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Starts at the Top is about how leaders from all sectors are using digital to navigate uncertainty and forge a path to the future. It’s hosted by Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas.
Episodes
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Women in leadership special part 3: Aggie Mutuma on why leaders need to do more on inclusion
We speak to to Aggie Mutuma, CEO of Mahogany Inclusion Partners
It’s the third part of our new season special on women in leadership and we’re talking about a topic that’s on a lot of people’s minds this week: inclusion.
In 2020, Black Lives Matter became a huge movement for change. Yet despite inclusion being on the news agenda regularly ever since, the stats around representation tell a different story. Has the momentum behind the drive for inclusion slowed? What’s really happening with EDI programmes? And, are leaders doing enough?
We were delighted to have the opportunity to discuss all this and more with Aggie Mutuma, CEO of Mahogany Inclusion Partners.
Aggie is a leading expert in Inclusion and Anti-Racism, as well as a passionate advocate, executive leadership coach, and engaging speaker, dedicated to fostering thriving cultures within organisations. Her achievements have earned her recognition as a top 20 Most Influential HR Thinker in 2022, as voted by her peers.
Aggie joins us to discuss the state of play with inclusion and EDI programmes across different sectors and how, and why, leaders need to renew their commitment to this work. She tells us what really drives change in EDI, along with the practical steps leaders can take to help their organisations be more inclusive.
Thank you to Aggie for sharing her invaluable advice. We loved talking to her.
On a related note, Paul and Zoe also discuss the latest news on inclusion in the Parker Review in their round up of leadership news.
Notes
Aggie Mutuma https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggie-mutuma/
Mahogany Inclusion Partners https://mahoganyinclusionpartners.com/
Leadership news:
The Parker Review https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68530034
ACEVO’s data on diversity in leadership https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/number-of-black-charity-ceos-declines-to-under-1-acevo-research-finds.html#sthash.x7RGYaPh.dpuf
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/encouraging-diversity-in-public-appointments
Our sponsors
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by ArvatoConnect.
Arvato Connect is a socially conscious customer experience and business optimisation partner, for organisations who are ready to reshape and reinvent how they work and connect with those who matter most.
They develop and deliver innovative, technology-led solutions to enable their clients to form stronger connections, increase loyalty, create efficiencies – and ultimately, grow and confidently embrace the future.
To find out more about how ArvatoConnect could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Women in leadership special part 2: Cathy Newman on life lessons from female leaders
We chat to Cathy Newman, award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author
In the second part of our new season special on women in leadership we chat to Cathy Newman. You’ll know Cathy as one of Channel 4 News' main studio presenters. She’s also an award winning journalist and an author, joining us to talk about her new book The Ladder: Life Lessons from Women Who Scaled The Heights and Dodged The Snakes.
The Ladder draws together the stories Cathy has heard from the extraordinary women she has spoken to on her Times Radio segment of the same name, from Angela Raynor to Davina McCall to Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. Diverse as these women are, there are many common themes in their stories, which we explore with Cathy. From dealing with imposter syndrome, facing success and failure and embracing change, this episode is packed full of invaluable advice on how to navigate careers and life.
We also discuss how leaders can take on board the experiences of women to create inclusive workplaces.
Thank you to Cathy for a hugely energising and inspiring discussion. Please do share this episode with anyone who you think could benefit from Cathy’s insights.
Notes
Order The Ladder: Life Lessons from Women Who Scaled The Heights and Dodged The Snakes by Cathy Newman
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by ArvatoConnect.
Arvato Connect is a socially conscious customer experience and business optimisation partner, for organisations who are ready to reshape and reinvent how they work and connect with those who matter most.
They develop and deliver innovative, technology-led solutions to enable their clients to form stronger connections, increase loyalty, create efficiencies – and ultimately, grow and confidently embrace the future.
To find out more about how ArvatoConnect could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Women in leadership special part 1: Lorraine Candy on midlife liberation
In this episode, we chat with Lorraine Candy, journalist and author of ‘What’s Wrong with Me? 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know’.
Hello, did you miss us? We’re beginning Season 8 with a series of special episodes devoted to women in leadership. And we’re kicking off this season with one hell of a guest.
We’re joined by the one and only Lorraine Candy, award-winning journalist, co-host of the phenomenally successful podcast Postcards from Midlife, and author. Her new book, ‘What’s Wrong With Me?: 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know’ is out now in paperback. We wanted to find out what lessons Lorraine’s book has for the workplace, and what leaders need to do differently.
This was an eye-opening conversation for us. We discuss the transformation - and liberation- that women experience in midlife, and how this chapter is a time of change that forces many of us to sit with loss and painful feelings. We talk about menopause and perimenopause, and we discuss the strength and freedom that lies on the other side of midlife turbulence. Lorraine shares invaluable advice on how leaders and employers can better support women through it all.
Thank you to Lorraine for kicking off our new season with an inspiring, uplifting conversation.
Photo of Lorraine Candy is credited to Neil Cooper
Notes
Order What’s Wrong with Me? : 101 Things Midlife Women Need to Know by Lorraine Candy
Listen to Postcards from Midlife
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people, and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodesstartsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Why CEOs need to think like producers, not directors
We speak to Kate Lee, CEO of the Alzheimer’s Society
It's our final episode of 2023 and we are going out with a bang thanks to a festive cracker of an episode with the one and only Kate Lee, CEO of Alzheimer’s Society.
Kate took over as CEO of the Alzheimer’s Society in March 2020. As if starting one of the charity’s sector’s biggest roles on the brink of the pandemic wasn’t enough, she was also determined to implement an ambitious programme of reform at the charity, improving culture, leadership and growth.
Three years on, we sit down with Kate to reflect on what she has achieved, and her learnings. We discuss what’s changed, and what other leaders can learn from this.
We loved Kate’s ideas on why CEOs need to reframe their roles, so that they act like producers, not directors. Kate also tells us how leaders need to take a new approach to leadership and power post lockdown, and why, and how, charities need to innovate and think differently about what their organisations, and their ambitions, should look like now. As Kate says, the world has changed since 2020, and we should be reinventing ourselves, not trying to build back to how things were before.
We’re grateful to Kate for an energising and inspiring conversation. If you need the equivalent of a double Americano to make it through the last few days before the Christmas break you have come to the right place!
We’ll be taking a break in January and will be back soon after with more episodes. See you in 2024!
Notes
The Alzheimer’s Society
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
Thursday Dec 07, 2023
We chat with Eloise Skinner, author of ‘But Are You Alive?’, founder and psychotherapist.
It’s almost become a cliche to talk about finding meaning and purpose at work, especially with regard to the expectations of millennials and Generation Z, and what they want from employers. So what do leaders need to know about this? What does purpose and meaning really mean to young employees? And how should leaders facilitate this quest for meaning?
Eloise Skinner is well placed to answer these questions, through her work as an author and psychotherapist. Having started her career in corporate law, Eloise’s work now focuses on existential topics like meaning, purpose and identity. Eloise’s newest book, ‘But Are You Alive?’, focuses on finding meaning and purpose in everyday life. We discuss the difference between meaning and purpose, practical tips to help people find their purpose, whether they are established or aspiring leaders, and what young people really want from the world of work.
Zoe and Paul also discuss recent news stories about Nihal Arthanayake and inclusion at the BBC, as well as the government’s new AI skills framework for organisations.
Notes
Eloise’s website: www.eloiseskinner.com
Book link: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/eloise-skinner/but-are-you-alive/9781529398885/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/eloiseallexia
News stories:
Nihal Arthanayake and inclusion at the BBC
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/bbc-presenter-says-overwhelmingly-white-workplace-affects-his-mental-health/ar-AA1kJ00y
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/nihal-arthanayake-bbc-white-journalism-b2455646.html
UK government guidance on upskilling employees
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-business-guidance-to-boost-skills-and-unlock-benefits-of-ai
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Can being an outsider be an advantage?
We speak with Samuel Kasumu, author of The Power of the Outsider
Samuel Kasumu is an award-winning social entrepreneur, commentator, and strategist. He was also the most senior black advisor in Boris Johnson’s government until he left his role in April 2021. During his time in Downing Street, he became aware that he was an outsider. And this became the inspiration for his new book, The Power of the Outsider.
Feeling like an outsider is an aspect of inclusion that hasn’t been talked about often enough, and Kasumu wants to change that through his book. We chat to him about the experience of being an outsider and how it can be a source of strength. We also talk about what leaders can do to make everyone feel accepted.
This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, and leaders who want to create a sense of belonging in their organisations.
Show Notes
The Power of The Outsider book https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/samuel-kasumu/the-power-of-the-outsider/9781529396911/
Zoe’s blog about book recommendations https://zoeamar.com/2023/11/15/books-recommendations/
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
How Conversations From Calais is bringing together art and activism
We chat with Mathilda Della Torre, author of Conversations from Calais: Sharing Refugee Stories
When Mathilda Della Torre came home after visiting the refugee camps in Calais for the first time she thought, “I can’t look away from this.”
And so she began documenting the conversations between volunteers and migrants from Calais, firstly on posters, which people began to put copies up of on streets all around the world, and then in her book, Conversations from Calais. These conversations are moving, heartfelt and capture the diversity of refugees’ lives.
Della Torre’s book is a window into refugee and migrant’s stories, behind the tabloid headlines and culture wars we see on social media. As she says, it is an introduction into the topic, and the essays in the book from campaigners, artists and authors from Nish Kumar to Ai Weiwei to Yasmin Alibhai-Brown offer more experiences.
Thank you to Mathilda Della Torre for an inspiring conversation. You can find out more about her book here: https://www.conversationsfromcalais.com/
Conversations from Calais book https://www.conversationsfromcalais.com/
Follow Conversations from Calais on:
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/conversationsfromcalais/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/conversationsfromcalais/
Twitter https://twitter.com/cfcalais
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
The future trends coming to your workplace
We speak with Dr Michelle P.King, author of How Work Works and expert on organisational culture
Michelle P. King has spent the last two decades researching organisations and is an expert on organisational culture.
She is a Senior Advisor to the UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, where she leads the NextGen Leadership Development Programme and was previously Director of Inclusion at Netflix and the Head of UN Women’s Global Innovation Coalition for Change. Her latest book, How Work Works, is about the changes that have disrupted the workplace in recent times- and how to navigate them.
We chat to Michelle about how the workplace is evolving, from the need for greater inclusion to the rise of AI and how organisations might change again over the next few years. We also discuss how leaders, and employees, can prepare for the disruption ahead and get on the front foot with their careers. Michelle also tells us how leaders can create meaningful, fulfilling cultures for their teams.
This episode is a great listen for anyone looking to understand how their organisation and its culture are developing in ways you may not be aware of.
Michelle’s book How Work Works is out now.
Notes
How Work Works - https://www.michellepking.com/how-work-works/
More about Michelle P.King - https://www.michellepking.com/
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Leaders’ mental health special: part 2
We chat with Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind
Almost 10% more leaders feel more burned out than in 2020. What can we do about this?
In the second of our two part special on leaders and mental health, we were honoured to speak to the one and only Sarah Hughes, CEO of mental health charity Mind. We wanted to find out how leaders can look after their mental wellbeing during an exceptionally tough year, and how they can give the same level of care to their teams.
Sarah tells us why having a peer group is a really important part of leaders’ wellbeing, whether the pandemic genuinely shifted the conversation about mental health and how people are processing the upheaval and trauma of the last three years.
We also discuss why and how the charity sector needs to change- and some of the challenges that may be encountered along the way.
Zoe and Paul also open the episode by sharing their experiences of how they manage their mental health.
Notes
Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/
Third Sector podcast with Sarah Hughes https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/third-sector-podcast-sarah-hughes-mind-mental-health-role-charities/management/article/1819044
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Leaders’ mental health special: part 1
Ben Lindsay OBE is founder of Power The Fight, an award-winning charity which tackles violence affecting young people.
35% of leaders report that they feel stressed at work. More than 50% of managers feel burned out.
In our day jobs, we speak to leaders everyday who are dealing with huge pressures. We’ve been there ourselves with our own mental health challenges. So we thought it was high time we devoted two special episodes to leaders and mental health.
In the first part of our special we are joined by Ben Lindsay OBE, founder of Power The Fight. Through his work Ben has learned how to take a trauma informed approach, and is a big advocate of therapy for his staff, and himself.
We chat to Ben about how leaders can look after their mental health, how to deal with burnout and how he keeps going when dealing with a hugely challenging job tackling violence affecting young people. This is a raw and honest conversation about the challenges of leadership and how leaders can take care of themselves and their teams.
We’ll be back next week for the second part of our leaders’ mental health special featuring Dr Sarah Hughes, CEO of Mind.
Notes
Power The Fight https://www.powerthefight.org.uk/
We are delighted that this episode of Starts At The Top is sponsored by Arvato CRM Solutions. Arvato CRM Solutions designs and delivers award-winning customer service, business process outsourcing (BPO), and digital and intelligent automation solutions for some of the world’s most respected brands, as well as innovative charity and public sector clients. They partner with clients to help them define their customer experience and transformation strategies by implementing the right technology, people and processes to improve their customer journey, while driving new efficiencies and helping them prepare for the future. To find out more about how Arvato CRM Solutions could help an organisation like yours and to receive a free no-obligation chat visit their website.
Email us with your questions and ideas for future episodes startsatthetop@gmail.com
And please leave us a review if you enjoy what you hear!
Editing and production - Syren Studios with Paul Thomas
Music by Joseph McDade https://josephmcdade.com/music
Full transcript of this episode (.srt file)
Full transcript of this episode (.txt file)
Transcripts are also available through your podcast app.