The Inspiring Leadership Podcast: Recent Episodes
gunnercooke
Inspiring Leadership is a podcast produced by gunnercooke llp, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. Whether you are leading the village hall committee or leading the largest organisation in the World or leading yourself, leadership is everything. Leadership begins with your own self – discipline. Your own focus. Leadership brings followers. Without followers, you are simply going for a stroll. Leadership provides vision and leaves legacies. To be a leader you need to be the change that you want to be. Leaders change lives and move societies. In these podcasts, we will learn from the best, the very best. Recipes for success, behaviours to model and practical tips from some of our best business leaders, our most successful coaches and the World’s leading thought leaders.
Is one of the most powerful leadership tools we have also one of the most overlooked?
Emma Gervasio, Chief Operating Officer at the Royal Voluntary Service, joins Darryl Cooke on The Inspiring Leadership Podcast to discuss the real benefits of volunteering for individuals, businesses, and society.
With anxiety rates growing, and the fine line between work/life balance now more blurred than ever, Emma shares her compelling research that demonstrates how volunteering programmes can improve mental health and wellbeing, build and improve on our skills and talents, and significantly boost productivity across the board.
Using GoVo, a new platform designed to radically simplify access to volunteering, Emma and the RVS are making it easier than ever for people, and businesses, to get involved in ways that fit modern working lives.
Together, Darryl and Emma unpack why happiness can be shaped by what we do and how we lead every day.
🔶 Follow Royal Voluntary Service & GoVo:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmagervasio/
https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/
https://govo.org/
🔶 Follow Darryl and gunnercooke:
https://gunnercooke.com/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darryljcooke
What does it take to achieve the extraordinary?
World-renowned Psychologist, Bestselling Author, and Founder of APS Intelligence, Professor John Amaechi OBE, joins gunnercooke founder Darryl Cooke in this truly moving episode of The Inspiring Leadership Podcast. Recorded live at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
In The NeverEnding Story, an overlooked child discovers he is the protagonist, and the only one who can save a fantastical world. For John Amaechi, that story became a powerful metaphor: “The most unlikely of people in the most improbable of circumstances can become extraordinary, if you are willing to plan and work at it.”
From NBA, to OBE, to PHD, John’s story is one of impossible and improbable goals achieved through relentless persistence, and a refusal to be defined by bias. Darryl and John consider the true privilege of leadership, the impact we have on our colleagues’ mental health, and why the best leaders are those who accept they are never a finished product.
In this unmissable episode, John shares lessons on leadership with humour and honesty that will stay with you long after listening.
🔶 Follow John Amaechi:
https://x.com/johnamaechi?lang=en
https://www.instagram.com/johnamaechiobe/?hl=en
🔶 Follow Darryl and gunnercooke:
https://gunnercooke.com/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darryljcooke
What happens when addiction hides in plain sight?
In this moving episode, Darryl Cooke is joined by author Sophie Calon and Dr Piers Henriques from Nacoa, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, in a conversation chaired by Dr Zoe Lambert.
In this discussion, Sophie reads from her moving debut memoir Long Going, which reflects on the complex experience of being the child of an alcoholic, and what happens when leadership, success, and addiction collide. Dr Henriques, provides vital insight into the lifelong effects of alcoholism on families and why speaking openly about these experiences can be transformative.
This episode was recorded live at House of Books & Friends in Manchester.
🔶 Follow Sophie Calon
https://www.instagram.com/sophie_calon_/?hl=en
🔶 Follow Dr Piers Henriques and Nacoa
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/piers-henriques-bb816882
https://www.instagram.com/nacoauk/?hl=en
https://nacoa.org.uk/
🔶 Follow Dr Zoe Lambert
https://www.instagram.com/zoeflambert/
🔶 Follow House of Books & Friends
https://www.instagram.com/houseofbooksandfriends/?hl=en
https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/
🔶 Follow Darryl and gunnercooke:
https://gunnercooke.com/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darryljcooke
What does it really mean to lead a “deeply responsible” business?
In this eye-opening episode, Darryl Cooke speaks with Professor Geoffrey Jones of Harvard Business School, a global authority on business history and values-driven leadership.
Geoffrey’s book Deeply Responsible Business explores the rare but remarkable leaders who built profitable companies without compromising their values.
In this conversation, he reveals why most corporate social responsibility is little more than performance, how brands like The Body Shop rose and fell, why some values-led businesses thrive while the system destroys others, and what leaders can do today to resist the relentless tide of short-termism.
Follow Geoffrey Jones:https://geoffreyjones.us/
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=24276
https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-jones/
Follow Darryl and gunnercooke:
https://gunnercooke.com/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darryljcooke
https://gunnercooke.com/people/darryl-cooke/
What if the key to changing a young person’s life is giving your time and not your money? Susannah Hardyman MBE reveals how a simple volunteering idea transformed futures for more than 6000 children.
Susannah is CEO of Impetus, a leading impact funder that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to get the education, qualifications, and opportunities they need for a fulfilling life. As a young graduate she began by matching volunteer tutors with pupils who couldn’t afford extra help, her idea for Action Tutoring scaled into a nationwide movement. Now in her new role as CEO of funding and advocacy organisation, Impetus, she plans to help even more young people succeed.
In this conversation, Susannah and Darryl discuss leading without a plan, the joy of working with young people, and how business leaders can make a real difference to young lives and their teams.
Follow Susannah and Impetus:
https://www.impetus.org.uk/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/impetus-the-private-equity-foundation/
https://vimeo.com/impetuspef
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannah-hardyman-mbe-06780942/
https://www.impetus.org.uk/susannah-hardyman-mbe
Follow Darryl and gunnercooke:
https://gunnercooke.com/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/darryljcooke
https://gunnercooke.com/people/darryl-cooke/
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast returns for 2025. Host Darryl Cooke, founder of gunnercooke, sets the tone for a year of bold thinking and unique insights into leadership. As the world continues to shift, Darryl asks the necessary questions:
- Does inspiring leadership still matter?
- What does it mean to lead purposefully in a time of constant change?
- Can today’s leaders shape a lasting legacy?
Reflecting on the evolution of the podcast and his leadership journey, Darryl explores the urgent need for values-driven leadership, driving change, and the ever-important, inspiring mission of leaving the world in a better place.
"I’ve spent the last 20 or 25 years seeing resilient people outperform talented people by a rate of 100 to 1… Just because something is hard for you, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad for you.” — Jake Humphrey.
What is optimum performance? How do winners get to the top and stay there? Is vulnerability an asset? And can you be happy in the process—really?
Award-winning broadcaster, entrepreneur and media owner Jake Humphrey joins gunnercooke CEO Darryl Cooke in this lively, funny, and candid discussion recorded before a live audience at Saïd Business School, Oxford University. Co-host of the High Performance Podcast with Professor Damien Hughes (250+ million listens and counting), Jake’s interviews get under the bonnet of the mental and physical agility required by world-class talent. This time, Darryl has Jake in the hotseat. With humour and searing honesty, Jake speaks to Darryl and the audience about his own struggle to excel as a child, why grief as a teenager derailed him, and how seizing opportunities accelerated his career.
Sacked for being a poor communicator in his first job, Jake made his mark in children’s television, rapidly rising to iconic sports presenter for the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, and BT Sport. He is famed for his coverage of the Champions League and F1 Grand Prix, where he witnessed first-hand the secret to excellence, resilience, and success.
Yet, at the very moment Jake peaked as a sports presenter, he courageously shifted gear, rocketed out of his comfort zone, embraced risk, and co-founded Whisper; a media company with a £100 million turnover, employing 300 staff. As an influential entrepreneur, Jake is using his visibility for good and making a positive social impact through the High Performance Foundation.
In this episode, Darryl and Jake take a deep dive into the delicate balance between external achievements and self-worth, considering the big wins against the context of contentment in everyday life. Just how do winners perform consistently? What has ‘taking pride in doing the dishes’ got to do with anything? Where do compassion and empathy fit in?
Darryl and Jake’s optimistic perspective on leadership, success, and the power of vulnerability in business will inspire your day.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, uncovering the principles and practices that drive success. This episode is hosted by Darryl Cooke, CEO and founder of award-winning international law and professional services firm gunnercooke.
In this episode, Darryl is joined by James Timpson, CEO of Timpson Group, since 2002 and the fifth generation of his family to hold the role. James is passionate about advocating for the employment of ex-offenders and is the Chair of the Prison Reform Trust. He is also a former Trustee for the Tate and is Chancellor of Keele University. James has recently launched his book, ‘The Happy Index: Lessons in Upside-Down Management’, which helps leaders re-evaluate how they manage their business.
James discusses what the Happy Index is and what success means to him. He shares what he believes makes a good leader and how your employees should be central to your leadership style. He goes on to talk through the culture at Timpson and how that has been cultivated, as well as his extensive work on prison reform. He talks through hiring ex-offenders and how they seamlessly fit into the company.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, co-founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found.
In this episode, Darryl Cooke and Sir Peter Fahy are joined by Joanna Swash, a Welsh businesswoman, keynote speaker, and business mentor. She is the group-CEO of Wrexham-based Moneypenny, a company she joined as the first salesperson in 2005. Moneypenny is a leading provider of outsourced customer service functions for companies. In 2021 she was appointed to the Prime Minister's Business Council, where she advises the government on building skills resilience for the benefit of both education and business.
Joanna shares her career journey, from starting work at the local chip shop to becoming group-CEO of Moneypenny. She discusses the importance of making mistakes when scaling a corporation, how to sustain your company culture while growing overseas and influencing positive change as a business leader.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
In this episode, Darryl and Peter are joined by Jürgen Maier. Jürgen is the former Chief Executive of Siemens UK, a position he held from July 2014 to December 2019. Currently, Jürgen is the co-founder of vocL (a platform for responsible business founders) and the Chair of the Digital Catapult (the UK authority on advanced digital technology).
Jürgen shares his story of working his way up the career ladder within Siemens and how important being socially and culturally aware is to him. He discusses the importance of trying your hardest to be accepting and putting job application processes in place that will encourage a range of applicants. Jürgen also dives into different types of leadership and how he believes inclusive leadership is the way forward.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
In this short of the Inspiring Leadership podcast, Darryl dives into the importance of taking personal responsibility. A series of motivating short stories explore the links between personal responsibility and happiness. Quoting established authors, sporting greats and even an anecdote about why a personal friend, to a room of 400 people said, “My wife doesn’t make me happy”. Another segment examines how confronting issues and controlling what you can control, can put you in good stead for not just business but for any walk of life.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. This series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found.
In this episode Darryl and Peter are joined by Dr John Blakey. Dr John Blakey is a global CEO coach, international speaker and founder of The Trusted Executive. As part of The Trusted Executive, he helps CEOs and boards worldwide create a new standard of leadership defined by trustworthiness. He has authored a book exploring this topic, also titled “The Trusted Executive”.
Dr John shares his story of being told he was “too f* nice” at the start of his career, and how that inspired him to lead with kindness and show how important it is in business. The group talk about trustworthiness in business and how it is beneficial to surround yourself with those that view leadership in the same way. They also discuss benevolence and what Inspiring Leadership means to them.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
In this episode Darryl and Peter are joined by Paul Hargreaves, author and entrepreneur in the speciality food world. His books ‘Forces for Good’ and ‘The Fourth Bottom Line’ explore a more compassionate way to lead and inspires leaders to make a meaningful difference.
Paul shares insights on how his charitable background has shaped his approach to business and explores the idea that should we act with our hearts over our minds. The group talk about the negatives of ‘servant leadership’ and why a true leader puts themselves last, and also touch on masculine leadership and the importance of diversity and spirituality in business.
Is there such a thing as too much regulation? How can businesses bring their customers in on their purpose? Why are B Corps seeing so much success? Listen to the answers to these questions and more in the latest episode.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder of gunnercooke, a professional services firm with a purpose to deliver a positive impact for clients, a better life for its people, and leave a better world than it found, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. In this episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester and former international mathematical Olympiad competitor, and joined by Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. Darryl, David and Peter discuss the changes in society since the great philanthropists of the Victorian era, how empathy and kindness can be learned, and why a culture of belonging can bring out the best of those in your business.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring business leaders, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Founder and Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century, and Sir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
In this episode Darryl and Peter are joined by Vikas Shah MBE DL, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. Vikas is CEO of Swiscot Group and Non-Executive Board Member of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. He has taught at universities around the world and is a committed philanthropist as trustee and chair for multiple charities, as well as published author of Thought Economics, which includes conversations with Nobel prize winners and Olympians.
In this very personal conversation, Vikas shares both his personal struggles with anxiety and depression and a message of hope. Together with Darryl and Peter, he discusses the ways that loneliness affects everyone in our society, even those whom you would least suspect. The conversation then moves to look holistically at the role of leaders today. Are leaders morally obligated to help those less fortunate? Vikas strongly believes that leaders only flourish on account of their community, and so have a civic duty to ‘give back’. He encourages speaking to as many people as you can, reading, asking questions and listening as much as possible to help you to understand an issue.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to understand what makes a great leader and reflect on the issues and causes that are important to them. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century.
The first episode of the second series welcomes Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, a personal, digital platform business powered by people and the human touch, delivering bespoke corporate and leisure travel services since 1994. The company’s vision is to redefine what personal means in travel, with a mission to create inspiring experiences for its people, customers, and communities. Travel Counsellors is a market leader in customer care, retaining an average 96% Net Promoter Score (considered world class). Having achieved a £660m sales milestone in October 2019, the company was positioned for further growth when the pandemic struck.
In this podcast, Steve shares his personal reflections on leading through a global pandemic, the importance of enduring values and developing a culture of kindness and care. Through the pandemic, Steve and his team ‘led from the back’ to ensure that against the most challenging trading backdrop faced, they retained 95% of travel franchisees and enabled 150 travel entrepreneurs to launch new businesses.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. This special episode to close the first series features Sir Peter Fahy, the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, where he’s led 13,000 police officers and staff. He spent two years as Chief Executive of the street children’s charity Retrak and is now Chair of Plus Dane Housing Association and trustee of multiple charities. Darryl and Sir Peter listen back to highlights from the first series and reflect on what we’ve learnt about leadership from our inspiring guests.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. In the third episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by Alison Grade, a serial entrepreneur, career freelancer and author of the Penguin bestseller, The Freelance Bible. Alison helps teach the next generation of entrepreneurs how to turn their creative passion into a career. Darryl and Alison discuss why people become freelancers and the skills they need, how to achieve work-life harmony, the importance of communicating your business with clients, and what it means to be successful.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, learning from the very best to determine what makes a great leader. In the latest episode host Darryl Cooke is joined by two inspiring leaders: Roger Lane Smith and Sir John Timpson.
Roger Lane Smith built the largest law firm in the world, DLA, and now acts as consultant to a wide range of businesses that benefit from his expertise.
Sir John Timpson CBE is the chairman and owner of Timpson, the family business of key cutters and shoe repairers that now has over 2,000 shops and a fantastic charitable foundation. John writes a column for the Daily Telegraph and has written a book on Upside Down Management, the style of management he has become famous for.
Roger and John have worked together for over 30 years and have a wealth of knowledge and experience to guide us on what it takes to build and lead great organisations.
The discussion focuses on the inception of these two successful businesses and looks at the reasons why they’ve been so successful, as well as touching on John and Roger’s working relationship and Upside Down Management.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century. The series continues with another fascinating episode, where host Darryl Cooke is joined by Hassan Damluji, the Deputy Director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Hassan is author of the book ‘The Responsible Globalist’ and leads a global team at the world’s largest foundation, helping to solve issues that can impact all of humanity.
The Inspiring Leadership Podcast delves into the minds of inspiring businesspeople, to learn from the very best, and to understand what makes a great leader. The series is hosted by Darryl Cooke, Executive Chairman of gunnercooke, the professional services firm that has changed the landscape for legal and consultancy services in the 21st century.
We start the anniversary series with a podcast featuring Darryl Cooke alongside psychology expert, Professor Damian Hughes. Damian is a best-selling author and host of The High Performance Podcast, which looks at the mindset of elite athletes. Having spoken at the very first gunnercooke Symposium, Damian will also join Darryl in reflecting on the previous decade and what got us where we are today, as well as looking ahead to the future and how we’ll get where we want to be next.