The Unlikely Executive

Why do so many organisational change programmes fail despite significant investment, planning and communication?
In this episode of The Unlikely Executive, Barbra Carlisle explores one of the most misunderstood challenges in leadership: managing change. Drawing on research that suggests up to 70% of organisational change initiatives fail, she challenges the common belief that employees simply resist change.
Instead, Barbra argues that success or failure often rests with middle managers and frontline leaders who are expected to translate strategy into day-to-day reality. She unpacks why these leaders are frequently overlooked during transformation programmes and shares practical insights into how organisations can better equip them to lead their teams through uncertainty.
You'll learn:
Why organisational change initiatives often fail
The critical role middle managers play in successful transformation
How leaders can build trust during periods of uncertainty
Why information, honesty and visibility matter during change
How to manage the emotional impact of change on teams
Practical leadership behaviours that help teams navigate disruption
Whether you're leading a team in construction, housing, engineering or any organisation experiencing change, this episode offers practical guidance to help you lead with greater confidence and impact.
Key TopicsLeadership 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, organisational change, change leadership, middle management, change management, transformation programmes.
Take the Free AssessmentFind out where you stand across all four pillars of leadership impact.
Take the free Leadership Impact Scorecard:
https://leadership.gleecoaching.com/leadership-scorecard
About Barbra CarlisleBarbra Carlisle is an executive coach, facilitator and leadership development specialist who helps leaders and managers build high-performing teams, navigate change and lead with confidence. With experience supporting organisations across construction, engineering, housing, charity and corporate sectors, she specialises in helping technical experts transition into effective people leaders.
Through coaching, training and her Leadership Impact Programme, Barbra equips leaders with the practical skills, self-awareness and confidence needed to create lasting organisational 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
If you enjoyed this episode, please like, share and subscribe so you don't miss future episodes of The Unlikely Executive.

In this episode of The Unlikely Executive, Barbra Carlisle speaks with John Davidson, CEO of Almond Housing Association, about leadership, culture change, career progression, and the realities of stepping into a chief executive role after a predecessor who had led the organisation for 26 years.

John shares his unconventional route into leadership, leaving school at 17 with limited qualifications before finding his way into social housing, progressing through management and director roles, and eventually becoming CEO. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons he has learned about leadership, organisational culture, and the responsibility that comes with leading an organisation.
In this episode, we discuss:
The challenge of succeeding a long-serving CEO who had led the organisation for 26 years.
Why culture change became John's primary focus during his first six years as CEO.
Building environments based on trust, empowerment and flexibility.
Introducing a nine-day fortnight and hybrid working at Almond Housing Association.
The difference between director-level leadership and being the person ultimately accountable as CEO.
John's non-traditional route into leadership after leaving school at 17.
The role mentors, coaches and trusted peers have played in his development.
The future challenges facing housing associations, including regeneration, affordability and organisational change.
Memorable Quote
"Work is a big part of your life. It's not the most important part of your life, but it's a big part of it." - John Davidson
About John Davidson
John Davidson is CEO of Almond Housing Association in Livingston, Scotland. Having worked his way up through housing officer, management and director roles, he now leads an organisation committed to providing quality housing and community-focused services while driving continuous improvement and modernisation.

Connect with John:
LinkedIn
Email: john.davidson@almondha.org.uk
Website: https://www.almondha.org.uk
About Your Host
Barbra Carlisle is an executive coach, leadership facilitator and host of The Unlikely Executive podcast. She works with CEOs, senior leaders and ambitious professionals who want to lead with confidence, navigate complexity and create cultures where people thrive.
Barbra specialises in:
Executive coaching
Leadership development
Team development
Psychometrics and leadership profiling
Coaching and mentoring skills programmes
To learn more about Barbra's work:
Website: www.gleecoaching.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbracarlisle/

The Conversations Your Leaders Know They Need to Have but Are Not Having
Season: Leadership Impact Scorecard Series | Host: Barbra Carlisle FCIPD, MCiOH | Duration: approx. 8 minutes
Summary
There is a conversation happening in your organisation right now that somebody needs to have and nobody is having. In this episode, Barbra tackles why leaders in the built environment avoid difficult conversations, why this is a capability gap rather than a courage gap, and what authority actually looks like in practice. Drawing on VitalSmarts research showing seven working days wasted for every crucial conversation avoided, and Google’s Project Aristotle findings on psychological safety, this episode lays out what needs to change and how.
What You Will Learn
The three conversations leaders avoid most: performance, upward challenge, and team dynamics
VitalSmarts research: the average employee wastes seven working days per avoided crucial conversation
Why avoidance is a capability problem, not a courage problem
What authority actually looks like: consistency, clarity, and fairness
Google’s Project Aristotle finding on psychological safety and what it actually means (it is not being soft)
How holding people accountable makes people want to stay, not leave
CIPD research linking clear expectations and honest feedback to higher retention
Key Topics
Leadership authority, difficult conversations at work, accountability in management, psychological safety, performance management, construction sector leadership, housing management, team accountability, manager confidence, workplace conflict resolution
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: Barbra Carlisle
Book a 30-minute conversation: https://zcal.co/barbracarlisle/30min

In this episode of The Unlikely Executive, Barbra Carlisle speaks with strategic construction leader and entrepreneur Sarah Thorne.

With more than 20 years in construction and project delivery, Sarah explains why project management is about far more than processes and timelines.

She reveals how stakeholder relationships, listening skills and strategic thinking create successful outcomes across industries.

Sarah also shares the personal journey that led her to discover her true purpose. Through her work with Thorne Solutions, Engage to Action, Women Leaders UK and MumPod, she is helping people thrive at every stage of life, from inspiring primary school children to consider STEM careers through to supporting mothers returning to work.

The conversation explores imposter syndrome, hidden disabilities, mentoring, leadership styles and why honesty, collaboration and trust remain at the heart of effective leadership.
Key Takeaways
Project management is fundamentally about people, not paperwork.
Transferable skills can unlock opportunities across multiple industries.
Purpose often emerges when seemingly unrelated activities are viewed together.
Early exposure to STEM careers can transform aspirations for young people.
Organisations must do more to support women returning from maternity leave.
Good mentors challenge thinking rather than simply provide reassurance.
Leaders can be both compassionate and accountable.
Visionary leaders need to balance creativity with clarity and structure.
Honesty and psychological safety are critical for high-performing teams.
Inclusion starts with practical action rather than policy statements.

About Sarah Thorne
Sarah Thorne is a strategic leader in construction and the founder of Thorne Solutions. Alongside her project delivery work, she is co-founder of MumPod, an organisation creating dedicated spaces for breastfeeding and expressing mothers.

She also supports young people through Engage to Action, serves as a trustee with Women Leaders UK and champions inclusion, resilience and people-centred leadership across multiple sectors.
Connect
Follow Sarah Thorne on LinkedIn to learn more about project management, leadership, inclusion and MumPod.Sarah Thorne | LinkedIn

Barbra Carlisle is an executive coach, leadership trainer and host of The Unlikely Executive podcast.

Through coaching, leadership development programmes and practical training, Barbra helps leaders strengthen their leadership identity, improve communication and create cultures where people can thrive.

Whether you're:
Stepping into a leadership role for the first time
Leading organisational change
Developing your senior leadership team
Looking for executive coaching support
Building leadership capability across your organisation
🌐 Website: www.gleecoaching.co.uk
💼 LinkedIn: Barbra Carlisle
🎙️ Podcast: The Unlikely Executive

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The Unlikely Executive for honest conversations with inspiring leaders who are challenging convention, building confidence and creating impact in their organisations and communities.

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

Please like, share and subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes