The Long Run: Navigating the Miles of Modern Leadership and Personal Growth

Martin Lewis
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The Long Run explores what it really takes to lead well in a world that’s moving faster than ever. Hosted by leadership and wellbeing coach Martin Lewis, this podcast offers grounded tools, insights, and stories that help you navigate the miles of modern leadership without burning out. Drawing from ultrarunning, nursing leadership, coaching psychology, and human performance, Martin shares practical ways to build resilience, create meaning in your career, and lead with clarity, purpose, and sustainability. This is a podcast about going the distance in work and life.

Episodes

  1. May 18

    The Crew That Carries You: Empowering Others on the Long Run of Leadership

    In leadership, just like in long‑distance running, you can go fast alone, but you only go far with the right crew. In this 20‑minute episode of The Long Run, Martin explores what it really means to empower others and why surrounding yourself with the right people is essential for sustainable leadership. You’ll hear about: The difference between helping and empowering Why leaders burn out when they over‑function The three types of “crew members” every leader needs A simple, practical framework for empowering others with clarity and trust How to intentionally build a crew that supports your pace, your growth, and your wellbeing Martin also shares a personal reflection on the moments when the right people made all the difference and how empowerment becomes reciprocal when we show up for each other. A gentle question to take into your week: Who is in your crew and who might you empower next?

    16 min

  2. May 4

    Episode 6: Leading Where It Matters: Courage, Care & Cultural Change

    In this episode of Long Run: Navigating the Miles of Modern Leadership, Martin sits down with Elli Bliss — Co‑Founding Director of Mokita Training and Consultancy and practitioner working across anti‑racism, women’s health, and organisational change. Elli’s work lives in the places where leadership becomes real: high‑stakes conversations, cultural safety, systemic blind spots, and the emotional labour of change. Together, we explore what leadership looks like when the evidence is incomplete, when the system is messy, and when the work requires both courage and care. We cover: How Elli’s leadership identity formed across healthcare, academia, and EDI What accountable leadership looks like in anti‑racism and cultural safety Why women’s health and menopause are leadership issues, not side topics How to lead responsibly when the evidence base is evolving The tension between systems change and individual change What behaviours genuinely shift culture What’s giving Elli hope in her work right now This is a conversation for leaders who want to move beyond performative change and step into leadership that is grounded, human, and accountable. If you’re navigating complexity, leading through uncertainty, or trying to build cultures where people can genuinely thrive — this episode is for you.   You can find Elli on instagram @oesa_periods_and_beyond and @mokita.training. Elli mentioned the work by Dr. Louise Newson and you can listen to her podcast which is The Dr. Louise Newson Podcast www.drlouisenewson.co.uk/podcasts

    1h 13m

  3. Apr 20

    Episode 5. Stable ground in Moving times: Leadership, AI and the human need for meaning

    Stable Ground in Moving Times: Leadership, AI, and the Human Need for Meaning   In a world where strategies shift weekly, technology evolves daily, and AI breakthroughs seem to land every morning, leaders are carrying a new kind of weight: the responsibility to create steadiness when nothing around them stands still. This episode explores what today’s constant flux does to the human nervous system—and why predictability, identity, and purpose matter more than ever. We look at the leadership paradox of our time, the hidden psychological cost of perpetual transition, and the deeper reason people appear to “resist” change. Then we turn to AI. Not as a speed tool. Not as an efficiency engine. But as a potential stabiliser. Used well, AI can reduce noise, absorb complexity, and help people see their value in a changing landscape. Used poorly, it erodes trust, dignity, and meaning. The difference lies in how leaders choose to use it. Across six short sections, we explore: Why humans struggle with constant change The leadership paradox created by accelerating technology How AI can support predictability, identity, and purpose The ethical fault lines where stability is won or lost The shift from control to coherence in modern leadership What stability really means in a world that never stops moving This is a conversation about leadership in permanent transition—and the question that matters most now: What must remain human so people can remain whole? If you’re a leader navigating complexity, guiding teams through uncertainty, or trying to create clarity in motion, this episode offers a grounded, reflective space to think.

    19 min

  4. Apr 8

    Episode 4: Motherhood/Leadership Continuum

    In this episode, I catch up with Aisha Davies aka @bristolwiththeboys on Instagram. Aisha is a GP and a mother of 3 boys handling the responsibility like a pro. She talks to me about her honest approach to showcasing what her life is like and how it resonates with so many. This strangely mirrors a great approach to leadership which is probably very overlooked and underappreciated.

    1h 3m

  5. Mar 31

    Episode 3: How global leadership is shaping business leadership

    In this episode, I have a bit of a rant about how leadership is being shaped by the global political scene. I review how this might be bad for wellbeing of the employees. This episode is only 20 minutes long.

    20 min

  6. Mar 17

    Long Run Episode 2: Parenting in the Shadows featuring Fred Ehresmann

    In this episode, I explore the concept of Barefoot Parenting from the Barefoot Parent himself, Fred Ehressmann. We discuss how the idea of Parenting is flawed and manual driven but explore alternate paradigms. This ultimately linked back to what we can learn from Fred's experience and relate to leadership thought. A must listen and helpful for professionals looking after children in high pressured situations. To follow Fred, please visit @barefootparent on Instagram and Facebook. You can also get hold of Fred on substack at Barefoot Parent | Substack. For more about Long Run, please visit www.longruncoaching.com.

    1h 17m

  7. Mar 4

    Long Run Podcast: Leadership is broken

    In this first episode, I lightly introduce the ideas that we will be discussing in the Long Run Podcast. A series that will be dedicated to exploring modern leadership and why old beliefs should be challenged. I discuss what I learned about leadership running a 100 mile ultramarathon. This is not only food for thought to challenge existing leadership cultures but a call to action to consider how we can be better to ourselves and others.

    20 min
  • 7 Episodes

About

The Long Run explores what it really takes to lead well in a world that’s moving faster than ever. Hosted by leadership and wellbeing coach Martin Lewis, this podcast offers grounded tools, insights, and stories that help you navigate the miles of modern leadership without burning out. Drawing from ultrarunning, nursing leadership, coaching psychology, and human performance, Martin shares practical ways to build resilience, create meaning in your career, and lead with clarity, purpose, and sustainability. This is a podcast about going the distance in work and life.

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