The Leadership Enigma

This episode was created in collaboration with Heidrick & Struggles.  I chat to a panel of young leaders to discover what they want from their leadership and culture and what kinds of leaders they aspire to become in order to shape a World Better Led.The panel includes Sarah Sage, Floris Hondmann, Lea Evers and Jacob Vincent with huge thanks to TA Mitchell and Luisa Muse. This is an important episode for all leaders in a multigenerational working environment. All of these young leaders are passionate about a ‘World Better Led’ and how their work can create clarity, purpose, meaning and opportunities for growth and development. Human Centred Leadership has taken pole position and profit now becomes a far more complex and contextualised question for organisational leaders to answer and provide a compelling narrative to those they seek to recruit. Young talent has an expectation for their leaders to be authentic but not perfect and to take the time to understand, respect, communicate and lead in a personalised way. Empathy is important to them all, they care. They have a strong bond and sense of collaboration between themselves, and they know more about each other's lives than perhaps was common in early careers just a few decades ago. The pandemic allowed all of us to reassess priorities and identify our own non-negotiables and the way we work will never be the same.  We discuss the idea that working  from the office is  actually the time that we need to switch on our ‘out of office’ notifications. They want the office to be productive and focus on celebration, connection and education rather than endless meetings, reports and zoom calls which can be done at home. Watch this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videos ArticlesEmpathetic leadership: Taking it to the next levelWalking the Talk: How leaders can have a greater impact on the S in ESG through supply chainsHybrid Work: Finding the Perfect BalanceCost of living crisis: It’s time to address financial wellbeingWatch & 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.

Matt Abrahams is the host of the globally ranked Podcast 'Think Fast, Talk Smart' and lecturer at the world famous Stanford University Graduate School of Business in California.  Matt is passionate about helping people hone and develop their communication skills.  Think Fast, Talk Smart started many years ago where Matt began helping students at Stanford to be able to deal with questions from faculty and it has since grown into a global powerhouse of learning fuelled by the rise of podcast consumption during the pandemic. As fellow podcasters we investigate how the process of humble enquiry and listening has allowed us both to create very real, powerful and intimate connections with our guests. Public speaking is a ubiquitous fear for many as we risk our status being eroded in a social hierarchy by a poor performance.  However the importance of a leaders ability to communicate effectively is clear and we all need to invest the time and effort to practice and hone our communication style for maximum impact. Matt is full of top tips including helping people deal with the anxiety associated with public speaking using his two pronged approach to managing 'Sources' and 'Symptoms'.  Sources are what generate, initiate and exacerbate our anxiety and symptoms  are the things we experience. The basis for many nerves if our fear of a potential negative outcome in the future so by being more present and in the moment we can mitigate that fear. We also discuss how leaders can prepare to speak 'off the cuff' and deal with questions and interventions.   Matt's methodology is (1) get out of your own way, don't judge and evaluate yourself all the time. What we need to do is utilise the improvisation technique of 'Dare to be Dull'. As Matt explains, just get it done as opposed to heaping pressure on yourself. This will actually reduce the cognitive load by striving for mediocrity so you can achieve greatness. (2) Structure your content (approach) so you can simply slot your answer or response into a pre determined structure. A good structure to deal with questions Matt uses is A.D.D. as opposed to discovering the answer as you ramble!  Answer the question Detailed and concrete example must then be providedDescribe relevance or value Think Fast, Talk Smart is available on all major podcast platforms www.nofreakingspeaking.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.

Adrian Simpson is the co-founder of Wavelength and in this episode we discuss the global research that has highlighted ‘Foresight’ as a critical skill for CEO’s and senior executives for a world in constant change.What does the term ‘Outside-In’ mean for future leaders and why is it important for individual and collective success?Adrian describes ‘Outside-In’ as the discipline of learning from people, industries and sectors that are very different from your own. The world is so fast paced and volatile, that leaders must press the pause button, stop what they are doing and spend time looking outside for inspiration, education and provocation in order to develop real breadth and not just depth of capability.Organisations that embrace an Outside-In approach are also very human centred which in turn makes them a great place to work,  such as Four Seasons and Southwest Airlines have proved. Adrian outlines the incredible recruitment process of Southwest with their focus on attitude over skills and an uncompromising focus on culture.So why is the outside-in approach so important? There are simply too many important agendas for any single leader to manage and leaders will find it refreshing and supportive of others to simply say, “I don’t know.”Adrian refers to Roselinde Torres who carried out her own research on what makes great leaders. One such capability is the ability for leaders to ask themselves critical questions such as  ‘where are you looking for pattern identification, ideation and stimulus?’ and she goes on to suggest that the answer will be found simply by looking in the leader’s diary. This in turn, Adrian suggests, raises the issue of a leaders ‘Personal Boardroom’ and the company that they keep. For example do you have people who will be your ‘nerve giver, ‘coach’, ‘sponsor’, or ‘chief connector’ or have you merely created an echo chamber that lacks diversity of thought.All leaders need to start to experiment with structures around them that will elevate the opportunities and results of their curiosity.We discuss how the pandemic was the ultimate outside-in event which has forced organizations to consider their ‘Gathering Strategy’ to cope with the new ways of working and requirement for flexibility. Leaders again must look to see what works from across sectors and regions and understand that the office needs to be a place of education, connection or celebration and if successful, coming to the office is the time to put on your out of office notifications as the formal becomes informal and the informal, formal. This episode is packed full of learning and great examples from Adrian’s global network and experiences.www.wavelengthleadership.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.

Chris Grant OBE has worked at the most senior levels across sectors including Chair of the Chip & Pin Programme for all the banks and retailers, he served on the Board of Sport England and currently as The Chair for British Basketball Federation . Chris received his OBE for services to Sport from the late Her Majesty in 2021 and has worked with great musicians, business leaders, athletes, and sports teams. Chris is the ultimate observer of human beings and group dynamics and has always found solace and safety at the front of the room as opposed to staying in the background. Chris’s personal leadership enigma is how he considers life and embraces the unknown by pushing his own capabilities and increase his own self-awareness. We are all the product of our parents and Chris recounts how his father served in the Second World War and was part of the Windrush generation where he dealt with overt racism and systemic bias. Chris was able to leverage his ‘heritage’ (pride) and ‘baggage’ (obstacles) to craft his own path by understanding that he had an ability to arbiter, facilitate and bring people together.  Chris shares the deeply personal story of how he was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago and how the experience changed and shaped his outlook on life with an increased sense of mystery about himself with the realisation that you are never really in control. The devastating news challenged his personal belief systems and biases and modified his thinking to make room for new a new reality and let go of some lifelong assumptions. As Chris tells me, ‘we are all dying’, therefore we need to make the most of the time we have and to lead a life of service. All leaders must ask themselves, ‘what’s the shape of the hole you are leaving behind us and what’s the space you are creating for others to perform?’ Chris also sought strength from the advice of Max De Pree in that, the ‘first responsibility of the leader is to define reality and the last is to say thank you’ Chris is thankfully on his way to full recovery This episode is packed full of learning nuggets and reflections from an experienced yet deeply humble leader. I also ask Chris a question at the end of the show that I have never asked a guest before, the answer is the reason I continue this work…thank you Chris. Check out the YouTube Channel to see all the photos referred to in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosWatch & 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.

Anthony Stephen Malone is a former 5th Generation soldier with the British Army, author of 5 books and was taken hostage by the Taliban for 190 days. Anthony Joined the Paras at age 17 and served in multiple locations across the world. He has dedicated his life to various intelligence and security agencies which in turn led to his period in captivity having been taken by the Taliban for 190 days. Anthony's military training has ensured he has a very positive mindset where failure is never an option.  Anthony chose to keep going back to hostile environments after his military life as he always felt at home living and working in chaos. He returned to Afghanistan as part of  Operation Patriot which was focused on helping local veterans get out of the country  following allied force withdrawal and the Taliban retaking control of large areas of the country. It was when Anthony returned to Afghanistan overtly to try and assist families leave the country that he was abducted spending 190 days in an underground Taliban interrogation centre in Kabul. Anthony had no reason to believe that his liberty was at risk prior to this event as his efforts in country were purely humanitarian.  Anthony was the victim of an internal power struggle within the Taliban itself and it was the extremist element that decided to remove Anthony and two others from the street and take them to HQ which then turned into 190 days of captivity.  Anthony was soon to endure over 4 weeks of torture and interrogation leaving him with broken bones, nerve damage, concussion and more. It was at this point that mindset became all important for Anthony to push away any feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, even with the fear of execution being mooted by his captures. Anthony had two options, either curl up, cry and die, or make the best of the situation and focus on the potential for a positive resolution. Anthony explains a fascinating exchange he had with his interrogator that became a battle of purpose and wits which eventually led to his release. His biggest takeaway remains the ability to use negative and painful experiences to help others navigate and cope with stress and challenge. Check out the YouTube Channel to see all the photos referred to in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosWatch & 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.

Kate Waterfall-Hill is a leadership coach and consultant with a passion for people development. This episode explores the challenges for all those individual contributors and small consultancies that serve to provide products and services to the largest organisations on the planet. This is all about David meeting Goliath and how leaders try and have it all, whilst doing it all without losing it all!Leaders and especially founders must find the balance between the human doing and the human being with a solid support system around them.  Kate outlines her 5 point plan for impactful leadership which includes1. Be Open to Change 2. Know Your Purpose 3. Time to Think 4. Time to Lead 5. Time for You. Kate has recently become something of a Tik Tok star as she pokes some fun all those leaders spouting corporate gobbledegook, jargon and general nonsense as part of our day to day lives in helping David support Goliath. www.waterfallhill.co.ukAlso check out www.leadersenigma.com and our YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigmaWatch & 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.

Dr Jonathan Reichental is a Founder, Professor, author and former Chief Information Officer for the city of Palo Alto, Silicon Valley.  Jonathan has recently released his new book 'Data Governance for Dummies' which is an Amazon No1 best seller. 83% of CEO's want a data driven organisation yet only 32% are realising this result. 47% of data created has critical errors within it that impacts work and 48% of employees tend to follow their gut rather than the data. All leaders of any sized business will use and manage data, but how many are able to turn that data into insight and wisdom? In this episode Jonathan will outline what data governance is, why it is important (non-negotiable) and what all leaders need to consider regardless of the size and complexity of the business. Jonathan outlines a step approach to creating your data strategy and how to think about expense, execution, operations, cataloguing, analytics and insights. The sheer scale of data created and consumed is almost incomprehensible and Jonathan helps us understand terms such as 'data exhaust' and 'dark data' as this episode is a must for all leaders to understand how data governance works and how to apply it to an organisation in a way that improves results and doesn't disrupt. www.reichental.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.

Allen Morrison is a Professor at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and Stewart Black is the Global Chief Leadership & Strategy Officer at Squire Patton Boggs an international law firm and also Adjunct Professor at INSEAD. They are the co-authors of Enterprise China which is the result of decades of experience and research as to the dominance and continuing impact of China on the global economy. This episode is relevant to all leaders and all businesses, large or small. You may be thinking about operating in China, leaving China or simply curious as to the global impact of Enterprise China and why you should even care!This is a fascinating episode that outlines that leaders must understand that they are dealing with Enterprise China not Chinese Enterprises as we examine the often-misunderstood interconnectedness of the Chinese state and Chinese businesses, demonstrating that individual firms and companies are often just the tip of the iceberg.China is the largest simple market and for many years has been considered the 'Factory of the World.' My guests outline the three elements of the Chinese Commercial Strategy as 1. Ending reliance on the West 2. Dominating domestic markets 3. To win internationally and facilitating the West to become highly dependant on China. Both guests outline real case studies of companies strategising for commercial success, outlining pitfalls and clear strategic and leadership implications that must  be considered. www.enterprisechina.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.

Rupal Patel's high octane career in the CIA has taken her from the jungles of Columbia to the war zones of Afghanistan. As a young female of colour within the complex and political world of briefings for The President, 4 Star Generals,  Congress and International Government Agencies, Rupal quickly focused on leveraging her strengths as opposed to her weaknesses. Rupal is the daughter of Indian immigrants and a native New Yorker. She grew up in a loving and high functioning family where she came to love studying and analytical challenges. Her work was important for translating noise into signal. In this episode we discuss the ability to have critical conversations in the company of experts and specialists, the ability to lead with values at the heart of all you do which Rupal describes as Identify Driven Leadership and tactical ignorance. Now a successful entrepreneur, author and international speaker who passionately believes in helping people to think bigger, lead better and be bold. www.rupalypatel.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.

Chris Finney is the youngest solider to be awarded the George Cross for his actions whilst serving in Iraq. Today Chris is a family man and entrepreneur with an enduring point of view of his heroic actions, his leadership and his legacy. The George Cross was created in September 1940 by King George VI and is ranked alongside the Victoria Cross. Chris joined the army cadets aged 13 and the regular army at the tender age of 16. He trained at the Army Foundation College in  Harrogate where by his own admission he grew up and started to understand what life without his parents would be like and how each day needed his full effort regardless of his personal levels of motivation as his life was now about discipline. Chris joined The Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corp which resulted in him being deployed to Iraq on operational duties at 18 years old. After only one week he crossed the border into Iraq and whilst on routine patrol Chris's armoured column was hit by what they didn't know at the time, was friendly fire delivered by an American A10 Tank Buster plane. During the ensuing chaos, breakdown of command and communications, Chris found himself in a life or death situation. Chris had been injured by shrapnel, his gunner had multiple injuries including being shot by a 30mm round, he was unable to get his rifle, his vehicle was on fire and others were now running for their lives as the plane began to come round for a second attack. Whilst Chris's actions saved the life of his gunner Alan, he and others also had to make the heart wrenching decision not to make an attempt to save another gunner as it was simply too dangerous at the time and they had to accept the loss of one life as opposed to loss of multiple lives . Chris was surprised to learn from his Commanding Officer that he was to be awarded the George Cross in recognition of his actions from her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth IIAfter leaving the military Chris had joined forces with Joe Calzaghe the former undisputed Middle Weight Boxing Champion of the World to raise funds for Help The Heroes. Today Chris is happily married with three children running two garden centres as an entrepreneur and business owner.  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.