.wgninhr-consulting.com/ For more information about Talking Leaders visit our website: https://www.talkingleaders.com

How do you connect 2,500 people across 100 countries? Not just keeping them informed but helping them feel part of one organisation. At one time the common way to do this was by holding the annual company get-together, where everyone flew to a hotel in a nice location for a week of work and social activities. But as pressures on travel increase, these events are increasingly rare. So how can you re-create that sense of being part of one organisation? If people aren’t able to spend time face-to-face how can they "get behind the PowerPoint" and so get to know their leaders and colleagues as people? One solution is podcasting. In the first episode of the new season of Talking Leaders, Qlik Spotlight Evangelist John Sands talks with Paul Gisby about the video and audio podcasts that he produces that are designed to bring the people of Qlik together, without any of them having to leave home. 48 mins 22 secs You can find John’s work here: Video – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW1uf5CQ_gSrR6wZ-WSwAzEJrn

Apologies for the gap since our last podcast, but we have some exciting news. We are changing. New look, new name, new us. This episode is a quick update on the change. And as you'll hear, we'll be back podcasting again shortly. 2 mins 36 secs. New website: https://www.talkingleaders.com  

Even though conversational communications are my business, it is still a bit of thrill to be reminded why I think this medium is so powerful and can be so useful to leaders. Listening to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer and one-time star of the hit musical Hamilton, I got just such a reminder. What he said was good but what impressed and even inspired me most was the way that he said it, infusing his words with passion and belief. And the thing is, you don’t have to be a Broadway superstar to do this. Maybe sometimes a bit of help might be needed, but any leader can achieve a similar effect when talking about something that they really believe in. 4 mins 46 secs Link to the Desert Island Discs podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00092wm You can contact me here: paul.gisby@talkingleaders.com https://www.talkingleaders.com    

Kurt is a bridge fan (the card game, not the river crossings). So, as he set off on a long car journey, he was looking forward to listening to the latest episode of a podcast he follows. But he soon found that it was so excruciatingly bad that he could only bear to listen to short bursts, hoping each time he went back in that things would improve. There are many styles of podcast hosting and interviewing. But the good ones take skill. In this episode, we reflect on the craft of the podcast host/interviewer. What is it that the good hosts do that make you want to hit play and happily submerge yourself in the conversation all the way to the end? 23 mins 25 secs https://www.talkingleaders.com #leadershipcommunication #voquinexus #audiocontent #internalcommunications #beabiggerfish #theknowledgeproject #the-daily #getheard #podcasting #talkingleaders #paulgisby  

If you need to build trust, explain ideas in depth, convey the personality and commitment of yourself or others, then audio could be the perfect medium for you. Debbie Aurelius, owner of Peppermint Fish communications and host of the podcast Be A Bigger Fish is an expert internal communicator and a passionate advocate for audio. In this episode, we explore why and where audio is most effective, and the benefits that can accrue from this increasingly popular communication channel. 32 mins 51 secs https://peppermintfish.com/ Be A Bigger Fish podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feed/id1447019043 whttps://www.talkingleaders.com  

Neil Reavey knows what it is like to have to hide the real Neil from colleagues in order to fit in with “the norm”. As a young gay man going into a career in science, he experienced discrimination in various forms. That led to him feeling pressured into “covering” in order to be accepted, like when he would mug up on the latest football (soccer) news in order to be able to join in with the blokey banter at work. So when the chance came to take an active role in helping change the work environment so that other people from the LGBTQ+ community taking up careers in science do not have to put up with the same iniquities he had suffered, Neil was ready to step up to the challenge. Even though taking up a key position in the Proud Science Alliance took him into leadership situations and to levels very different from those presented by his scientific job. In this episode Neil talks with Paul about his early experiences, and his desire to bring about permanent change in the workplace, and how what the Proud Scienc