In my last podcast, I was really pleased to be talking to an experienced and very successful woman from Bahrain, Khulood Al Qattan.

But there are always young women who are setting themselves up for a successful, long-term leadership journey.

 Sometimes in the corporate context, they’re labeled ‘emerging leaders’.

 My guest this week is a perfect candidate for that description – and in addition, she’s from Dubai, where women leaders are now reaching high-profile, significant leadership roles.

Alia Al Ali is a young woman who is already being noticed for her leadership skills.

In our conversation I want to find what lead her to becoming recognized as an exemplary leader, what she’s learned about leadership and where she sees her leadership journey taking her.

My guest today is living proof that determination and commitment brings huge rewards.

She began her career in the customer service area of a bank, and after various positions in that bank, joined another bank as general manager…, then another as CEO of an investment bank twelve months later.

 Khulood Al Qattan is from Bahrain. At the peak of her banking career she was appointed as the first female board member of Bahrain’s national telecommunications company, Batelco and she served on the board of several international companies. 

But after a successful career in investment banking, how can she make the transition to international telecommunications ?

And here's another change of direction – and a great honor - recently, she was appointed by His Majesty, the King of Bahrain as Vice Chairman of the national Municipal Council.

Above all, she has some strong views on leadership which I believe are the reasons she‘s been so successful.

I have a very special guest this week. I say ‘very special’ because of what she’s been through and what she’s now doing with the experience of what she’s been through.

Angie Chaplin had a 20 year career in HR and capacity management. Among her many qualifications in the area of human behavior, she’s a Certified Master of The Leadership Challenge.

And she was Professor of Strategic Communication & Leadership at Seton Hall University.

Her company is called, appropriately, Mindful Leadership and she brings the power of mindfulness to leaders and organizations She also focuses on the importance of mental health in the workplace – and that’s important for all of us.

 Just a few years ago, Angie suffered an alcohol-use disorder which became life threatening.

Now she’s on her journey of recovery and she’s agreed to share that with us – as well as the important leadership work she’s doing, developing others.

I know this is going to be a powerful, and I’m sure inspiring conversation.

Today, we’re going back to Bahrain. I’ve said before this maybe a small country, but it punches above its weight.

And the women there are amazing. I’ve had two inspiring guests from Bahrain recently: Sonja Janahi  and Dina Bseisu.

My guest today is Eman Dea’bil. Eman is passionate about women becoming outstanding leaders. She’s a highly qualified project manager and is pushing for more women to become project managers.

She’s also researching the impact of women in the boardroom. I’m sure you won’t be surprised that the impact is positive ! But it's just not happening enough. 

But we’ll let Eman explain that.

I’ve always said my podcasts are ‘conversations with inspiring leaders from around the world’.

In the podcast before last we were in Nepal. The one before this, in Bahrain and now the US – Los Angeles.

My guest this week is Michele Kawamoto Perry. Michele has been involved in leadership development for over 20 years. She’s a Certified Master of The Leadership Challenge, among the other qualifications she has acquired over the years to help leaders and organizations be more successful.

She has a qualification from Cornell University in Diversity and Inclusion.

And she’s a certified Sommelier. So I’m sure we’ll talk wine.

Like me, Michele is passionate about developing women leaders.

This week we’re going back to Bahrain to meet a truly remarkable woman.

A former banker dealing with private clients for 20 years, my guest had what she calls a ‘life changing’ event. She describes one particular day as the most important day of her life.

My inspiring guest this week is Dina Bseisu.

Dina is Palestinian – but she only lived there until she was four, as her family left there as refugees and moved to Bahrain.

Obviously, her Palestinian heritage is so much a part of who she became.

I’ll let her tell you what happened on that particular day that changed her life – but what it was is something that I believe more woman should talk about.

The result of that day, in her case, lead to the establishment of a foundation which has provided help to over 25,000 women who have been marginalized as a result of conflict and continues to do so today and has changed their lives. 

Let me introduce you  to  the amazing Dina Bseisu.

 Bhupendra Ghimiri or as most people call him Bhupi, is from Nepal.
 
 Bhupi began his career as a teacher but soon realized there was a need to improve the lives of the people of Nepal in so many ways.

I always love to talk to women who are innovative and who become successful in the process. Isn't that what leaders do ?

My guest this week is Hope Zvara and she is certainly innovative and successful.

Hope was introduced to yoga to help her with some issues she was having.

She became so involved that she then became a yoga teacher and set up her own yoga school to teach others. 

But then something happened which means she is now making a difference to the well-being and therefore the lives of truckers across the US. 

Yes, truck drivers, you know, the ones that do the long-haul transport where they’re sitting in the cabin of their truck, driving for hours.

Hope had a brilliant business idea to improve the wellness of truck drivers. She calls it Mother Trucker Yoga.

And now she’s changing lives … just as leaders do. Hope has some clear ideas about how she’s leading and what she wants to do as a leader.

I know you’re going to enjoy my conversation with Hope.

This week my guest is a woman who, like me, left Bangladesh to begin a new phase of her life in another country. 

Ayesha Bibha is an Australian Bangladeshi thought leader in the neuroscience of leadership. 

 She has experience designing and delivering learning solutions to develop global corporate, non-profit, and academic leadership capabilities. 

For over 17 years, she walked an ambitious path as a mom, educator, L&D consultant, facilitator, performance coach, mentor, and advisor. Ayesha is a TEDx speaker, 

She is the author of author of Mindspeed, she’s an affiliate professor at the University of Denver, mentor in Inspiring Rare Birds and founder of Mindspeed Academy. 

And she’s an expert on using neuroscience based-strategy for leadership.

 I’m fascinated to learn about the impact of the work she has done on neuroscience and leadership.

Just occasionally in my podcast, I move away from having an inspiring woman as my guest. But always the focus is leadership.

This week, my guest is one of the most highly recognized people in the area of leadership and leadership development – globally. Forty years of evidence-based research and seven editions of the book he co-authored, certainly has him as the most highly recognized in this area. 

I am honored that this week my guest is Jim Kouzes.

Jim and his co-author, Barry Posner have influenced the development of literally millions of leaders around the world. How many people can genuinely claim that?

Their book, The Leadership Challenge has long been regarded as being in the top five leadership books of all time. And not many books make it to seven editions. 

I have so many questions for Jim and I’m excited to have him with me this week,