Leading 4 Life "Stories"

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These days it's impossible to have a leadership discussion without "working with Gen Z" coming up pretty quickly, and that is what makes the guest on this episode particularly special.  

Emily Stone is a Deloitte "Brightstart" apprentice who in her own words is doing an "earn while you learn" degree programme alongside her day job as a consultant in Deloitte's UK business.  She joined Deloitte straight from school (that's the basic premise of the Brightstart programme) and, as you will hear on the episode, she is an incredibly charismatic, gregarious individual who without doubt has a very bright future ahead of her.

If you are interested in the Gen Z perspective on the world of work, this episode is definitely one for you, and I think it's fair to say you might be surprised by what Emily has to say.  She breaks down a number of the stereotypical assumptions that people often make about the younger generation, and brings out a range of great leadership observations.  It is a fascinating conversation that I really hope you enjoy, and I very much look forward to your feedback once you have had a listen.

You can find Emily on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-stone-382200263/ 

It was a privilege to conduct this interview as part of a routine event for The Leaders' Club so, although it won't be apparent to you when you listen, we also had a live audience and the chance for some follow on Q&A (which is not included with this episode).  If you are interested in what The Leaders' Club has to offer and want to join a really interesting group for fascinating weekly Chatham House Rules presentations, just head to https://www.theleadersclub.org/ where you will find everything you need to know, including how to become a member.  

On a final note, this episode was recorded away from my normal location so I do apologise for the background noise that you can sometimes hear whilst I am speaking - it was regrettably unavoidable on this occasion.

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/kAXVVXmvEkA

As I conclude the personal stories chronology of my career to date, I thought it would be appropriate to provide a bit more detail on what I am actually doing now with Leading 4 Life under the umbrella of Bob Judson Consulting Ltd.  The content may feel a bit like an advert and, although that was certainly not the intent, I would of course be delighted to hear from anyone that is interested in what I offer within my current portfolio.  I will continue personal stories in future episodes as I take a deeper dive into some of the most interesting periods in my career throughout the years.

As someone who is passionate about leadership development, I haven chosen to develop my offer around three focused areas: professional keynote speaking, workshops and training; and executive coaching.  Each of these areas has real value for anyone that is looking to develop personally or to improve the skills of their teams and, as I highlighted in my double page spread in the Spring 2026 edition of Your Business with James Caan, I strongly believe that starting with keynote speaking is a really time and cost efficient way to help a good number of people in short space of time.  Workshops and coaching are also immensely valuable for anyone looking to go deeper and I am always available to discuss any or all of these options if it would be of interest to you.

I really hope that you find the episode interesting and enjoyable, even if you aren’t specifically looking for leadership development at this time.  As ever, if you like it, please share it widely, comment, repost and subscribe for future episodes.  Thanks again for watching / listening - I really do appreciate it.

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/XfYdr2UuzOA

Pressure!  Everyone feels it; however, it's how you respond to it that really matters.  Do you fold underneath the pressure or do you use it as a superpower to enhance your capability?

In this episode, I talk about some of my own experiences with pressure.  There are many many more I could have mentioned and I've saved some for further personal story episodes, but my intention this time was to discuss the issue on a thematic basis and, as ever, I hope that what I have to say is useful and informative.  

Please do let me have some feedback once you've watched the episode - I would be fascinated to know if your experiences are similar to mine and also to hear how you handle pressure in your own life.  I really hope you enjoy the show.

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/GaAeea-feFM

Since departing Deloitte to go it alone and run my own company, there are a myriad of things that I have to focus on to build the business.  These are certainly not unique to my company and, consequently, I hope that many of the things I say in this episode will be useful tips for anyone else stepping out from a private or public sector company and starting to build their own business.

It has certainly not all been easy or straightforward but I love the freedom that being my own boss gives me and I certainly wouldn't want to change it now.  That said, I don't shy away from the challenges, and my intention with this episode is to share some of those as I have done all along with the personal stories I have shared on the show.

I really hope you enjoy the episode.  This is one where I would definitely be interested in your own thoughts and experiences, especially if you have any alternative thoughts to my own.

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/5tWESWMJkRc

It was a real delight to interview Maria Franzoni for the show.  Charismatic and lively, Maria is full of great ideas and thoughts that made this a really interesting episode.  She has been in the speaking industry for much of her working life but she has prior experience as well and she draws on that extensively during our discussion.  

Within the speaking world, Maria has worked with many household names, initially as a booking agent / agency owner, and now as a mentor and coach, helping speakers to improve their businesses.  She has written an outstanding book, "The Bookability Formula" that is a must read for anyone who is interested in professional speaking in any capacity.

Maria certainly doesn't hold back in this episode; she is very open about a wide range of issues, including some deeply personal ones and I found it a fascinating conversation.  I hope you enjoy it too - please do let me know once you have had a watch!

Footnote: During the recording, Maria mentions Ravi Rajani but not by his full name so we wanted to credit him here for completeness. 

You can find Maria here:

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

Website: https://www.mariafranzoni.me/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMariaFranzoni or https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpeakingBusiness

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/5tWESWMJkRc

It might be a personal view, but I believe that integrity and trust and two of the most important leadership traits and both are sine qua non for any good leader to have.  

Sadly, however, we all too often see leaders in pivotal positions who seem to have forgotten the importance of demonstrating integrity, building trust with those that work with them, and trusting those same people to do their very best for the team as a whole.

I use political leadership as an example of where I believe this is going wrong, but I do not cite any particular individuals as I don't believe that would be helpful.  The problem is certainly not unique to politicians though; there are plenty of leaders across all walks of life who fail to demonstrate adequate integrity or trust.

In this episode, I take a deeper dive into integrity and trust.  I look at a couple of really valuable models that help leaders to think about trust in particular: "5 Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni, and the Trust Equation by Trusted Advisor Associates.  

Hopefully I will also stimulate you to think about your own "score" in these areas - passing the "look in the mirror" test is something every leaders should be able to do on a routine basis - when did you last do yours?

I really hope you enjoy the episode and, as ever, I would really appreciate your feedback.  This is an area that is too important for us to ignore!

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/_zMu2uG7Hbs

It was a real delight to interview the wonderful Leigh Bowman-Perks for this episode of the podcast.  Although she is perhaps best known as the Founder and CEO of the Inspiring Leadership Foundation, her story and career portfolio is much broader.  

She is a business performance coach, motivational speaker and a published author and, as becomes clear in the episode, Leigh has also had a multi-faceted corporate career.  As if that wasn't enough, she had to overcome some very challenging early life events, and so her story is both fascinating and emotional in equal measure!

Leigh's Inspiring Leadership Foundation is doing outstanding and very important charitable work. It has delivered transformative programmes across 7 countries and has a particular focus on under represented communities.  

You can find Leigh here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leigh-bowman-perks-82082910/

Website: https://inspiringleadership.foundation/

May 2026 will also see the Foundation's second "Ride to Inspire" charity cycling event, which aims to raise the profile of the charity still further using sport, leadership and philanthropy to unite communities and celebrate inspiring role models. If you are interesting in learning more or supporting the Ride to Inspire you can get the full story here:

https://inspiringleadership.foundation/ride-to-inspire/

As ever, I hope you enjoy what I thought was a great discussion; please do let me know what you think as I really value your 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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/JMjhvV7Rj7E

Dom Wilkins has had a long and impressive career in the world of broadcast media.  His credentials include roles at the BBC, Sky TV and most recently with OSN in Dubai.

In this fascinating episode we explore Dom's personal journey but we also get well behind the scenes of the broadcast media world, an area which will be largely unknown to most, since most of us simply view the end product of the TV production process without any real knowledge of all the issues that sit behind that final output.

Expect to be surprised by some of what Dom says - I certainly was - but I'm sure you will also learn a lot, and I really hope you enjoy this terrific conversation.

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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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/v7FfWJVAbug

When I joined Deloitte after my time in the Royal Air Force, I had no idea whether this would be my new "job for life" or just a lilypad to land on before jumping on to the next thing.  As it turned out, it was the latter and after 3 1/2 years of great experiences, wonderful people and a huge amount of learning, I moved on once again to start my own company and begin the journey that I am still on today.

In this episode I explain the thought process behind that decision and the steps I took to make the subsequent transition.  There are lessons in here for everyone because, whilst I took a huge amount from my time at Deloitte, I certainly didn't get everything right in terms of my own career management.  As with so many of my personal stories, I very much hope that by sharing some of my own experiences, I can help others to avoid similar pitfalls in their own lives.

I really hope you enjoy the episode; please do let me have some feedback if you have the time.

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

Before you do anything else, please hit the subscribe / follow button in your podcast platform to ensure you get immediate notification of future episodes, and to help boost this show within the algorithms.

This episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/xclA3tiY3QY

There are a range of recent occurrences that led me to think that "Accountability & Ownership" would be a good topic for a thematic episode of the show this week.  Far too often (in my view at least) individuals or organisations lose sight of the importance of owning the results of your actions and being accountable for them.  We live in a world where all too frequently, people look around for someone else to "blame" and do everything to avoid taking responsibility themselves.  

In this very short episode, I encourage you to take a look in the mirror at your own approach to this issue.  How good are you at holding yourself accountable for your actions and decisions?  If you are a leader, do you take ownership or the results of your team even when they are not what you wanted them to be?  Have a think about it and, if necessary, consider how you might change your approach to this vitally important issue.  

I really hope this stimulates your thinking and that you enjoy the episode; please let me have your feedback and I'll be back with more content very soon.

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