Teams want certainty, but in an uncertain world, how can you deliver it? Find out how in this episode.
We dive deep with Mike Mears, Leadership Theoretician, former GE change-agent under Jack Welch, and ex-CIA Chief of Human Capital.
Mike Mears reveals the neuroscience backed rituals and intelligence inspired frameworks that clear away uncertainty, sharpen your focus, and unleash your team’s full potential.
From GE’s “Workout” sessions to CIA secure briefings, Mike unpacks his three-pillar “Certainty” method.
Mike shares the mindset pivots that turn cautious managers into bold innovators, and the battlefield lessons of building true psychological safety, even in the most critical situations.
Tune in to discover how these proven insights can elevate your leadership, strengthen your culture, and drive transformative results, starting today.
Journey Highlights & Story Beats
GE’s “Workout” Revelation:Rebecca and Callum discover Mike’s first “aha” moment under Jack Welch, how a noisy, chaotic workshop taught him that culture change starts with listening, not lecturing.
CIA’s Safe-House Confession:Mike recounts the night an agent risked their career to report a critical encryption error, because Mike had built a “safe house” of trust. That moment taught him that psychological safety isn’t a luxury; it’s a survival tool.
Military Roots & Dual-Engine Leadership:From survival-of-the-fittest drills to commanding a nuclear missile site, Mike learned that drive alone breeds burnout and only paired with genuine empathy will people truly follow.
Key Takeaways
Certainty Overrides Fear
Our primitive “survival” wiring clings to the status quo. Weekly 5-minute, agenda-free check-ins and timely praise rewire brains toward confident change.
Psychological Safety as a Secure Briefing Room
In covert ops, absolute trust saves lives. In business, it unleashes candid feedback and breakthrough ideas. Start small, smile at every team member, ask one open-ended question, then listen.
Insight Prompts: Your CEO “Ask”
Inspired by CIA Director's, assign each direct report a single, high-stakes question. Give them a week to reflect, and then collect ten ideas back. Dopamine-driven “aha” moments follow.
The Dual-Engine Model: Drive + Empathy
Military toughness and modern leadership demands both relentless mission focus and genuine concern for people’s well-being.
Notable Quotes
“Great bosses don’t force change; they engineer certainty so teams feel safe innovating.”
“You don’t need all the answers, just the right questions and the space for insights to emerge.”
“Pair relentless drive with real empathy, then watch your people follow you anywhere.”
Actionable Steps for Leaders.
Implement CIA-Style Check-Ins: Five-minute, no-agenda chats each week with every direct report: What’s top of mind? How can I support you?
Rotate Your Ops: Structure work into three phases, core execution, innovation sprint, and recovery to maintain peak performance and morale.
Launch an Insight Prompt: Give each team member one strategic question, set a deadline, reconvene for accountability and harvest high-impact ideas.
Connect & Continue the Conversation
Mike Mears on LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/mike-mears-leadership-theoretician-4627a889
Email: mearshm@gmail.com
Website: https://www.mikemears.com
Tune in to discover how to harness certainty and lead with the confidence of a CIA strategist—wherever you are in the world.
 

In this high octane episode, Callum and Rebecca Jenkins discover how Saahil Mehta, an internationally renowned peak performance coach and author of Break Free, helps to declutter your life, lead with intention, and unlock your full leadership potential, in business and beyond.
Saahil shares his three-step "Break Free" process, the mindset shifts required to let go of people pleasing, and how climbing mountains has taught him how to navigate life’s biggest challenges  including those high-stakes conversations leaders often avoid.
What You’ll Learn:
The “7 Summits” of Personal Success:  Why leaders must define their own version of success and not borrow society’s.
Decluttering for High Performance: How to remove emotional, physical, and mental distractions to gain clarity and momentum.
From People Pleasing to Personal Power: Saahil’s breakthrough moment on a retreat that changed how he shows up in life and business.
The 5 Steps to Manage Difficult Conversations: How to address  conversations with empathy, understanding and clarity
Boardroom Lessons from the Mountains: Why preparation beats improvisation in high-pressure situations
Key Takeaways:
Confidence is built by doing the hard things, and real leadership starts with self-leadership.
Leaders don’t rise to the level of their ambition, they fall to the level of their preparation.
Conversations aren’t won through force, they’re earned through empathy, clarity, and courage.
Saahil’s Wisdom:
“You don’t need to react. You need to respond. That’s where the breathwork, the pause, the clarity,  it all comes in.”
“You may not know your full purpose today, but your soul should leave this life better than it entered.”
🔗 Resources & Mentions:
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Saahil’s Book: Break Free –https://www.saahilmehta.com/
Breathwork Mentioned: Box Breathing (3 seconds in, 3 hold, 3 out, 3 hold – repeat)
Connect with Saahil Mehta:
🌐 www.saahilmehta.com
YouTube: @saahilmehta
LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/saahilmehta
Upcoming:
🧗 Bhutan Mountain Retreat in November 2025 – stay tuned via Saahil’s site or socials for updates.
Share Your Thoughts:
What do you do when emotions rise in difficult conversations?
Connect with the show hosts below.
Callum Jenkins
https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumjenkins/
Rebecca Jenkins
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccajenkins-rjen/
 
Subscribe & Follow: If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and follow the Lead to Succeed podcast for more insights on leadership and business growth.
 
The podcast is brought to you by RJEN
https://RJEN.co.uk
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The Power of Emotional Culture at Work 
Hosts, Rebecca Jenkins and Callum Jenkins are joined by Cara Cunniff, a former British Army Psychological Operations Officer, turned emotional culture consultant.  We explore how leaders can create high-performing teams by focusing on emotions, not just actions.
Drawing from her military background in psychological operations, Cara shares powerful insights into how emotions influence behaviour, both on the battlefield and in the boardroom.
We unpack how organisations can co-create emotional cultures, why some leaders resist emotional awareness, and how to spot disengagement before it becomes damaging.
Whether you lead a startup or a large organisation, this episode is full of practical tools and leadership questions you can apply immediately to build stronger, more connected teams.
Key Topics Covered:
What emotional culture really means and why it’s your hidden performance driver
Signs your team is disengaged and what to do about it
The Vs” of workplace emotions: Visible, Valued and Validated
Mapping a “Feeling Journey” for organisational change
Why leaders must ask: How do I want people to feel in my presence?
How to create psychologically safe spaces for honest conversations
Practical steps to start embedding emotional culture in your team
Hybrid & remote teams: how to enhance connection remotely
Cara’s Top 2 Practical Tips for Leaders:
Reflect on how you want your people to feel this week, then do one thing to move the needle toward that emotion.
Remember: Leadership isn’t what you do, it’s how you make people feel.
Connect with Cara Cunniff on LinkedIn
LinkedIn: Cara Cunniff

Robin Daniels, an experienced leader, discusses the evolving workplace, the importance of recognising effort over outcomes, and how autonomy enables creativity.
Robin also shares his leadership journey having worked at LinkedIn and WeWork, and provides actionable insights from the importance of building an online brand to what makes an impactful leader of the future.
Listen for invaluable leadership lessons and hear Robin’s thoughts about the value of Leadership in the age of AI.
Key Topics Covered:
Public vs. Private Recognition (17:30): Robin explains the importance of balancing recognition in the workplace to ensure inclusivity and motivation.
Effort vs. Outcome (18:35): Learn why the future of work should reward input and output, not just outcome.
The Role of Autonomy (22:46): Discover how giving employees freedom while maintaining role clarity drives success.
LinkedIn’s Impact(25:08): Robin shares how actively engaging on LinkedIn transformed his career and opened up new opportunities.
Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn (28:53): Practical tips for business owners on how to leverage LinkedIn for authenticity and engagement.
Top Leadership Advice (33:03): Robin’s #1 tip for personal and professional success.
Memorable Quotes:
“Effort, mindset, and enthusiasm are fully within your control. Recognising these is key to a healthy work culture.”
“People follow people, not brands. Be authentic, share stories, and be consistent.”
“Surround yourself with great people. The right network lifts you up and helps you grow.”
Resources Mentioned:
Robin Daniels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robingdaniels/
Zensai.com    https://zensai.com/

Nathan Chan has broken every rule in business to have a successful company.
Hear his leadership journey and what he's learnt from interviewing over 100 business billionaires. 

In this high value episode, Callum and Rebecca Jenkins are joined by Rich Diviney, a former Navy SEAL commander with over two decades of leadership experience, leading elite teams in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Rich is also a human performance expert, and the author of The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance, Rich Diviney offers deep insights into the key traits that make a true leader.
From thoughts of becoming a naval aviator to commanding high-performing units, Rich shares  invaluable leadership lessons and attributes that have shaped his career and the success of his teams. He shares practical tips to implement in business.
This conversation dives into the critical difference between skills and attributes, shedding light on why businesses must focus on this to create effective teams capable of performing under pressure.
In this episode, Rich talks about:
The Key Leadership Attributes (05:12): Discover the powerful traits that define success in high-stakes environments and how they apply to leadership.
Skills vs. Attributes (08:23): Rich explains why attributes like resilience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are just as important, if not more so, than technical skills.
Unlocking Potential with Attributes Inc. (12:56): How Rich’s company applies military, neuroscience, and psychological insights to help organisations build high-performing teams.
Perseverance vs. Resilience (20:42): The nuanced difference between these two traits and how to cultivate them in your team.
Building Team Trust (28:11): Rich discusses how small behaviors and consistent actions can build lasting trust, even in the most stressful situations.
The Science of Team Dynamics (33:59): Learn how subtle behavioral shifts can dramatically improve team cohesion and performance under pressure.
Memorable Quotes from Rich Diviney.
“When the stakes are high, it’s not the skills you have—it’s the attributes you rely on.”
“Leadership is about understanding the people you’re leading, knowing their strengths, and pushing them to achieve their best under pressure.”
“Trust isn’t built with grand gestures—it’s built with small, consistent actions over time.”
Resources Mentioned:
Rich Diviney’s book: The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance
The Attributes Assessment Tool: theattributes.com
Simon Sinek’s work on trust: simonsinek.com
Connect with Rich Diviney:
 
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richdiviney
Instagram: @rich_diviney
 

Discover the traits of successful maverick leaders, and how to apply them to transform your leadership and business.
 
Episode Summary: We take a close look at Maverick Leadership, what it is and how to apply it, with our guest Judith Germain, a leading authority on Maverick Leadership.
 
Judith reveals how Maverick leaders,like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and even political figures like Barack Obama and Donald Trump, embody traits like willful independence, innovation, and the power to influence.
These leaders have transformed industries and driven massive change by staying true to their unique vision and approach.
Judith dives deep into the core principles of Maverick Leadership, showing how business owners and leaders can apply these traits to catalyse transformation and elevate their impact.
From determination to reputation, influence, and adaptability, Judith shares actionable insights that will help you become a more decisive and influential leader, ready to amplify your success and attract the clients you want.
We also explore why execution is the true key to turning plans into results, how to innovate with your product offerings, and why a growth mindset is crucial for any leader looking to achieve long-term success.
Key Takeaways
Maverick Leadership is about being willfully independent and adaptable to new ideas, with a focus on working for the greater good.
The DRIVEN acronym outlines the essential qualities of a Maverick Leader: Determination, Reputation, Influence, Versatility, Execution, and Narration.
Why commitment matters more than compromise.
How clear thinking and decisive actions are central to creating a lasting impact and driving business success.
The power of reframing negative thoughts and language to foster a positive mindset and enhance leadership.
Growth Mindset is critical for leaders, knowing how to hack your brain and use the subconscious to find the best solutions.
Famous Maverick leaders include Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Each embodies the characteristics of Maverick leadership, with a focus on independence, impact, and innovation.
Resources Mentioned:
Judith's Scorecard for Influence: A quick 5-7 minute tool to help you understand how to influence others and attract clients. Take the Scorecard
Judith’s Maverick Paradox Magazine: A publication focusing on lateral thinking and Maverick leadership insights. Visit the Magazine
Follow Judith on LinkedIn 
Maverick Paradox Website

What it takes to build 2 unicorn businesses. Personal and professional insights from Oyster CEO.
Tony Jamous, co-founder and CEO of Oyster, a global HR management platform, reveals the core principles of empathy-driven leadership and shares insights on what it takes to build unicorn businesses.
Reflecting on his journey from starting in sales to building 2 unicorn businesses, Tony discusses what it takes, the leadership and culture required particularly in remote work environments.
Throughout the episode, we explore how companies that fail to adapt to remote work risk losing top talent, as today’s workforce increasingly values flexibility and work-life balance.
Tony emphasises the importance of leaders modelling the behaviour they expect from their teams, creating a culture where psychological safety fosters innovation and risk-taking.
He introduces the concept of asynchronous communication, a strategy he uses to reduce emotional triggers and biases.
Additionally, Tony shares insights from his own personal transformation, highlighting the importance of growth, trust and adaptability in leadership.
Tony discusses the key factors in building 2 unicorn businesses.
Key segments
Empathy-Driven Leadership: A New Paradigm (03:38)
Building Trust in a Remote Workforce (06.35)
The Tools for Effective Remote Collaboration (09.37)
Transformative Leadership: Lessons from Personal Experience (15:15)
Key Factors for Business Success (18:05)
Final Thoughts and Tips for Emerging Leaders (20.29)
 
Connect with Tony Jamous https://www.linkedin.com/in/teljamou/