In our increasingly divided and unsettled world, we need good leadership more than ever. Not just at a national and international level, but also in business, organisations, education and technology. So what makes a good leader? And what role does Belonging have in good leadership? Author Across Cultures Yang-May Ooi talks with Edward Brooks, Executive Director of the Oxford Character Project and Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. He explains the role of good character and wise thinking in leadership and we also look at how Belonging can be a key theme in how leaders can bring people with them.

Ed’s current projects focus on hope and multilateralism, resilience as a democratic civic virtue, exemplarity in public leadership, the role of AI in leadership development, and the role of universities in leadership development in lower- and middle-income countries.

He also works extensively with the private sector, heading a £2.6m research project investigating the relationship between culture, character and leadership with a focus on finance, law and technology firms. He has collaborated with a number of United Nations organisations and currently leads the University of Oxford’s collaboration with United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI).

Ed is an Expert Advisor of the Leadership Excellence in Politics Initiative, an Advisory Board Member of the Civic Humanism Center for Character and Professional Ethics at the University of Navarra, and a Senior Fellow of the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest University.

His work has been cited in media outlets such as the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, New Scientist, Brunswick Review, and Starling Insights, and he has been named by global management network Thinkers 50 on their radar list of business and management thought leaders.

LINKS

Edward Brooks - https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/meet-edward-brooks

The Oxford Character Project - https://oxfordcharacter.org/

Leading with Character, Free Course - https://leadingwithcharacter.com/

NOTES

The views expressed by guests are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.

CREDITS

Podcast Theme Music - World Traveler by Dimmysad, via Pixabaly Content License

Photo - The Oxford Character Project

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Character, Leadership & Belonging - Edward Brooks | Podcast Episode #005 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK - BGPD005

When we travel to a new country to live for a long period, maybe as a student or because of our work, most of us feel homesick at one point or another. We miss our friends and our mums - and actually, often many of us miss the comfort of familiar food from home. Is it possible to create a sense of Belonging in a new country by bringing with us food from home and sharing it with others? Chef Norman Musa thinks so. He talks to Author Across Cultures, Yang-May Ooi, about his journey from humble beginnings helping his mum at her hawker stall in Penang to international chef.

Chef Norman has run several restaurants across the UK and Europe, appeared on TV, cheffed for a Formula One racing team and written a number of cookbooks. But throughout his prestigious career, he has always remembered his roots. The Malaysian cuisine that he cooks is dedicated to everything his mum taught him about food, flavours and cooking - and he has brought this personal sense of Belonging and home not just to the UK but also to the world.

Norman Musa - https://www.normanmusa.com/

Chef Residency at King & Co pub in Clapham

MAKAN MAKAN Chef Residency

Mon, 25 May - Sat, 20 June 2026

The King & Co

100 Clapham Park Road

London SW4 7BZ (6 mins walk from Clapham Common tube station)

Wagamama Chef Academy - https://jobs.wagamama.uk/apprenticeships

Rak Patel and Norman’s Asian Cooking Academy - https://www.asiancookingacademy.com/

Norman’s Beef Rendang recipe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX5FoSparrk

The views expressed by guests are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.

Podcast Theme Music - World Traveler by Dimmysad, via Pixabaly Content License

Photo - Yang-May Ooi

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From Hawker Stall to International Chef - Norman Musa | Belonging Across Cultures Podcast Episode #004 BGPD004 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK

LinksNoteCredits

Is a feeling of Belonging solely defined by place or a community? What happens if you find yourself a stranger in a new place with no support system due to circumstances you cannot control? What if your home life is chaotic and you have no-one stable you can turn to for guidance or help? Is it possible to create a sense of Belonging in such difficult and isolating circumstances? Dr Nafisah Graham-Brown, Deputy CEO of Yes Futures, a charity empowering young people to discover their personal potential, joins cross-cultural author Yang-May Ooi to explore how we can find Belonging in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves.

Links

Yes Futures - https://www.yesfutures.org/

Nafisah Graham-Brown:

Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nafisahgrahambrown/

Research and publications: https://nafisahgrahambrown.academia.edu/

Note

The views expressed by guests are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host.

Credits

Podcast Theme Music - World Traveler by Dimmysad, via Pixabaly Content License

Photo - Nafisah Graham-Brown

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Belonging in Ourselves - Dr Nafisah Graham-Brown | Belonging Across Cultures Podcast Episode #003 BGPD003 | Yang-May Ooi @TigerSpiritUK