How do you tell the difference between someone who’s a solid performer and someone who’s driven by something deeper ... by purpose, mission, and impact? In this Box of Keys episode, I reflect on a conversation with a senior leader who believed everyone in his organisation was motivated by money and promotion. But when you look more closely, the exceptional ones often signal something else entirely.

This is a conversation about learning to read those signals. Because when someone asks for more money, they’re telling you something. And when someone asks how they can help create more impact, they’re telling you something too. The question is ... are you listening? 

If you want to understand how to identify and support your purpose-driven people, this one’s for you.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

This is a conversation about what happens when the data you’ve trusted your whole career turns out to be pointing you in the wrong direction. It’s about the moment when logic starts to unravel, and real clarity begins ... not in more numbers, but in understanding what the customer truly sees. Michael Ross brings a deep humility to his insight: that the story behind the numbers can be more powerful than the numbers themselves.

Michael is one of the most respected thinkers in retail and customer data today. A Cambridge mathematician and entrepreneur, he co-founded one of the UK’s earliest online retailers, now advises global brands, and teaches at London Business School. But in this episode, it’s not what he knows - it’s what he rethought - that will stay with you.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

Leadership isn’t about being liked, though most great leaders are likeable. The difference is that their likeability comes from credibility and respect, not from chasing approval. In this Box of Keys episode, I explore why trying to lead by being liked almost always backfires, and why boundaries are essential for both children and teams.

Leaders need to separate tough decisions from personal feelings, resisting the pull to be manipulated by emotions or the desire to be popular. Because when you build authority first, genuine likeability tends to follow.

So where are the moments you’re most tempted to prioritise being liked over doing the right thing ... and how do you handle them?

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

One of the world’s leading executive coaches and an accredited business psychologist, Alex Lazarus has worked with CEOs and leaders around the world to navigate change and build high-performance cultures. And as the founder of Lazarus & Maverick, she and her team help leaders navigate complexity and deal with that unique sense of isolation that you get when you’re sitting in the big chair at the head of the boardroom table. Her own background in leadership roles in global businesses like Virgin, Fox and Disney means she has that vital lived experience to connect with the leader that she’s working with.

I’m curious to understand more about the journey Alex has been on to build this perspective on leadership and life, and of course to explore the Unlock Moments that defined the choices she’s made. This is going to be a masterclass in leadership – let’s dive in!

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

You tell your team your door is always open, but still … nobody walks through. I’ve been thinking about why that is. Why people don’t always feel comfortable stepping forward, even when you genuinely want to hear from them.

It reminded me of a conversation I had with the brilliant leadership coach Dr Francoise Orlov. She talked about what it means to really create psychological safety. Not just saying the right words, but stepping out to meet your people where they are. Listening, asking thoughtful questions, showing you care.

It made me reflect on how we show up as leaders - not just inviting people in, but creating the kind of environment where they want to speak up.

Sometimes the most powerful step is not waiting … it’s reaching out first.

Have a good week!

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

So many people I’m speaking to at the moment are describing themselves as stuck in their careers – often they’ve built a very successful career in one area of specialism and now face into a very big question – “now I have different choices, is this what I really want to do?”

You might know today’s guest Tanya Arnold from her TV career – a BBC sports journalist covering two Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the Rugby League World Cup. She was one of the first female sports reporters in broadcasting, starting at a time when women covering sport was virtually unheard of. In 2019 she hosted the first interview with the late rugby star Rob Burrow about his Motor Neurone Disease diagnosis – she calls it the hardest but also the most important interview she’s ever done. Today she’s a patron of the West Yorkshire MND Association.

Two years ago Tanya started a new path in her career and just recently she posted on Instagram “I’m going it alone – here’s to the variety and freewheeling!”

Exploring your Unlock Moments can be a powerful way to figure out the path ahead. I can’t wait to hear more about how Tanya is navigating this latest career transition and I’m curious about the parallels you might draw as you listen.

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

In this powerful episode, legendary BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones tells the story of the day he discovered a box of letters from his mother that changed everything he knew about his upbringing. Recorded live in London, this powerful and moving testimony from a master storyteller will stay with you for a long time.

Today he is as famous for his rescue dog 'Sophie from Romania' as he is for his 40 year BBC career. He is also an advocate for better awareness of Parkinson's Disease, having himself been diagnosed in 2019. He now co-hosts the Movers and Shakers podcast with Gillian Lacey-Solymar, Mark Mardell, Paul Mayhew-Archer, Sir Nicholas Mostyn and Jeremy Paxman.

His memoir about his childhood, "Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC," was published in 2023 and he also wrote about his journey with Sophie in "Sophie from Romania: A Year of Love and Hope with a Rescue Dog," published in 2024.

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Rory Cellan-Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_Cellan-Jones

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rorycellan

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RoryCellan-Jones

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

When I first met Rajeev I was struck his clarity, his humility. A perspective on leadership that is seductive and compelling. To find something bigger than yourself. To find meaning. To find purpose. As he says, leadership is about creating a better future. A hugely successful leader himself, now he's helping others to discover their own Steward Leadership.

Rajeev Peshawaria is the CEO of the Stewardship Asia Centre, a prolific speaker and the author of Wall Street Journal bestseller Open Source Leadership and Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders. Now he’s focusing his attention on how leadership can unlock the challenges of building a sustainable future, in his latest book Sustainable Sustainability.

Rajeev has had a storied leadership career himself, operating as Chief Learning Officer of both Coca Cola and Morgan Stanley, as well as holding senior positions at American Express, HSBC and Goldman Sachs.

I’m fascinated to understand more about Rajeev’s perspective on leadership and of course to hear about the Unlock Moments of remarkable clarity that helped him to figure out the path ahead.

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Rajeev Peshawaria: https://rajeevpeshawaria.com/

Rajeev Peshawaria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeevpeshawaria/

Sustainable Sustainability: https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Sustainability-Why-ESG-Enough/dp/981514457X

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

A memorable encounter aged just 13 with the CEO of British Steel was Chris Cooper's Unlock Moment. The moment when he knew there was more for him in life than to follow his father into the steelworks. Often those formative moments that shape our sense of purpose happen early in our lives. Many years later Chris is a leadership strategist, a speaker, a broadcaster and an author, helping others to elevate themselves in a culture where people love the work they do.

Host of The Business Elevation Show on Voice America, Chris's show was the most accessed business programme in the world and he has recorded over 500 hours of interviews. He's the author of "The Power To Get Things Done (Whether You Feel Like It Or Not)" published by Penguin Random House. He's also the founder of The Elevation Collective, an international community bringing together extraordinary individuals for the greater good.

Listen in for the inspiration to find freedom in your own journey, to break away from the path others have set out for you and to choose your own future.

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Chris Cooper: https://chriscooper.co.uk/

Chris Cooper on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdcooper/

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com

We think of leadership development and coaching as something for the workplace, right? But what if you could use those same approaches in young people to help them develop their capabilities as a leader right from the time when they're in school?

Well that's what former Pentagon and UN advisor Julie Carrier has been doing for years. She's been featured on NBC, Discovery Channel and MTV, and she's been named Woman of the Decade for girl empowerment by the Women Economic Forum.

And here on The Unlock Moment we dig into the stories from her own life that inspired her to break out from being a shy girl to a girl who walked tall, who speaks in front of audiences of up to 70,000 people and who now serves as an inspiration to millions of young girls across the world.

If you have children who you think could really go somewhere in life, or if you work with young people in school or university, then this is a must-listen episode - as the incredible Julie Carrier lights up The Unlock Moment.

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Julie Carrier: https://girlslead.com/

Leadership Development Institute for Young Women: https://www.leadershipdevelopmentinstituteforyoungwomen.com/

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The Unlock Moment podcast is brought to you by Dr Gary Crotaz, PhD. Downloaded in over 120 countries. Sign up to The Unlock Moment newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/ywhdaazp Find out more at https://garycrotaz.com and https://theunlockmoment.com