Leadership Unplugged: Breaking Barriers for Future Leaders

Hosted by Leadership Unplugged with Hasan Ahmad and Mohammed Khan

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Latest episode

Jun 2024

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About the show

Welcome to the home of great conversation. We're a podcast with a simple mission: break down barriers and inspire the next generation of leaders. We speak to a range of diverse leaders, from Corporate Executives and Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists, to Creatives and Academics. We deep dive into the people behind the titles, dissecting their journeys and understanding what makes them tick. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or setting sail in uncharted waters, we hope you’ll find inspiration, guidance and amusement. Join the conversation!

Listen to episodes

14 recent

June 10, 2024Episode 51 hr 3 min

Joe Seddon: Aiming high with Zero Gravity

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Joe Seddon, the visionary founder of Zero Gravity, a groundbreaking platform transforming the landscape of social mobility. In this episode, Joe shares his journey from coding in his childhood bedroom in Yorkshire to creating a tech-driven enterprise that empowers thousands of students from low-opportunity backgrounds to access top universities and careers. We talk to Joe about the driving forces behind his entrepreneurial spirit, reflections on the challenges and triumphs of being a founder, and his unyielding belief in utilising technology for social good. Joe candidly discusses the realities of startup life, the importance of building a culture that mirrors personal values, and the role of intellectual curiosity in shaping his path. 📌 Key Topics: The genesis of Zero Gravity and its mission to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity Joe's personal journey from West Yorkshire to founding a tech startup The role of resilience, passion, and delusional self-belief in entrepreneurship Building a brand and culture that reflect personal values The transformative power of technology in education and career development 🎧 Available on Spotify and YouTube. Subscribe now!

April 8, 2024Episode 457 min

Azeem Akhtar: A journey of empowering and serving others

This week’s episode features Azeem Akhtar, Field CTO for BT’s International Business From how religion has informed his views on leadership to childhood anecdotes and lessons for the next generation of leaders, listen in for an all encompassing conversation from a leader who has experienced it all. Key takeaways from this episode: 🚨Don't try and be somebody you are not because you’ll get found out 📢 Be clear in your own mind about the value you’re adding to the role you are doing 😀Keep a smile on your face, people don't think about this very often but it goes a long way ⁠Join the conversation!⁠

March 25, 202459 min

Sonikka: Journalism in an age of misinformation

This week’s episode features Sonikka, a journalist with experience working at CNN’s Washington bureau, Indian newspaper The Hindu and incoming producer at Bloomberg. From what it’s like reporting on politics from Washington during a Trump presidency to covering judicial reform in India and producing data-driven journalism, listen in for a deep dive into the highs and lows of a career in multimedia journalism. Some of the topics we touch on: 🌍 growing up as third culture kids grappling with identity and belonging 📖 her passion for storytelling 📈 the power of data driven journalism in an age of misinformation Join the conversation! You can follow Sonikka on LinkedIn here.

March 8, 2024Episode 21 hr 9 min

Bano Sheikh: Agility, grit and unshakable faith

An International Women’s Day special with Bano Sheikh, Parter at KPMG. From Lahore to London, Bano’s journey has been defined by agility, grit and unshakable faith. A trailblazer in many ways, Bano was the first woman to qualify with the ACCA in Pakistan, and is among the first few female Muslim partner in the Big 4. Listen in for an inspiring and motivational tale of courage, values and business success! You can follow Bano on LinkedIn here Learn more about Leadership Unplugged here

February 23, 2024Episode 150 min

Kevin Ellis: What it takes to lead a 175 year old business

Kevin Ellis CBE is Chairman and Senior partner of PwC's UK and Middle East alliance. As the Big 4 firm celebrates its 175th anniversary, we explore what it takes to lead a business which delivers for its clients, people and society. We delve into Kevin's personal story, his career journey and the sorts of problems which occupy a chairman's time and attention. From championing diversity and inclusion to what really happens at Davos, listen in for a unique insight into a remarkable business, and the people and culture which make it what it is.

November 24, 2023Episode 842 min

Abbas Arslan: Inside the mind of Coca-Cola's Director of Marketing

Abbas is a Senior Marketing Director at Coca Cola, one of the world's most powerful brands. We delve into creative thinking, marketing strategy and creating successful brands. Listen in on his remarkable journey from Lahore to the Middle East and the USA.

November 17, 20231 hr 11 min

Liz Sweigart: Why most organisations get leadership wrong!

This week’s guest is Liz Sweigart, ex PwC partner turned entrepreneur and social activist. Liz talks to us about growing up in NYC, life in the Big 4 and the mental health challenges faced during her journey. She also dives into why most organisational leadership is flawed and provides tips on how to cultivate strong leaders for the future. In this episode we talk to Liz about her own Mental Health journey which may be difficult for some listeners. You can find details of charities you can contact or support here: Mind (UK) - https://www.mind.org.uk/ National Alliance on Mental Illness (US) - https://www.nami.org/Home Liz Houston Marathon for Mental Health America (International) - https://fundraisers.hakuapp.com/Liz If you need to speak to someone immediately then please do contact Samaritans on 116 123 who are available 24/7. There is a lot to take away from this episode and we hope you enjoy our conversation with Liz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 13, 2023Episode 61 hr 5 min

Edward Keelan: Growing up with dyslexia made me comfortable with failure

Edward Keelan, Partner at Octopus Ventures, shares his experiences growing up with dyslexia, pursuing his passion for entrepreneurship and his career in Venture Capital. With over 13 years of investing experience, Edward talks us through growing up in an entrepreneurial family, the lessons this taught him from a young age and his commitment to mentoring young people who wouldn’t typically have access to such careers. Here are 3 key takeaways from Episode 6: 1) To be the best, you have to outwork those around you. Talent will only get you so far. If you can outwork those around you, the sky is the limit. 2) Learn to become comfortable with failure. It's the only way to develop as a person but can also be the hardest skill to harness. 3) Being in a position of privilege is only powerful when you are able to serve the communities who nurtured you. Volunteer to help your community and open doors for people.

October 6, 202354 min

Anishka Prasad: When there are no opportunities, create your own!

Hasan speaks to Anishka Prasad, Head of Strategy & Operations at Future VC. Anishka talks about growing up in Fiji, moving multiple times to both New Zealand and the UK, life as a lawyer and working in the VC world. Anishka describes some of the hurdles she has faced as a woman of colour in a predominantly male industry, and the mindset she has adopted to overcome these challenges. She also draws parallels between her childhood and the personal attributes which have contributed to her professional success. Our three main takeaways from this episode: If opportunities don't exist, it doesn't mean you should sit still. Go out there and create your own opportunities. There is always someone who is working harder than you to achieve the same thing. Use that as motivation to be better. Be open to experiences and opportunities - you can learn something from everyone. Whether you give them five minutes of your time or five hours, there's something to be learned.

September 22, 2023Episode 41 hr 8 min

Ibrahim Khan: Following your passion whilst uplifting others

This week’s guest is Ibrahim Khan, co-founder of IFG and Cur8 Capital. After studying PPE at Oxford, Ibrahim pursued a lucrative career in law at Ashurst, but always knew his true calling was entrepreneurship. We delve into this journey, starting with an educational blog and transforming into what is now IFG and Cur8 capital. Here are our key takeaways: Figure out what you’re good at, passionate about, and can get paid for You owe it to yourself to consistently invest in your vision, no matter how small you start Business and contributing to society are fundamentally about finding human solutions to human problems