Leaders Unscripted

Being acquired by another company might seem like a simple scaling of what you’ve done before, but actually requires leaders to re-learn the basics. Packet was a startup founded by brothers, Zac & Jacob Smith, operating with speed at its core. That said, they’ll attest to the mindset shift that came with their merger with innovation juggernaut, Equinix. Join us on Leaders Unscripted as we diss...

Few industries pose the same regulatory challenges as finance - that’s a heck of a place to cut your teeth as a first-time CEO… Griffin’s inception was born of CEO David Jarvis’ entrepreneurial ambitions, and he leads with a wonderful sense of honesty and authenticity. In this episode of Leaders Unscripted, we hear the hefty challenges that the startup has overcome so far, what values are essentia...

People may often fight for a CEO role, but having had it bestowed on her among the founding members of Contenda, Lilly Chen is truly excelling as a compassionate leader. Her first experience in leadership shows us that the questions you ask yourself lead you to become a better leader for others.  We caught up with Lilly on Leaders Unscripted this week, summing up her Facebook years, chronic illnes...

Hiring isn’t cheap, but keeping hold of a wrong hire is infinitely more costly - not just to your finances, but to your company’s all-important culture. The challenges of a scaling startup are many, and it’s in that challenge that Michelle O’Connor thrives as VP Brand & Global Communications at TaxBit. In the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted, Michelle takes us through how to maintain the m...

To seek a fulfilling job role is one thing, but to enable dozens of others to achieve the same is the noble next step for those who lead people. Formerly VP of People at Griffin, before taking up the COO role after recording this episode of Leaders Unscripted, Maria Campbell’s journey is brimming with positive culture and work fulfilment. Tune in this week to hear how Maria makes her mark on teams...

You don’t need a title to be a leader, and the weight of leadership can be a heavy burden to bear. One of the marvels of leadership, however, is that you can grow at an accelerated rate - that much is clear from Laruen Nagel’s remarkably varied career, now residing as VP of Product at StackHawk. Tune into this week’s Leaders Unscripted, where Lauren shares the trials and tribulations that leadersh...

With management experience in such varied, acclaimed brands as Nintendo and Volkswagen, Tramale Turner is no stranger to stepping outside of his comfort zone - as all leaders should. Now CTO at TaxBit, he’s at the forefront of digital assets and continues to show the product of his remarkable journey. We hear from Tramale in this episode of Leaders Unscripted, where he discusses the art of introsp...

The diagnosis of a chronic illness is often one of the most monumental events in a person’s life, but it’s done nothing to slow the relentless trajectory of Dave “Dizzy” Smith’s career. With decades of leadership experience as a VP of Engineering at brands like Basho, DigitalOcean and Equinix, he’s learned from successes and boldly admits his missteps - signs of truly honest leadership.  Dizzy’s s...

For 300 years, UK politicians voted in person as a matter of tradition. Then covid gave them just 4 weeks to change all that… Leading a team to create an entirely new remote voting platform for MPs was the challenge bestowed on the Head of Software Development, Matt Stutely. Matt shares how he took on an impossible task, earned an OBE, and reinvented the voting system on this fascinating episode o...

Having worked at huge businesses like Google, and early stage startups like Pulse (which is now LinkedIn’s news feed), Jean Hsu has mastered the challenges that come at every level. Now VP of Engineering at Range, having taken the role mid-pandemic, Jean is the perfect person to share the joys and drawbacks of working within early stage startups, and why you should question your assumptions about...

Welcome to Leaders Unscripted, the podcast that explores the human side behind incredible leaders. Humanity in a CEO is a side that’s difficult to get right, but Beck Sydow managed that as a trailblazing CEO at StickerGiant, even with Covid shining a light on the business’ most challenging areas. Beth joins me to kick off this series with a look at culture and gender identity in work, having a pla...

Welcome to the Leaders Unscripted Podcast, where we explore the human side of leadership. I'm your host, Suzan Bond, a former COO and leadership consultant with over 15 years of experience helping leaders navigate change and overcome challenges. In this series, we're taking a practical approach to leadership. We're not here to wax philosophical about the latest trends. Instead, we&a...