The Unified Team

In this episode, join Rob and Sarah as they delve into the life, philosophy, and leadership of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. They explore his humble beginnings, his profound stoic teachings, and how his writings still resonate today. They discuss the essential qualities of stoic leadership, the impact of historical context, and the importance of aligning actions with core values. This deep conver...

£2 trillion was wiped from the world's stock markets last week. Economist's estimate that the cost of Donald Trump's tariffs will be $1 trillion. If you ever believe you alone can't make a difference, consider the impact of Mr Trump. One man creating worldwide havoc financially and diplomatically. Millions of Americans think he's just what America needs. Billions around the world think he's nuts....

"Once more and I'm going to deck him". Do you love or hate open plan offices? I tried working at a co-working space at my local Uni. It was quiet when I got in, but once the Uni staff got in, they would be gossiping through the day. I really struggled to be able to concentrate in that environment. When we go to work, we don't choose who we work with. We are put together with a group of strangers....

Is it fair? Toddlers in pre-school cry that it's unfair.. Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing much the same. Your team will too. There's a deep human need for things to feel fair. Yet, there is no sign that life and the universe intend life to be fair. Every species is different. And every person is different. Your team will judge you for your fairness. Yet, that doesn't mean that you treat them...

Who do you listen to? Your Mentor, Guide or Inspiration is the limit to your potential. The depth of wisdom behind their words is the limitation in how profound their impact is. We often live in a world of superficial knowledge. A world where tactics and fads dominate. But alongside the ephemeral lies some eternal wisdom. The Art of War is one of those deep sources of wisdom. Still required readin...

What if your team's differences were it's greatest strength? There's a belief held by many that the 9/11 Twin Towers wasn't seen because of a lack of diversity in the CIA. The CIA argued that it needed the best people to protect the country. So they recruited people who looked and thought like themselves. Until the 9/11 tragedy highlighted a problem. When we don't understand cultural differences w...

There's been a lot of talk recently about quiet quitting and burnout. Tony Walmsley talks about something he's made me think a lot about... the cost of adapting. For starters we work in a world that is stressful for our biology. When we then have to change our natural personality to fit a culture or our colleagues it stresses us. These adaptations come at a cost. When we make too many, for too lon...

What is the key task of a leader? Ask 100 people and you’ll get 100 answers. When you abstract at the most universal truth of leadership. The key is to connect people to the reality of their situation. We are a world of 8 billion people. Each with our own interpretation of the world. What it means. And what is good or bad. A Leader creates a frame that fences the boundaries of the group. The team...

What's the opposite of fragile? Most people would say something robust. But Nassim Nicholas Taleb says that's a mistake. He argues that the opposite is something antifragile. Something which gains from disorder. In an increasingly volatile world, he says we shouldn't try to protect the fragile. But instead to be more resilient through anti-fragility. Industries like restaurants become better as th...

Is a referee a leader or manager? Often today we use the term referee or leader interchangeably. This dilutes the difference those roles have. Which poses the question... is a sports referee a leader or a manager? Establishing the differences, allows us to define the responsibilies of each. In today's podcast, Clark Ray, Tony Walmsley and I discussed Managers, Leaders and Followers. What are the r...

Who do you serve? How do you serve them? Why? And what are the boundaries of that service? The answers to these questions go a long way to clarifying our work. They help define the contexts of our relationships in coming together. They ensure we fulfil our purpose. And they help us frame the decisions we make. This starts with understanding who we are and how us and our colleagues work. Today's ep...

How good are you at making decisions? How confident are you in your answer? The more aware you are of the way your mind works, the less sure you will be of your answer. Our decisions are fraught with biases and distortions. Thinking Fast and Slow is one of the most respected books on decision making. Daniel Kahneman's work won him a Nobel Prize for Economics. Some call it the bible for the develop...

Clark, Tony and I discussed our ideas of leadership. We talked about how our own sense of identity and our psychology impacts our thinking and behaviour as a leader using examples from history and personal experiences.  Links:  Clark Ray’s Linkedin Profile:     / 10thman     Clark’s Website:  https://www.clarkray.com   Tony Walmsley’s Linkedin...

Want to really know someone? Get into a fight with them.  Especially one that hits all their hot buttons.  You’ll soon see the worst of them.  Conflict does funny things to people. It is one of the few times we drop our carefully crafted social masks.  It’s one of the reasons couples think their partner has changed.  Because they just didn’t get to see this side when every...

What did you want to be when you were a child? Before the world filled you with doubts. Before you learned to subjugate yourself to it's rules. What did you love to be? I loved @Michael's quote from Gustave Flaubert in this context 'Genius... is childhood rediscovered' One of the most influential schools of psychological thought is that of Behaviourism. That children are blank slates. And we can p...

In this episode, Clark Ray, Tony Walmsley and I talked about the power of authentic leadership. How do we know what's authentic? We discussed psychological safety, the pitfalls of social media's lack of authenticity, and the importance of staying true to oneself. The conversation also tackles the role of universal truths, conflict resolution, and the 10th man concept in leadership and personal dev...

What is Leadership beyond the theories? This episode explores the core principles of effective leadership, emphasizing humility and the importance of values. Through the lens of experiences in sports and business, the discussion covers situational leadership, the impact of values like honesty and integrity, and the power dynamics in relationships. The episode features anecdotes, such as Unai Emery...

Do you feel your work brings you purpose? In all my work with individuals, I've seen three core needs. The first two dominate our early career. To belong and feel part of a tribe. To gain status and value within that tribe. We seek out the field we want to be in. And how we can fulfil our ambitions in that field. But often many then feel a sense that something is missing. A sense of purpose. This...

In this episode, we talk about the implications of Blackbox Thinking (by Matthew Syed) for organisations. We talk about how differing companies such as Kodak, Google, and Amazon either learned or ignored the lessons from failure. The conversation explored concepts such as antifragility, psychological safety, and growth mindset. By integrating ideas from various domains, this episode offers insight...

In this episode, dive into Harit Bhasin's journey of becoming a successful Tech Leader. Learn the importance of embracing conflict and building trust, as well as the value of a 'can-do' attitude, continuous self-learning, and personal branding. Discover how integrating diverse knowledge and fostering a growth mindset can lead to professional success. Gain insights on effective networking, mentorsh...

How do we lead conversations that engage people and create change? All change starts with a leader who can engage their team. True leaders open conversations that engage their teams. Leaders through their example create the organisational culture. They create the context and set the frame that work is done within. In today's podcast episode I spoke to Rachel Gooen about her work. Rachel coaches in...

What's the first question for every leader to answer? This is the question Romana Prochazkova answered in today's podcast. She explained the answer that is key for every leader. Especially those early in their journeys. Watch to understand what makes the foundation of your leadership style. Until you have that foundation, you cannot be authentic. Integrity will be a struggle. And you will find it...

How do we get to peak performance? In an ever more demanding world there are more and more demands on our time and energy.  How do we ensure that we meet the demands of our work, home and family and yet maintain our health and wellbeing.  Everything we do rests on foundational pillars.   Performance too rests on certain foundations.   Performance too rests on certain foundation...

Why should someone choose you? For the job. The project. Or the contract. We live in a world of overwhelming choice and yet each of us is trying to stand out and be valued. The social media world has created the personal brand which can seem contrived. At it's worst it's creating a false image to sell. But at it's best it's about clarifying what you do best, who for and the unique flavour you brin...

Why do groups of the smartest people make dumb decisions? The Bay of Pigs invasion. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Blair and Bush's war on Iraq. Every day in smaller ways groups make terrible decisions because of groupthink. Yet the increasing complexity of the world shows that collective intelligence is key. Overwhelmingly, science, business and social breakthroughs happen through teams. I...