The Execution Gap - Where strategy becomes performance

In this episode of The Execution Gap, I'm joined by Ian Wright CBE: board adviser, Partner at Acuti Associates, Chair of DeLux Blockchain and former Chief Executive of the Food & Drink Federation.

Ian has spent four decades at the top of leading businesses. That includes fourteen years at Diageo, six of them on its global executive committee, plus spells at Boots and Mars. At the FDF he led a remarkable transformation, growing membership from 160 to over 1,100 companies. Along the way he became one of the UK's most trusted business voices through Brexit and COVID.

Ian generously shares what he's learned: how to spot an execution problem early, what separates executive teams that deliver from those that just have good meetings, where boards should step in and step back, and how to lead when the plan gets blown apart.

Rich in stories, full of humour and packed with hard-won wisdom. Not one to miss.

In this episode, I'm joined by Gavin Andrews to look at something that sits underneath almost every leadership decision but rarely gets discussed directly: the physiological state a leader is in when they make the call.

Executives operate under near-constant load — competing demands, incomplete information, decisions made in real time, often under scrutiny from boards, investors or their own teams. That load doesn't just affect how someone feels. It affects how they think, how they read a room, and how well they hold their position under pressure.

Gavin works with HeartMath, a body of research and practice built around a physiological state called coherence — a measurable shift in heart-rhythm patterns linked to clearer thinking, better emotional regulation and steadier decision-making under stress. We talk about what coherence is, the evidence behind it, and why it's increasingly used by executives and organisations who need people to perform reliably when the pressure is highest, not just when conditions are easy.

One point worth sitting with: coherence widens the gap between stimulus and response. Instead of a leader's next move being dictated by whatever just landed in their inbox or their boardroom, there's more room to choose the state they operate from — and, by extension, the judgement they bring to what happens next.

This isn't left as theory. Gavin walks through a couple of HeartMath techniques that can be used in the moment — before a difficult conversation or a high-stakes decision — to shift out of reactivity and back into a state where clear judgement is actually possible.

If you've felt your own decision-making degrade under sustained pressure, or you're responsible for people whose does, this conversation gets specific about why that happens and what can be done about it.

Gavin also points to where to find out more about HeartMath's research and tools for anyone who wants to take this further.

What does coherence actually look like at the top of an organisation — and what's the cost of operating without it?

• HeartMath UK & IRL website: www.heartmath.co.uk
• HeartMath Experience – 90 min free online programme: https://www.heartmath.co.uk/product/experience/
• Inner Balance Coherence Plus: https://www.heartmath.co.uk/product/inner-balance-coherence-plus/

“Leader as Healer” - a great book with serious messages for leaders in the 21st century.  We were delighted to interview Nicholas Janni, Author of Business Book of the Year 2023,  Visiting Lecturer to the IMD in Switzerland and co-founder of Matrix Development. 

https://www.nicholasjanni.com/
https://www.nicholasjanni.com/book-leader-as-healer/

Key timings

6.45 mins – Why healing?

8.15 mins – What is the evidence that leader as healer is the right change for humanity to focus on next?

13.35 mins – Thoughts about AI in this context

16.15 mins – How to seek peak performance by healing ourselves first

18.20 mins – What should a leader be regularly demonstrating?

19.00 mins – What are the first steps a leader can take to start to build this new toolbox?

22.10 mins – The importance of using both your left and right side of the brain

25.45 mins – In a busy role how can you get everything done and still be utterly present

We are pleased to share our latest podcast:  Tailored Approaches to Self-Leadership with Grant ‘Upbeat’ Bosnick, Award winning Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Upbeat®, a lively conversation with rich examples supporting anyone on a self or team leadership journey.  

*If you’re driving whilst listening- please ignore the invitation to practise the techniques!  

www.grantbosnick.com

www.selfleadershipassessment.com

www.linkedin.com/in/grantbosnick/

Book: https://grantbosnick.com/books/

Key timings
6.50 mins – The 5 psychological needs people have and the different priorities 

8.50 mins – Discussion around Grant’s approach to goal setting and how this might differ to others

13.50 mins – Why should leaders get into mindfulness

17.00 mins – Some exercises to build your own mindfulness

21.45 mins – Why it is important to create that space for greater insight

28.10 mins – The importance of emotion regulation

4.30 mins - How is trauma impacting organisation outcomes

8.00 mins - Defining trauma

14.30 mins – What can leaders do to support team members with trauma

18.45 mins – An introduction to the Trauma Spectrum

25.30 mins - What is flow in the workplace

28.45 mins - Ideas for creating a proactive system for trauma in an organisation

39.00 mins – Can an organisation be high performing if they don’t really know each other

Key Timings 

1.30 min – Kate’s top 3 prerequisites for a thriving business culture

5.45 min – How the importance of looking after yourself help you thrive

7.35 min – How can the London Protocol of Emotions diagram be applied in business 

12.40 min – How can Rich Communication help all to thrive

16.45 min - What is Kate’s plea on the topic of Thrive

2.15 minutes - What do we mean by introversion 

5.05 minutes – What is the data between introversion and extroversion in leaders

8.25 minutes – What are the differences between those with a preferences in introversion or extroversion 

12.20 minutes – Tips for introverts and extroverts to optimise work performance and get the best out of each other

15.55 minutes – Tips for introverts and extroverts in meetings

Key timings:

• 1.45 min - Concerns about authenticity 
• 8.05 min – Consistency with leaders 
• 11.55 min – What can leaders focus on to improve their impact
• 18.55 min – Is there such a thing as an ‘expert’
•  20.15 min – Inclusive leadership

In this episode, we discuss self awareness and personal leadership with Pamela Fay.

Some resources mentioned on the podcast: 

Dr Geoff Pelham talk on the responsibility of leaders to set the mood in teams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFlCj6wM6CU

Kahlers Drivers: https://learn.nes.nhs.scot/27427

Charlotte Sills Life Script Chapter in https://www.routledge.com/Relational-Team-Coaching/de-Haan-Stoffels/p/book/9781032351957#

Relational Change: http://www.relationalchange.org/

Oscailt Self Compassion Workshops: https://oscailt.com/calendar/mindful-self-compassion-msc-course-jan-2024/

Smurfit School Coaching: https://www.smurfitschool.ie/executivedevelopment/programmesforindividuals/diplomainbusinessexecutivecoaching/

Pamela Fay: https://www.pamelafay.ie/

Key Points

4.30 – What qualities does a great leader need

12.30 – What personal leadership looks like day to day

17.10 –Examples of personal leadership and the benefits

19.55 – How do we change ourselves

22.40 – Why is it important to develop personal leadership

24.45 – Ideas of personal practices

28.15 – Key take aways from the podcast