The extra-Ordinary Leader with Dolly Waddell

Dolly Waddell
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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 10

    Dolly In My Pocket Ep8: The Chicken or the Egg: Language as Your Leadership WD-40

    If you want a high-performing team, you cannot ignore the language you use. In this episode of Dolly in My Pocket, I unpack Tactic 8 from my book extra-Ordinary Leaders and explore the link between language and performance. Do our words shape our behaviour, or does our behaviour shape our words? More importantly: is the language you use helping your team move, or quietly creating friction? I look at: → Why familiar phrases like “meeting” and “we just need to communicate better” aren’t specific enough for modern leadership → How precise language transforms focus, pace and clarity → Simple shifts you can make today to improve one-to-ones, collaboration and decision-making → Why high-performing teams need a shared vocabulary for behaviour → Tools that help create that shared language: Insights, DISC, Myers-Briggs, Giant and more Think of language as WD-40 for your leadership. When you design it deliberately, every part of your organisation moves more smoothly. If this episode resonates and you want deeper, practical tactics to use with your team, you can find extra-Ordinary Leaders here: https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader And if you’d like support applying these ideas inside your organisation, you can get in touch with me via dollywaddell.com. Listen, share, and let me know which language shifts you’re taking into your week.

    7 min

  3. 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

  4. NOV 26

    Dolly In My Pocket Ep7: Think Differently: The Two Modes Your Meetings Are Missing

    Welcome to Episode 7 of Dolly in My Pocket, where we dive into one of the most overlooked elements of effective collaboration: how we think together. We often enter meetings with agendas, pre-reading, the right people in the room… but there’s almost never an agreed approach to how we should be thinking and communicating in that space. In this episode, I introduce two essential modes of thinking: Divergent Thinking – expansive, open, idea-generatingConvergent Thinking – narrowing, critical, decision-makingWe explore: What goes wrong when teams mix the two without clarityHow to introduce "thinking objectives" into your meetingsWhy this approach increases both creativity and efficiencyHow personality types naturally lean towards one mode — and how to flex between themIf you’ve ever felt frustrated in meetings where ideas get shut down too fast - or where nothing ever gets decided - this is the tool you didn’t know you needed.

    7 min

  5. 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

  6. OCT 15

    Dolly In My Pocket Ep 6: The Aeration Chamber: Why Leaders Must Stop to Soften

    Welcome back to Dolly in My Pocket. In this solo episode — tactic six from The extra-Ordinary Leader — I want to introduce you to a metaphor that’s shaped how I think about leadership recovery and performance: The Aeration Chamber. Just like red wine needs time to breathe to soften its compounds, release toxins, integrate flavours, and remove off-odours — so do we. This episode explores: Why stress compounds make us volatile, tight, and less creativeWhat “aeration” moments look like in the real world (especially if you’re busy)Why glimmer moments, coaching, and stillness are not luxuries — but leadership essentialsHow to create a regular rhythm of reflection that actually improves performanceThis one is deeply practical, and (if you’re honest with yourself) probably exactly what you need. Reach out to explore coaching: info@dollywaddell.com My book The extra-Ordinary Leader is available now: https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader

    16 min

  7. OCT 2

    S4 06: Zooming Out in Leadership: Lessons from Design with Emma Wood

    In this episode of The extra-Ordinary Leader, I sit down with my friend and inspirational business leader, Emma Wood — founder of Emma Wood Interiors and the soon-to-launch Emma Wood Home. Emma has taken her creative background in fashion and turned it into a thriving interiors business with a growing team, major commercial projects, and now a new product line. What strikes me about Emma’s leadership is her ability to balance vision and execution: she’s as sharp with processes, detail, and team structure as she is with aesthetics and passion. Our conversation goes far beyond interior design. We explore: Why being a visual detective matters in business and leadership.How to ignite curiosity and energy in your team when things feel flat.The power of executional excellence and why the “boring” details create freedom.Building scalable businesses without losing personality or authenticity.Why kindness, gut instinct, and curiosity are at the heart of great leadership.This episode will challenge you to zoom out of your day-to-day execution, notice the clues around you, and lead with greater clarity, creativity, and kindness. If you’re inspired by today’s episode, remember you can dive deeper into my book The extra-Ordinary Leader — a practical guide to unlocking your leadership potential.

    56 min

  8. SEP 24

    Dolly In My Pocket Ep5: The Feedback Fix: Lob, Loiter or Lasso?

    Welcome to Dolly in My Pocket, tactic five. This time, I’m tackling something that either makes or breaks teams, culture, and performance: feedback. Let’s be honest — most of us aren’t doing it well. We either lobb it in with no care for the landing, loiter around it hoping people “get the hint”, or avoid it altogether because it’s awkward and uncomfortable. But here’s the truth: effective feedback is non-negotiable if you want to grow your team, your business, or yourself. In this episode, I unpack: Why feedback matters to your bottom lineThe three types of feedback styles: The Lob, The Loiter, and The LassoA cowboy-inspired metaphor you won’t forget (and that will radically shift how you give feedback)A practical structure you can use straight away: The BID Model (Behaviour, Impact, Do Differently)If you want high-performing teams, more accountability, and a culture that thrives — not tolerates — this episode is essential. Reach out to explore coaching: info@dollywaddell.com My book The extra-Ordinary Leader is available now: https://www.dollywaddell.com/store/p/the-extra-ordinary-leader

    16 min
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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.

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