Advertise on podcast: Everyday Bravery in Leadership with Louise Brown

In this episode I talk with Mike Flewitt, CEO of McLaren Automotive - the supercar brand with a reputation for restless innovation and exceptional design and engineering. As Mike approached his 50th birthday, he bravely declined the cruise control option to retirement and took the road less travelled by joining what was then a fledgling road car company spun out of a racing titan. However, despite all the right ingredients, when Mike pulled up to the start line, he was shocked at the lack of alignment, the business being 3 months from the launch date of its newest model and a track that wasn’t clear. With some leaders distracted by its legacy racing roots, a disconnect between teams, and financial pressure from an unravelling relationship between management and shareholders, he wondered if he’d made the biggest mistake of his career. But Mike’s human-centric approach jump-started the brand, acting like a fuel-injection and radically accelerating performance to compete with the likes of Lambourghini and Ferrari, and growing the business to an impressive 23% share of the market. Join me to hear how this inspiring human-centric leader took his learnings from the early days on the factory floor in Liverpool to realise a lifelong dream on a global scale.  For more on leadership alignment - https://www.louisebrowncoaching.com/alignment For more on leading from a human perspective - https://www.louisebrowncoaching.com/about-me For more leadership insights:  https://www.louisebrowncoaching.com/leadership-insights

I talk with David Butler, CEO of Crew clothing - the retailer which offers timeless clothes inspired by the British coast. David shares a pivotal moment in his leadership journey where, half way through his mid-30s, set adrift and flung into unfamiliar territory for the first time in his career, he reached a crossroads, at times questioning his purpose. But by tapping into his unique value and bravely taking a novel approach, David created a powerful vision and forged a journey to growth, driving impressive results despite operating in a rapidly changing and distressed sector. Join me to hear one of the most unassuming CEO's in retail share his personal journey to creating and realising his leadership vision.