Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast Podcast By Suzie Lewis cover art

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

Let's talk Transformation : The business leaders podcast

By: Suzie Lewis
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"Let's talk Transformation" is a podcast for busy yet curious people who want to stay connected. Bite sized chunks of thoughts and ideas on transformation and change to inspire and inform you - be it about digital, culture, innovation, change or leadership... ! Connect with us to listen to dynamic and curious conversations about transformation.Copyright 2026 Suzie Lewis Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • #164 Trauma-Informed Leadership: Building Regenerative organisations with Jessi Beyer

    #164 Trauma-Informed Leadership: Building Regenerative organisations with Jessi Beyer
    Mar 30 2026
    A crisis is not a dramatic event, but is any situation where circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope..What does this mean for leadership behaviour and psychological safety in teams ?Jessi and I discuss what trauma actually is and why it is present in organisations. We explore burnout, disengagement, and toxic culture, emphasizing the importance of intentionally designing leadership to counter these issues. Our discussion goes beyond typical well-being perks to explore the invisible dynamics of trauma at work and how leaders can unknowingly amplify it.Jessi Beyer, a crisis mental health clinician and SWAT negotiator, defines a crisis not as a dramatic event, but as any situation where circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope. This means that seemingly minor deviations in workplace behaviour—like chronic tardiness, increased irritability, or uncharacteristic outbursts—can signal an employee is in crisis. Recognizing these subtle shifts is crucial for early intervention, preventing situations from escalating to more severe emergencies.However, leaving these signs unheard is toxic. Many leaders feel discomfort when addressing an employee’s struggles, often citing lack of time or fear of saying the wrong thing. However, even a brief, genuine moment of connection can make an employee feel seen and less alone, planting a seed for future support and for their nervous system to calm down somewhat. The analogy between an organization and a human nervous system, is so important when we see that a leader’s tone, pacing, and language directly regulate the team’s emotional state. The “vibe” created by leaders profoundly impacts how employees feel, behave, and perform.Leaders who show up with empathy and a willingness to sit with discomfort create an environment where employees feel safe to bring their best selves to work. Listen for further insights and practices to help you anticipate and intentionally regulate your team's nervous systemThe main insights you'll get from this episode are :Prevention starts long before a crisis, responding to people’s worst moments; trauma can show up in everyday situations, hence trauma-informed leadership for situations in which circumstances exceed a person’s ability to cope. In the workplace, deviations from standard behaviour are warning signs for intervention; crisis requires safe regulation and emotional precision must overcome discomfort by creating a moment of connection.It is important to regulate the human nervous system, and organisations are systems that have an impact on their team’s state – an organisational culture must indicate safety, and leaders’ energy has a downstream effect.Culture is what you tolerate, based on lived experience, and leaders can interrupt harm in the moment by questioning to de-escalate the situation; addressing people directly is a way to anticipate the situation.Creating a culture in which other people see the harm demonstrates solidarity and ideally permeates all functions; it must be more than just a box-ticking exercise to dispel hyper-vigilance. A flat hierarchy allows a leader to be approached by taking a curious (and empathetic) view - leaders have experiences that make them toxic, often subconsciously, and psychoeducation can be helpful here. Daily practice to build a positive culture involves applauding the behaviour that you want; engaging in small, interpersonal exchanges makes a big difference, leading to incremental change over time. Awareness when it comes to change starts with recognition before action: the best leaders are often not those with the supervisory title, but those who inspire trust and support, with boundaries, and change lives.Healing from trauma requires learning that you have agency – work can be a place of healing with trauma-informed leadership: recognition, empathy, and a willingness to be uncomfortable and exposed to the full human experience. Compliance in the short term does not ensure professional growth, and leadership requires real listening without fixing, judging or shaming – essentially emotional regulation, restoring capacity, and fuelling performance.Find out more about Jessi and her work here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessierinbeyer/https://jessibeyerinternational.com/
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    37 mins
  • #163 Mastering AI & Human collaboration for better decisions with Russell Evans

    #163 Mastering AI & Human collaboration for better decisions with Russell Evans
    Mar 23 2026

    Implementing technically perfect solutions often meets unexpected resistance.

    Even with vast amounts of data and advanced AI, organizations struggle with decision-making.Russell and I explore why this is so. Because the problem isn’t always technical; it’s systemic. We discuss case studies where this happens and we see this pervasive structural issue. Dropping an amazing gadget into an ecosystem without addressing “structural changes” like incentives, rewards, and identity within the organization can lead to rejection. It’s not just about changing tech; it’s about changing the “collective habit of the system.” This idea of small impactful experiments and measurable success is key to creating momentum for adoption and scaling the understanding of the value of AI-human collaboration to drive organizational change.

    Leaders must address these systemic barriers in order for the organisations to intentionally redesign workflows, processes, relationships and results.

    What structural changes does your organization need to make to truly embrace AI-driven insights and transform decision-making?

    The main insights you'll get from this episode are :

    1. Decision-making is still a big failure point in transformation; even if data is perfect, humans still don’t make the right decisions due to excessive information and emotional aspects that cloud our judgement.
    2. The (dysfunctional) product innovation process clearly displays the consequences of a poor decision over the course of idea to product – despite huge input, many products don’t succeed.
    3. The competitive process of gaining customer insight is exacerbated by huge amounts of data and embodies a pervasive incentive system that is punitive if things go wrong or fail.
    4. AI makes things worse with a glut of data - we need a balance between humans enabled by AI (to provide sanity checks + intangibles) and the use of AI to synthesise and curate huge volumes of data.
    5. To keep humans in the loop, we must intentionally slow down in the rush to automate as AI + human outperforms either on their own; we can partner with AI to make sense of unstructured data as part of a stage gate model.
    6. Structural and systemic issues remain obstructive - leaders must disrupt the system to facilitate sustainable transformation, but legacy human systems are not as quick to update/upgrade as legacy tech systems.
    7. Leaders need compassion for this evolution and should aim to reshape rather than reduce their organisation; a pragmatic approach to understanding the tech and a vision for the organisation’s purpose and mission are vital.
    8. The potential of AI in future could see it empower us to make better decisions; it is time now for action to experiment and succeed on a small scale as a decisive factor for transformation.

    Find out more about Russell & his work here :

    https://www.zs.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellsevans/
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    37 mins
  • #162 Building Impact for justice with Mark Preston

    #162 Building Impact for justice with Mark Preston
    Mar 19 2026

    A special edition episode as part of Podcasthon, the world’s largest charity podcast event. This is dedicated to the Freedom and Justice partnership charity, which aims to bring education and inclusion to child miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

    Mark Preston’s journey began in January 2023 after reading “Cobalt Red,” a book that exposed the horrific conditions of artisanal cobalt mining in the DRC. Cobalt, a critical mineral used in modern technology, primarily comes from the DRC, with a significant portion sourced from artisanal mines where an estimated 200,000 children work in dangerous conditions. This realization, coupled with a quote from C.S. Lewis about the tendency to feel without acting, motivated Mark Preston to take action. We walk through their journey from awareness to action : the horror of artisanal mining, their vision for impact and scale and ultimately justice for children through rectifying broken systems.

    The Freedom and Justice Partnership employs a two-pronged strategy: “ground war” and “air war.” The “ground war” focuses on immediate relief by funding education for former child miners. The “air war” involves advocacy and policy work, with Mark Preston and Carl engaging with Parliament and various committees to influence policy changes. They are particularly focused on the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which will hold large companies accountable for their supply chain integrity, creating a cascading compliance effect for smaller businesses.

    The overarching goal is to rectify broken incentive structures that harm both the environment and people, while simultaneously providing relief to those suffering. We discuss the importance of agency, emphasizing that charity should empower rather than create dependency.

    Mark Preston encourages listeners to visit freedomandjusticepartnership.org, read “Hell on Rare Earth” to understand the issue, and consider donating to support their cause.

    Find out more about mark and the partnership here :

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-preston-contact/

    https://www.freedomandjusticepartnership.org

    https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Freedom-and-Justice-Partnership-61558804512321/

    Donate here : https://www.freedomandjusticepartnership.org/donate
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    25 mins
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