What makes a truly great leader? In this insightful episode, Mark Francis sits down with Ben Farrell MBE, CEO of CIPS, Chairman at the Forces Employment Charity & The Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board, to explore the principles of leadership, emotional intelligence, trust, and influence.

Drawing from his distinguished military career, including service as a Colonel in the British Army, and his leadership experience in global organizations, Ben shares powerful lessons on mission leadership, emotional connection, empowerment, and building high-performing teams.

In this conversation, Mark Francis and Ben Farrell MBE discuss:

• The difference between leadership and management
• Why emotional connection is the foundation of effective leadership
• Lessons learned at Sandhurst and in military service
• How fear and confidence spread through teams
• The power of mission leadership and empowerment
• Leading global organizations across cultures and countries
• Building trust and developing future leaders
• Awakening organizational potential and driving change
• Creating purpose-driven workplaces that inspire people
• How great leaders measure success

Ben also shares fascinating stories from Iraq, his experiences leading internationally, and how his leadership philosophy continues to shape organizations around the world.

Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, executive, manager, military professional, or someone passionate about personal growth, this episode offers practical leadership insights that can be applied in any environment.

Guest:
Ben Farrell MBE
Chairman at the Forces Employment Charity & The Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board

Connect with Ben Farrell MBE on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-farrell-mbe/

Host:
Mark Francis

Topics Covered:
Leadership Development, Emotional Intelligence, Mission Leadership, Team Building, Organizational Culture, Military Leadership, Executive Leadership, Business Growth, Employee Engagement, Leadership Mindset, Management Skills, Professional Development, Strategic Leadership, Global Leadership, Procurement Leadership

#MarkFrancis #BenFarrellMBE #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #MissionLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessLeadership #Management #TeamBuilding #MilitaryLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #OrganizationalCulture #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipPodcast

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

In this inspiring episode, Mark Francis sits down with Shola Kaye, Communication and Empathy Keynote Speaker, author, former investment banker, IT consultant, professional singer, and internationally recognized expert on empathy, leadership, communication, and workplace culture.

Shola shares her remarkable career journey, from teaching and corporate consulting to building a successful career as a professional singer and becoming one of the world's leading keynote speakers on empathy and inclusive leadership. Together, Mark and Shola explore how courage, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and authentic communication can help individuals unlock their potential and create greater impact in their careers and organizations.

The conversation dives into the power of empathy in leadership, overcoming introversion, building confidence, developing presentation skills, speaking with influence, and creating psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel heard, valued, and empowered.

Key topics discussed:

* The role of empathy in effective leadership
* How introverts can build confidence and influence
* Communication skills for leaders and professionals
* Emotional intelligence in the workplace
* Moving from small talk to meaningful conversations
* Building psychologically safe and inclusive teams
* Public speaking, presentation skills, and audience engagement
* Career reinvention and personal growth
* The importance of courage, curiosity, and compassion
* How to create more engaged and productive workplace cultures

Shola also shares practical insights from her books, including strategies for developing stronger communication skills, navigating difficult conversations, and becoming a more empathetic leader. Her unique perspective combines years of corporate experience, performance expertise, and leadership development to help professionals communicate with greater confidence and impact.

Whether you're a leader, manager, entrepreneur, HR professional, speaker, or someone looking to improve your communication and leadership skills, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons and actionable insights.

Subscribe for more interviews featuring leadership experts, business professionals, authors, keynote speakers, and industry leaders sharing strategies for personal growth, communication excellence, workplace success, and professional development.

Connect with Shola Kaye on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sholakaye/

#MarkFrancis #SholaKaye #CommunicationSkills #EmpathyLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #PublicSpeaking #PresentationSkills #WorkplaceCulture #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipPodcast #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessLeadership #ConfidenceBuilding #CareerDevelopment #PsychologicalSafety #CommunicationTraining #LeadershipSkills

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.

Mark Francis speaks with Lycia Lobo, Chief Operating Officer at the Design Museum, about building a high growth cultural organisation through people first leadership, strong operations, and long term vision.

In this conversation, Lycia Lobo shares how the Design Museum balances daily operations with strategic growth, how teams stay aligned across multiple functions, and how leadership, rhythm, and collaboration shape the visitor experience.

She also discusses the museum’s evolving exhibitions, commercial transformation, digital development, and the importance of trustees, volunteers, and cross functional teams in driving sustainable impact.

Mark Francis and Lycia Lobo explore how the Design Museum continues to grow as a global hub for design, while staying focused on culture, community, and future focused innovation.

Chief Operating Officer
the Design Museum

Connect with Lycia Lobo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lycia-lobo-67a2272b/?originalSubdomain=uk

I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team

Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/
Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com
Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K

Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain

#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership

Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.

If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.