Connected Leadership

How a young author’s journey with neurodiversity can help us reshape the way we think about leadership and inclusion. In this inspiring Voices of Leadership episode, Dave sits down with Daisy Merle, a young neurodiverse author and advocate, to explore what it really means to see the world differently. Daisy shares her journey of growing up with dyslexia, autism, and ADHD, and how these experiences...

Why healthy scepticism and sense-making tools matter more than quick-fix models In this Voices of Leadership conversation, Dave speaks with Stephen E. Morris, author of Leaders, Believers and Expert Deceivers, about the risks of relying on “one right way” models for leadership and organisational development. Drawing on his IT background and later research, Stephen shares how frameworks like Tuckma...

How Purpose-Led Leaders Create Positive Ripples In this first Voices of Leadership episode in season 2 of The Connected Leadership Podcast, Dave sits down with sustainability and B Corp expert Camilla Barnes, founder of Better Business, Better World to explore how purpose-led leadership can be a force for good. This thought-provoking conversation explores how businesses, particularly SMEs, can ali...

Why energy management—not time management—holds the key to optimal performance. Do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? What if the problem isn’t time management—but how you manage your energy? In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave and Rich dive into the powerful concept of Energy Management, exploring why&nbs...

Resilience isn’t just about “toughing it out.” It’s not about the stiff upper lip, nor is it about playing the victim. True resilience is a dynamic process—one that requires vulnerability, recovery, and intentional action. In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave and Rich explore: ✔️  Why resilience isn’t just about surviving—it’s about thriv...

What does true confidence look like? Is it boldness, assertiveness, and certainty? Or does it come from a quiet assurance, deep self-awareness, and humility? In this episode of  Leadership Unscripted , we explore a different take on confidence—one that challenges the traditional view of leadership. We discuss why confidence isn’t about bravado or faking it, but instead, it...

Rerelease In Episode 3 of  Unleash Your Impact: Unlock Others , Dave Morris and Rich Horton delve into the Connected Centre, the core of Zentano’s innovative Connected Leadership Model. Learn how to stay grounded and flexible while navigating the complexities of modern leadership. Highlights : Emotional intelligence and its role in leadership. Viewing organizations as ecosystems: creatin...

What makes some teams thrive while others stall? In this episode, Rich and Dave unpack how successful teams build and sustain momentum and performance using the lens of Zentano’s Connected Leadership model. They explore four key phases of team flow, Ignite, Inspire, Enable, and Execute plus the leadership styles that drive each phase forward. Using Rich’s music-mixer metaphor, they discuss how lea...

In this Leader Unscripted episode, Rich and DavE explore how the strengths that define your leadership style can also hold you back, if they’re overplayed. In effect they turn your positive ripples that you create into negative ones. Using Zentano’s Connected Leadership Personas as a lens, they unpack the common blind spots of four leadership types: the Bold Captain, Inspiring Navigator, Caring Sh...

The idiom, "one-trick pony" is used to describe someone that is good at only one thing or has only one notable skill or achievement. The best leaders are not one trick ponies; they can flex and adapt their approach to meet any given situation. In this episode, Rich and Dave explore why leadership isn’t about having a single ‘style’ it is about knowing how and when to engage different styles. Using...

In part 2 of their mini-series on confidence, Rich and Dave explore the Confidence Compass, a practical tool designed by Zentano to help leaders develop a grounded, sustainable and healthy sense of confidence. Building on their previous conversation about emotional intelligence and humility, this episode helps you visualise a model that unpacks the interaction between self-worth and competence. To...

In this Leadership Unscripted episode, Rich and Dave begin a two-part mini-series on confidence. This first conversation explores the foundations of what it means to be truly confident, not as bravado or as an inflated self-image, but as a grounded, realistic sense of self that is rooted in emotional intelligence and humility. They discuss the symbiotic relationship between self-worth and competen...

AI is advancing rapidly, permeating many aspects of workplace life and the pace of adoption will increase, but what does that mean for leadership? In this Leadership Unscripted episode, Rich and Dave explore why the rise of artificial intelligence doesn’t reduce the need for human-centred leadership, it makes it more essential. Rich brings a rare dual perspective using his experience as a former s...

Using Whole Brain Thinking to communicate change with empathy, clarity and balance. In this episode, Rich and Dave explore how Whole Brain Thinking offers a practical framework for leading change in a world that is complex, fast-moving, and full of uncertainty.   Research studies suggest that only a third of organisational change initiatives successfully meet their objectives. Of the circa 70...

In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave unpack one of the most pressing challenges in leadership today: disconnection. Drawing from Zentano’s Connected Leadership model and their own real-world experience, they explore five core disconnections that are undermining performance, resilience, and well-being: Disconnection from Self – The erosion of re...

Have you ever had a conversation where you felt truly  heard , and others where you felt completely  misunderstood ? In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave unpack the four rules of Supercommunication based on Charles Duhigg’s bestselling book. You'll learn how to recognise and navigate different types of conversations, i.e. practical, e...

What if your biggest leadership advantage was already inside your head, waiting to be unlocked? In this inspiring Voices of Leadership episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, we’re joined by  Ann Herrmann-Nehdi , Chair & Chief Thought Leader of Herrmann International to discuss the vital benefits of Whole Brain® Thinking. Ann shares how the science of cognitive diversity can reshap...

Why your reaction to pressure might be your biggest leadership challenge In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave return to a key leadership truth: stress isn’t just what happens to you, it’s about how you relate and respond to what happens. Building on their previous conversation about the performance equation, they go deeper into t...

P = P – I. It’s simple. But it might just change how you lead. In this  Leadership Unscripted  episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave explore a deceptively simple but powerful idea from Timothy Gallwey, author of  The Inner Game of Tennis : Performance = Potential – Interference From elite sport to everyday leadership, this model holds up as a grounded and prac...

In this Voices of Leadership episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave talks to Becky Brannigan, Head of Sport at Warwickshire College Group, about the powerful role sport plays in developing leadership skills in young people, long before they enter the workplace. Becky shares the vision behind the new WCG Sports Academy, launching in 2025 at Pershore College, offerin...

What if the biggest leadership blind spot isn’t skill, experience, or knowledge, but how you think? In this Leadership Unscripted episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Rich and Dave explore Whole Brain Thinking, the powerful model developed by Ned Herrmann that reveals how different thinking preferences shape the way we lead, communicate, and solve problems. They...

In this  Voices of Leadership  episode of the Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others podcast, Dave speaks with Liz Crutchley, DEI consultant, founder of Orange Orchid, and co-lead facilitator of Zentano’s upcoming Unlocking Inclusive Thinking workshop on 12 June at Stanbrook Abbey. Through personal stories, thoughtful reflection and practical wisdom, Liz shares...

In this powerful  Voices of Leadership  episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave sits down with Annie Esler, a leadership facilitator, speaker, and inclusive culture advocate, to explore the importance of brave leadership, psychological safety, and speaking up. Annie shares her personal experience of workplace harassment and how it impacted her confidence and career...

Why inclusive leadership must include menopause awareness – and what leaders can do about it. In this powerful Voices of Leadership episode of Unleash Your Impact, Unlock Others, Dave talks with Shirley Gray, Founder of Gray Matter Learning and long-time Zentano associate, about one of the most overlooked topics in leadership: menopause. Shirley shares her deeply personal story and...

Mastering the mindset and everyday skills to embed coaching into your leadership style. Welcome to the second episode in our two-part series on coaching in leadership. In the last episode, Dave and Rich explored why coaching is such a powerful leadership tool. In this episode, they get practical. What does a coaching approach  really  look like in action? What are the everyday mindset sh...