Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership

Welcome to 2026 and our first Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership Podcast In this podcast Frances and Andy are looking at the year ahead, discussing what it takes to be more intentional and deliberate about who you want to be, and what you stand for. We use Seth Godin’s blog More like itself as inspiration for our discussion. More Like ItselfEvery year, on the first weekend of the year, it’s probably worth replacing the dried spices in your pantry. The best, freshest spices still taste like the spice that’s on the label, but they taste more like themselves.That’s what successful brands and freelancers do as well. They relentlessly do the work to act more like themselves.First, we have to figure out what we are, what we stand for, and what people expect.Then we get a chance to be more like that.How do we become more like our true self this year? 

In this episode Frances and Andy are in conversation together continuing the theme of Christmas reflection and in our last podcast of 2025, we take some time to look back on the year that is coming to an end and the year ahead.We answered three questions, sharing our thoughts on our work and lives with openness and Vulnerability in this recording.·     What did you achieve in 2025?·     What didn’t go to plan and why?·     What are you working towards in 2026?We often get caught in New Years resolutions over the festive season and can overlook what we have achieved and celebrating that. You may notice patterns on what didn’t go according to plan, and this can be an opportunity to try something new, a different way.As you look ahead to the New Year, what are you working towards? These words bring the sense of putting time, effort and energy into something. A different quality to setting a new year’s resolution, which is all about the decision to do or not do something. We learnt a new expression when talking about this, the “hush” period, the time between Christmas and the New Year, which feels like the perfect time to reflect, professionally and personally.Thank you for listening to our podcast and we wish you all the best for the holiday season and look forward to continuing the conversations in 2026.

What becomes possible when we self-reflect?Frances Armes and I are this week having a different type of podcast this week, we are in conversation together as a Christmas reflection. Unlocking Conversations.We talked about the ability to reflect on what we are up to rather than just being busy in an outward way, pushing out delivery and managing to do lists. We were in an inquiry centred around what becomes possible when we take time to reflect and look inward on ourselves.We used the framework of Marshall Goldsmiths 6 daily questions, to shape our conversation and reflections, which are: -1.   Did I do my best to set clear goals today?2.   Did I do my best to make progress towards my goals today?3.   Did I do my best to find meaning today?4.   Did I do my best to be happy today?5.   Did I do my best to build positive relationships today?6.   Did I do my best to be engaged today? And we added a 7th question, 7.   Did I just get through the day. Our conversation shifted between intention, being deliberate and how we can lose this when we just drive through actions. How many times do we take 5 minutes at the beginning of the day to be intentional during the day for our way of being as well as actions? These questions help us to understand more about how we make meaning in our day. We hope that you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed the conversation. 

Andy and Frances are in conversation this week with Elpida Trizi about her unique journey in Leadership.Elpida says that in much of her career she didn’t see herself as a leader, but she was always able to connect with people, which she realises is the common thread that spanned every role. She describes herself as having had a career in human centred communication.Having had different roles and capacities in corporate communications Elpida made a leap of faith in moving to take a role in Germany, having to learn the language and culture as she went along.Elpida says that “being a leader is nothing to do with position”, and she defines leadership as “going beyond the fear”.Elpida describes her purpose as “a deep dive to know something”, and this manifests in her work as having the ability to “make space for the wonder to emerge”. She knows that this is a counter cultural because most of the world is about the equation, the more I act, the more I do therefore equals my worth. She turns this equation on its head.She quotes Socrates, “Wisdom begins with wonder”. Elpida is proud of the connections, listening and presence that she has offered over the years to colleagues. For her, it’s not about the tasks achieved, it’s all about the relationships that she has been able to form.Elpida’s top tips for leaders are: -·     Do more of what you love·     If you don’t feel the love or appreciated, you have the agency to make a shift·     Leadership is going beyond the fear, it’s about courage

In this episode of our podcast, Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership, Andy and Frances are in conversation with Nikki Ayliff, Care consultant. Nikki started from the ground up in care roles, soon realising that this is an area that she loved.  She has progressed through many different roles in the care sector, becoming a team leader and then a manager. Subsequently she just kept going, experiencing a wide range of differing care environments where she eventually became an operations director in the elderly care sector. More recently she has set up as a care consultant, working for various companies advising on care. Nikki defines leadership as “enabling people to thrive in their role.” She continues by also suggesting that leadership is all about building the connection with individuals and watching both them, and their teams grow. Nikki also adds that leadership is about being courageous enough to make tough decisions - it is not all plain sailing. Her leadership purpose she expresses as simply being “to build and sustain human connections”, and in doing, so she is able to “watch people thrive.” Proud of herself for taking the leap into setting up and running a successful care consultancy, Nikki is aware that this is something she could only dream about a few years ago. Whilst she has had many milestone moments in her career, she takes pride in the feedback she receives in her role as a consultant - “making a difference” - and she believes she is most alive when around other people and making a difference. This makes her heart sing. Although a leader full of heart, drive and determination, Nikki is also still human. She describes how she doesn’t have a great sense of direction and often arrives at venues with her cardigan inside out! She says she is an all-in girl - someone who can laugh at herself. 😃 Finally, Nikki shares her top tips for other leaders with us: ·     Always be courageous and show up (even on a bad day)·     It’s ok to be vulnerable with people who you are working with·     Be human and not something that you’re not. It was a real pleasure to spend time with Nikki who is a wholehearted leader, making a difference in the Care Sector.  We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we did being in it.    

Andy and Frances are in conversation about all thing’s leadership with James Bosch, Environmental Educator. James views his leadership persona to date as having been molded by his education (both pre-university and also academically with degrees in biology, education and more recently, his PhD looking into further education). He has also worked professionally at executive manager level and in environmental education. Most recently, James has spent 25 years at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, specialising in natural, renewable energies. He has been a passionate representative for the Laboratory, helping build new industry from its work. James recognises the qualities of awareness, presence and influence that he engages throughout his work as his form of leadership. Specifically, he defines leadership as presence, but also the process of evolving to enable responsivity at times of need; showing vulnerability but also resilience; engendering trust; and directness whilst still maintaining compassion. James’s purpose is to make a difference, to provide a positive contribution. Each moment requires presence to do good, he believes. He is most proud of ‘helping people connect with nature’ and ‘understand the world around them.’ He sleeps well with the knowledge that he facilitates this at all levels, hopefully enhancing activity today, but also stewarding for the future. To James, ‘aliveness’ is both personal and professional. He feels most ‘alive’ personally when family members are together, settled, happy. Professionally, his ‘aliveness’ is derived from his ability to care for this world, for nature and also therefore the future - ‘being a steward of the Earth.’ Additionally, he feels ‘aliveness’ ensuring the ‘psychological environment is safe’ for those around him to operate in as well - through listening, integrity and honesty. Overall, he summarises true ‘aliveness’ as ‘taking care of this wonderful gift that we have in our planet’ for current and future generations. The ‘take home’ tips James leaves us with echo with his passion: •   Know thyself - quoting Lord Byron, “Adversity is the first path to truth.”•   Ask people how they like to be treated, rather than assume. Be sensitive, share ownership, listen, be inclusive.•   Practice - prepare, strategy, systems•   Get rid of the ego - teach & develop those around you•   Teach accountability and make lives better. 

Frances and Andy are delighted to share the second episode of Season three of our podcast Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership.In today’s episode we are in conversation with Helen Morphew an award-winning coach who helps women at career crossroads find clarity and confidence to shape their next chapter.Helen by her own admission has quite a varied background, starting out her career in the world of financial services in the UK and New Zealand. She then went on to build and run her own canine massage business in New Zealand before applying all her learning and experience as a coach. Helen describes leadership as “it’s about how you make people feel, showing up with consistency and integrity, creating a space with others feel safe to challenge and grow”. Helen also shares that you don’t need a title to be a leader, we all have different ways of leading and what differentiates the good and the bad is not about confidence or charisma, it more about self-awareness and accountability.Helen describes her leadership purpose as helping people, especially women, feel that they can step into leadership on their own terms.  Helen remembered her Grandad’s saying from an early age “to take every opportunity and never have regrets”, and she has taken that with her through life. If there was something she could change, it would be getting support for her personal growth earlier in her career.Helen feels most alive as a leader when someone who she is working with realises what they are capable of. As a naturally curious person, Helen loves understanding what makes people tick and when they have that breakthrough moment, feeling that she has some small part to play in that is just the best feeling.Helen gave us some thoughtful top tips for leaders;·     Lead yourself first – know your own triggers, blind spots and values, enables you to lead with intention rather than reaction.·     Listen more and say less – its not all about having the answers, but asking better questions.·     Make expectations clear – no surprises leads to safety.We hope you enjoy listening to this episode and our thanks to Helen for sharing her thoughts with such candour.

Andy and Frances are very pleased to be back for our 3rd season of Unlocking Aliveness in Leadership podcast.In today’s episode we are in conversation with Rachel Jones, Director of Talent and Learning for Strategic Accounts and Continental Europe at Sodexo.From the early age of 13, Rachel got the bug for talking and interacting with people, running from School to the work at the local newsagents.   Whilst working at Tesco alongside studying for her A Levels, Rachel was offered the opportunity to join their management leadership scheme and jumped at the chance. She loved the company and her work but after 7 years she joined Michael Page and still uses what she learned about people, clients, and candidates to this day.   Rachel has been working at Sodexo for the last 10 years in a variety of people related roles. Rachel reflected that leadership has been many different things in her career, and she has in turn needed different forms of leadership to lead and guide her. For her leadership is reflective, ever meaningful, and brings purpose to people in very different ways. Rachel gave us a new angle on leadership and talked about what she expected from a leader, someone who trusts and believes in her, is a voice, a shoulder, an ear when needed. It’s fine to get to wrong if you learn from it. When talking about her leadership purpose Rachel was crystal clear “to be authentic in all I say and all I do”, saying “sometimes it matters more, what you won’t stand for rather than what you will, this is how you define your authenticity.” Rachel’s pride comes from the sustainable impact she has achieved and her two children, her proudest achievement. She knows she can be fast paced, demanding and challenging, but never for anything other than growing individuals, teams, functions, and the business.   As far as regrets go, her biggest was believing pace was power, often being likened to a Duracell battery. With experience and wisdom, she appreciates the value of slowing down and letting an answer form or situation play out. Freedom and trust are what brings Rachel alive as a leader, rather than sleepwalking through work, getting caught up in what can’t be done. She thrives on enabling people to be human beings, listening, and discovering what gifts people have and creating an environment of enjoyment at work. Rachel’s top tips for all leaders, are:-You know what the right thing to do is, just do it!  If you can change and impact one person’s life or day, do it, because it will never just impact one person.For more senior leaders, expect leadership as well as giving it.Our thanks to Rachel for sharing her thoughts with such passion and clarity.