Episode 236. Released June 25, 2026

This week I'm joined by Louisa Loran, a global executive advisor, board member and author of Leadership Anatomy in Motion.

Louisa has spent more than two decades at the heart of some of the world's biggest businesses, including Diageo, Maersk and Google.

Change is everywhere right now, and Louisa sees it for what it really is. A genuine opportunity to add another valuable piece to your business.

The encouraging part is that it starts with something you already have. Clarity about who you are, what you do well, and where you want to go.

What we cover

• Why change is an invitation rather than a threat, and how strong leaders treat new information as one more useful piece for the puzzle.

• The trap of box-ticking with AI, and the smarter question to ask. What does this capability add to the value I already create?

• A quick reframing exercise you can use today. Imagine your sharpest competitor owned your business. What would they do next?

• Why five-year plans and endless small wins both fall short, and how to hold your long-term direction while making confident short-term moves.

• Louisa's four behaviours from the book. Envisioning with ambition, expanding with curiosity, steering decisively and embodying with presence.

• How to lead with presence, build followership, and create the space for others to step up alongside you.

A favourite moment

Louisa describes leadership as something you carry in your own body. The eye to see further. The lungs to breathe space into ideas. The arms to steer with a clear signal. The spine to stand tall and grounded while still being able to move. It's a lovely, practical picture, and a reminder that every one of us can practise these things every single day.

More about Louisa

Louisa Loran advises boards and executive teams through periods of significant change. She sits on the boards of Copenhagen Business School and a private equity firm, and she was recently named to the Thinkers50 Radar 2026. Her book, Leadership Anatomy in Motion, is an Amazon bestseller and an award winner, full of honest, real-world storytelling drawn straight from her career.

One line from her own site stayed with me after we finished recording:

Another agreeing voice won't move it forward. Honest perspective will.

If you want a strategic advisor who will challenge you well, make sure you learn more about Louisa:

• Website: louisaloran.com

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/louisa-loran