Better Under Pressure

It's role reversal time at Better Under Pressure. This month, leadership coach Nicky Brown puts me in the hot seat, asking me what I've learnt from my 60+ conversations with leaders around the world on the Better Under Pressure podcast, and from two decades of coaching at Coaching Impact. This conversation gave me the time and the context to reflect on what I see and hear when I'm with leaders, an...

Why slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. "I love to work at pace. I talk at pace. I am all like go, go, go," says @Caroline Frankum, the former Global CEO of Kantar's Profiles division, "but sometimes you really need to slow down to go faster – and in times of pressure, slowing down the process is really important." "Pressure is always going to be there. It is really about how you deal with it in a...

"As long as my values system and my integrity are reconciled at the end of each day, I'm OK." So says the extraordinary Dr Bijna Kotak Dasani MBE, investment banker, entrepreneur, investor and venture capitalist, in conversation with me on my Better Under Pressure podcast. Bijna has appeared in many top 50 and top 100 lists, from the World's Top 100 Women Executives to Top 50 Women to Watch. In 20...

‘I’m at my best when the pressure is high. And I need to be prepared for it, I tend to approach it as a positive rather than a negative’, says my guest on this month’s Better Under Pressure podcast, Thomas Dubaere, CEO, AccorHotels Americas.  Thomas’s approach to pressure has been honed over a 20-year career in the hospitality industry with Accor, working in multi-layered, highly networked stakeho...

What a Purpose-led CEO Can Teach Us About Managing Pressure This week’s Better Under Pressure conversation is with an inspirational leader who has been, at times, so immersed in her role that she felt she had merged with it. Does that sound familiar? That feeling when you become what you do… your identity slides into your role and before you know it, the boundary between you and the work has disso...

As regular listeners to Better Under Pressure know, I often draw connections between the principles found in sport and those that underpin leadership and performance coaching, identifying habits that are highly transferable to the business world and everyday life. No surprise then that I loved this conversation with Dr. Ara Suppiah, Chief Medical Officer for LIV Golf (and keeping players like Dust...

I love this episode because, in addition to discussing pressure, difficult deals, and making no money for two years, we also explore what happens when you decide to trust the universe and how to navigate moments of uncertainty. I'm talking to Joti Balani, a remarkable leader who walked away from corporate success to build something extraordinary in the world of AI.   She has over 25 years’ experie...

When I ask most guests on Better Under Pressure when they first experienced pressure, they normally say it was from either parents or school in exams or on sports day, but when you’re born into a notorious cult where you’re raised knowing the world is ending and you are one of god’s endtime soldiers, the pressure is on a whole other level. Petra Velzeboer managed to escape from the cult in her ear...

Working out the things that don’t count so much in your day or your week can be tricky. It’s very easy to fall into the trap that everything is a priority. In Alice Dyson’s case – as CEO and founder of the dynamic entertainment and production company, Framewood Media, it’s particularly tough.   Welcome to The Better Under Pressure podcast, I’m Sara Milne Rowe and in this episode I’m talking with A...

This episode of BUP is special: In the summer of 2019 Claire Danson, European Triathlon Champion collided with a tractor while she was out training, her future instantly transformed from professional triathlete to life in a wheelchair.  As performance coaches, at Coaching Impact we work with many athletes and leaders in the sector, but my conversation with Claire goes down as one of the most inspi...

How was Richard’s relationship with business pressure shaped by his relationship with his mentally and physically disabled sister.  What can we learn from that kind of family tie? Richard Medcalf found himself on a relatively smooth academic path through school and university before becoming the youngest ever partner at a top strategy firm. After over a decade in an elite strategic team at tech gi...

Today’s episode is a fascinating conversation with a remarkable woman: Major Rosie Wild. Rosie is a British Army Officer and Professional Athlete who, following major injuries and a knee operation, went on to win the Sword of Honour at Sandhurst—the first woman to do so since men and women were integrated into the same platoons. In 2020, Rosie became the first woman in history to pass the Pre-Para...

Today I’m talking to Dr. Mindy Lane, a sub-specialist surgeon in the United States with 25 years of experience. Her understanding of how to thrive under high-stakes pressure in the operating room has enabled Mindy to also become an accomplished EK-WESS-TREE-UN. In the OR, she was able to lead her team with steady hands and a clear mind to save lives. In the dressage arena, she harnessed the pressu...

Today I’m talking to Professor John Amaechi CBE, an organisational psychologist and founder of APS Intelligence, where he is the Leadership Transformation expert.  His book, The Promises of Giants, was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, in which he draws on his early life in Stockport, his rise to becoming the one of the first Britons to play professional basketball in the NBA and his c...

Today I’m speaking with Rupal Patel, a woman who has had an unconventional career, as suggested by the title of her best-selling book, From CIA to CEO. As a CIA analyst and field agent, she advised four-star generals, earned War Zone Service Medals, and was recognised by the CIA Director for “superior support to the President.” She then transitioned into the business world. Rupal’s trailblazing bu...

Today I’m talking to Alina Addison, ex-accountant, ex-investment banker, executive coach, and now author. Alina left Romania as a young adult. Soon afterwards, she went into accountancy with PwC before joining Rothschild & Co. There, she became the first woman to be promoted to Managing Director and Head of Trading—all while working four days a week. In her book, The Audacity Spectrum, Alina c...

Welcome to season 2 of Better Under Pressure! I’m very excited to be kicking it off today in the company of none other than my business partner, Simon Scott. Formerly a Royal Marine Commando Officer and diver, who was awarded the Sword of Honour, Simon found that his time in the Marines satisfied both his desire for challenge and his fascination with explorers like Ernest Shackleton. After 11 year...

Today I’m talking to award-winning actor, comedian, and writer, Hugh Dennis. Best known for BBC1’s critically acclaimed sitcom OUTNUMBERED, he has also played an emotionally tortured Bank Manager in the BAFTA-winning show FLEABAG, Toby in the sitcom, NOT GOING OUT, and was an ever-present panellist on BBC 2’s long-running weekly satirical show MOCK THE WEEK.  Hugh has also been a regular for over...

Today I’m talking to Genevieve Shore, a serial non-executive Director who has held Board level positions within organisations across several industries, territories and cultures.  Her credit roll of organisations includes Santander, Arup, Moneysupermarket, Lego Education, STV and the RFU.  With her sporting background - having played international Rugby for England and winning the World Cup in 199...

Today I’m talking to Calum Clark, ex-international Rugby Union player turned high-performance psychologist.  Having started on the rugby trail aged just 15, Calum turned professional three years later and spent fourteen years playing at the highest level He turned out for three different Premiership clubs as well as England. In that time he experienced the highs of winning 3 Premiership titles and...

Today I'm thrilled to welcome back Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA, for round two of our insightful conversation on "Better Under Pressure." Mollie's journey from entrepreneurial beginnings to leading teams at top organizations like IMG, Octagon, HSBC, and LinkedIn before landing at Meta showcases her remarkable leadership and dedication to 'audience-first' marketing principles. O...

Today I’m talking to Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA. Having started her career as an entrepreneurial businesswoman and quickly learning the power of true ‘audience-first’ marketing, she has since led teams at IMG, Octagon, HSBC and LinkedIn before arriving at Meta. Mollie inspires her teams to think differently about commercial goals, enabling them to surpass expectations. When s...

Today I’m talking to Tendai Wileman, Chief of Staff and Director of Organisational Change at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe and went to university in South Africa, before completing an MBA at Warwick Business School. Over two decades, Tendai has held various corporate and operational roles in healthcare, and has spent the last 10 years leading large-scale change withi...

In this episode, I’m talking to Neil Mullarkey, a unique communication expert. You may recognise him from his performances in 'Whose Line Is it Anyway' and two 'Austin Powers' movies. He still performs most Sundays with the Comedy Store Players, Europe's top improv troupe, which he co-founded with Mike Myers. But he now travels the world bringing the skills of theatre and especially improv, focusi...

In this episode, I’m talking to Emma Dagnes, Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace, an iconic public building towering over north London that is over 150 years old, was the original home of BBC Television and is now home to world sporting events, indoor and outdoor concerts and festivals, a theatre and even an ice rink. It’s also where I have pushed buggies and walked with my family and my...