The Accomplishment Podcast with Sir Michael Barber: Recent Episodes
Michael Barber
There is no secret formula for success. But what if there was a pattern you could follow?
Sir Michael Barber has spent many years advising governments, businesses and major sports teams around the world on how to achieve ambitious goals on time.
In the Accomplishment podcast he discusses his insights on achieving difficult goals and traces the blueprint that can be applied to any area of life with different guests from the worlds of politics, education, sport and music.
Read more in Accomplishment - How to Achieve Ambitious and Challenging Things
Famed for his agility and precision as one of England's legendary wicket keepers, Jack Russell is now known for his skill as an artist as well as his skill as a cricketer. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Sir Michael Barber talks to Jack about the attitude and traits that made him great on the cricket pitch and how they have transferred to the world of art.
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As one of the founders of Team Sky, Fran Millar was at the heart of a decade of innovation and unparalleled success in professional cycling. She then went on to play a pivotal role in the successful sub-2 hour marathon challenge by Eliud Kipchoge, before taking all this experience in elite sport to the world of business as the new CEO of heritage British brand Belstaff. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she talks to Sir Michael Barber about embedding ‘winning behaviours’ and how she has adapted the lessons and culture from elite sport for the world of business.
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Listen to the new mini-series of insights from some of the leading names in the world of education who've been guests on the Accomplishment podcast including Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Peter Hyman, Joanne Weiss & Dzingai Mutumbuka.
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In this insight from Accomplishment in Education, Malala Yousafzai talks about her passion for education and how it changed her life. After being attacked and shot in 2012 for opposing Taliban restrictions on girl’s education in her home country of Pakistan, she became a symbol of the fight for girls’ education around the world. In this insight, Malala explains why role models are important and how everyone can be an activist and make change happen.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/s4-ep-1-malala-yousafzai
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In this insight from Accomplishment in Education, Ziauddin Yousafzai, an educator and lifelong campaigner for girls’ education, talks about his passion for learning and how this was passed on to his daughter Malala. In this insight, Ziauddin explains the values that were at the heart of his school in Pakistan and how he found the courage to fight for equal education.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/accomplishment-ziauddin
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Insight 13: Peter Hyman - Focussing On Beautiful Work
In this insight from Accomplishment in Education, Peter Hyman talks about why having a vision and sticking to it is vital to delivering change. After Peter left his role in the UK government, he became a teaching assistant and eventually went on to found the first school in the Big Education chain. In this insight, he talks about his vision to create a system and culture where school was more than just a grind for children and where teachers don't feel they are on a treadmill.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/accomplishment-peter-hyman
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this insight from Accomplishment in Education, Joanne Weiss discusses her role in President Obama’s team to reform the American education system through the Race to the Top scheme. In this insight, she shares her reflections on the project’s legacy and discusses why it can be so difficult to implement change in education.
Listen to the whole conversation here: https://play.acast.com/s/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/s4-ep-4-accomplishment-joanna-weiss
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In this insight from Accomplishment in Education, Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka talks about his time as Minister for Education in the newly independent Zimbabwe. In this insight, he talks about how he needed to gain trust, build a coalition and manage expectations while trying to deal with the pressure and work of creating a new education system from scratch.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/accomplishment-dr-dzingai-mutumbuka
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Listen to the mini-series of insights from some of the outstanding politicians and brilliant political advisors who have been on the podcast including Lord David Blunkett, Maryam Monsef, Lord David Puttnam, Sania Nishtar and Helen Zille.
In this insight from Accomplishment in Government, Maryan Monsef talks about the most important lessons she learnt during her time in Canadian politics. An Afghan refugee who became Canada’s youngest MP, she spearheaded a domestic violence policy during the pandemic but then lost her seat in the election. Maryam discusses how devastating a political loss can be but is positive about what it can teach you.
In this insight from Accomplishment in Government, former Home Secretary and Education Minister, Lord David Blunkett explores the lessons from his many years in politics. Discussing the importance of building effective relationships, David reflects on what he would do differently if he had his time again.
In this insight from Accomplishment in Government, Dr Sania Nishtar, the renowned physician and public health expert, talks about the challenges of delivering a welfare state for Pakistan. Reflecting on tackling corruption and patriarchal attitudes, she explains why and how she fought for better transparency and data in government.
In this insight from Accomplishment in Government, Hollywood Producer and Labour Peer, David Puttnam, shares the lessons he has learnt from the world of both politics and the film industry. Discussing why all good leaders need conviction, David argues the need for having clear red lines and building coalitions.
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In this insight from Accomplishment in Government, one of the most controversial figures in South African politics, Helen Zille, discusses her career as a leading journalist who exposed the cover up of the death of activist Steve Biko, before becoming a leading South African politician. Helen discusses the importance of taking risks and why building capable state is one of the great moral issues of our time.
Listen to the mini-series of insights from some of the brilliant sporting legends that have been on the podcast including Gareth Southgate, Dave Brailsford, Sue Campbell, Dame Katherine Grainger and Stuart Lancaster.
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In this insight from Accomplishment in Sport, Sir Dave Brailsford discusses the importance of growth and setting tangible targets. Dave is known for his marginal gains philosophy, a way of measuring progression and building on it to achieve a goal. So how do you lead and motivate a team or an athlete to achieve something difficult and overcome challenges, and what transferable skills can be applied to other areas of life?
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://play.acast.com/s/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/s3-ep-1-sir-dave-brailsford
In this insight from Accomplishment in Sport, Gareth Southgate explores the power of creating a collective identity amongst a diverse group. One of the striking things about Gareth’s time as the England men’s football manager is how the squad has developed a strong inclusive ethos. Gareth discussed how to develop and maintain an inclusive culture in a group of diverse personalities.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://play.acast.com/s/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/accomplishment
In this insight from Accomplishment in Sport, Olympic medal winner Dame Katherine Grainger discusses her move from elite athlete to the Board room. Could the skills she’d acquired after years spent rowing backwards in a boat ever be transferable? Katherine explains that the values and fundamental skills learnt in one career will always be valuable in a new one, no matter how different.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/accomplishment-dame-katherine-grainger
In this insight from Accomplishment in Sport, Stuart Lancaster reflects on dealing with pressure and how the fear of losing can be a powerful driver for success. Stuart reflects on his career, solitude at the top and why you need to find some grit and resilience to bounce back from failure and disappointment.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://shows.acast.com/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/episodes/s4-ep-3-accomplishment-stuart-lancater?ref=twitter
In this insight from Accomplishment in Sport, Baroness Sue Campbell talks about her battles to get the right people at the top of the FA to lead and manage women’s football. Sue talks about putting together an elite team and how important it is to find a leader with vision, who really understands the job.
Listen to the whole conversation here:
https://play.acast.com/s/accomplishment-with-michael-barber/s3-ep-4-accomplishment-baroness-sue-campbell
Chris Patten has a distinguished and expansive CV that ranges from high office in politics, to academia and diplomacy. He is currently Chancellor of the University of Oxford but he is perhaps more famous for being the last British Governor of Hong Kong. He discusses that unique period in history and why he decided to accept the post of governor of Hong Kong, the challenges he faced and memories of that time and his concern for the future of Hong Kong.
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Stuart Lancaster has had a long and impressive career in professional sport, having coached the England rugby union team for over four years before going on to coach Leinster Rugby in Dublin, one of the most successful teams in Europe. In this episode, Stuart discusses the highs and lows of working in elite sport, the transferable lessons that any leader can learn from managing a sports team and the importance of culture, identity and belonging.
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Malala Yousafzai is an activist who became the youngest winner of the Nobel Prize in recognition for her brave and tireless campaigning for girls’ access to education. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she discusses her childhood in Pakistan, her family’s long-term campaigning for girls’ education, what she remembers about her attack and the months after, and her determination to hold world leaders to account for their promises on education.
What can elite sailors learn from professional cyclists? What does a left back at OGC Nice football club have in common with a Formula One driver at Mercedes? In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Sir Dave Brailsford discusses his distinguished career in elite sport and some of the characteristics that cut across all high performance environments. Along with insights into managing diverse teams and advice to people starting their career in sport, Dave shares how a health scare gave him a new perspective but did not diminish his drive and ‘all in’ attitude.
Just a few weeks into her new role as CEO at UK Youth, Ndidi Okezie faced the immediate chaos of the pandemic and the following months of lockdowns, restrictions and disruption. The impact on young people was huge - suddenly many were cut off from their only safe spaces in schools and youth centres. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, Ndidi Okezie discusses the importance of youth work, why the language we use about young people is so important and why she is so optimistic for the future.
After four years as Secretary of State for education, David Blunkett became Home Secretary just a few months before 911 changed the world dramatically. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Lord Blunkett discusses the lessons from his many years working in politics and what he would do differently if he had his time again, his advice to current and future Ministers, and why spending time away from Westminster is the best thing any politician can do.
Baroness Sue Campbell is one of the most influential people in British sport. In her most recent role as Director of women’s football at the Football Association, she played a critical role in the recent success of the England team at the Euros. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, she talks about her battles to get the right resources for the women’s team, the pride of seeing 20,000 people watch women play ‘a different kind of game’ and why there needs to be more funding for PE in schools.
Katherine Swift was a rare book librarian who gave up her job to create the acclaimed gardens at the Dower House, Morville Hall. The accompanying book “The Morville Hours” is a beautiful chronicle of the 20 year project and includes stories of the previous generations who had put roots down in that same soil. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Katherine discusses her motivation for undertaking this labour of love, the local community who gathered around to help, and the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of connecting with a piece of land and its changing seasons.
Maryam Monsef arrived in Canada as an Afghan refugee aged 11 years old. By the age of 30, she was elected as an MP and became the youngest member of Justin Trudeau’s new cabinet. But in 2021, she was defeated at the federal election and found herself out of office. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she talks to Sir Michael Barber about her early life and the highs and lows of being elected and then defeated. She concludes that “losing sucks” but can teach perspective.
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David Miliband quit British politics to escape ‘the soap opera’ and now leads the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in New York. Founded by Albert Einstein in the 1930's, the IRC is an international charity that responds to humanitarian crises, helping people displaced by conflict and disaster. In this episode of the Accomplishment podcast, he tells Sir Michael Barber about his strategy for growing the IRC, what he learnt from his time in politics and why he believes we are living in an 'age of impunity' in politics.
Who'd swap Hollywood for Westminster? ‘Chariots of Fire’ producer David Puttman did exactly that. After a hugely successful career including winning 10 Oscars and more than 20 Baftas, he left the world of American movies for politics in Westminster. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Lord Puttman talks to Sir Michael Barber about the impact of his childhood, how an obsessive attention to detail made him successful, the art of negotiation with the toughest people in Hollywood and why the top job isn’t always the right job.
Gareth Southgate has been manager of the men’s football team since 2016 and there are high expectations for the team in this winter’s World Cup in Qatar. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, he talks to Sir Michael Barber about the importance of setting ambitious goals and a collective identity, the intricacies of World Cup planning, the importance of ego in a group and why rules can be overrated.
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Dr Sania Nishtar is an internationally acclaimed physician and world leading health expert. In 2018 she was appointed to the cabinet in Pakistan to lead Ehsaas, a new programme aimed at alleviating poverty by increasing social protection and welfare for those that need it most. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, she tells Sir Michael Barber about her motivation to work 18 hour days, the challenges of tackling corruption, privilege and patriarchal attitudes and why she believes the programme will change Pakistan forever.
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Dame Katherine Granger is one of the most decorated women in British Olympic history and went on to become the Chair of UK Sport after retiring as a professional athlete. She talks to Sir Michael Barber about how she faced her fears of life after sport and how the lessons she learned as an athlete are just as useful now.
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Imagine creating a school system in a newly independent country. “It was exciting, it was scary. If I made a mistake, I can doom the nation forever”. That was the task facing Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka - Zimbabwe’s first education minister.Before 1980 black children in Zimbabwe were only able to get a basic education because of segregation. But after independence, in one year, the education system doubled the number of children it served. Dr Dzingai Mutumbuka led the transformation to a free and equal education for all. As one of the young teachers recruited to the newly independent country’s new schools at that time, Sir Michael Barber discusses Dzingai’s motivation, the challenges that were faced and what the lessons are for other countries and leaders.
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Peter Hyman worked in No 10 as a speechwriter for Tony Blair but left government more than a decade ago with a new mission - to reset the British education system with a new philosophy. He began as a classroom assistant and worked his way up to becoming headteacher of a new school in the East End of London with a radical approach. He wanted to create a system where school wasn’t a grind and teaching children to speak was as important as teaching them to read. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Peter Hyman tells Sir Michael Barber how he got the project off the ground, the hurdles he faced along the way and what lessons can be learnt.
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What can the story of a 19th century African American composer teach us about Accomplishment? Sir Michael Barber and British pianist and musicologist Dr Samantha Ege discuss Florence Price and the lessons we can all learn from her remarkable life. Florence was a classical composer, pianist and music teacher who became the first African-American to have a composition played by a major orchestra. She faced many obstacles but her passion and perseverance drove her. As a student, Samantha Ege defied academic advice and pursued her fascination with Florence Price’s music. Now she is seeing a surge of interest in the composer’s work and discusses why Florence’s story matters today.
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Helen Zille has been one of the most prominent, and sometimes controversial, figures in South African politics for several decades. The daughter of German Jews who escaped the Holocaust, she has been an activist and campaigned against apartheid her whole career. While working as a journalist in the late 1970’s, she helped expose the cover-up of the murder of black activist Steve Biko and has held several different leading political roles in South Africa since. In this episode of the Accomplishment Podcast, Helen discusses her upbringing, the moral imperative of building a capable state and the challenges of South African politics.
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
New podcast coming soon!
There is no secret formula for success. But what if there was a pattern you could follow?
Sir Michael Barber has spent many years advising governments, businesses and major sports teams around the world on how to achieve ambitious goals. In the Accomplishment Podcast he discusses how to achieve ambitious goals with guests from the worlds of politics, education, sport and music.
Subscribe now to never miss an episode.
Read more in Accomplishment - How to Achieve Ambitious and Challenging Things
Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
