Leading 4 Life "Stories"

My guest for this episode is Philipp Nattermann, a Senior Partner and CFO at McKinsey & Company.

Having originally been born in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Philipp started his working life as an academic in the USA, Philipp joined McKinsey in 1999 and has been there ever since. 

He speaks very candidly on a whole range of issues and offers some terrific leadership insights that I am sure you will find both interesting and valuable.


You can find Philipp on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-nattermann/


In this interview we discuss the following (starting time in brackets):

• A summary of Philipp's career journey (00.02.00)
• Early motivations (00.03.36)
• Adjustments to leadership style (00.11.07)
• Most important leadership traits (00.15.58)
• Role models (00.20.41)
• Most important achievement & legacy (00.27.45)
• Advice to a school age Philipp! (00.33.26)
• Managing work:life balance (00.41.01)
• Thoughts on the telecommunications industry & AI (00.46.08)
• The value of consultants! (00.53.13)
• Thoughts on the USA (00.59.39)
• Most memorable event (01.04.34)
• Most difficult question (01.06.46)

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What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
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With this episode I return to thematic issues and focus on personal resilience and self care.

I chose to cover this theme now partly because of the recent World Suicide Prevention Day, but also because I recently delivered a workshop on this topic to a client and it landed really well, so I thought it would also be useful to those that listen to this podcast. 

Personal resilience is a critical attribute for any leader, and a good leader also needs to be very conscious of the resilience of individual members of his / her / their team.  

In this episode I focus on: 

• Why resilience is important
• Why personal resilience is linked to, but different from corporate resilience
• Some ways to self check your own resilience
• Ideas to help improve your own self care
• Resilience through crisis and change
• The value of optimism 
• Knowing when to quit!
• The benefit of assertiveness
• Why happiness helps
• The importance of practice!

If you have not already done so, please follow / subscribe to ensure you receive early notification of future episodes.  I would also be extremely grateful if you would provide a review and, if you have the time, some direct feedback as that most definitely helps me to improve and to give you the best possible product.

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of aircraft accidents and fatalities.

In this episode I continue my personal story as I finish officer training and move into the Royal Air Force's flying training system.  

I'm extremely conscious that I could easily have filled an episode or more with each segment of the flying training system, since I learned so much about myself as I was going through it so, depending on the feedback this episode generates, it may well be that I return to cover some more specific elements in future episodes.  However, I reined myself in and Episode 7 will give you a c.30 minute overview of everything up to my move to the front-line Jaguar Operational Conversion Unit.  

It hits the high and low points of my time at RAF Linton-on-Ouse (Basic Flying Training at No 1 Flying Training School), RAF Valley (Advanced Flying Training at No 4 Flying Training School), and RAF Brawdy (No 234 Squadron, Tactical Weapons Unit).  

As normal, I try to pick out some useful tips and personal learning points along the way and there are plenty to choose from during this formative and fast-paced early stage of my military career.

I really hope you enjoy this return to personal stories - do please give me your feedback; I really do value it a lot!

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What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

My guest for this episode is Phil Crossman, a friend of mine for nearly 20 years and the former Managing Director of Honda UK. 

Phil spent his entire career in the motor trade, and has huge experience with a number of manufacturers, culminating with some 17 years at Honda.  He has a vast amount of leadership experience and the interview covers a range of topics that I'm sure you will find interesting. 

There are some great and amusing car stories, and Phil also provides some fascinating insights into his perspectives on the future of the motor industry.


You can find Phil on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-crossman-95b27820/


In this interview we discuss the following (starting time in brackets): 

• A summary of Phil's career journey (00.02.55)
• Early motivations (00.10.20)
• “Old Man Honda” (00.16.53)
• Adjustments to leadership style (00.24.49)
• Role models (00.29.42)
• Advice to a school age Phil! (00.31.20)
• Most important leadership traits (00.33.12)
• What do you wish you had done differently? (00.40.45)
• Most important achievement & legacy (00.45.50)
• Thoughts on the future of the motor industry (00.50.25)
• The most fun vehicle he has ever driven! (00.59.35)
• The most difficult question he has ever been asked (01.04.20)

Send me a Text Message

Support the show

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

This episode I am delighted to be able to introduce and interview Susie Ballentyne, my co-founder and partner within Leading 4 Life.

Susie and I have known each other since 2011, when we worked together in the UK Ministry of Defence.  She is a social psychologist / behavioural scientist, and has a long background in working with the government as well as in the private sector.  She is in the final stages of completing a PhD and has huge research experience and academic knowledge of leadership issues and, consequently, brings a very complimentary skill set to my own as we work together in this space.

You can find Susie on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susie-ballentyne-7483b132/

In this interview we have an in depth conversation and exchange of ideas that covers a broad range of topics including (starting time in brackets):

• A summary of Susie's career journey to date (2:50)
• Early motivations (7:48)
• Role models (10:37)
• Leaders that have impressed the most (14:19)
• Advice to a school age Susie! (20.57)
• Glass ceilings! (24:17)
• Leadership traits and behaviours (29:03)
• Why we founded Leading 4 Life (44:58)
• A psychologist's views on my podcast!! (49:56)
• Leadership myths! (59:45)
• Training & development success (1:05:00)
• Susie's most memorable event so far! (1:10:02)
• The most difficult question she has ever been asked (1:13:33)

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What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

This episode I was very privileged to be able to host General David Petraeus US Army (Retired) as my very first guest on the podcast.  

It is the first of what will be many interviews in the future and, in every case, I will seek to get the best leadership thoughts, tips and advice from those that are generous enough to give me their time for an interview.

Even a cursory glance at General Petraeus’ career history will reveal what an amazing life he has had and why his views on leadership are so relevant to anyone with an interest in leadership issues. 

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1974, General Petraeus served for 37 years in the US Army, rising to 4* rank and completed 6 consecutive commands as a general officer, five of which were on combat operations, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of US Central Command, and command of all coalition forces in Afghanistan.

He subsequently served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency in 2011/12 and is now very active in business as a Partner at KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute.

General Petraeus' academic credentials are also incredibly impressive.  He is the only person in US Army history to be the top graduate of both the US Army Ranger School and the year-long Command and General Staff College.  He has a PhD in international relations and academics from Princeton University and, from the 1980s to the present day he has been actively involved in senior roles with a range of prestigious academic institutions.

Over the years, he has been named as one of America's 25 Best Leaders, a runner up for Time Magazine's Person of the Year, the Daily Telegraph Man of the Year and numerous other accolades.

For more on his background and current activities please see:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidpetraeus/

https://www.kkr.com/our-firm/leadership/david-h-petraeus

General Petraeus’ new book “Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine”, co-authored with Andrew Roberts is published in October and is available for pre-order on Amazon at this link.

In the interview we cover a wide range of issues including (starting time in brackets):

• Adjustments to his leadership style across the course of his career (2:18).
• His early motivation to join the Army, and a model for strategic leadership (13:58).
• The leadership traits that he values the most (29:13).
• His reflections on what he might have done differently across his career (35:48).
• His most important achievements and reflections on his legacy (39:04).
• The influence his father had on him (47:46).
• The advice he would provide his younger self (56:00).
• His reflections on the state of the world as it is now (1:05:02).
• What next for Ukraine and how does it might end (1:10:48).
• The most difficult question he has ever been asked (1:19:50).

It is a fascinating and wide-ranging discussion and I very much hope you enjoy it! 

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

Trigger Warning: This episode contains emotional details about premature birth,  neonatal death and serious illness.

With this episode I dive straight into the topic of the week and focus on "the loneliness of command". 

Command roles, when you are at the pinnacle of an organisation, can be immensely rewarding but they come with their share of challenges.  Who can you talk to when the going gets tough?  Who provides you advice when you want to test your thinking and ideas?  Who can you simply blow off steam with when you need to air your frustrations?

Loneliness of command is a real issue and most if not all leaders will have experienced it at some point.

In this podcast, I initially set out my own view of why loneliness of command is an issue, especially for leaders in roles where they are at the top of an organisation, however large or small.  The reality of loneliness of command is likely to be very familiar to anyone that has been in such a role but the aim of this podcast is twofold.  

First, I offer some preparatory advice based on my own personal experiences for those who are heading into those leadership positions.  

Second, I leverage some personal examples from my past to highlight why this issue is just as important for those being led as it is for the leaders themselves.  Being a trusted team member might well offer you the opportunity to help your leader at a time when they need it most.

The bottom line is that loneliness of command really is a "thing" and, left unchecked it carries the risk of completely derailing an otherwise extremely competent leader so it should not be underestimated.  Having an understanding of this, whether you are a leader or a team member, should leave you better prepared to face the challenge when it comes!

If you have not already done so, please follow / subscribe to ensure you receive early notification of future episodes.  I would also be extremely grateful if you would provide a review and, if you have the time, some direct feedback as that most definitely helps me to improve and to give you the best possible product.

Send me a Text Message

Support the show

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

In this, my second episode, I initially outline in more detail the 3 types of podcast episodes I will be creating.  You will be able to see the specific type in the title; either Personal Stories, Themes or Guests and, each week, more detail will be provided here to give you an outline before you listen to the episode itself.

This thematic episode will focus on Credibility, Self-Awareness, and Imposter Syndrome.  

To establish some credibility of my own, I give you a short synopsis of my whole career, from young 18 year old RAF Officer Cadet, through to becoming an Air Vice-Marshal in the RAF's Senior Leadership Team, and on to Deloitte, before starting to run my own company back in 2019.  

I do this to give you some perspective on my own leadership experience, with the aim of establishing my own credibility with you the listener.  My knowledge is borne more of experience than academia, and I hope that I make an adequate argument as to why I am worth listening to on the subject of leadership. 

Credibility is crucial for a leader but it is only one aspect of a much more complex puzzle and consequently, I also start to discuss the concepts of self-awareness and imposter syndrome in this episode.  

Self-awareness is vital for a successful leader and so this is undoubtedly a topic that will feature in later episodes as well.  Imposter syndrome is common for many leaders, especially those with heightened levels of self-awareness and so, once again, it is a theme that will feature in further discussions.  Both are introduced here as, in my view, they are essential to consider early in any ongoing discussion about leadership.

If you have not already done so, please follow / subscribe to ensure you receive early notification of future episodes.  I would also be extremely grateful if you would provide a review and, if you have the time, some direct feedback as that most definitely helps me to improve and to give you the best possible product.

Send me a Text Message

Support the show

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

In this first episode of Leading 4 Life "Stories", I talk briefly about what I hope you will get from my podcast as future episodes roll out on a weekly basis, but the majority of this episode is very personal.  

I realise that your time is precious and that you have a lot of choice about what to listen to in this very crowded market, so I wanted to give you a much deeper insight into my background and the early stages of my entry into the Royal Air Force.  

This episode takes you through some of my childhood challenges, my education, and on to my officer training at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, picking out some specific tips along the way that I hope will help you for the future.  

Future episodes will continue to cover my life story, where it is relevant to the leadership skills and personal resilience I have developed along the way.  There will also be episodes that cover specific themes that I believe are important to all leaders.  Last but certainly not least, I will also regularly host conversations with great guests from a wide spectrum of leadership roles, industries and age groups.  

Along the way I reflect on some tips and thoughts that I hope will resonate with you, and help you on your own leadership development journey - that after all is the whole point of me doing this podcast in the first place!  

I do hope you enjoy it and I very much look forward to your reviews and feedback.  After all, "there is no failure, only feedback!"

Send me a Text Message

Support the show

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob

A short trailer about Leading 4 Life "Stories", which is launching very soon.  Hope you enjoy it!

Send me a Text Message

Support the show

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What stood out for you in this episode? I would genuinely welcome your thoughts, experiences and suggestions for future programmes. Use the “Send me a Text Message” link above or leave a comment on YouTube.

If you enjoyed the episode, please follow Leading 4 Life “Stories” on your podcast platform so that you receive future episodes automatically. Sharing it with someone who might find it valuable is also one of the best ways to support the show.

SUPPORT LEADING 4 LIFE “STORIES”

If you value the content and would like to help me continue producing the podcast, you can become a Supporter, Champion or Patron by clicking the "Support the show" link above or by going to:
https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ 

Any contribution is greatly appreciated, but listening, following, sharing and providing feedback are equally valuable.

CONNECT WITH BOB JUDSON

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/

Website:
https://leading4life.co.uk/

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life

X:
https://x.com/JudsonBob