Most leaders are never trained in how to manage their emotions.

In this solo episode, I break down emotional fitness and why it plays a critical role in leadership, decision-making, and performance. When emotions take over, we react instead of respond, avoid difficult conversations, and make decisions driven by fear rather than values.

I explore the difference between emotionally fit and emotionally unfit leadership, along with practical ways to build awareness, regulate emotions, and lead with clarity under pressure.

If you want to improve how you show up as a leader, this is a skill you can’t afford to ignore.

What We Cover:

 00:00 Introduction: The skill leaders aren’t trained in
 01:00 Why emotions override logic
 01:30 What emotional fitness really means
 02:10 Emotionally fit vs unfit leaders
 03:00 Reacting vs responding
 03:40 Common emotional patterns (fear, defensiveness)
 04:20 Making decisions from values vs emotions
 05:10 Building awareness and catching reactions
 05:40 Labelling emotions and shifting state
 06:10 Practical tools to regulate emotions
 06:40 Emotional fitness and leadership under pressure
 07:00 Final takeaway

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• Where am I reacting instead of responding?
• What emotion is driving my recent decisions?
• Where am I avoiding tension instead of addressing it?
• What would it look like to lead from my values instead of fear?

#Leadership #EmotionalIntelligence #ModernLeadership #CourageousLeaders

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What if the way you understand people is incomplete?

In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I am joined by Kathleen Saxton, Psychotherapist, Executive Coach, and Best-Selling Author, to explore the psychology behind behaviour, leadership, and one of the most misunderstood traits, narcissism.

This conversation goes beyond labels.

From how narcissism actually shows up in men and women, to identity, emotional patterns, and leadership blind spots, this episode challenges how we interpret people, power, and performance.

Because often, what we think is happening is not the full picture.

If you want to better understand human behaviour, navigate complex personalities, and become more self-aware as a leader, this episode will shift your perspective.

What We Cover:

00:00 – Trailer
02:00 – The Courage to Walk Away from Toxic Situations
04:10 – Why People Stay in Toxic Jobs & Relationships
07:30 – Trauma, Therapy & Personal Backstory
10:15 – Narcissistic Relationships & Validation Trap
12:00 – What Narcissism Really Looks Like
14:10 – Narcissism: Traits vs Personality Disorder
18:00 – How Narcissists Manipulate & Control You
21:10 – The Dark Triad Explained
22:30 – Why Narcissists Become Leaders
26:15 – Why Companies Protect Toxic High Performers
31:40 – How to Handle a Narcissistic Boss
43:20 – Covert vs Grandiose Narcissists
47:10 – Can Narcissists Change?
50:10 – Are Narcissists Good Leaders?
58:00 – Character vs Performance in Leadership
01:05:00 – Final Advice: Protect Yourself & Your Integrity

This is not just about understanding others.
It is about understanding how you lead and show up.

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Power is always present in leadership… whether you realise it or not.

In my work with leadership teams, I see how often power shows up in ways people don’t talk about.

Not in obvious or intentional ways, but in the small moments.
Who speaks first.
Whose opinion carries weight.
What gets challenged… and what gets left unsaid.

In this episode, I break down the four ways power shows up inside executive teams, and how these patterns can quietly shape your culture, your decisions, and your results.

From dominance and control, to holding back and avoiding challenge, these dynamics are happening in every team… whether you’re aware of them or not.

This isn’t about removing power.
It’s about understanding how you’re using it.

Because the moment you can see it, you can change it. 

00:00 How power shows up in your leadership
00:33 Where power shows up in executive teams
01:00 Why avoiding power creates problems
01:40 Power over when control takes over
02:35 The impact of shutting down discussion
03:23 When performance hides poor behaviour
03:46 Power under when leaders stop speaking up
04:38 The illusion of alignment in teams
05:06 Power with working as a collective
05:34 Power within building self trust as a leader
06:01 How pressure shifts leadership behaviour
06:26 Why people stop speaking up across the business
06:50 Three shifts to change how power is used
07:42 Why strong teams don’t avoid tension
08:08 Final reflection on how power is really being used

This Episode Explores

• Power dynamics in leadership teams
• Executive team behaviour and decision making
• Psychological safety and speaking up
• Leadership self awareness
• Managing dominance and control
• Building stronger team alignment
• Creating healthier leadership cultures

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• Where might I be using control instead of creating space for others
• When do I hold back instead of speaking up
• How do I react when I’m challenged
• What is the impact of my behaviour on the team

If this episode makes you pause or reflect, that’s where the real work starts.

Leadership isn’t about removing pressure or power.
It’s about understanding how you show up within it.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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What does leadership look like when everything is on the line?

In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I’m joined by three extraordinary leaders, Mandy Hickson, former RAF fast jet pilot, Mark Fetters, Bomb Disposal Squadron Commander, and Rob Keeping, former military professional turned Managing Director.

From being shot at mid-air, to leading bomb disposal missions, to making high-stakes decisions under extreme pressure, this is leadership in its rawest form.

This isn’t theory. This is what leadership looks like when failure isn’t an option.

We explore what courage really means, why fear is part of the process, how elite teams are built, and what modern leaders are getting wrong when it comes to burnout, performance, and growth.

If you’re leading a team, building a business, or navigating uncertainty, this conversation will challenge how you think, act, and show up.

What We Cover:

00:00 – Trailer
01:07 – Why This Military Leadership Panel Is Different
01:28 – What Courage REALLY Means (Not What You Think)
03:32 – Courage Isn’t the Absence of Fear
05:26 – Bomb Disposal Mindset: Confidence vs Caution
08:02 – Fear of Failure: Military vs Corporate Reality
11:46 – Leading a War Mission as a Junior
13:07 – Shot at by a Missile… Then the Mission Changed
16:24 – “Only Do What Only You Can Do”
19:00 – Why Relying on an A-Team Will Kill Your Company
25:22 – The 80% Rule (Peak Performance Without Burnout)
27:05 – Burnout, Stress & Why Leaders Are Breaking Today
34:03 – Failure, Rejection & Becoming a Fighter Pilot
45:30 – Final Reflections & Leadership Takeaways
51:30 – Final Message & Closing Thoughts

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about how you show up when it matters most.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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Are you leading your team… or unknowingly holding them back?

In my work as a leadership coach, I’ve seen how easy it is for well-intentioned leaders to fall into toxic patterns, without even realising it.

In this episode, I break down the subtle behaviours that quietly build into toxic leadership. The ones that don’t look harmful on the surface, but over time, create dependency, frustration, and disengagement within your team.

From being the “fixer” to micromanaging, avoiding conflict, or slipping into passive aggression, these are patterns I’ve seen in countless leaders… and ones I’ve had to confront in myself too.

This is not about blame.
It’s about awareness.

Because the moment you can see it, you can change it.

00:00 – Are you a toxic leader without realising it?
00:40 – The toxic leadership pyramid explained
01:10 – The “fixer” trap: helping vs control
02:00 – Why micromanagement limits your team
02:50 – Avoiding conflict and the need to be liked
03:40 – Passive aggression and emotional awareness
04:30 – When toxicity turns into bullying
05:00 – How to recognise and shift these behaviours

This Episode Explores:

• Toxic leadership behaviours
• Micromanagement and control patterns
• Emotional intelligence in leadership
• Workplace bullying awareness
• Leadership self-awareness
• Building empowered teams
• Breaking unconscious habits

Reflection Questions for Leaders

• Where am I over-helping instead of empowering?
• What am I still controlling that I should let go? 
• Which conversation am I avoiding right now?
• Where have I been indirect instead of honest?

If this episode feels uncomfortable, that’s a sign you’re paying attention.

Leadership isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being aware enough to do better.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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What does it really take to have the courage to change?

In this episode, we unpack the real, messy, and powerful moments behind choosing change in your career and life.

I sit down with Amber Shand, Founder of She Bites Back; Catherine Peacock, Co-Founder of 05:37; and Georgie Rechner, Bodybuilder and Founder of Midlife Rebel, who all found the courage to change their lives. 

This isn’t about overnight success or glossy highlight reels. It’s about the struggle to shift your identity, let go of old job titles, handle fear of judgement, and actually put in the work when things get tough. We dive deep into what makes bold change possible, and why being true to yourself matters more than anything.

Whether you’re thinking about leaving your job, starting something new, or just need a bit more resilience, this conversation will help you see what courage really means, from losing people to building your own path.

We cover:
00:00 – Introduction
01:24 – What it takes to make real change
02:41 – Shifting your identity and asking for help
03:04 – Launching a business and finding courage
05:21 – The moment you decide to go for it
07:27 – What pushes people to make big changes
11:05 – Facing your biggest fears
12:49 – Dealing with judgement and self-worth
15:16 – Losing your identity and finding what’s next
19:03 – The price of happiness vs material comfort
21:02 – Keeping confidence going during tough times
23:28 – Visualising the future and being true to yourself
25:32 – Why failing isn’t really failure
27:26 – Action, liminal spaces, and getting through anxiety
29:19 – The reality of hard work in entrepreneurship
33:38 – Balancing rest, joy and burnout
45:55 – The grief and loss that comes with change
49:09 – How midlife gives us ‘no tolerance for bullshit’
51:54 – Building visible strength and confidence
55:06 – Physical strength as mental strength
58:27 – Introvert myths and running a business
01:01:08 – Would you change anything? No regrets

Don’t miss this honest and practical conversation about courage, change, and finding your own way.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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How do you lead when certainty disappears?

In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I’m joined by Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Neuroscientist and Author of Tiny Experiments.

This conversation genuinely changed how I think about leadership, productivity, burnout and decision-making.

We talk about what happens when your identity is tied to your job.
And how an experimental mindset can change your life
What procrastination is really trying to tell you.
Why goal setting is broken.

If you’re a leader who feels stuck and tired of pushing harder but not seeing better results…
Stay to the end.

Anne-Laure shares a practical way to replace the illusion of certainty with curiosity. And it’s something you can apply immediately in your workplace, your team, and your own internal world.

We cover:
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Leaving Google and the wake-up call that changed everything
04:00 – Identity, external validation and starting again
06:00 – Why our brains hate uncertainty
08:30 – The illusion of control and compensatory control
11:00 – Why leaders feel trapped (and how tiny experiments create agency)
14:40 – Linear goals vs experimental loops
17:00 – How to build a culture of experimentation in your team
22:00 – Procrastination is not laziness (head, heart or hand?)
30:00 – Fear, psychological safety in the workplace and uncertainty
34:30 – Time anxiety and why we make our worlds smaller as adults
38:50 – Better decision making: internal vs external signals
44:00 – Self anthropology and how to observe your burnout patterns

This episode explores:
• Tiny experiments in leadership
• How to stop procrastinating at work
• Leadership under uncertainty
• Psychological safety in the workplace
• Decision making under uncertainty
• Burnout recovery and time anxiety
• Overcoming imposter syndrome
• Curiosity in leadership
• Profound insights into personal growth and self improvement

If you’ve ever felt pressure to have all the answers as a leader, this conversation will feel like a breath of fresh air.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ

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Struggling to break free from the UK’s “play it safe” mindset?

In this explosive episode, Josh White, founder of Cano Water, gets real about why British culture is stuck in a cycle of skepticism, lack of support, and shutting down bold ideas before they can breathe. 

He shares raw truths about growing up with ADHD, battling addiction, and constantly being underestimated.

He exposes how our resistance to backing innovators and celebrating success holds the UK back, while the US supercharges visionaries. If you know you’re meant for more, but keep hitting a wall of doubt and gatekeeping, this conversation will hopefully inspire you and give you the resilience to keep going.

We Cover:

01:08 – How growing up as the underdog shaped his drive
03:03 – The moment ADHD was diagnosed and what changed
06:18 – Understanding the link between ADHD and addiction
09:09 – How addiction masked deeper struggles (and why sobriety mattered)
12:06 – What it’s actually like to live and work with ADHD
16:00 – How to build a company without ‘fitting in’
20:18 – Creating Cano Water when nobody believed in it
25:10 – Why being different matters, and the truth about risk
28:12 – The real problem with the United Kingdom mindset and backing new ideas
33:07 – Fixed mindset vs growth mindset: what’s holding us back
37:43 – Small things any of us can do to build a more supportive culture
40:20 – Nurturing belief and creativity, why it starts young
44:13 – The courage to show up and keep leading (even when it’s hard)

Don’t miss this emotive and thought-provoking episode packed with practical ideas for ambitious leaders, creative thinkers, and anyone who’s ever felt underestimated.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ

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Why do so many successful leaders still feel stuck, disconnected, or self doubt, even when things look good on paper?

In this solo episode, I explore how senior leaders, founders, and leadership teams can build self-trust by listening to their three intelligence centres: head, heart, and gut, especially when making difficult decisions or designing a life that truly fits.

This reflection draws on my work with CEOs and leadership teams, alongside my own journey of learning to trust myself beyond logic, external validation, and “what I should do.”

This episode is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and reconnect with the internal signals that guide brave leadership, aligned decision-making, and sustainable success, so you can lead, decide, and live with more courage and clarity.

00:00 – Why so many successful leaders still feel disconnected
02:15 – Courage starts with listening, not confidence
05:10 – The three intelligence centres every leader has
08:30 – The Head: clarity, logic, and the overthinking trap
12:40 – The Heart: values, emotion, and what really matters
17:20 – The Gut: instinct, timing, and quiet courage
22:10 – What happens when one centre dominates your leadership
26:30 – Designing a life that actually feels like yours
30:40 – Simple questions to build self-trust in decisions
35:10 – A closing reflection on choosing courage differently

Reflection Questions for Leaders
• Which intelligence centre do I default to under pressure?
• What has my gut been trying to tell me that I’ve rationalised away?
• Where am I living a version of success that looks right — but feels wrong?
• What would a 10% more courageous decision look like right now?

Don’t miss out on this powerful episode which can help your leadership  and personal development. 

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ

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How do you lead with conviction when everything is changing around you?

It’s the big question for every UK leader right now and exactly why I invited Simon Cook, CEO of Cannes Lions, onto the podcast.

In this episode, we get honest about what it really takes to let go of control, build true trust in your team, and stay resilient even when things don’t go as planned.

We dive into:
• When to keep going, and when to let go
• The link between conviction and coordination in leadership
• Why control feels safe – but stops growth
• Managing failure without losing momentum
• Leading through mergers and high-stakes change
• How to stay calm and mentally fit (even when your diary explodes)

It’s practical, candid, and focuses on what UK leaders need now: leading bravely, staying relevant, and keeping your energy focused.

00:00 – Introduction 
01:00 – Why leading with conviction can become a weakness 
04:21 – Building a smarter team and learning to trust
07:11 – The role of failure in leadership 
09:37 – Conviction and coordination: the keys to change 
10:33 – How Simon navigated a 500-person business through a major acquisition 
12:29 – Staying confident when you actually feel uncertain 
14:01 – The importance of staying grounded and calm for your team 
15:51 – Learning from mergers, culture shifts, and tough decisions 
17:26 – Evolving your leadership style as everything changes 
19:00 – What’s really happening in the UK marketing industry right now 
22:40 – Where UK creativity is heading next
24:06 – The advice Simon would give every agency CEO 
28:17 – Protecting your brand and your time under pressure 
33:02 – Practical ways to help leaders prioritise, focus, and say no 
35:19 – Why emotional intelligence matters more than ever 
36:22 – Leading through failure, and making learning collective 
37:23 – Being bolder, more disciplined, and mentally fit for the future

Don’t miss this down-to-earth, actionable conversation. If you’re navigating organisational change, agency mergers, or just struggling to keep your team steady, this episode gives you the kind of real, UK-focused leadership advice we all need.

In a world of constant strategic change, this conversation focuses on how to manage change effectively within your business, emphasising practical management techniques for organisational design and personal development.

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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