Episodes
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Iona Ledwidge is CEO of Resurgo Trust, an organisation that exists to build sustainable social change. She joins Dolly Waddell to break down what makes great leadership - hint: it's a lot of trust, consistency, and tapping in to the power of listening.
They explore the impact of small actions, the importance of investing in people, and how diversity strengthens organisations. Iona shares her journey as a CEO, while Dolly highlights the balance between respect and likability in leadership. They also discuss overcoming imposter syndrome, tackling toxic cultures, and how mentorship drives growth.
Follow The extra-Ordinary Leader wherever you get podcasts, and if you'd like to book Dolly to speak at your next event please visit dollywaddell.com
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Can you build something well and build it fast? Can a high-performance culture also be a high-trust culture?
I’m joined by Gareth Anderson, Head of Business Management at Allica Bank, to unpack what it takes to lead in a fast-scaling, high-growth business—without burning out your people or losing sight of what really matters.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll take away from this episode:
Why real leadership starts with trust, not control.How celebrating failure creates a culture of innovation and growth.The shift from managing schedules to managing energy.How to balance results with sustainable leadershipIf you’ve ever wondered how to grow a business without losing its soul, this episode is for you.
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Missing episodes?
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Did you know you can create your own GPT bot that's trained on your personal values, leadership lessons and more? Dr Gary Crotaz is host of The Unlock Moment podcast and a leadership speaker and coach. He joins me on the show to talk it through.
You will:
Discover how AI tools like ChatGPT can dramatically increase productivity and reshape leadership roles.Understand the intersection of AI and leadership from Gary’s perspective as a seasoned executive coach.Learn about the "Unlock Moment"—a concept fundamental to transformational leadership and personal breakthrough.Hear our debate on the potential and ethics of AI in the workplace, and how leaders can harness new technologies while maintaining a human touch.Will it be a revolution in leadership? Listen to find out, and try Gary's GPT (that's a Generative Pre-trained Transformer - a type of large language model) here: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6772e5e140948191b7767f29035328d4-executive-coach
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Dolly Waddell chats with former rally champion, TV presenter, and mental toughness expert Penny Mallory. Together, they unpack the secrets of mental resilience, the surprising power of sensitivity, and how to embrace challenges like a champion.
You'll hear how to:
Strengthen your mentality: it’s about managing stress, pressure, and adversity while staying empathetic and grounded.Build resilience: Penny explains how toughness evolves across life’s challenges and how to build it daily.Prepare for success: Rally driving taught Penny that 95% of success is preparation, and she shares how this applies to leadership and lifeWant to transform your team or audience into extra-0rdinary leaders? Dolly brings her unique insights and dynamic energy to every business consultancy and talk. Her approach combines real-world leadership expertise with a fresh, human perspective that inspires change. Visit dollywaddell.com to book a chat.
For more from Penny please check out her website, it's https://pennymallory.co.uk/
and to purchase her incredible book, go to https://pennymallory.co.uk/buy-books -
Creativity is such a powerful driver for impactful leadership. Tapping into it is the hard the part. Dolly joins Dan Maudhub, founder & CEO of the Wonderful Group, a group of companies with a common mission to help change lives and businesses, to find out how it's done.
In this episode, you'll hear the importance of challenging assumptions, adopting divergent thinking (and what this means in 2025), and integrating consistent effort to achieve meaningful change. Dan shares his story on uncovering organisational “wonder,” balancing big ideas with practical implementation, and drawing inspiration from diverse industries. -
Storytelling is a business essential. So how do you do it? Dolly talks to Noa Maxwell, presentation coach and consultant, to find out.
Noa, a former actor, prepares executives to handle tough Q&A sessions with investors, shareholders and reporters, and provides clients with techniques which provide the winning edge in bids for new business.
Together Noa and Dolly discuss the ways to make sure authority and authenticity coexist in your leadership, how to transform your presentations, and how your personal experiences can shape your brand. -
This season of The extra-Ordinary Leader, we are doing things a bit different, so our extra-Ordinary is coming from some unique places. This week, Dolly is joined by Julia Parker, author, educator and gardener. Julia has spent a career creating safe spaces for growth, and here she explains, using the metaphor of a greenhouse, how she drives creativity. As we discuss gardens and nature, we learn how in a similar vein, we need to consider how to grow the people and cultures we are a part of.
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Welcome to Season 3 of The Extra-Ordinary Leader.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell, is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help you find the extra in your extra-Ordinary.
To kick off the new season, Dolly is joined by Russell Harvey, the Resilience Coach. What does it mean to be a resilient leader? What exactly is resilience in business?
Harvey shares his tips on delegating effectively, and how to have quality conversations to improve performance. Leaders should focus on three responsibilities, listen to the episode to hear what traits Russell values the most.
Embrace your unique qualities as a leader to make a positive impact, and unlock the extra in your extra-Ordinary.
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Welcome to a brand-new season!
Bringing together coaches, consultants and some extra-Ordinary leaders (a gardener and a fisherman no less), season 3 will bring you extra tactics that you can add to your Ordinary. -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
This week, Dolly is joined by Wendi Cochrane, experienced senior leader and consultant, with over 15 years experience in HR.
They explore how we can put the ‘human’ back in ‘human resources’, why HR is the most powerful tool in our arsenal when it comes to employee engagement, and how we can actually get to know our teams.
Is HR the hidden heartbeat of business? Should all business leaders be trained in HR? And how can we overcome the most difficult challenges HR leaders face today?
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Wendi, find her here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendi-cochrane-chartered-mcipd-6476a029/?originalSubdomain=uk
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
This episode explores whether a focus on the bottom line is the best approach for sustainable, extra-Ordinary leadership.
Joined by Fabrice Desmarescaux, Partner at McKinsey & Company and author of the highly rated The Art of Retreats: A Leader's Journey Toward Clarity, Balance And Purpose, Dolly delves into an in-depth discussion of community, the eco-systems of business, and challenging traditional approaches.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Fabrice, find him here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabrice-desmarescaux/
McKinsey & Co: https://www.mckinsey.com/
The Art of Retreats: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Retreats-Leaders-Journey-Clarity-ebook/dp/B09RQ31S88
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
This episode flips the script on resilience with Olivia Shone, a leading psychotherapist and resilience and well-being expert.
Together, they explore how surrendering can unlock a deeper level of resilience, the link between “funfulness” and scaling through adversity, and their shared experiences of leading with resilience in a fast-paced world.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Olivia, find her here:
Website: https://www.meaningfulwellbeing.com/
---------------------------To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/
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Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
In this episode, Dolly welcomes a very special guest to the show: Dr Chi-Chi Obuaya, a consultant psychiatrist who specialises in adult mental health conditions.
During this wide-ranging conversation, they both explore the link between medicine and effective leadership strategies, the one button you need to switch off as a leader, and why slowing down and allowing open dialogue can lead to deeper insights and better solutions.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Dr Chi-Chi, find him here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiedu-obuaya-28a35332
Website: https://www.drchiclinic.com/
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
This week, Dolly welcomes James Rutter, Chief Creative Officer at COOK, to the show.
In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore how to apply your organisational values in a leadership framework, why disconnection is the biggest enemy for leaders, and how clearly articulating your company values can lead to a growth spurt.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with James, find him here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rutter-8972079
---------------------------To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
In this episode, Dolly is joined by Nicholas Wainwright, President of Boodles – and her dad.
Together, they explore his top insights for exceptional leadership – drawn from over half a century’s worth of experience at the helm of a successful, family-owned business – old school vs new age leadership, and why a phone call can often yield better results than a cold email.
What old school leadership strategies do we need to hold on to? What do we need to let go of? And how does it all come together?
Find out in this episode.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of Extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
In this episode, Dolly is joined by Daniel Astarita, Managing Director at Kesslers & Proportion London and a man who knows what it means to lead with character.
Many years ago, Daniel’s business crashed, and he had to make over 180 employees redundant, thus losing the trust of customers, stakeholders, and employees. However, he managed to rise from the ashes and make a comeback.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dolly and Daniel discuss his experience with business failure, how he repaired the scars by being honest, open, and vulnerable, and what it truly means to lead with character.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Daniel, find him here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-astarita-1732bb2a
Website: https://www.kesslers.com/
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/?originalSubdomain=uk
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone lead with more connection.
In this episode, Dolly welcomes a special guest to the show – Germain St-Denis, a passionate leadership consultant and the author of Empowering People Through Caring Leadership.
Together, they discuss the benefits of people-first leadership, how to equip your team with the tools they need for success, and why stopping to ask the right questions can help you drive performance.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Germain, find him here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/germain-st-denis
Website: https://germainstdenis.ca/
---------------------------To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/?originalSubdomain=uk
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
We could all do with a little more energy in the workplace, and this episode is the perfect starter pack.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, mother, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone add a little something extra to their ordinary.
In this episode, Dolly is joined by Chris Baréz-Brown, author, speaker, and founder of Upping Your Elvis.
Together, they explore how leaders can optimise energy at work, why escaping the “auto-pilot mode” is the key to leading with more connection, and how the hunter-gatherer instinct impacts the way we work and lead.
What does our biological design say about our energy levels? And how can we leverage this innate design not just to optimise our own energy at work but also to influence energy dynamics within the teams we lead?
Find out in this wide-ranging conversation.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Chris, find him here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-bar%C3%A9z-brown-0695531
Website: https://www.uppingyourelvis.com/
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Resources mentioned:
The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen Covey.
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/?originalSubdomain=uk
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Season 2 of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone add a little something extra to their ordinary.
In this first episode of Season 2, Dolly takes us back to her original mission statement, what being a connected leader truly means, and the exciting insights this new season has in store for you.
Stay tuned for more episodes of extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/?originalSubdomain=uk
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ -
Welcome to Extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell.
Experienced business consultant, speaker, mother, and Founder of The People Performance Consultancy, Dolly Waddell is on a mission to revitalise leadership and help everyone add a little something extra to their ordinary.
In this season finale episode, Dolly reflects back on an exciting first season, drawing together the key wisdom of some of the influential guests that have joined her over the months.
What can we learn from ex-Rugby League Captain Stevie Ward’s take on resilience? How did trainer, coach, and facilitator John Elloway’s take on binary thinking reframe Dolly’s perception of a black and white world? And what did serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Steve Cockram teach us about knowing ourselves?
Join Dolly for an inspiring rundown of the wisdom shared over the course of Extra-Ordinary Leaders season 1, including why we needed to stay grounded in the ordinary, how energy is a currency we must spend wisely, and why self-management is the tool that unlocks it all.
Stay tuned for season 2 of Extra-Ordinary Leaders with Dolly Waddell, coming soon.
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Resources mentioned:Peter Drucker Managing Oneself: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Managing-Oneself-Harvard-Business-Classics/dp/142212312X
Stephen Covey The 8th Habit: https://www.amazon.co.uk/8th-Habit-Effectiveness-Stephen-Covey/dp/0743287932
The Johari Window: https://www.mindtools.com/au7v71d/the-johari-window
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To get in touch with Dolly, find her here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dollywaddell/?originalSubdomain=uk
The People Performance Consultancy: https://www.dollywaddell.com/ - Show more
