The Unlock Moment: The Inner Shift That Changes How You Lead

This is a conversation about what happens when the data you’ve trusted your whole career turns out to be pointing you in the wrong direction. It’s about the moment when logic starts to unravel, and real clarity begins ... not in more numbers, but in understanding what the customer truly sees. Michael Ross brings a deep humility to his insight: that the story behind the numbers can be more powerful...

Leadership isn’t about being liked, though most great leaders are likeable. The difference is that their likeability comes from credibility and respect, not from chasing approval. In this Box of Keys episode, I explore why trying to lead by being liked almost always backfires, and why boundaries are essential for both children and teams.   Leaders need to separate tough decisions from personal fee...

One of the world’s leading executive coaches and an accredited business psychologist, Alex Lazarus has worked with CEOs and leaders around the world to navigate change and build high-performance cultures. And as the founder of Lazarus & Maverick, she and her team help leaders navigate complexity and deal with that unique sense of isolation that you get when you’re sitting in the big chair at the h...

You tell your team your door is always open, but still … nobody walks through. I’ve been thinking about why that is. Why people don’t always feel comfortable stepping forward, even when you genuinely want to hear from them.   It reminded me of a conversation I had with the brilliant leadership coach Dr Francoise Orlov. She talked about what it means to really create psychological safety. Not just...

So many people I’m speaking to at the moment are describing themselves as stuck in their careers – often they’ve built a very successful career in one area of specialism and now face into a very big question – “now I have different choices, is this what I really want to do?” You might know today’s guest Tanya Arnold from her TV career – a BBC sports journalist covering two Olympics, the Commonweal...

In this powerful episode, legendary BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones tells the story of the day he discovered a box of letters from his mother that changed everything he knew about his upbringing. Recorded live in London, this powerful and moving testimony from a master storyteller will stay with you for a long time. Today he is as famous for his rescue dog 'Sophie from Romania' as he is for his 4...

When I first met Rajeev I was struck his clarity, his humility. A perspective on leadership that is seductive and compelling. To find something bigger than yourself. To find meaning. To find purpose. As he says, leadership is about creating a better future. A hugely successful leader himself, now he's helping others to discover their own Steward Leadership. Rajeev Peshawaria is the CEO of the Stew...

A memorable encounter aged just 13 with the CEO of British Steel was Chris Cooper's Unlock Moment. The moment when he knew there was more for him in life than to follow his father into the steelworks. Often those formative moments that shape our sense of purpose happen early in our lives. Many years later Chris is a leadership strategist, a speaker, a broadcaster and an author, helping others to e...

We think of leadership development and coaching as something for the workplace, right? But what if you could use those same approaches in young people to help them develop their capabilities as a leader right from the time when they're in school? Well that's what former Pentagon and UN advisor Julie Carrier has been doing for years. She's been featured on NBC, Discovery Channel and MTV, and she's...

Storytelling at its best, the gentle Irish lilt of senior tech leader Feargal Moorhead is compelling as he tells his story from growing up in Ireland to leading roles at Intel and Amazon. He draws connections between the unique culture of County Clare and how it influenced his most recent career pivot from autonomous vehicles to his new venture supporting other leaders to be at their best. Questio...

A remarkable conversation with a remarkable coach, who pulled himself up from his darkest moment to find new stability and to help others discover their Ordinary Resilience. Luis Velasquez grew up in poverty in Guatemala, became a Professor of Genetics, overcame a brain tumour and is today one of the world’s leading coaches working with executives from Google, Salesforce, Twitter and IBM. His mant...

I haven’t got time. I’ve been in too many meetings. I just don’t know where to start. We’ve all been there – overwhelmed with volume and complexity, unable to find a simple path through. Making life and business simple is one of the hardest things you can do, and also the most freeing. Today’s guest is a world-leading expert on how to make things simple. Lisa Bodell is a global leader and a world-...

A remarkable story with a remarkable artist. The kind of illustrator who walks into danger to tell people's stories through the power of his art. George Butler is an award-winning illustrator but has reinvented the role of the Artist Reporter drawing conflict zones, climate issues, humanitarian crisis and social issues for the news. His drawings are done in situ - in pen, ink and watercolour. In A...

What is your path of roses? For world-leading coach Hortense le Gentil, a dream sparked her search for balance and fulfilment which took her on a journey of self-discovery and growth. Why you should listen: In a world where we place too much value on material things and spend too little time prioritising ourselves, our contentment and our freedom, the message Hortense shares about how to become 'u...

My wife and I are huge fans of the highly successful Traitors TV show. And if you’ve watched it then in Season 2 of the UK series you’ll remember the big-hearted Welshman Andrew Jenkins, playing a Traitor and whose banishment at the last round table set the series up for a memorable finale. But the story of Andrew’s journey starts long before he was on TV. Two decades ago, at the age of 21, he was...

This raw, unflinching account of burnout and recovery from leading psychotherapist Anna Mathur is one of the most emotionally-charged conversations I've had to date here on The Unlock Moment. Anna is widely celebrated for her accessible mental health advice she offers across her platforms – including her Instagram page, incredibly popular podcast ‘The Therapy Edit’ and five-star rated online cours...

Recorded LIVE at the Climb24 Investor Summit in Leeds, UK. Dominic McGregor is today a successful investor with Fearless Adventures, investing and driving growth in entrepreneur-led e-commerce businesses. But he's most famous for co-founding Social Chain with Dragon's Den star Steven Bartlett in 2013, and after six years selling that business and eventually taking the combined business public. The...

I’m sure most of us can think of an inspirational teacher who helped to guide us in our journey from childhood to adulthood. Mine was Mr Rutland, my enigmatic physics teacher who revelled in turning complex concepts into memorable moments. He also started me on my journey in public speaking, teaching me and my friends the skills required to be impactful speakers and driving us up to London in the...

Here in summer 2024, the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for many years. And I have always believed in the power of the arts to transcend politics, to transcend conflict, to show us a light and to give us hope for a better future. Today it is my privilege to welcome to the podcast an incredibly talented young dancer who epitomises that vision of hope. I met her late last year...

In these most volatile of times, it feels as though the only certainty in business and life is that change is the new normal. So today I’m delighted to welcome a world-leading thinker and author on transformation and change to The Unlock Moment. Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, a noted thought leader, technology innovator and advisor to CEOs and the US federal government. He is the fo...

I met today’s guest last year, a world-leading coach and the kind of deep thinker that I love to spend time in conversation with. I know you will enjoy hearing from her too. Dr Francoise Orlov, who holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Strasbourg in France, is an accredited Master Coach, Mentor, and Coaching Supervisor. She is a published author and a member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 C...

Today we are meeting a top marketing executive, a leadership and branding coach and a top business school professor – the many-hatted Jenny Fernandez. Jenny is an award-winning executive and team coach, Columbia and NYU faculty, and brand strategist. She works with senior leaders and their teams to maximise their impact by becoming more curious, collaborative, and resilient. Her work spans Fortune...

The Post Office Horizon IT Scandal represents the biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history. Brought to life in the hit ITV series "Mr Bates vs. The Post Office", the story hit the headlines in early 2024 and at the time of publication is the subject of a major public inquiry. Faulty equipment and computer software made it look as though money was missing from post off...

The other day it was my huge honour to deliver the commencement address at the University College London (UCL) MBA Graduation. Sitting in the front row and wearing my university robes for the first time in 20 years, I was humbled to hear from the graduating students how much they had sacrificed to complete their studies over four years alongside busy day jobs. And the common threads in each person...

Enjoy this remarkable extended podcast episode with Emmy Award-winner Topaz Adizes, in which he chronicles the search for home, his exploration of questions and his pursuit of the transformative power of deeper human connection. We’ve had many wonderful guests and today is no exception – a master in the art of powerful storytelling. Topaz Adizes is a writer, a director and an experience design arc...