Exploring the future of leadership communication with Professor John Amaechi OBE
As multiple factors converge to create accelerating operating complexity and ambiguity for most organisations, leadership is under the microscope like never before. For his latest book, organisational psychologist and founder of APS Intelligence John Amaechi OBE explored a range of leadership techniques and found them to be eminently teachable skills, when thoughtfulness, integrity and effort are applied.
Amongst the most crucial skills identified for improved organisational culture and performance are listening and verbal communication.
Jen and Cat welcome John to this episode to examine the art of leadership communication and what it must now entail if organisations are to successfully navigate the ongoing disruption of the modern age.
Professor John Amaechi OBE: A Catalyst for Leadership Transformation
John Amaechi OBE is a world-renowned organisational psychologist, bestselling author, and Professor of Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School. As the founder of APS Intelligence Ltd., John leads a global team that transforms leaders and cultures by combining cutting-edge behavioural science with psychological insight. His bespoke programmes aren’t about quick fixes—they drive sustainable growth, ethical leadership, and organisational well-being.
From his roots in Stockport, near Manchester, to becoming the first Briton to play professional basketball in the NBA, John’s personal journey exemplifies resilience and ambition. Inspired by his mother’s words—“The most unlikely of people in the most improbable of circumstances can become extraordinary”—John has spent his career challenging expectations and helping others unlock their potential.
An adviser to FTSE 100 boards, a LinkedIn Top Voice, and the recipient of the Sport Industry Integrity and Impact Award, John is recognised as one of the most influential voices in leadership and organisational culture. His bestselling book, The Promises of Giants, inspires leaders worldwide to embrace authenticity, drive ethical change, and create lasting legacies.
Find John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaechi/
APS Intelligence website: https://www.apsintel.com/
--------
53:04
--------
53:04
Creating safer communication at work with Shaun Keep and Paul Adams
As late-stage capitalism continues to prioritise profit over people and planet, we are never far from a breaking news event about corporate corruption, greed or misconduct causing turmoil for those impacted. But more often than not, internal wrongdoing will have taken place for months and years before whistles are blown and affairs are made public.
In this episode, Cat and Jen chat with former police detectives Shaun Keep and Paul Adams. They set up Say-So after joining forces on a safeguarding assignment to review the public protection around vulnerable children and adults. They are passionate advocators for the need to create spaces where concerned colleagues can safely voice their concerns about mismanagement without fear of retribution.
Say-So’s website: www.say-so.co.uk
Shaun Keep is a public protection professional who served as a police detective for over 30 years. He specialised in child protection, anti-corruption and homicide investigations and has worked for four law enforcement agencies, the Church of England and a national Sports Organisation advising on and reviewing their policies and investigations into offences against the vulnerable.
He has been a 'subject matter expert' on a major transformation and development project in a large public service focusing upon attitudes towards vulnerable persons. He has been working to transform organisations in the 'speak up' space since 2017.
In 2015 Shaun was contracted to Surrey Police to assist build their investigation performance in the area of 'Public Protection' cases and this opened his eyes on a regional and national level to the extent of allegations of neglect and abuse against vulnerable adults.
Shaun's personal experience of the care sector has been entirely positive with his mother receiving almost 10 years of good quality domiciliary care, sheltered accommodation care and finally nursing home care. Shaun believes this should be the norm.
His work in creating a safe and trustworthy means for staff to speak up has led to an ever growing understanding of how important it is, in any business sector, to hear from and listen to employees concerns.
impacted. But more often than not, internal wrongdoing will have taken place for months and years before whistles are blown and affairs are made public.
In this episode, Cat and Jen chat with former police detectives Shaun Keep and Paul Adams. They set up Say-So after joining forces on a safeguarding assignment to review the public protection around vulnerable children and adults. They are passionate advocators for the need to create spaces where concerned colleagues can safely voice their concerns about mismanagement without fear of retribution.
Find Shaun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-keep-b9554828/
Paul Adams is a safeguarding professional having spent 30 years in the police Service as a detective specialising in major crime investigation. Specialist skills include interview techniques around suspects, victims, survivors, vulnerable adults and children. The managements and tasking of sensitive information has also been a consistent part of his detective career. Since retirement he has worked for National Crime Agency under CEOP (Child Exploitation & online Protection) and Surrey Police reviewing safeguarding and public protection around vulnerable children and adults.
Paul has also been an approved foster carer to young children in Berkshire, whilst running his own children's fostering charity to try and improve the outcomes and development of children who find themselves in care. Paul is passionate about people being able to "speak up" particularly foster children and foster carers having a voice and being heard, within children's social care. This was one of the main reasons he started Say So.
Find Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-adams-pop-charity/
--------
48:35
--------
48:35
The power of imagination for achieving coliberation with Dr. Christopher Owen
Since the start of 2025, DEI initiatives across the board have been deprioritised. This has left many people, most acutely those in already vulnerable groups, feeling marginalised and anxious. This level of anxiety undermines organisational performance and fuels the already spiralling mental health crisis.
In this episode, Dr. Christopher Owen draws on his decade of experience in LGBTQ+ inclusivity consulting and his research into systemic oppression to share with internal communicators stories can be used to create more inclusive, connective and engaging work environments that boost organisational performance.
About Dr. Christopher Owen
"If we want to make a difference, then we need to do things differently - I’m here to show you how."
As the founder of Coliberate, Christopher Owen (he/they) offers inclusivity and liberation coaching, consulting, speaking and training to individuals, groups and organisations seeking to improve their impact for positive social change.
A 2024 Northern Gamechanger, Christopher has a PhD in intersectional systemic oppression and Black feminisms, with over a decade of experience in LGBTQ+ inclusivity and consulting. They have presented to thousands internationally and published on intersectionality, identity, social change, queer resistance, and inclusive practice, with his second book now forthcoming from Routledge Education.
For more, please visit: coliberate.co.uk
Find Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecjowen/
--------
59:44
--------
59:44
Making the case for spaciousness with Megan Reitz and John Higgins
As time hurtles by at lighting pace, there is scarcely a second to take stock and breathe. Across the world, work seems increasingly harried and fraught and it’s taking its toll on engagement and organisational performance.
In this episode, Dom, Jen and Cat talk with Megan Reitz and John Higgins about their most recent research report, Permission to pause: Rediscovering spaciousness at work. They look at what it is, and why it’s a business-critical issue.
Against a rising tide of stress anxiety and burnout, spaciousness is the one permission we should all be granting ourselves, not least if we stand any chance of resolving society’s most pressing challenges.
To find out more go to www.johnhigginsresearch.com, www.radicalod.org, and www.meganreitz.com
About Megan Reitz
Megan is Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, Oxford University and Adjunct Professor of Leadership and Dialogue at Hult International Business School. She focuses on how we create the conditions for transformative dialogue at work and her research is at the intersection of leadership, change, dialogue and mindfulness. She is on the Thinkers50 ranking of global business thinkers and is ranked in HR Magazine’s Most Influential Thinkers listing.
Megan has written a number of books, most recently Speak Out, Listen Up which is the second edition of her bestselling book Speak Up, with Financial Times Publishing. Speak Up was shortlisted for the CMI Management Book of the Year 2020.
Megan is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. She has presented her research on the BBC and CNBC. Her TED talk on the topic of employee activism has been viewed more than one and a half million times.
She is mother to two wonderful teenage daughters who test her regularly on her powers of mindfulness and dialogue.
Find Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganreitz/
Megan’s website: https://www.meganreitz.com/
About John Higgins
John is a widely published researcher and author who for many years has been exploring, with Megan Reitz, what it takes for truth to be spoken to power at work – and how this shapes workplace activism. Their work has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review and the European Business Review – and on various public platforms, from Radio 4’s ‘The Bottom Line’ to Brene Brown’s ‘Dare to Lead’ podcast.
For the last year and a half, John and Megan have been looking at the concept of spaciousness, and what it takes for organisations to marry a more spacious mode to enrich an over-focus on tasks and busy doing.
Alongside this John has written two books, alongside Mark Cole, which critique the taken for granted assumptions about what counts as good organisational management and leadership.
John’s website: http://www.johnhigginsresearch.com
The report: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/597729cbcf81e0f87c7f6c61/t/677b9b9a26a22a7351dce717/1736154022120/SpaciousnessREPORT_90pp_FULL.pdf
Articles: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/create-mental-space-to-be-a-wiser-leader/
https://hbr.org/2025/02/how-to-give-yourself-more-space-to-think
--------
1:00:26
--------
1:00:26
Prioritising heart and soul in business with Shetal Joshi
Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace research reveals a drop in global engagement for only the second time in twelve years. In particular, it shows a sharp drop in manager engagement. This is particularly concerning at a time when all organisations need unity, cohesion and goodwill to combat increasingly challenging market conditions.
Shetal Joshi has been a lifelong advocate for the soul of business since the start of her career in the late 1990s. As Head of Internal Communication and Employee Engagement, she’s a firm believer in the value of active listening and hearing what’s on people’s minds as they go about their day-to-day business.
In this episode, Jen, Dom and Cat chat with Shetal to discover more about the soul of business and its link to colleague engagement, purpose and high performance.
About Shetal Joshi
Shetal Joshi is a seasoned internal communications and employee engagement expert with over 20 year of experience shaping strategic communication frameworks across global organisations.
Currently serving as the Head of Internal Communications and Employee Engagement at Ørsted UK, Shetal has established internal communications as a strategic enabler, driving employee trust, culture and belonging. She partners closely with executive teams, leading global transformation and change projects, and has been instrumental in enhancing the visibility of senior leaders and strengthening employee connections.
Prior to her role at Ørsted, Shetal led internal and external communications at RAPT Dev London, where she developed strategic communication initiatives to engage frontline employees and external stakeholders. She also spent over 18 years at BT Group, where she held senior roles in internal communications, change management, and brand alignment, supporting major campaigns and diversity initiatives.
Shetal is an Accredited Life Coach with the Association of Coaching and a Mental Health First Aider, demonstrating her commitment to personal growth, resilience, and wellbeing. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Internal Communications (IoIC) and has contributed to the development of the IoIC Charter for AI. Shetal’s expertise in influencing executive narratives, stakeholder engagement, and employee voice makes her a trusted advisor in navigating change and fostering organisational alignment.
In addition to her professional achievements, Shetal is a former Board of Trustee Member for Sands, The Baby Loss Charity, where she supported diversity and inclusion in maternal health. She was honoured with the Sheila McKechnie Amplifying Voices Award for her advocacy work in highlighting disparities in Asian baby loss.
Shetal brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership communications, change management, and employee engagement, making her an insightful and inspiring speaker.
Find Shetal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shetal-joshi-fiic-62318b1/
The Future of Internal Communication podcast is hosted by The Institute of Internal Communication – the only professional body solely dedicated to internal communication.
This podcast hosts a range of subject matter experts from within and outside internal communication, each sharing their insights on the future of internal communication. These thought-provoking discussions address the critical role of communication as a driver of workplace trust, connection, community, collaboration, innovation, engagement, culture, change, resilience and performance.
Organisations today face a rising tide of challenges, causing widespread disruption and demanding wholesale business transformation. How colleagues communicate both on- and off-line is the glue that holds organisations together. Communication cultivates goodwill and drives alignment around a shared purpose.
In a rapidly evolving world, Jennifer Sproul, Dominic Walters and Cat Barnard explore opportunity for internal communicators. As work becomes increasingly digital, data driven, distributed and on-demand, their conversations with thought-leaders examine the human side of work.
This series showcases the critical link between empathic communication and workplace trust, connection, community, collaboration, innovation, engagement, culture, change, resilience and performance.
Ireland