What if being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer completely changed the way you think, lead, and live?
In this episode, I’m joined by Naz Harrison — Director, Coach & L&D Leader, who opens up about his battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, how it transformed his outlook on life, and why it shaped his mission to help recruiters and leaders think, coach, and perform differently.
We unpack Naz’s journey from recruiter to global L&D leader, what real coaching actually looks like (and why most managers get it wrong), and how mindset, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence drive true performance.
This is an honest, practical, and deeply human conversation about coaching, leadership, and resilience — and the lessons you only learn when life forces you to slow down, reflect, and rebuild.
We explore:
✅ Beating stage 4 cancer & the mindset shift that followed
✅ Coaching vs mentoring — and why most managers confuse the two
✅ The difference between presenting and true training
✅ Coaching frameworks like GROW that actually work
✅ How to build a coaching culture inside recruitment
✅ Emotional intelligence, anchoring & managing chaos
✅ Overcoming fear, failure & the illusion of control
✅ How trauma can shape purpose & leadership
✅ Building confidence, resilience & clarity as a coach
If you want to understand how to lead, coach, and perform with more purpose — and how the right mindset can change everything — this episode is a must-listen.
⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & Naz’s backstory
05:00 – From recruiter to L&D leader
11:00 – Lessons from building global training programs
16:00 – Beating stage 4 cancer & changing perspective
31:00 – Mindset shifts & purpose after recovery
39:00 – Coaching vs mentoring explained
46:00 – How to actually coach (not tell)
52:00 – Management tools & NLP techniques
01:08:00 – Mindset, confidence & emotional growth
01:27:00 – Naz’s 1% Better tip
🔗 Connect with Naz Harrison
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazharrison/
🔗 Connect with Charles Kyriakou
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskyriakou1/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charles.kyriakou
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1-better-recruitment-podcast/id1775201502
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@charleskyriakou
LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7244346543967731712
🎟️ Don’t forget to grab your ticket for the live podcast event – 20th November in London:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1-better-recruitment-live-podcast-how-to-thrive-in-challenging-markets-tickets-1777948464719?aff=oddtdtcreator