In episode 102 of the podcast, I speak with Polly McMorrow, CEO of McCann London.

Join us as we discuss the amount of pressure many leaders put on themselves to succeed and the delicate balance of self-imposed pressure against the backdrop of industry expectations.

We also discuss the contagious nature of fearless leadership and why it’s so important for CEOs to have patience, positivity, and transparency.

Key takeaways include:

● The initial hesitation around the opportunity to become CEO
● The impact of adapting to different professional environments
● The importance of encouraging a culture where employees can be themselves
● The transition to CEO and instilling change while respecting the existing culture
● Being promoted for potential
● The vitality of knowing oneself to build genuine connections and lead with integrity

Polly joined McCann London in 2022 after a successful 14-year tenure as MD of BBH, where she drove significant growth for brands like Audi and VW and won back-to-back IPA Effectiveness Awards. Passionate about client business, she fosters high-performing teams, and mentors, and is active in various industry associations.

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In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m covering the difference between an achiever and a performer, a topic I often cover in my self-leadership trainings, which tends to resonate with many people.

Join me as I explore the key differences between being an achiever and being a performer, and what you need to understand about these roles to become an effective leader.

I also discuss the importance of authenticity and deep self-awareness in leadership.
Key takeaways include:

● The impact being an achiever can have on your leadership and long-term success
● How the drive for success can stem from a feeling of inadequacy
● The quality of work and outcomes that come from different mentalities

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In episode 100 of the podcast, I speak with Ian Millner, Co-founder and Chair of Iris.

Join us whilst we discuss the importance of culture and having an employee brand that is exciting and visceral and that makes employees feel like they are a valuable part of the organisation.

Ian also shares the 3 pillars of effective leadership and what it means to lean into these
principles as leaders.

Key takeaways include:

● The frustration of seeing leaders being too cautious in their leadership
● Why you need to invest in an Employee Value proposition and care about your culture
● The opportunity to be a leader who can create and share their vision
● Why you should start by giving trust and not waiting for it to be earned
● Employing a moral compass, especially in high-stress situations
● Empowering people to make decisions, even if it leads to mistakes
● The significance of resilience, determination, and rational decision-making based on
firm purpose and values

Ian Millner is the co-founder and global Chair of Iris Worldwide, leading expansion into 17 countries with a focus on diversity, innovation, and entrepreneurship to challenge the status quo.

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In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m talking about the art of backing yourself as a leader. This is a topic that is very close to my heart and I wanted to spend some time discussing it today.

I’m debunking the myths surrounding self-assurance and arrogance and why backing yourself isn’t arrogance, it’s actually caring for yourself, celebrating what you're able to do, and loving who you are.

I also discuss why you have to learn to empower yourself through investing in you and building that trust with yourself and what you’re capable of.

Key takeaways include:

● Sharing my personal journey with low self-confidence
● Exploring the craving for external validation and its implications
● Embracing the highs and lows of confidence in leadership roles
● Recognising the tendencies of leaders lacking self-backing
● Encouraging personal growth through stepping out of comfort zones
● Elevating performance by setting higher standards for oneself

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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In episode 98 of the podcast, I speak with Conrad Persons, President of Grey, London.

Join us as we discuss the importance of sharing your ideas with your team first to make sure they’re on the same page as you and want to jump out of the “plane” alongside you. He also shares the hard lessons learned from when your team stays on the plane instead of following you.

Conrad also discusses how we spend our time as leaders and the necessity for candid
reflection and prioritisation when managing our time.

Key takeaways include:

● The power of focusing on the smaller interactions instead of grand gestures to motivate people
● Dealing with defensiveness when ideas are contested
● Why you need to separate personal identity from ideas
● Managing your emotions and having strategic patience
● The danger of overplanning when stepping into a new role
● Understanding both individual and group mindsets
● The impact of your daily decisions on productivity

Conrad is an entrepreneur and current President of Grey, London. Conrad leads the flagship London studio, which is home to award-winning work, partnering with iconic clients P&G, Haleon, Kellogg, and Arla.

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In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m going solo to discuss the topic of excessive
resilience—a challenge I've personally grappled with, nearly breaking me in the process.

Join me as I delve into the seven components of resilience and offer some helpful insights into cultivating resilience for yourself or your team members.

I'll also be sharing my own experiences of placing immense pressure on myself to be the hero in others' lives, and how this has influenced my perspective as a leader.

Key takeaways include:

● The impact of excessive resilience on personal health
● Experiencing false hope syndrome and its impact
● The impact of worrying about what other people think
● Toxic work environments with public humiliation
● Recognising if you are reaching for unattainable goals

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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In episode 96 of the podcast, I speak with Melissa Chapman, CEO of Jungle Creations.

Join us as we discuss how to effectively overcome resistance to change within your
organisation by approaching it in a way that makes people feel like you are all in it together.

Melissa also discusses the challenges of having ADHD when it came to her habits as a leader and why giving herself permission to be her authentic self allowed her to fully embrace who she is as a leader.

Key takeaways include:

● How courage is being willing to break the norms and focus on the future
● The blend of courage and guardian leadership in an organisation
● The pros and cons of transitioning from Co-CEO to CEO
● Practicing patience and valuing different working styles within the team
● Utilising stress and challenge as a catalyst for growth
● The importance of saying no and managing expectations with the team
● Why we need a balance of optimism and pessimism to grow
● Managing measured risk and the importance of timely decision-making
● The fine line between resilience and recognising when to let go
● Why you must recognise your worth and ask for what you feel you deserve

Melissa Chapman is CEO at Jungle Creations, a leading social publisher and agency, where she sets the overall business vision and growth strategy. Melissa was Jungle's first employee in 2014 and since has scaled Jungle's owned audiences from 1M to 140M+, working with clients including MLB, PepsiCo, and Red Bull.

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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In episode 95 of the podcast, I am diving into the need to understand other people.

Have you ever found yourself getting frustrated with others for not understanding what you’re trying to say? It may make perfect sense to you but they just aren’t getting it. This is because we all think differently and the way you understand things isn’t necessarily the way other members of your team do.

When we take the time to not just know each other, but really understand each other, we can achieve deeper connection and increased performance.

Key takeaways include:

● The key to a successful team
● The impact of ego on team connection
● How you can enter the world of others to improve performance
● How too many assumptions are being wrongly made due to a lack of understanding
● The fastest way to build trust with those around you

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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In episode 94 of the podcast, I speak with Sarat Pediredla, CEO of hedgehog lab.

Join us as we discuss the importance of recognising that everyone has their strengths, but some people are just not right for your company. While it can be tempting to people please and get curious about how you can fix poor performance from team members, investing in the wrong people can inevitably be a risk to your organisation.

We also delve into the power of building a culture of psychological safety amongst your team and why this is an important measure of the team’s overall success.

Key takeaways include:

● The challenges of navigating the acquisition of a company and building a new C-suite
with a 20% downturn
● The realities of having at least 50% of the current decisions being unpopular and how
to respond to this
● Being challenged over focusing on culture at the expense of business
● The key to creating a strong leadership team is knowing and understanding each other in and outside of work
● The danger of believing that asking for help is a weakness and how much time that can cost you
● Surrounding yourself with the right people is the best way to navigate challenges.
Sarat, once bound to be a brain surgeon, shifted to software engineering and moved to the UK.

With hedgehog lab, he aspires to lead the world’s biggest and best digital product
consultancy.

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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In episode 93 of the podcast, I’m exploring how you can make sure that you are putting the right part of you in charge of your business and leadership.

This idea comes from Internal Family Systems, which was created by Dr. Richard Schwartz. It’s the idea that we as humans are all made up of a system of protected parts that we can manage and use when needed. Think of it like your own internal leadership team.

It’s risky not to have the right part of you in charge, so join me as I explore how you can make sure you have the right part in the driver’s seat of your leadership.

Key takeaways include:

● Understanding your internal world in order to self-lead
● How to identify the different parts of you
● Tips for managing your own internal board of directors
● How G.I. Jo and Hippie Jo help champion me

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

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