The Leadership Enigma

Luke is a former U18’s England rugby player who has devoted his life to working with athletes from Premiership and Championship football teams, elite rugby, GB skateboarding, weightlifting and disadvantaged young adults in relation to mindfulness and mental wellbeing. The link between mental health and performance is now well known and something every leader must consider for him or herself and their teams. Luke had a very goal driven attitude and was always searching for external validation, however two players from his peer group who went on to play professional rugby took their own lives and this was the catalyst for Luke to focus on the power of mindfulness and mental health for 6 years with the London Buddhist Centre which in turn deepened his need to change the image of mental health in the workplace. Meditation was at the core of Luke’s work, where he understood the ability to balance the nervous system and also find meaning by creating space for refection. Luke focuses on the human being as opposed to the human achieving and you may be surprised as to the single greatest result of mindfulness for athletes and business leaders that Luke reveals. The pandemic forced people into different routines with different pressures and mental health became more of a reality for all of us. All leaders need to forward think their own and their team’s mental health and away from purely goal driven approaches for a more balanced drive, increased self-awareness and performance. Luke also shares a very personal story of how a single question asked of him by a schoolchild forced him to question the whole process and application of mindfulness. 10 minutes of mindfulness or meditation a day for 6 months can change the neuro pathways and build mental muscle mass, Enjoy www.mindfulpeakperformance.com/leadersWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Bousada is the CEO and Founder of Thrillworks who have been creating digital acceleration solutions for clients for over 23 years. Jay was originally a structural engineer with a passion for problem solving and an entrepreneurial approach that has always sought to locate self-imposed boundaries and proactively problems solve in an ever-changing world. Jay created the concept of Self-Imposed Expiry Dates in 2017 which was a point in time when the business was making money, but he felt it wasn’t growing and learning. This process allowed Jay and his team to challenge their own internal policies and ways of working in quick time and change with agility. For example, every recurring meeting expired after 3 months unless all agreed that value was still being generated. This simple concept prevented lethargy and a laissez faire attitude to running yesterday’s solution to today’s problems. Expiry Dates was a forcing function that allowed the organisation to stop, reflect and assess relevance, importance and impact. As a leader, self-imposed expiry dates allows the organisation to constantly reflect and react to change, but it requires the leader to avoid the minutia and move from the dancefloor to the balcony in order to see the business in a more holistic and enterprise way. The Pandemic was a shared experience for all of us but it expired what we all knew about business! Overnight face to face working expired, travel expired, office working expired. We all had to do business differently overnight to the day before. This speed of change is now a fact for leaders in the modern era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The application of Expiry Dates allows leaders and businesses to always be in state of readiness to avoid irrelevance in a world that changes overnight.  Enjoy this episode. www.thrillworks.comWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Priestley is a serial entrepreneur currently leading 7 companies, author of multiple books and proud father of three. A key person of influence  as a business leader creates a compelling vision with energy and purpose beyond just profit whilst also attracting amazing talent who create real value so that the business takes on a life of its own. Examples include Microsoft and Apple who have gone from strength to strength beyond their original iconic founders. Dan outlines 5 critical features, for any Key Person of Influence. Firstly, the ability to Pitch your vision.  All entrepreneurs need to pitch their business into existence. Dan explains that sharpening your pitch in the market is always going to be better than trying to sharpen your pitch in your mind. Secondly Publishing content in order to be a voice so that you can be found, heard and understood as regards what you want to be known for. Next is Product innovation with an ability to understand ideation and know when a minimal viable product must be pressure tested in the market place. Fourthly is raising Profile and taking accountability for getting out into the world and lastly is the ability to create Partnerships and joint ventures which can lead to explosive growth.  There has never been a better time to lead without authority and have a voice to create change and become a force for good as a Key Person of Influence. Even the most experienced and senior need to consider how they are a Key Person of Influence above and beyond their role and title leaving a legacy for sustainable growth, impact and value. Dan also refers to his mentor who wisely said to him ‘we’re not forward engineering the past, we are reverse engineering the future’ Don't miss this episode. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Thompson is the CEO and Co-founder of The Diversity Movement with over 20 years of experience of building and selling companies. He passionately describes himself as a lifetime ‘competitive learner’ who pays attention to what he needs to do personally in order to create lasting relationships. As the son of a football coach (American football) he always understood how the individual can hustle with humility in order to be part of a bigger and successful collective. Donald spends his life looking for the good and commonality in each relationship that he builds.  Donald describes how he helps senior leaders make workplaces better beyond just a social justice campaign by linking it to the tangible outcomes that matter to the c-suite. A diverse workforce creates real impact numbers in conjunction to an organisation creating a powerful and meaningful brand and force for good with DE&I being a critical construct of human decencyDonald provides a real example as to one organisation changing their performance reviews and mentorship which led to an increase in 200% of number of people of colour in their high-performance category. Leaders must create inclusive language that resonates with all whilst setting reasonable goals for DE&I in the context of understanding what your organisational culture is ready for which in turn avoids false promises. Loyalty is an active relationship infrastructure that creates an environment of openness, safety, and a source of powerful feedback and learning. Don’t miss this inspiring episode. Get Donald’s new book: ‘Underestimated: A CEO’s unlikely path to success’ based on a number of deeply personal and inspiring recollections of a man who is a true force for good in the face of prejudice and adversity. For free resources, please visit:www.thediversitymovement.comWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraser Edwards is the co-founder and CEO of Cheqd. The business was created in 2021 and has already received 2 rounds of funding and has a valuation in excess of $40 million. Fraser is an amazing example of a young entrepreneur who has leveraged his education, life experiences and failures.Fraser comes from a long line of engineers, mother (mechanical), father (civil), uncle (chemical) and two half-brothers, one a civil engineer and one an architect. Fraser’s approach to life and business is rooted in his previous experiences which included crazy and unworkable business projects, the loss of his father at the tender age of 18 and being slow to capitalise on another great business idea that he watched another capitalise on. This didn’t stop Fraser and his business partner from starting Cheqd which focuses on Self Sovereign Identify and the issue of surveillance capitalism. This could be a game changer for every business with customers. Surveillance Capitalism is explained by Fraser as ‘if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.’. He provides a number of real-life examples for us to understand the gravity and importance of what happens to our personal data. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is set to become a Government driven approach which may fundamentally change the behaviour of customers in relation to the privacy and the creation and use of personal data. The power is set to shift. Don't miss this episode. www.cheqd.ioWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Camilla Byk MBE is the CO-FOUNDER of Podium.me and passionate about empowering the younger generation to find their voice. The catalyst for Camilla’s work was during the Clapham riots in 2011 when she spoke to and audio recorded the teenagers impacted during the riots as she realised no one was asking them for their thoughts, views and stories on their own terms.Podium.me was created from Camilla’s kitchen table to serve young journalists using their smartphones to record the stories and opinions of the under 25s  all over the world. The desire was not to start commissioning or producing this generation but simply to equip and enable them. The blueprint for Podium.me was based on a policy of No Selection, No Rejection.  Camilla decided that there was not going to be a set programme but instead she wanted to give the opportunity to any young adult to explore and benefit from the learning of Podium.me by spending no time selecting people but saying yes to everyone who was interested. The result was a very diverse, motivated and talented group of young people, empowered to create award winning content for mainstream channels. Camilla describes herself as a lazy leader as she finds herself saying ‘yes’ to all of the suggestions and projects the young adults bring to her. That level of trust and empowerment has led to extraordinary and award-winning results for all.www.podium.meTED Talk: You already know how to change the world, what’s stopping you? Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrea Crosta is the Founder and Executive Director of Earth League International (ELI). Earth League International was created 12 years ago as an NGO and became the first Intelligence Agency for the Earth, triggered by Andrea’s experience of working in security in Kenya and being exposed to the scale of the elephant poaching crisis. His story is an intense human centred and purposeful example of one person becoming a force for good. Andrea soon realised that investigating poaching and ivory trafficking at a local level would lead him to links with international terrorist funding and organised crime syndicates. Andrea saw the convergence of environmental crime with more serious crime across geographic boundaries and realised he needed to build the capability of ELI to be able to investigate complex networks, so he recruited former FBI, CIA and undercover operative to be able to continue this work. Through Andrea’s leadership and passion, he began advocating for global law enforcement agencies and governments to understand the criminal convergence of these two worlds. He recruited people who believed passionately about the purpose of ELI where the meaning was their money. Andrea tells the story of their first ever investigation into Jaguar parts trafficking, especially fangs and bones for the illegal black market as fake tiger parts. Very soon that investigation led to the criminal networks involved at a global scale and a trade worth millions of dollars.The work of ELI in creating Confidential Intelligence Briefs for major law enforcement agencies has changed the nature of environmental crime investigations and prosecutions in pursuit of their purpose of becoming Earths’ first intelligence agency to protect our planet. Hope is not part of Andrea’s vocabulary as his work is non-negotiable. You can see more about the work of Earth League International in two documentaries on Netflix and National geographic. ‘Sea of Shadows’ and ‘The Ivory Game’ www.earthleagueinternational.orgDon’t miss this episode.Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nic Marks’s TED talk on the Happy Planet Index has been viewed millions of times. He studied maths at Cambridge, is a trained therapist and statistician and was a member of the Think Tank (New Economics Foundation) working on wellbeing that became hugely successful and influential at Governmental level. A happy team is a successful team. Happiness is ill defined and therefore can be thought of at three different levels. ‘I feel happy’ which is an emotion, ‘I am happy with…’ which is a cognitive judgement and ‘I am a happy person’ which is a personal trait. Happiness is not a state to reach and maintain, it is a wave function where we go up and down; in and out of happiness. When we are happy, we should carry on, when not happy we need to make a change. Happiness all the time would actually be dysfunctional. Happiness is a very social emotion. We are 30% more likely to laugh in the presence of another person. This is all about generosity and giving, our ability to have multiple relationships which require the investment of time. “Are you happy at work?’ is a simple question relevant and east to answer from the CEO to the newest intern (from shop floor to the top floor)KPI’s are usually a lagging indicator, so leaders need to consider focusing on leading indicators such as a weekly ‘happiness’ check in for teams. Happy individuals deliver better quality and quantity of work and creativity is heavily linked to positivity.We can’t separate our home and work life as regards happiness, organisations are full of human beings who need care, empathy and understanding to allow all to feel valued and deliver value. This episode is packed full of top tips and strategies for any leader to start to make happiness a KPI in their organisations. To check out your own happiness at work see: www.fridayone.comTo learn more about Friday Pulse: www.fridaypulse.comRead more about Nic and his work: www.nicmarks.org and www.happyplanetindex.org Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Clarke is Founder of award-winning culture transformers Delight Consulting and the author of 'Project Speak Up' - a global D&I report and change campaign that sent ripples across the global financial sector, broke 5 CSR world records and changed the perception of people and conduct risk forever.A multi-award winning philanthropist, rights campaigner and D&I consultant, Ian is a leading authority on human uniqueness and the value of difference.Racially non-binary, queer, disabled and 37, Ian’s innate diversity is helping him build bridges in an age division. In this episode, Ian recounts some deeply personal lessons from a childhood often experienced as an outsider, sometimes even an imposter. Now outside of banking, Ian’s on a self-declared mission to “ensure humanity can reach its full potential”Here he explains how meaningful change towards more diverse workforces will be well worth the effort. Increased productivity, new ideas and perspectives, improved marketability, strategic optimisation, and an ability to attract and retain legitimate top talent are just a few of the benefits awaiting brave firms open to change. Because it’s commercial, not just correct.www.deilightconsulting.comwww.deilightconsulting.com/projectspeakup/https://www.linkedin.com/in/iahclarkeWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garry Ridge is the CEO and Chairman of WD40, a publicly traded company of the iconic blue and yellow can with the red cap. His 25 years as CEO have been his apprenticeship in all things leadership and culture. Garry describes himself as the consciously incompetent, probably wrong and roughly right CEO of an iconic product that can now be found in 176 countries. Culture is at the heart of everything that Garry believes in and commits himself to. His tenure has seen Employee Engagement scores of 93.5%. 98% of employees say they love to tell people that they work for WD40 and 97% say they respect their coach (manager). The company has also seen its market cap rise to $3billion. The evidence for culture being at the heart of success is unequivocal. The episode is packed full of insight from the battle scars of a leader passionate about people. Garry talks about the Maniac Pledge within WD40 and how he uses the Culture Equation to create results: CULTURE = (VALUES + BEHAVIOUR) x CONSISTENCY. You don't want to miss Garry's overview of AL, the soul sucking CEO of Fear Incorporated and the need for all leaders to have the self awareness to realise that we are all work in progress.Garry has an insatiable focus on happiness. Happy employees lead to happy families, communities, countries and a world better placed for constant change and challenge. Garry also outlines the four pillars of Care, Candour, Accountability and Responsibility as part of his journey towards his re-firing into the next chapter of his incredible career as The Culture Coach. www.thelearningmoment.netWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.