Summary:

In this episode of Beyond the Status Quo we are joined by Nilema Bhakta-Jones who shares her journey of courageous leadership, discusses the importance of challenging the status quo, the role of psychological safety in leadership, and the need for creativity and play in the workplace. She emphasizes the significance of empathy and storytelling in leadership and highlights her work with Courageous Leaders and Empathy Week, aiming to empower marginalized communities through education. Nilema encourages listeners to embrace courage as a virtue that enables them to be their authentic selves and make a positive impact in their communities.

Takeaways:

· Courage is a daily practice that leaders must embody.

· Challenging the status quo often begins in childhood.

· Psychological safety is crucial for open communication in teams.

· Creativity and play can enhance leadership effectiveness.

· Empathy is a skill that can transform communities.

· Leaders must navigate tensions and competing ideas.

· Education systems need to foster critical thinking and creativity.

· Storytelling is a powerful tool for leaders.

· Courage can manifest in quiet, everyday actions.

· Supporting marginalized communities through education is vital.

Links:

Courageous Leaders

Empathy Week 2026 is coming!

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Episode Summary

In this episode of Beyond the Status Quo, Tamara and Kathryn are joined by Ewan McIntosh, founder of NoTosh, an international education consultancy, for a practical conversation about learning and leading in education.

Drawing on his work with schools and systems across more than 70 countries and his cross-sector experience, Ewan challenges the status quo from a global vantage point, seeing first-hand that the world is changing rapidly, and that how we learn and how we lead must evolve just as quickly.

Together, they explore what happens when schools and organisations focus on performative tasks instead of meaningful learning. Ewan unpacks his idea of “stupid questions”: including the ones that feel risky to ask but reveal hidden assumptions and blind spots.

The conversation also tackles AI’s impact on assessment and curriculum design, not from a place of fear, but through the lens of redesign. Rather than rushing to control, they discuss how leaders can create the conditions for better thinking: prioritising judgement, originality, empathy and craft.

Finally, they zoom out to what courageous leadership looks like under constraint: holding structure lightly, focusing on purpose that actually guides decisions, and putting people first so schools (and teams) can thrive.

Key takeaways

• AI increases performance optimisation; task design must protect learning.

• Use AI to accelerate low-value work and make space for judgement and originality.

• Creativity is learnable and strengthened through complementary teams.

• Purpose should guide decisions and clarify what you won’t do.

• People-first leadership creates the conditions for better outcomes.

• Hold structure lightly, and focus on what you can influence.

• Policy (and strategy) works better when designed around real users, not silos.

• Sometimes asking the “foolish” question reveals the real problem.

Links:

Inspired Strategic Planning with Community at its Heart | NoTosh

Leadership Lessons | Yestothemess

Lament - YouTube

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In this episode, facilitator and author of The 10 Permissions, Jillian Reilly joins Tamara and Kathryn for a powerful conversation about what it really means to question the status quo, not as rebellion, but as a deeply human act of listening inward, honouring integrity, and navigating uncertainty with courage.

Jillian reflects on the early moment she realised the “default path” wasn’t hers, and how that instinct, before she had language for it, shaped a very different trajectory. She shares candidly about her rapid rise in international development, the disillusionment that followed, and the difficult decision to step away from work that no longer aligned with her values.

Together, they explore the myth of the secure linear career, the tension between privilege and risk, and why adaptability is becoming essential as institutions no longer guarantee stability. Jillian also reflects on how young people are still trained to seek external validation, even as the world increasingly demands creativity, originality and inner authority.

Key takeaways

• Intuition is a valid guide. Many people are never taught they’re allowed to trust their inner voice.

• Questioning the status quo often starts as a feeling, not a logical plan.

• Integrity requires alignment. Staying in roles that contradict our values creates deep internal conflict.

• Courage is contextual. There’s an important difference between discomfort and real danger.

• The “secure path” is disappearing. The old promises of safety through compliance no longer hold.

• Adaptability is now a core life skill. Reinvention and entrepreneurial thinking are becoming essential.

• Human skills matter more than ever. Creativity, connection and originality rise as knowledge becomes commodified.

• Young people need permission to explore. Pivoting, experimenting and puzzling things out matter more than following a script.

• Optimism is a form of agency. It allows people to reclaim their power and shape their own path.

• The future requires puzzling, not predicting. Uncertainty brings risk and a wider field of possibility.

Links

The Ten Permissions - Rewrite the Rules. Design Your Life.

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