The extra-Ordinary Leader with Dolly Waddell

Dolly Waddell

The extra-Ordinary Leader is a show that takes a collaborative approach to uncover what it means to be a leader in the 21st century.Through a series of open and honest conversations with a selection of top business leaders and leadership coaches, Dolly Waddell takes us on a journey to unravel the complex world of leadership in the 21st century.

  1. DEC 17

    S4 09: Why extra-Ordinary Leaders Build the Conditions for Growth (Not Just Performance) with Sophie Bowen

    In this episode of The extra-Ordinary Leader, I’m joined by Sophie Bowen, Head of Learning & Development at COOK Trading Ltd, a business widely recognised for its award-winning culture, human-centred leadership and long-term commercial success. Sophie has spent 15 years inside COOK, embedding learning and development into the fabric of the business rather than treating it as a bolt-on or a ‘nice to have’. Together, we explore what extra-Ordinary leadership really looks like when growth, culture and profit are genuinely aligned. We talk candidly about why learning fails when it sits on the sidelines, how values become meaningless when they’re written about people instead of with them, and why the most powerful leadership development often happens without classrooms, PowerPoint or big budgets. This conversation is for leaders who want to build organisations where people don’t just perform, but thrive. You’ll hear us explore leadership through context, reflection, constraint, culture and courage – and why the work always starts with the leader themselves. Inside This Episode What extra-Ordinary leadership really means in complex, multi-site organisationsWhy leaders must create conditions for growth, not control outcomesThe danger of treating learning and development as a KPI or add-onHow COOK embeds learning directly into business strategy and cultureWhy values fail when they’re written top-down instead of co-createdThe power of constraint: why small budgets often drive better leadership developmentWhy reflection matters more than content in leadership growthHow Gen Z is reshaping productivity, motivation and expectations of leadershipWhy learning doesn’t need classrooms to be effectiveThe leadership lesson hidden in a cricket ballGuest: Sophie Bowen – Head of Learning & Development, COOK Trading Ltd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-bowen?originalSubdomain=uk Referenced concepts & resources: COOK Trading Ltd: https://www.cookfood.net Ikigai (Japanese concept of purpose): https://positivepsychology.com/ikigai/ My book: The extra-Ordinary Leader https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader If this episode resonates and you’re rethinking how leadership, learning and culture show up in your organisation, do reach out. I’d love to continue the conversation.

    46 min
  2. DEC 8

    S4 08: Leading in Context: How Adaptive Leaders Think, Decide and Perform with Roderic Yapp

    In this episode of The extra-Ordinary Leader, I sit down with my first-ever returning guest, Roderic Yapp, former Royal Marine Commando and founder of Leadership Capital. Rod brings a razor-sharp perspective to leadership in complex, fast-moving environments, and this conversation expands how we think about context, decision-making, and performance. We explore why context is the overlooked foundation of leadership, how to tell whether your world is simple, complicated or complex, and why you may need to develop an unexpected capability: a small measure of strategic callousness. We also unpack the practical tools leaders can use to stay effective - from drawing systems on paper to understanding the Cynefin framework, experimenting for growth, and knowing when to empower…and when to take control. If you lead people, lead change, or lead yourself, this is one to keep coming back to. Inside This EpisodeWhy context shapes everything — and why most leaders miss itThe multi-tool metaphor: choosing the right behaviour for the momentHow the wrong leadership style destroys performanceThe Cynefin framework in clear, practical languageWhy experiments beat long-range plans in fast growthThree-year horizons and twelve sprints: a smarter way to planDrawing your systems to reveal bottlenecks fastWhere empathy helps — and where it holds leaders backBoundaries, accountability and the realities of performanceThe simplest tool for cutting overwhelm: write it downWhat to bin, what to put in: reflective habits for high-performing leadersRod Yapp: LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rodericyapp Leadership Capital: https://leadershipcapital.com/ If you’d like to deepen your own leadership journey, my book The extra-Ordinary Leader is available here: https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader

    51 min
  3. OCT 23

    S4 07: Speaking That Sticks: The Art of Impactful Communication in Leadership with Maria Franzoni

    In this episode of The extra-Ordinary Leader, I’m joined by the brilliant Maria Franzoni — communication strategist, former international speaker bureau owner, and creator of The Bookability Formula. With over 25 years of experience helping speakers get booked and rebooked, Maria knows exactly what makes communication memorable, impactful, and influential. Together, we explore how to elevate your communication — whether you’re speaking to a boardroom, pitching a new idea, or presenting to your team. Maria shares powerful lessons from the world of professional speaking that every leader can apply, from listening and storytelling to confidence, feedback, and reading your audience. We also talk about authenticity versus professionalism, what really gets people rebooked (and what doesn’t), and how to make data and presentations come alive. This conversation is full of practical insight and honesty from one of the best in the business. Inside This Episode The trait every extra-Ordinary leader sharesWhy confidence and psychological safety matter mostThe biggest communication pitfall — and how to fix itHow to listen before you speakInfluence through attraction, not persuasionBalancing authenticity with professional presencePowerPoint, data and storytelling done rightHow language shapes culture and impactReading your audience and slowing downWhat keeps great speakers rebookedMaria’s teabag test for leadership under pressureFor more on Maria’s work, visit www.mariafranzoni.me If you’d like to deepen your own leadership journey, my book The extra-Ordinary Leader is available here: https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader Mentioned Resources: The world over time -- in data | Hans Rosling | TEDxStockholm The beauty of data visualization - David McCandless Glow In The Dark - Mark Leruste Never Split The Difference - Chris Voss

    49 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The extra-Ordinary Leader is a show that takes a collaborative approach to uncover what it means to be a leader in the 21st century.Through a series of open and honest conversations with a selection of top business leaders and leadership coaches, Dolly Waddell takes us on a journey to unravel the complex world of leadership in the 21st century.