The Leadership Lab

Series 2: Mindset | Episode 1 | Guest: Connor Harris, Founder of Marco Harris

Can you build a successful business, be an ambitious leader and still be truly present for the people who matter most?

In the first full episode of Series 2 of The Leadership Lab Podcast, Luke Wiltshire and Lucy Pearson are joined by Connor Harris, founder of Marco Harris, for an honest and refreshingly real conversation about ambition, leadership, family and mindset.

Connor is a Southampton-based entrepreneur and founder of Marco Harris, an independent estate agency challenging the traditional approach to property sales, lettings and marketing. With over a decade of experience in the property industry, Connor has built a business around innovation, authenticity, exceptional customer experience and doing things differently.

From selling packed lunches at school to climbing the corporate ladder and eventually launching his own business just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic, Connor shares the highs, challenges and lessons that have shaped his journey.

But this isn't just a story about building a successful business. It's about recognising when the mindset that helped you achieve success might be the very thing holding you back from enjoying it.

Together, we explore:

• Why ambition and being present don't have to be competing priorities.
• The shift from doing everything yourself to trusting and empowering others.
• Why success isn't always measured by money, growth or status.
• The importance of authenticity, challenging the status quo and staying true to your values.
• How being intentional with your time can transform the way you lead, work and live.

At the heart of the conversation is Connor's hypothesis:

"You don't have to choose between ambition and being present. You can be both, but you have to be intentional."

Whether you're a business owner, an aspiring leader or someone trying to find a better balance between professional ambition and personal fulfilment, this episode offers plenty to reflect on.

And as with every Leadership Lab conversation, Connor contributes one behaviour to our Leadership Behaviour Periodic Table: Intention.

About Connor Harris and Marco Harris

Connor is the founder of Marco Harris, a Hampshire-based independent estate agency specialising in residential sales, lettings and property management. With a passion for innovative property marketing, transparent communication and putting people first, Connor and his team are working to change the way people experience estate agency.

Find out more about Connor and Marco Harris:

Website: https://marcoharris.co.uk/

Meet Connor: https://marcoharris.co.uk/team/connor/

Real people. Real leadership. Real conversations.

The Leadership Lab Podcast is brought to you by The Colour Works, exploring how self-awareness and mindset can unlock better leadership and performance

https://www.thecolourworks.com/#

Series 2 Trailer: Why Mindset Matters | With Rich Cook

We're back! 🎙️

Luke and Lucy are back for Series 2 of Leadership Lab by The Colour Works, and this time, we're exploring all things mindset.

In Series 1, we explored self-awareness. Now we're taking the next step. Because understanding ourselves is one thing, but how do we turn that awareness into action and performance?

We believe mindset is the bridge between self-awareness and performance.

To kick things off, we're joined by Rich Cook, psychologist and founder of Mindset Practice, to explore what mindset really is, why it matters, and how our beliefs influence the way we show up, lead and perform.

It's the perfect introduction to a new series packed with brilliant guests, honest conversations and different perspectives on unlocking our potential.

Welcome back to the Lab!

In the final Lab Notes of Series One, Luke and Lucy reflect on their conversation with Glenn Turner and explore what it really means to lead with strong personal standards.

They discuss the importance of knowing both your ceiling — the standard you aim for on your best days — and your floor: the non-negotiable behaviours you commit to when life and leadership become difficult.

The conversation also explores how our earliest work experiences shape the leaders we become, why our actions often speak louder than our words, and the danger of expecting everyone else to live by our own personal standards.

Luke and Lucy reflect on the importance of replacing judgement with curiosity, separating people from their behaviour, and taking time to understand what might be happening beneath the surface.

They also look back at the four elements added to the Leadership Lab Periodic Table throughout Series One — Listening, Curiosity, Alignment and Standards — before sharing what listeners can expect when the podcast returns with Series Two, focusing on mindset and leadership.

What are your leadership non-negotiables, and how do you show up on your most difficult days?

In the final episode of the first Leadership Lab series, Luke and Lucy are joined by Glenn Turner — personal trainer, leadership facilitator and founder of Turnertrain — to explore a challenging hypothesis:

Your leadership standards are dictated by the standards you set for yourself.

Glenn shares his journey from pulling pints and developing leaders in hospitality to working in learning and development, experiencing redundancy, becoming a dad and building his own business.

Together, they put high standards under the microscope.

When do high standards inspire people, and when do they create fear? Can leaders expect others to match their personal standards? And how do you raise the bar without becoming rigid, judgmental or burning yourself — and your team — out?

The conversation explores authenticity, integrity and trust, and why leaders must demonstrate the behaviours they expect from others. Glenn also reflects on how becoming a parent has helped him become kinder to himself, focus on his non-negotiables and understand the difference between constantly chasing an aspirational ceiling and creating a sustainable floor.

Glenn submits Standards to the Leadership Lab Periodic Table and leaves leaders with a powerful challenge: understand yourself, your values and the standards you are prepared to live by before asking anyone else to follow.

At The Colour Works, we believe that great leadership begins with self-awareness. When leaders understand themselves — their values, preferences, strengths and impact on others — they are better equipped to lead authentically, adapt their approach and build stronger relationships with the people around them.

Glenn is the founder of Turnertrain, where he combines his experience in learning and development, leadership facilitation and personal training to help people perform at their best — both professionally and personally.

His approach focuses on developing sustainable habits, raising personal standards and helping people take ownership of their progress without losing sight of empathy, balance and the realities of everyday life.

• Turnertrain — Glenn Turner
• Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin
• Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and work on courageous leadership
• John Wooden’s leadership philosophy and Pyramid of Success

To learn more about how The Colour Works helps people, teams and organisations develop greater self-awareness, strengthen relationships and work better together, visit our website.

In this Lab Notes episode, Lucy and Luke reflect on their conversation with Rachel Newman and explore the role values play in leadership, culture and personal alignment.

They discuss why organisational values need to be more than words on a wall, how reward strategies can reinforce or undermine culture, and why authentic leadership starts with understanding what really matters to you.

Rachel’s reflections prompt a deeper conversation about walking the talk, making values-based decisions, and the importance of being true to yourself in a way that is sustainable, honest and impactful.

This episode is for leaders, people professionals and facilitators who want to think more intentionally about values, self-awareness and the culture they are helping to create.

What values do people experience from you?

Where are your personal values currently aligned with your work?

Where might there be a gap between what your organisation says it values and what it actually rewards?

What decisions have you made recently that reveal what really matters to you?

Are your values something you talk about, or something you live?

Rachel’s Episode on Leadership Lab: https://leadershiplab.com/episode/rachel
Insights Discovery Profile: https://www.thecolourworks.com/what-is-insights-discovery

In this episode of The Leadership Lab, Luke and Lucy are joined by Rachel Newman, founder of Stour People Practice, to explore what it really means to lead in alignment with who you are.

Rachel shares her journey from a 30-year career in HR, including senior roles across IKEA, the arts sector and the RNLI, to stepping away from a traditional senior leadership path and redefining success on her own terms.

Together, they discuss values-led leadership, the myth of busyness, the pressure to keep proving yourself, and why sustainable performance starts with understanding what really matters to you.

This is a conversation for any leader who has ever looked successful on the outside, but wondered whether the role, the pace or the version of success they are chasing still fits.

Rachel’s leadership element for the Periodic Table of Leadership Behaviours is: Alignment.

Find out more about Rachel and Stour People Practice: https://www.stourpeople.co.uk/

Find out more about The Colour Works: https://www.thecolourworks.com/

In this Lab Notes episode, Luke and Lucy reflect on their recent conversation with Nic Scott, exploring the role of coaching, questioning and trust in effective leadership.

Building on Nic’s hypothesis that the leaders who create the most value are not always the ones with the best answers, but the ones who ask the best questions, Luke and Lucy unpack what this really means in practice.

They discuss how different Insights Discovery colour energies can influence coaching styles, from the pace and directness of Fiery Red, to the enthusiasm and connection of Sunshine Yellow, the empathy and patience of Earth Green, and the structure and reflection of Cool Blue.

The conversation also explores the importance of self-awareness, authenticity and rapport when coaching others. Luke and Lucy consider how leaders can adapt their approach without losing themselves, and why trust is often the foundation that allows meaningful questions to land.

This episode is a reflective conversation for anyone interested in coaching, communication, leadership development and using questions to create deeper insight and connection.

www.thecolourworks.com

In a world where knowledge is everywhere and answers are easier than ever to find, is knowing the answer still a leader’s greatest strength?

In this episode of The Leadership Lab podcast by The Colour Works, Luke Wiltshire and Lucy Pearson are joined by Nic Scott, founder of Seeds Coaching, to put her leadership hypothesis under the microscope:

“The leaders who create the most value aren’t the ones with the best answers. They’re the ones who ask the best questions.”

Nic shares her journey from the wine industry and multi-site leadership into learning, development and coaching. Together, they explore how curiosity and coaching skills can help leaders build trust, create psychological safety, empower their teams and unlock better performance.

The conversation examines whether every leader can learn to coach, whether everyone wants to be coached, and when employees need questions rather than clear direction. Nic also shares her perspective on AI coaching, remote leadership and why slowing down to ask one more question can ultimately save leaders time.

In this episode, they explore:

• Why leaders do not need to be the expert in every situation
• How better questions encourage ownership and accountability
• The relationship between coaching, trust and psychological safety
• When leaders should coach and when they should provide direction
• How coaching can support remote and hybrid teams
• Whether AI coaching can replace human connection
• Why curiosity should be directed inward as well as towards others

Nic’s leadership behaviour for the Leadership Lab Periodic Table is Curiosity — the willingness to remain open, challenge assumptions and stay interested in both your people and yourself.

Her practical challenge for leaders is simple:

Can you ask one more question?

Nic Scott is the founder of Seeds Coaching, helping organisations develop coaching cultures where people can think better, lead more effectively and take greater ownership of their performance.

Connect with Nic and explore more of her work:

LinkedIn: Nicola Scott – Seeds Coaching
Instagram: @seeds_coaching
Website: seedscoaching.co.uk

The Colour Works is a people development consultancy helping organisations build more human, connected and effective workplaces.

Through leadership development, team effectiveness, culture change, executive coaching and Insights Discovery, we help individuals and organisations develop greater self-awareness, improve communication and unlock sustainable performance.

Discover more about our work, workshops and leadership development programmes at: thecolourworks.com

The Leadership Lab is a podcast from The Colour Works, exploring real leadership challenges through honest conversations, fresh thinking and practical experimentation.

In this first episode of Lab Notes, Luke Wiltshire and Lucy Pearson reflect on the opening experiment of The Leadership Lab by The Colour Works, featuring mindset coach and psychotherapist Jonny Holden.

Together, Luke and Lucy unpack the key themes from Jonny’s conversation, including identity, career pivots, vulnerability, dreaming bigger, and the role leaders play in creating space for people to imagine what could be possible.

A big focus of this reflection is listening — the first behaviour added to the Leadership Lab Periodic Table. Luke and Lucy explore why listening is so much more than hearing, how it can shape organisational culture, and why leaders need to create the conditions for people to share their dreams, ideas, and ambitions.

This episode is a chance to go deeper into the conversation, pull out the practical leadership lessons, and ask what it really means to lead in a way that helps people feel heard, valued, and inspired.

The Leadership Lab is bought to you by - The Colour Works, please vist the website to find out more https://www.thecolourworks.com

In this episode of the Leadership Lab, Johnny Holden shares his unconventional journey from acting to psychotherapy and mindset coaching. He explores the importance of dreaming big, vulnerability in leadership, and how listening can transform organisational culture.

To find out more about Jonny and his coaching work please visit his Linkedin Page

To find out more about Jonny and his therapy work please visit his website