In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by coach, mentor and author Karen Foy.

Drawing on a career that has spanned nursing, psychology, the NHS and coaching, Karen reflects on her journey and explains why she believes many coaches and leaders hold themselves back by trying too hard to follow the rules.

Together, they explore authenticity, storytelling, curiosity and the power of meaningful conversations. Karen shares the thinking behind her book Breaking the Coaching Code, why listening remains one of the most powerful skills we possess, and how leaders can create greater impact through clarity, compassion, curiosity and courage.

This episode is for anyone interested in leadership, coaching and the art of connecting with others.

Connect with Karen

Karen's book: Breaking the Coaching Code

Explore the Coach Tribe: www.thecoachtribe.com

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Dr Badri Bajaj, global speaker, author on professional coach.

Badri shares his personal journey from exploring different career paths to finding his purpose in teaching, coaching, and positive psychology. The conversation explores what truly drives happiness, why modern life often reduces peace and presence, and how leaders can better support wellbeing in themselves and their teams.

Badri offers a grounded perspective on happiness, connection, and the importance of human conversation in leadership.

The discussion also explores practical ways leaders can create happier environments, from simply asking better questions to increasing connection, reflection, and time in nature.

A thoughtful and reflective conversation on happiness, leadership, and what it really means to live and work well.

Connect with Badri on LinkedIn

Badri's books: Happiness A to Z and Mosaic Leadership

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Brady Wilson, author, leadership thought leader and co-founder of Juice Inc., to explore how conversation can be used more intentionally to unlock performance, trust and collaboration in teams.

Brady shares insights from his work in leadership development, including why organisations struggle to have honest conversations, how conflict avoidance and over-agreeability can limit performance, and why shifting from “preferences” to “needs” can transform how teams operate.

The discussion explores the role of challenge, psychological safety, and intentional dialogue in building healthier organisational cultures. Brady also introduces practical tools and interventions that help leaders reduce tension, improve collaboration, and surface the conversations that too often go unsaid.

A practical and energetic conversation on leadership, communication, and the hidden dynamics that shape team performance.

Find out more about Juice Inc.

Brady's latest book: The Power of Conversation

Connect on LinkedIn

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tomas Mason are joined by author, professor and eminent philosopher Margaret Heffernan. Drawing on a career spanning the BBC, technology start-ups, academia and bestselling books, Margaret explores why capable people and successful organisations often miss or ignore the warning signs that are directly in front of them.

The conversation focuses on her influential book Wilful Blindness and unpacks the human behaviours that drive poor decision-making, organisational silence and ethical failure. Margaret explains how exhaustion, conformity, hierarchy and excessive competition can all reduce a leader’s ability to see clearly, and why speaking up in organisations is far rarer than most leaders assume.

She also shares practical ways leaders can design environments where people are more likely to challenge, think clearly and raise concerns early.

A powerful and practical discussion for anyone interested in leadership, culture and how organisations can avoid repeating the same avoidable mistakes.

Connect with Margaret: Website: Margaret Heffernan Substack: Available via www.mheffernan.com

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Max Klau, founder of the Centre for Courageous Wholeness, for a powerful conversation on servant leadership, shadow work, self-awareness, and the future of leadership development.

Together, they explore why every leader has both “light” and “shadow”, how unconscious behaviours shape teams and organisations, and why leadership growth starts with inner development, not just external performance.

Max shares insights from his work developing servant leaders across education, politics, and coaching, including the impact of helping leaders confront the gap between who they aspire to be and how they actually show up under pressure.

The conversation also explores:

• Why self-awareness alone isn’t enough
• How shadow shows up in leadership and organisational culture
• The relationship between coaching, integrity, and emotional responsibility
• Why AI is making inner development more important than ever
• How leaders can build habits of reflection without overcomplicating the process

A thought-provoking episode for leaders, coaches, and anyone interested in conscious leadership and personal growth.

Connect with Max on LinkedIn

Find out more about the Centre for Courageous Wholeness

Max's book: Developing Servant Leaders at Scale

Find out more about Max

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tomas Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Jonathan Stutz, founder and president of Global Diversity Partners and an inclusion expert.

Drawing on his extensive experience at Microsoft, Amazon, and beyond, Jonathan explores what it really takes to build inclusive environments where people can thrive. The conversation dives into practical leadership behaviours, from daily habits and one-to-one conversations to hiring practices and speaking up when it matters most.

Together, they discuss how leaders can move beyond surface-level inclusion to develop deeper awareness, stronger judgement, and more intentional decision-making. It’s a grounded, insightful conversation about leadership, accountability, and the small practices that shape culture over time.

A practical and thought-provoking episode for anyone interested in leadership, culture, and better ways of working.

Find out more: Global Diversity Partners

Reach Jonathan at: jmstutz@gmail.com

Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn

What’s the difference between coaching and therapy? Why do so many leaders struggle to speak up, set boundaries, and prepare with intention?

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tom Mason welcome back executive coach and host of The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast, Tom Henschel, for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on leadership, coaching, self-awareness, and communication.

Together, they explore why preparation matters more than leaders realise, the growing challenge of speaking up and being heard, and how leaders can give feedback without judgement. The conversation dives into emotional responsibility, deep listening, leadership authenticity, and the pressure many leaders feel to “fix” every problem around them.

A standout moment is Tom Henschel’s brilliant analogy comparing therapy to repairing potholes in the road, while coaching helps people learn how to drive around them. It’s a simple but powerful way of understanding the role coaching can play in leadership development.

The episode also takes an unexpected turn into gardening, California wildflowers, and the importance of slowing down and staying curious.

A thoughtful, practical, and deeply human conversation for leaders, coaches, and anyone interested in personal growth.

Find Tom on LinkedIn.

Listen to The Look & Sound of Leadership Podcast: episode #246 Coaching versus Therapy.

Download the Giving Upward Feedback PDF.

Link to the Wildflower Hotline

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Adam Finch, a high-performing coach and founder of 'That Training Guy'.

Adam shares his journey into leadership and development, from delivering sofas and studying for his CIPD in the evenings, through to leading L&D teams and building his own coaching and team development business.

The conversation explores the growing pressure leaders face in modern organisations, particularly the impact of constant meetings, operational demands and lack of space for meaningful development. Adam reflects on why leaders often become stuck in the day-to-day, and how this can unintentionally limit the growth and confidence of their teams.

The episode also focuses on the importance of team development and why organisations often prioritise developing individual leaders while overlooking the collective performance of teams. Adam shares his perspective on mindset change, high-performing team cultures and the role self-awareness plays in leadership effectiveness.

A practical and honest conversation about leadership, development and creating environments where teams can thrive together.

Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

'That Training Guy' - LinkedIn page