I’m so grateful to Michelle Booth, Head of Growth and Innovation at Lloyds Bank for her bravery in sharing her story of seemingly having it all yet feeling deeply unhappy and suicidal. 

To discover what was important to her and not conforming to what society says you ‘should do and have’.

Michelle's story is a testament to the importance of authenticity and self-discovery in the pursuit of genuine fulfilment.

Key discussion points:

• Emotions are not a weakness; understanding and expressing them appropriately can strengthen leadership and team cohesion
• Concerns about the potential misuse of emotions to avoid critical feedback
• Acknowledging that Psychological safety is an input, not an output
• How stand-up comedy and a clowning course helped to overcome failure
• the essential components required to drive innovation and creativity within organisations
• The importance of giving and receiving feedback effectively - it's not the leader's job to manage people's feelings but to maintain a space where emotions and feedback can coexist
• The power of humour and resilience
• The illusion of certainty and embracing uncertainty as a catalyst for innovation and growth

This episode serves as a powerful reminder to follow your own path and do what is right for you.

Let us know your thoughts! Please leave us a comment to keep the conversation going.

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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
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In this week’s episode, I talk with the brilliant Karen Boswell. Join us as we delve deep into the vital significance of purpose in both individual and business success. 

I am so grateful for Karen’s transparency in sharing her career highs and lows and shedding light on topics often hidden behind a facade of success.

Key discussion points:

•  Overcoming feeling excluded and having self-doubt following a merger announcement
•  Rebuilding confidence after losing personal purpose
• Blind recruiting to mitigate biases and promote inclusivity
• Building trust through vulnerability and transparency
• When to push for change or move on in leadership
• From profit-centric to purpose-driven business, the necessity to adapt or face decline
• Flip the traditional meeting agenda to prioritise people's issues
• The challenges of a large company's complexities and hierarchies 
• Strategies on how to build a culture virtually
• Do things for you, rather than seeking external validation 

This episode serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative effects of leading with purpose, the resilience required to enact change, and the personal fulfilment that comes from aligning with one's true values. 

Stay courageous and connected to your purpose!

👍 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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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m going all in on fear.

How do we get to a place where we can manage our fear versus letting fear manage us? In this episode, join me as I discuss this topic and how you can begin to allow yourself to be free from fear as a leader.

I also discuss the importance of self-awareness and recognizing the barriers in your life that might be holding you back.

Key takeaways include:

● The power of shifting focus towards outcomes to drive action despite emotions
● Embracing discomfort as a catalyst for accelerated personal growth
● Understanding the physical manifestations of fear and using them as cues for action
● Leveraging lessons from others' experiences to tackle challenges head-on

Check out the article mentioned in the episode here:
https://humanparts.medium.com/finding-my-fighting-words-how-i-learned-to-have-uncomfortable-conversations-9c0bb09c50c

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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.

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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


🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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.

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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


🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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


🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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.

Follow Joanna Howes and The Change Creators:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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


🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

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:

website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/

👍 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


🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/