In this episode, we challenge the glossy myth that leadership is all about inspiration, change, and transformation. Real leadership? It’s about making hard decisions, holding yourself accountable, and staying open — even when the room is silent and the tension is high.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of leading through discomfort, this one’s for you. We’ll explore what it really takes to lead with courage, compassion, and clarity — especially when it’s not popular.

🔹 Why discomfort is a sign you’re growing
🔹 How to lead when the decision hurts
🔹 What accountability looks like behind closed doors
🔹 Language you can use when you're standing alone

Leadership isn’t easy — and it’s not meant to be. But you’re not alone in it.

Recent books

Reflective practice https://amzn.to/3Z42rpJ

Get your NHS JOB https://amzn.to/4jpJ7uo

This episode explores systemic fixes, mindset shifts, and bold leadership behaviours that could actually turn the tide. It still names tough truths

1. The Courage to Lead (Not Just Manage)Distinguishing true leadership from passive management. Why we need more moral courage, not more spreadsheets.2. Redefining “Value” in HealthcareShifting the VFM narrative away from just cost-saving to include long-term patient outcomes, staff wellbeing, and social return on investment.3. Rebuilding Trust Through Radical TransparencyHow honest communication — even when things are bad — builds credibility. Why the “we can’t tell staff yet” culture causes more harm.4. Investing in People, Not Just ProjectsLeadership development, emotional intelligence, human comms, real mentorship. Stop training people to meet KPIs — start growing them to lead.5. The Power of Collective LeadershipMoving from a “heroic leader” model to distributed leadership. Systems need collaboration, not saviours.

So many leadership initiatives use the language of “engagement”, but really? They’re performance pieces.

clip from NHS leaders podcast part 2

Bullying. Harassment. Retaliation.It still exists in the NHS — often just below the surface

clip from NHS leaders podcast part 2

The illusion of control is seductive.

The NHS has a bad habit: it drives out the very people who can see what’s broken — and how to fix it.

clip from NHS leaders part 2

clip from NHS leaders podcast 2

In this follow-up episode, we dive even deeper into the cracks beneath the surface of NHS leadership. Through real-world case studies and frontline reflections, we explore five more hard-hitting truths shaping our system today:

1. The Myth of Strategic Thinking – When “strategy” meetings are just glorified to-do lists, are we truly planning for the future?

2. The Talent Drain – Why the NHS often pushes out its best minds for being too bold, too honest, or too visionary.

3. Bureaucratic Addiction – Have we mistaken paperwork for progress?

4. Fear of Speaking Up – The invisible culture of silence, and the price of calling out poor practice.

5. The Lost Art of Listening – How poor middle management has forced frontline voices to bypass systems just to be heard.

💬 This episode isn’t about blame—it’s about truth-telling, reflection, and hope for change.

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– Analysis paralysis and unclear direction are more common than most would like to admit. .. clip from full podcast

born of comfort – Some leaders, with pension pots in place, prefer not to stir the waters this late in the game.