Life Beyond The Numbers

"So by that definition, all stories are useful. The question is: to what end?" Jay Perry   Jay Perry and I explored what happens when we begin to see story not as decoration or distraction, but as data - the language we use to survive, connect and create. Jay shared his definition that “a story is language put to use” and reminded us that “all stories are useful” - the real question being to what...

"There is a pilot light running in all of us, and to me that pilot light is the artist inside us." Alexander Inchbald   Alexander Inchbald and I have an in-depth conversation about creativity and the courage to listen to something larger than ourselves. Alexander equates our inner spark - our "light" - with the artist within, present in all of us, even when dimmed. We explore the roles of differen...

"At this particular moment, am I in alignment with, am I in resonance with my values, with what I stand for, with what my heart beats for?" Migena Gjerazi   In this special compilation episode, I revisit conversations from Episodes 100 to 200, to bring together moments from conversations to explore how choice isn’t always obvious, but it’s always there. Awareness opens the door. Articulation gives...

I didn’t set out to reach 200 episodes—I set out to follow the joy. And in this episode, I reflect on how joy hasn’t come from numbers or milestones, but from the moments in between - from the magic of sitting down and having real, honest conversations. Over the years, I’ve explored everything from emotional intelligence to leadership transitions, from burnout to belonging, from accounting for our...

"Playfulness is our natural state of well-being. We are playful when we are well." Chris Marshall   Chris Marshall and I explore why playfulness isn’t frivolous or childish but fundamental to how we thrive at work and in life. We discuss how playfulness helps us embrace complexity, navigate uncertainty and show up as our whole, human selves. Chris shares his multi-faceted career journey and how br...

"... you take people outdoors. They get into a resourceful state, you're able to explore more. You can use nature. I call it wayfinding, just like you use a compass and things like that. You can use the path you're on as a metaphor. And because you're outdoors, you can stay inquisitive longer." Murph    Murph and I explore the incredible benefits of movement, nature and human connection in leaders...

"You can hear the silence emerging in the room. You can hear the sound of silence. There's a peace that comes with, a harmony that comes from it. It offers an opportunity for more sharing, more cooperation, less competition. So it's very generative." Carissa Bub   Carissa Bub and I explore the transformative power of silence in leadership and life. We dive into the paradox of silence - how it can...

"When I realised how much joy there was to be had in life, full stop, in your job and in people paying you to do something you actually enjoy, blew my mind. After 20 years of office work, I was like, wait, wait, I get to have fun and they pay me. I was really surprised by that." Ana Clements   Ana Clements and I explore the journey of rediscovering passion, pursuing creativity and embracing reinve...

"...because we're all imperfect if we have any kind of power, including even just like having a strong personality, that we can be doing things that we don’t even realise are intimidating or shutting down other people."​ David Lee   In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Susanne Evans and David Lee for one of our irregular but always insightful conversations. Today, we dive into the topic of bad beha...

"I was completely transfixed by the idea of these very tiny teapots and these tiny tea cups that were serving small amounts of tea." James Thirlwall   James Thirlwall and I explore the connection between tea and creating connection. I venture out of my usual space to record in a delightful and intimate setting: a tiny teahouse in East Oxford. We delve into the world of Japanese tea ceremonies as w...

"Any given moment contains unlimited futures that can become real. The reality that occurs is the one you pay attention to."  [Quoting] Penney Peirce In this inaugural episode of 2025 I reflect on three recent inspirations — a movie and two exhibitions — that explore themes of creativity, certainty and choice. Drawing connections between the iterative nature of creativity, life’s constant rewrites...

In this year-end episode of 'Life Beyond the Numbers,' I explore the theme of going beyond the status quo. The episode features a compilation of interviews and stories from previous episodes focused on creating a more fulfilling work life by emphasising the human side of our work-lives. I share a selection of snippets with insights on topics such as the importance of avoiding short-termism, the va...

"The actions that we take are the things that are going to get us results, whether we like it or not. And so looking at those results, which business leaders are looking at all the time. We're always looking at those results. Are we meeting our outcomes? Are we meeting our metrics? And if we're not getting those results, well, we're not taking the right actions." Katie McLaughlin   Katie McLaughli...

"For everything that we do, if you cared this much - just a couple of centimetres of care - it would make all the difference in the world". Marc Haine   Marc Haine and I discuss how small, intentional acts of care can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. From building trust to creating a culture of excellence, this episode is packed with insights on why daring to care just a little bit m...

"We can do so much better for ourselves in terms of the way in which we live and the degree of fulfilment and meaning that we derive from life." Kate Jones   Kate Jones shares her unique approach to fostering personal and organisational fulfilment. We explore her Wheel of New Horizons, a framework for helping successful yet unfulfilled individuals reconnect with their heart's desires and navigate...

"If they're not applying creative and intuitive thinking in addition to critical and judgmental thinking, then they're not creating new knowledge for the organisation. They're just taking old knowledge and rearranging it. And for me, that's not adding value." Jackie Eaton   Jackie Eaton shares her unique career path from obtaining a mathematics degree to working in operational research for NATO. S...

"...they were willing to take risks for the experience .... and I think I've really taken that on." Liz Jarman   Liz Jarman and I discuss her planned departure as CEO of Living Goods at the end of 2024. She shares her fascinating approach to succession planning, leadership transitions and a non-linear career path. We chat through some of her achievements, including fostering a strong organisationa...

"Don't be funny, be human -  you don't have to force it. Have a sense of humour. Have the ability to look at situations and see the humour that you do when you're outside of work. How often do you go home from work and you're sitting at the dinner table saying to your partner, or your family, you just wouldn't even believe what happened today..." Beth Sherman   Beth Sherman and I place a lens on t...

"This is about what you are experiencing. And I think the beauty of your experience is it's your experience and no one can argue with that."   David Lee and I delve into the significance of emotional self-regulation and co-regulation, highlighting the impact they have on psychological safety and productive workplace environments. We discuss concepts from my book 'Leading Beyond the Numbers' includ...

I am thoroughly enjoying reading "Wayfinding: The Art and Science of How We Find and Lose Our Way" by Michael Bond and have drawn from it to put together this episode. The parallels between how we do this out there in the wild and within the daily confines or our work-life struck me.  I've used excerpts from this book, in particular the psychology of being lost, for this episode and added some of...

"There's schools of thought around us; the quantum nature of humanity in terms of us being energy and vibrations. And whether you think of it as woo-woo, pseudoscience or whatever, I'm not concerned about that as much as understanding that when we got on this call, our energy levels were higher than usual and matching each other. And I think that is something that as people we really need to tap i...

"It's doing it on purpose, and knowing you can do it on purpose; that's what's really important when it comes to negotiations." Phil Brown   Phil Brown and I delve into the nuances of negotiation. Phil emphasises the significance of human interaction, confidence-building, and specific skills such as active listening, questioning, and observation. He shares insights on purposeful negotiations versu...

"So even in that dynamic of a relationship, how can I have a growth mindset and see my mother or father in the way they are now? How can I have conversations that may have triggered me in the past? But now I know I'm an adult, not that child reacting, to build my parent in the future. It's the same with organizations. It's the human dynamics." Tasneem Virani   Tasneem Virani and I speak about the...

The podcast reached a milestone of 10,000 downloads during the month of June.  It has been listened to in 80+ countries and of those 10 what are the top 10 by downloads?  And do those top 10 have a central theme to them?   I was delighted to find that yes, of course they did.  Many of the guests that I speak to talk about aspects of their work-life journeys and graciously share with us how they na...

In this episode I explore the concept of compassion and self-compassion. I unpack what compassion is and why it’s crucial in our lives, the incredible benefits of self-compassion for both mental and physical health and cover some ways you can begin to cultivate compassion for yourself and others. Special insights from the work of Kristin Neff and David Whyte as well as some books enrich the examin...