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The same workplaces that have held back women aren't working especially well for men either. That insight reframes the whole conversation about gender at work. My guest is Jennifer McCollum, CEO and President of Catalyst, one of the world's leading organisations dedicated to advancing women and building workplaces where everyone can thrive. She is also the author of Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership, a practical and timely book on men, women, power, fear and change. We explore the man box, the narrow set of expectations around strength, competition and control that creates real anxiety for 84% of men, and why fear is the biggest thing stopping men from advocating for others and for themselves. Jennifer explains what gender partnership looks like in practice and which organisational systems leaders need to examine if they want real change. If you lead a team or run an organisation, this conversation will change how you think about performance, culture and who gets to thrive. Where in your world are old expectations still limiting people? "Men feel pressure to live in the man box." - Jennifer McCollum You’ll hear about •      Why workplaces aren’t working well for men •      The man box and its 84% pressure statistic •      Fear as the biggest barrier to speaking up •      What gender partnership really means in practice •      How advocating for others benefits men too •      Pitching gender partnership to a new CEO •      Key talent systems every leader should examine •      Why trust must come before truth •      The Walk the Line exercise and its surprising results About Jennifer: Jennifer McCollum is a recognized CEO, speaker, and leadership expert on a mission to build more inclusive workplaces by advancing women and engaging men as partners in equity. She is the author of the book Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership, a powerful call for men to move beyond passive support toward shared leadership. She also wrote In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO, which explores the challenges women face on the path to leadership through data and personal storytelling. She is President &CEO of Catalyst, a global nonprofit dedicated to accelerating progress for women at work. Previously, she was the first female CEO of Linkage, a leadership development firm focused on changing the face of leadership, where she successfully led its acquisition by SHRM. Her insights have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, and Psychology Today, and she’s spoken on hundreds of stages worldwide.  She lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband and three children, and is a passionate tennis player and skier. Catalyst: https://www.catalyst.org/ Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferscherermccollum/ Book: https://www.catalyst.org/en-gb/insights/men-at-work-book   My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj). Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds). ●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP). ●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

Most high-performing men in midlife aren't burned out because they're doing too much. They're burned out because they've never learned to recover. My guest is Dr Kenneth Ro, a double board-certified physician and founder of the Reclaim Method. After more than 35 years in the emergency room, Ken has seen the patterns that play out when men ignore the signals their bodies and minds send them in midlife. We explore why medicine is too reactive, why the real problem isn't stress but chronic under-recovery, and why the identity that got you here may now be holding you back. Ken also draws on his ER experience to share how to navigate personal crisis without being hijacked by your first instinct. If you are in midlife, approaching it, or living and working with men who are, this conversation will help you see what's holding you back and what to do about it. “Ageing is inevitable, but decline is optional.” - Dr Ken Ro You’ll hear about ·      Why midlife is medicine's biggest blind spot  ·      Energy signals you've been normalising  ·      Why you're under recovered, not overstressed  ·      Starting small to reclaim yourself  ·      Why action creates feeling, not the reverse  ·      How male identity gets locked in midlife  ·      Vulnerability, curiosity and men's circles  ·      ER lessons for navigating personal crisis  ·      Why your first crisis instinct is wrong  ·      People watching as a prompt for change  ·      Pattern recognition under extreme pressure   About Ken: Dr. Ken Ro is a double board-certified emergency physician, speaker, and founder of the RECLAIM™ Method — a physician-led framework designed to help high-performing men reclaim energy, clarity, resilience, and purpose in midlife. He is the founder of Back in the Game Men™, a concierge precision medicine and performance practice, and the author of PRIME: How to Win the Second Half of Life. Dr. Ro’s work has been featured in media outlets including CEOWORLD Magazine, KevinMD, KHOU Houston, ABC Sacramento, and multiple health and leadership podcasts. His broader mission through the Nova Oath™ movement is to help restore trust, humanity, and courageous care in medicine. Profile and services: https://KennethRoMD.com and https://BackintheGameMen.com and https://Nova-Oath.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkenro/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkennethro/ Book: PRIME: How to Win the Second Half of Life. https://www.amazon.com/PRIME-Physicians-Reclaiming-Redefining-Strength/dp/B0G1L2JBZ5   My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj).  Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.   For more details about me:   ●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds). ●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP). ●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

What if the best things in your life all began in a moment of fear? My guest Scott Simon, author of Scare Your Soul, believes exactly that. After a panic attack on a plane, he committed to one scary act every single day for a year. Those small daily acts transformed his life, and one of them, singing in front of a restaurant, sparked a global movement. He now coaches individuals, leaders and organisations to build their own courage practice. We get into why high performers get stuck coasting on past success, and what it takes to break free. You'll also hear how building a personal courage practice shapes the culture and trust of the teams around you. Scott also shares why asking for help and practising forgiveness are strategic acts, and how small consistent actions create the conditions for bolder decisions and better leadership. If you think your life is fine and you do not need to push yourself, this one is especially for you. “When we start doing brave things in life, it affects everyone around us” – Scott Simon You’ll hear about A panic attack that sparked a daily courage practice.Focusing on action, not outcome.Courage as internal work, not just external action.Why forgiveness is the ultimate act of courage.Being successfully stuck and how to break free.The CEO who took on Big Tobacco despite success.The lie you tell yourself to stay safe.Why courage is an act of service.Why 85% of our fears never materialise.About Scott: Scott is the founder of the global Scare Your Soul courage movement and bestselling author of Scare Your Soul: 7 Powerful Principles to Harness Fear and Lead Your Most Courageous Life (Hachette). As a keynote speaker and courage consultant, he has worked with the Cleveland Cavaliers, United Nations, Nestlé, Logitech, Lululemon, and SXSW to inspire braver teams and bolder cultures. His methodology is a unique blend of neuroscience, positive psychology, and behaviour design. Scott is dangerously obsessed with the NYT online word puzzles and is on a perpetual quest to discover the world's best hole-in-the-wall restaurants. He teaches that courage is not a personality trait — it's a practice. Scott's work: www.scottsimon.us  Weekly courage challenges: https://scareyoursoul.substack.com  Books: www.scottsimon.us/book My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj). Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds).Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

What does strategy really mean when the word is everywhere, yet real strategic practice remains so rare? In this solo episode, David Lancefield takes on one of the most overused and misunderstood ideas in business. Drawing on nearly 30 years advising CEOs, C-suite leaders, founders, and leadership teams, he makes the case for a broader, more practical, and more human view of strategy. David explores why strategy so often gets trapped in decks, town halls, and top-level statements, while people across organisations are left unclear on the choices they can make and the contribution they can bring. He argues for a different approach: one that connects strategy with foresight, participation, ecosystems, self-management, and the wise use of AI — and brings it into the everyday moments that shape how we live and lead. If you want to think more clearly, act more intentionally, and raise your strategic game in your organisation, your team, and your own life, this episode will give you a fresh lens and a practical way forward. “Strategy is a practice for everyone, professional or personal.” – David Lancefield You’ll hear about: Why strategy is treated as distant and eliteStrategy defined: choices that move you to betterWhy strategy and execution must stay togetherStrategies that get announced but never translated downWhy more people need confidence to be strategicThe growing importance of foresight within strategyWhat open strategy looks like in practiceWhy ecosystems should shape strategy design and deliveryHow self-managed teams raise the bar for strategyWhere AI helps in strategy and where it doesn'tThe seven daily moments that make or break a dayWhy strategy is a practice for everyoneMore about David: David Lancefield is a strategy and leadership advisor, coach, writer, and speaker who works with CEOs, C-suite executives, and founders at some of the world’s top organisations. Over nearly 30 years, he has worked with more than 60 CEOs and hundreds of senior leaders on strategy, leadership, culture, decision-making, and growth. He writes for Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Review, strategy+business, Fast Company, and Forbes, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Times, and The Guardian. David is a former senior partner at Strategy&/PwC, a guest lecturer at London Business School, and the author of the newsletter Every Day is a Strategy Day. My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj). Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds). ●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP). ●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

What if failure hits differently depending on your gender? In this episode I speak with Deborah Grayson Riegel, an executive coach and author whose research across 1,100 women in 60 countries reveals why women experience setbacks more intensely than men, and what to do about it. We dig into why women tend to ruminate longer, and see failure as identity rather than event, and where those patterns come from. We explore the practical tools that can shift all of that: how to reframe failure, ask for better feedback, tackle invisible work, and build the kind of support network that helps you aim higher and recover faster. If you are a woman navigating setbacks, this episode will change how you think about failure and what becomes possible on the other side. And if you lead or work alongside women, it will make you a better teammate and leader. "Women see failure as their identity, not an event." — Deborah Grayson Riegel You’ll hear about What failure really means and why it's broader. Why women personalise and ruminate more after setbacks. The five types of failure and which hit hardest. How failure patterns start from age five. The confidence gap versus the consequence gap. Shifting from "what if" to "even if I fail." How to ask for better, more specific feedback. Navigating non-promotable and invisible work. The Ground, Gather and Go framework. About Deborah: Deborah Grayson Riegel is a keynote speaker and consultant who teaches leadership communication for Wharton Business School, Duke Business School, and Columbia Business School. She is a regular contributor for Harvard Business Review, Inc., Psychology Today, Forbes, and Fast Company. Deb consults and speaks for clients including Amazon, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, and The United States Army. Her work has been featured in worldwide media, including Bloomberg Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She is the co-author of the new book, “Aim High and Bounce Back: A Successful Woman’s Guide to Rethinking and Rising Up from Failure”. Website: https://deborahgraysonriegel.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Deborah-Grayson-Riegel Book Link: https://shorturl.at/nuPna and https://shorturl.at/OsWtU  My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj). Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds).Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

How many of us are chasing a version of success that was never really ours to begin with? My guest is Janine Mathó, author of Live Your Opus and executive coach to ambitious leaders. After navigating burnout and the loss of her mother, she went on a multi-year quest to answer one question: how can ambitious people achieve healthy, meaningful success without losing themselves along the way? We explore what it really takes to sustain high performance over time, why energy is the architecture of how you show up as a leader, and why the answer isn't to lower your ambition but to raise your capacity to meet it. If you want to lead at your best without burning out, this conversation will give you a new way to think about your life, your energy and what high performance really requires. "Energy is the architecture of how you show up as a leader." — Janine Mathó You’ll hear about Treating your life as your greatest work.Energy as your earliest signal of misalignment.Burnout forcing a complete redefinition of success.Inherited success stories blocking real change.Why energy is the architecture of performance.Starting the conversation in hard-edged cultures.Overcoming fear of being seen as weak.Diagnostic questions every leader should ask themselves.Best day habits and micro practices.Why upgrading yourself beats just upskilling.About Janine: Janine Mathó is a former Harvard and Pearson executive and a trusted advisor to senior leaders running large, complex institutions. Her work focuses on strengthening the leadership capacity required to sustain high performance in today’s high-pressure environment. Over a 25-year career spanning corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors, she has helped organisations navigate transformation at scale, shaped global strategy on the future of learning and work, and raised more than $30 million for learning innovation. She received a Massachusetts Congressional Award for her service to education. Her focal areas include sustainable high performance, leadership capacity under pressure, aligning ambition with human capacity, and decision-making in complex systems. She is the author of Live Your Opus (Amplify, 2026). Profile: https://shorturl.at/Z19to Book: Live Your Opus: Reclaim Your Energy, Redefine Succes, and Create a Life That Truly Matters https://shorturl.at/30KEL Newsletter: Live Your Opus  https://shorturl.at/Ixvxj Website: https://shorturl.at/XY1hh My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ). Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj). Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds).Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

What does love have to do with leadership? More than most leaders dare to admit. My guest is Gianpiero Petriglieri, a professor at INSEAD and one of the most original and provocative voices on leadership today. We explore his idea of leadership as a kind of love, not sentimental or naive, but deeply relational. He makes a compelling distinction between performance and outcome, arguing that what you can control is not the result but the daily choices and gestures you make. We go into the practical too. Gianpiero shares why curiosity and generosity shift everything, and why what really develops leaders is relationships with people who tell you the truth. If you lead a team or organisation, this conversation will invite you to look differently at the small moments of time, attention and care that make leadership real, credible and human. "Leadership is a relationship, not a toolkit." - Gianpiero Petriglieri You’ll hear about: Leadership reframed as a kind of love.Instrumental versus humanistic relationships.Curiosity and generosity as leadership habits.Feeling safe and free at the same time.Why passion without devotion disappoints.Balancing reality and imagination.People, not programmes, develop leaders.Advice for leaders in a new role.Culture lives in the spreadsheet.Investment as leadership credibility.Quick-fire round on presence and connection.Gianpiero's best day habits.About Gianpiero Petriglieri: Gianpiero Petriglieri is Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD and an expert on leadership and learning in the workplace. His award-winning research and teaching focus on what it means, and what it takes, to become a leader. He is particularly interested in the meaning and practice of leadership in the age of “nomadic professionalism,” an age in which people have deep bonds to work but loose affiliations to organisations, and authenticity and mobility have replaced loyalty and advancement as hallmarks of virtue and success. A Medical Doctor and Psychiatrist by training, Gianpiero has worked as an executive coach, practiced as a psychotherapist, and served on the staff of group relations conferences in Europe and the United States. Profile: https://shorturl.at/WYvT1 Instagram: https://shorturl.at/qMHeZ Writing: https://shorturl.at/rHAbb  Research: https://shorturl.at/Bj650  My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)  Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ·      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ·      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ·      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds). ·      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP). ·      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

What really blocks capable leaders from progressing, even when performance looks strong on the surface? In this conversation, I’m joined by executive coach and author Muriel Wilkins to examine how beliefs and assumptions operate like a personal strategy model, shaping the decisions we make. Muriel draws on her coaching work and personal experience to unpack the seven common beliefs that limit leadership growth. We discuss how these beliefs show up as micromanagement, frustration or dissonance between intent and impact. We also explore Muriel’s three stage framework of uncovering, unpacking and unblocking beliefs, how reframing creates new choices, and what it looks like to coach yourself before coaching others. Which belief is shaping how you lead today? “Leadership blocks are signals, not flaws.” - Muriel Wilkins You’ll hear about: Why beliefs work like a personal strategy modelThe seven beliefs that commonly block leadersWhy micromanagement limits leading at scaleExternal versus internal signals of being blockedHow dissonance reveals leadership growth momentsThe belief behind feeling you do not belongWorking strategically within systemsThe three step unblock frameworkReframing beliefs to change leadership impactCoaching yourself before coaching othersWhy culture change starts with beliefsMuriel’s best day habit of adaptive focusAbout Muriel Wilkins: Muriel M. Wilkins, founder and CEO of Paravis Partners, is a sought-after C-suite adviser and executive coach with a twenty-year track record of helping senior leaders take their performance to the next level. She is the author of Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential and coauthor of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence. Muriel is the host of the Harvard Business Review podcast Coaching Real Leaders, consistently ranked as a top-ten podcast in Apple's Management category. She was recently shortlisted for the 2025 Thinkers50 Coaching and Mentoring Award. Resources: Website: Murielwilkins.comPodcast: https://www.murielwilkins.com/podcast-coaching-real-leadersBook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1647827264Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/murielwilkins/ and https://www.instagram.com/coachmurielwilkins/My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)  Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What does it take to lead at the board level when the ground beneath you keeps shifting? My guest, Shefaly Yogendra, is a board director, advisor and author who has served on boards across sectors and geographies. She brings a forensic ability to ask the right questions, a deep understanding of governance under pressure, and the kind of clarity that only comes from years of experience in the room. We get into what separates boards that add genuine value from those that go through the motions, why cognitive flexibility and moral inflexibility must coexist, and how boards should approach AI as a source of risk, not just a useful tool. If you sit on a board, work with one, or are aiming to, this conversation will change how you think about what great governance looks like in practice. “A good board is where nobody is affronted by questions” – Shefaly Yogendra You’ll hear about: The real dual role of boards.Leading when the ground keeps shifting.Mindsets to add and subtract now.Cognitive flexibility vs moral inflexibility.The board’s creation and mentoring role.How boards shape and sharpen strategy.Most damaging boardroom behaviour to address.Agenda design and board preparation.How effective board decisions get made.AI in the boardroom and its risks.Superpower: reading widely, connecting dots faster.About Shefaly: Shefaly Yogendra, PhD is an internationally experienced strategist. She has worked closely with Owner-led as well as Professional Manager-led organisations in their journey towards enhanced resilience with a focus on technology innovation, risk and foresight, and governance. Shefaly is an independent non-executive board director and experienced committee chair in regulated sectors including financial services, energy, higher education and legal services. She is a trusted boardroom adviser and a popular speaker and podcast guest on themes such as AI, GRC, investment, and future skills.  Resources: ·      Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shefaly/ ·      Book ‘Uncharted spaces’: https://www.unchartedspaces.info/ ·      Spoken thought leadership: https://shefaly-yogendra.com/speaking-writing-media/  My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)  Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ·      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ·      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ·      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds) ·      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP) ·      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

I'm writing a book. There, I said it out loud. And in this episode, I invited someone who knows exactly what that means to put me in the hot seat. Scott Miller is a literary agent, 8 x best-selling author, and former podcast host of one of the world's most popular weekly leadership shows. He's represented hundreds of authors and been part of teams that have sold over 100 million copies of books. In this special episode, we swap chairs. Scott interviews me about my forthcoming book, Daily Strategies, and I interview him about what it takes to write, launch and land a great book. We get into the architecture of Daily Strategies, the seven moments and seven days that form the spine of the book, and why I believe strategy needs to move from the boardroom into the everyday decisions of mid-career professionals. Scott shares his own writing process, why he writes for readers who are like him, and why platform building matters far more than most authors realise. If you've ever thought about writing a book, are in the middle of one, or just want a behind-the-scenes look at what a book really takes, this one is for you. “Writing a book is 10% of the process.” – Scott Miller You’ll hear about: Why I decided to write a book now.The ideal reader for Daily Strategies.The personal story behind the book.The architecture of the seven moments.How to reset after a difficult or shocking moment.How readers will use the book day to day.Scott's writing process and style.Balancing storytelling with practical toolkits.The one thing authors must nail.Why platform matters more than content.Scott's biggest superpower as an author.Scott's best day habit and what fuels it.About Scott: Scott Jeffrey Miller is an eight-time Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author and for seven years hosted the world's largest weekly leadership podcast, On Leadership with Scott Miller. Scott is the cofounder of The Gray + Miller Agency, a literary, speaking, and talent agency representing hundreds of internationally recognised thought leaders and also cofounded Maison Vero, a professional publishing house bringing authors' books of all genres to the world's marketplace. Resources: Profile: https://shorturl.at/7lSa1  Website: https://shorturl.at/ZnApj  Gray + Miller Agency: https://shorturl.at/4VX1h  Instagram: https://shorturl.at/iZgV2  My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter http://bit.ly/36WRpri for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ·      Services https://rb.gy/ahlcuy to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ·      About me https://rb.gy/dvmg9n - my background, experience and philosophy. ·      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds ·      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP ·      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter https://bit.ly/36XavNI

What does courage really look like in leadership? Often, we associate courage with bold gestures, fearless leaders, or decisive moments where doubt disappears. My guest in this conversation is Professor Ranjay Gulati of Harvard Business School, who challenges that assumption through his research into what he calls the surprising science of everyday courage, and shows why fear is not a flaw in leadership but a starting point. We explore why courage is a decision rather than a personality trait, how leaders can resource themselves when uncertainty rises, and the difference between thoughtful courage and reckless action. Ranjay shares stories from his research and personal experience that reveal how narrative, support squads, rituals and process help individuals and organisations act boldly with purpose. If you’re facing decisions that feel uncomfortable this episode will help you build courage deliberately and use it as a practical leadership skill. “Fear is a reaction; courage is a decision” – Ranjay Gulati You’ll hear about Why courage is a decision, not a traitHow fear shows up in leadership decisionsCourage versus recklessnessIndividual courage versus collective courageThe power of personal narrativeHow leaders resource themselvesSupport squads and courageous leadershipWhy courage is a team sportRituals that help manage fearBuilding courage as a muscleCommon leadership blind spots around courage About Ranjay Gulati: Ranjay Gulati is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.  His pioneering work focuses on unlocking organizational and individual potential—embracing courage, nurturing purpose-driven leaders, driving growth, and transforming businesses. The Economist, Financial Times and the Economist Intelligence Unit have listed him as among the top handful of business school scholars whose work is most relevant to management practice.  He is a Thinkers50 top management scholar, and serves on the board of several entrepreneurial ventures. He is the author of Deep Purpose (2022) and How to be Bold (2025), both published by HarperCollins. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts with his wife and two children. Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjay-gulati/ Book - How to be Bold: the Surprising Science of Everyday Courage: https://ranjaygulati.com/how-to-be-bold/ Research - https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=77265 My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What if loneliness at work isn’t a personal weakness but a strategic signal? That’s the case my guest, Dr Connie Noonan Hadley, makes in this conversation. She’s an Organisational Psychologist, the founder of the Institute for Life at Work, and one of the world’s leading experts on workplace loneliness and social connection. We explore why loneliness is on the rise even in busy offices and hybrid teams, and why it’s not about being alone, but about the emotional distress that comes from missing the positive connections we need. Connie explains why return to office mandates rarely solve the problem, and how loneliness can quietly drain motivation, creativity and trust, the lifeblood of performance. Connie gives practical guidance for leaders to understand, normalise and address loneliness through small but powerful shifts in conversation, time and reward systems. If you’re leading a team or organisation this episode will help you see loneliness as a core signal of how well your culture enables people to thrive, perform and feel human. “Connection is a performance driver, not a luxury.” - Connie Noonan Hadley You’ll hear about · What loneliness at work really means · Common myths about hybrid work and connection · Signs leaders should look for in their teams · The UNITE framework for reducing loneliness · Why connection drives productivity and creativity · How AI is reshaping human connection at work · Practical steps for leaders and individuals About Connie: Dr Connie Noonan Hadley is a leading organisational psychologist. She is the founder of the Institute for Life at Work and a research associate professor at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. Her focal areas include the impact of Al on interpersonal dynamics at work, loneliness, psychological safety, trust, burnout, mental health, team effectiveness, and the management of human capital. She has been published widely and was named to the Thinkers50Radar List for her rising global influence as a management scholar. Resources: Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connie-noonan-hadley-7303066/Institute for Life at Work: https://www.institutelifework.org/‘We’re still lonely at work’ HBR article (including loneliness tool): https://tinyurl.com/yc29dr7eWork Loneliness Scale (free tool to measure your loneliness): https://ck5tzycazgv.typeform.com/to/F39lnzno#source_id=LotLMy resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: · Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. · About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. · Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds) · Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP) · Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What separates a good team from a world-class one. My guest today has lived that question at the highest levels. Ollie Phillips captained England in rugby sevens, rowed across oceans, and now runs Optimist Performance, helping teams move from great to world class. We explore why most organisations spend 95% of their time playing the game and only 5% practising the hard skills of leadership and teamship. Ollie reveals how elite teams build unshakeable trust, why practising discomfort before big moments matters, and how momentum can be the most contagious force in any environment. You'll hear about Ollie’s transition from being the best in the world to starting again as a beginner, and how infectious energy combined with clarity of purpose creates unstoppable teams. If you're leading a team right now, this conversation will give you fresh tools to unlock world-class performance. “We spent 95% of our time practising for 5% of the delivery” — Ollie Phillips You’ll hear about Why practising discomfort builds world-class performance capabilityCreating communities through shared experiencesTrust as the foundation of high-performing teamsCommunication that considers how messages need to be heardRed flags in team environments and cultures The difference between never losing and loving winningWhy 95% of time goes to playing versus practisingRecognising progress without comparing yourself to othersHow momentum multiplies in both directionsAbout Ollie: Ollie's journey has taken him from international rugby pitches to the boardrooms of global businesses, across oceans, over mountain peaks, and into some of the toughest environments on Earth. What unites it all? A lifelong obsession with unlocking performance — in himself, and in others. He captained England Rugby 7s, was named World 7s Player of the Year, and coached Wales Women and China’s Olympic programme. He's swum the English Channel, circumnavigated the globe, stood at the North Pole, and holds four world records for feats of endurance and teamwork in some of the planet’s most extreme locations. Alongside that, he's held senior leadership roles at PwC, advising global businesses on culture, strategy, and transformation. He now sits on boards across private equity, sport, and exploration, and holds an Executive MBA from Cambridge. Resources: Profile: https://shorturl.at/aY7Ie Optimist Performance: https://shorturl.at/9upbU Insights: https://shorturl.at/k7P4d My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)  Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation For more details about me: ● Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals ● About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy ● Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds) ● Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP) ● Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

What if the reason so many mergers, acquisitions and restructurings fail isn’t strategy or execution but grief? That’s the case my guest, Jennifer Fondrevay, makes in this episode. She’s the author of Now What: A Survivor’s Guide for Thriving Through M&A and an advisor to leaders navigating high-stakes transitions. We explore why unacknowledged grief can quietly drain 25–30% of productivity, and sabotage deal outcomes. Jennifer takes us through the five stages of grief in an organisational context, offering practical strategies leaders can use right away. You’ll hear how to recognise the signals of grief, give people language for what they’re experiencing, and channel that energy into performance and purpose. We also discuss why high performers often struggle the most, and why keeping customers as your North Star helps teams overcome turf battles. If you’re leading change in your organisation right now, this conversation will give you a new lens and actionable tools to turn loss into momentum “They’re mourning the loss of the future that won’t be.” — Jennifer Fondrevay You’ll hear about Why productivity drops 25-30% after M&A announcementsThe five stages of organisational grief explainedPractical leadership scripts for major change announcementsHow to handle anger without dismissing concernsKeeping customers as your North StarThe former rock star phenomenon during transitionsPreparing boards and leaders before deals happenWhy high performers struggle most with changeThe employee engagement and customer relationship linkAbout Jennifer: Jennifer J. Fondrevay is the field-tested Founder and Chief Humanity Officer of Day1 ReadyTM, the M&A whisperer for CEOs and leaders who know "synergies" don't magically happen by themselves. After navigating multibillion-dollar deals, Jennifer wrote the manual everyone wishes they'd had: "NOW WHAT? A Survivor's Guide for Thriving Through Mergers & Acquisitions", helping executives lead when the playbook gets thrown out the window. Crowned #1 M&A Speaker by Research Leadership Institute, Jennifer's the go-to expert when uncertainty strikes. Her wisdom graces Forbes, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Inc. Resources: Profile: https://shorturl.at/i1go1 Book: https://shorturl.at/ufZRq Article on employee grief in organisational transitions: https://shorturl.at/gLxsK My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ) Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy.Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds)Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)

Incumbent traditional organisations are doomed to failure. That’s a misleading view that permeates the world of digital transformation. In fact, they can thrive if they develop the right mindsets and capabilities.  Julian Birkinshaw joins me to explore more of the myths and misconceptions surrounding digital transformation, the discipline of balancing today’s pressures with tomorrow’s opportunities, and the art of thoughtful experimentation. Julian draws on his research and his role as Dean of Ivey Business School to show how leaders can navigate profound change without rushing into costly mistakes. We also examine the leadership qualities needed to inspire innovation across large organisations, the realities of tenure in academia, and his personal habits that fuel sustained strategic performance. If you lead a team or organisation wrestling with disruption, this discussion offers practical insights for staying relevant and resilient. “Incumbents have strengths that start-ups can only dream of.” – Julian Birkinshaw You’ll hear about Myths that distort the digital disruption narrativeData revealing incumbent companies’ hidden resilienceBuilding a digital mindset across established organisationsBalancing present performance with future opportunityWhy “fast-second” often beats first-mover advantageInspiring innovation with symbolic leadership actionsLow-cost experiments that signal serious intentManaging change without rushing major decisionsGenerative AI’s real impact on business schoolsAbout Julian: Julian is a world-leading scholar and dynamic academic leader. Appointed Dean of Ivey Business School at Western University in August 2024, he brings a 25-year legacy at London Business School where he was Vice Dean, Deputy Dean Programmes and Deputy Dean Executive Education. An internationally renowned authority on innovation, digital transformation, and the strategic agility of large firms, Birkinshaw has authored 16 books - including Resurgent, Fast/Forward, and Becoming a Better Boss. He has won best paper awards in leading academic journals, and practice-oriented journals. His is a Fellow of the British Academy, Strategic Management Society, American Academy of Management, and Academy of International Business, and holds honorary doctorates from Copenhagen and Stockholm universities. Profile: https://shorturl.at/yMlO9 Book: https://shorturl.at/AD7n2 My resources: Try my High-stakes meetings toolkit (https://bit.ly/43cnhnQ)  Take my Becoming a Strategic Leader course (https://bit.ly/3KJYDTj) Sign up to my Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for modern mindsets and practices to help you get ahead. Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation. For more details about me: ●      Services (https://rb.gy/ahlcuy) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals. ●      About me (https://rb.gy/dvmg9n) - my background, experience and philosophy. ●      Examples of my writing https://rb.gy/jlbdds) ●      Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP) ●      Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI)