Super Powered: Leadership, Strategy, Decision Making & Peak Performance - Stories & Strategies from World-Class Performers for Executive Success

Ever feel your best ideas get lost in translation? Former actors turned storytelling experts and leadership coaches David Pullan and Sarah Jane McKechnie share their DNA framework for making ideas stick. As co-founders of StorySpotters and authors of The DNA of Engagement, they've helped global companies like Aviva and Novartis transform how they communicate change. From crafting strategic narrati...

Ever wonder how top sales leaders build genuine relationships that last? Henry Kayser turned his natural approach to connecting with people into a powerful sales leadership career at tech giants like Zoom and Oracle. His counter-intuitive focus on authentic human connection over metrics has helped him build and lead successful teams across Europe. From selling phone contracts at university to now...

Ever wonder what professional poker and leadership have in common? Tino Engel transformed his five years as a pro poker player into groundbreaking insights about decision-making under pressure. Now a sought-after business trainer and TEDx speaker, he teaches executives how to navigate uncertainty with the same strategic mindset that helped him succeed at the poker table. From starting with just €5...

Ever wondered what true brave leadership looks like? Wendy Harris, former Goldman Sachs trader turned tech executive, knows it means putting aside personal comfort for the greater good. From transforming underperforming teams into global winners to making tough calls during COVID, she's mastered the delicate balance of driving excellence while staying human. Named one of Fortune Magazine's most po...

Ever wondered how to make people trust you before they've even met you? Bob Gentle transformed from a painfully shy local marketer into a globally-recognised personal branding expert by mastering this exact skill. His counter-intuitive approach helped him build a thriving consultancy where 95% of his clients have never even visited his home city of Glasgow. From recording (and deleting) over 100 v...

Ever walked past a business and thought "I could do that better"? Luke Tobin turned that exact instinct into three business exits. He spots gaps others miss - whether that's revolutionising how marketing agencies work with clients or discovering untapped revenue in the experience day industry. From a £6-figure exit of his festival bar company in his early twenties to building the UK's fastest-grow...

In this episode, I talk to Nadia Pace, a non-executive director from Malta who serves on various boards and is also an executive mentor and BPO advisor. We dive into her time as CEO of World Aviation Group, where she had to relocate her entire operation in under eight weeks due to safety concerns. Nadia shares the strategic decisions she made, the importance of alignment among stakeholders, and th...

In this episode, I talk to Richard Russell who talks about his first time managerial role amid the cultural and operational transition during Google's acquisition of DoubleClick. He shares the crucial lessons he learned about adapting to different business models and the need for respecting established processes before driving change. Richard also talks about the importance of being coachable,...

Your startup might feel like your baby, but there comes a point where you need to let go. In this episode, I talk to Tom Pennings, CEO of SalesNudge. Tom has founded three startups and has taken one to exit, working both in Europe and Silicon Valley. Tom reveals the moments he realized the importance of stepping back, even when the stakes were high. It’s a difficult but essential step in letting y...

Dora Nagy is CEO Coach & Advisor, who helps CEOs typically at series A and beyond step up their game in how they lead and execute, using tried-and-tested toolkits, approaches, and frameworks. In this episode she discusses the impact of feedback on individuals and the manipulation that can be associated with it. She shares personal experiences of receiving unfair evaluations and highlights the...

In this LFU Podcast episode, Katharina Lueth (CCO & Managing Director at Raisin) discusses the challenges faced during a major project migration. She highlights the importance of over-communicating and supporting team members during high-pressure situations. She also emphasises the need for post-migration cleanup and planning for the weeks following the project. The episode concludes with the...

In this episode, Rob is joined by Isabel Strijland, the Chief Growth Officer & Co-founder at Acelr8. They discuss the topic "When it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true," diving into the challenges and lessons learned in building a business. From adapting to major disruptions to the importance of overcommunication, Isabel shares valuable insights for leaders in te...

Kritika Singh, Head of Account Development at TWAICE, explores the topic of being vulnerable at work. She shares her personal experience of facing a major life disruption while starting a new role and discusses the value of embracing vulnerability in the workplace. Join us as we delve into how she navigated the challenges, what she brought to work during this time, and the positive impact it had o...

Ever wondered why some leaders effortlessly climb the corporate ladder while others get stuck? It’s not always about skill; it's about evolving with your role. Tune in to Episode 14 as we chat with Kevin Goldsmith, the CTO at Distrokid. Kevin opens up about his challenging transition from being a developer to managing a rapidly scaling team at renowned companies like Adobe, Spotify, and Micros...

What can today's leaders learn from a wartime CMO? Patrick Stal, CMO at Zepz, joins us to share his battle-tested tools for guiding teams through disruption. Having steered marketing at TomTom, Uber, N26, and now Zepz, Patrick unveils his approach to rapid decision making, empathy-driven change, and measuring progress. Learn how this marketing veteran develops a bias for action, the power of p...

What does it take to get executives to approve fair pay? Cassidy Williams, the CTO at Contenda, had to do exactly that at a previous job. Learn how Cassidy used every trick in the book - from "brag docs" to forging alliances - to close an unfair pay gap. She explains the mental shifts she had to make, and what she'd do differently next time. Cassidy discusses: Creating "brag doc...

Alex Weber, former Chief Growth Officer at N26, shares his journey going from one of the first employees to leading a team of over 100, in which time N26 reached unicorn status. Learn how Alex stepped up to lead the marketing function without prior experience, pushed through burnout, and grew into the CGO role. We cover: Taking over the marketing function without a marketing background Pushing thr...

In the midst of a tech industry recession, startups face the daunting challenge of navigating a world where hiring has come to a standstill. Bowen Moody, the CEO and founder of Wonderway, knows this all too well. His Berlin-based company, dedicated to training salespeople, had to make tough decisions during these trying times. In this episode, we dive deep into Bowen's journey, exploring the c...

Welcome to Episode 09 with Guro Bakkeng Bergen, VP & GM at Fivetran. In this episode, we explore how leaders navigate through significant organisational shifts, the impact of artificial intelligence on leadership, and the importance of carefully selecting battles. Guro, with her rich experience at companies like Oracle, New Relic, and ServiceSource, shares her story of overcoming challenges du...

Join us in episode 08 of Leadership For Unicorns as we delve into the world of internal communication with Joanna Parsons, a seasoned consultant, trainer, and mentor. Joanna shares her wealth of knowledge and experience, offering invaluable insights into the challenges and solutions in the realm of internal comms. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the importance of eff...

Discover the secrets behind successful business operations in episode 07 of our podcast, as we dive deep into the modern operating model with Jenny Herald - VP of Product Evangelism at Quantive. With a history of navigating through the challenging landscapes of mergers and acquisitions, Jenny shares a trove of wisdom drawn from her multifaceted career. Having started out in the U.S military, Jenny...

In episode 06 of Leadership for Unicorns, we speak to Dr. Veronika (Fischer) von Heise-Rotenburg, the CFO at Everphone. Veronika tells her story about the challenges she faced when her company was acquired. Acquisitions can often be tricky, and hers left her with a dilemma that affected her whole team. We also talk about valuable lessons she learned as a consultant, what value-based leadership mea...

Summary Embark on an enriching journey in episode 05 of our podcast as we explore the intricate facets of leadership and project management with our guest, Andrii Dzynia, the Senior Director of Engineering at Talabat and a veteran from giants like Spotify and Candy Crush. Andrii walks us through his experience and insights into dealing with the occasional, yet inevitable, unrealistic expectations...

Summary Welcome to episode 4 of our show, titled "From The Ashes," featuring Sacha Dekker: a Global Learning & Enablement Leader with a career at industry giants like HubSpot, LinkedIn, and Oracle. In an intimate and insightful conversation, we delve into Sacha's life-altering journey of resilience and recovery after waking up paralyzed from a routine operation. A blend of the pe...

Summary Embrace the uncertain, and make it your stronghold. In episode 2 of our podcast, "Ride the Waves of Uncertainty," we sit down with Drew Howell, Chief Customer Officer at CXY. Drew shares his rich experiences and insights from building his own company after univeristy to navigating the FinTech industry from 2010 to 2022. You'll gain actionable insights into enhancing both customer and emplo...