Beyond Potential

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Max Klau, founder of the Centre for Courageous Wholeness, for a powerful conversation on servant leadership, shadow work, self-awareness, and the future of leadership development.

Together, they explore why every leader has both “light” and “shadow”, how unconscious behaviours shape teams and organisations, and why leadership growth starts with inner development, not just external performance.

Max shares insights from his work developing servant leaders across education, politics, and coaching, including the impact of helping leaders confront the gap between who they aspire to be and how they actually show up under pressure.

The conversation also explores:

A thought-provoking episode for leaders, coaches, and anyone interested in conscious leadership and personal growth.

Connect with Max on LinkedIn

Find out more about the Centre for Courageous Wholeness

Max's book: Developing Servant Leaders at Scale

Find out more about Max

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tomas Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Jonathan Stutz, founder and president of Global Diversity Partners and an inclusion expert.

Drawing on his extensive experience at Microsoft, Amazon, and beyond, Jonathan explores what it really takes to build inclusive environments where people can thrive. The conversation dives into practical leadership behaviours, from daily habits and one-to-one conversations to hiring practices and speaking up when it matters most.

Together, they discuss how leaders can move beyond surface-level inclusion to develop deeper awareness, stronger judgement, and more intentional decision-making. It’s a grounded, insightful conversation about leadership, accountability, and the small practices that shape culture over time.

A practical and thought-provoking episode for anyone interested in leadership, culture, and better ways of working.

Find out more: Global Diversity Partners

Reach Jonathan at: [email protected]

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn

What’s the difference between coaching and therapy? Why do so many leaders struggle to speak up, set boundaries, and prepare with intention?

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason welcome back executive coach and host of The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast, Tom Henschel, for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on leadership, coaching, self-awareness, and communication.

Together, they explore why preparation matters more than leaders realise, the growing challenge of speaking up and being heard, and how leaders can give feedback without judgement. The conversation dives into emotional responsibility, deep listening, leadership authenticity, and the pressure many leaders feel to “fix” every problem around them.

A standout moment is Tom Henschel’s brilliant analogy comparing therapy to repairing potholes in the road, while coaching helps people learn how to drive around them. It’s a simple but powerful way of understanding the role coaching can play in leadership development.

The episode also takes an unexpected turn into gardening, California wildflowers, and the importance of slowing down and staying curious.

A thoughtful, practical, and deeply human conversation for leaders, coaches, and anyone interested in personal growth.

Find Tom on LinkedIn.

Listen to The Look & Sound of Leadership Podcast: episode #246 Coaching versus Therapy.

Download the Giving Upward Feedback PDF.

Link to the Wildflower Hotline

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Adam Finch, a high-performing coach and founder of 'That Training Guy'.

Adam shares his journey into leadership and development, from delivering sofas and studying for his CIPD in the evenings, through to leading L&D teams and building his own coaching and team development business.

The conversation explores the growing pressure leaders face in modern organisations, particularly the impact of constant meetings, operational demands and lack of space for meaningful development. Adam reflects on why leaders often become stuck in the day-to-day, and how this can unintentionally limit the growth and confidence of their teams.

The episode also focuses on the importance of team development and why organisations often prioritise developing individual leaders while overlooking the collective performance of teams. Adam shares his perspective on mindset change, high-performing team cultures and the role self-awareness plays in leadership effectiveness.

A practical and honest conversation about leadership, development and creating environments where teams can thrive together.

Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

'That Training Guy' - LinkedIn page

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason is joined by Perry Timms, founder of PTHR, global speaker and author.

Perry shares his perspective on how leaders are approaching the future of work, and where many are getting it wrong. The conversation explores the tendency to look for a single answer, when in reality there are multiple possible futures, each shaped by different choices and conditions.

The discussion focuses on the shift from traditional job structures towards more dynamic, human-centred ways of working, where skills, capability and energy take precedence over rigid roles. Perry also highlights the increasing complexity leaders face, balancing legacy systems with emerging ways of working, and why this requires a different mindset.

A key theme throughout is the changing role of the leader, moving away from having the answers, towards creating the conditions where answers can emerge from across the organisation.

This episode offers a practical perspective on how leaders can navigate uncertainty and rethink how work is designed.

Follow Perry on LinkedIn

Discover Perry's books and substack

Visit PTHR

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason is joined by futurist, author and speaker Jacob Morgan.

Jacob shares his perspective on how leadership is evolving in the context of AI, and why organisations risk losing critical thinking as these tools become more widely adopted. The conversation introduces the concept of “human prompting” - the ability for leaders to ask better questions and draw out human insight, rather than relying on AI-generated responses.

The discussion explores how companies are approaching AI, where many are getting it wrong, and the growing gap between adoption and understanding. Jacob also reflects on the future of leadership, and why human skills such as judgment, discernment and communication will become more valuable as AI continues to advance.

This episode offers a clear and practical perspective on how leaders can adapt, and why the future of work will place greater emphasis on what makes us human.

Explore more from Jacob

Reach Jacob on email - [email protected]

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Andrew McMasters, actor, facilitator and author of Listening Without Agenda.

Andrew shares how his background in theatre shaped his approach to leadership development, and why the skills used on stage translate directly into how leaders show up in organisations. At the centre of the conversation is one core idea: listening is not just about hearing words, but about making people feel heard.

The discussion explores how self-orientation gets in the way of effective listening, why leaders often default to solutions too quickly, and how small shifts in attention can change the dynamic of a conversation. Andrew also shares practical ways to stay present, manage distraction, and create the conditions for more meaningful communication.

This episode offers a clear and practical perspective on leadership, grounded in one essential capability: the ability to listen without agenda.

Discover more of Andrew's work

In this episode of Beyond Potential, the two Toms are joined by Margaret Andrews, professional speaker, Harvard instructor, academic leader, and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others.

Margaret shares how a pivotal moment of feedback early in her leadership journey led her to question how self-aware she really was, and ultimately shaped her work around leadership development. Drawing on her experience across business and academia, she explains why understanding yourself is the foundation of effective leadership.

The conversation explores how leaders can build greater self-awareness, why interpersonal skills matter more than technical expertise as you progress, and how feedback and reflection can unlock meaningful change. Margaret also introduces a set of powerful questions designed to help leaders better understand their values, behaviours and impact on others.

This episode offers a clear and practical perspective on leadership, centred on one core idea: you cannot lead others effectively until you understand yourself.

Connect with Margaret on LinkedIn

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, the two Toms sit down with CEO, coach, leadership expert, and author of You’re the Boss, Sabina Nawaz, to explore how pressure changes leadership behaviour.

Drawing on her experience at Microsoft and over two decades coaching senior executives, Sabina shares how even the most capable leaders can begin to act differently under pressure, often without realising the impact it has on their teams.

A key part of the conversation is the idea of “blank space”, intentionally creating time to step away from the noise and think more clearly. Sabina explains why this practice is essential for better decision-making, stronger relationships, and more effective leadership.

The episode also explores practical ways to lead with greater awareness, including how to delegate more effectively, avoid common leadership traps, and create space for others to contribute. It’s a thoughtful and grounded conversation for anyone looking to lead with more clarity, consistency, and impact.

Check out Sabina's website

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery sit down with Nicola Merritt, Founder and CEO of Cortus Advisory Group, to explore a career shaped by ambition, curiosity, and bold decision-making.

From setting her sights on a career at KPMG at just 14 years old to ultimately launching her own business during the uncertainty of COVID, Nicola’s journey is one of continuous evolution. What began as a moment of clarity on a 5K run quickly turned into the creation of a fast-growing advisory firm built on strong values, clear vision, and a commitment to doing things differently.

Throughout the conversation, Nicola reflects on the realities of stepping away from a successful corporate career and into entrepreneurship, sharing honest insights into the challenges of scaling a business and transitioning from being a technical expert to becoming a leader. She speaks openly about redefining her sense of purpose, learning to build trust and culture, and what it takes to attract and develop high-performing teams.

The episode also explores the personal side of leadership. Nicola discusses how she manages pressure, builds resilience, and stays present in a fast-paced environment, as well as the importance of creating balance and defining success on her own terms rather than following external expectations.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation for anyone navigating leadership, growth, or the decision to step into something new.

Connect with Nicola on LinkedIn