Systemic change may feel like a daunting challenging, but when we break it down into smaller parts using a purpose-led approach, it becomes achievable. Change needs persistence, allyship, and strategic thinking to drive it, but focusing on symptoms rather than root causes can blind us to meaningful solutions.

Dame Caroline Mason CBE is Chief Executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, an organisation that aims to improve quality of life, particularly for people who face social and economic disadvantages. Caroline has a background in financial services and has lead other organisations that provide money to charities and social enterprises.

In her conversation with Julia, Dame Caroline discusses the value of breaking down complex issues into manageable parts, the crucial role of persistence and strategic thinking in effecting change, and how focusing on outcomes – rather than personal gain – forms the essence of generative leadership.

• Connect with Dame Caroline via LinkedIn
• Esmée Fairbairn Foundation
• Investing for Good

Authentic leadership, driven by personal beliefs and a genuine concern for the impact one's decisions and actions have on others, is crucial for building strong relationships and a sense of purpose and belonging in the workplace.

Brendan McCafferty has run large insurance companies and broking businesses, and with smaller, more entrepreneurial ventures. After stepping back from the executive world, he now serves as a non-executive chair for the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), which manages retirement savings for about 13 million people in the UK.

In this episode, Julia and Brendan discuss authenticity in leadership and its impact on relationship building in the workplace, the power of acknowledging everyone's contributions, and how self-reflection can improve leadership skills and personal growth.

Effective leadership means more than just acquiring knowledge and seeking growth. It means understanding the human condition, simplifying our understanding of life, and realigning our priorities towards transformation. It means harnessing the unique aspects of humanity that can’t be replicated by AI, like intuition and the capacity for non-linear creativity and insight.

Jonathan Armes is a psychologist and chartered occupational psychologist who focuses on leadership, team, and personal development through coaching. He helps leaders in reducing the amount of noise and interference created in the workplace due to the growing digital landscape, and works with them to address the human condition.

In this episode, Jonathan and Julia discuss the role of ego in leadership, and the importance of aligning leadership actions with a meaningful purpose beyond commercial growth alone.

• Connect with Jonathan via LinkedIn
• Jonathan’s website