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What a goldmine of information Pa Sinyan was able to convey in this conversation with Michael Banks. Pa gives us an exciting look at how the Gallup organization 1. Fixes Broken Workplaces 2. Uses the Clifton Strengths Finder to help people discover what makes them unique (there is only a 1/30 million chance of finding another ‘you’) 3. Uses ‘soft metrics’ to get to reality. Did you know that Gallup tracks ‘wellbeing’ and surprisingly shows that the world’s population has seen an alarming increase in anger and unhappiness over the past twenty years - a trend that was showing well before the advent of Covid? Pa tells the intriguing story of Tunisia and Egypt by way of demonstrating this downhill slide and goes into the reasons for why this has been happening. By focusing on existing strengths Gallup provides data that indicate what can be done to solve these negative feelings and behaviors. It provides business leaders with the data backed business case for positive culture change and workforce engagement. Pa describes the pillars of positive culture change. These include leadership endorsement, effective internal communication and accountability. He also talks about what does not work about culture change. For example, did you know that emails do NOT work in this context. Pa ends this rich conversation with a final and wise message of positivity and hope for the future. Bio Pa Sinyan is Managing Partner with Gallup and leads Gallup’s teams across EMEA. In his role, he supports leading companies to drive organizational and cultural change. He has 13 years experience working with leadership teams on organizational and C-Suite challenges. Pa leverages Gallup’s cutting-edge data insights in the science of leadership, behavioural economics, and decision-making to support leaders. As a trusted advisor, he partners with leaders to help the unearth organic growth – more engaged employees, customers and suppliers. Pa has an MSc and a BSc in International Economics and Finance from Universiteit van Tilburg in The Netherlands. Born and raised in The Gambia, Pa has lived in Germany, The Netherlands and Tunisia. Pa speaks English, German and Wolof.

Gerardo Segat’s mission is to “humanize leadership” and help leaders become their authentic selves. He creates safe spaces and then invites them to ‘drop their masks’. Gerardo has worn many hats over his long career and qualifies now as a wise gentleman who, through his innovative thinking and deep experience provides us with rich ‘food for thought and reflection’. During this interview we cover many progressive ideas and insights such as the one AI intelligence that ChatGPT itself concludes will never surpass humans - self-awareness. The four most common fears of a leader. These include ‘no meaning’ and ‘being alone’. According to Gerardo there are typically two approaches to deal with problems - ‘the bullet train’ and the ‘regional train’. This leads to a conversation about stopping and reflecting which is a practice that’s in very short supply in the modern world. If you want to find out more about these fascinating topics, and others such as the ‘Four Treasures of a Leader’, please do join us as we explore the creative world of Gerardo Segat. Bio Gerardo Segat is an international leadership coach whose purpose and legacy is to humanize leadership. Following a wealth of experiences as entrepreneur, chairman and CEO, Gerardo has used his leadership background to create Preludes: a coaching program created to humanize leaders, organizations, and their stakeholders through creative and powerful original experiences (such as decision-making debates, client interaction models, and emotions-focused team meetings). Gerardo is also the creator of Vebate, a format of decision-making debate, Leader in the Mirror, a format of interview, and Leaderness, a post-graduate training program. For the past decade, he has been a member of YPO Young Presidents’ Organization (the world’s largest community of leaders and CEOs) of which he has been the founder and chair of three chapters in Italy, Switzerland, and globally. Currently, Gerardo is working on Out As Humans, a performing arts show designed to humanize authentic leaders. Out as Humans is an individual and group immersive performance that creates a space for leaders to be open, trusting, empathetic, and feel a sense of belonging.

🎙 Join us in the latest episode of 'Leadership Luminaries' as we dive deep into the art of embracing transitions with the incredible Sofia Liasi. Discover how Sofia, a Whole Person Certified Coach, creates spaces for corporate leaders to be vulnerable, curious, and authentic in their journey through transitions. Her passion for leadership and understanding how individuals show up in the workplace is truly inspiring. Sofia's global journey from Greece to The Netherlands and now Switzerland adds a unique perspective to our conversation. Don't miss out on the wisdom she shares from her diverse experiences in Hospitality, Oil and Gas, Healthcare, and Pharma. Uncover the power of bringing your whole self to work and leading from a space of humanity. Tune in now for an insightful discussion on navigating transitions and embracing authenticity. Bio Sofia holds spaces where corporate leaders are encouraged to be vulnerable, and curious and bring their whole self to work so that they can lead from a space of humanity and authenticity. As a Whole Person Certified Coach (WPCC), she gets her energy from supporting people often navigating transitions to uncover and bring forward their uniqueness. She considers her own personal growth practice work in progress that is characterised by ups and downs and her motto is ‘’there is no coincidence, coincidence enough’’. Her passion for leadership and how people show up in the workplace led her to University of London for her MSc in Organisational Behaviour. A curious human and a natural connector made in Greece, she loves traveling and experiencing different cultures. She has worked in Hospitality, Oil and Gas, Healthcare and Pharma in Greece, The Netherlands and now Switzerland where she calls Basel home.

Nowadays, more than ever, there is a need for people to be resilient. Dr Marie-Helene Pelletier is a highly regarded expert in leadership resilience and workplace mental health and well-being. In this conversation, M-H (as she’s called by her friends) shares actionable and practical advice that you can use to build your own resilience. M-H warns us to be vigilant for the early signs of burnout and not try to tough it out! She advises us to make a Resilience plan that is both personal and achievable. Knowing how to be proactive with this plan is crucial to avoid the disasters that can result from leaving it too late! For leaders looking to create the best environment for their people M-H advises they ask questions and listen. Her suggestions include, Increasing the sense of community Show civility and respect (yes that’s right!) Identifying some small ‘fixes’ that will make life easier for employees These are just some of the topics we covered in our conversation.  M-H is a vibrant, passionate guest who is a pleasure to listen to. Her new book, The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Your Work Performance and Mental Health will be available in early 2024. Bio Dr Marie-Helene Pelletier is a psychologist with a systems mind – and has both a PhD and an MBA. She has over 20 years of experience as a practicing psychologist and as a senior leader in the corporate, insurance, governance and health care sectors.  MH’s unique talent is bringing together workplace and psychology – translating concepts into “take- aways” that listeners can put into action the minute they finish the episode.  Marie-Helene is a Member of the Global Clinical Practice Network of the World Health Organization, and past Director on the boards of the Canadian Psychological Association and the International Association of Applied Psychology. She has presented, authored and co-authored a number of industry and academic publications and has won numerous academic and industry awards. In 2024, Dr. Pelletier will release her new book, The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Your Work Performance and Mental Health. 

Elena Marsh is one of the exciting ‘new’ pioneers in teaching that leadership development is essentially spiritual development.  In this conversation with Michael Banks Elena begins by describing the 7 levels of Leadership and how when you enter the 4th level you are likely to enter what Dante calls “the dark forest”. This is where there is an opportunity for transformation according to the soul’s needs. An example of this could be a middle aged executive who realizes thay are no longer satisfied with their job and decides to pursue something they are truly passionate about. Elena shares how the leadership journey is about going beyond the need to be ‘liked and right’ and the dangers of being inauthentically ‘nice’. The option at this point is safety or growth and having the courage to move through the fear of rejection into a genuinely independent state. Elena finished our discussion with a message for all on the path of leadership growth: Be courageous and lead with integrity. Bio Elena Marsh is a co-founder of BeCoach Academy and an accredited International Coaching Federation professional coach (PCC) with twenty years of international experience in leadership development. Her mission is to support, empower and inspire individuals, organizations and their leaders to live and work with meaning and purpose, revealing their full potential in alignment with their core values. Her professional background is in HR, working as an HR Director in Central Asia and HR Support Manager in Eastern Europe in an international corporation with a focus on leadership development, talent management and implementation of an integrated performance management system in the region.  For the last ten years, Elena has been working as a coach, consultant and facilitator with leaders from around the world alongside with successfully developing BeCoach Academy which provides ICF accredited coach training. Originally from Kazakhstan, Elena journeyed through Siberia, Moscow and London to reach Munich where she lives today with her British husband and their Polish dog. Special thanks to Tom Morley (https://morley.com/) for providing the fantastic intro and outro music that sets the perfect tone for our podcast! - his musical and creative talent truly enhances the listening experience!

When Victoria Feldman speaks about multiculturalism she speaks with the authority of someone who has lived and worked in five different continents. And by her own admission she is an “evangelist” for Emotional Intelligence (EI) and how it is a practice that can help resolve differences and build positive relations between different cultures and types of individuals. In this podcast interview Victoria introduces the practice of ‘empathy mapping’ - an exercise that significantly increases team members' understanding of each other. It can also be used for improving communication between cross-functional teams. At one point she hilariously mimics the way the Americans give feedback, sugaring the message, compared to the Israelis who tend to be very direct and blunt. Victoria uses Dan Goleman’s material, self-awareness, social awareness and so on to give her students a framework within which to build their EI skills. She talks about making emotions work for us versus against us. Victoria Feldman is clearly an inspiring and distinguished teacher and a highly sought-after speaker and leader in the field of leadership development and organizational transformation. Please listen in to see why. Bio Victoria Feldman is a distinguished multicultural speaker with a wealth of expertise in leadership development, employee development, and organisational transformation. Throughout her career, she has created top-notch talent and leadership development programs, leading to improved performance, engagement, and motivation in organisations. Her record of accomplishment includes working with leading technology and Fortune 500 firms, such as Meta, Paypal, Visa, and Amazon, as well as early-stage startups. Currently, Victoria is serving as the Head of Learning and Development at Amazon, where she is entrusted with the task of establishing and overseeing a strategic framework for training, talent, and leadership development. She is responsible for designing and implementing cutting-edge programmes that cater to the development needs of employees across the organisation. Victoria's vast experience, skills, and accomplishments make her a highly sought-after speaker and leader in the field of leadership development and organisational transformation.

Tom Morley is called the 'Rockstar Activator'. He was himself a rock star when playing in Scritti Politti, the band he co-founded in the punk era. Now he helps teams and groups of all sizes get in touch with their own inner rock star. He does this by using drums and singing as a vehicle to release their authentic and creative selves. Tom is on a mission to create "a revolution of imagination, activity, and coming together". In this interview, he talks about his work with corporations right up to and including board level. He tells great, real life stories including how his drumming work with groups began when the lights went out at a gig Scritti were playing in Berlin back in the day. Tom has a lot to say about modern business life. He has a wicked sense of humor and his stories are often downright hilarious!   His work is about 'getting in the groove'. it's a bit like a 'flow' state but with an added ingredient - mischief! This groove's main ingredients are "discipline, surrender, and mischief". Please enjoy being entertained and inspired by Tom Morley in this PeopleSmart SAS production of 'Leadership Luminaries'. Bio Following his time in the music business with the 80s band Scritti Politti Tom has developed a truly artistic way of living where every experience leads him to the humorous uncovering of some universal truths. He turns his disasters and successes into stand-up comedy for conference audiences. 40 years onstage, first behind a drum kit then being the multi-talented frontman for whole troupes of performers earned him the name ‘The Rockstar Activator’. Instant Teamwork is both Tom’s speciality and the name of his company. Team building, be it drumming or harmony singing is all very energizing on the day but how do you make that bonded feeling sustainable? Tom has devoted the last 20 years to answering that question and he turns up with a customized set of tools he is passionate about sharing. Fascinated by the creative process Tom is passionate about sharing what he’s learned about art, rhythm, and harmony over the past 65 years. From playing kit drums with the Art School band Scritti Politti in his 20s, through songwriting in his 30s, to studying psychology and facilitation in his 40s, Tom eventually set up Instant Teamwork International in his 50s.

Hands up who has some degree of difficulty with time! Almost everyone. If that time management workshop and/or coaching hasn’t worked maybe there is something else going on? I was genuinely riveted by the perspective that Abigail Barne shared in this conversation with me!  Her understanding of time was profoundly altered when she suffered a near-death experience at a relatively young age. In helping people with their time ‘issues’ she spans the spectrum from ‘on the money’ practical advice to a spiritual perspective on the nature of time. Abigail’s unique and inspiring approach to time management will help your business and increase your sense of well-being. Abigail says “You can’t manage time but you can manage your tasks with the time you’ve got.” She shares her simple yet revelatory 8/8/8 model which is a brilliant way of auditing how you use your time. Abigail also tells us how to find an extra hour in every day. I never thought I would be so fascinated by the topic of time management. But here is a rich and fresh perspective that will help your well being and be more productive. Bio Abigail Barnes is the founder and CEO of Success by Design Training, an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, and corporate trainer on time management and productive wellbeing. She is a qualified coach and creator of the renowned 888 Formula. Success by Design Training is on a mission to teach 1 million entrepreneurs & professionals how to reclaim an hour a day by 2025 using The 888 Formula.  Abigail has over 10 years’ experience in Financial Services Marketing (Investment Management, Asset Management and Hedge Funds). She holds a BA Hons Degree in Business & Marketing Management, a Professional Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, DipM ACIM, and is a qualified coach. Abigail lives in London close to the famous Wembley stadium. Notes: Website: www.successbydesigntraining.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/abigailrbarnes Email: [email protected] Buy Abigail's Book, Time Management for Entrepreneurs & Professionals: https://bit.ly/TMFEAPAMAZON Download a free chapter: https://bit.ly/DOWNLOADFREECHAPTER

Sonja Robinson is passionate about the virtues and benefits of peer coaching. In this interview, it’s apparent why. She takes us through the process of this kind of coaching and how to create a safe, confidential, and empowering space that builds trust and excitement and in which participants find solutions to real problems together. In addition to exploring what in detail this powerful yet relatively short process has to offer we also discuss the effect of effective peer coaching. Peer coaching leads to actions (solutions) and measurable results. And in terms of the future, it increases authentic dialog in the culture making it a real learning community. Sonja finished our conversation with this Buddhist quote: “Be still as a mountain and flow like a great river”. Please listen and enjoy! As a thought leader within talent management, Sonja coaches individuals and teams at the middle and senior level to enhance personal and professional purpose, learning, and growth, increase performance, and deliver impactful results for the organization. With expertise in designing and managing customized leadership, peer coaching, and mentor training programs, Sonja has designed regional and global leadership development programs annually, covering development areas like time management, delegation, communication, coaching skills for leaders, conflict management, feedback, mediation, and behavioral change. Sonja has managed and delivered multicultural project teams of up to 20 on global event projects with FIFA, collaborating with team members and senior-level stakeholders including CEOs, politicians, diplomats, and members of Royalty and government. Sonja has also taken part in Volunteer Leadership with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for over 12 years. Sonja holds a master's in coaching and consulting for change from Oxford SAID University of Oxford. She is a certified CORE™ coach, and ICF-accredited Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and CHART Certified Coach. Sonja is an active mentor with “Thrive with Mentoring”, ETH (university of Zurich), and HEC alumni. And she lives in Zurich, Switzerland.

Wow! What a treasure trove of helpful information about productive conflict. Liane Davey talks with clarity, authenticity, and grounded daily evidence of conflict in all the various forms it takes. We ALL have to deal with conflict which is about incompatibility at all levels. Liane talks about “optimizing tension versus friction”. Please join us as we discuss the conflicts caused by “the return to office”, as a leader how to give effective feedback, and the pros and cons of ‘remote’ conflict and ‘old fashioned managers’! We finish with a fascinating perspective on what Liane calls the “Dragon breathing fire as they protect their treasure.’ Biography Liane Davey is a New York Times Bestselling author of three books, including The Good Fight: Use Productive Conflict to Get Your Team and Your Organization Back on Track and You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done. She is a contributor to the Harvard Business Review and is frequently called on by media outlets for her experience on leadership, team effectiveness, and productivity. As the co-founder of 3COze Inc., she advises companies such as Amazon, TD Bank, Walmart, UNICEF, 3M, and SONY. Liane has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology.

This episode is a must for anyone who coaches or is interested in becoming a coach! William Shorten speaks clearly and eloquently from the ‘front line’ as he shares his view of coaching past, present, and the possible future. A future that includes the increasing democratization of this art, the use of AI, and the proliferation of niche approaches. We delve into the different methods Will uses including an in-depth exposition of 360 options. Will and I discuss the question “What makes a great coach?” versus a good coach. And after Will summarizes his view of the future of coaching he makes some excellent recommendations for some books worth reading! Biography Before setting up his own business and becoming a consultant and business coach in 2019 William had 25 years of experience in a broad range of roles in a couple of manufacturing organisations. Functions have included operations, R&D, Commercial (both Sales and Purchasing), and lastly L&D and HR. He jokes although he still doesn’t know what he wants to do when he grows up by this stage L&D and coaching are probably about as close as he’s going to get. William managed a number of teams in these different functions which provided insight into how to be effective as a leader and get the most out of his teams. In addition, he had the privilege to travel with his work to a wide and diverse range of countries as well as having the opportunity to work and live in France for 5 years. These experiences were hugely beneficial in allowing him to operate in a wide number of business settings and cultures. Apart from his own business William works as an associate with several other consultancies including PeopleSmart SAS, Barefoot Coaching Ltd, Talogy, and DLA Ignite. He offers and provides a range of activities including coaching, and consulting, as well as designing, delivering, and facilitating training programs (both online and in-person).   Outside of work he enjoys cycling and wine, a legacy strengthened by his time living in France, as well as reading (especially books on history and sports). In addition, he is a contributor to LinkedIn Livestreams, including the ‘Digital Download’ and ‘The Big Live Breakfast Burrito’ where he recites poetry from time to time.

It was fun conversing with Fabienne Lindholm as we discussed the importance of optimizing each employee's passion by helping them operate out of their true purpose in life. When someone has sourced their true purpose they can more easily align this purpose with the company’s vision and purpose and optimize their energy. A first step on this journey is what Fabienne calls ‘regrouping’ which is a time for reflection and deep exploration to identify one's true passion. This usually takes time even if it means a quantum leap in self-awareness and the subsequent freedom that comes with this. Among other topics we discuss the roles of courage and curiosity in this journey. And how curiosity can be the catalyst for building trust.  Fabienne believes in ‘learning by doing’ and learning from experience not just theory. In her work with women over the years she has found that low confidence and self-esteem stems from a lack of knowledge. She helps female execs make up for this lack of knowledge and tap into their authenticity or ‘true self’. This was a fascinating conversation interspersed with one or two real stories that illustrate the power of discovering one's true purpose even if you are ‘getting on’ in life! Bio Fabienne is a global learning & development executive with years of experience coaching and motivating individuals and teams. A speaker, facilitator, and soon-to-be author, she currently holds two positions, one as the global education director for BABOR BEAUTY GROUP and one as a women’s self-confidence advocate. With her company Fabienne Lindholm Revs Up your life! She ignites and fuels passion for positive change and transformation and fosters leadership in women.  Fabienne has traveled to 60 countries and lectured on four continents; she is bold, optimistic, compassionate, and funny. A marathon runner, she has learned discipline, resilience, and determination while training and finishing five marathons.  Fabienne has 30+ years in executive management in the beauty and wellness industry. She managed spa teams and operations for luxury hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria and multiple-location spas in Chicago, USA. In the last ten years, she has been in the L&D and the training of adults, primarily women. She is fluent in French and English and lives in the Netherlands.