The Courageous Leaders Podcast

Can you challenge everything without breaking it? Ellie Norman, Chief Marketing Officer of Formula E, calls herself a “safe rebel,” and in this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast she explains what that really means for anyone trying to drive change without blowing things up.

With over 25 years shaping some of the world’s biggest brands, including Formula 1 under Liberty Media and Manchester United, Ellie shares how to challenge assumptions while protecting what works, why she measures her worth by curiosity rather than titles, and how she quietened the “what will people think?” voice when she left F1 for Formula E.If you lead through change, wrestle with feeling “good enough,” or want to modernise something built on legacy, this conversation is full of practical wisdom.

What We Cover:
00:00 Trailer
01:04 What Ellie means by being a “safe rebel”
03:45 Why you can be safe and a rebel at the same time
04:12 The childhood that made her curious and fearless
06:39 How to lead people who are too afraid to try
07:57 The 70/20/10 framework for safe experimentation
11:24 The “good girl” people-pleaser, and its hidden cost
15:05 The difference between being liked and being respected
17:31 Where her “not feeling good enough” comes from
18:37 Proving yourself vs knowing you’re already enough
21:13 Why we shouldn’t need to “stack evidence” to feel enough
23:21 Why confidence is a journey, not a fixed state
27:04 Her process for reframing when thoughts spiral
28:30 Protecting time and space to think clearly
30:46 The underlying courage beneath the self-doubt
33:00 Leaving Formula 1 for Formula E: “What will people think?”
34:31 The two traits leaders ignore: discipline and self-accountability
40:42 How her team keeps up with her pace
43:46 Why constraints drive innovation for a challenger brand
45:08 How she sets clear expectations about the way she works

Key Leadership Insights:
• How to challenge assumptions without knocking the whole house down
• Why a leader’s job isn’t to have the answers, but to create the environment for better ones
• The 70/20/10 rule: protect what works, optimise the next slice, experiment with the rest
• Why being kind means being clear, even in hard conversations
• How to reframe “proving yourself” into “what can I learn here?”
• Why courage plus discipline, not confidence, is what carries big career leaps
• Why the moment you feel comfortable is the most dangerous place to be
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Can fathers build a successful career and be fully present at home? In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Anna Machin, a world-renowned evolutionary anthropologist and fatherhood researcher, and Steve Cardwell, founder of Deliberate Dad and coach to ambitious fathers, to explore one of the biggest challenges men never talk about: how becoming a father changes you, and what workplaces get wrong about it.
We get into the “supercharged dad brain” and the real hormonal and psychological changes new fathers go through, why the first three months back at work are a make-or-break retention risk, why paternity support has to be built specifically for men, and the practical steps both leaders and dads can take. If you lead a team, manage new fathers, or are becoming one yourself, this conversation will change how you see the role.
What We Cover:
00:00 Trailer
01:13 The biggest problem facing fathers at work today
03:13 Why the first three months back at work are so critical
04:18 What’s changed: dual-income homes, and dads stepping up
06:56 Why Steve left a seven-figure business to become “Deliberate Dad”
08:23 What being a “deliberate” dad actually means
10:18 The “supercharged dad brain”: how fatherhood boosts performance
13:09 Three things a CEO should do when a new dad returns
15:01 The fears that stop dads from speaking up at work
19:11 Dads’ guilt, and the hidden risk of paternal depression
21:14 Why supporting fathers has to start at the top
24:43 How real change happens: dads speaking up, not just policy
26:08 The conference moment that bonded a room full of fathers
29:12 Three tips for dads to succeed at work and at home
31:05 Managing expectations and the “parenting confidence gap”
36:31 Advice for mums: how to support a new dad
40:12 Busting the myth that dads “come back to work for a break”
43:26 The questions to ask a new dad who might be struggling
46:51 What courageous leadership means for fathers at work
Key Leadership Insights:
• Why new fathers return to work as more focused, decisive, and empathetic leaders
• Why the first three months back are a make-or-break retention window
• Why paternity support must be designed for men, not repurposed from maternity programmes
• Why cultural change starts with senior leaders taking their full paternity leave
• How one honest question (“how are you really doing?”) can change everything
• Why fathers are essential from day one, not just once the baby is older

🎧 Listen to the full episode for the best practical leadership coaching:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1B0U13S37tjpy9ZYZJcZb4
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-courageous-leaders-podcast/id1594924295
All episodes: https://thecourageousleaderspodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Connect with our guests:
Dr Anna Machin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-machin-552751123/  |  https://annamachin.com
Steve Cardwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedeliberatedad/  |  https://deliberate.dad/
🚀 Ready to elevate your team and leadership? Book time for transformative coaching and training:
Website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/
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🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
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James Murphy, CEO of Ogilvy Group UK and co-founder of New Commercial Arts, joins me on The Courageous Leaders Podcast for an honest conversation about building creative cultures that don’t rely on hierarchy. James co-founded adam&eve, which became one of the most awarded agencies in history, and he has spent decades proving that great leadership starts with bold ideas and the right environment to grow them.

We talk about why he encourages a “culture of disrespect” where the best idea wins no matter who it comes from, why hierarchy and process quietly kill creative energy, why leaders aren’t there just to make people happy, and why momentum beats the paralysis of perfection. If you want to build a culture where great work actually happens, this conversation is full of hard-won lessons.

What We Cover:
00:00 Trailer
00:57 What courageous leadership means to James
04:26 His relationship with fear and decision-making
05:47 Why a strong culture needs both trust and high standards
06:37 Why hierarchy and process kill creativity
09:57 The “culture of disrespect”: letting the best idea win, whoever it comes from
16:53 How to change a hierarchical agency, starting with your next brief
24:29 The pressure clients are under, and why problems are inevitable
25:54 Why problems should be surfaced, not hidden
27:17 What an F1 team taught him about blame and accountability
30:30 Why the best creatives don’t always make the best leaders
37:50 Is the advertising industry ageist? James’s honest answer
40:50 Why fewer people want to be leaders now
46:06 The job rejection that told him he “wasn’t ruthless enough”
49:50 What a leader needs before they can be courageous
53:17 Why stepping back from work felt dangerous to him
57:07 James’s three pieces of advice for leaders
1:00:21 From wine-delivery van driver to a job at Ogilvy
Key Leadership Insights:
• Why momentum and course-correction beat waiting for the perfect answer
• Why a strong culture needs both openness and clear standards
• How a “culture of disrespect” frees the best ideas from hierarchy
• Why surfacing problems openly is a strength, not a weakness
• Why you should measure and reward the team, not the individual
• The difference between a brilliant practitioner and a brilliant leader
• Why perseverance, not ruthlessness, is what success actually requires
👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ

🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
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Sergio Lopez Ferrero, Global CEO of Omnicom Production, joins me on The Courageous Leaders Podcast for an honest conversation about leading global transformation and what it really costs the person at the top. Sergio leads the global production portfolio for Omnicom Group, with over 20 years in the industry and more than 400 awards to his name, including 73 Cannes Lions.
We talk about what it takes to transform businesses spanning 100 companies and 40 countries, why leaders are humans, not superheroes, the moment he realised he'd stopped doing the work he loved, and how he separates smart failure from negligence. If you lead through change, pressure, or uncertainty, this conversation is full of hard-won lessons from someone doing it at a global scale.
What We Cover:
00:00 Trailer
00:54 Leading global transformation in a changing industry
03:19 The pressure of being a CEO: leaders are human, not superheroes
05:54 The leadership skills Sergio had to learn the hard way
08:15 Why every leader must understand the financials first
11:29 How to build one culture across 100 companies and 40 countries
13:03 Making tough decisions when people resist change
16:07 Separating who you are from the role you have to play
21:40 Moving from hands-on creative work to leading the businesS
29:14 Smart failure vs negligence: when it’s okay to fail
32:30 How to navigate uncertainty as a leader
35:13 Systems thinking and giving teams freedom within a framework
45:16 Where courage has carried Sergio through his career
48:05 Sergio’s three pieces of advice for future leaders
50:22 The eight things every CEO must be willing to do
52:03 Why you never fully switch off at the top
53:43 Ego, money, and the career trap nobody talks about
55:44 Building the team that covers your weaknesses
58:02 The real rewards of being a CEO

Key Leadership Insights:
• Why transformation today means rebuilding the plane while flying i 
• Why understanding the money is the first job of any leader
• How to set a vision simple enough to align 40 countries
• Why separating smart failure from negligence changes how teams take risks
• How “freedom within the framework” keeps creative people creative
• Why the leader’s mood sets the temperature for the whole company
• Why knowing yourself matters more than knowing the playbook

🎧 Listen to the full episode for the best practical leadership coaching:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1B0U13S37tjpy9ZYZJcZb4
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-courageous-leaders-podcast/id1594924295
All episodes: https://thecourageousleaderspodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Connect with Sergio:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergiolopezferrero/
🚀 Ready to elevate your team and leadership? Book time for transformative coaching and training:
Website: https://www.thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/
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#Leadership #BusinessTransformation #CEO #CreativeIndustry #CourageousLeaders

👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
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What are the bad leadership habits that quietly hold a team back? In this solo episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I share the five leadership behaviours driving me crazy right now, and what to do instead if you want to lead well over the next few years.

Consider it a rant with a purpose. From leaders who struggle to manage stress to the ones avoiding hard conversations, burning out and calling it “high performance,” or making everything about themselves, I break down why each habit damages a team and the honest shift each one needs. If you lead people, this is a wake-up call worth five minutes.
What We Cover:
00:00 The five leadership behaviours driving me crazy
00:06 No self-management: reacting and offloading stress onto your team
01:01 Avoiding difficult conversations (and the time it wastes)
01:33 Not looking after yourself, and what “high performance” really means
02:42 Getting a coach but doing none of the work
03:32 Being too self-focused, and why that isn’t leadership
04:08 Why leadership needs empathy and compassion
04:20 Leadership takes daily effort, not just a title
👍 Stay inspired by joining our YouTube community! Click the link, hit the subscribe button, leave a comment, and never miss an episode. Your support helps us empower courageous leaders like you!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kZ-x8fDHKEVb222qpQ_NQ

🚀 Elevate Your Leadership:
Book a call for transformative leadership and team coaching:
Website: https://thechangecreators.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannahowes/ 

→ Join our newsletter for courageous leadership insights and advice.
 👉 Subscribe here: https://the-change-creators.kit.com/1a5f3c9e54