About this episode:

What does it really take to create a workplace where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and perform at their very best?

In this episode, Chris Cooper is joined by Mehmet Baha, known simply as Baha, an international speaker, trainer, and author whose life’s mission has been to make a positive difference in people’s lives. With over 24 years of global experience across Europe, the USA, Turkey, and Central America, Baha has worked with organizations of all sizes—including being one of the first employees at Facebook in Europe.

A Fulbright Scholar with a Master’s in Conflict Resolution and a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Online Executive Programme in Organizational Leadership, Baha is passionate about helping leaders unlock the power of psychological safety. His new book, Creating Psychological Safety at Work—praised by Daniel Pink as “a timely book filled with fascinating case studies, robust research, and practical tools for driving change”—offers a roadmap for building high-performing, engaged teams.

Baha has delivered talks and training in more than 28 countries across 5 continents, speaking four languages fluently, and bringing a unique perspective shaped by his multicultural journey.

Beyond his professional work, he is a percussionist, an avid traveller, and a father who enjoys playing basketball with his young daughter.

Join us for this conversation to explore why psychological safety is not just a “nice to have,” but an essential foundation for team performance, innovation, and wellbeing—and how you can begin creating it in your own workplace.

More about Mehmet Baha:

His full name is Mehmet Baha and everyone calls him Baha. Since his childhood, he has been fascinated by the question: “How can I make a difference in the lives of people?”

His interest leads him to win a scholarship from Fulbright and finish his master’s in the USA on the topic of Conflict Resolution. He has lived and worked in Germany, Turkey, Ireland, Guatemala, and the USA with more than 24 years of work experience. Baha was one of the first employees of Facebook in Europe.

Throughout his life, he has realized the importance of having psychological safety to create high-performing teams. So far, he has delivered training and given talks in more than 28 countries across 5 continents. Recently, he completed Harvard Business School’s Online Executive Education Programme “Organizational Leadership”. He is fluent in English, Spanish, Turkish, and German. In his free time, he loves to play percussion, travel with his family, and play basketball with his 8-year-old daughter. “Playbook for Engaged Employees“ is his first book. In September 2024, his second book “Creating Psychological Safety at Work“ was published.

Daniel Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author, describes it as a “timely book filled with fascinating case studies, robust research, and practical tools for driving change.”

About this episode:

In this special edition of The Business Elevation Show, I am joined by two extraordinary leaders—Tom Eddington and Jim Garrison—for a conversation on the State of the World Forum and its urgent mission for our times.

Tom Eddington is an author, executive coach, and business advisor whose work bridges leadership, media, and consciousness. As Vice President of the State of the World Forum, he is helping to shape a paradigmatic shift in how we live and lead, bringing more compassion, awareness, and flourishing into the world.

Jim Garrison is the President of the State of the World Forum 2025–2030, a revival of the groundbreaking initiative he co-founded with President Mikhail Gorbachev, Senator Alan Cranston, and Secretary of State George Shultz. Jim’s remarkable career spans global leadership, diplomacy, education, and philosophy—from directing nuclear policy in Washington, DC, to leading the Esalen Soviet-American Exchange Program, to founding Ubiquity University and Humanity Rising.

Together, Tom and Jim will share the vision behind the re-emergence of the State of the World Forum (14-18th December in Washington DC) at a time of converging global crises and possibilities.

We’ll explore how leadership, consciousness, and collaboration can help humanity meet this pivotal moment, and what it means for each of us to play our part in shaping a sustainable, flourishing future.

More about Jim Garrison:

Jim Garrison is President of the State of the World Forum 2025–2030, a revival of the original Forum he co-founded in 1995 with President Mikhail Gorbachev, Senator Alan Cranston, and Secretary of State George Shultz to build a global network of leaders committed to a sustainable civilization.

He is also the founding President of Ubiquity University (since 2005) and Convener of Humanity Rising, a global broadcast launched in 2020.

Over his career, Jim has combined leadership in education, diplomacy, spirituality, and social impact. Early roles included Director of Nuclear Policy for the Jesuit Conference in Washington, DC, and co-founder of the Radiation and Health Information Service in Cambridge, England.

In 1980 he co-founded the Christic Institute, working on nuclear policy and the Karen Silkwood case. From 1985–1990 he directed the Esalen Soviet-American Exchange Program, before co-founding the International Foreign Policy Institute with Eduard Shevardnadze in 1991. At President Gorbachev’s request, he founded the Gorbachev Foundation/USA in 1992.

Most recently he served as Director of the Washington, DC Office of the New Paradigm Institute, focusing on government disclosure around Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. Educated at Santa Clara, Harvard, and Cambridge, Jim is the author of seven books spanning theology, politics, and power.

Born in China and raised in Taiwan, he grew up speaking Mandarin and brings a lifelong global perspective to his work.

More about Tom Eddington:

Thomas Eddington is an author, Executive Coach, Business Advisor, and media Producer.

As a scholar of Conscious Leadership, he is passionate about bringing more compassion, consciousness and flourishing into the world which he does through his coaching and advisory work, film and media projects, and Board positions.

He is the Vice President, State of the World Forum, an organization focused on creating a paradigmatic shift in human consciousness. Tom holds an M.S. in Organization Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from Ubiquity University.

About this episode:

How do you best navigate your career and the complex relationship between individuals and the workplace today?

Tessa White, known as the Job Doctor, exploded on social media in late 2020 with her expertise on careers and workplace dynamics, after 20 years leading human resources functions within the Fortune 50 to fast-growth start-ups.

With more than one million followers on social media, she was recognised on USA Today’s list as one of the top speakers to watch in 2022.

Her first book, The Unspoken Truths for Career Success, and her podcast, The Job Doctor is In, are available on Spotify and Apple.

Tessa has also recently launched a free no-strings-attached mentoring platform called Career RX and is a valued member of The Elevation Collective.

Join us as we explore her forthcoming book, The 5 Stages of Career Growth, and uncover the insights you need to recognise where you are in your career journey, how to progress to the next stage, and how to build lasting success and fulfilment along the way.

More about Tessa White:

At a time when individuals are struggling with their job satisfaction, an unlikely ally was found in a former Fortune 50 executive turned employee advocate. Tessa White, known as the Job Doctor, launched a practice to help individuals better navigate the workplace, and help companies better unlock the potential of their people, just as the pandemic hit.

Tessa exploded on social media with her expertise on careers and how to navigate the complicated relationship between individuals and the workplace in late 2020, after 20 years leading human resources functions within the Fortune 50 to fast growth start-ups. Her insights struck a chord, garnering more than one million followers on social media and she is consistently ranked in the top 1% of similar creators on her LIVE career sessions on TikTok.

Her unique perspective on the modern workplace earned her a place on USA Today’s list as one of the top speakers to watch in 2022.

Her book, The Unspoken Truths for Career Success, and her podcast, The Job Doctor is In, is available on Spotify and Apple. When she isn’t working with companies or individuals about the modern workplace, she can be found on the river, where she flyfishes.

About this epsiode:

What if the toughest problems in your business aren’t really about people at all—but about process? And what if the missing ingredient in leadership today is learning how to hold people accountable with both clarity and compassion?

In this uplifting conversation, Chris Cooper is joined by Lisa Bing, a sought-after leadership strategist, educator, and board leader whose career spans corporate boardrooms, NYU classrooms, faith communities, and the arts. Lisa has ad-vised executives across industries for over 20 years, drawing on unique methods that weave in movement, dance, and the performing arts to help leaders experience what trust, support, and connection really feel like.

Together they’ll explore how to distinguish process problems from people problems and why getting this wrong causes unnecessary stress and failure, what true accountability looks like when it builds relationships rather than breaks them, the surprising leadership lessons from dance, movement, and the arts that can transform how teams collaborate, why diversity and inclusion aren’t “initiatives” but core management responsibilities, and how Lisa’s journey from Prudential to MOVE|NYC to mentoring senior executives reveals fresh ways to lead with humanity and impact.

Listen in for an inspiring and practical dialogue that will give you new tools for leading teams, building trust, and creating cultures where people thrive.

More about Lisa Bing:

Lisa A. Bing is a strategy and leadership expert with a unique profile.

Lisa has been dubbed an “avatar of adult learning” which combined with her keen business acumen positions her to both quickly diagnosis business needs and engage clients in their own learning to expand personal capabilities and organ-izational capacity.

Lisa has worked across a spectrum of industries and profes-sions as well as with both large and small companies…including religious lead-ers. Lisa simplifies the complex. She is both pragmatic and empathic. She creates just the right balance between people needs and business needs in ways that break down silos, clarifies goals, aligns expectations, and gets everyone rowing in the same direction for faster, better decisions and dramatically improved results.

Some of her typical results include reduced labour intensity, coalitions and collaboration, among diverse interests, faster, better decision making and dramatic productivity improvement.

One client, a commercial real estate CEO says, “Everything Lisa tells us to do works!"Born and bred in Brooklyn, Lisa loves theatre, dance, and absolutely delicious food.

About this episode:

Anthony Willoughby has lived an extraordinary life. From growing up in Africa to decades spent in Japan, his journey has taken him across some of the most remote and challenging landscapes on earth.

An explorer, adventurer, and entrepreneur, Anthony is the founder of The Nomadic School of Business and the creator of Territory Mapping—a unique methodology inspired by indigenous wisdom that helps leaders and organisations clarify their purpose, define what they must protect, and navigate obstacles with courage.

In this conversation, Anthony shares remarkable stories of learning from tribes in Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Mongolia, and Australia. We will discuss how these experiences shaped his approach to leadership, trust, and cross-cultural understanding.

Along the way, we’ll explore the deeper questions of identity, belonging, and legacy that lie at the heart of his work.

Whether you are leading a business, a team, or simply your own life, Anthony’s insights will inspire you to think differently about what it means to chart your territory with clarity and conviction.

More about Anthony Willoughby:

Anthony Willoughby is a British explorer, adventurer, and entrepreneur who has spent much of his life seeking inspiration across some of the world’s most remote and challenging regions. Raised in Africa and based in Japan for over 30 years, he is the founder of The Nomadic School of Business, where he translates lessons from indigenous communities into tools for leadership, trust-building, and cross-cultural understanding. His signature methodology, known as Territory Mapping, uses natural metaphors to help individuals and organizations clarify what they are striving for, what they must protect, and the obstacles that stand in their way.

As a keynote speaker and author of In Search of Inspiration, Anthony has shared his insights with audiences worldwide, including at TEDxTokyo, and worked with organizations ranging from Dyson, IBM, and AXA Asia to Ferrari. Blending storytelling, metaphor, and wisdom gained from tribes in Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Mongolia, and beyond, his work encourages people to connect with purpose, identity, and legacy in ways that transcend conventional business thinking.

About this episode:

How do ordinary people light up the world in extraordinary ways?

In this inspiring episode of The Business Elevation Show, Chris Cooper interviews visionary leader and author Julie Wignall about her multi-award-winning book The Extraordinary Power of Fireflies.

Julie coined the term “Fireflies” to describe those who break barriers and illuminate new possibilities. With a career spanning national politics, international business, the arts, and environmental conservation, Julie brings unique insight into how changemakers can align with their purpose and shine their light more brightly.

From revolutionising animal welfare at Mirage Resorts International to shaping conservation policy, producing television projects, and coaching leaders worldwide, Julie’s journey is a masterclass in making impact across sectors.

Together, Chris and Julie explore how each of us can become a Firefly—igniting positive change and inspiring others to do the same.

More about Julie Wignall:

Julie Wignall is a visionary leader whose unconventional career has spanned national politics, international business, the arts, and environmental conservation. She first gained international recognition for her groundbreaking work with Mirage Resorts International, where she partnered with the Chairman and CEO to revolutionize animal welfare, launch award-winning education programs, and spearhead impactful environmental initiatives.

Julie coined the term Fireflies to describe those who break barriers and illuminate new possibilities. Her multi-award-winning book, The Extraordinary Power of Fireflies, shares the inspiring stories of people who dare to make a difference.

Drawing on her unique journey—from collaborating with innovators in Fortune 500 companies to shaping conservation policy, producing television projects, and advancing the arts—Julie now works as a sought-after speaker, coach, consultant, and workshop leader. She equips changemakers with the tools to align with their purpose, amplify their impact, and harness their light to transform the world.