Uspire Unlocked

The Uspire Partnership

The podcast from The Uspire Partnership, for leaders looking to unlock their potential. We chat with extraordinary leaders - Founders, CEOs, and change-makers who’ll share the human moments and the hard decisions that opened up their leadership journey. In each episode, you'll hear real stories, opinions, and fresh thinking that will empower every organisation, elevate every leader, and drive lasting transformation. This is the podcast for leaders looking to unlock their potential. The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up, to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation, elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation. Our collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity, and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Our family includes; • Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams • Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business • Energize Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses • Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation. Find out more: www.theuspirepartnership.com

Episodes

  1. JAN 19

    Ep 01: Unlocking Leadership Potential with Paul Barbour

    What does it take to lead with empathy, build high-performing teams, and embrace both the challenges and magic of leadership? In our very first episode of Uspire Unlocked, Amanda Downs sits down with Paul Barbour, executive and team coach, certified business psychologist, author, and lead tutor at Henley Business School to share his leadership journey and philosophies. From growing up during conflict in Northern Ireland, to a thriving career in corporate leadership, to co-authoring one of the leading books on team coaching, Paul shares deeply personal lessons in collaboration, the power of systemic team development, and why real transformation starts with connecting on a human level. Hear how he helps leaders tap into what’s already within themselves and why “connection before the work” is his mantra for impactful team change. Here are the highlights: 00:00 Intro: Welcome to Uspire Unlocked and Paul’s inspiring story 04:38 Henley Business School and the inspiration behind his book 07:05 Leading “teams of teams” for collaboration across organisations 08:10 Coaching the spaces in between 12:02 How unmet needs and unspoken issues impact teams and organisations 13:22 Paul’s early leadership moments 18:27 Why leaders’ confidence is crucial for development 21:07 Paul loves hearing real stories, working with diverse organisations, and human collaboration 23:15 Navigating work-life balance, and being purposeful as a leader 26:41 Empathy in practice: How to care for others with personal boundaries 28:08 Honest conversations and feedback delivered with care 33:52 Top tip: Cultivating a “way of being” - transformational leadership through connection, courage, humility, and self-awareness. If you’re inspired by Paul Barbour’s honest reflections on leadership, don’t forget to follow Uspire Unlocked so you never miss an episode. If you’d like to unlock this for yourself, join us for our upcoming webinar: The Leader as a Mentor, on Thursday 12 th February 2026 at 1pm, when Uspire’s Mark Francis will explore why mentoring is a vital leadership skill. You can register for your complimentary place here: https://26700668.hs-sites-eu1.com/leader-as-a-mentor ​ About The Uspire Partnership: The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up, to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation, elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation. Their collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity, and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Their family includes; Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teamsBe Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into businessEnergize Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businessesBusiness Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation. Connect with The Uspire Partnership: Website: a href="http://www.theuspirepartnership.com"...

    38 min

About

The podcast from The Uspire Partnership, for leaders looking to unlock their potential. We chat with extraordinary leaders - Founders, CEOs, and change-makers who’ll share the human moments and the hard decisions that opened up their leadership journey. In each episode, you'll hear real stories, opinions, and fresh thinking that will empower every organisation, elevate every leader, and drive lasting transformation. This is the podcast for leaders looking to unlock their potential. The Uspire Partnership: Building the future of business The Uspire Partnership helps businesses evolve. From start-up, scale-up, to corporate growth, we build ecosystems that empower your organisation, elevate your leaders, and drive lasting transformation. Our collective of specialist brands build confidence, capability, capacity, and connection for companies across the full business lifecycle. Our family includes; • Uspire – Leadership and commercial development designed to build capable leaders and high-performing teams • Be Human – Empathy training helping organisations embed human connection into business • Energize Partners – A growth and transformation partner for scaling businesses • Business Doctors – Trusted advisors helping small businesses achieve their vision Together, The Uspire Partnership builds human-led solutions that unlock confidence, inspire growth and deliver lasting transformation. Find out more: www.theuspirepartnership.com