In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Nick Lennon-Barrett.

Nick is an award-winning L&D leader with over 20 years of experience driving transformation and building learning cultures. He is the founder of Superpower Mastery and the bestselling author of Organised Chaos: Turbocharge Your ADHD Superpowers. This book blends memoir with practical self-development advice for neurodivergent professionals.

In this episode, Nick shares his personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD late in life and offers a masterclass on turning neurodivergent traits into corporate superpowers. He provides a practical guide for L&D leaders on building inclusive, agile, and human-centric learning environments, including:

• Reframing Neurodivergence: Nick explains how to shift the narrative from "perceived weaknesses" (like emotional regulation struggles) to "inherent strengths" (like hyperfocus, planning, and risk-taking) that can be nurtured into superpowers.
• The "Design, Deliver, Refine" Approach: How to balance business-as-usual with transformation by building flexible, scalable learning solutions that can pivot quickly, rather than relying on rigid end-to-end programs.
• Designing for Different Brains: Practical tips for creating neuro-inclusive learning, such as sending questions in advance, avoiding the "round robin" speaking format, and simply asking people how they prefer to learn.
• Embedded Inclusion: Nick argues that D&I shouldn't be just a standalone initiative, but rather embedded in everything L&D does—for example, featuring diverse characters in compliance training scenarios to make people feel seen.
• Human-Centric Skills in the AI Age: Why "soft skills" like emotional intelligence, curiosity, and inquisitiveness are becoming crucial survival skills in the age of AI, and how this plays to the strengths of many neurodivergent people.

Nick offers an inspiring and actionable perspective on how to navigate the corporate world with neurodivergence and how L&D can build cultures where everyone's unique strengths can shine. If you want to learn how to unlock potential in yourself and your teams, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklennonbarrett/
And check out: Website - Superpower Mastery

Book - https://books2read.com/organisedchaos

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In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Scott Parkin.

Scott is the Group CEO of the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP), an award-winning global body with a mission to support the professionals who help others gain, progress in, and retain work. With nearly 35 years of experience across employment, skills, and social care, Scott has expanded the IEP's reach globally, establishing Centres of Excellence in the UK, Canada, and Australia.

In this episode, Scott explores the vital intersection of employability and skills development. He provides a masterclass on the art of supporting people into work, including:

1. Defining Employability: Scott defines it as the professional "art" of supporting individuals to gain the skills needed to be active in their local labour market.
2. Core Skills for Life: Discover the essential "soft" or "meta" skills that underpin success, including resilience, emotional intelligence, communication, and curiosity, and why these are just as critical as technical qualifications.
3. Early Intervention: Scott advocates for introducing employability and core skills support as early as Year 7 in schools to prevent young people from becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).
4. AI in Employability: A look at how AI is changing the sector, from reducing administrative burdens to coaching apps. Scott argues that AI should be used to free up time for more human connection, not replace it.

Scott offers a deeply human perspective on a sector that is critical to social and economic well-being. If you are interested in the future of work, skills development, and the power of human connection, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn: Scott Parkin FIEP FRSA

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Sharon Claffey-Kaliouby

Sharon is a seasoned L&D executive and HR Tech leader with over two decades of experience at organisations like Thomson Reuters, State Street Global Advisors, and Learning Pool. A passionate advocate for gender equity, she has spent the last 12 years championing the Women in Learning initiative, working to bridge the gap in female leadership within the industry.

In this episode, Sharon delivers a powerful and data-backed masterclass on the state of women in the learning industry. She offers a compelling framework for closing the leadership gap, including:

1. The Leadership Paradox: Sharon reveals the startling statistic that while women make up two-thirds of the L&D workforce, they hold only one-third of senior leadership roles—a disparity that is often hidden in plain sight.
2. Redefining the "Queen Bee": Learn about the "Five Bs" framework for inclusive leadership: Benchmarking, Being Bold, Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, and going Beyond.
3. Women in Learning are Women in Tech: Sharon challenges the industry to reframe its identity, arguing that the vast majority of L&D roles involve significant technology, and women should confidently claim their space as "Women in Tech" (who represent only 25-28% of the global tech workforce).
4. The ROI of Gender Equity: Discover the business case for diversity, citing the "sheet Index" which proves that companies with more women in C-suite and board positions are not just more inclusive, but more profitable.
5. The AI Double-Edged Sword: A discussion on how AI can both obscure the truth through bias and be a powerful tool for efficiency and uncovering data—if driven by diverse teams with empathy.
6. A Call to Action: Sharon invites listeners to contribute to the upcoming "State of the Industry" report, emphasising that owning your narrative and supporting others is the key to moving the entire industry forward.

Sharon offers an inspiring and urgent call for women and allies to reshape the narrative of leadership in L&D. If you want to understand the true state of the industry and how to drive meaningful change, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: Sharon Claffey Kaliouby

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.