About Time - with Chris Nichols

Dave Petley is VC of Hull, and alongside his leadership role he maintains an active academic life in the field of landslides. He’s about to move - towards the end of the year - to become VC of one of the UK’s largest universities, NTU. I was delighted to get this chance to talk to Dave at this point in the year, as he prepares to leave his existing role well, to arrive well into the new organisation, and to handle conflicts of interest in the interim.  It’s a fascinating conversation, about Dave’s background and what makes him who he is as a leader. He talks about how he’s led major changes at Hull, and built the right team to do it.  He also talks about the importance of education and of the often unseen and under-appreciated complexity of being an academic leader. It’s a really fascinating chat - of value to everyone wanting to understand university leadership, and to folks interested in organisational leadership more broadly. And we take a look at landslides too, and what we can learn from them about organisational life.  I hope you enjoy this one.

I’ve worked with Megan for years: we ran a brilliant simulation together and that experience was a period of growth and exploration for both of us. Since then, Megan has written some of the most amazing research and books, with co-authors like Michael Chaskalson and John Higgins, who have both been guests in this series. She is sought after as a speaker, facilitator and consultant, and I admire her greatly.I am delighted that we had the chance to do this episode before she went off on a summer break. It’s a lovely exploration of her research and writing, its roots and why it all matters so much to her.  I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

I love Steve’s work. He’s an artist, a workshop creator, a facilitator and so much more.I’ve known Steve for his constant exploring of new edges and new experiments.This is such a rich episode that I can’t give it a summary. I just want to say that this is one of my absolute favourites so far. A rich life story, the power of finding people who support and develop you, the courage to stand on stages and not know what comes next … not to mention an amazing podcast series of total silence.If Steve is already in your world you’ll love this. And if he isn’t someone you’ve come across, please do dive in and follow up the links. He really is an amazing human and I am delighted to know him.  Here’s some links to Steve’s work:Shop: shop.canscorpionssmoke.com  Website: www.canscorpionssmoke.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/stevexohSubstack: https://stevexoh.substack.com/

Jon Alexander is author of the book Citizens (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/citizens-jon-alexander/7315064?ean=9781912454884) - a book that has captured the imagination of people all around the world. I’ve known Jon for a long time, and I’ve been impressed by all he does. Which is why I am so excited about this podcast, which finds Jon right at the start of the next frontier … a new role at Harvard, a new book in the early stages of germination, and new forms of participation as Jon moves more into his role as a political theorist and societal catalyst.It’s a lovely, inquiring, exploring episode. I was delighted to have the chance to do it at this moment in the development of a new set of ideas and actions. I hope you enjoy it.

Rob Sexton is CEO of Yeo Valley, the west country based organic food producer, a family business based on sites near to its roots on a Somerset farm. Regenerative work is right at the heart of what this brand is about, and Rob is the real deal when it comes to pursuing the meaning of regenerative farming into the wider food system. He comes from a farming family and his links to the land runs through everything he does. At the same time, he’s worked in the corporate world, including a spell at Enron, and carries with him lifelong lessons that run through his leadership and values.I’ve known Rob for many years now, and was delighted when he agreed to do this episode. This is a wonderful conversation, with a CEO with deep purpose in his heart, and a radicalism deeply grounded in the power of connection and place. I hope you enjoy it.

I’ve been a follower of Buckingham New University’s VC Damian Page ever since I started to see his crystal clear and provocative posts about leadership on LinkedIn. He’s someone who talks very openly about how he leads and his aspirations for the kind of university he wants BNU to be. I’ve also taken part in Damian’s on-line group for working class leaders in the sector, and through that saw his commitment to facilitating change by getting the best from people, whatever their origins.In this episode Damian talks in his characteristic open style about coming into the VC role, about the team and culture and how it works, and about his pragmatic preparation to create a university and a leadership team that can deal with whatever emerges as the next strategic challenge. It’s a fascinating and generous episode and I was delighted that Damian took the time to do this. 

Sue Pritchard is a farmer in Monmouthshire, and she also Chairs the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission - which has moved from being a temporary commission of inquiry to becoming a permanent voice in the policy and practice space around the relationship between land, food and farming.Sue is a passionate advocate for better - better food, better treatment of farming, better ecological practice - and she does not see these as separate. This episode is a wonderful weaving of personal worlds and policy imperatives.

Elizabeth McManus, a gifted coach, poet, and artist, shares her insights on the beauty of mindful living and personal growth. She discusses the importance of noticing life's subtleties and how creativity flows, likening poetry to a spontaneous calling. McManus highlights the spiritual value found in everyday tasks and emphasizes living fully in honor of those we've lost. Through reflective storytelling and connections with music, she invites listeners to cherish the present and celebrate the richness of human experience.

Andres was one of my students on the Ashridge MSc in Sustainability and Responsibility. He has since gone on to create the Bi-leadership Fellowship, which is a process to nurture deep connections and a shift in leadership around the world. It’s a fascinating story, and Andres tells it in his usual gentle way. But don’t be misled - this is pioneering and powerful stuff.A wonderful story, told by Andres as he prepared for a journey to Norway, amongst other things to visit the legendary mountain cabin of deep ecological pioneer Arne Naess. Just delightful.

Cedi Frederick is one of my inspirations. I first met Cedi on a Chief Executives programme run by ACEVO at Ashridge 20+ years ago. Since then Cedi has been CEO and board member of numerous bodies in health and social care. Most recently his focus has been on Chairing an Integrated Care Board, and on working on bodies addressing racial and other inequalities in health in London and beyond.  It’s a fascinating journey, from being a child of the Windrush generation to becoming one of the leading figures in healthcare, by way of professional basketball. Time spent with Cedi  is always time well spent - do have a listen.