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The LEADing Edge

The LEADing Edge

By: LEAD Network
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Welcome to The LEADing Edge, the podcast of LEAD Network


In this podcast, we explore strategies for advancing gender equity and inclusion in the workplace through innovative ideas and insightful conversations. In each episode, our hosts, Allyson Zimmermann and Sarah McGowan, are joined by leaders from the Consumer Goods and Retail industry who are making a tangible impact on creating a more inclusive world.


LEAD Network is a non-profit organization with a mission to attract, retain and advance women in the Consumer Goods & Retail industry, creating sustainable business value. With over 22,000 Members and over 65 corporate Partners, we are committed to building a diverse and equitable workforce where everyone can contribute and grow, and organisations thrive. Discover how you can be part of this transformative movement by visiting theleadnetwork.net.


Allyson Zimmermann is the CEO of LEAD Network. Sarah McGowan is a HR consultant and strategic advisor with over 25 years of industry experience.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

LEAD Network
Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Our New Report - Rethinking Career Advancement
    Jun 4 2026

    In this episode, Sarah McGowan and Allyson Zimmermann unpack LEAD Network's new report, Built for All: Rethinking Career Advancement in Retail and CPG, developed in partnership with Shape Talent.

    The report explores the key barriers to career advancement across the industry, highlighting findings such as women's greater concern about how they are perceived in meetings, the feelings of guilt and fear that can accompany requests for pay increases, and the ongoing tension between career progression and caregiving responsibilities.


    Alongside the report, LEAD Network has also published a solutions playbook designed to help organisations address these systemic challenges. The playbook is available to LEAD Network members and member companies here. You can also access the full report here


    With Sharon Peake, fournder and CEO of Shape Talent.


    Podcast producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    28 mins
  • Best of the 2025 Conference
    Apr 13 2026

    Allyson Zimmermann brings you key insights from our 2025 conference in Milan, exploring what inclusive leadership really looks like in today’s environment.


    Featuring insights from Paolo Grue, President and CEO of Procter & Gamble Italy; Begoña Jiménez, CVP Global Laundry, Henkel Consumer Brands; Francesco Del Porto, President, Italy Region, and Global Chief Customer Officer, Barilla Group; Amri B. Johnson, CEO of Inclusive Wins; Jérôme Garbi, Global Cheese CO & CEO for EMEAO, Bel Group; Mariama Conteh, Senior Inclusion & Diversity, Mars UK; and Charlotte Exell, Group Online Director, Morrisons.


    Podcast producer: Julien Manuguerra-Patten

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    34 mins
  • Courage in Leadership
    Mar 20 2026

    Allyson Zimmermann and Sarah McGowan challenge the common idea that courage in leadership has to be bold and visible. Instead, they argue that real courage is often quiet, relational, and easy to overlook. But crucially, the episode doesn’t just redefine courage; it offers clear, actionable ways to practise it.


    With Begoña Jiménez, Global Corporate Vice President at Henkel.


    References:


    Brescoll, V. L. (2011). Who takes the floor and why: Gender, power, and volubility in organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 56(4), 622–641. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839212439994

    Detert, J. R. (2018). Cultivating everyday courage. Harvard Business Review, 96(6), 128–135.

    https://hbr.org/2018/11/cultivating-everyday-courage

    Detert, J. R., & Bruno, E. A. (2017). Workplace courage: Review, synthesis, and future agenda for a complex construct. Academy of Management Annals, 11(2), 593–639. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2015.0155

    Grant, A. M. (2013). Rocking the boat but keeping it steady: The role of emotion regulation in employee voice. Academy of Management Journal, 56(6), 1703–1723. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.0035

    Harbour, M., & Kisfalvi, V. (2014). In the eye of the beholder: An exploration of managerial courage. Journal of Business Ethics, 119(4), 493–515. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-013-1835-7

    Howard, M. C., & Fox, F. R. (2020). Does gender have a significant relationship with social courage? Test of dual sequentially mediated pathways. Personality and Individual Differences, 159, 109904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.109904

    Kennedy, J. A., Kray, L. J., & Ku, G. (2017). A social-cognitive approach to understanding gender differences in negotiator ethics: The role of moral identity. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 138, 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2016.11.003

    Ogunfowora, B., Maerz, A., & Varty, C. T. (2021). How do leaders foster morally courageous behavior in employees? Leader role modeling, moral ownership, and felt obligation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(4), 483-503.

    Tremmel, M., & Wahl, I. (2023). Gender stereotypes in leadership: Analyzing the content and evaluation of stereotypes about typical, male, and female leaders. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1034258. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1034258

    Tkachenko, O. (2018). Courage in the workplace: The effects of organizational level and gender on the relationship between behavioral courage and job performance. https://doi.org/10.1017/JMO.2018.12

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    25 mins
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