Description

In pressured situations, human connection is more needed than ever. Military leader and media strategist Lesley Woods excels at forging those connections. In this episode, she shares her experiences of reaching across divides to build bonds, crafting communications to tell the stories of her military colleagues, and how she has learned the leadership skill of lifting up those around her.

Lesley Woods is a military leader and media strategist, leading communications for the MoD, as well as a serving senior officer in the Royal Air Force reserves.

As you’ll hear, her career has taken her around the world, and into situations which range from the life threatening to the life affirming, from hostile to humanitarian. She has seen and experienced first-hand how humans respond under extreme pressure.

In this conversation Lesley shares:

• Her insights into how to build bridges across cultures and language differences, how to comfort people when they fear for their lives, how to encourage personal messages from people who might not want to let their guard down, and how to help yourself and others get their emotional reactions under control.
• Different ways to tell stories, including combining words and images, and how stories and messages are formulated and crafted.
• Learning to tell your own story, including Lesley’s practice of keeping a notebook to jot down thoughts and reflections as they happen.
• Growing as a leader, to gain the confidence to lift up those around you and spot those times when you can support less experienced colleagues or people to take an opportunity.

This is a window into a world most of us haven’t experienced, but which sheds light on the same human connections that we’re all familiar with.

Speak to the human is a podcast by Acteon a communication and learning agency that harnesses behavioural insights to help organisations connect with their people and deliver positive change. Find out more at acteoncommunication.com.