What does it take to achieve the extraordinary? World-renowned Psychologist, Bestselling Author, and Founder of APS Intelligence, Professor John Amaechi OBE, joins gunnercooke founder Darryl Cooke in this truly moving episode of The Inspiring Leadership Podcast. Recorded live at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. In The NeverEnding Story, an overlooked child discovers he is the protagonist, and the only one who can save a fantastical world. For John Amaechi, that story ...

What happens when addiction hides in plain sight? In this moving episode, Darryl Cooke is joined by author Sophie Calon and Dr Piers Henriques from Nacoa, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, in a conversation chaired by Dr Zoe Lambert. In this discussion, Sophie reads from her moving debut memoir Long Going, which reflects on the complex experience of being the child of an alcoholic, and what happens when leadership, success, and addiction collide. Dr Henriques,...

What does it really mean to lead a “deeply responsible” business? In this eye-opening episode, Darryl Cooke speaks with Professor Geoffrey Jones of Harvard Business School, a global authority on business history and values-driven leadership. Geoffrey’s book Deeply Responsible Business explores the rare but remarkable leaders who built profitable companies without compromising their values. In this conversation, he reveals why most corporate social responsibility is little m...

What if the key to changing a young person’s life is giving your time and not your money? Susannah Hardyman MBE reveals how a simple volunteering idea transformed futures for more than 6000 children. Susannah is CEO of Impetus, a leading impact funder that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get the education, qualifications, and opportunities they need for a fulfilling life. As a young graduate she began by matching volunteer tutors with pupils who couldn’t afford extra h...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast returns for 2025. Host Darryl Cooke, founder of gunnercooke, sets the tone for a year of bold thinking and unique insights into leadership. As the world continues to shift, Darryl asks the necessary questions: Does inspiring leadership still matter? What does it mean to lead purposefully in a time of constant change? Can today’s leaders shape a lasting legacy?Reflecting on the evolution of the podcast and his leadership journey, Darryl explores...

"I’ve spent the last 20 or 25 years seeing resilient people outperform talented people by a rate of 100 to 1… Just because something is hard for you, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad for you.” — Jake Humphrey. What is optimum performance? How do winners get to the top and stay there? Is vulnerability an asset? And can you be happy in the process—really? Award-winning broadcaster, entrepreneur and media owner Jake Humphrey joins gunnercooke CEO Darryl Cooke in this lively, funny, and candid...

In this episode, Darryl is joined by James Timpson, CEO of Timpson Group, since 2002 and the fifth generation of his family to hold the role. James is passionate about advocating for the employment of ex-offenders and is the Chair of the Prison Reform Trust. He is also a former Trustee for the Tate and is Chancellor of Keele University. James has recently launched his book, ‘The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management’, which helps leaders re-evaluate how they manage their business. &n...

In this episode, Darryl Cooke and Sir Peter Fahy are joined by Joanna Swash, a Welsh businesswoman, keynote speaker, and business mentor. She is the group-CEO of Wrexham-based Moneypenny, a company she joined as the first salesperson in 2005. Moneypenny is a leading provider of outsourced customer service functions for companies. In 2021 she was appointed to the Prime Minister's Business Council, where she advises the government on building skills resilience for the benefit of both education ...

In this episode, Darryl and Peter are joined by Jürgen Maier. Jürgen is the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK, a position he held from July 2014 to December 2019. Currently, Jürgen is the co-founder of vocL (a platform for responsible business founders) and the Chair of the Digital Catapult (the UK authority on advanced digital technology). Jürgen shares his story of working his way up the career ladder within Siemens and how important being socially and culturally aware is to him. He...

In this short of the Inspiring Leadership podcast, Darryl dives into the importance of taking personal responsibility. A series of motivating short stories explore the links between personal responsibility and happiness. Quoting established authors, sporting greats and even an anecdote about why a personal friend, to a room of 400 people said, “My wife doesn’t make me happy”. Another segment examines how confronting issues and controlling what you can control, can put you in good stead for no...

In this episode Darryl and Peter are joined by Dr John Blakey. Dr John Blakey is a global CEO coach, international speaker and founder of The Trusted Executive. As part of The Trusted Executive, he helps CEOs and boards worldwide create a new standard of leadership defined by trustworthiness. He has authored a book exploring this topic, also titled “The Trusted Executive”. Dr John shares his story of being told he was “too f******* nice” at the start of his career, and how that inspired ...

In this episode Darryl and Peter are joined by Paul Hargreaves, author and entrepreneur in the speciality food world. His books ‘Forces for Good’ and ‘The Fourth Bottom Line’ explore a more compassionate way to lead and inspires leaders to make a meaningful difference.Paul shares insights on how his charitable background has shaped his approach to business and explores the idea that should we act with our hearts over our minds. The group talk about the negatives of ‘servant leadership’ and wh...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. In this episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester and former international mathematical Olympiad competitor, and...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder and Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. In this episode Darryl an...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. The first episode of the second series welcomes Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, a personal, digital pla...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. This special episode to close the first series features Sir Peter Fahy, the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, where he’s led 13,0...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. In the third episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by Alison Grade, a serial entrepreneur, career freelancer and author of the Penguin bestseller, The...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, learning from the very best to determine what makes a great leader. In the latest episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by two inspiring leaders: Roger Lane Smith and Sir John Timpson.Roger Lane Smith built the largest law firm in the world, DLA, and now acts as consultant to a wide range of businesses that benefit from his expertise. Sir John Timpson CBE is the chairman and owner of Timpson, the family bus...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. The series continues with another fascinating episode, where host Darryl Cooke is joined by Hassan Damluji, the Deputy Director of the Bill & Me...

The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century.We start the anniversary series with a podcast featuring Darryl Cooke alongside psychology expert, Professor Damian Hughes. Damian is a best-selling ...