What if leadership isn’t just about strategy or influence — but the quality of connection we bring to each moment, and to each other?

John Thompson helps leaders reconnect — with themselves, with others, and with the present. Through his work at Transformational Connection, he supports a different kind of leadership: one grounded in presence, emotional depth, and what he calls “relational intelligence” — the ability to stay connected and responsive in the space between people.

In this episode, we explore John’s journey from high-performance sport to humanitarian action, and how those experiences shaped his approach to leading with more awareness, trust, and humanity.

The Apprentice finalist Scarlett Allen-Horton’s story defies the statistics — and proves her belief that success is always possible. She left home at 16, became a mum at 19, and was surrounded by expectations of what she could and couldn’t become. But Scarlett didn’t accept the script. She reached the final of The Apprentice, built a successful executive search firm, and has become a voice for leadership that opens doors for others.

This conversation goes beyond the CV — into identity, adversity, and the kind of mindset it takes to turn the improbable into a must.

What happens when power goes unchecked — and those in charge choose not to see?

In this episode of The Whole Leader Podcast, I sit down with Claire Glasgow, a solicitor and director at Fieldfisher who represents individuals harmed by powerful systems — from catastrophic injury cases to sexual assault survivors taking on some of the UK’s most well-known institutions.

Claire brings a rare and grounded perspective: one shaped by years of witnessing what happens when policies are ignored, accountability is dodged, and leadership fails to protect.

We talk about the real cost of lip-service leadership, the emotional toll of her work, and what it means to lead with self-awareness in systems that often reward the opposite.

If you’ve ever wondered how culture is created — or how it collapses — this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Richard Britton sits down with Richard Hoyle—a former British Army officer whose leadership journey has taken him from military command through global enterprise sales, to the world of psychological insight and reflective practice. Along the way, Hoyle has integrated influences from Jungian psychology, Buddhist philosophy, and decades of hands-on leadership experience.

Together they explore how leadership evolves over a lifetime: from task and discipline, to trust, presence, and purpose. Richard shares stories from the Army mess room to the executive boardroom—reflecting on how people truly grow, what makes teams thrive, and why culture is shaped in the quiet, human moments.

They dig into how different personalities experience stress, how ego can quietly derail leaders, and why creativity often begins by staring out the window. This is a conversation about learning, listening, and leading with real attention.

A rich, reflective episode on the practical and personal sides of leadership.