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If you had to explain leadership in one simple sentence, what would you say?

After 100 episodes of talking to extraordinary people about what it means to lead, one answer keeps rising to the top. And it’s not what you might expect.

This short episode marks the beginning of a new chapter — and a return to something essential.

Tune in to discover the one thing that most great leaders have in common.

(And if you’re serious about growing as a leader, check out our Team Leader Essentials and Accelerating Performance programmes — link below)

Check out the Leadership Programmes

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Episode 100 felt like a moment worth marking.

Not with a summary.
Not with highlights.
And not with a look back.

Just a conversation — allowed to unfold.

This episode exists thanks to the generosity, creativity, and support of Kate Walker Miles and Valeriia Diakiv, whose contributions helped bring it into being.

As always, thank you for listening — and for being part of the Leading People journey since January 2021.

Here's to the next 100 episodes...

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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What does it really mean to create a culture where people perform at their best?

In this episode of Leading People, I’m joined by Zach Mercurio, researcher, speaker, and author of The Power of Mattering, to explore how leaders can create a culture of significance — one where people feel seen, valued, and needed.

Drawing on decades of research into motivation and human performance, Zach explains why performance, resilience, and engagement suffer when people feel invisible or replaceable — and why leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the everyday signals that tell people whether they matter.

In our conversation, we explore:

• What a culture of significance really looks like in practice
• Why people perform better when they feel valued and needed
• How leaders often unintentionally signal that people don’t matter
• Small, everyday leadership behaviours that have an outsized impact
• Why significance isn’t a “soft” idea — but a serious performance driver

Zach brings these principles to life through compelling stories from an array of organisations. 

Whether you lead a team, work in HR or L&D, or care about creating environments where people thrive and perform, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Curious?

🎧 Let’s have a listen

Connect with Zach on LinkedIn

Check out the Power of Mattering on Zach's website

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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Most people think they know where their paycheck comes from — but the real answer might surprise you.

In this short episode, Gerry Murray shares a surprising pattern he’s seen in leadership workshops across sectors and industries. It’s a simple mindset shift that separates teams who truly add value… from those who don’t.

This episode just might change the way you think about your work — and the people who depend on it.

Curious?

🎧 Listen now and discover One Simple Thing every leader needs to remember.

Check out Team Leader Essentials

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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What really drives performance at work?

It’s a question many leaders and learning professionals wrestle with — and one that my guest, Paul Matthews, has spent decades exploring.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Paul challenges some of the most common assumptions about training and learning. Drawing on insights from his three books — on informal learning, capability building, and learning transfer — he explains why so many well-intentioned programmes fail to create real behaviour change, and what organisations must do differently.

We cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Why people learn best through activities, not content
• How capability depends on both the individual and the environment
• What your SatNav can teach you about turning learning into performance
• The link between diagnostics, performance consulting, and business outcomes
• How culture can “eat training for breakfast”, and often does
• Designing learning like an engineer: with purpose, precision, and clear success criteria
• Why AI is fast becoming “the world’s tutor” — and what that means for L&D and leaders
• Practical examples of organisations turning learning into sustained performance

Whether you’re a leader, an L&D professional, or simply someone curious about how people grow, this episode offers powerful insights into what actually helps people change behaviour — and what gets in the way.

🎧 Let’s have a listen

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn

Visit Paul's website

Check out his People Alchemy product

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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Every team has a weather system — and often, as a Leader, you’re the one creating it.

In this short Leading People episode of One Simple Thing, we explore how your presence as a leader can lift people up… or wear them down.

If your team’s energy and well-being aren’t where they should be, the solution might not be more perks, more processes, or more pressure.

It might be you.

Curious?

🎧 Listen in to discover one simple leadership move that can shift the climate for the better.

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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Could AI help us end conflict — at work, at home, or even at a global level?

In this episode, Gerry Murray talks with negotiation expert and author Simon Horton about his provocative new book, The End of Conflict.

We explore how AI is already influencing negotiation and collaboration, what it gets right (and wrong), and how a more symbiotic Human–AI relationship could change the way we resolve disagreements of every kind.

If you’re curious about the future of negotiation, the role of AI in reducing conflict, and what this means for leaders today, this conversation is worth your time.

Connect with Simon:

Website
LinkedIn 

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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Most people have a manager. Some even have great ones. But what if you could take more ownership of the relationship — and turn your boss into a genuine career ally?

This short One Simple Thing episode explores one powerful mindset shift that could change everything. 

Part of a series on how to be brilliant at the basics of leadership.

Curious?

🎧 Hit play and find out.

Check out the Team Leader Essentials programme

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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What if the key to thriving in the age of AI isn’t smarter technology — but a smarter relationship with your own brain?

In this episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray talks with Dr Jon Finn, founder of Tougher Minds and author of Train Your Brain for the AI Revolution.

Jon has spent more than two decades studying how the brain drives performance and wellbeing — and how we can train it to stay focused, energised, and adaptable in an AI-saturated world.

Together, Gerry and Jon explore:

• Why brain science, not algorithms, will define the next generation of leaders
• How Brain State Intelligence helps you shift from distraction to focus and flow
• The habits that protect attention, motivation, and mental energy
• Why your inner technology — your brain — is still your ultimate competitive edge

It’s a practical and hopeful conversation about leading yourself, staying human, and using AI without losing focus or purpose.

Curious?

🎧 Listen and discover how to train your brain for the AI era.

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn

Visit Tougher Minds Website

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

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You just got promoted. Now what?

In this short, punchy episode, Gerry poses one essential question that every new (and not-so-new) leader needs to answer.

Because leadership isn’t just a new job…
…it’s a whole new identity.

Curious? 

Tap play to find out more.

Check out Team Leader Essentials and The Performance Accelerator here

Enjoyed this episode? The Leading People Community is where these conversations continue to flourish. 

Free to join — Book reviews, Leading People Café recordings, Podcast episode previews, and a growing group of active HR and L&D professionals, leaders, and coaches who take their work seriously. 

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