If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with Dr Jacqueline Conway, Founder & Principal Director of Waldencroft. Jacqueline shares insights from her research on executive readiness and the challenges leaders face in a fast-changing world. She explains how senior leaders can work better together, develop the right skills, and prepare their teams for future disruption through smart leadership and teamwork.

Dr Jacqueline Conway, a leadership coach and founder of Waldencroft, shares her journey of helping senior leaders deal with constant change. She talks about her research on executive readiness and how leaders can grow by working together. Jacqueline explains how teamwork, real-time learning, and new thinking can help leaders stay calm, plan ahead, and guide their teams through complex times.

Key Topics:

• Executive Readiness: Why senior leaders need new skills to face constant change and disruption in today’s world.
• Leading as a Team: How leadership at the top works best when done together, not alone.
• Real-Time Development: Why learning while working on real problems helps leaders grow faster.
• Middle Manager Role: The important part mid-level leaders play in spotting change early and keeping teams on track.
• Shifting Leadership Focus: How leaders must change their thinking as they move higher in an organization.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Teaser

[01:12] Jacqueline shares her background and interest in senior leadership challenges

[02:52] How non-stop disruption is overwhelming today’s executive leaders

[05:48] The three executive readiness gaps: cognitive, relational, and developmental

[07:52] Why traditional leadership training no longer fits today’s fast-changing world

[09:52] The need for collective leadership at the C-suite level

[14:07] Coaching vs. in-context learning: two paths to leadership growth

[19:03] Using futures thinking, moral awareness, and context-based learning

[22:50] Four key leadership shifts: time, task, complexity, and ethics

[25:19] Why clear roles matter at each level of leadership in an organization

[32:52] Ethical risks and lessons from the 2008 financial crisis

[38:32] Balancing control with agency: the need to trust capable mid-level teams

[41:11] Helping C-suite leaders shift focus from doing to leading

[43:01] Coaching leaders through uncertainty and collective work

📚 Resources:

👉...

If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar chats with Phoebe Garfinkel, Head of HR at AstraZeneca. With a diverse background, Phoebe talks about her journey from poetry to business, and her experience leading HR teams in a large global company. She shares insights on developing middle managers, the importance of coaching, and how strong leadership skills can shape company culture, drive performance, and enhance employee satisfaction.

Phoebe Garfinkel, Head of HR at AstraZeneca, shares her unique journey from studying poetry to leading HR in a global company. She talks about her passion for developing middle managers, emphasising the importance of coaching, clear communication, and creating an environment where managers can grow. Phoebe explains how strong leadership and emotional intelligence can drive team performance and culture.

Key Topics:

• The Power of Coaching: How building a coaching mindset in managers helps improve team performance and growth.
• Supporting Managers: The importance of developing middle managers to lead effectively and understand their team’s needs.
• Leadership and Emotional Intelligence: Why emotionally aware leaders create a positive environment that drives success.
• Clear Communication: How setting clear expectations and giving regular feedback helps teams stay on track.
• Building Strong Team Culture: How leaders shape a team’s culture by focusing on relationships, trust, and open communication.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Teaser

[02:24] Phoebe shares her background and how her career journey led her to HR and leadership development.

[08:35] The transition from technical roles to management and the challenges of middle managers.

[11:05] Creating a shared vision for managers and aligning them with company values

[20:49] The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and how it influences team culture.

[23:16] The importance of managing difficult conversations and providing constructive feedback.

[24:25] Building a strong team culture through trust, communication, and coaching.

[30:06] The importance of coaching for managers and how it drives performance and growth.

[31:32] Key takeaways on how to develop effective middle managers for long-term success

[34:12] How leaders can support their teams’ well-being while balancing performance expectations.

📚 Resources:

👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months: https://developingleadersquarterly.com/

👉 Read this article from DLQ46 for free on ‘From Compete and Compare to Collaborate and Care’:

If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com

👉Read the full Zombie Leadership article on Ideas for Leaders here: https://ideasforleaders.com/Ideas/zombie-leadership-outdated-theory-still-creates-hero-leaders/

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with Judy Flaschmann, with years of experience in both charity and public sectors. Judy shares the challenges mid-level managers face and why peer support, self-reflection, and emotional intelligence are key to strong leadership today.

Judy Flaschmann, a leadership and development expert, talks about her path from HR studies to leading manager training in a large UK government office. She explains how early experiences in drama and teaching shaped her passion for helping managers grow, and why support, reflection, and mindset shifts matter most in middle leadership roles.

Key Topics:

• The Bridge Role: How middle managers sit between teams and senior leaders, often feeling stuck in between.
• Letting Go: Why stepping up means giving up control and trusting others to do things differently.
• Peer Power: How peer support groups can help managers feel less alone and grow together.
• Mindset Shifts: Why comfort with change, tension, and unclear answers is key to leading well.
• Real Growth: The need for leaders to reflect, connect, and protect time for their own learning.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Teaser

[00:02:00] Judy shares her early path into HR and how a volunteer workshop shifted her focus to learning and development

[00:04:24] Moving from small charities to national roles and how remote work helped shape her hybrid training experience

[00:06:38] Judy explores the real challenges of stepping into middle management and the shift in needed skills

[00:13:55] The "bridge" analogy: Judy explains how middle managers live between senior leaders and teams

[00:17:55] Why relationships and influence, not control are key for middle leaders to succeed and grow

[00:19:35] Judy unpacks the value of peer groups and shared identity in managing emotional work and pressure

[00:26:53] Supporting middle managers: balancing operations with strategy and building system awareness

[00:33:35] The human side of leadership, emotions, mindset shifts, and building habits for long-term growth

[00:34:58] Why reflection never ends and how every transition is a new leadership test

📚 Resources:

👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months -

If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar talks to Chris Monö, a Natural Followership Advisor (author and speaker) at Natural Followership, as well as an Organisational Development Manager at a large Scandinavian financial services organization. With years of experience in people-focused business development, Chris shares his thoughts on leadership, followership, and creating environments that foster collaboration. He highlights the challenges mid-level managers face and the need for organisational structures that align with natural human behaviour to drive engagement and productivity.

Chris Monö, discusses how his work in organisational development and passion for followership has shaped his approach to leadership, focusing on collaboration, engagement, and creating structures that align with human behaviour to improve productivity and team dynamics.

Key Topics:

• The Power of Followership: How people at all levels can lead and influence by collaborating and supporting others.
• Human-Centred Leadership: The need for leaders to create environments where people can thrive and collaborate freely.
• Breaking Down Hierarchy: The importance of shifting from rigid structures to ones that better align with natural human behaviours.
• Middle Management Challenges: The unique struggles faced by mid-level managers caught between leadership demands and team needs.
• Collaboration Shift: How encouraging collaboration over hierarchy drives better results and boosts engagement.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Trailer

[02:25] Chris shares his background in organizational development and passion for followership.

[05:05] Chris talks about collaboration in organizations and how structures often hinder natural collaboration.

[08:02] Exploring the challenges of leadership in hierarchical systems and the importance of aligning work structures with human nature.

[08:52] The issue of quiet quitting and how engagement can be affected by rigid structures.

[14:38] Chris emphasizes the need for a shift in organizational mentality to encourage personal responsibility and collaboration.

[17:08] Chris discusses the importance of reducing control in leadership to empower employees and encourage collaboration.

[19:45] Successful examples of managers creating environments where collaboration thrives and employees feel engaged.

[24:03] The critical role of followership in achieving organizational goals and fostering collaboration.

[27:08] Chris shares insights on how transparency in leadership decisions can build...

If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar sits down with Vanessa Druskat, a renowned expert on team emotional intelligence. As an Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of New Hampshire and author of the book The Emotionally Intelligent Team, Vanessa shares insights from her years of research on creating emotionally intelligent teams. She discusses the power of team norms, leadership, and how understanding the emotional dynamics within teams can drive performance and success.

Vanessa Druskat, a professor and expert in team emotional intelligence, shares her journey from studying psychology to becoming a leading researcher in team dynamics. She talks about her passion for understanding how team norms and emotions shape success, and how leaders can create environments that help teams thrive by focusing on respect, communication, and emotional intelligence.

Key Topics:

• The Power of Norms: How creating the right social norms within teams leads to better performance and cooperation.
• Caring for the Individual: The role of emotional intelligence in making team members feel valued and respected.
• The Emotionally Intelligent Leader: Why leaders should focus on building an emotionally aware environment to boost team success.
• The Importance of Feedback: How regular, respectful feedback helps teams grow and align with their goals.
• Team Culture and Leadership: How leaders shape team culture by focusing on relationships and interactions, not just tasks.

Timestamps:

[00:00] Teaser

[01:40] Vanessa shares her background and the experiences that led her to study team dynamics and emotional intelligence.

[04:45] How her upbringing in different cultures shaped her view on team norms and behaviors.

[12:18] How social norms in teams affect performance and the importance of creating the right environment.

[16:04] The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and how leaders can shape team dynamics by focusing on emotions.

[24:04] The concept of belonging and how it affects individual and team performance.

[27:25] The importance of leaders creating safe spaces for team members to share feedback and develop.

[31:56] The value of respecting team members and the power of understanding each person's strengths.

[33:31] Addressing poor behavior through team-agreed norms

[41:30] How "outlier" or disruptive behavior can be a source of...

If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at admin@ideasforleaders.com

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In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar goes deep into the world of leadership development with Paul Williamson, Group Head of Talent Development at ATG Entertainment UK. With two decades in theater and live entertainment, Paul brings a unique perspective to coaching, culture, and lifelong learning, emphasizing the importance of human-centered leadership.

Paul Williamson, a chartered CIPD leader, and executive coach, discusses his career journey from a box office assistant to leading talent development for a global theater company. He shares how his background in theater and an early interest in coaching have shaped his innovative leadership programs, which focus on authenticity, influence, and personal growth.

Key Topics:

• The Power of Influence: Leaders at any level can influence others without authority or command.
• Creating Connection: How live theater and coaching both create a powerful connection and a shared experience between people.
• The Authentic Leader: The importance of leaders doing "deep work on self" and speaking from the heart to create a sense of reality and trust with their teams.
• The Coaching Ripple Effect: How coaching is not just for remedial cases but for high-performing individuals and how it creates a positive ripple effect throughout an organization.
• The Leader as Coach: A leadership choice to take a coaching approach in an organization.

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Trailer: The host, Roddy, discusses how middle management is often overlooked in leadership development.

[00:02:09] A quick overview of Paul Williamson's career and expertise, Paul recounts his 28-year career at ATG, starting in a box office and moving into leadership.

[00:06:16] Paul discusses the growth of ATG to 71 venues worldwide with over 11,000 employees.

[00:13:05] Paul discusses how coaching changed his approach to management, shifting from giving answers to empowering people.

[00:23:34] Paul shares an anecdote about the first Rising Stars presentation and its powerful impact on senior management.

[00:31:37] Paul explains how he applies coaching principles, like contracting, to create a psychologically safe space in his development programs.

[00:44:26] A discussion about the necessity of taking breaks and prioritizing self-care for leaders.

📚 Resources:

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