Success Is Never Accidental

Le’Siran Edwards — Grit, Belonging, and Leadership with Purpose

My guest today,

Le’Siran Edwards, is an internationally recognised and award-winning safeguarding speaker, coach, and author. She founded the UK's only national Black and Diverse Safeguarding Professionals Conference and hosts two global podcasts.

With more than 25 years’ experience in children’s care and social work, Le’Siran delivers powerful talks on wellbeing, anti-racism, leadership, personal growth, and business — because all our endeavours need to be grounded in a business perspective. Whether invited by corporate clients, the public sector, or grassroots organisations, her authentic approach creates lasting impact.

Subscribe now to Success Is Never Accidental and never miss an episode

In today’s episode, we hear how she encourages, motivates, supports, and empowers professionals to grow and lead with purpose.

Key Takeaways

• Grit is the requirement for success. Le’Siran’s National Black and Diverse Safeguarding Professionals Conference has gone from strength to strength in just two years because of her vision, strategy, faith, and hard work — all underpinned by grit, persistence, and action.
• Leadership through belonging. While everyone in safeguarding faces challenges of volume, overwhelm, and isolation, the most disempowering experiences for Black and other minority professionals often come through relationships and microaggressions. Le’Siran’s work builds awareness of these challenges and empowers leaders to address them.
• The power of community. By creating spaces for connection and shared experience, Le’Siran fosters belonging — a vital ingredient for wellbeing and professional growth.
• Know yourself. Her advice for new professionals is simple yet profound: Learn who you are. Understand what works for you, how you respond under pressure, what you need, and who you need around you.

Today’s Challenge

Reflect on Le’Siran’s advice and work on yourself this week. Ask:

• Who am I at my best?
• How do I respond in difficult situations?
• What do I need to thrive?
• Who do I need to support me?

You can find out more about Le’Siran Edwards and her inspiring work on LinkedIn —do connect with and support her online.

And remember, success is never accidental.

If you’re a high-performing manager who just needs some space to think, reflect, or refocus, book a 25-Minute Leadership Consult:

For more information on CORE leadership skills please visit my website at www.lynnepeyton.com/core

Communication Optimisation Relationships Evaluation

In this week’s Success Is Never Accidental episode, I’m joined by Nadine McCarthy, a high-performance coach and leadership strategist with over 20 years’ experience working with corporate and elite sports teams.

We explored collective leadership, the discipline of recognising strengths (not just problems), and why sustainable performance depends as much on recovery as it does on growth. Nadine also shared two simple daily practices to support active recovery and self-regulation.

If this conversation resonated, reply to this email and let me know where you would value support — individually or within your organisation. I am always happy to explore how I can help.

In this week’s episode of Success Is Never Accidental, I am joined by Craig T. Ingram, a trusted advisor to VC-backed start-ups and SMEs with extensive experience across med tech, health tech, digital health, biopharma and AI.

Craig has led three successful business exits and is known for helping organisations cut through ineffective strategy, strengthen customer adoption, and achieve sustainable growth. In our conversation, we explored what genuinely drives success — disciplined thinking, decisive action, and integrity.

We discuss:

• Why mindset and execution matter more than ideas alone
• Customer adoption as the true test of innovation
• The value of coachable leadership
• Using AI wisely without surrendering judgement

Craig offers a timely reminder: “Wisdom is the proper use of intelligence.”

This week’s reflection:
What is one thing you could do differently to achieve better results?

If you would value space to think, reflect, or refocus, you are welcome to book a 25-Minute Leadership Consult.

Gareth McGibbon, Director of McGibbon Consultancy and Safeguarding Services, has been at the forefront of public protection in Northern Ireland for many years. An advisor to government on interdepartmental collaboration, he is recognised nationally and internationally for his work tackling sexual and domestic abuse. Gareth co-authored the CASP Framework—used worldwide to assess parental capacity to protect children at risk—and serves as Chair of NOTA (NI). A visiting lecturer, media contributor, and international speaker, he brings a rigorous, evidence-informed approach to safeguarding alongside deep compassion for victims, families, and communities.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose drives performance. Gareth’s career is anchored in a clear mission: protecting children and reducing harm. That sense of purpose sustains focus, resilience, and high standards.
• Evidence before ego. His tools and assessments are research-based and continually refined through feedback and self-critique—model habits for any leader serious about improvement.
• Collaboration is non-negotiable. Effective safeguarding depends on coordinated action across departments and sectors. Leadership means building the systems and relationships that make this happen.
• Hope, with accountability. Gareth believes people can change—while still prioritising safety, robust assessment, and responsibility for behaviour.
• A public health challenge. The scale of the threat to children is vast. Solutions exist; what’s needed is political will and consistent implementation of known best practice.
• No finish line. Lifelong learning and service keep Gareth energised. Mastery comes from staying curious, updating practice, and remaining close to the work.

Today’s Challenge

1. Check your purpose: What outcome matters most in your current role? Write it in a single sentence you can act on this week.
2. Upgrade one system: Identify one safeguarding (or risk/governance) process that relies on goodwill rather than design. What’s the smallest change that would make it more reliable? Implement step one.
3. Invite critique: Ask a trusted colleague for specific feedback on a recent decision or assessment. What will you do differently next time?
4. Plan your development: Choose one evidence-based tool, framework, or paper to study this month. Block time now and note how you’ll apply it.
5. Fulfilment audit: Does your current role energise you? If not, list three adjustments that could restore purpose where you are—or define one bold pivot to explore.

Keep going—because in safeguarding, as in leadership, progress is built on purpose, evidence, and action. Success is never accidental.

If you’re a high-performing manager who just needs some space to think, reflect, or refocus, book a 25-Minute Leadership Consult:

For more information on CORE leadership skills please visit my website at www.lynnepeyton.com/core

Communication Optimisation Relationships Evaluation

Success Is Never Accidental – Episode 69
Professor Amanda Taylor-Beswick – Leading Digital Transformation in Social WorkProfessor Amanda Taylor-Beswick, is a leading voice in how the social work profession is adapting to the digital world. Amanda began her career as a social worker in mental health and with D/deaf children and adults in Northern Ireland. Those early experiences sparked a deep curiosity about how emerging technologies could be harnessed for social good. That curiosity evolved into a pioneering career as a social scientist, educator, and thought leader in digital social work.

Recognised by the UK government as one of the top three women leaders in tech, Amanda is now the founding director of the Centre for Digital Transformation at the University of Cumbria, where she continues to influence teaching, research, and professional development across the sector.

Today, we explore her journey, her achievements, and her passionate belief that, regardless of profession, we must embrace AI ethically and systematically.

Reflections and Early Influences

Listening to Amanda speak about growing up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland resonated strongly with me: the challenge of navigating friendships across religious divides and the determination not to conform to separatism.

Much of her career in practice education has been a search for innovative ways to ensure that students are genuinely prepared for frontline practice. She emphasised the need for a strong value base, a deeper understanding of the real lives people lead, and genuine empathy for their circumstances.

Preparing Practitioners for a Digital World

In recent years, Amanda has been at the forefront of preparing social workers for digital practice and integrating technology ethically into professional environments. She highlighted that while AI offers scale and efficiency, we must ensure we protect the safety of people’s data; prevent harm caused by poorly understood technologies; build tools that truly support good practice; train practitioners properly and ensure informed client consent.

Amanda’s View of Success

Amanda defines her success through the impact she has made on the profession—her contribution, her influence, and the communities she has helped build.

Those who know my love of “the C’s of leadership” will appreciate that Amanda has her own set:

Curiosity, Contribution, Collaboration, Community and a refusal to Conform when it is inappropriate to do so.

When asked about the qualities professionals will need to thrive in future, Amanda offered powerful guidance:

• Have a passion for what you do
• Know your values and stay aligned with them
• Be compassionate
• Avoid becoming institutionalised
• When facing challenges: pause, take a breath, lean in, reframe, look up

Tony Robbins always says: reframe the problem in solvable terms — a message very much in tune with Amanda’s approach.

Follow Amanda on LinkedIn and stay engaged in the debate about how we can integrate technology ethically across the professions.

This week’s challenge.
Don’t get left behind. Start reflecting on how technology could help you improve your practice, your service, or your leadership.

And as always, remember, success is never accidental.

If you’re a high-performing manager who just needs some space to think, reflect, or refocus, book a 25-Minute Leadership Consult:

Communication Optimisation Relationships Evaluation

Success Is Never Accidental – Episode 68

Jesse Toprak: Innovation, AI, and the Future of Leadership

Jesse Toprak, CEO and founder of OptiCar, is one of the most respected voices in the global automotive market. His career spans two decades at the intersection of technology, data, and consumer behaviour. Having led analytics and strategy for major automotive brands, Jesse is now redefining how AI can transform the car buying experience.

In this conversation, we explore Jesse’s journey from analyst to entrepreneur, the leadership principles that have shaped his success, and his insights into how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries — not just in automotive, but across the business landscape.

Key Takeaways

· Success starts with understanding your audience.
Jesse shared that success in any endeavour is predicated on matching the needs of your audience to what you have to offer — and doing so with authenticity and curiosity. True leadership is characterised by understanding others before trying to influence them.

· Individual success has a ceiling - teams win through shared vision.
No matter how talented the individuals, successful teams get further faster through sharing a common purpose, and valuing complementary skills. Leadership is about creating the conditions where people can bring their best to the team and where it’s safe to innovate, make mistakes, and grow together.

· Innovation requires courage - fail fast and learn.
Jesse emphasized that psychological safety is essential for innovation. Teams that feel free to experiment and fail are the ones that ultimately move forward fastest. As leaders, we must encourage people to speak up, and act on their insights.

· Prepare for the future - train for emerging roles.
AI is changing every sector, and Jesse urged leaders to upskill for the roles of tomorrow. For young professionals, that means becoming more business-minded, curious, and proactive about opportunities.

· Don’t disguise fear as prudence.
Perhaps Jesse’s most powerful lesson: “The biggest risk isn’t failing — it’s looking back years later and realizing how many opportunities we missed because we didn’t take action.”

Today’s Challenge

Whether you’re a business owner, leader, or innovator — identify one idea or opportunity on which you have been postponing taking action.Ask yourself: Is this fear masquerading as prudence?

Start testing your idea this week. Analyse whether it meets a real need, implement quickly, and adapt as you learn.
Remember, success goes to those who are intentional — those who learn, adapt, and execute.

If you’re a high-performing manager who just needs some space to think, reflect, or refocus, book a 25-Minute Leadership Consult:

For more information on CORE leadership skills please visit my website at www.lynnepeyton.com/core

Communication Optimisation Relationships Evaluation

This week’s topic is one that resonates deeply across health, social care, and beyond, as everyone needs to manage stress more effectively and become more resilient and emotionally regulated.

Natalie Robertson is an independent social worker, trainer, and founder of The Social Life. Rooted in trauma-informed practice and leadership development, Natalie’s work is all about creating safe, supportive environments where professionals can thrive — reducing burnout, improving staff retention, and ultimately enhancing outcomes for children, families, and service users.

Key Takeaways

· Stay aligned with your values.
Check in with yourself daily. Connect, breathe, and reflect. Self-leadership starts with the belief that we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves so that we can show up as the best version of ourselves — practitioner, colleague, leader.

· Structure your day intentionally.
Resilience doesn’t happen by chance. Build positive routines and habits that support your energy and emotional well-being.

· Culture matters.
Organisations must acknowledge and respond to the emotionally challenging nature of professional services. Leaders have a duty to foster cultures of care, reflection, and mutual support.

· Use your support networks.
Coaching, supervision, and peer connections are not luxuries — they’re essential tools for sustaining performance and purpose.

Advice for new professionals:
Start as you mean to go on. Get clear on your values early — and stay connected with them as your career develops.

To connect with Natalie, find her on LinkedIn or on Instagram at The Social Life. Her weekly insights are both practical and inspiring.

Today’s Challenge

Are you still trying to be a superhero? Is it time to check in with yourself?

Ask yourself:

What’s one thing I can do today to guard against emotional exhaustion — for myself or for a member of my team?

Take one small action. Because remember — Success Is Never Accidental.

Tatiana Cox is a passionate early-childhood educator and children’s book author dedicated to helping young readers develop social–emotional skills through the power of storytelling. Born in Brazil and now living in Sydney, Australia, Tatiana shares her life with her husband and son.

Tatiana believes stories shape hearts and minds. In her books, she blends heartfelt narratives with the magic of animals—using pets as gentle guides to teach children about kindness, resilience, and emotional well-being. More than inspiring tales, her stories provide practical, actionable tools that help children build confidence, manage emotions, and develop the skills they need to be their best selves—and to achieve success.

Why Her Work Matters

Tatiana’s mission is to spark meaningful conversations at home and in classrooms,

empowering young readers to navigate challenges with confidence. Every obstacle, she reminds us, is an opportunity for growth.

Practical Habits That Support Success

Alongside creativity and vision, Tatiana brings us back to the basics that turn ideas into impact:

• Set meaningful goals with timelines that truly motivate you.
• Break big goals into manageable steps and celebrate the wins.
• Use strategies that keep you on track—visual reminders, schedules, lists, and clear priorities.
• Support teammates and hold one another accountable.
• Acknowledge complementary strengths—yours and others’—and accept that we’re all wired differently.
• Above all, done is better than perfect.

Featured Book: Sandra the Beardie

Wherever you’re based, you can buy Sandra the Beardie on Amazon. It’s much more than a picture book—it’s a touching reminder that dreams can come true when we believe in possibility and do the work to make it happen. Contact Tatiana on tatycox@gmail.com and connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

And remember: Success is never accidental – it is always intentional.