How do you lead a group of clever, brilliant people?

That’s a question I posed of Francois Ortalo-Magne, Dean and CEO of the London Business School. 

We delve into his world as the leader of the one of the world’s most prestigious business schools. 

We talk about:

• Harnessing the collective intelligence of his faculty and students for the greater good – making connections and creating the conditions for curious wandering.
• The opportunities and challenges from being an outsider CEO.
• The role and impact of a business school.
• His toughest decisions e.g. during the pandemic.
• What he would disrupt in business education, and where he would start.

You’ll hear about analogies stretching farming to football too!

About François:

François Ortalo-Magné is the ninth Dean of London Business School. As Chief Executive Officer of the School, he is implementing a plan to fulfil a vision of LBS as an engaged community walking the learning journey together.

With a faculty recognised for its world-class academic research and a School community rich in diversity, LBS advances careers, transforms organisations and shapes policy. Its London and Dubai campuses are at the hub of a prestigious global network inspired by their own stories of life-changing impact.

Prior to his appointment, Ortalo-Magné was the Albert O. Nicholas Dean and Robert E. Wangard Professor of Real Estate at the Wisconsin School of Business. He grew up in France in the Pyrénées and on the family farm in the Lot Valley

Profile: 

https://www.london.edu/faculty-and-research/faculty-profiles/f/francois-ortalo-magne

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How good is your writing at work? It's rather important. Think about your bids, pitches, presentations, Executive or Board papers, investment cases and, of course, emails. Too often writing is dry, technocratic, and overly complex. It makes it hard for the reader to understand in one go, or at all. It limits your ability to convince them of your thinking, and tarnishes your brand. 

In this podcast, Scott Keyser, the 'Writing Guy', shares his tips and lessons from working with companies over the last 30 years. He shows that it is a learnable skill for everyone If we start with the right mindset.

You'll hear about: 

• how to write with clarity and conciseness.
• achieving brevity without being brief. 
• how to create space for flamboyance.
• why writing well doesn't mean dumbing down.
• the importance of preparation and planning. 
• mistakes to avoid.
• who and what inspires him. 

About Scott:

Scott Keyser is the "Writing Guy". He is the author of two books 'Winner Takes All: sevenand- a-half principles for winning more bids, tenders, and proposals' and 'rhetorica', which set out his writing system. He works with clients from professional services firms to start-ups to corporates (such as the Economist) to improve the way their write - to engage your market, convince your boss, win over buyers, investors, staff or suppliers. 

Resources:

• Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkeyser1/ 
• Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winner-Takes-All-Seven-half/dp/1907794506 and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rhetorica-toolkit-everyday-writing-techniques-ebook/dp/B01MFDZ1QK/

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

The news is littered with examples of ethical lapses and corruption. In fact, a Strategy& study showed that it was the biggest reason for CEOs resigning. Yet, compliance is still a word and a practice that is not always considered pivotal to the success of organisations. It’s often perceived as part of the bureaucracy that stops or slows down progress.

Who better to talk to than a man who has transformed himself from somebody who was corrupt and sent to jail to somebody who is now a world authority on the subject. 

This is the podcast for you if you want to:
 
- Hear his own fascinating story of redemption and transformation. 
- Learn where to start if you feel your organisation or team is close to or over the edge when it comes to ethical practices. 
- Manage risk in an organisation that is more dispersed especially in hybrid working arrangements. 
- Help somebody who you feel has moved to the dark side of the force. 
- Make the difficult issues discussable. Or how to position and sell the role of compliance within an organisation – from policeman or policewoman to an enabler. 

About Richard:

Richard is the CEO of Front-Line Anti-Bribery LLC. He is a speaker, author, and consultant to multi-nationals on ethics and compliance. He supports existing initiatives by helping people, teams, & organizations appreciate that no one is ever alone when it comes to ethical decision-making & that we never have to sacrifice integrity to succeed.

His clients include Volkswagen, Novartis, Airbus, Kraft Heinz and Microsoft, among other Fortune 100 multinationals and global trade groups. In person and virtually, Richard has presented to hundreds of diverse global multinationals in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. His talks focus on anti- bribery, ethics and compliance challenges, sharing his front-line experience and perspective on real-world corruption and compliance risk.

Resources:

•  https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbistrong/
• E-learning: https://www.richardbistrong.com/ethics-compliance-elearning
• His story: https://www.richardbistrong.com/about

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

How much do you suppress your emotions at work? 

What if you could be more aware of them, in control of them, and learn from them? 

That’s the topic of my conversation with Liz Fosslein in this episode. She shares her stories, research, and experience of tapping into Big Emotions, captured so brilliantly in her book of the same name, co authored with Mollie West Duffy. 

We talk about how to handle and learn from your anger, burnout, comparison, feelings of uncertainty. 

So if you’re feeling any of these emotions or know somebody who is, this is the episode for you. 

You might know Liz from his stunningly creative illustrations that adorn many a social media post. So I couldn’t resist asking about how she develops them too.

About Liz:

Liz is the co-author and illustrator of the national best-seller Big Feelings and the Wall Street Journal best-seller No Hard Feelings (which have both been translated into 15+ languages) and an expert on effectively embracing emotions at work. As the head of content and communications at Humu, she empowers leaders to develop and manage successful, inclusive teams. 

Liz regularly speaks about how leaders can walk the line between sharing and oversharing, build resilient teams, and create high-performing cultures of belonging. Her work has been featured by Good
Morning America, The Economist, TED, The New York Times, NPR, Adam Grant, and Mindy Kaling.

Resources:

• Profile: https://www.fosslien.com/
• Books: https://www.fosslien.com/book
• Illustrations: https://www.fosslien.com/images

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

You’re looking to build a higher performing team, or organisation, where more people can do their best. 

Sounds simple, right?

But there are some biases and blockers in the way. You know that you’ve got work to do but you’re not sure where to start. You look around and realise that you hire and promote people who look like you and the other members of your leadership team, whether intentional or not. You want to be a good ally to people in under-represented or under-estimated groups but you’re not sure how to.

This podcast with Ruchika Tulshyan gives you practical ways to address these points, based on her extensive research, consulting work, and personal experience. 

We talk about:

• How recruiters get it wrong when they talk about cultural fit.
• How to tackle biases throughout your organisation.
• Your responsibility if you have privilege.
• How to practise allyship productively.
• What it takes to ask the right questions of others 

About Ruchika:

Ruchika Ruchika T. Malhotra is the best-selling author of "Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work,” published by MIT Press and available now. Ruchika is also the founder of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm. She is also a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and the New York Times.

A global citizen and Singaporean foodie, Ruchika has lived in four countries. She currently calls Seattle home.

Resources:

• Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtulshyan/ and https://www.rtulshyan.com/
• ‘Inclusion on Purpose’ book: https://www.rtulshyan.com/inclusion-on-purpose

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What can a banker who built one of the biggest financial empires in the world and was a major philanthropist teach us about strategic leadership? A lot, in fact. 
I talk to Dan Gross, the author of a biography on Edmond J. Safra called ‘A banker’s life’. It’s a fascinating counter to many of the practices we hear and see – for better or worse – in modern day life.
 
Safra was incredibly ambitious, looking to build wealth, nurture his community, and build bridges across the world. We hear about his approach to:

• Entrepreneurship, starting at a very young age.
• Developing relationships across different cultures in three continents.
• Putting purpose at the centre of his business and life.
• Working out the customers he wanted to serve, and the risks he wanted to take (or not).
• Work-life integration.
• Succession planning.

Safra treated his business as a family. And led a dynamic, colourful life, professionally and personally.

About Dan:

Dan Gross is one of the most widely-read writers on finance, economics, and business history. Over the past three decades, he has reported from more than 30 countries, covering everything from the dotcom boom and the rise of China to the global financial crisis of 2008-2009. He worked as a reporter at The New Republic and Bloomberg News, wrote the “Economic View” column in The New York Times, and served as Slate’s “Moneybox” columnist. 

Gross is a bestselling author of eight books, including Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time; Generations of Corning; Dumb Money: How America’s Greatest Financial Minds Bankrupted the Nation; and Better, Stronger, Faster: The Myth of American Decline and the Rise of a New Economy.

His great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Aleppo and Damascus.

Resources:

• Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-gross-ba46a02/
• ‘A banker’s journey’ book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bankers-Journey-Edmond-Global-Financial/dp/1635767857

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

Bill George tells me that this the most difficult time to be a leader he’s seen in his life as they face major generational, political, societal shifts and challenges. The traditional command and control approach to leadership and management doesn’t work.

Instead, we need more authentic leaders have a clearer, longer-term view of what it takes to make their organisation successful. Leaders who take a stand on important issues, particularly the issues their employees and customers care about. Leaders who act as coaches more than manager, who tell the truth, are transparent, vulnerable, able to admit their mistakes. Organisations need younger leaders, especially those from the front line, closest to the action.

They should also encourage people to find their truth north – their fundamental values and beliefs – as early as possible in their careers, and challenge people mid-career to revisit and refresh their perspective on them. Reflect on your life, the good and bad times, strip it back and ask yourself what you are here for, and what matters. Look to lead an integrated life, practising reflection on how well you show up, perform, and align your own purpose to that of the organisation you work with.

About Bill:

Bill George is executive fellow at Harvard Business School (HBS), where he has taught leadership since 2004. He was chair and CEO of Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company. Under his leadership, Medtronic’s market capitalization grew from $1.1 billion to $60 billion, averaging 35 percent a year. Earlier in his career, he was an executive with Honeywell and Litton Industries and served in the U.S. Department of Defense. He has served as a director of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Novartis, Target, the Mayo Clinic, and World Economic Forum USA.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.billgeorge.org/
• True North: Emerging Leader edition: https://www.billgeorge.org/book/true-north-emerging-leader-edition

My resources:

Sign up to one of my courses (https://bit.ly/3QHvlYm).

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

If you’re looking to work with me, check out my:

• Services (https://bit.ly/3QFOn1A) to C-Suite execs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
• Profile (https://bit.ly/3JUzrZk).
• Writing (https://bit.ly/3JTYnAi).
• Posts on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP).

What would it take to show and give your absolute best at work? Even having to ask the question suggests there’s something amiss. 

Perhaps it’s because we’ve been told what we’re not good at that we’ve forgotten what we are good at. Or we’ve been wearing a mask for so long that it’s all become part of a performance. 

Andy Woodfield has spent his career trying to figure out the uniqueness and the dreams of the people he works with. That curiosity leads to powerful human connection, and a conversation about what they can do together. The foundation of exceptional teamwork and performance.

Building this culture of inclusion and belonging is not for the faint-hearted. It’s really hard work. Even harder if you have to come out every week as a partner who happens to be gay. 

In this podcast, Andy shares his own story of coming out, figuring out his own uniqueness and his place. He describes his ways of discovering the best in other people, methods that have become movements.

This episode is for anyone who is looking to take their performance to the next level, who may feel like they’re not giving their best at work, or who wants to get the best out of their team.

About Andy:
 
Andy is the Global International Development Leader at PwC, Global Client Partner for the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, Partner sponsor for the Alumni Network, the Leadership Exchange, and the Shine network (LGBTQ+), and the Founder of Liliput Gin.

He undertook a two year cycle of experience as the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for PwC UK, transforming the firm's sales, marketing and client experience capabilities to bring the firm’s people closer to their clients. He was also a 2020 Finalist for the MCA Outstanding Achievement Award. 

Resources:

• Website: https://www.andywoodfield.com/ 
• Book (This is your moment): andywoodfield.com/book 

My resources:

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox:
 
 If you're not subscribed already do subscribe to my youtube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

Take the Extraordinary Essentials test (https://bit.ly/3EhSKY5) to identify your strengths and development areas.

For more details about me:

★Services (https://bit.ly/373jctk) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
★About me (https://bit.ly/3LFsfiO) - my background, experience and philosophy.
★Examples of my writing (https://bit.ly/3O7jkc7).
★Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
★Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

My equipment:

★ Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone: https://amzn.to/3AB9Xfz
★ Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface : https://amzn.to/3AFeA8u
★ 2M XLR Cable: https://amzn.to/3GGxkbf
★ Logitech Brio Stream webcam. https://amzn.to/3EsWt6C
★ Elgato Key Light: https://amzn.to/3Xhiqyh
★ Elgato Light Strip: https://amzn.to/3gyZF8P
★ Riverside.fm for recording podcasts. bit.ly/3AEQScl 
★ Buzzsprout Podcasting Hosting gets (listing podcasts on every major podcast platform along with listening analytics. bit.ly/3EBPNTX

[These are affiliate links so I receive a modest commission if you buy them.]

When you’re feeling life is tough, you’re typically told to ride it out, put your head down, get through it. That might help some people, for a while. But it’s missing something. Only when we reach out to others, find a connection, get some support that we truly feel better – using fortitude.

In this podcast Bruce Daisley challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that the power of social connection is the critical aspect of resilience. For example, the biggest predictor of well-being after major heart surgery 3/6/12/24 months afterwards is the number of groups the patient feels part of.

The challenge for leaders is how to we create that connection when we’re working more virtually and maybe only seeing each other in person a couple of days a week. You have to create the time to build the foundations of trust and to sustain relationships.

About Bruce:

Bruce Daisley is a best selling author and technology leader from the UK.  He has become regarded as one the most respected thought leaders on the subject of workplace culture and the future of work. His prior business career saw him spend 12 years running Twitter in Europe and previously YouTube in the UK. 

Resources:

Fortitude Book: https://www.findfortitude.net/
Joy of Work Book: https://eatsleepworkrepeat.com/joyofwork/
Eat Sleep Work Repeat Podcast: https://eatsleepworkrepeat.com/category/podcast/
Workplace Culture Course: https://www.findfortitude.net/culturecourse

My resources:

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox:
 
 If you're not subscribed already do subscribe to my youtube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.

Take the Extraordinary Essentials test (https://bit.ly/3EhSKY5) to identify your strengths and development areas.

For more details about me:

★Services (https://bit.ly/373jctk) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
★About me (https://bit.ly/3LFsfiO) - my background, experience and philosophy.
★Examples of my writing (https://bit.ly/3O7jkc7).
★Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
★Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

My equipment:

★ Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone: https://amzn.to/3AB9Xfz
★ Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface : https://amzn.to/3AFeA8u
★ 2M XLR Cable: https://amzn.to/3GGxkbf
★ Logitech Brio Stream webcam. https://amzn.to/3EsWt6C
★ Elgato Key Light: https://amzn.to/3Xhiqyh
★ Elgato Light Strip: https://amzn.to/3gyZF8P
★ Riverside.fm for recording podcasts. bit.ly/3AEQScl 
★ Buzzsprout Podcasting Hosting gets (listing podcasts on every major podcast platform along with listening analytics. bit.ly/3EBPNTX

[These are affiliate links so I receive a modest commission if you buy them.]

Inclusion has been one of those terms we might reserve for HR, an initiative, or a special interest group.

Wrong. It’s critical to the success of any organisation, and a moral responsibility.

For too long, traditionally disadvantaged groups – by race, gender, sexuality – have progressed slower and had poorer experiences at work.

Their leaders – from a majority group – have employed avoidance tactics, in some cases standing away and not giving eye contact, sticking to their familiar places and faces.

What does it take to build an inclusive organisation? Dr. Gena Cox shares the highlights of her book 'Leading Inclusion':

★ The critical 3 Cs required of any leader.
★ Why talking about a business case for diversity or inclusion (or both) is offensive.
★ Where biases show up, and what to do about them.
★ Why it doesn’t take special or different leadership of people who are different from the majority.
★ What it takes for Chief Diversity Officer to have a positive impact.

About Gena:

After a decades-long year career advising leaders in some of the largest companies in America and beyond, Dr. Gena Cox concluded that the pace of workplace inclusion change was unacceptably slow. She harnessed her organizational psychology and executive coach insights, her understanding of c-suite dynamics, and her personal workplace experiences to write a book, Leading Inclusion. Her book helps leaders connect unfamiliar dots to drive inclusion from the top of their organizations. Gena asks her clients to remember one simple idea: “Inclusion tops diversity!”

Resources:

★ Website: https://www.genacox.com
★ Book (Leading Inclusion): https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Inclusion-Drive-Change-Employees/dp/1774581795
★ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genacox

My resources:

Sign up to my Strategic Leader newsletter (http://bit.ly/36WRpri) for stimuli, ideas, guidance and tips on how to lead your team, organisation or self more effectively, delivered straight to your inbox. You'll get a free 'Mastering Big Moments' Workbook if you do.
 
If you're not already do subscribe to my youtube channel (http://bit.ly/3cFGk1k) where you can watch the conversation.
 
Take the Extraordinary Essentials test (https://bit.ly/3EhSKY5) to identify your strengths and development areas.
 
For more details about me:
 
★Services (https://bit.ly/373jctk) to CEOs, entrepreneurs and professionals.
★About me (https://bit.ly/3LFsfiO) - my background, experience and philosophy.
★Examples of my writing (https://bit.ly/3O7jkc7).
★Follow me and engage with me on LinkedIn (https://bit.ly/2Z2PexP)
★Follow me and engage with me on Twitter (https://bit.ly/36XavNI).

My equipment:

★ Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone: https://amzn.to/3AB9Xfz
★ Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface : https://amzn.to/3AFeA8u
★ 2M XLR Cable: https://amzn.to/3GGxkbf
★ Logitech Brio Stream webcam. https://amzn.to/3EsWt6C
★ Elgato Key Light: https://amzn.to/3Xhiqyh
★ Elgato Light Strip: https://amzn.to/3gyZF8P
★ Riverside.fm for recording podcasts. bit.ly/3AEQScl 
★ Buzzsprout Podcasting Hosting gets (listing podcasts on every major podcast platform along with listening analytics. bit.ly/3EBPNTX

[These are affiliate links so I receive a modest commission if you buy them.]