Maryam Monsef arrived in Canada as an Afghan refugee aged 11 years old. By the age of 30, she was elected as an MP and became the youngest member of Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet. But in 2021, she was defeated at the federal election and found herself out of office. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she talks to Sir Michael Barber about her early life and the highs and lows of being elected and then defeated. She concludes that “losing sucks” but can teach perspective.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Miliband quit British politics to escape ‘the soap opera’ and now leads the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in New York. Founded by Albert Einstein in the 1930's, the IRC is an international charity that responds to humanitarian crises, helping people displaced by conflict and disaster. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, he tells Sir Michael Barber about his strategy for growing the IRC, what he learnt from his time in politics and why he believes we are living in an 'age of impunity' in politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who'd swap Hollywood for Westminster? ‘Chariots of Fire’ producer David Puttman did exactly that. After a hugely successful career including winning 10 Oscars and more than 20 Baftas, he left the world of American movies for politics in Westminster. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Lord Puttman talks to Sir Michael Barber about the impact of his childhood, how an obsessive attention to detail made him successful, the art of negotiation with the toughest people in Hollywood and why the top job isn’t always the right job.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gareth Southgate has been manager of the men’s football team since 2016 and there are high expectations for the team in this winter’s World Cup in Qatar. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, he talks to Sir Michael Barber about the importance of setting ambitious goals and a collective identity, the intricacies of World Cup planning, the importance of ego in a group and why rules can be overrated.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Sania Nishtar is an internationally acclaimed physician and world leading health expert. In 2018 she was appointed to the cabinet in Pakistan to lead Ehsaas, a new programme aimed at alleviating poverty by increasing social protection and welfare for those that need it most. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she tells Sir Michael Barber about her motivation to work 18 hour days, the challenges of tackling corruption, privilege and patriarchal attitudes and why she believes the programme will change Pakistan forever.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dame Katherine Granger is one of the most decorated women in British Olympic history and went on to become the Chair of UK Sport after retiring as a professional athlete. She talks to Sir Michael Barber about how she faced her fears of life after sport and how the lessons she learned as an athlete are just as useful now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine creating a school system in a newly independent country. “It was exciting, it was scary. If I made a mistake, I can doom the nation forever”. That was the task facing Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka - Zimbabwe’s first education minister. Before 1980 black children in Zimbabwe were only able to get a basic education because of segregation. But after independence, in one year,  the education system doubled the number of children it served. Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka led the transformation to a free and equal education for all. As one of the young teachers recruited to the newly independent country’s new schools at that time, Sir Michael Barber discusses Dzingai’s motivation, the challenges that were faced and what the lessons are for other countries and leaders.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Hyman worked in No 10 as a speechwriter for Tony Blair but left government more than a decade ago with a new mission - to reset the British education system with a new philosophy. He began as a classroom assistant and worked his way up to becoming headteacher of a new school in the East End of London with a radical approach. He wanted to create a system where school wasn’t a grind and teaching children to speak was as important as teaching them to read. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Peter Hyman tells Sir Michael Barber how he got the project off the ground, the hurdles he faced along the way and what lessons can be learnt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can the story of a 19th century African American composer teach us about Accomplishment?  Sir Michael Barber and British pianist and musicologist Dr Samantha Ege discuss Florence Price and the lessons we can all learn from her remarkable life. Florence was a classical composer, pianist and music teacher who became the first African-American to have a composition played by a major orchestra. She faced many obstacles but her passion and perseverance drove her. As a student, Samantha Ege defied academic advice and pursued her fascination with Florence Price’s music. Now she is seeing a surge of interest in the composer’s work and discusses why Florence’s story matters today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Zille has been one of the most prominent, and sometimes controversial, figures in South African politics for several decades. The daughter of German Jews who escaped the Holocaust, she has been an activist and campaigned against apartheid her whole career. While working as a journalist in the late 1970’s, she helped expose the cover-up of the murder of black activist Steve Biko and has held several different leading political roles in South Africa since. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Helen discusses her upbringing, the moral imperative of building a capable state and the challenges of South African politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.