Leadership Unlocked

Episode 13 – ‘Balancing risk and institutional courage for endurance’

Leadership success is shaped by what you leave behind for others, not about you as an individual. For Henley alumna Nomsa Chabeli, Group CEO at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the role of stewardship is key, passing success from one leader to the next by building trust, resilience and endurance in an organisation. “I carry institutional responsibility on behalf of others. And it's something that I found at the SABC, that being a public institution, it really sits at the intersection of society, of democracy, of culture.” In the final episode of the second series of our Leadership Unlocked podcast, Nomsa speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about the experiences that shaped her leadership journey, her drive to create lasting impact, and navigating tensions in leading a commercially-funded public organisation. Nomsa talks about her role in ensuring representation and diversity in the workplace and that it has to be deliberate, intentional and inclusive. She also speaks candidly about the importance of having institutional courage when making decisions versus the impact of getting it wrong. “Sometimes you might be more worried about the noise outside and start not making the right decisions because you wonder what people are going to say … That's something that I've really had to navigate.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 12 – ‘Creating impact when it seems impossible’

How can you create impact even if you can’t influence things directly? For Simon Koerner, Global Lead of Organisational Effectiveness at DSV, understanding the relationship between indirect influence and outcome is a key part of being impactful and scaling success across continents, locations and teams. “It's all about the way you define yourself and define your influence circle. What am I able to influence? What am I not able to influence?” In episode 12 of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Simon speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about the complexities of scaling impact from a country to a global level, ‘topic’ versus ‘people’ leadership, and the importance of dealing with discomfort the higher you climb up the career ladder. Simon talks about the role that his LinkedIn following has played in shaping conversations and building capacity inside the organisation. He also shares the importance of being honest with yourself and changing behaviours if things aren’t working anymore. “You can be the best expert that you want to be with the highest skill set, but if you're not able to adapt to different situations, to different people, to how you communicate, to how you influence, then it's difficult.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 11 – ‘If you’re too comfortable, you’re not learning’

Remaining curious and making constant adjustments is a core leadership skill at every level. But for Kim Sides, Executive Director, UK & Ireland at Royal BAM Group, senior leaders also need to embrace discomfort. “I've actively avoided what feels comfortable. Because if you're too comfortable, you're not learning. But if you're really uncomfortable, you're probably in the wrong spot and not making the contribution you meant to.” In episode 11 of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Kim speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about balancing gut feel with data insights and making decisions based on limited information. She also discusses the importance of compromise and not shutting down options until you have to. In a male dominated industry, Kim talks candidly about organisational systems and environments being paramount for inclusion and asks why we cannot have pregnant women on a construction site. She also admits to needing to adapt her naturally direct and challenging New South Wales style when working with colleagues in different regions, and is a firm believer that understanding your audience is the key to success. “We sometimes think we're communicating to a whole lot of people the same information, but everybody's in a different state, in a different context. How you address those nuances of everybody's different journey, capability and interest level is something I challenge myself on every day.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 10 – ‘Happiness is underrated’

Work-life balance is something everyone strives for. But it’s not a phrase everyone believes is right. For alumnus Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England, we shouldn’t need the phrase, as work should be a meaningful and joyful part of life. “There's an onus on leaders to create an organisational environment where everybody who comes to work can feel that they're adding something of value, there's a sense of purpose and a sense of achievement.” In episode 10 of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Darren speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about the impact of happiness on teams and communities and the importance of being present at work to feel fulfilled. Darren talks about the challenges of balancing innovation in the arts with finite resources, about serving people to provide enjoyment and ensuring creative arts can thrive, and his role in breaking down barriers in the arts so that all talent has equal access to opportunities. An advocate for self-reflection and positive psychology, Darren is a firm believer in the role of senior leaders in making good things happen and that happiness is underrated. “I think that idea of all of us leading happier and better lives is a really important one. I work in a job where I get to invest taxpayers' money, National Lottery players' money, and I believe it enables people to live happier and better lives.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Episode 9 – ‘The power of positive paranoia’

Starting a business two weeks before the COVID pandemic hit was not the ideal set-up for success. That’s the position that Henley alumnus Leo Harrison, Founder and CEO of talent strategy specialist, Chapter 2, found himself in six years ago. “Chapter 2 was founded two weeks before COVID came into our worlds. Did I see it coming? No. Was I naive? Maybe … I thought everything was going to be amazing and literally overnight every new business appointment got cancelled and for six months I was getting told ‘no’ every single day.” In episode 9 of our Leadership Unlocked podcast series, Leo speaks to Professor Bernd Vogel, Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership, about the move from being a ‘number two guy’ to starting his own business, building resilience, and the importance of positive paranoia in helping to prioritise what really matters. Leo talks about learning to manage people the hard way, having to change his management style, and the vital role of connection in building engaged and successful teams, no matter what level you reach. He also speaks about the importance of trusted mentors along his career journey and how a chance encounter with entrepreneur Steven Bartlett brought not only business investment but invaluable inspiration. “I wasn't looking for an investor when Steven approached me … but I knew what Steven would bring to the company … The value he's brought has been huge.” See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.