Better Under Pressure
In a world that’s becoming more complex and uncertain, learning how to channel pressure in a healthy way to turn it into a force for good is vital. How we deal with pressure in our personal and professional lives will impact the outcome of anything we do. In this podcast, Sara Milne Rowe, author of The SHED Method and founder of Coaching Impact, explores how we experience pressure both in our personal and professional lives. Leaders from all walks of life join her to discuss what pressure means to them, how they deal with it, what they do because of it and how they lead others through it.’
Episodes
Friday May 03, 2024
#48 - Calum Clark - Who You Are Gets Exposed Under Pressure
Friday May 03, 2024
Friday May 03, 2024
Today I’m talking to Calum Clark, ex-international Rugby Union player turned high-performance psychologist.
Having started on the rugby trail aged just 15, Calum turned professional three years later and spent fourteen years playing at the highest level He turned out for three different Premiership clubs as well as England. In that time he experienced the highs of winning 3 Premiership titles and 2 European Cups and the lows of career-threatening injuries, disciplinary setbacks, and various off-field issues. Realising there was a lack of professional support, guidance and expertise to help navigate such things, he completed the first of two Psychology MScs alongside the final years of his playing career. He then became Head of Player Development and Wellbeing at Saracens, before going on to become their Head of Psychological Performance, with a number of his clients, including Ben Earl, going on to excel at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
In our conversation, Calum shares…- The importance of drilling - as an individual and as a team.- How we all need a north star…- And which pressure was worse - playing for England or finishing his Psychology thesis.
Friday Apr 19, 2024
#47 - Mollie Pearse - Do Pressure On Your Terms (Part 2)
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Today I'm thrilled to welcome back Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA, for round two of our insightful conversation on "Better Under Pressure."
Mollie's journey from entrepreneurial beginnings to leading teams at top organizations like IMG, Octagon, HSBC, and LinkedIn before landing at Meta showcases her remarkable leadership and dedication to 'audience-first' marketing principles.
Outside of work, Mollie's passion for pushing boundaries shines through her pursuits in ultra-distance sports, where she explores the depths of human potential while raising funds for charity.
As our discussion unfolded, it was clear that there were too many valuable insights to fit into one episode, so we're back for more!
In this episode, Mollie delves into:
- The challenging decision to step back from a 24-hour endurance race and the importance of listening to one's body and mind.- Her approach to fostering a sense of belonging within teams, grounded in shared human experiences and authentic connections.- A pivotal interview experience where she embraced her unique strengths and dared to 'play her game.'
If you missed our initial conversation, be sure to catch up before diving into this one!Connect with Mollie:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollie-pearse-09842b28/?originalSubdomain=uk
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
#46 - Mollie Pearse - Do Pressure On Your Terms
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Today I’m talking to Mollie Pearse, Meta’s Head of Marketing for EMEA. Having started her career as an entrepreneurial businesswoman and quickly learning the power of true ‘audience-first’ marketing, she has since led teams at IMG, Octagon, HSBC and LinkedIn before arriving at Meta.Mollie inspires her teams to think differently about commercial goals, enabling them to surpass expectations. When she isn’t doing that, she’s out exploring the limits of human potential by running, swimming and cycling ultra-distances to expand her comfort zone and raise money for charity.As I spoke with Mollie, it soon became abundantly clear there were far too many nuggets to squeeze into a single 50 minute podcast, so we broke it into two conversations.In this, our first conversation, Mollie shares…- How hating sport as a child helped her gain power over her environment…- What she learnt from swimming in open water through jellyfish…- And why we should all have our Personal Board of Directors.
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
#45 - Tendai Wileman - Using Pressure to Evolve
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Today I’m talking to Tendai Wileman, Chief of Staff and Director of Organisational Change at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Trust. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe and went to university in South Africa, before completing an MBA at Warwick Business School. Over two decades, Tendai has held various corporate and operational roles in healthcare, and has spent the last 10 years leading large-scale change within and across functional and organisational boundaries. She is a sponsor of the LGBT+ network at Guy’s & St. Thomas’ and is passionate about diversity and inclusion, believing strongly that ‘that which unites us all, is greater than that which separates us’.
In our conversation, Tendai shares…
- Her desire to keep learning and saying ‘Yes’ to the Discomfort Zone- Finding the balance between the external and the internal- And the questions she asks her NHS team when they are all under pressure
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
#44 - Neil Mullarkey - Boss Your Nervous System
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
In this episode, I’m talking to Neil Mullarkey, a unique communication expert. You may recognise him from his performances in 'Whose Line Is it Anyway' and two 'Austin Powers' movies. He still performs most Sundays with the Comedy Store Players, Europe's top improv troupe, which he co-founded with Mike Myers. But he now travels the world bringing the skills of theatre and especially improv, focusing on creativity, collaboration and leadership to clients including EY, Deloitte, Vodafone, Accenture and Unilever.
His new book, *In The Moment*, was published by Kogan Page in June 2023. https://neilmullarkey.com/inthemomentbookMike Myers describes it as ‘a creative masterclass for every moment.'Matt Brittin (President of Google, Europe, Middle East, Africa) says, ‘Neil’s model and how he applies it in different ways is really simple yet powerful. In a world that's more volatile and uncertain than ever, businesses need leaders who can be agile, adaptive, innovative. Neil's always promoted this brilliantly , but without the business jargon. ’
Visit http://neilmullarkey.com/ (And, yes, Mullarkey is his real name)
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
#43 - Emma Dagnes - Not Doing But Being
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
In this episode, I’m talking to Emma Dagnes, Chief Executive of Alexandra Park and Palace, an iconic public building towering over north London that is over 150 years old, was the original home of BBC Television and is now home to world sporting events, indoor and outdoor concerts and festivals, a theatre and even an ice rink. It’s also where I have pushed buggies and walked with my family and my dog over the last 25 years.
Of Emma’s 25 years working across entertainment, recreation and leisure, both in the public and private sectors, the last twelve have been at the Palace - helping to lift the organisation to be a recognised and respected cultural destination. Before becoming CEO, she led the growth of the trading subsidiary as Managing Director and then became Deputy CEO of the Charity, overseeing an award-winning restoration that cost £27 million.
In our conversation, she shares- How she learned that her dyslexia was a superpower- Why the original Alexandra Palace Theatre was worth its multi-million restoration - And the impact of seeing your purpose play out every day.
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
#42 - Edith Bardin - The Pressure of Work, Family & Personal Goals
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
In this episode, I’m talking to Edith Bardin – Global Insights Manager at Shell. The word Global is very apt when referring to Edith. Born in Luxembourg - and consequently speaking 5 languages - her two decades building ‘global consumer insights’ expertise have taken her all sorts of places, including northern Europe, the UK, Canada and even Mauritius. She now is a worldwide authority on everything from decoding consumers’ minds in retail, entertainment and packaging - to embracing the evolving landscape of air travel and, most recently, e-mobility.
In our conversation, Edith shares...- What she discovered about her efficiency at work after she’d had children.- What doing a charity swim taught her about herself.- And how it affected her growing up as ‘an unexpected triplet’
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
#41 - Tom Hall - What Could Possibly Go Right?
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
Thursday Jan 25, 2024
In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Hall, Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Education International.
Having previously held leadership positions at Pearson and Penguin Random House UK, Tom is experienced in leading global teams through complex change management programs and creating partnership ecosystems.
As a trustee of AQA, the UK’s leading assessment provider, and a former board member of the British Educational Suppliers Association, it’s no surprise to learn that Tom is passionate about the impact education can make for individuals and society around the world and is dedicated to using LEGO Education solutions to deliver STEAM learning to empower teachers and students.
- In our conversation, Tom shares…
- What he does in order to check out on Friday feeling calm
- What it’s like leading in a cultural melting pot
- And why you’re only as good as the system you’re operating in.
Connect with Tom👇LinkedIn: Hall TomTwitter: @tomjhall
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
#40 - Tom Sherrington - Rise Above Judgement
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
In this episode, I’m talking to Tom Sherrington – education consultant and author. With 30 years' experience as a teacher and school leader, Tom is now teaching teachers, through his ground-breaking series of WalkThru books – which, at the last count, are being used in 50 countries around the world. Everywhere from Brighton to Brazil, from Norwich to New Zealand. Tom also coaches through his blog, teacherhead.com, which has thousands of followers.
Tom is in demand worldwide and works with hundreds of schools and colleges providing training and consultancy support to improve the quality of teaching. As such, he is a regular keynote speaker at many education conferences and festivals.
In our conversation, Tom shares:
*What the students did to him as a supply teacher
*What an exhausted colleague did when the next class was arriving
*And why - when he couldn’t see the wood for the trees - Tom went to see the trees… in the wood.
Friday Dec 08, 2023
#39 - Lara Milward - With Practice You Can
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Friday Dec 08, 2023
In this episode, I’m talking to Lara Milward, a NeuroLeadership Coach and athlete who has co-founded businesses in Leadership and Fitness. She has worked in gender equality with Shine for Women and is a mentor for Resurgo. The official coach of Virgin’s Strive Challenge, Lara practises what she preaches - moving every day to challenge both mental and physical muscle and believes we all need to treat our mental muscle just like our physical muscle; giving it challenge, fuel, rest and recovery.
In our conversation, Lara shares...
The power of a starting gun,
What happened when she tried her first mountain climb up the Matterhorn
And what she learnt about herself from witnessing her child in intensive care