Conscious Leaders with Ruth Farenga

Tom Cartwright | Creating inquisitiveness

Tom has a history of creating engagement – he has a background as a primary school teacher and brings learning from this career into how you create participatory environments at work. He tunes into his employees, like he would the children, to gauge the levels of engagement and if he needs to switch up his style.

His style is humble and subtle and it is hard to find his ego. He also quirky and fun and shares how music and humour have played a role in certain ceremonies that the team participate in such as retrospective sprint reviews.

He shares how they have moved from start-up to scale up and how they have worked to understand and create their mission as they have evolved.

You will take away:
• Helping employees develop enquiring minds
• Their key operating principles (behaviours) and how to they are helping them stick
• Creating ceremonies and rituals that encourage fun and thoughtful working practices

Marina brings an infectious level of vibrancy and dynamism with a successful background in television. But this is a world she stepped out of because she wanted to work in an environment with more safety. Something she focuses on building as a leader.

Everything Marina does as a leader is about communication and putting her metaphorical arm around others - creating those safe spaces. For her, open dialogue is the vital to connection, understanding and safety. This relates practically in terms of meetings, offsites, personality testing – she wants to tune in and read individuals and help bring them together.

This relates practically in terms of meetings, offsites, personality testing – she wants to tune in and read individuals and help bring them together.

Her kindness and care for others is quite palpable.

You will take away:

• Creating spaces where employees can be safe and open
• Vulnerability and the effect on others
• Dealing personally with imposter syndrome
• Balancing heart and backbone

Links & Info

Tom Cartwright is Co-Founder of Carescribe, a company that creates assistive technology.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a bestselling book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons designed for leaders to use as a guide.

For more info on the book visit the website here.

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

2024 Highlights Episode

This highlights episode (which marks 5 years of the podcast!) gives you a taster of this with some of the best bits from 2024! You will find clips from great people leaders who are also driving commercial success - proving it possible to do both.

It is tempting to say that 2024 was another ‘turbulent year’ but, as we know, is just par for the course now. However, these leaders do share what it is like to hold uncertainty for their people.

Indeed, this podcast will show you how it is possible to be a conscious leader in increasingly turbulent times.

You will find some common themes around effective decision making as well as spaciousness in leadership to help these leaders bring the best version of themselves to work.

The episode features:

• Emily Hill - CEO at Ghyston
• Harry Singer - CEO at Singer Instruments
• Darren Cassidy - MD for Xerox
• Megan Reitz - Associate Fellow, Said Business School, University of Oxford

There is also a clip from your host, Ruth Farenga on a special episode about ‘how to be a successful leader in 2024’.

Enjoy the space that this episode offers as we enter 2025.

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If you enjoyed this episode, host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a bestselling book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’ which digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed into simple, actionable lessons designed for leaders to use as a guide.

For more info on the book visit the website.

For free content becoming a next level leader and podcast releases, subscribe to the monthly Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

Megan Reitz | The case for spaciousness in leadership

Megan has a long history of working at the cutting edge of leadership development and marks a departure from the usual guest on this podcast.

She is a deep thinker and researcher around how leaders need to behave in what she calls a ‘pathologically busy’ workplace. This interview explores how our society has an over focus on the short-term, the to do list which leads to rampant busyness. This is not the role of a leader who needs to be able to step back and have perspective.

Megan shares how reflective practices and wise attention will help us become the leaders we want to be. 

A powerful episode with lots of evidence.

You will take away:
• An exploration of the tightrope leaders walk with being strong vs being vulnerable
• How psychologically safety is built – speaking up and listening up
• The moral case for having a positive impact as a leader
• Examples and discipline and practices in carving out the right kind of attention so we have a chance to lead effectively

 

Links and info

Megan Reitz is a Professor Leadership and Dialogue at Hult Ashridge Business School, she is an Associate Fellow at Said Business School at Oxford University. She is also the author of ‘Speak Up’, ‘Speak Up, Listen Up’ and ‘MindTime’. You can find Megan Reitz on LinkedIn here. 

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a bestselling book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons designed for leaders to use as a guide.

For more info on the book visit the website here.

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

Ruth Farenga | How to be a successful modern leader in 2024?

This episode is recorded webinar between host of this podcast, Ruth Farenga and Adam Lacey, Founder of Assemble You. It's a fireside chat talking about how to be a successful leader in 2024 illustrated through:

• Stories - from the best people leaders Ruth can find, many of whom are featured on the Conscious Leaders Podcast and in the Next Level Leadership book.
• Global research - pulling out key data and models from large studies.
• Ruth's own experience as a exec coach and facilitator - working with senior leaders in technology companies over the last nine years.

Expect a fun and deep conversation that cuts through the barrage of noise we hear around leadership and presents simple, actionable ways to step up and be a more conscious leader.

Marina Traversari | Maternal leadership

Marina brings an infectious level of vibrancy and dynamism with a successful background in television. But this is a world she stepped out of because she wanted to work in an environment with more safety. Something she focuses on building as a leader.

Everything Marina does as a leader is about communication and putting her metaphorical arm around others - creating those safe spaces. For her, open dialogue is the vital to connection, understanding and safety. This relates practically in terms of meetings, offsites, personality testing – she wants to tune in and read individuals and help bring them together.

This relates practically in terms of meetings, offsites, personality testing – she wants to tune in and read individuals and help bring them together.

Her kindness and care for others is quite palpable.

You will take away:

• Creating spaces where employees can be safe and open
• Vulnerability and the effect on others
• Dealing personally with imposter syndrome
• Balancing heart and backbone

Links & Info

You can find Marina Traversari on LinkedIn here.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a bestselling book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons designed for leaders to use as a guide.

For more info on the book visit the website here.

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

Ciaron Dunne | Make an impact, have fun and make money

This revisit episode brings back the impressive but understated, Ciaron Dunne who has elevated his role in his group of companies, Genie Ventures, to Executive Chair. He has brought in three CEOs and is setting up structures to allow good governance, giving them enough control. He puts this down to trust and, largely, giving up decision-making.

But things have not always been full of growth, three years ago Genie went through a period of contraction and had to navigate redundancy in a conscious way.

You will take away:

• Orientating around impact, fun and money
• Movement towards no longer making decisions
• A journey through contraction, redundancies and managing a conscious process
• His personal experience going through the adoption process to add a 4^th child to his family

 

Links & Info

Ciaron Dunne is CEO at Genie Ventures.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a bestselling book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons.

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

BONUS: The State of Leadership in Technology 2024

This special bonus episode gives you an enhanced short talk from the launch of the 2024 State of Leadership in Technology research.

For the research, Conscious Leaders set out to find out what leaders think of their own leadership capacity. We invited over 200 leaders in tech to self-assess against these vital leadership traits. Furthermore, we ran two leadership roundtables with participants in London and Bristol to digest the data further and provide commentary on the findings.

Listen for a revealing look about what leaders think of themselves compared to employees and we dive into subjects such as 

• tech failure
• attrition rates
• psychological safety
• leaders looking after themselves

You can download the research itself at www.consciousleaders.org.uk/research.

Jonathan Postans - Structures for Psychological Safety

Jonathan (or JP) is a clear leader in ways of working and structures that bring safety and enjoyment at work. They have clear frameworks at AND Digital which helps people use the same language and develop systems in meetings, for example, which allow for inclusion, productivity and belonging.

He discusses the agreements that need making in a team to make things clear e.g. when do we come into the office, how do we behave.

Tune in for a practical episode about day to day behaviours that make a massive difference to performance and wellbeing at work.

You will take away:

• Equal participation
• Their blended working model (f2f vs remote guidance)
• The ‘social capital’ of connected teams
• Habits, no alcohol and experiments to improve wellbeing

Links & Info

Jonathan Postans is MD for AND Digital Bristol.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons.

For more info on the book visit: www.consciousleaders.org.uk/book

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

Darren Cassidy | Strength, warmth and focus

Darren has a background in sport which means he brings a rallying, motivational energy but one that is inclusive – he wants people to be involved and aligned so they can move as a team.

He shares about his successes as well as his own darker period out of which he developed a meditation practice (prompted by his wife who booked him on a course without his knowledge!) Mindset and mental wellness are now big themes for Darren and he is wisely attuned to helpful and less helpful mental states.

His energy is palpable and he is clearly a very determined and compassionate leader.

You will take away:

• Inclusive leadership conversations
• The impact of meditation
• Refocussing based on priorities
• Thinking clearly under pressure

Links & Info

Darren Cassidy is MD for Xerox UK & Ireland.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons.

For more info on the book visit: www.consciousleaders.org.uk/book

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation

Harry Singer | A journey of stepping back

Quite often family businesses do not make big leaps but my interviewee Harry Singer bucks the trend with Singer Instruments. Harry grew up with business deeply in his upbringing as the 3^rd generation to run his business. His family holidays were usually centred around a scientific conference and he thrived being ale to take part in his father’s work from the age of 6.

What comes across strongly is how much Harry cares about the wider personal and professional lives of his employees.

He shares his journey of stepping back and taking ‘Surf’s up’ days to support his wellbeing so he can return to bringing a positive energy to the business.

You will take away:

• How a deep care for employees translates into day to day support
• How the senior team staged an ‘intervention’ with Harry and got him to step back into a CEO role and created a new MD position
• An effective decision-making framework
• ‘Surf’s up’ days and the effect on Harry’s wellbeing

 

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Harry Singer is CEO at Singer Instruments.

Host of this podcast and Founder of Conscious Leaders, Ruth Farenga has written a book – ‘Next Level Leadership: nine lessons from conscious leaders’. It digests the top traits and behaviours of these exceptional people leaders interviewed on this podcast into simple, actionable lessons.

For more info on the book visit: www.consciousleaders.org.uk/book

For free content becoming a next level leader, subscribe to the Conscious Conversation www.subscribepage.com/consciousconversation