Leadership isn’t about titles - it’s about action.
In this episode of In Good Company, Mike Kennedy - a learning and leadership development executive with 30 years experience at IPG Media Brands, the NBA, and Tiffany & Co. - reframes leadership as behaviour, not identity. Mike shares practical insights, tackles common myths and uses the simple but powerful framework of stop, start, continue to do this. Dan and Mike's conversation includes how leaders can:
✅ Stop outdated myths and practices that hold people back.
✅ Start behaviours that spark motivation and collaboration.
✅ Continue timeless habits that anchor effective learning, and great leadership.
💬 “Leadership isn’t about who you are, it’s about what you do.” Mike Kennedy
Listen / watch now to find out more.
🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2
Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
Mike Kennedy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennedy4m4s/
We've saved a thought provoking conversation to round off our podcast schedule in 2025. It's time to reflect as we ask Matt Simmons, Senior Manager for L&D UK at Starbucks "what does the future of work look like to you?"
Will it be more tech? More AI? Or a renewed focus on human connection?
In this episode, Dan and Matt explore what it means to set the learning strategy for over 16,000 partners at a globally recognised brand. Their conversation dives into:
☕️ The ethical and thoughtful integration of AI in workplace learning
☕️ The role of human leadership in an AI-driven future
☕️ Why DEIB matters more than ever
☕️ How Starbucks is preparing its people for what’s next.
💬 “There will be certain core human leadership qualities which persist throughout history… I don’t think AI can or will replace those.” Matt Simmons
Listen / watch now to find out more.
🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2
Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
Matt Simmons on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-simmons-96608018/
How do you inspire thousands of employees to create meaningful impact – and measure it?In this episode of In Good Company, Dan speaks with Edmund McCombs, Head of Social Impact at Lendlease, and Roger Nielsen from Impact, about Springboard – a multi-award-winning programme redefining personal growth and community engagement for over 15 years. Discover:
✅ What Springboard is and why it matters
✅ How it drives sustainability and social value
✅ Tips for starting a similar initiative.
Springboard has engaged 2,500+ employees, delivered $32.7m in verified social value, and created lasting change across communities worldwide.
Listen / watch now to find out more.🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe to our YouTube and Spotify channels so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2
Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
Roger Nielsen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-nielsen-12186527/Lendlease: https://www.lendlease.com/au/sustainability/social-value/
What can sea turtles teach us about leadership?
In this podcast, Dan speaks with Ulises Ledesma about finding purpose, building high-performing teams, and creating cultures that truly connect with people. From saving thousands of turtle eggs to turning around luxury resorts, Ulises shares insights on:
Listen / watch now to find out more.
If you like this... why not subscribe so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com
What does learning really mean in 2025? How can L&D leaders keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology, culture, and business strategy?In this episode, Dan is joined by Ani Acker, Strategic Learning Executive with over 25 years’ experience in learning and development. Together, they explore the future of L&D and what it takes to build a truly agile learning culture.💡 Topics include:- Why L&D needs a revolution- Aligning learning with business outcomes- Becoming a “student of the business”- Core skills for L&D professionals- The power of experiential learningAni shares practical insights and bold perspectives on how learning must evolve to meet the needs of modern organizations – and why being deeply connected to the business is non-negotiable.📺 Watch now to discover how to shift mindsets, drive impact, and lead learning with purpose.🔗 Subscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@ImpactLiberatingHumanPotential🔗 Impact's website: https://impactinternational.com
Let's be honest, leading right now isn't easy. We're all trying to keep up with the pace of change. But what happens when you turn up that dial and leave the corporate office to operate on the frontlines of war zones and natural disasters? In this edition of In Good Company, Dan sits down with Hamish Wilson, a globally respected humanitarian and entrepreneur who uses his experiences from South Sudan to Somalia to help leaders navigate complexity and change. Hamish has worked in some of the world’s most volatile environments - earning honours like the Queen’s Medal for his work in Sierra Leone and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal for his service in Afghanistan.🎙️ What you’ll hear:✅ His experience and learnings from a career in humanitarian operations✅ What it means to lead through complexity and crisis✅ Trust, connection, and the human foundations of leadership✅ Systems leadership and collective action Hamish is also co-founder of Wasafiri, Africa’s leading systems change agency and sister company to Impact. Today, he helps senior leaders, from military commanders to corporate execs, thrive in fast-moving, high-stakes environments.💬 “I do think that we can often overlook how human the craft of leadership is. Fundamentally it’s about how you show up and how you connect with other people.”Listen / watch now to find out more.🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe to our YouTube and Spotify channels so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments. To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2 In Good Company on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/52pryH8Tden6lJcJ2rPlPj Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/ Hamish Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishwilson/Wasafiri website: https://wasafirihub.com/
Research shows us that global employee engagement is extremely low, and this comes at a high cost for organisations of all sectors and sizes – and for the global economy. Building engagement is a huge challenge. But what can leaders do about it? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Jon Hall about how to build engagement in your organisation. Based in the English Lake District, Jon is Head of Consulting for Impact UK.🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87🔗 Jon Hall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-hall-1322707/
How good are your listening skills? We might assume that listening is an innate human ability but, in reality, it’s a skill that must be cultivated. And often what we think counts as listening isn’t listening at all. Deep, active listening is a vital skill for leaders to develop. In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Greg Bartlett about how to develop this skill. Based in New South Wales, Greg is a Senior Consultant for Impact Australia. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Greg Bartlett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-bartlett-70575718/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
The future of leadership is about learning, and this means creating the conditions for others to learn and grow. When it comes to leading learning, there is one leadership style that stands out above all others: coaching. But what exactly is coaching? And how can a leader integrate this into their practice? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Sarah Osteen to explore these questions. Based in Seattle, Sarah is a Senior Consultant for Impact US. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Sarah Osteen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-osteen-6a4a561/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
To quote Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” And a learning mindset is the key for this. But what is a learning mindset? And how do you develop one? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Steven Nishida to explore these questions. Based in Los Angeles, Steven is Global Practice Lead and Senior Consultant for Impact. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Steven Nishida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishida/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
Do the challenges you face at work always feel simple? Can they always be fixed by one person alone? And can they always be solved with the same solutions that you’ve come to rely on in the past? The world is increasingly fraught with complexity, ambiguity and disruption. These challenges require leaders to draw, not on what they know already, but on who they know and what they can learn together. In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Agata Stanik about leading through complexity. Based in Warsaw, Agata is General Manager of Impact Poland. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87🔗 Agata Stanik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-stanik-382a603a/
In a poll of 14,000 leaders, what emerged as the most important leadership capability? Was it strategic thinking? Decisiveness? Pragmatism? Depending on how much you've already adopted a human-centred approach, you may or may not be surprised to hear that it's empathy. And we couldn't agree more. So why is empathy such an important capability for leaders? And how can leaders work on their ability to empathise with others? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Damiao Lo about empathy and how to build it. Based in Shanghai, Damiao is a Senior Consultant for Impact Asia. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook: https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Damiao Lo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damiao/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
At Impact, we like to say that self-awareness is the ability to notice yourself in the act of being yourself. It's also the starting point for leadership. But what do we actually mean by self-awareness? And how can leaders develop it? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Liz Wilson about all things self-awareness. Based in the English Lake District, Liz is a Senior Consultant for Impact UK. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Liz Wilson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizwilson1/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
A leader's success can often be measured by the strength of their relationships. Built on a solid foundation of trust, such relationships enable leaders to listen to other perspectives, ask bold questions, gain a broader understanding before making decisions, and leverage strong human connections for engagement and-buy in. In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Anthony Barrett about how to build these trusting relationships. Based in Cheshire in the UK, Anthony is a Senior Consultant for Impact UK. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Anthony Barrett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrettanthony/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
Rapid technological change presents organisations with both immense opportunities and significant challenges. But how can leaders understand and implement these technologies without leaving people behind? How can they get better at learning to keep pace with these changes? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan puts these questions to Wendy Lee. Based in New York, Wendy is Impact's Global Lead for Client Service and Operations. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Wendy Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-lee-24053612/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
The climate emergency, hybrid working, rapid technological developments, social inequity.... no single person can solve these complex challenges alone. Succeeding now and into the future requires leaders who can collaborate. But what does this mean? What does real collaboration look like and what skills does it require? In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Tim Raw about how to lead collaboration. Based in the South Island of New Zealand, Aotearoa, Tim is Impact's Global Head of Solutions & Practice. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Tim Raw on LinkedIn:https: //www.linkedin.com/in/tim-raw-02504117/ 🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
In this episode we look back at some of the podcast conversations we've had on In Good Company in the last six months. We pick six clips, featuring:David Pope - on the importance of voice and vocal awareness in virtual communication.Sarmista Mondol - talking about AI's role in talent development and compassionate leadership.Allie Ferrara - who emphasises the importance of providing meaning in work and human-centered leadership.Steve Hill - discussing neurodiversity and the importance of vulnerability in leadership.Dr Alia Bojilova - and her powerful storytelling focusing on resilience and practical tips for managing it.We then sneak in a plug for our summer season of podcasts featuring Impact colleagues talking about all aspects of leadership, created exclusively for our leadership playbook.🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe to our YouTube and Spotify channels so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments. To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com To access our leadership playbook: https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook#block-webform--2Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2 In Good Company on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/52pryH8Tden6lJcJ2rPlPj Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
What makes a great leader? Is it certain personality traits or skill sets? A job title? Something you're born with? At Impact we change the narrative on leadership by reframing it as a special type of action. And this action can emerge from anyone at any time. In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Maggie Pearce to explore this in more depth. Based in the English Lake District, Maggie is Global Practice Lead and Senior Consultant for Impact. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Maggie Pearce on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiepearce/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
How curious are you? Do you ask questions more than you make judgments? What role does curiosity play in your everyday life? Impact's approach to leadership starts with noticing that something is needed – leveraging curiosity to increase both inward and outward awareness. In this episode, created exclusively for the Impact leadership playbook, Dan chats to Trevor Johnson about curiosity. Based in Los Angeles, Trevor is a Senior Consultant at Impact US. 🔗 Get your hands on the leadership playbook - https://www.impactinternational.com/leadership-playbook 🔗 Follow Impact on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2🔗 Trevor Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-paul-johnson/🔗 Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/danjones87
Have you found your leadership voice?
David Pope joins our podcast to talk about an aspect of leadership we haven't covered in our 50+ episodes - and yet it's one that every leader has. A voice! How often do we stop to think about our voice? Do you spend as much time thinking about how you sound as you do on what you are going to say? What does your leadership voice say about you? How do others perceive your leadership, do they want to put their trust in you and follow your lead?
David is a BBC trained voiceover artist and director and the founder of All Voice Talent, and his conversation with Dan covers:
"Just like the camera never lies, the microphone never lies either. In leadership roles, you’ve got to be at peace with your voice—you need to understand its nuances, strengths, and weaknesses."
Listen / watch now to find out more.
🔔 If you like this... why not subscribe so you never miss an episode of In Good Company? Whether this is the first time you’ve found us or you’re a long-time listener, there's always something new to discover about human-centred organisations, leadership and learning. Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
To learn more about Impact, please visit https://www.impactinternational.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/impact-international_2 In Good Company on
Dan Jones on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjones87/
David Pope on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/popedavid/