Now We’re Talking

Sarah and Mandar discuss his transformational journey from being a petroleum engineer and a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist teaching meditation and self-care practices. In the conversation we cover (1) Mandar's work integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, under the banner of 'innovation', starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell and later transitioning to teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across multiple continents; (2) Mandar's peace-building initiatives, including a business model for healthcare clinics and a program training former gang members in meditation; and (3) the importance of businesses engaging in peace promotion such as working with the UN peacebuilding office. About Mandar Apte Mandar Apte is Executive Director at Cities4Peace, a documentary film maker and teacher of meditation. Having worked at Shell for nearly 18 years, Mandar draws upon his work of creating and managing Shell's GameChanger social innovation program  to show how companies can create shared value through having a social impact.   Mandar is a thought leader in social innovation, leadership development, and intrapreneurship, and has presented masterclasses on these topics at conferences and Business Schools including Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and London Business School. In his consulting and coaching work, Mandar also leverages nearly two decades of studying, practicing, and teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across four continents (including over 2000 colleagues while at Shell). Mandar strongly believes that a focus on daily "inner recalibration" can transform our leadership vision, potential, and impact. For more about Mandar’s work, please visit:  www.mandarapte.net https://www.mandarapte.net/film/ https://www.mandarapte.net/purpose-innovation-lab/ Periodically Mandar teaches meditation-based leadership workshops online. Find out more: https://www.mandarapte.net/mindful-leadership/  More about this episode Here's a summary of the main points: From Shell to Peace Activism Sarah and Mandar discussed Mandar's journey from a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist. Mandar shared a pivotal moment in 2001 when he was chased by villagers in Nigeria while working for Shell, which led him to explore meditation and self-care. This experience, along with his realization that corporate life could not provide the healing he needed, inspired Mandar to pursue a path of peace activism. Meditation and Breath Science Journey Mandar shared his personal journey with meditation and its impact on managing stress and negative thoughts, comparing it to erasing marks on a blackboard. He discussed his experience working at Shell and how he felt compelled to bring inner transformation approaches to leadership, particularly after facing a traumatic incident in Nigeria. Mandar explained his discovery of the breath science, which teaches that emotions have distinct breathing patterns and can be managed through conscious breathing techniques, allowing one to respond rather than react to situations. Corporate Meditation: A Leadership Journey Mandar shared his journey of integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell in 2004. He described how he transitioned from designing petroleum engineering pipelines to becoming a meditation teacher, leveraging his passion to help colleagues at Shell and even American soldiers. Mandar highlighted the importance of authentic leadership in recognizing and encouraging employees' passions, which he demonstrated by teaching meditation to 2,000 Shell staff across multiple countries. He emphasized the concept of shared value, showing how engaging employees' passions can create meaningful contributions to the workplace. Truck Stop Healthcare Business Model Mandar shared a business model for establishing primary healthcare clinics at truck stops, which would provide telemedicine services and create jobs for local healthcare providers while offering value to truck drivers and nearby communities. The model would be funded by insurance companies and could potentially partner with CVS to host minute clinics, with Shell sponsoring the initiative as part of their game changer program for shared value innovations. Mandar reflected on his 4-year career at Shell, where he managed the Aware program, which successfully sustained for 20 years by maintaining an inclusive, democratized approach that allowed employees to share their passions through various activities beyond meditation, including cooking and poetry classes. Business Case for Peacebuilding Initiatives Mandar shared his experience developing a business case for peacebuilding initiatives, particularly in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region, where violence leads to significant revenue losses for oil companies. He discovered that traditional peacebuilding programs often overlook inner peace and trauma healing, which he believes is a critical missing element. Mandar then applied this insight to urban violence in US cities like Los Angeles, calculating that each murder costs approximately $8 million, which he used to make a business case for peacebuilding interventions in high-violence neighborhoods. Business and Peace Building Initiatives Mandar discussed his peace-building initiative, "Ambassadors of Peace," which trains former gang members in meditation and breathing exercises to help them heal and teach others in their communities. He emphasized the importance of businesses engaging in peace promotion, citing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and sharing examples of potential corporate collaborations. Mandar also shared his plans to produce a TV show focused on peace and his appointment as an advisor to the UN peacebuilding office, where he aims to inspire the private sector to invest in peace. Additionally, he expressed a passion for educating young people about peace and discussed his documentary film available on his website.

In this episode, Sarah and Catherine Stothart discuss (1) how understanding a framework of four interaction styles helps you communicate with people whose personality or approach is very different to you own (whether at work or in your personal life); (2) how you can flex your style enabling you to build rapport, collaborate effectively and communicate even when the stakes go up; (3) some real-life stories of leaders and managers who adapted their communication style successfully and (4) top tips for hybrid working in teams so that communication stays strong and everyone feels valued in an inclusive working environment.   About Catherine Stothart   Catherine is a Leadership Coach with 30 years’ experience of leadership development in top multinational companies, including Airbus, Google and Audi. Her best-selling first book, How to Get On with Anyone, (2018, Pearson) is a practical guide to understanding others and communicating with confidence and charisma and is now out in a second edition, with new chapters on leadership and communicating inclusively and extra sections on virtual communication. Catherine’s third book, Motivation: The Ultimate Guide to Leading your Team, (2023, Routledge), is ideal for anyone who wants to know how to motivate their teams, improve their wellbeing, and feel motivated themselves. Catherine established Essenwood Consulting in 2004, after working for Ford Motor Company, Mercury Communications and ICL in senior Human Resource and Learning & Development roles for 16 years.     For more information, go to:   https://essenwood.co.uk    

In this episode, Sarah and Klaudia discuss (1) what happiness is; (2) how we can grow our happiness through cultivating 'happiness habits'; (3) how to manage destructive self-talk and stop ruminating before a difficult conversation; and (4) how to develop a toolkit so that your happiness doesn't depend on any person, place or thing exterior to you.   About Klaudia Mitura Klaudia is the author of the book "The Alphabet of Happiness: Create more happiness at work, in relationships and in your own skin" (publication date: September 2025.) Klaudia is a work psychologist and the Learning and Development Manager at the Science Museum Group. For the last twelve years, she's been applying scientific research on employee engagement to design and implement energetic, creative and data-driven programmes to empower individuals to be at their best at work. During a difficult time in 2020, Klaudia started “The Happiness Challenge” podcast with a mission to interview leading wellbeing experts and test-drive the best happiness hacks that science has on offer.

In this episode, Sarah discusses with Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, authors of Wise Power and Wild Power, (1) why cyclical awareness is an under-utilised resource that builds resilience in leaders, (2) how to pick your moment for a courageous conversation (3) how leader is able to be responsive by setting boundaries and standing their ground and (4) how to start a fresh chapter by staying true to you. Sarah, Alexandra and Sjanie also discuss what leaders can learn from moving beyond politeness into a real conversation where everyone leaves feeling seen and heard.  About Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer are founders of Red School and co-authors of Wild Power: Discover the Magic of the Menstrual Cycle and Awaken The Feminine Path to Power. They are the creators of the Menstruality Medicine Circle™, a brand new healing modality. For more information, please go to: https://www.redschool.net  

In this episode, Sarah discusses with Anne Power, author of Contented Couples and a couples therapist  (1) why couples who learn how to navigate conflict strengthen their relationship, (2) how healthy couples repair after a rupture (3) what a difference it makes when a couple has a learning-together orientation and (4) how a long-term contented relationship is achievable for most of us if we’re willing to do our work and play our part in making authentic dialogue happen. Sarah and Anne also discuss what leaders can learn from couples and the critical communication skills needed in perhaps the highest stakes context of them all: our intimate relationship.  About Anne Power Anne is a couple therapist based in London UK, working online with couples and supervisees. She started her counselling work thirty years ago and originally worked with clients in the NHS and in voluntary settings. Anne has trained counsellors, psychotherapists and supervisors and written various books and papers, including Contented Couples (2022.) Anne has a special interest in attachment theory and integrates this with a systemic model in her psychotherapeutic work. For more information, please go to https://www.contentedcouples.com To find out more about Anne’s book, Contented Couples, go to: https://bit.ly/4b1NbhJ To watch Anne's TEDx talk, 'Attachment theory is the science of love', go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9idayJyWCWs      

In this episode, Sarah discusses with Dr Sarah Hill (1) why understanding our ‘childhood story’ unlocks stuck behaviour patterns in leaders (2) what a childhood story is (3) how we can start to notice in a high stakes situation that our childhood story has become activated, and (4) what we can do to create a new narrative so that we expand our behavioural repertoire and instead of a dialogue derailing, we can discuss what matters most.    About Dr Sarah Hill Sarah is an expert dialogue facilitator and ‘Structural Dynamics Interventionist’ with individuals, teams and across whole systems. She coaches CEOs and senior leaders from different cultures and countries, within large and small, corporate and not-for-profit organisations to lead powerful and productive conversations.   Sarah is the author of Where Did You Learn To Behave Like That? Behind every leader’s behaviour is a childhood story that can be a force for good, but also has the potential to wreak havoc, particularly when under pressure. Sarah is also co-author of ‘The Tao of Dialogue’ and a new journal, ‘Dare to…’ which was published in 2020. Sarah has taught at the Saïd Business School, Harvard Business School, Henley Business School and Ashridge and has been visiting Professor at William James College, Boston MA. She also teaches on the Senior Faith in Leadership programme at Windsor Castle and has facilitated deep inter-faith dialogues. For more information, please go to https://dialogix.co.uk

Dive into the art of tough conversations with insights from a recent book launch. Discover the emotional challenges of these dialogues and the essential skills for effective communication. Learn four powerful secrets: preparing yourself, building rapport, reading group dynamics, and navigating conflicts with bravery. These strategies can transform your interactions, whether at work or in personal life. Explore how authentic purpose enhances communication in organizations and the evolving needs of leadership.

In this episode, Sarah and Claus discuss (1) what inner criticism is (2) how we can detect inner criticism starting to operate inside us and (3) how we can manage this mechanism so that it no longer shuts down our dialogue but strengthens us to talk about what matters most. About Claus Dr. Claus Springborg is a thought leader in the field of leadership development and organizational change. Claus is an academic and practitioner who integrates his deep understanding of human consciousness with practical business insights. Claus is a lecturer at Copenhagen Business School with a PhD from Cranfield School of Management. Claus is the author of several impactful books, including "Sensory Templates and Manager Cognition: Art, the Brain and Business," and "Art-Based Methods in Management Education." His work delves into how art and sensory awareness can transform leadership, helping managers become more attuned, effective, and innovative. Claus is the founder of Sensing Mind Institute where he has over 10 years of experience teaching leadership and co-creation skills, management theory, systems of personal development, and entrepreneurship. Claus has spent years researching the inner landscape of leadership, focusing on how leaders can deal with their inner critic, improve dialogue, and create more meaningful connections with their teams. His unique approach combines insights from neuroscience, mindfulness, and creative practices with is wonderful sense of humour, making his teachings not only intellectually rigorous but also profoundly practical. Find out more about Claus and his work at: https://www.sensingmind.com/  

Sarah and Pete Burden discuss (1) leading mindfully and the difference this makes; (2) cutting through power dynamics so that what needs to be discussed gets talked about; and (3) how to develop practices in teams and in your own leadership that foster reflection and a deeper level of noticing. We also reflect on what the growing movement of 'conscious business' means and share our hopeful aspirations for how leadership can change so that more people feel a sense of belonging at work.  About Pete Burden Pete is the co-author of the book Leading Mindfully along with Professor Rob Warwick. Pete has over 30 years experience coaching teams, including senior leadership teams. He draws on a diverse set of leadership experiences, including being a manager at a Fortune 100 company; being an MD and a coach at the BBC. He’s also been the Executive Chairman of one of the UK's first social media agencies. Pete is all about helping people build reflective, purposeful teams and brings a clear focus on being mindful and taking practical steps to try to bring about a fairer and kinder world. Pete hosts the podcast The Healthy Power Alliance podcast which is available on Spotify and Apple.  

Reinhard Stelter (Professor of Sport & Coaching Psychology at University of Copenhagen in Denmark) and I discuss how dialogue is the art of opening up a reflective space, how listening is the most essential skill that a leader can bring to a conversation and how being attentive to yourself makes dialogue transformative for all. "In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change."  About Professor Reinhard Stelter Reinhard is a renowned author, researcher and leading expert in coaching and dialogue. With over 20 years of experience in the field, Reinhard brings a wealth of knowledge and insights that have inspired countless coaches and practitioners around the world. Reinhard is a Professor Sport & Coaching Psychology at University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He’s the  author of several groundbreaking books, including his latest work, 'The Art of Dialogue in Coaching', which has been hailed as a must-read for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of coaching dynamics and foster more meaningful conversations. Reinhard can be contacted at: rstelter@nexs.ku.dk and via LinkedIn.