The Business Leader Podcast

Our guest for this has held executive roles at Barclays, Barclaycard, and American Express. Now, Sarah Webb is the President for UK & Europe at OFX, where she is responsible for all commercial growth in the region. She has a wealth of experience in leadership and 20 years of experience in bank payments.In this exclusive interview, we discuss imposter syndrome, how to encourage women to get into the finance sector and much more.Here's what we discussed:Did you always know you wanted to work in finance and technology? (00:54)Did you have any role models that inspired you growing up? (01:38)Do you feel like you’ve faced any barriers as a woman in finance? (02:37)What leadership skills have you cultivated to create your style of leadership? (08:39)Have you experienced imposter syndrome and do you feel that women are more susceptible to it? (11:52)What advice would you have for women looking for roles in finance? (14:00)What would you like to leave as your legacy in the role? (15:59)What leadership traits and characteristics do you like and dislike in people? (17:36)How can you cultivate healthy disagreement in a team? (19:41)Do you see inflation subsiding globally sooner, rather than later? (21:36)For those that don't know, what makes a currency strong? (23:45)Answer the Internet: If joy became the national currency, what kind of work would make you wealthy? (25:42)What makes a great business leader? (27:06)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The common view is that business people are just... different. They have things figured out. They're in an exclusive world of VCs and angels. Or are they? One man has made it his mission to break down barriers and show that anyone can become an entrepreneur.Roy Ledgister, founder of proptech investment firm Convivia Group, grew up in Shepherd's Bush and relied on free schools in his youth. He started a car wash business at 14 and, after doing his law degree, became the UK's youngest senior partner at the tender age of 24. After leaving the Bar, Roy was part of the team that created Caridon Holdings LLP and then went on to found Convivia Group. Despite his success, Roy maintains that he "never got the memo" that he shouldn't be able to achieve so much from his humble beginnings. Instead, he says that that's the very reason for his drive and success and he's keen to spread the word to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. In this exclusive interview, we discuss procrastination, "not getting the memo", turning perceived weaknesses into strengths and much more.Here's what we discussed:Can you tell us about your journey to founding Convivia? (00:56)Is there something in particular that makes people from disadvantaged backgrounds better entrepreneurs? (09:51)What are some of the barriers that young disadvantaged people face in getting into the business? (12:15)Is there a way to get people from more diverse backgrounds into business and positions of power to show younger generations that this can be achieved? (15:59)How can procrastination be debilitating? (19:34)Do you think a positive, resilient mindset is something you're born with or can it be taught? (30:07)What is the power of being altruistic and giving back as a successful business person? (31:43)Answer the Internet: During a typical work day, are lawyers always busy? (36:30)What makes a great business leader? (38:06)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Dixon is a leadership coach, trainer, and author who works with business leaders in over 160 multinational companies across the world. He is the author of the books Overcome and Get It Done and Shaping Paths. His new book The Story Habit reveals a practical approach to helping leaders tell and shape stories. We speak to Jamie about the differences between leaders in China and Europe, the differences between Chinese and European markets, and the power of storytelling in persuasion and leadership.Here's what we discussed:How did you end up becoming a leadership development coach? (00:58)Was your university degree related to psychology and did you speak Mandarin before going to China? (03:13)Do you deal with business leaders in a specific sector or a variety of them? (04:32)What is the biggest difference between Western and Chinese markets? (07:01)What are the differences between leadership in Eastern countries and Western countries? (09:25)Could you give an example of an interesting approach that these Eastern countries have towards leadership? (12:20)Why is storytelling important in leadership? (15:06)How can people ensure they are relaying a truthful story to themselves? (30:22)How can leaders solve REAL problems at work through storytelling? (34:05)What is a leader’s greatest weakness? (36:51)How have you used the techniques you teach and have learnt to deal with difficulties in your own life, such as going through the lockdown in Shanghai? (38:50)Why do billionaires and successful business personalities love to tell stories about how they fire people? Why do billionaire fans love those stories? (42:49)What makes a great business leader to you? (44:00)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is Bassim Haidar? Not only is he a Lebanese national and Nigeria-born self-made billionaire, but he is also on the forefront of innovation and financial inclusion on a global scale. Starting his first business at just 20 years old, Haidar has gone on to establish Optasia, a large telecoms provider which operates in 19 countries and plays a major role in infrastructure in Africa and the Middle East. He now has a stake in a variety of industries including fintech, logistics, energy, engineering, and medicinal cannabis.Here's what we discussed:Can you describe your journey to the position you hold now? (01:03)You mentioned that you failed in one of your previous ventures. How did you deal with that failure? (08:53)Do you feel that identifying a future gap in the market is the biggest key for an entrepreneur? (11:30)Your company offers banking to developing markets and you have 650m users across the world. Why is extending financial inclusion to the unbanked developing world important to you personally? (15:45)How does accelerating affordable smartphone ownership positively impact people? (18:40)What are the differences between the way the western world and less developed countries welcome new technology? (20:37)How has growing up in Nigeria shaped you and the way you look at the world? (22:18)Is entrepreneurship something that you're born with or can it be learnt? (24:46)Would you say that a fear of failing is a universal characteristic of entrepreneurs? (28:15)Imposter syndrome is discussed a lot on our podcast and in the West in general. Is this something that is spoken of in the West exclusively as part of a privilege or is this something that you've noticed in developing countries too? (29:45)Do a lot of people, you would be considered to have ‘made it’. Do you feel this way? How do you continue to motivate yourself? (35:31)Do you ever have moments when you don’t feel confident or lose your sense of purpose? (37:34)How do you deal with stress? Are there things you do to wind down? (39:32)You founded your own venture capital firm, Knuru Capital. What advice would you give to business owners about achieving investment? (40:07)Answer the Internet: can you become a billionaire with $5m? (44:56)What makes a great business leader? (45:09)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with psychiatrist and author of The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters. With over 20 years of experience in psychiatry, he has shared his knowledge through the books he's authored which explore the nature of the mind and help readers become healthier, happier, and more successful. His most recent book, A Path through the Jungle, further explores self-development and explains complex neuroscience in a digestible way. We speak to Professor Steve Peters about how to retrain your mind, why imposter syndrome can be a good thing, dealing with chronic stress, and why working from home isn't necessarily healthy for us.Here's what we discussed:You recently published your new book A Path Through the Jungle – in the first phase of the book your mention that all of us are composed of three teams or systems – human, chimp or computer. For those of us that aren’t familiar with this – can you tell us why this is and how they can manifest themselves? (004:45)How could business leaders improve by reading your book? (03:47)As humans – can we essentially re-wire or re-train our minds and how long does this take? (05:20)If people had a difficult upbringing and it affects the person they are today, can they re-wire their brains to change their behaviour? (07:46)Can you tell us what you think resilience means in life and in a high-stress business setting? How does somebody know they are resilient? (08:54)You’ve touched on the chimp and how it can hijack somebody’s thoughts, but can the chimp ever be positive? (11:53)Many of our listeners are successful entrepreneurs and some tell us they suffer from imposter syndrome. Why does the brain do this? And do you have insight into how leaders can work with this better? (13:16)How can business leaders focus on work best when they have experienced a significant life event not linked to work? (20:42)When thinking about the athletes and high performers that you've dealt with, are there any particular common traits that you think contribute to their success? (28:10)How can people better cope with stress in their lives and work? (30:09)You mention in the book that many people might be experiencing chronic stress and feel that what they are experiencing is a normal state. How can they unwind this/ prevent it and what should they look out for? (36:15)What does your typical day look like Steve? (39:06)Have you worked with political figures? (40:50)Do you feel like there's still a stigma around struggling with mental health? (41:30)What was your reaction to the announcement of the first lockdown in March 2020? (43:22)Do you believe home working is good for you long-term? (45:16)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest is an Army veteran, specialist leadership coach, and facilitator for senior leaders in higher and secondary education. He's also the author of The Leadership Book and has set up the charity Michelle Jurd Trust, which supports initiatives that encourage young people to benefit from outdoor adventures.Here's what we discussed:Could you tell us how you ended up becoming a leadership coach? (00:53)How did you end up joining the army? (02:07)Were there any skills that you picked up in the army that you would recommend leaders adopt? (02:57)How did you decide that you wanted to become a leadership coach? (03:22)What about your job do find most fulfilling? (04:10)If a business leader comes to you looking for help, what's your process for figuring out where someone can improve their leadership skills? (06:08)What common characteristics do managers and executives tend to have that don’t work well in a working environment? (07:41)What is the most important characteristic of a leader? (09:01)How important is trust in a team and especially a relationship with your leadership/manager? (09:42)How can a leader cultivate trust and camaraderie in a team? (11:05)What would you say to a leader that finds setting boundaries for their team difficult? (13:12)How can a leader give their team the tools to fully reach their potential? (15:38)Are most leaders extroverts? And how can introverts be better leaders? (17:13)What do think about failure and societal attitudes towards it? (19:44)Many leaders have had to adjust their leadership style (especially due to the pandemic). Do you think there's a leadership revolution happening? (21:06)How do leaders differ based on the sector they’re in? (22:12)How would you go about getting cohesion among a team who disagree with one another? (25:52)Would you say recruiting people on their shared values with your existing team is more important than their talent? (28:44)How can a leader deal with imposter syndrome? (29:33)Is it wrong to admire a person for being a great leader but hate them for being a horrible human being? (32:33)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with Emma Sayle. In 2005, Emma founded a global events business that aims to sexually empower and liberate women, now Killing Kittens has over 180,000 members worldwide. She has also started Safedate, a safe dating app, and the Sisterhood Group, a group of women that take part in sports adventures and challenges. Here's what we discussed:What is Killing Kittens? (00:46)What can someone expect to happen at a KK event? (01:27)What motivated you to create Killing Kittens? (03:00)Why is it called Killing Kittens? (05:19)You mentioned you started the business because you had a strong sense of injustice. Why did you start with parties? (05:56)What were the first KK events like? (07:42)Are you involved in the tech side of the business? (12:07)What was it like starting a business like Killing Kittens in 2005? (13:26)How did you find raising funding for a busines s as heavily stigmatised as Killing Kittens? (16:35)How did you find the experience of fund raising? (17:42)How did the #MeToo movement impact Killing Kittens? And you on a personal level? (23:03)How can women feel sexually empowered without feeling judged by people? (27:36)How important is sex education? Is there adequate sex education? (30:18)Can another counter culture like in the 60s actually be created again? (32:33)From your perspective, what makes a great business leader? (34:10)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sat down for a conversation with Mark Wilson. Mark is a business strategy expert who founded Wilson Fletcher, an innovation consultancy that helps to transform digital companies through strategy and design. He has recently released a book, Futurestate Design, which aims to help entrepreneurs think differently about the future of their business.Here's what we discussed:What does a digital strategist do? (00:49)How did you decide that you wanted to be a strategist? (03:42)Are there similarities between architecture and digital strategy? (05:08)When did you realise you were going to start Wilson Fletcher? (06:21)Did you feel that starting your own business gave you a good idea of how to help your clients strategise for growth? (07:26)What excites you about strategy? (09:59)What is a futurestate design? (11:10)What would you say to a business that would say 'Why can’t we just imagine a strategy with the tools we have today?' (16:12)Within the concept, you bring up the importance of a business imagining what their future customers will be like - how can a business do this when the pandemic/Ukraine war/inflation have all recently shown how unpredictable consumer behaviour is? (20:41)In your book you say tools such as data, commercial results, looking at what competitors and customers do and market research all inhibit a futurestate mind. This is a bold statement. Why do you think this? (24:10)What are recent shifts that we’ve seen in the digital economy? (27:41)How did the pandemic impact the digital economy? (30:25)Is there a particular innovation in the digital space that you think is really exciting at the moment? (32:29)What advice would you give to a business that is finding itself stagnant? (36:37)You’re given $150,000 that must be used to start a business. What kind of business do you open up? (39:26)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on the podcast is Kike Oniwinde; the Founder and CEO of BYP Network, a digital platform that connects black professionals with each other and corporations. She has been recognised as a leader in tech and won many prestigious awards including Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Financial Times' top 100 BAME leaders in technology.Here's what we discussed during our discussion:Can you tell us a bit about your story leading up to starting BYP Network? (00:56)What barriers are stopping black students, in particular, from achieving high grades at university level? (03:03)What experiences did you have or witness that motivated you to start BYP Network? (05:33)What is unique about a black professional’s experience in the workplace that makes a platform like BYP Network so important? (07:49)Do you think there is a clear solution to elevate more black professionals into executive roles? (09:40)BYP has been described as a platform with a mission to ‘change the black narrative’ what does this mean to you? (11:33)Do you think that descriptions, such as B.A.M.E, are good for marginalised communities? (15:09)How did the BLM movement impact you on a personal level but also the black narrative? (16:53)In your opinion, is the professional world changing quickly enough for black professionals? (18:31)Can you tell us what BYP does to empower black professionals in the workplace? (19:11)What kind of working culture do you find important for your own business? (22:02)You were on the GB Javelin team. Was there anything about being an athlete that prepared you for being an entrepreneur? (24:11)How are your motivations changing as you’ve grown up? (24:58)You're about to have a baby. How will this change your role at BYP and has it changed your approach to work at all? (26:20)Do you think more needs to be done in the workplace to support pregnant women? (27:40)How can we change the narrative for women in the workplace with kids? (28:54)You’ve experienced a significant loss in your life, you’ve recently lost your mum. How has this loss impacted or changed the way you approach life and your work? (31:01)Do you have a particular BYP success story that sticks out in your mind? (34:34)What is more likely: starting a business from scratch and getting a net worth of $50 million, or winning $50 million in the lottery? (35:58)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest on the podcast today is Tom Moore; an ex-platoon commander who founded a talent incubator to help war veterans break into the tech sector. Now, WithYouWithMe has expanded to find work for neurodivergent and gender diverse communities, military spouses, and indigenous populations. Tom speaks to us about being a CEO transparent about mental health, the power of hiring neurodivergent candidates, and having humility as a leader.Here's what we discussed during our discussion:Could you tell us more about your background and upbringing and what was that like? (00:49)You say that when you were younger, you felt like you didn’t fit into society. Was that the reason you went into the army or would you say it was more your family history of service? (03:23)What were your experiences like in the army? (06:50)Could you tell us why you ended up leaving the army and what the next chapter of your life held? (10:53)Is there a link between jobs in the army and the tech industry? (18:24)Do you find that neurodiverse people do well in tech jobs? (21:46)You said you experienced mental health issues after leaving the army. Is this something you still struggle with today? (26:59)What's the power of being transparent with your mental health as a CEO? (30:57)What does the future hold for WithYouWithMe? (35:09)You mentioned making movies was a personal goal. Could you tell us about this? (36:56)Why does it matter if you are or were a veteran when applying for certain jobs? (38:45)Do you think there's still a stigma around hiring veterans? (39:38)Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.