Leadership Unlocked

Hosted by Bernd Vogel, Professor in Leadership and Founding Director of the Henley Centre for Leadership at Henley Business School, Leadership Unlocked explores what it means to become and be a senior leader today.

Listen to the latest series

Listen to series one

Learning from the experiences of senior leaders

There is no blueprint for becoming a successful senior leader today. But we can all learn from other outstanding leadership journeys to reflect on and refine our own practices, and create positive, meaningful impact.

Throughout the series, Bernd is joined by guests in senior leadership roles from all walks of life – including the media, technology, arts, construction, transport, and government – who share their leadership journeys, experiences, and motivations, to inspire our audience.

Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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Series two

Episode 8: Saying yes to adventure

Not many senior executives can credit pearl diving as a key stepping stone to leadership success. But for Henley alumna Melanie Christopher, EVP and CSO at Capgemini, saying yes to adventure prepared her for senior leadership roles.

Episode 9: The power of positive paranoia

Starting a business two weeks before the COVID pandemic hit was not the ideal set-up for success. That’s the position that Henley alumnus Leo Harrison, Founder and CEO of talent strategy specialist, Chapter 2, found himself in six years ago.

Episode 10: Happiness is underrated

Work-life balance is something everyone strives for. But it’s not a phrase everyone believes is right. For alumnus Darren Henley, CEO of Arts Council England, we shouldn’t need the phrase, as work should be a meaningful and joyful part of life.

Episode 11: If you’re too comfortable, you’re not learning

Remaining curious and making constant adjustments is a core leadership skill at every level. But for Kim Sides, Executive Director, UK & Ireland at Royal BAM Group, senior leaders also need to embrace discomfort.

Episode 12: Creating impact when it seems impossible

How can you create impact even if you can’t influence things directly? For Simon Koerner, Global Lead of Organisational Effectiveness at DSV, understanding the relationship between indirect influence and outcome is a key part of being impactful and scaling success.

Episode 13: Balancing risk and institutional courage for endurance

Leadership success is shaped by what you leave behind for others, not about you as an individual. For Henley alumna Nomsa Chabeli, Group CEO at SABC, the role of stewardship is key, passing success from one leader to the next by building trust, resilience and endurance.

Series one

Episode 1: Balancing buckets and bricks

Having fun at work isn’t always top of the agenda for senior leaders. But for Christian Pau, General Manager UK & Ireland at The Lego Group, getting the balance right between enjoyment and business challenges is an essential part of both personal and business success.

Episode 2: When success means safety of life

Being available, honest and not afraid to tackle the tough discussions are key leadership principles that ensure Tommy Olofsen, Chief Marine Services Officer at global ship management company OSM Thome, can keep people his top priority.

Episode 3: How to ask the right questions

Award winning journalist and broadcaster Emily Maitlis didn’t get to the top of her profession by accident. Her hunger for continuous learning, breaking news stories and creating content that has a positive impact has seen her cover new ground in a profession that wasn’t an obvious first choice.

Episode 4: Leadership as a platform for purpose and lasting change

Change in business is inevitable but do senior leaders relish dealing with it? For self-confessed change champion, Paul Lindley, Entrepreneur, Founder of Ella’s Kitchen and Chancellor at the University of Reading, change is essential for success, but it needs to be based on clarity of purpose.

Episode 5: The temptation to talk not listen

Leading your boss in business seems counterintuitive but is one of the most important skills for senior leaders to master, according to Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, Chair at Finnair and a number of other high-profile Nordic businesses. Sana has been honoured as Finland's most influential woman in business for multiple years.

Episode 6: Leave your ego at the door

Strong mentors during your senior leadership career can make the difference between getting ahead and getting left behind. That means working hard and giving back by obsessively assisting others, according to Helene Murphy, CHRO at Gridserve and former Chief People Officer with Unite Students and Formula E.

Episode 7: Influence is not a dirty word

Building a network to create change in organisations is not easy. Being seen to influence is often considered a dirty word. But for Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer, the inaugural CIO at NATO, if done in the right way, influencing, negotiating and aligning are fundamental to a senior leader’s value proposition.