The Unlock Moment leadership podcast: find your purpose for leadership and life

Here in summer 2024, the world is more uncertain and unstable than it has been for many years. And I have always believed in the power of the arts to transcend politics, to transcend conflict, to show us a light and to give us hope for a better future.

Today it is my privilege to welcome to the podcast an incredibly talented young dancer who epitomises that vision of hope. I met her late last year and was immediately captivated by her quiet power and her belief in exploration and growth. I’ve been watching her dance on he...

In these most volatile of times, it feels as though the only certainty in business and life is that change is the new normal. So today I’m delighted to welcome a world-leading thinker and author on transformation and change to The Unlock Moment.

Faisal Hoque is an accomplished entrepreneur, a noted thought leader, technology innovator and advisor to CEOs and the US federal government. He is the founder of SHADOKA and NextChapter, and he serves as a strategic partner and an innovation leader for CACI whose technology and expertise plays a vital role in US national se...

I met today’s guest last year, a world-leading coach and the kind of deep thinker that I love to spend time in conversation with. I know you will enjoy hearing from her too.

Dr Francoise Orlov, who holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Strasbourg in France, is an accredited Master Coach, Mentor, and Coaching Supervisor. She is a published author and a member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches. As an advocate of the professionalisation of coaching, she actively contributes to the advancement of best practices through her collaborations with major coaching bodies.

Pr...

Today we are meeting a top marketing executive, a leadership and branding coach and a top business school professor – the many-hatted Jenny Fernandez.

Jenny is an award-winning executive and team coach, Columbia and NYU faculty, and brand strategist. She works with senior leaders and their teams to maximise their impact by becoming more curious, collaborative, and resilient. Her work spans Fortune 500 companies, startups, and higher education. Jenny has been recognized by Thinkers50 Radar as one of the Top 30 Management Thinkers to Watch, and a Top 30 Global Guru.

Like me she is a member of Marshall Go...

The Post Office Horizon IT Scandal represents the biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history. Brought to life in the hit ITV series "Mr Bates vs. The Post Office", the story hit the headlines in early 2024 and at the time of publication is the subject of a major public inquiry.

Faulty equipment and computer software made it look as though money was missing from post office branch accounts and the sub-postmasters’ contracts held them personally liable. More than 900 were prosecuted, many went to prison and many others were financially ruined.

In this ve...

The other day it was my huge honour to deliver the commencement address at the University College London (UCL) MBA Graduation.

Sitting in the front row and wearing my university robes for the first time in 20 years, I was humbled to hear from the graduating students how much they had sacrificed to complete their studies over four years alongside busy day jobs. And the common threads in each person's story were the human connections that they had made through the programme.

I talked about how my deepest underlying sense of purpose is about finding freedom...

Enjoy this remarkable extended podcast episode with Emmy Award-winner Topaz Adizes, in which he chronicles the search for home, his exploration of questions and his pursuit of the transformative power of deeper human connection.

We’ve had many wonderful guests and today is no exception – a master in the art of powerful storytelling.

Topaz Adizes is a writer, a director and an experience design architect. His work has been selected for prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Sundance and SXSW, and featured in the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and the New York Times. As well as an E...

Many years ago, when I was studying medicine and going through some challenging times, I took solace in poetry. I had never been the kind of person to study literature when I was growing up, but I set myself the challenge of learning some poems and I would go out for evening walks and recite the poetry to myself.

I can’t recite them from memory any more, but I remember one that always made me reflect. It’s by the Welsh poet William Henry Davies and it’s called “Leisure”.

Years on, I think this poem...

When your guest has over 300,000 LinkedIn followers, you know that they've got something incredibly valuable to share. This powerful interview with the inspirational Dorie Clark is a classic and I'm delighted to bring it to you here on The Unlock Moment!

These days I’m working with more and more leaders in different countries, cultures and contexts who share one thing in common. They’ve reached a stage in their careers where they have built a lot of stuff – the basic skills and experience required to do the job well, a track record of achievement and impact, the co...

Usually at this point I say - welcome to another episode of ‘The Unlock Moment’ podcast. But today is really exciting because I’m joined by hit podcaster Aoife O’Brien and we’re bringing together two great leadership and careers podcasts into one, as The Unlock Moment and Happier at Work come together for us to talk about really how to find work and career purpose, happiness and fulfilment.

You'll hear our take on career success, finding your own authentic leadership, using your talents and strengths and how knowing your Unlock Moment helps you to find a deeper s...