Leaders with impact

How are you making sure that being a leader doesn’t become your whole personality? In this episode I’m chatting with a CEO full of purpose, but who doesn’t let that define her.

Today I’m talking with Jenni Anderson, chief executive of the Talent Foundry. We discuss walking the talk, being a risk-taker, what it’s like taking over a charity from its founder, getting a Board onside and why it’s important to do the things you enjoy.

About Jenni

Jenni leads The Talent Foundry team on its strategy, growth and impact. She has worked in the third sector for over 20 years increasing income, devising marketing and communications campaigns within youth development, sport and children's health organisations.

She was the first in her family to go university, took a non-traditional route to her undergraduate degree, culminating in an MSc in Charity Accounting & Financial Management from Bayes Business School.

She loves sport and is a Trustee (formerly Chair) of the Active Essex Foundation. Jenni enjoys triathlon and duathlon and with her husband has two cats and two dogs.

• Connect with Jenni on LinkedIn
• The Talent Foundry

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

In today’s episode I’m talking with Tomi Ayodegi, an expert in supporting organisations to manage a multigenerational workforce.

We talk about how with a widening age range of staff in the workplace, organisations are needing to look again at recruitment and retention, diversity and inclusion, communications practices. In fact there isn’t an area of the wrokplace that won’t be impacted by this.

About Tomi

Tomi Ayodeji is an multi-generational workforce coach with over 15 years of experience in the finance, non-profit, and IT sectors. Specialising in helping senior leaders and middle managers engage and retain age-diverse talent, Tomi’s expertise lies in fostering inclusive environments that bridge generational gaps. With a deep understanding of the dynamic values and behaviours across different age groups, Tomi offers tailored solutions to help organisations build cohesive, productive teams. Passionate about driving change, Tomi empowers leaders to create workplaces where all generations can thrive, ensuring sustainable growth and reduced attrition rates across the workforce.

• Connect with Tomi on LinkedIn
• Book a lunch and learn workshop on generational differences

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

Why should leaders and organisations pay attention to the mental health of parents?

There are so many stereotypes still around pregnancy, birth, parenthood, which mask the real challenges your team members, your colleagues, your friends, or even you yourself could be experiencing. And to ignore it can be having a detrimental effect on individuals and organisations.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Dr Rosie Gilderthorp, a perinatal mental health expert. We explore the different stages and unique experiences and challenges parents face, we discuss the changing face of the Board table and why they need to be paying attention to these issues and we share how leaders can adapt to empower others, role model and support others in their organisations.

And a small word of warning, we do talk about some of the traumas people can face. If anything comes up for you in this episode I’ve included some links to support in the shownotes.

• Follow Rosie on Instagram
• Read the blog
• Find out more about how Rosie can support you or your organisation
• Connect with Rosie on LinkedIn

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

How safe is your organisation? I don’t mean the tick box health and safety compliance you need to meet. But how open is it for people to come to work as they are? Can people speak up? Do they feel confident in their role? As a leader do YOU feel safe?

In today’s episode I’m talking with Gina Battye an expert in psychological safety. Gina founded the Psychological Safety Institute and recently published a book ‘The Authentic Organisation’, you can find all the links in the shownotes, where you can also read more about Gina’s personal story and what led to her work in this area.

We explore exactly what is psychological safety, the five levels of culture, the relationships between culture and safety, signs that psychological safety is a problem in your organisation, tackling toxicity, and what people can do at an individual level to effect change.

About Gina

Gina Battye, Founder and CEO of the Psychological Safety Institute, is a global leader and trailblazer in workplace psychological safety. Through her pioneering work with the 5 Pillars and the Hierarchy of Psychological Safety, Gina has revolutionised the approach to inclusion, belonging and organisational culture. Her innovative methodologies have been embraced by multinational corporations worldwide, earning her reputation as a visionary leader in the field.

• Psychological Safety Diagnostic Tool – Lux
• The Authentic Organization book (includes extract of Gina's story)
• The PSI Academy - join the free community
• Psychological Safety Institute
• Connect with Gina on LinkedIn

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

The number one challenge I see with the leaders is wanting to understand WHY they’re not taking people with them to deliver their big vision. In this episode I’m uncovering the factors that may be influencing this.

I’m talking with Julie Hutchison a soft skills and communications expert who works with leaders in the tech industry.

We discuss:

• what a background in policing teaches you about leadership
• leaders being set up to fail by focussing on specialist skills
• why soft skills are hard
• the real reasons why people might not be performing well
• the 'can't do, won't do, don't do' framework
• self-awareness and development to improve team performance
• skilled conversations to win hearts and minds.

Julie's Bio

Julie Hutchison of Think Be Do Leadership

Julie is a Team Performance and Leadership Specialist, focusing on helping Tech leaders to build soft skills and communication confidence and influence to build performance and productivity in their teams.

After an initial career as a Manufacturing Engineer, Julie then spent 16 years as a Police Inspector in the UK police force, ranging from working with prolific offenders, to senior policing leadership, government and community roles.

In policing, she learned to build relationships in minutes, and influence people in seconds. This became a key part of Julie’s success in dealing with the criminal side, but also in managing her team of 54 officers and civilian staff.

From that experience, along with her Technical background, she has developed the Team Performance Engine™, a practical and effective methodology for Leadership and Team Performance that.

• Think Be Do Leadership Training and Coaching for CTO and Tech Leaders
• LinkedIn

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

If I say the word presentation to you, what comes to mind? Hundreds of powerpoint slides with text and images so small no-one can understand them. Maybe, like me your mouth drops to your stomach at the thought on being on-stage and everyone looking at you.

Whatever your thoughts and feelings are on the topic, one thing’s for sure - as a leader you are going to have to do it - and often!

In today’s episode I’m talking with presentation trainer Fiona Walsh about how you can speak with impact - whether it’s a Board meeting, town-hall staff session or you’re on-stage in front of hundreds of your peers - we talk about:

• what makes a speaker impactful
• whether it's a skill that comes naturally or you can learn
• how to make everyday (boring) presentations more engaging
• avoiding filler words, using breathwork exercises and other ways to improve your presentation style
• how your approach might change at work versus a national platform
• presenting online
• the problems with slidedecks and how to break the cycle of expectation
• feeling more comfortable 'on stage'
• dealing with challenges and challengers

• Empower Presentations
• Empower Presentations LinkedIn
• Fiona Walsh LinkedIn
• Toastmasters International

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

Today’s episode is that surprising mid-year review - or more accurately, it’s that what do I really need to be doing over the next few weeks before everyone packs it in for the summer review.

This will be the last episode for a little while as I take a summer break, but fear not I’ll be back in September.

Whether you are taking a break over the summer or are planning to use the time to get ahead OR most likely catch up, this episode will help you work out what to focus on in order to make the second half of the year as impactful as possible.

We will explore:

• How to stock-take your year so far
• Re-setting goals for the next half of the year
• Doing a deep-clean / spring clean (ie sorting out your to-do list!)
• Re-prioritising your time (ie sorting out your calendar!)
• Re-engaging your teams
• Getting to know your organisation
• Really switching off (and what it says if you don't)

If you’d like a bit more accountability and support to get your shit sorted for the second half of the year, my 1:1 intensive strategy days are the perfect solution. I’m currently booking these for September and October, so if you’re interested drop me an email [email protected] or visit my website sundayskies.com.

• Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman (aff link)
• Why leaders need to curate their networks - leaders with impact (E12)

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

It’s a pretty big responsibility to lead an organisation aiming to change the future for young women in the workplace. How you balance supporting and advocating with campaigning. How you tackle prejudice, bias and years and years of ingrained practice. How you make yourselves seen and heard in a noisy world. Well, today’s guest is doing that and some.

I’m feeling totally in awe and inspired after talking with Claire Reindorp, Chief Executive of the Young Women’s Trust. If Claire was a stick of rock she’d have charity and tackling inequalities running right through the centre of her. We talk about:

• Claire's background and upbringing has shaped her beliefs, purpose and approach
• being a new 'learner' CEO - expectation versus reality
• getting comfortable with the things you know least about
• finding support
• what it’s like leading a small charity
• leading as a feminist and leading a feminist organisation
• realities of making an organisation inclusive
• leading to make change happen and staying alert to practising what they value
• juggling multiple agendas
• collaborating instead of competing with other charities
• leading during the election and being heard in a crowded space
• how organisations can better support young women in the workplace
• how you can get involved and support the Young Women's Trust.

• Follow Young Women's Trust on LinkedIn
• Find out more & support the Young Women’s Trust
• LinkedIn
• x.com

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

Today’s discusion is about the menopause and perimenopause and the impact that can have on leaders and the workplace. If you’re thinking this topic isn’t for you - because you think you’re the wrong age or the wrong sex - then I challenge you to keep listening because by the end of the episode I hope you’ll know exactly why this topic is one all leaders need to pay attention to.

In today’s episode I’m chatting with menopause leadership expert Sinead Sharkey Steenson. Sinead helps leaders and organisations to respond to and manage the effects of perimenopause and menopause. She’s given a TedX talk on the topic and she’s passionate about stopping the talent drain that’s being seen in organisations due to a lack of awareness and support.

We explore:

• what’s meant by menopause, perimenopause and post menopause
• the symptoms people should be aware of
• the real impact on organisations
• how leaders and organisations can recognise and respond to the challenges people are facing
• how to make uncomfortable conversations and situations more comfortable

• Sinead's TedX talk

If you want to transform your leadership impact book a free consultation call with me

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.

In this episode we're looking at the one single thing leaders and organisations can do to change their fortunes. And that is by focussing on how they get buy-in for their vision and ideas.

I share why so many organisations fail to make or sustain change, and I talk through the five skills senior leads for successful change during complex times.

If your organisation needs to make changes this year, let’s discuss how getting the right support package in place for your senior leaders can be the difference between success and failure. Book a free consultation call and chat with me directly about your transformation plans. I can then develop a bespoke proposal to meet your organisational needs. Drop me an email [email protected] or book a free call.

Want to know the secret of great leaders? In Leaders with impact we'll be exploring what makes an impactful leader; sharing stories of success and strategies that set them apart.

If you are ambitious for your organisation but are struggling to identify what you can do differently as a leader to deliver the right improvements, then hit subscribe to learn how you can get clear on your strategy, implement some self-leadership and connect with those you serve.

New episodes are released every fortnight.

If you enjoyed the episode please leave a review on Apple podcasts (or your app of choice) and let me know what you thought on LinkedIn or instagram.

I’ll be back with the next episode in two weeks so in the meantime remember to sign up to my newsletter to get notified of new episodes, guest appearances and further insights on how to lead with impact.