In today's corporate world, fear-driven leadership has created environments where bullying and vaguely psychopathic behaviours are normalised. Leaders often believe success requires ruthlessness, breeding cultures where employees feel unsafe to be themselves.
John Blakey offers a transformative alternative: trust-based leadership. His approach demonstrates that leaders who prioritise trustworthiness can deliver outstanding results without resorting to intimidation. By balancing results with responsibility and adopting a triple bottom line approach of profit, people, and planet, leaders can become a genuine force for good.
Organisations led through fear create self-fulfilling prophecies of decline. When we collectively "feed the bad wolf", we perpetuate cycles of distrust, stifle innovation, and crush employee morale. This leads to the concerning statistic that only 17% of UK adults believe the next generation will have better lives than theirs.
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The fashion industry is facing a critical environmental crisis with fast fashion and disposable clothing contributing significantly to global waste.
The continued production and disposal of fashion items at current rates will accelerate climate change, deplete natural resources, and harm communities in manufacturing regions. Livelihoods will be threatened as resources become scarcer, affecting the 650,000+ people supported through Primark's supply chain alone.
Lynne Walker is leading a transformation of Primark’s business model through its Primark Cares initiative, to make sustainable fashion accessible to everyone.
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Women are often socialised to believe that confidence will make them unlikeable or threatening. Lauren Currie OBE, founder of Upfront, shares her experience of receiving messages from childhood that "the world prefers me when I am quiet and small". This pressure leads many women to hide their accomplishments and dim their light.
But confidence is not something we're born with, but something we can learn and cultivate. Lauren has built an organisation that has upskilled over 11,000 women globally in confidence, leadership, and speaking up in situations where they might otherwise have stayed silent.
Women who continue to hide their talents miss opportunities to fulfil their potential and impact the world. This perpetuates systems that depend on women remaining "silent and unquestioning". Meanwhile, younger generations continue inheriting these limiting beliefs about what it means to be a woman.
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By challenging herself to run 330km across mountain terrain – facing extreme physical discomfort, sleep deprivation, and mental exhaustion – Linda Hubbard discovered that pushing boundaries leads to profound personal growth and unexpected calm.
To break free from comfort zone paralysis, we must first identify what truly matters to us beyond our immediate comfort, then build a support system of people who believe in our vision.
Staying too comfortable for too long means sacrificing our potential and missing the deep satisfaction that comes from conquering difficult challenges. Our leadership abilities stagnate, and we model complacency rather than courage for those around us.
But as Linda discovered, our fears become manageable when shared with others.
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Many organisations struggle to build structures that balance leadership and equality. Traditional hierarchies often lead to inefficiency, lack of clarity, and a stifling of innovation. Employees can feel disconnected or undervalued, and companies can lose sight of their mission in pursuit of profits.
Mark Vletter’s approach offers a different way forwards. By embracing self-management and holacracy, organisations can create a culture where decisions are made collectively, accountability is clear, and everyone has a voice. Steward ownership ensures the company’s mission is safeguarded for the long-term, free from the pressures of maximizing shareholder profit.
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Navigating life’s biggest changes takes resilience and adaptability, especially when multiple challenges occur simultaneously.
Even highly capable individuals can struggle when faced with unexpected events, from starting a business and having a child in a foreign country to dealing with illness and death.
Jon and Lori Smith’s experience highlights the importance of acknowledging the cognitive stress that builds up in periods of upheaval, rather than maintaining a "happy-go-lucky" mindset that everything will simply work out.
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Facing our fears means understanding how they shape our actions, while creating space for self-awareness, connection, and growth in both personal and professional contexts.
Carlos Saba is the co-founder of the Happy Startup School, an alternative business school and learning platform that focuses on helping entrepreneurs and professionals align their work with their values and passions.
With a PhD in atomic physics, Carlos transitioned from a career in science and digital advertising to co-founding a digital studio and eventually dedicating himself to creating programs, events, and courses that foster connection, learning, and personal growth.
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As change makers, we an become overwhelmed and anxious about our place in the world, the impact we have, and the resources we have to create it. These feelings often stem from deeper fears, like that of losing what we cherish or even the fear of dying. This can leave us feeling stuck, disconnected, and unable to act.
For therapist Agnes Otzelberger, facing these fears head-on helped her feel more alive and capable. She believes we can find strength by connecting with others, embracing creativity, and building a better relationship with ourselves and the natural world.
When we ignore our fears, they can paralyse us. We can feel numb or powerless, unable to make decisions or take meaningful action. This
disconnection from ourselves and others only deepens the sense of hopelessness.
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Many of us struggle with finding peace and quiet in our fast-paced, noisy lives. This lack of space to reflect and connect with ourselves can leave us feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and stuck in patterns that don’t serve us.
The solution is to embrace quietness, slow down, and create intentional space for reflection and connection. Pete Mosley’s approach shows us how we can live more in tune with our nature by making deliberate choices about how we spend our time and where we focus our energy.
Without time to pause, we risk becoming trapped in a cycle of stress and disconnection. Our thoughts can overwhelm us, and we might lose sight of what’s truly important, leaving us feeling unfulfilled despite all our efforts.
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Losing a loved one unexpectedly is a devastating experience. It can be even harder when the circumstances involve negligence and injustice. Many of us might feel overwhelmed by the enormity of seeking accountability, or unsure of how to move forwards while grappling with grief.
Nigel Burt, father of Olivia who was killed in a preventable accident while queuing at a night club, shows us a way through this. He focused on breaking the overwhelming challenge into smaller, manageable steps. He sought expert legal help, relied on his professional skills to problem-solve, and leaned on his network for support. By focusing on what could be done each day, he avoided being paralysed by the bigger picture.
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Many people working in sustainability feel disillusioned and burned out. The problem is that businesses often prioritise profit over real, impactful change. Sustainability is seen as secondary, and those driving it are left feeling unsupported and powerless. This lack of meaningful action leaves even the most dedicated individuals questioning their efforts.
Kathryn Sheridan suggests slowing down, reconnecting with our values, and acting from a place of stability. By making small, steady changes, we can avoid burnout and create lasting impact. It's about finding balance, caring for ourselves, and learning to pace our efforts for the long haul.
If we continue at breakneck speed, we risk losing the energy and clarity we need to make real progress. Burnout can leave us unable to act, and the noise of the world can overwhelm us. Without intentional change, we might stay stuck in cycles of stress and frustration, unable to move forward.
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How we process and respond to traumatic experiences matters more than the experiences themselves. Openly discussing loss, maintaining connections to loved ones who have passed, and allowing ourselves to feel and express grief fully can lead to far better outcomes.
Sanderson Jones is a former standup comedian and the co-founder of Sunday Assembly, a worldwide movement of non-religious congregations that celebrate life. Following the sudden and untimely death of his wife and the mother of his children, Sanderson rediscovered a new purpose, and has become a funeral celebrant and “funeral designer”.
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Our upbringing, and the patterns and behaviours we carry, shape how we show up in our relationships and work. These patterns often stem from past trauma or difficult family dynamics we don’t fully recognise. Left unaddressed, they can lead to harmful behaviours, strained relationships, and limitations on our personal and professional growth.
Christina Kisley understands deeply how our past affects us and how vital committing to personal growth can be. This means being willing to dig into our own experiences, even if it feels uncomfortable or scary. Facing ourselves is one of the hardest things we can do, but it’s also the most rewarding.
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Fear can take over our emotions, cloud our judgment, and leave us feeling powerless. It’s easy to feel trapped when we’re unsure how to move forwards.
John Peters dealt with extraordinary fear during his captivity. But he focused on controlling his mind and his responses, even when everything else was beyond his control. He refused to let fear define him and made a promise to himself that he would not let fear take away his power or identity.
In this conversation with Sally-Anne, John shares a number of details from his time in captivity you may find upsetting. However, this episode will help you
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Emma Draper faced a huge challenge when her life suddenly changed. Her marriage ended, she became a single parent to three boys, and her business was struggling. On top of that, the pressures of keeping her home and supporting her family felt overwhelming. She also battled long Covid, which left her physically drained for years.
Emma found a way forward by taking control of her situation. She refused to stay stuck in fear and started making changes. She restructured her business, reconnected with her team, and focused on her health. She looked at every area of her life and worked to improve it step by step.
Emma had worked for years without a clear sense of her “why”. Being so occupied with work and life without that clear purpose can lead to burnout and a loss of confidence. We risk feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and disconnected from the people who rely on us. Without action, these pressures can snowball.
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It's all to easy to get caught up in work, achievement, or the daily grind. If we’re not careful, we can lose sight of ourselves and the love we have to give and receive. The way forward is to focus on kindness. This means being kind to others and, just as importantly, to ourselves.
Matt Dean’s experience – his continuing battle with cancer, his brush with death, and his moment of spiritual awakening – shows that love and kindness are at the heart of everything good. Even in the face of fear and hardship, kindness can guide us to live more fully and meaningfully.
Without kindness, life can feel empty, even when we’re busy. We can end up working hard but missing out on what truly fulfils us. Struggles can feel heavier, and fear can take over when we lack a foundation of love and goodness.
Take a moment right now to pause and reflect. Think about one simple act of kindness you can do today, whether for someone else or for yourself. Then, go and do it. These small steps can change everything.
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Responsibility can be hard to let go of when we’re used to being the one everyone relies on. This burden often leaves no room for joy, creativity, or the things that truly fulfil us. We get stuck in patterns of doing what we think we should do, rather than what we deeply want to do.
The way forward is to create space for ourselves. This means stepping back from some of the things that weigh us down, even if they’ve brought us success. It’s about choosing to pursue what lights us up and leaning into the magic of life. By doing this, we can rediscover joy and find new ways to contribute meaningfully.
In this conversation, successful consultant turned author Tierah Lothbrok explores how we can recognise the responsibilities that are truly ours and let go of the rest, so we don’t risk losing touch with ourselves.
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Sometimes as leaders we face situations that feel overwhelming, whether it’s uncertainty, financial struggles, or the fear of letting others down. These challenges can take a toll on our mental and physical health, and even our confidence in moving forward.
But we can overcome these tough moments by staying focused, being resourceful, and never giving up.
In this episode, Caffe Nero founder Pablo Ettinger shares how he managed to navigate both personal risks and business challenges by maintaining a clear vision, leaning on the right people, and preparing with a plan B.
Letting fear or stress control us leads to poor decisions, burnout, or to us giving up on something that could have succeeded with just a little more effort or support. But there are small, deliberate actions we can take to move forward, and hopefully, someone close you can turn to for guidance.
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When Osian was born after only 23 weeks, he had to fight through countless medical complications. For his mother, Georgina, it was an exhausting time filled with uncertainty, pushing her to her limits as a parent and caregiver.
Despite this, Georgina focused on creating a life filled with love, joy, and connection for Osian. She embraced her role with determination, learning complex medical care and ensuring her son felt loved and supported every single day.
Sadly, Osian’s short life ended in March 2023, but Georgina has kept his memory alive through Osian’s Fishes, a fundraising scheme to help hospitals acquire more cot soothers for babies spending weeks or months in hospital.
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Failing to prepare and adapt can lead to dangerous situations, like getting lost in treacherous conditions. These outcomes can be life-threatening and make it difficult for us to reach safety.
Arno de Jong faced that when taking his friend on a winter hike in the Alps. They encountered more snow than Arno had expected, which posed a risk of avalanches and made navigation difficult.
In his conversation with Sally-Anne, Arno recounts his adventure, how he dealt with the fear and led his friend to safety, and what his encounter can teach others.
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