Dive Deep, Climb High

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes: E038 Lead with Unbounded Empathy with Jo Berry E039 The Power of Sound with Charlie Christie E040 Serenity in Leadership with Martin Laschkolnig E041 Collaboration is Key with Robert Garnish E042 Be Curious & Courageous with Eleri Thomas Five wonderful conversations that considered leadership from very different perspectives. With...

In this episode, we explore what it means to be curious and courageous. To not follow a plan and trust the process. Together with Eleri, we dive deep into those pivotal moments in her life when she showed great courage and discover how she realised in her early fifties she didn't really know herself at all.   Having worked at Aberystwyth University for over twenty-five years, Eleri also reflects o...

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of change and collaboration. Having moved from the retail sector to higher education, Robert shares his journey since joining the University of Glasgow. We explore what his team want to be famous for, and how they have become more comfortable managing the 'grey', understanding that often things aren't either right or wrong, black, or white, yes or no.  ...

In this episode, we dive deep into serenity and peace. Together with Martin, we explore whether it really is possible to achieve serenity in leadership and the benefits of developing such an approach. Sharing tools and tips that he has learned throughout his life, Martin explains why he believes as leaders there are times when we need to be proactive and other occasions when we need to lean back a...

In this episode, we dive deep into the power of sound and the impact it can have on our mental clarity and focus. Having discovered sound healing whilst living and working in Dubai, Charlie shares the science behind this ancient healing modality and the impact it has had on her life and those people she now works with across the globe.   KEY TAKEAWAY "I have never been a big fan of the word leader...

In this episode we dive deep into the world of conflict and conflict resolution. When she was twenty-seven years old, Jo's father Sir Anthony Berry was killed by the IRA in the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing. Faced with her grief, Jo chose to give up on revenge and instead find a way to bring peace to the situation.   Sixteen years later Jo met with the man responsible, Pat Magee and since then they...

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes: E034 It's About People Not Numbers with Rachel Lee E035 Managing & Perceiving Emotions with Kevin Conn E036 Challenge the Status Quo with Deenie Lee & Sarah Canning Four guests, three fabulous conversations discussing leadership and different aspects of higher education. With Rachel we explored the challenges of selling academic v...

In this episode, we dive deep into the importance of marketing to your business. Together with, Deenie & Sarah, we explore why they believe marketing is the mouthpiece of your business and the difference between marketing implementation and marketing strategy. We also discuss the research they have undertaken into what students really want from their accommodation and how this challenges what is c...

In this episode, we dive deep into emotional intelligence, which Kevin defines as the ability to manage and perceive emotions. Having spent nearly fifteen years working with and researching the topic we explore why Kevin believes it is a key leadership skill and how emotional intelligence can improve team performance and engagement.   KEY TAKEAWAY 'It's all about how you treat people.  How are you...

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of sales, what it means in the world of higher education and why as leaders we need to be comfortable selling. Having worked in hospitality sales for much of her career, Rachel shares with us some of her experiences working as Head of Sales & Marketing at Warwick Conferences and how, through her work with Academic Venue Solutions, she now wants to suppo...

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes: 030 Burn Bright Not Out with Donna Smith 031 The Cost of Generational Diversity with Neerja Singh 032 Communicate with Impact with Patrick Donadio Three wonderful conversations filled with a plethora of hints and tips which could be helpful to you on your leadership journey. Together Donna and I explored the signs of burn out and...

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of communication, exploring how we can communicate with impact. At the start of his career, Patrick worked as a Residential Life Assistant and held numerous university roles before deciding to branch out on his own and specialise in communication. Nowadays he works with leaders and their teams, using his IMPACT process to help people better communicate...

Trigger warning: this episode includes discussion about suicide In this episode, Neerja shares with us her passion for generational diversity. Driven by personal loss, she is keen to help parents, leaders and businesses understand how different generations view and interact with the world. Acknowledging that some of her knowledge has come through hindsight, as well as a large amount of research an...

In this episode Donna shares with us her journey from solicitor to HR professional and development consultant before starting her own coaching business Odonata in 2017. We explore why she is so passionate about helping her clients burn bright rather than out and learn how, by taking just five minutes a day for ourselves, we can ensure burnout doesn't take us off our feet completely.   KEY TAKEAWAY...

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes 026 Take Leadership of Your Mind with Caroline Cavanagh 027 Your Values Dive Your Actions with Katrina Walding 028 Celebrate Pride Everyday with Carley Owen Three diverse conversations filled with golden nuggets which will help you on your leadership journey. With Caroline, we dived deep into her belief that anxiety is good for us...

As an openly gay woman, working in higher education, Carley shares her journey with us, the highs, and the lows. From 'coming out' at nineteen to being told by a colleague that she would have to try harder in London because she was gay, fat, and northern, Carley gives us her perspective on how we can create more inclusive environments, which allow people to bring their true selves to work every da...

Having worked in a variety of operational roles in different sectors, Katrina admits that "customer service is in my blood." During this fascinating conversation we deep dive into the role values had to play in the change programme she led at the University of Surrey. The aim was not just to create a customer service culture but embed a transformational shift that broke down silos and encouraged a...

As a clinical hypnotherapist, Caroline has spent the last twelve years helping people understand how their own thoughts and behaviours can create anxiety. With a belief that anxiety is good for us, and it can help us to grow, we dive deep into the process that Caroline uses to help people take leadership of their mind and build their mental resilience.   KEY TAKEAWAY "Anxiety is a more comfortable...

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes 022 Leadership is a Partnership with Jordan Meates 023 Be the Leader of Your Mind with Duncan Bhaskaran Brown 024 Be Present & Listen with James Greenwood Three insightful conversations with three fantastic human beings. Have you ever considered that leadership is a partnership or as a leader you could be fuelling your team's bad h...

Diving into the world of well-being, James shares with us the importance of listening and recognising that as individuals, the way we each deal with our mental health will be different. Having worked at several universities, we explore James' approach to leadership and why he believes you should say yes to everything, give it a go and have no regrets.   KEY TAKEAWAY "Sometimes we all get up in the...

In this episode we dive deep into the world of bad habits, overindulgence, and addiction. As someone who regularly overindulged, Duncan cleaned up his act, when faced with the questions, 'Do you want another drink, or do you want a child?" As he shares his story, we explore some of the science behind bad habits and how as managers we could inadvertently be encouraging them in our own team.   KEY T...

Leadership is a partnership. This is what Jordan Meates believes. In this episode we not only dive into the partnerships he has with his team but also those accommodation providers he sees as being part of the extended Sheffield Hallam campus and the extended campus experience for students. We explore the role of trust in these relationships and how he has developed them over time, taking an evolu...

In this episode, Mel dives deep into these recent podcast episodes 018 You Cannot Lead Without Love with Renee Rajkumar 019 Become a Networking Angel with Jane Donachy 020 Candidate Attraction is Vital with Hayley Mintern Three wonderful conversations with three fabulous women, who are all leaders in their chosen specialisms. With Renee we explored the power of transferable skills and how she uses...

There is no doubt that finding talent in the current marketplace is tough. In this episode we dive deep into the world of recruitment and what you need to do to ensure you attract the best people to your team. As a recruitment expert in higher education, Hayley shares with us her top tips for recruiting the right people and why she believes that as leaders we need to be excited and passionate duri...

In this episode we dive deep into the world of networking and why it should be a key part of your leadership strategy. A networking angel, Jane shares the reasons why she believes networking is such a powerful tool, how it helped her transition from the world of catering into higher education and her tips for overcoming the fear of talking to someone you don't know and why you can't fail at a conv...