‘What It's Taken’ by David and Jenny Harkin

017 What It’s Taken: Anita Gleave – ‘Education Must Evolve With The World’

In this episode we’re joined by Anita Gleave, one of the most influential and forward-thinking leaders in independent and international education. With nearly four decades of experience across classrooms, headships and global school groups, Anita has built a reputation as a pioneering force in the sector - someone unafraid to challenge traditional models and rethink what education can look like for the next generation. Now stepping into her role as CEO of QED Schools Group, Anita is leading one of the UK’s fastest-growing and most ambitious education groups, beginning with the launch of Wycliffe College in 2026. After twenty years working directly in schools, Anita moved into the corporate side of education where she helped shape strategy and growth at organisations including Alpha Plus Group, WCL and the International Schools Partnership. She later founded both Chatsworth Schools and Blenheim Schools, building a network of schools and nurseries across the UK, Dubai and Saudi Arabia with a strong focus on inclusion, innovation and global opportunity. In this conversation we explore:  📚 Why education must continue evolving to meet a changing world 📚 The balance between academic excellence and human development 📚 What it takes to build culture across international school communities 📚 And how courageous leadership can create lasting impact for young people A fascinating conversation with a leader who continues to shape the future of education on a global scale.

016 What It's Taken: Agnes Cserhati - 'Don't Be Afraid To Stand Out But Don't Seek It'

In this episode we’re joined by Agnes Cserhati, internationally recognised leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of the bestselling book The Performance Advantage. With more than 25 years of global experience across over 100 countries, Agnes has worked with Fortune 500 companies, UN agencies and global institutions to help leaders and organisations perform at the highest level. Agnes began her entrepreneurial journey early, founding and selling her first company at just 22 in post-communist Hungary. Since then she has built a global career advising senior executives and leadership teams on how to navigate complexity, lead with clarity and create cultures that sustain performance over time. As the Founder and CEO of AC PowerCoaching and the creator of The Performance Advantage® methodology, she challenges a common assumption about leadership success. Her belief is simple but powerful: high performance is not talent. It is a system. In this conversation we explore:  – What truly separates high-performing leaders from the rest  – Why performance under pressure is built, not inherited  – How leaders can move beyond motivation to measurable results  – And the mindset shifts required to build resilient, high-performing teams Agnes also shares insights from her bestselling book, outlining the principles that help leaders elevate their impact and sustain excellence in an era of constant change.

015 What It’s Taken: Aatif Hassan, Founder and Chairman of Dukes Education - 'Big Vision, Big Heart'

In this episode, we’re joined by Aatif Hassan, the founder and chairman of Dukes Education [https://dukeseducation.com/], whose story moves in that quiet, surprising way where one decision changes the entire direction of a life. Aatif grew up in West London, navigating school with dyslexia and ADHD, feeling the familiar frustration of a system that didn’t quite know what to do with him. Everything shifted when his father made a huge sacrifice to send him to a small independent school where, for the first time, he felt seen. Passionate teachers. A nurturing structure. Space to breathe a bit. It set the foundation for everything that followed. He threw himself into rugby and the army cadets, eventually commissioning as a British Army Officer. The military sharpened the edges of his discipline, taught him how to lead, how to work, how to hold himself to a higher standard. From there he moved into finance, carving out a first-class academic record and an award-winning career. And then life changed again. A cluster of tragic personal events forced a kind of reckoning, pulling him towards a new purpose: empowering young people through education. Today Aatif chairs multiple organisations, including Cavendish Education and the Dukes Foundation, and serves as a trustee for the British Asian Trust and The Queen’s Reading Room. His influence stretches across schools, charities and policy, yet his motivation remains rooted in that early experience of what education can be when it’s done with care. In this conversation, we explore: 💡The turning points that shaped his philosophy on leadership 💡 How adversity rewires ambition 💡What it means to build an organisation with purpose, not ego 💡Why giving young people the right environment can change everything

014 What It's Taken: Sally Orange MBE - ' Pain Into Purpose'

In this episode, we sit down with Sally Orange MBE [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-orange-mbe-95948741/], someone who somehow manages to be both utterly extraordinary and completely human at the same time. A former British Army Major, world record–breaking endurance athlete, mental health campaigner and fundraiser, Sally has built a life around service, resilience and a kind of stubborn optimism that pulls people in. She’s completed some of the toughest endurance challenges on the planet, from the Marathon des Sables to the Race Across America, alongside more than 80 marathons, 8 full Ironmans and even a marathon on every continent dressed as different pieces of fruit. And that’s just the shortlist. But the real story sits underneath all that, the personal journey through chronic depression and anxiety that has shaped the work she does today. It’s the reason she speaks so openly, and so generously, about what it takes to keep going when everything in you is telling you to stop. Across three decades, she’s raised over £800,000 for charities, served on the front line as an Army physiotherapist, inspired young people through the Army Cadet Force and championed countless mental health causes. Her warmth and humour, even in the heaviest conversations, make her message land in a way that stays with you. In this conversation, we explore: ⭐️The real meaning of endurance, beyond medals or miles ⭐️ How to be resilient without losing compassion ⭐️ Why mental health is everyone’s business ⭐️ And the small, practical things that help you rebuild when life eventually knocks you flat A powerful, honest and uplifting episode with one of the most inspiring voices in the UK today.

013 What It's Taken: Edwina Dunn OBE – 'I’ll Show Them'

In this episode, we’re joined by Edwina Dunn OBE [linkedin.com/in/edwinad], one of the most influential leaders in data and a pioneer of transformational change. Edwina helped revolutionise the world of retail and consumer goods when her company Dunnhumby developed Tesco Clubcard and global loyalty programmes that reshaped how brands understand and serve customers. Today, she is the Founder and Chair of The Female Lead [https://www.thefemalelead.com/], an educational foundation celebrating the achievements and diversity of women shaping our world. With a social community of nearly 9 million, they use data to uncover the real challenges women face and work with businesses and governments to drive practical change inside workplaces and across society. She’s also Director of Tandem Agency, a creative agency that helps brands connect with the most powerful consumer force on the planet: women. Through storytelling, talent partnerships and influence, they’re turning cultural energy into measurable impact. In this conversation, we explore: ➡️ What true loyalty means and how data can make business more human ➡️ The journey from disruptive startup to global impact ➡️ Why representation and equality matter for everyone ➡️ What it really takes to stay ahead as a leader today A fascinating conversation with a genuinely transformational figure in business and social change.