The Leadership Enigma

Dr James Hewitt is a Human Performance Scientist, speaker, and author. James combines first-hand experience as a full-time racing cyclist with ground-breaking work and research, proven on Formula 1 tracks and with Fortune 500 companies, to provide actionable, inspiring, science-backed insights at the intersection of leadership, wellbeing, peak performance, and the future of work. In this Leadership Enigma conversation, Dr James Hewitt unpacks what sustainable high performance really looks like in an always-on world. We explore how leaders can raise the bar without raising everyone’s blood pressure—by designing work around human needs, protecting recovery, and building cultures that get sharper under stress. You’ll hear why sleep is a leadership skill (not a luxury), how psychological safety with standards turns candour into results, and why the smartest teams aim beyond resilience toward robustness and antifragility. Expect evidence, practical tools, and the invitations leaders need to hear right now. Key Learning Points (for Leaders) 🌟Performance follows wellbeing: Discretionary effort is your quickest culture health check—protect energy to unlock it. 🌟Defeat “always-on” creep: After-hours nudges from leaders compound into real extra work and hidden stress tax. Sleep drives leadership quality: Restricted sleep → more “surface acting,” less authenticity and inspiration. 🌟Design for A-C-R: Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness—bake them into role design, rituals, and feedback loops. 🌟Psychological safety ≠ niceness: Pair candour and risk-taking with clear commitments and accountability. 🌟Beyond resilience: Build robust systems (buffers, premortems) and antifragile habits (small, reversible experiments). 🌟Leaders set the weather: Your habits—communication timing, recovery signals, attention—cascade through the team. Why this episode matters 🌟Modern work punishes attention and recovery. James connects the science to simple leadership moves—so your team can switch off well and switch on better, consistently. Standout Ideas & Quotes “The truest measure of employee wellbeing is discretionary effort.” “Humans aren’t machines—hustle culture quietly taxes your team.” “Leaders reproduce who they are—model the recovery you expect.” “Psychological safety is not about being nice; it’s about learning at speed.” Try This Week (Leader Playbook) 🌟Delay-send after 6pm and publish your “no-ping” window. 🌟Run a 10-minute “unblock me” clinic to boost competence and momentum. 🌟Open meetings with: “What risk do we need to take today?” 🌟Do a premortem on one initiative; add explicit buffers. 🌟Ask your team: “What do I do that unintentionally creates extra work?” 📕Book: https://a.co/d/j3o0ufW 💻Website: https://drjameshewitt.com 💻LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesphewitt/ 📲Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesphewitt/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, Anne Chow — former CEO of AT&T Business, Independent Board Director, author of Lead Bigger, and one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business — shares her extraordinary journey and lessons on leadership, transformation, and purpose. Listeners will learn: Why the “power of difference” fuels creativity, innovation, and belonging. How to lead through chaos by focusing on values, purpose, and what you can control. The transition from being “the boss and the student” to governing with curiosity. Why wellbeing, inclusion, and the future of work remain critical boardroom topics. How to “lead bigger” by widening your perspective and becoming a Purposefully Impactful Person. Anne’s story — from the daughter of immigrants to leading a $35bn enterprise — is a masterclass in humility, resilience, and people-first leadership. www.theannechow.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of The Leadership Enigma, I am joined by Dr. Khairunnisa Mohamedali, a social scientist with over ten years of experience in organisational culture, innovation and human-centred design. Together, they uncover why anthropology — the study of people in their contexts — is one of the most overlooked yet powerful tools for modern leaders. 💡 Key Learnings You’ll Take Away from This Episode: The Power of the Outsider: Like a fish that doesn’t notice the water it swims in, leaders often miss the environment they operate in. Outsiders challenge assumptions, spot hidden patterns, and reveal the “invisible” forces shaping culture. Observation Over Assumption: Leaders are often so busy doing that they rarely stop to observe. Anthropology teaches the value of participant observation — stepping back to watch, listen, and sense the weak signals before they become problems. Diversity as an Advantage: True innovation comes when leaders create space for diverse voices and perspectives, rather than falling into the echo chamber of “this is how we’ve always done it.” Empathy in a Polarised World: With AI and social media amplifying echo chambers, leaders must practise empathy — valuing different perspectives and treating people as experts of their own lived experiences. The Human System Comes First: In 2025 and beyond, strategy and targets mean little if leaders cannot align their people around shared behaviours, belonging, and purpose. The human system is the priority — everything else flows from it. Storytelling as a Leadership Superpower: We are wired for stories. Leaders who can connect strategy, purpose, and people through storytelling build trust, belonging, and emotional engagement. 👉 Whether you’re leading a global organisation or a small team, this episode will challenge you to think differently, to see differently, and to lead with a deeper understanding of the human system at the heart of every business. Don’t miss this thought-provoking conversation on why anthropology just might be the leadership skill you never knew you needed. 👍 Like, subscribe, and share The Leadership Enigma for more inspiring insights from global experts. ❓ Looking to learn more about The Smarty Train and their human-centered approach to solutions, insights and research? ➡️ Connect with Khairunnisa: www.linkedin.com/in/khairunnisa-mohamedali-phd ➡️ What we do: thesmartytrain.com/what-we-do/ ➡️ Workplace insights: https://thesmartytrain.com/insights/ ➡️ 2025 Early Careers Trends Report: https://eco.thesmartytrain.com/early-careers-trends-report Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Karen who is Founder & CEO of Fyma www.vorboss.com www.fyma.ai Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Michelle who is the Founder of Meeesh Unlimited Limited. www.vorboss.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Katerina who is Head of Bizops, Encode Club. www.vorboss.com www.hub.encode.club Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Tobias who is dad & Founder, CEO of Making Moves www.vorboss.com www.makingmoveslondon.co.uk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Paul who is head of Sales for Voip Unlimited www.vorboss.com www.voip-unlimited.net Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Rob who is the co-founder of Bramwell Brown Clocks. www.vorboss.com www.bramwellbrown.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Leading London is a series of interviews with founders, entrepreneurs, disruptors and leaders all making an impact in London and beyond. The interviews were filmed at Vorboss (the internet for London business) during Tech Week from their new offices overlooking Liverpool Street. In this episode I chat to Jose who is the Head of Operations for Streetscope www.vorboss.com www.streetscope.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.