Leading to Here with Neil Lloyd

Dive into the riveting story of Neil Lloyd, how a career banker became the Managing Director of a full-service law firm – without even being a lawyer!

Listen as Neil recounts the significance of mentors in his formative years and discover the leadership principles that have guided him seamlessly across starkly different sectors. From sharpening his prowess in banking to architecting growth strategies at FBC Manby Bowdler, Neil’s ascent to Managing Director is nothing short of inspiring.

Neil was recently recognised with an Honorary Fellowship by the University of Wolverhampton, and The Lawyer magazine included him in their Hot 100.

But there’s much more to Neil; off the clock, he’s an avid marathon enthusiast, conquering some of the world’s most iconic races from London to New York.

Join us for a narrative of ambition, adaptability, and passion, and uncover how Neil Lloyd is redefining the boundaries of career trajectories.

Posted On November 3, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Leading to here, Podcasts /

How does poor communication impact the workplace?

With an alarming statistic revealing that a staggering 70% of errors in the workplace can be traced back to miscommunication, it’s no wonder that businesses are feeling the pinch. Dive deeper, and you’ll find that poor communication ranks as the number one concern for a majority of businesses, overshadowing even financial concerns or market competition.

But what really happens when communication goes awry? Trust erodes. The very foundation upon which business relationships are built begins to wobble. Employees start second-guessing, leading to serious doubts about the motives, integrity, and capabilities of their employers. The domino effect of this breakdown? A jaw-dropping cost of £50 – £70 Bn in lost productivity annually.

But there’s more. As a result of these communicative missteps, 33% of employees report having low morale, feeling disengaged, and disheartened.

In this episode, Ricky and Rob not only highlight the challenges but also explore solutions and best practices to cultivate an environment of open, transparent, and effective communication.

Posted On November 1, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

Why do we keep getting communication so wrong?

Did you know that only about a third of companies believe they communicate effectively?
Forbes (March 2023)

In this episode, Rob and Ricky dive into the complex realm of communication, a skill so integral yet so frequently misinterpreted.

They explore why most companies fail to communicate effectively and share some of the stumbling blocks hindering effective communication. Consider this, when one individual errs, does everyone else receive a blanket message? We know this is not the best approach, so why does this keep happening?

Ricky and Rob also delve into the human side of miscommunication. Our emotions, ever a double-edged sword, often weave themselves seamlessly into our dialogues, clouding judgment and disrupting clear exchanges. Then there are assumptions – we all make them, but at what cost? Plus, we discuss the dangerous ‘dance of ambiguity’, where leaving things open to interpretation can spell disaster.

Posted On October 18, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Culture, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

Leading to Here with Michael Smith

Join us as we talk to Michael Smith, a humble lad from the North East of England who rose to become Chief Commercial Officer of a Silicon Valley medical technology company focused on saving teeth from tooth decay. Listen as he shares why he wrote to the Home Secretary!

Michael leads the commercial side of Sonendo®, which develops and manufactures the GentleWave® System, an innovative technology platform designed to treat tooth decay by cleaning and disinfecting the microscopic spaces within teeth without the need to remove tooth structure. Michael walks us through his journey and how his dream to join the police soon shifted to the corporate world of healthcare.

In this episode, Michael shares with us the crucial roles his role models and mentors played in his personal development, preparing him for leadership. Michael shares insight and lessons behind his journey and offers many great takeaways for everyone.

If you like this type of content, please like, share and subscribe, be sure to follow us on your chosen platform to ensure you know when the next episode is out!

Coming up next time is Neil Lloyd, who is featured in The Lawyer Magazine’s Hot 100 for 2023 and he’s not even a lawyer!

Posted On October 9, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Leading to here, Podcasts /

What causes us to fear failure?

We have two primal fears: shame and death! Evolutionary strong feelings that were designed to keep us alive, but not really designed for the modern workplace, yet these fears play out strongly in our day-to-day lives.

In this episode of our mini-series on getting out of your own way, Richard and Ricky discuss how fear of failure might drive our behaviour, and not always in ways that make us more productive or easy to get on with!

Posted On October 4, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

Is perfectionism a problem or an advantage?

Rob and Paul continue this mini-series within The Question Is podcast about some of the different ways that people ‘get in their own way’. This time we consider perfectionism.

Could perfectionism be an advantage, or are we confusing high standards, with nothing ever being quite good enough?

Like most traits that get in our way, these habits were once useful, which is why they have become a habit. Then, out of the blue, the very thing that was helping becomes the thing getting in the way.

Paul and Rob explore the fine line between driving to excel and perfectionism and discuss strategies for perfectionists to stay on the right side of the line.

Posted On September 6, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

What is imposter syndrome (and how does it affect us)?

The feeling that you are an imposter, doing something you feel unqualified for or that you have no right to do. Going to work every day with the feeling that this is the day when everyone will realise that you are there by mistake, and it is time for you to go.

Surprisingly, it is a very common feeling, one that most of us will experience at some point in our working life. In this episode of the podcast, we continue to explore the different things that we do, getting in our own way. Richard and Paul talk about imposter syndrome / phenomenon / thoughts (it has many names), look at why it exists, share their experience of having it, and explore strategies that might help you see the feeling in a completely different light.

Posted On August 23, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

What happens when we have unrealistic goals?

Can you have a goal that is too big? Or too small?

In this episode of the podcast, Ricky and Rob explore how we can get in our own way when we pick goals that are either too easy or too hard.

They discuss how our belief in our ability to achieve the goal dramatically impacts how we approach it, so the best goals always fall within a ‘goldilocks’ zone of not too hard and not too easy; falling in the zone of just-right like the best porridge! Even when we have the right level of belief, that on its own is not enough. Rob and Ricky explore how the goal needs to be relevant to us, congruent with our overall priorities, before we will truly allocate the time needed to be successful.

Posted On August 9, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Coaching, Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, The question is /

How can I improve my confidence?

Confidence is an integral part of our own personal success. With it we make bolder decisions, try and little harder and frame difficulties as obstacles, without it we become more cautious and only see barriers. Not having confidence, in ourselves, the people around us or the situations we find ourselves in is one of the most common ways we get in our own way.

In this podcast, Rob and Paul explore what confidence is, and how we get it. Do we need confidence to do the things we do, or do we get confidence from doing them? This is the classic psychological chicken and egg…

Posted On July 26, 2023 By Paul Hutchinson In Leadership, Podcasts, Productivity, Resilience, The question is /

A Blueprint for Cultural Transformation

In the complex world of corporate leadership, where strategies and technologies come and go, one element remains constant: the power of a strong organisational culture.

At Thinking Focus, we understand that culture isn’t just an abstract concept—it’s the backbone of every successful organisation. That’s why we’ve developed our Culture Blueprint—a comprehensive, actionable guide designed to help business leaders like you build a thriving culture that drives sustainable growth and engagement.

View

Posted On July 24, 2023 By Ricky Muddimer In Article, Culture, Flip Book, Leadership, Management /