True leadership requires the moral courage to act on your principles, even when it costs you everything you've worked for. The fear of making decisions that might harm others is far more significant than any physical danger we might face ourselves.

Oliver Lee is a former Royal Marines officer whose extraordinary career took him from Cambridge to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. Decorated three times for his service and the youngest full colonel in the Royal Marines since World War II, Oliver led through some of the most challenging circumstances imaginable.

In 2013, he made the difficult choice to resign on a matter of moral principle, walking away from a glittering military career. Having lost his youngest brother in 2003, Oliver has since become a powerful advocate for mental health and suicide awareness. Now leading organisations through complex change as a CEO and performance consultant, he brings hard-won insights about courage, responsibility, and what it truly means to lead when everything is at stake.

This episode will help you

• Understand how to lead through extreme adversity by reconciling your own mortality and focusing on the wellbeing of those you're responsible for
• Recognise when moral courage demands you stand up against institutional failure, even when it costs you everything you've worked for
• Learn to channel fear as a motivator rather than letting it paralyse you, especially when facing decisions that affect others

Highlights

• [00:09:38] Oliver's biggest fear in command
• [00:12:40] Being prepared to die
• [00:16:25] Telic 1
• [00:20:51] A moment of profound personal loss
• [00:30:31] Challenges off the battlefield
• [00:34:30] Leaving the Royal Marines
• [00:46:58] Oliver's biggest fear right now
• [00:49:25] What Fearless Forward means to Oliver
• [00:51:24] Takeaways from Sally-Anne

Resources

• Connect with Oliver via LinkedIn
• Lunan Performance – Oliver’s coaching practice
• Connect with Sally-Anne via LinkedIn

We need to share the messy, emotional reality of our own experiences with young people, not just the polished outcomes. When we sanitise our stories and skip over the struggle, uncertainty and fear we felt whilst figuring things out, we leave young people feeling isolated in their own difficulties and rob them of the most valuable lesson: that not having it all worked out is completely normal and part of the process.

Alexis Redding is faculty co-chair of Higher Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she researches, teaches, and advises on student development, mental health, and the transition from college to work.

Before her academic career, she worked as a college counsellor for 10 years, and her research focuses on making the American college experience more supportive for students navigating the challenges of young adulthood.

This episode will help you

• Understand why sharing the messy, emotional parts of your own journey matters more than offering tidy success stories when supporting young people through uncertainty
• Recognise the difference between caring deeply and over-managing, particularly when fear drives you to track, fix, or solve problems that young people need to navigate themselves
• Learn specific ways to ask questions that open possibilities rather than prescribe answers, helping others develop self-authorship instead of seeking external validation

Highlights

• [00:07:04] Resisting the urge to remove all struggle from young people's lives
• [00:10:52] How Alexis manages relationships
• [00:12:40] Self-authorship
• [00:17:06] ?We study what we're trying to make sense of
• [00:23:25] Allowing young people to make their own mistakes
• [00:26:58] Shifting away from majors and singular career paths
• [00:30:07] The development effects of parental tech
• [00:34:45] How parents can manage their fears
• [00:39:47] How Alexis manages her resources
• [00:41:31] Alexis' fears in her work
• [00:42:39] Taking the TEDx stage
• [00:47:33] What Fearless Forward means to Alexis
• [00:48:05] Takeaways from Sally-Anne

Resources

• Connect with Alexis via LinkedIn
• Connect with Sally-Anne via LinkedIn
• Why We Keep Telling Young Pdults the Wrong Stories – Alexis’ TEDx talk
• The End of Adolescence, by Alexis Redding and Nancy Hill
• Mental Health in College, by Alexis Redding

Fear doesn't have to be eliminated or conquered. Instead, we can befriend it, stay curious about its messages, and move forward with purpose alongside it, rather than waiting for it to disappear before taking action.

Liz Hall is a journalist, coach, mindfulness teacher, and editor of Coaching at Work magazine for the past 20 years. She is a recognised thought leader in psychological safety, race equity in coaching, and the climate emergency, and has pioneered the integration of mindfulness into coaching practice. She initiated Climate Coaching Action Day in 2020 and established the Round Table for Race Equity and Coaching, bringing together professional bodies to advance equity in the field.

This episode will help you

• Understand how connecting with your deeper purpose can help you move forward alongside fear rather than waiting for it to disappear.
• Discover practical ways to befriend your inner critic and develop self-compassion as a renewable resource rather than a depleting one.
• Learn specific mindfulness practices you can use to stay present and grounded when navigating difficult conversations or systemic change.

Resources

• Connect with Liz via LinkedIn
• Connect with Sally-Anne via LinkedIn

Highlights

• [00:05:06] Finding purpose
• [00:09:42] The future of coaching
• [00:12:37] Compassion in coaching
• [00:22:59] Leading a conscious life
• [00:28:21] Relational mindfulness
• [00:34:41] Befriending fear
• [00:39:41] What Fearless Forward means to Liz
• [00:40:12] Takeaways from Sally-Anne