The Unlikely Executive

Season: Leadership Impact Scorecard Series | Host: Barbra Carlisle FCIPD, MCiOH | Duration: approx. 8 minutes

 Summary

Promoting your best technical performer into a management role and expecting them to lead effectively is one of the most common and costly mistakes in housing, construction and engineering. In this episode, Barbra examines why the expert-to-leader transition fails so often, what the Centre for Creative Leadership's research tells us about the 40% failure rate for new leaders, and the three fundamental shifts that nobody prepares promoted managers for: from doing to enabling, from answering to asking, and from being respected for knowledge to being respected for judgement.

 What You Will Learn

- Why the skills that earn a promotion are not the skills the management role demands
- The Centre for Creative Leadership finding that 40% of new leaders fail within 18 months
- CIPD data showing only 27% of UK managers receive formal training before or shortly after appointment
- The three shifts every new leader must make: doing to enabling, answering to asking, knowledge to judgement
- How a contracts manager in construction transformed his team's performance by changing one question
- What organisations that handle this transition well actually do differently

 Key Topics

Leadership transition, expert to leader, new manager development, technical to management, first-time manager, construction leadership, housing sector management, people leadership, CIPD management training, leadership development

 Take the Free Assessment

Find out where you stand across all four pillars of leadership impact. Take the free Leadership Impact Scorecard:Leadership Impact

 Connect with Barbra

- Website: www.gleecoaching.co.uk
- Email: barbra@gleecoaching.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbra-carlisle-gleecoaching/
- Book a 30-minute conversation: https://zcal.co/barbracarlisle/30min

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Sustainability Leadership in Construction, Net Zero & Influencing Change
In this episode of The Unlikely Executive Podcast, Barbra Carlisle speaks with Claire Brown, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend, about what it really takes to lead sustainability in construction, housing and the built environment.
From net zero housing targets to retrofit strategy in UK homes, Claire shares practical insights on how to influence stakeholders, communicate complex sustainability issues, and drive change across large organisations.
If you’re a leader in construction, engineering, housing, or sustainability, this episode is packed with real-world strategies you can start using immediately.
🔑 Key Topics Covered
What sustainability leadership actually looks like inside global construction firms
How to influence senior stakeholders who don’t care about “carbon”
Why language and communication are critical in driving change
The real meaning of retrofit in UK housing and why it matters
Tackling energy efficiency, heating systems and net zero targets
How to handle resistance, conflict and pushback in complex organisations
Leadership lessons from working in the public sector and large estates (including policing)
Why listening is your most powerful leadership skill
Balancing ambition, career growth and personal wellbeing
Practical advice for anyone starting a career in sustainability or the built environment
👤 About Claire Brown
Claire Brown is a Senior Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend, working across major UK retrofit and housing projects.
Her work spans:
Delivering sustainability in the built environment
Advising on energy efficiency and carbon reduction
Supporting housing providers with retrofit programmes
Leadership in professional sustainability networks
She also sits on boards, contributes to industry groups, and has recently submitted her PhD focused on heating and cooling demand in UK social housing.
🎧 Listen If You Want To…
Lead sustainability initiatives with more confidence
Influence difficult stakeholders without conflict
Improve energy efficiency in housing or construction
Build a more resilient, forward-thinking organisation
Develop your leadership style in complex environments
🚀 Work With Barbra Carlisle
If you’re a business leader in construction, engineering or housing and want to:
Lead decisively under pressure
Build a team that takes ownership and initiative
Handle difficult conversations and challenges with confidence
👉 Join my programme: www.gleecoaching.co.uk
👉 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbracarlisle
📩 Or message me directly to explore coaching and leadership development
⭐ Support the Podcast
If you found this episode valuable:
✅ Follow / Subscribe to The Unlikely Executive Podcast
👍 Like and Share with your network
💬 Leave a review — it helps more leaders find this content

How do you lead effectively when everything is moving fast? In this episode of The Unlikely Executive, Barbra Carlisle sits down with Roselyn Unegbu to explore what it takes to lead at pace in demanding industries like construction and infrastructure.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:
• How to maintain leadership quality when timelines are tight
• Strategies for making fast decisions without cutting corners
• How to build and motivate teams under high-pressure deadlines
• The leadership skills that set great construction leaders apart

Roselyn shares her journey and practical insights for anyone leading complex projects where speed and quality must coexist.

📌 About The Unlikely Executive:
A podcast for leaders who've taken non-traditional routes to the top — hosted by Barbra Carlisle, executive coach and founder of Glee Coaching, specialising in leadership development for construction, housing, and engineering sectors.

🔗 Work with Barbra: https://www.gleecoaching.co.uk
📧 Contact: barbra@gleecoaching.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/barbra-carlisle-gleecoaching

#LeadershipCoaching #ConstructionLeadership #ExecutiveCoaching #TheUnlikelyExecutive #LeadershipDevelopment

What happens when a leader faces redundancy? In this episode of The Unlikely Executive, Barbra Carlisle explores the emotional and practical reality of life after redundancy — and how leaders can use it as a springboard for reinvention.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:
• How to process the emotional impact of redundancy
• Practical steps for rebuilding your career after job loss
• How redundancy can become an unexpected leadership opportunity
• Strategies for maintaining confidence during career transitions

If you're a leader navigating redundancy or career change, this episode offers honest, practical guidance.

📌 About The Unlikely Executive:
A podcast for leaders who've taken non-traditional routes to the top — hosted by Barbra Carlisle, executive coach and founder of Glee Coaching.

🔗 Work with Barbra: https://www.gleecoaching.co.uk
📧 Contact: barbra@gleecoaching.com

#Redundancy #CareerTransition #LeadershipCoaching #ExecutiveCoaching #TheUnlikelyExecutive

Why do successful corporate leaders walk away from it all? Chris Waine shares his story of leaving the corporate world to forge his own path — and the leadership lessons learned along the way.

🔑 In this episode, you'll learn:
• What drives leaders to leave corporate careers
• How to navigate the transition from employed to independent
• The mindset shifts needed to thrive outside corporate structures
• Lessons for anyone considering a bold career change

📌 About The Unlikely Executive:
A podcast for leaders who've taken non-traditional routes to the top — hosted by Barbra Carlisle, executive coach and founder of Glee Coaching, specialising in leadership development for construction, housing, and engineering sectors.

🔗 Work with Barbra: https://www.gleecoaching.co.uk
📧 Contact: barbra@gleecoaching.com
💼 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/barbra-carlisle-gleecoaching

#LeavingCorporate #LeadershipJourney #CareerChange #ExecutiveCoaching #TheUnlikelyExecutive