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What does your body say about you when you walk into a room?

And how much of your leadership impact depends on something you can’t see — but everyone else can feel?

In this episode, Kate Walker Miles of RADA Business — a trusted advisor to senior executives and leadership teams — reveals how posture, breath, and voice shape credibility, confidence, and influence.

Drawing on her background in experimental psychology, acting, and behavioural coaching, Kate explains how to use your body as an ally in communication, especially when the stakes are high.

And in a unique five-minute guided exercise, she helps you experience what authentic presence feels like in real time — offering practical tools to:

• Ground yourself and manage nerves before high-stakes moments
• Use breath and alignment to project calm authority
• Speak with clarity and conviction 
• Reconnect with your physical presence to lead with impact

If you’ve ever wondered why some leaders hold the room while others disappear into it, this episode will help you understand — and change — what’s really going on.

A practical, engaging conversation that proves leadership isn’t just what you say — it’s how you show up.

Curious?

🎧 Listen now

🎥 Watch Kate’s humorous, yet provocative, talk The Secrets of Food Marketing — viewed over 9.2 million times on YouTube. 

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn

Visit the RADA Business website

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What does good leadership really look like in the day-to-day?

This short Leading People episode kicks off a brand-new One Simple Thing series on how to be brilliant at the basics of leadership. Because let’s face it — it’s the basics that often go missing.

Click play to hear the one question that every leader should be asking themselves.

Check out Team Leader Essentials here

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What if bringing in the dough doesn’t always mean having the power?

In this episode, BBC journalist Melissa Hogenboom explores how breadwinning roles — in families and at work — are shaped by power dynamics, gender norms, and invisible expectations.

Whether you’re a leader, a parent, or both, this conversation will challenge how you think about success, status, and sharing the load.

Together, we discuss:

• Why power at home and power at work are more connected than we think
• How gender roles are evolving — and where they’re stuck
• Why some people feel pressure to perform, even when they don’t hold power
• What leaders and organisations can do to create more balanced dynamics
• How to open up space for empathy, equity, and trust

You'll also discover the Parenting Amplification Effect.

This episode provides a fresh take on power, ambition, and what it means to thrive — at work and at home.

Curious?

🎧 Join the conversation.

Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn

Check out Breadwinners

Read Melissa's Health Fix newsletter

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

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Ever typed a question into ChatGPT and gotten a weird or underwhelming response?

You’re not alone.

In this One Simple Thing episode, we explore why so many AI queries fall flat — and what leaders can do differently. There’s one small shift that makes all the difference… and no, it’s not about being a tech expert.

This is the final part of our short series on how to use AI to enhance your leadership — without losing your human touch.

🎧 Curious? 

Hit play and find out what makes AI really work for you.

🔗 Follow us on LinkedIn for more leadership tips from the Leading People podcast.

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

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What if the biggest barrier to change isn’t strategy or communication — but biology?

In this episode, organisational change expert Hilary Scarlett shares powerful insights from the 3rd edition of her book, Neuroscience for Organizational Change.  She explains how understanding the brain can help leaders navigate resistance, foster trust, and lead transformation that sticks.

Drawing on neuroscience and real-world examples, Hilary shows why getting brains onboard — not just people — is the secret to lasting change.

Together, Hilary and Gerry discuss a wide range of topics, including:

• What neuroscience reveals about why people resist change
• Why uncertainty and ambiguity overwhelm the brain
• How to reduce threat responses and build trust during change
• What leaders can do to communicate more effectively
• How to create clarity, reward prediction, and support resilience

Whether you’re leading a restructure, launching a new initiative, or helping teams through transition — this episode offers practical guidance rooted in science and empathy.

Curious to learn more?

🎧 Listen now to this episode

Connect with Hilary on LinkedIn

Buy Neuroscience for Organizational Change

Check out Hilary's website

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

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What would you do with an extra 30–60 minutes in your day?

In this One Simple Thing episode, Leading People host, Gerry Murray, explores how AI can give leaders back precious time - not by taking over, but by taking the heavy lifting out of your writing tasks. 

You'll be able to free up time for more important leadership tasks. 

Whether it’s an email, a proposal, or a tricky LinkedIn post, learn how to use AI to create smart starting points, enhance your clarity, and even communicate across multiple languages.

If you're someone who doesn't enjoy writing, then this episode may even be a life saver! 

Find out how Gerry lost a job to AI and didn't mind! 

Curious to learn more?

🎧 Listen now to this Leadership time-saving tip

This is part of our mini-series on how to use AI to support your leadership, without losing your human touch.

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

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What separates exceptional leaders from mediocre managers? 

This week's guest, Andrew Palmer, Senior Editor at The Economist and host of the Boss Class podcast, has spent years interviewing some of the world's most influential executives to answer this question.

Drawing from his extensive experience writing the witty and insightful Bartleby column and developing the Boss Class podcast series, Andrew reveals that great leadership isn't only about charisma or authority - it's about mastering the art of balance.

During our conversation, Andrew unpacks four critical leadership dimensions that emerged from his research. 

First, effective leaders act as amplifiers of culture and strategy, using systematic approaches to project their vision throughout an organisation. Companies like Stryker implement this through deliberate hiring practices, organisational structures, and shared language, while Levi's CEO Michelle Gass creates tangible symbols to reinforce strategic priorities.

Second, self-management distinguishes exceptional leaders. Andrew shares a valuable insight from his presentation training with RADA: "turn selfie view off"— focus on your audience rather than yourself. GSK's Emma Walmsley consciously manages her emotions, knowing they impact everyone around her, while other executives create explicit "user manuals" detailing their working preferences.

Third, Andrew demystifies negotiation and decision-making. From the diamond district in New York to diplomatic negotiations with Iran, successful negotiators focus heavily on preparation and relationship-building before formal discussions begin. For decision-making, distinguishing between "one-way doors" (irreversible choices) and "two-way doors" (easily changed decisions) helps calibrate appropriate decision speeds.

Finally, Andrew draws fascinating parallels between jazz improvisation and crisis management, showing how thorough preparation enables creative responses to unexpected challenges. When facing novel situations, leaders succeed by empowering frontline employees to respond based on shared principles rather than rigid protocols.

Whether you're a seasoned executive or newly promoted manager, this conversation offers invaluable insights into practical leadership challenges. 

Andrew's thoughtful analysis, delivered with characteristic wit, illuminates why management remains difficult even for those at the top—and he provides concrete strategies for improvement.

Curious to learn more? 

🎧 Listen now to this episode

Subscribe to Boss Class and listen to Andrew Palmer's conversations with the world's most insightful leaders and management thinkers.

Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn

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

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Ever asked ChatGPT a question, looked at its response and thought… “This isn’t what I wanted”?

In this episode of One Simple Thing…

Gerry Murray reveals why so many AI prompts fail - and what to do instead. Discover how to brief AI tools like ChatGPT as you would a colleague, so they become your assistant, not your replacement.

You’ll learn:

• The six essentials of a good AI brief
• Why vague prompts produce vague outputs
• How to turn AI into a productivity partner (not a frustration machine)

Curious?

🎧 Listen now and transform your AI results with this simple leadership tip.

This is part of the One Simple Thing mini-series on using AI to lead better while staying human.

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

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In this episode…

How do you prove the value of your people programs when budgets are tight and leaders demand evidence? 

This week's guest is Dr. Alaina Szlachta, author of the book Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring.

In this illuminating conversation, Alaina shares practical approaches to measurement and evaluation that don't require a PhD in statistics or massive resources.

Drawing from her experience across corporate, non-profit and academic sectors, Alaina reveals why data literacy is the foundation of effective evaluation. She explains how her journey from "data-phobic" to "data enthusiast" shaped her practical approach to demonstrating impact with limited resources.

The game-changing "Impact Hypothesis" framework Alaina shares creates a logical chain connecting learning programs to business outcomes, without requiring complex statistical analysis. Rather than attempting to prove perfect causation (which is nearly impossible in complex organisations), she demonstrates how to identify meaningful correlations and trends that reveal program effectiveness.

Most provocatively, Alaina addresses the paradox many organisations face: leaders want ROI data from learning initiatives but fail to provide the resources needed to gather it. 

Her "build, borrow, buy" strategy offers practical ways to leverage existing organisational assets to overcome this challenge.

For HR professionals tired of fighting for budget without evidence, and business leaders questioning the value of people investments, this conversation offers a refreshing middle path. 

Alaina's approach makes measurement accessible to everyone, transforming L&D from a cost centre to a strategic driver of organisational success.

Curious?

🎧 Listen now

Connect with Alaina on LinkedIn and mention this podcast to receive a special gift. 

Visit Alaina's website

Buy Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring

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

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Ever wonder if your message is landing the way you intend? 

In this episode of One Simple Thing… 

You'll discover how to use AI tools like ChatGPT to refine your writing, without losing your human voice. 

This isn’t about outsourcing your message. It’s about coaching yourself to be clearer, more intentional, and more confident in what you write and send to others.

You'll learn:

• How AI can act as your writing mirror
• The power of asking better questions
• Why AI doesn’t replace your voice - it sharpens it

Curious?

🎧 Listen now and test this out for yourself.

This is part of our One Simple Thing Mini-Series on using AI to become a better leader - while staying human.

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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