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What happens when a leader embraces the role of team coach? 

In this episode, we sit down with Harvey Smith, VP Partners, who shares his experience leading partner teams across EMEA through his natural team coaching approach.  

Harvey opens up about the delicate balance between authority and humility that defines great team coaching leadership. Drawing on his extensive experience at DocuSign, Salesforce, Tableau, and VMware, Harvey reveals how he transformed disparate teams into cohesive units through simple but powerful approaches.

His mantra? “If you’ve got 27 priorities, you haven’t got any.” By focusing on no more than three clearly ranked objectives, Harvey empowered his team to stay aligned, and say no to distractions. The phrase “Harvey says no” became a cultural shorthand for protecting priorities and staying on mission. 

We delve into how genuine trust is built within teams. Harvey shares his belief in vulnerability and accessibility, implementing skip-level meetings where team members could speak freely and career development sessions that demonstrated his commitment to their growth. This created psychological safety that allowed honest communication to flourish.

Harvey's innovative approaches to breaking down silos include his "pod model" for cross-functional collaboration and strategic use of "stretch projects" that deliberately positioned team members to connect teams.

When it comes to conflict, Harvey doesn’t shy away. His take? “Partners are like a car accident – everyone slows down to look but no one wants to get involved.” His solution? Proactive education, clear communication channels, and shared understanding of roles and responsibilities.

Book Picks

• Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed – on the power of diverse thinking
• The Culture Map by Erin Meyer – a must-read for navigating global teams.

Whether you're managing partners, leading through change, or simply trying to create more effective teams, this episode offers practical wisdom for balancing the human element with unwavering focus on business outcomes.

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Dan Waters brings decades of partnership expertise to this fascinating conversation about building effective tech ecosystems. Working from sales roles at  distributors to VP of Partnerships at Snowflake EMEA, Dan shares unique perspectives from both sides of the vendor-partner relationship.

The conversation explores how truly successful partnerships require bilateral investment and commitment. "Partnerships are a two-way street," Dan emphasizes, explaining how Snowflake partners serve as extensions of the company, bringing specialized expertise and expanded reach to complex customer engagements. 

Using a compelling car analogy, Dan illustrates how every component must work in harmony, just as every department and partner plays an essential role in business success. 

The discussion culminates with Dan's three leadership principles:  

• Being present and accountable, 
• Developing trust through consistent execution
• Practicing empathy by understanding partners' business challenges. 

Dan also shares a fascinating "Zander letter" concept from Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes' book on high performance, where teams envision success by writing from a future perspective of achievement.

Whether you're managing partnerships, leading teams, or simply interested in effective collaboration, Dan's insights offer a practical roadmap for creating "shared wins" in today's interconnected business landscape.

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What happens when a promising startup faces challenges that threaten its very existence? For Stephanie Windsor, CEO of Cloud Benefits, the answer lay in understanding the diverse strengths of her leadership team through DISC profiling.

Founded in 2021 as businesses emerged from the pandemic, Cloud Benefits offers a digital employee benefits platform with unique features like free financial advice and animated benefit explanations. But by mid-2023, despite positive market feedback, communication breakdowns threatened their progress. The leadership team—who remarkably had never met in person—struggled to collaborate effectively as summer targets loomed.

In this revealing conversation, Stephanie shares how she personally funded DISC profiling sessions with Amplified Group when company finances were tight, convinced this investment would transform team dynamics. The results were extraordinary: team members gained profound insights into their communication styles, working preferences, and natural strengths. Rather than forcing everyone into predetermined roles, 

Stephanie's conviction paid off dramatically as the team exceeded their targets following the sessions. Now, as Cloud Benefits enters a new growth phase, they're scheduling follow-up workshops to maintain this momentum. 

This conversation might just change how you think about team performance forever.

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In the fast-paced world of technology, career longevity often depends on finding your niche and building meaningful relationships within it.

Jim Moyle, Principal Product Manager at Microsoft, is a brilliant example of this with his two-decade journey through the EUC landscape, offering valuable insights for tech professionals at any career stage.

Jim shares how community engagement and knowledge sharing have been central to his career success. Through thoughtful boundary-setting and relationship building, he's found balance and purpose in a role spanning global time zones and competing priorities.

It was super interesting to hear how Jim, as Microsoft's first remote team member in his division, intentionally sets boundaries. He chooses one day of shifted hours per week and refuses recurring meetings outside core times—not just for himself, but to establish sustainable patterns for those who follow.

Join us for this thought-provoking conversation about setting healthy boundaries in global teams, reframing your value, and seeking better work-life integration. 

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This episode explores the evolution of customer success in the SaaS industry, highlighting the shift from a cost centre to a key driver of revenue growth. 

Bob Burke, whose journey from the heart of San Francisco's dot-com boom to a Customer-First thought leader, shares insights on aligning customer success with sales, breaking down silos and adapting to market changes in order to sustain durable growth within SaaS organisations. 

We delve into the:

• Necessity of breaking down silos and aligning roles around the customer journey, ensuring a seamless experience for clients. 

• Challenges of transitioning customer success from a cost center to a revenue driver.

• Concept of collaborative "pods" that bridge sales and customer success teams.

• Insights on measuring customer success effectiveness.

Bob sheds light on how customer success has transformed from an afterthought to a vital component in modern business strategies. 

We discuss the complexities of aligning customer success with revenue generation, especially in today's scrutinised financial environments, offering insights into evolving strategies and the critical role of customer success.

We hope you enjoy listening!

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We're delighted to welcome back the inspirational Tracy Reis, Head of People and Joint MD at Nomad Studio, the strategy and brand experience company. This conversation felt like an invaluable coaching session on the importance of developing our feedback skills.

Tracy shares her wisdom on how giving feedback is the roadmap to progress, emphasising that timely feedback, when delivered with respect and kindness, is constructive. She explains that feedback is not just about corrections but is a vital opportunity for growth, elevating both personal and team performance. 

This episode is packed with actionable insights you can put into practice right away.

Key Takeaways:

• Building a psychologically safe environment for feedback
• The importance of timely, specific, and constructive feedback
• How to give and receive feedback effectively
• The role of positive and constructive feedback in motivation and performance
• Tips on embedding feedback into workplace culture

Book Recommendations:

Tracy referenced these two books:

• Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS by Shirzad Chamine
• Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown

Tune in to discover how mastering the art of feedback can transform your personal and professional life.

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Kick off 2025 with a burst of inspiration as we welcome Trevor Dias, whose career journey spans sports coaching with Manchester United to leadership roles in Vodafone and Salesforce.

In our professional lives we are very used to starting each year in planning mode and setting our objectives. How many of us do the same in our personal lives?   

Trevor introduces us to his holistic approach combining health philosophies and modern-day coaching as we discuss the importance of merging lifestyle, diet, and career for a well-rounded life.

This enriching conversation emphasises understanding our limits and finding balance for a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Here's the link to the pyramid that Trevor shares with us.

We hope you find this episode thought provoking and that it motivates and equips you to make the most of the year ahead. 

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We are super excited to bring you an extra special Get Amplified festive present!​

​Mark Templeton rejoins us to share his wisdom and learnings in this episode, Foundations of Leadership.​

We catch up with Mark, who continues to give back through board service and CEO mentoring. ​As former CEO of Citrix, Mark offers invaluable insights into personal growth, emphasising the importance of gratitude and self-reflection as essential components for enhancing one's role in fast-paced industries.

Mark enlightens us on the concept of strategic renewal, stressing the importance of self-disruption to stay ahead in rapidly changing industries. By sharing stories of Apple's reinvention and Intel's struggles, Mark highlights the challenges of maintaining relevance and navigating innovation.  Mark cites "The Innovator's Dilemma" revealing the crucial balance between stability and innovation.

Referring to Patrick Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Mark tell us, "It’s probably the one reading that changed the course of my career more than any other single thing"

​The books Mark covers are:

• The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
• Leaders Make the Future by Bob Johansen
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• The Growth Mindset by Dr Carol Dweck
• The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Finally, with inspiration from "The Velveteen Rabbit," we celebrate authenticity as a path to personal freedom and success, advocating for vulnerability and self-awareness as keys to growth.

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What happens when a former operations leader takes the leap into the role of Chief Revenue Officer? 

We had an insightful discussion with Karen Gallantry. Her story illuminates the power of balancing operational demands with understanding human dynamics. Karen shares her unique perspective on how diverse experiences across technology and operations can pave the way for leadership success. 

The episode uncovers the intricacies of maintaining a well-aligned sales organisation in the throes of business scaling. 

Karen helps us explore the evolving responsibilities of a CRO, especially within subscription models that prioritise long-term success and customer loyalty as much as immediate sales.

We debate different organisational structures, making a compelling case for integrating sales, pre-sales, and customer success under unified strategy and execution. 

Our conversation takes a deeper dive into the psychological aspects of team performance and operations scaling. We discuss the importance of transparency and feedback loops in building trust and ensuring psychological safety within teams. 

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Can a passion-driven business approach redefine an entire industry? Managing Director of Add Some Zest, Calum Lyle, believes so. 

We loved speaking to Calum and hearing about his refreshing approach to recruitment. We feel Calum's values and our values at the Amplified Group are naturally aligned. It definitely feels like a match!

Calum shares how prioritising customer experience over profit can lead to a staggering +94 Net Promoter Score and an impressive candidate retention rate. 

Calum has built an agency that truly enhances the recruitment process, focusing on authenticity and energy in every interaction. They choose passion and customer-centricity over mere financial gain.

We discover some practical tips on navigating the evolving job market, including strategies for bypassing AI filters and crafting personalised communication. 

This episode is a wonderful example of breaking free of established ways of working, thinking creatively and executing on it.

Whilst this conversation is focused on a recruitment, it's a must listen for job seekers and hiring managers alike.

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