The Courageous Leaders Podcast

In this week’s episode, I speak to Karen Buchanan, CEO at McCann Manchester. Join us whilst we talk about the fear of being rejected and how to have the confidence to be yourself. Karen also speaks beautifully of her experience with grief while going through menopause; the impact it had on her, the way it shaped how she lives and her leadership style. Key takeaways include: ● How we need to equip...

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In this week’s episode, we talk all about the lessons I learned from supporting one of my team through a depressive episode last year. We also share our own thoughts about what it means to have depression, what mental health is, and the stigma that can still surround it now. Key takeaways include: ● The importance of educating yourself, as a leader, on mental health ● How by sharing your experienc...

In this week’s episode, we talk all about the importance of the language that you use and why you should treat your own mind as another team member. I also share the moment in my career when someone leading courageously helped me to get the wake-up call I needed to be better, and take responsibility. Key takeaways include: ● How to show up when things are hard ● How I walk the talk with my busines...

In this week’s episode, we talk about what it was like for me to build a team, the challenges I faced, and the lessons I learned along the way. I also share my experiences of learning to self-regulate, and how that has helped me become a better leader. Key takeaways include: ● Why we’re not equipped to receive feedback ● What it means to see things from different perspectives ● The three areas of...

In this week’s episode, we talk about the importance of disconnecting over the holiday season, and how to help your team do that. We also share our thoughts and experiences on why burnout isn’t just about you, and the practices I have put in place to never find myself in that position again. Key takeaways include: ● Practical ways to shift to a positive mindset ● The importance of having a morning...

In this week’s episode, we discuss how you can keep focus at this time of year so that you can finish this year strong and come back after Christmas, to start next year fast. We also talk about the problem with leaders being over 90% billable, and why that needs to change. Key takeaways include: ● The six core needs of all human beings ● Practical ways to goal set for success ● My four top learnin...

In this week’s episode, we revisit the moment I realised I wanted to be a coach, and how I got started in business. I also share the significant moments that shaped my life and how they have helped me become the leader I am today. Key takeaways include: ● How to catch yourself being in overachievement mode ● Why asking for help will make you more productive ● The power of self-belief in success Jo...

In this week’s episode I speak to Jemima Monies, Chief Marketing and Operations Officer at adam&eve DDB. Follow us along while we deep dive into what parts of the culture that comes with leading a startup business you need to keep, even when you become a big organisation and how to help your team to be courageous. Jemima also shares some wonderfully inspiring thoughts about why meaningful mome...

In this week’s episode I speak to Emma Gardner, Co Founder: Born Equal Consults | With Not For | NYM Mag. Join the conversation to hear us chat about how we better understand and address exclusion and discrimination, and how we can approach it from both a creative and a human aspect. Emma also shares her thoughts about the power of storytelling and why representation matters in the journey to crea...

In this week’s episode I speak to Andy Nairn, Founding Partner at Lucky Generals, one of the UK’s most successful creative agencies. Tune in now to hear us chat about his book ‘Go Luck Yourself’ sharing valuable insights on how we perceive and think about luck. Andy also shares his thoughts about taking the leap to start your own company and what is behind success. Key takeaways include: ● Why bei...

In this week’s episode I speak to Cass Zawadowski, Chief Creative Officer at Wunderman Thompson. Key takeaways include: ● Having an empowering leader and the influence they have on their team ● Bringing humanity into your leadership allows your team to genuinely connect ● Diverse and borderless workplaces: tips on making it work Cass is a results-oriented marketing veteran with proven strategic an...

In this week’s episode I speak to Clive Grinyer, Head of Service Design at the Royal College of Art. Tune in now to hear us chat about the value of digital product design and design’s value in leading customer experience. Clive also shares his thoughts about why we all need to have a role in design and why fundamentally, leadership is about knowing you're probably wrong! Key takeaways include...

In this week’s episode I speak to Nadya Powell, co-founder and partner of award-winning, culture change business Utopia. Tune in now to hear us chat about equality and diversity in leadership and business, and what we can all do to create more equal, diverse and inclusive spaces. Nadya shares her thoughts and experiences about why acknowledging your own biases should be about awareness and not sha...

In this week’s episode I speak to Ricardo Wolff, Executive Creative Director at Innocean Berlin. Tune in now to hear us chat about how to remove the fear from taking leaps of faith, and having the self trust to back yourself to keep moving forward. Ricardo also shares his thoughts about why he believes that you’re never put up against a challenge that you are not ready to face and why the human id...

In this week’s episode, I speak to Mel McVeigh, VP Product, Commerce & Consumer Brands at Conde Nast. Tune in now to hear us chat about the importance of being resourceful, creating human connection,s and the problems with recruitment in the current climate. Mel also shares her thoughts about how technology has changed the way we operate, but why it’s important not to put all decisions in the...

In this week’s episode, I speak to Lizi Hamer, Executive Creative Director, Octagon APAC. Tune in now to hear us chat about being a female creative in a male-dominated industry and the power of glitches and why they can be positive. Lizi also shares her thoughts about the future of hybrid work and the opportunities that will give us to invite new talent into our teams. Key takeaways include: ● How...

Episode 33 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the pleasure of talking to Neil Cooper, Executive Creative Director for Critical Mass in EMEA and APAC. Tune in now to hear us chat about the importance of aligning people to your vision, giving people responsibility to create change and the importance of hiring people and creating work that’s reflective of the world we live in and why that needs to be...

Episode 32 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the pleasure of talking to Emma Shuldham, Managing Director at ITB Worldwide. Tune in now to hear us chat about embracing change, stepping away from work for maternity leave and the role of human insight in data. Emma speaks inspiringly about how she empowered her team to effectively do her role whilst she was away and then how she worked with them once...

Episode 31 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the pleasure of talking to Jim Rothnie, Regional Growth Director – Europe & UK, McCann Worldgroup and Chief Growth Officer – EMEA, Craft WW.   Tune in now to hear us chat about why working on a pitch is the best way to learn at speed, and the things you need to think about when deciding who to put on your pitch team. Jim speaks beautifully about the...

Episode 30 is a milestone we’re celebrating by bringing to you the essence of our most listened to episodes.  Over the past 9 months, we’ve spoken to some of the most inspiring people from the Creative industry, who’ve all shared with us what Courageous Leadership means to them.  We have had such a vast variety of different answers from having clear values and living by them, removing fear from th...

Episode 29 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the pleasure of talking to Julia Arenson, Head of Creative Operations at Specsavers Agency.    In this episode we chat about why you don’t always have to be climbing the ladder and why we need to move away from demanding experience to get a role. Julia speaks wonderfully about how she reframed her anxiety of feeling trapped in a role into a springboard...

Episode 28 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the pleasure of talking to Gareth Turner, Founder of Big Black Door and former Head of Marketing at Weetabix.   In this episode he shares so many golden nuggets from his wealth of experience in the creative industry, including when his team unleashed the multi award winning “Beanz on Bix” campaign that broke the internet in the process! Key takeaways in...

Episode 27 of series 4 is now LIVE and I had the absolute pleasure of talking to Suki Thompson, Founder and CEO of Let’s Reset.   Tune in now to hear us chat about resilience and performance in the workplace, and how wellbeing at work leads to increased energy and improved performance. Suki speaks inspiringly about how she has overcome cancer seven times, and the impact that has had on her as a pe...

Kerry’s communications industry career spans three decades and she is one of the industry’s most prominent figures. Her career includes spells at JWT, WCRS, Limbo (BBH) and Kendall Tarrant (now The Talent Business). She joined AAR as Commercial Director in 1999, was promoted to Managing Director in 2000, and CEO in 2006, and has recently moved to the role of Executive Chair of AAR. In this episode...