Over the last few years it has been easy to forget that work and life can be joyous and fun. Given the relentless barrage of negative news and gloomy prognostications about the future, surely it's time to remember the importance of laughter and play? Sarah Burbedge, Head of Change at the BBC, discusses the role of the ‘disrupter’ in meetings and business conversations. How far can we push it and be mischievous to positive effect? Is it possible to have fun at work? Sarah finds insight and inspiration in this respect from her young children. At a time of universal staff shortages when corporate leaders are trying to find ways to make their workplaces attractive to talented people, one of the great attractors is a community that enjoys itself and can share laughter and fun along the way. Sarah Burbedge describes the various ways she tries to instill this approach in all her work activities. Please join in! Bio Sarah Burbedge is Head of Change at the BBC. She was a BBC TV and radio reporter and newsreader, who became a live events producer and then Head of Change, Sarah’s career has followed a Bridget Jones to W1A trajectory.  Currently part of the team focused on Future of Work for the BBC, she is Co-Founder of A Life More Extraordinary, a Trustee for mental health charity Soulscape and a Champion for 2-3 days.com.  Sarah is passionate about people, content and change, she is a creative leader with a ‘can do’ attitude and a track record for getting stuff done whilst having plenty of fun along the way! In her other equally rewarding and exhausting role as Mummy, Head of Fun and Exec Assistant to Oliver (7) and Gracie (5) and Ginny the spaniel (1), Sarah is busy questing for the ultimate cocktail of sense of humor, wellbeing and work-life balance/collision!

Dieric McCann is one of the world's leading experts on the topic of Emotional Intelligence and its role in creating Psychological Safety. In sharing his wisdom around the absolute imperative of this pairing in practice in our scary 'new' world Deiric brings practical yet profound advice and insight to this critical topic. At a time of mass attrition and resignation the companies that can create a genuinely safe environment that allows for free expression and authenticity without fear of any cost to the self will win the day. With his Irish humor and vivid metaphors Deiric brings to life the important role of EI in choosing the impact you have on others and the choice you have to make a positive impact and making it safe for others to be fully engaged. Bio Deiric is Head of International for Genos International, a world-leading provider of Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness assessments and education offerings, with responsibility for the management of 1,500+ Genos strategic partners worldwide. In addition, Deiric is a Genos Emotional Intelligence Master Trainer, and an accredited and experienced teacher of the Search Inside Yourself Mindful Leadership Program developed by Google. Deiric is also a two-time TED speaker and author of Leadership Charisma and several other books emphasising the critical role of engaging people to achieve business success. His particular expertise is in helping clients implement EI and Mindfulness-based solutions that deliver measurable ROI – something he speaks about regularly around the world.

Can we still be human in the digital age? Dr Thomas Juli says we can. According to Dr Thomas Juli, 'traditional business has reached a dead end' and, from his latest book 'The Spirit of Human Business', he describes how we can move to a transformed business model that focuses on 'generating value for and by people'. Dr Thomas dares us to move away from looking at ‘human resources’ (things) to viewing people as adaptive and flexible organisms. We are not machines and cannot be programmed. There is a path from ‘me’ to ‘we’ that includes trusting ourselves first so we can trust others to self-organize and be autonomous beyond the structures and processes that can straitjacket human beings. One vital element in this transformational process is to ask what Dr Juli calls ‘wicked questions’. He calls for projects that incubate and accelerate solutions to the most difficult problems. Starting small we should ask the question “How do I want to live?” versus “What will the future look like?” The metamorphosis from larvae into a butterfly can be painful and one must be willing to “surrender to complete transformation”. Please join our host, Michael Banks, and our guest, Dr Thomas Juli, and enjoy this provocative and in depth conversation on the exciting possibilities of a more evolved way to do business. Biography Dr. Juli is a Human Business Architect , co-creator and coach for Agile projects and business transformation with more than 25 years of experience in various industries and companies. He is the founder, business leader and trustee of Motivate2B, a collective for leaders, teams and entire organizations with the common goal of making business and their companies more human and sustainable. His motivation and ultimate goal is to help Human business become the new global normal by 2030. In 2020 he joined Allianz as an executive to help its transformation into an Agile organization and onwards into a Human Business. He is a regular speaker at conferences worldwide such as the NASA Project Management Challenge, FQ Lounge at the World Economic Forum, Global Congress of the Project Management Institute, and the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum Germany. He is the author of three books, The Spirit of Human Business being his latest. Thomas holds a doctorate with distinction in International Studies from the University of Miami, USA, and an M.A. in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis, USA, where he was a student of Nobel laureate Douglass C. North. In his free time, he loves all kinds of outdoor activities such as running, hiking and free climbing, skiing and snowboarding. He holds a 2 nd  Dan (black belt) in Taekwondo, is practicing Vinyasa Yoga and dancing Tango Argentino.

Design Thinking has been helping companies overcome obstacles, improve customer service and get a competitive advantage by focusing on creativity and collaboration. As we navigate through rapid and big changes, the emerging role of the Design Leader is a necessity in bringing together unique perspectives from across the globe to create a powerful collective brain that leads to optimal solutions. Join our host, Michael Banks and Juliana Proserpio, co-Founder and Chief Design Officer of ECHOS (a global innovation lab, as they delve into the emerging role of Design Thinking in creating a desired vision of the future that includes all stakeholders. It is a tool to navigate change and requires 1) Empathy, 2) Creativity and 2) Imagination. A successful Design Leader knows how to facilitate the process of “changing existing conditions into preferred ones”. Design Leaders recognise the importance of diversity and know how to manage healthy and necessary conflict by creating psychological safety. A diverse team spanning the globe and using technology to work together online is able to realize the ‘desired’ future far more effectively than having the team working in person in a more localised and homogenised stakeholder group.. Juliana describes the ‘Four Degrees of Naturality’ and why humanity is now faced with the challenge of the fourth degree in which machines create the future. Design thinking is transitioning into ‘generative design’ where humans provide the input and machines produce the output. By 2030 design will be more and more about “layers upon layers of abstraction” and in this context the role of Design Leaders will become increasingly central to the future of organisations and society as a whole as Human Centered Design evolves into Life Centered Design. If you are business leader and you think design thinking will be important in your organisation's future, you should listen to this episode to understand how the role of a Design Leader will serve both your company and your customers, so that no matter what kind of problems come your way next, you'll be prepared to solve them. Biography Juliana Proserpio is the co-founder and Chief Design Officer of ECHOS, a global innovation lab and over the last 11 years, Juliana has worked to develop an innovation ecosystem in APAC & Latin America to foster the power of design for desirable futures. Today we will be hearing from Juliana about the emerging world of design leadership and how it is rapidly becoming vital to the future success of companies and, indeed, society as a whole Juliana was responsible for creating the first Google News Initiative Design Accelerator in 2019 in the Asia Pacific, and later designed and implemented the GNI Startup Labs in Brazil, and in India. She also led innovation projects with Worksafe in Australia (helping them design their future vision for 2048) and is currently leading a Design Accelerator for the House and Property Department (NSW Government). As an educator, the ECHOS School of Design thinking has already helped to shape 40.000 + innovators, and is currently in the vanguard of design education with a global program on design leadership, bringing the best designers and innovators into the same room. As a thought leader, Juliana is a columnist at the MIT Sloan Management Review, as well as a columnist for Epoca Negocios (business magazine in Brazil). As a speaker, Juliana has participated in events such as the Global Innovation Summit in San Jose - California, TEDxMaua in São Paulo, and the Sydney Design Festival. Juliana is also a content producer in her field of design and innovation, writing e-books such as "The Power of Design", "The role of innovation during a pandemic", The Design Thinking toolkit, and pioneering a podcast called Desired.

At the root of all genuine success lie certain universal human values and qualities. In the very personal story of how he successfully led his family out of war torn Kyiv Jeremy Williams learned some profound lessons about how he could become a better person and leader of people by applying some of those qualities to his business and life in general. Jeremy’s story illustrates the importance of trust, compassion and empathy in a crisis. In difficult times leaders need to show a high degree of Emotional Intelligence to communicate honestly and transparently while ensuring the information they convey, and their style of delivery, creates a positive impression. Just as in Jeremy’s situation in Ukraine when organisations and businesses hit periods of crisis it is heartening and important to recognize that the vast majority of people are capable of extraordinary generosity, humility and resilience. A strong community built on a network of authentic relationships can survive when there is a vision and hope lives on in peoples’ hearts and minds. Biography Jeremy has always been fascinated by the question ‘why’ and his curious mind has taken him on a journey from his early days as an enthusiastic sailing instructor in the 1990s, through over ten years of successful sales roles in the UK selling boats, Italian motorcycles and real-estate, to a move to France where he now lives with his family and runs his own coaching and consultancy business, Culturescale. Jeremy has spent the last few years working closely with successful start-ups and scale-ups to boost team engagement and client retention through harnessing the power of emotional intelligence and he is particularly passionate about the delicate balance between humans and technology that many companies are striving to achieve. In his spare time he loves to play electric guitar in his band, escapes off sailing whenever possible and is also passionate about blockchain technology and crypto-currencies.

We spend a lot of time working, in fact the average full-time employee works around 37 hours every week. We dedicate most of our awake time and energy to work. So why do only 27% of people feel their employer really cares about their overall wellbeing? What are employees doing wrong and how can we fix it? Michael Banks' conversation with Catherine Llewellyn, Master Humanistic Psychologist, Organizational Transformation Strategist and Type ‘A’ Wrangler, provides an expanded view of organizational wellbeing and vitality. Going beyond the more formulaic and programmatic approach to this important, and highly relevant topic, she suggests that well-being is more of a ‘state’ than a set of ‘one size fits all’ best practices. Catherine explains how she applies to organizations the diagnostic model she co-designed with Professor Paul Tosey of Surrey University. It’s called the Seven Levels and is based upon the Hindu and Buddhist system of seven chakras or energy centers. In this way she can ‘prescribe’ a ‘well being and vitality journey’ that is tailored to each unique organization. In a time of almost universal fear and stress around viruses and wars a state of wellbeing for all is more desirable than ever. Please join us and be inspired and encouraged by listening to Catherine Llewellyn’s experience and wisdom about how leaders can raise the level of wellness in their organizations by starting with themselves! Bio Catherine is: a Self-Mastery Catalyst | Master Humanistic Psychologist | Type 'A' Wrangler | Writer | Podcaster | Free Thinker | Intuitive Healer | Conscious Dancer | Executive Mentor | Organizational Transformation Strategist | Cat lover. As a Master Humanistic Psychologist, Catherine helps successful entrepreneurs, execs and business owners launch themselves to the Next Level - for their businesses and for themselves personally. Her lifelong passion for human evolution and transformation began at age six, encouraged by her bohemian upbringing and a variety of catalytic encounters with radical thought leaders. For over five decades Catherine has investigated and incorporated the humanistic philosophical approach, along with the arts of physical embodiment, energy healing and strategic creativity.  She has a profound lived familiarity with what it is to be a free-thinker, and a non-conformist. For many years Catherine worked on large-scale corporate leadership and transformation programs, aligning fiscal success with values driven leadership and culture. Her clients were top business leaders whose transformations benefited thousands of people. Nowadays Catherine works directly and privately with clients, hosts a weekly podcast Truth & Transcendence, organizes local conscious gatherings for free thinkers, and periodically releases insightful and thought-provoking eBooks published on Amazon.

What exactly is authentic leadership? Does it just mean being yourself? Think back to the leaders who have most inspired you. What were the qualities that made them so inspiring? It’s quite likely that authenticity is high up on that list. More so than ever, and just when it is urgently needed, Authenticity in leadership is in short supply...Dr Margarita Mayo, a leading authority on this topic, is Professor of Leadership at the IE Business School in Madrid and award winning author of the book ‘Yours Truly - Staying Authentic in Leadership and Life’. In this highly engaging interview she answers all our burning questions - Where does authenticity begin? Why are people inauthentic? And how can we best develop it. Margarita explains how you can maintain your authenticity while being your “protean self” in multiple roles. As she says “We have many different faces but only one heart.” A recent survey of 28 countries found that only 27% of employees trust their CEO. In the midst of this current crisis of trust “Authenticity is the antidote to the crisis of credibility”. During this fascinating and inspiring conversation Professor Mayo lauds the Japanese concept of ‘Ikigai’ (finding one’s purpose) and how this fuels the authentic self. She talks about “not being yourself but becoming yourself”. On this journey we need to shed the barriers to authenticity - the pressure to be perfect, fear of embarrassment and the ego. A majority of the populace are seduced by narcissistic leaders but humble people make better leaders. The interview closes with the inspiring story of the successful young Japanese fashion designer, Hiroko Samejima, who moved to Ethiopia from Tokyo to pursue her authentic dreams. Biography Dr. Margarita Mayo is Professor of Leadership at IE Business School since 2000. She is a sought-after speaker and executive development coach throughout the world. An award-winning author of Yours Truly: Staying Authentic in Leadership & Life, Professor Mayo has been recognised by Thinkers50 as one of the global top thought leaders. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship at Harvard University. Margarita holds a PhD in Management from State University of New York, and a Master’s in Psychology from Clark University. More about her work can be found on the website: www.margaritamayo.com

Of course HR should have a seat at the top table. Right? But what does HR need to do to get there? Lately, HR has become a very hot topic. And for very good reasons as we shift towards a more people centric approach in this new world. Some research shows that executive leadership wants and needs an HR business partner who adds value to the organisation and the bottom line. The question is: How can HR deliver that? Join our host, Michael Banks, and our guest, an HR expert, Deborah Wilkes FCIPD, as she pulls back the curtain on how HR can secure an equal place at the table. This is a 'must listen' for anyone who wants to see HR stand up to business leaders and be seen as a business leader in their own right. Deborah Wilkes FCIPD eloquently and authoritatively shares the reasons HR historically has never been on the same page as business leaders and how practitioners can leverage the increased credibility and visibility they have gained over the past two years to challenge business leaders by speaking ‘the language of business’, being more assertive, being ‘Politically Intelligent’ and having the courage to push back and be part of the strategy conversation from the beginning versus being invited to the party down the line as mere implementers. Deborah says ‘HR Maturity’ is required so that the CHRO can sit down with the CEO and have a ‘balanced conversation’. And at the end of this interview she shortlists the main obstacles in the way of HR ‘rising up’ to build a shared agenda with the business, and the major solutions to these obstacles. This brief overview does not fully do justice to this rich and informative conversation. If you are interested in knowing more about 'HR MATURITY' please join us to find out more. Biography: Deborah Wilkes, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and is an expert on all matters HR. She has worked with leaders and managers for 25 years running development workshops and as a coach.  Clients have included global, national and local organisations, private and public sector.  Deborah has worked with many HR leaders and teams, and in HR strategy and OD.  Prior to that, she worked her way up in HR and set up and led UK and European HR functions in global organisations. In 2016 Deborah began researching what makes great HR and the company Enable-HR was born.  She brings together depth of experience in developing great leaders and managers, and relates this to the particular challenges faced in HR.  Their unique framework of 7 HR Enablers facilitates development and also evaluation - self, team and 360.  Deborah’s book ‘Empowering HR’ was published in March 2021.

Did you know that the world’s population has seen an alarming increase in anger and unhappiness over the past twenty years? This week’s podcast guest, Pa Sinyan, gives us an exciting look at Gallup Organisation work in tracking ‘wellbeing’ and 1) how they fix broken workplaces, 2) how they use the Clifton Strengths Finder to help people discover what makes them unique and 3) how they use ‘soft metrics’ to get to reality. Join our host, Michael Banks, in this conversation to learn how Gallup focus on existing strengths to solve negative feeling and behaviours and how business leaders can cultivate a positive culture change and workforce engagement. Biography: Pa Sinyan is Managing Partner with Gallup and leads Gallup’s teams across EMEA. In his role, he supports leading companies to drive organisational and cultural change. He has 13 years experience working with leadership teams on organisational and C-Suite challenges. Pa leverages Gallup’s cutting-edge data insights in the science of leadership, behavioural economics, and decision-making to support leaders. As a trusted advisor, he partners with leaders to help them unearth organic growth – more engaged employees, customers and suppliers. Pa has an MSc and a BSc in International Economics and Finance from Universiteit van Tilburg in The Netherlands. Born and raised in The Gambia, Pa has lived in Germany, The Netherlands and Tunisia. Pa speaks English, German and Wolof.

Sonal Bahl is a wise and powerful thinker and speaker. She talks about the connection between Purpose and Impact, the Joy of Contribution, and how we are either Contracting or Expanding. In this interview Sonal invites you to ask a few profound questions to help you guide your career and job choices: “Will I give another year of my life to these people?” This question puts you back in the driver’s seat so YOU make the choice about your future and can free yourself from being in reactive auto-pilot mode. It reminds you that you have a choice. When you are considering your next career step ask yourself “Does this position I’m being offered help me get one step closer to where I want to be?” Is it a SPRINGBOARD to my future success? “If you love what you do you will do it for free!” If you say “I can’t wait until the weekend” you may be in trouble. “Do you Love Mondays?” If yes, you are in good shape! Biography Sonal is an experienced HR Director and Founder of SuperCharge, a career strategy and coaching firm with clients In North & South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa. She speaks English, Spanish, French, Hindi and basic Dutch. In a career spanning nearly two decades in senior HR positions, Sonal has lived and worked in Chile, Belgium, France, India and Uruguay. Screening over 250,000 resumes and conducting over 5000 interviews in 3 continents - she has helped recruit, build and evolve highly talented teams for large companies like GE & PwC, midsize family owned firms and startups. Sonal holds an MBA from INSEAD and also serves on the Belgium Steering Committee member of INSEAD Women in Business. Sonal is recognised as a “Sheroes Champion”, one of just 150 selected globally for this role. Sheroes is a women only platform to inspire future leaders, with over 15 million women as members.