Leadership & Life Chat Mark Curtis and Becky Ames

Four years, 131 episodes, 38 guests and three presenters later, it’s time to say goodbye to the Leadership & Life Chat ‘band’ as we know it. 
In this episode, original presenter, James Lay, makes a triumphant return and, alongside Becky, questions Mark on exactly how he’s been able to pre-plan and orchestrate his retirement at only 49, and the lessons he’s learnt on the way.
Mark is, as always, open about his views on taking control of one's life, and recognising choices while always having a focus on a roadmap for the future, both in business and personal life. The team also dive deep and reflect on the importance of embracing personal purpose. 
They discuss the insights of previous guests around living to your values, stepping out of your comfort zone, overcoming fear, the power of support and encouragement, fears of public speaking, making sacrifices, challenging the perception of success, the importance of continuous learning, the power of asking questions and so much more.
In this final EVER episode, Mark reflects on his past success and failures, shares the advice he would give to his younger self, and looks back on what he’s learned throughout his career, including the importance of being brave and speaking up, avoiding black and white thinking, and developing an internal locus of control. 
*Insert profound heavy metal lyric in honour of Mark here*…. Producer Lizzie can’t think of any, she’s a Taylor Swift fan…
Show notes
Impromptu Business Chat/Leadership & Life Chat episodes:
•    Interview with Paul McVeigh - the power of beliefs in business
•    How to be an AWESOME leader and achieve a great work-life balance, with coach and author Ben Coomber
•    Selling up is hard to do. What comes next? With business strategist, Dawn Bloomer
•    Highway to the conquer zone with profit hunter Freddie Bennett
•    Interview with Dr Chris Mason on Leadership Success
•    Find meaning in your work: Meaningful May
•    Power of public speaking with Andrew Brammer
•    Special interview episode with Damian Horner: The Dark Art of Marketing
Marks Books/Podcasts
Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! The Way of Wyrd Never Finished David Goggins The Fifth Sacred Thing – Starhawke Reality Blind: Integrating the Systems Science Underpinning Our Collective Futures The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens podcast

In this episode, Garath Symonds, the founder of Reconnect Coaching, joins Mark and Becky to discuss his upcoming book, ‘The Anxious Leader’.
They explore how anxiety impacts decision-making and leadership, the importance of rational thinking and ego reflection, as well as strategies for tolerating anxiety as opposed to rejecting it. They delve into the role of meditation and self-reflection for leaders, along with managing trauma's impact and the importance of vulnerability and psychological safety in top level roles, and ultimately, embracing life’s lessons.
Tune in for fascinating insights into leadership and personal growth in the podcast’s penultimate episode!
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!
You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here  
Show notes
Connect with Garath on LinkedIn
Reconnectcoaching.co.uk 
Books
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World – Ronald A Heifetz
The Bhagavad Gita – Eknath Easwaran
What Matters Most – James Hollis 
Keep your eye on Garaths channels for the release of his upcoming book 'The Anxious Leader' - due to be published in 2024 
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
© Larking Gowen LLP 

In a world of quiet quitting and the ‘Great Resignation’, what should employers be doing to keep their best people? 
This week Mark chats to Steve Jacobs, a director at WTW, to discuss the importance of employee benefits and how to navigate the ever-changing trends in the workplace. 
With the shift in employee expectations post COVID-19, and a focus on flexibility and work-life balance, they look at the differences between employer and employee perspectives on what constitutes a ‘benefit’ now and, in particular, what employees sometimes value above money. They discuss diversity and inclusion, global differences in legislation and the challenge of the multi-gen workforce. 
With a background in the Merchant Navy, and now working for WTW, a world leader in data driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital – Steve has seen it all, and his business has helped businesses to navigate stormy, unpredictable waters. 
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk. We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify; this really helps people find us!
You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here  
Show notes 
 
•    Connect with Steve on LinkedIn
•    Find out about the work of WTW: wtwco.com & UK: wtw-healthandbenefits.co.uk
•    Leadership & Life Chat – Andy Nicol and Sue Liburd 
•    Brené Brown podcasts 
•    Ken Blanchard: ‘The One Minute Manager’ 
•    Ravin Jesuthasan: The future of work
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
© Larking Gowen LLP 

You might not think this topic applies to you – but it’s a conversation that might be important for someone you love. 
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains mention of drug addiction, depression and suicide
We open the LAST EVER series of the podcast with Mark and Becky chatting to Nick Jonsson in one of our most frank, honest and powerful episodes surrounding the often brutal reality of leadership and its toll. 
Nick opens up about his personal journey with executive loneliness and his own ‘rock bottom’, what led him to seek help, and his path to creating a safe space for senior executives and business owners to discuss their challenges.
Nick is the co-founder and Managing Director of EGN, one of Asia's premier networking organisations, and his path takes him from his native Sweden to Australia and beyond!
Nick is passionate about the need to change the perception of vulnerability and encourages leaders to embrace it as a strength. 
This conversation is a powerful dive into the realities of identity and purpose in the workplace, the impact of isolation on younger generations and the dangers of inflated ego in CEOs and business owners! 
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!
You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here
You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here
Show notes
Nick's website
Nick’s book: Executive Loneliness 
SUICIDE SUPPORT – UK: SAMARITANS Call 116 123
USA: Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741 
Vistage – peer network 
Leadership & Life Chat: Be more Labrador! Building trust at work with Darryl Stickel PhD
 

Do you listen to music whilst you work? There are countless studies and arguments on whether music can really make us more productive. We often hear radios playing in forecourts, offices and shops, and since the launch of Spotify and shrinking of headphones, playing music at work has become much less frowned upon. But what is the scientific impact on our brains? Should we be encouraging or discouraging our teams to embrace Beethoven whilst working? (or in Marks case, Metallica…)
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!
You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here
You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here
Show notes
Leadership & Life Chat - Practical guide to de-stressing with Havening Technique expert Tony Burgess
Impromptu Business Chat - Up Your Energy - Increase your energy levels (part 1 of 2)
Andrew Huberman – Huberman Lab podcast
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
© Larking Gowen LLP

This conversation is far from a laugh riot, but is a fascinating insight into the reality of what it’s like for many teams members out there right now working under bad bosses. The stats will blow your mind!
Fearless Organisation Practitioner Rob Kalwarowsky, famous for his speech ‘How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss’; outlines the 6 different destructive leader types:
•    The arrogant or violent boss 
•    Abusive narcissist 
•    Messy boss
•    Cowardly boss (ghost managers)
•    Passive aggressive boss
•    Passive egocentric boss
Do you recognize yourself as any of these? If so, it might be time to make a change. They seem extreme but Rob outlines the data and research behind how these categories came into the lexicon and how too much stress on teams will result in costs for businesses in the long term.
There is a demand for the right people needed in businesses, but there’s a disconnect with the overall quality of leadership in businesses across the world – recent trends of quiet quitting and the great resignation are directly tied to specific managers.  Rob believes that his insights can literally help to change your business and the lives of those working with you, forever.
GET IN TOUCH! We would love to hear your thoughts on today’s episode, email us at podcasts@larking-gowen.co.uk.  We’d also love it if you could rate us 5 STARS on Apple Podcasts or Spotify;  this really helps people find us!
You can also watch us on YouTube! Click here
You can find all of the Leadership & Life Chat episodes here
Show notes
Contact Rob:
elitehighperformance.com
Watch the full speech How to Avoid Becoming an As*hole Boss here
Find Rob on:
Instagram
Youtube
Linked In
TikTok
Spotify
Thanks to www.expertbookers.com - visit them and find out how they can help support your podcast!
Mindfulness Meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jamesclear.com
No Bad Parts - Dr Richard Schwartz
Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself – Michael Singer
7 Rules of Power: Surprising - But True - Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance your career – Jeffrey Pfeffer
Thank you to our sponsors Larking Gowen, Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors – check out their website to see how they could help your business www.larking-gowen.co.uk
© Larking Gowen LLP