Shows
TesseTalksOverthinking - Killing Your VibesKnown as the workplace culture whisperer, Dr Jolene Church, a leadership expert and sought after keynote speaker, helps teams and organizations build cultures where people feel seen, heard, and valued. With over two decades of experience transforming teams across government or Fortune 500 companies and global nonprofit, she excels at bringing a human centred approach to leadership, fuelling engagement, belonging, and real-world results. Dr Jolene changed schools 33 times, Kindergarten through 12. She had to build a relationship and then move on. No surprise then that, some of her oldest relationships are from childhood days. "I looked at it i...
2025-11-1327 min
TesseTalksBuilding ResilienceIn conversation with Laura Gates In building resilience leaders and organizations, recognise the parts of the business that are not doing well. Some parts of the system are operating ways simply out of habit or normalised patterns that aren't helpful to the business anymore. To sharpen the strategic perspective, effective leaders need to make sure they can carve out space and time to think and reflect. It's amazing the ideas, innovative, creative thoughts that come through when leaders are able to step back and get an expanded perspective. Resilience grows through connection and tru...
2025-10-3029 min
Surrendering to the Signs6. Beyond GrievingIn this expansive and heartfelt conversation, Laura reconnects with her dear friend and fellow guide, Tesse Akpeki, to explore how we cultivate resilience in times of chaos, grief, and transformation. Tesse shares her deeply personal journey, shaped by global roots, professional pivots, and profound loss and how a serendipitous solo trip to Ghana became a turning point in her healing.Together, Laura and Tesse reflect on how disruption can become a doorway to presence, purpose, and inner strength. They talk about the power of self-compassion, the need to honor our own timeline for grieving, and how unexpected...
2025-10-2452 min
TesseTalksMy Life Caring for Frank"I'm not going to say it was any prettier than it was, but it was an honour to take care of him. He was a great husband". In "My life Caring for Frank", Carol Weisman shares as she talks about her life caring for her beloved husband Frank. She put a pause on her consultancy and speaking. She's now returning to international work, grateful for the time she spent with Frank and looking forward to connecting with the world once again.
2025-10-0928 min
TesseTalksLife After LossCarol Weisman founded Board Builders, an international consultant firm focused on fundraising, philanthropy, and governance in 1994. She is the author of 11 books and is writing her 12th. In 2020, her husband Frank Robbins was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, and spinal stenosis. Carol had to take a pause on her consultancy and speaking business to care for him. Frank, sadly passed away in January of 2025. Carol is now returning to international work, grateful for the time she spent with Frank. In Life After Loss, she speaks candidly about connecting with the world once again and how life...
2025-08-1429 min
TesseTalksTalking about Teams - What Makes Teams Resilient?Stephen Light shines light on Team Resiliency. "What makes a high-performing, resilient team is when people know that they feel safe on that team." He says "The teams who stick together, the teams who understand that we have each other's backs. They feel safe around each other. They trust each other. They are aligned on a common vision, a common effort that they are working towards. They talk with each other, recognising where each other are, they are human to human with each other. And what that does is help people's resiliency come out, because, when you...
2025-07-1724 min
TesseTalksThe Intersection of Faith, Work and LifeThe Intersection, Faith, Work, and Life is an introduction to God's Design for Integrated Living. The Cities Project Global. awakens equip and unleash leaders into the city. Through Leadership Circles, the reach becomes impactful. The Leadership Circle is a nine-topic worldview journey into faith, vocation, and culture. And it's, a guided journey that facilitates the growth of leaders through these nine topics. Along the way these leaders get a clearer picture of where to focus their attention. Dr Robert C Varney and Hugh W Brandt introduce the design for integrated living in a very accessible and practical wa...
2025-06-1930 min
Coaching ConversationsHand in Hand – Compassion and Compliance?Join your host, Sharon Lawton, for a Coaching Conversation Special as part of our International Coaching Week Celebrations to celebrate the power of coaching in people's lives with Tesse Akpeki FCG.In this conversation Tesse will share her own personal story growing up in the troubles in Belfast and her life in West Africa and London. She will dovetail this with her professional journey, having been trained in the States, Canada, West Africa, and the UK and honing her craft working across the world undertaking International Development Leadership work. Then, her world fell apart after her beloved brother and...
2025-05-1648 min
TesseTalksStorytelling - Leadership Narratives that Build Healthy CommunitiesStorytelling: Leadership that build healthy communities is such a timely theme to talk about. "If we want the best out of our people, we have to treat our people well. You can't rely on them being resilient if you're trying your best to kill them with structure. We are maturing to be more focused on the contributor, not the contribution. The biggest piece of resilience is believing that you can rebound, you can overcome, you can come back, you can heal. To believe that you can't, proves you can't, and makes it so you won't. You've got to...
2025-05-0227 min
TesseTalksIntroducing Future-Focus, Well-Being and ResilienceFuture-Focus, Well-Being and Resilience focuses on journeys that can keep us well and support our resilience. No two journeys are the same. We also recognise habits, practices, lessons that nurture us and help us flourish, support us to be fruitful and enable us to move from surviving to thriving. 1. We love to capture and share pearls of insight and wisdom. These are aired in our podcast, blogs and guest appearances across the world. 2. We touch on hope as the gift that keeps giving . We explore being future focused as we are shaping our pathway through life and living...
2025-04-1511 min
Leadership Circle PodcastFrom Trauma to Triumph: A Conversation That Will Change Your Perspective with Tesse AkpekiHow do we transform pain into purpose?In our latest Leadership Circle Podcast episode, Tesse Akpeki shares her powerful journey of loss, resilience, and hope.In this deeply personal and introspective conversation, Tesse and I explore the challenges of navigating a complex and often traumatic world. We discuss the importance of selective media consumption, recognizing how constant exposure to negative news can be emotionally detrimental.Tesse shares her personal experiences, including the loss of her brother in a tragic hit-and-run accident and her struggles with feeling overwhelmed by global suffering.The dialogue...
2025-04-1052 min
TesseTalksFinding JoyTesse Akpeki says " When I prioritise finding joy in what I do, success follows naturally. Creating balance, addressing a tendency towards workaholism, seeking meaning and purpose as I aim for excellence are important features as I flesh out my pathway to wellbeing. A few years ago I came to the conclusion that I wish to enjoy what I do. Work hard, yes of course, but not at the expense of burning myself out. Exploration, discovery, learning and cooperation feature highly through my lens of what matters. I am ecstatic when the work I do makes a difference to my...
2025-03-1307 min
TesseTalksLeading and Governing EffectivelyLeading and governing effectively recognises that "people are an integral factor to ensuring things are done effectively. Board members, staff, and volunteers need to be empowered, trained and equipped to serve. The concept of service needs to be embedded within the infrastructure. Internal audit is an essential part of this pathway. Different systems need to be managed, controlled, and reported upon, on a frequent basis. Where things are not happening as expected, they are investigated, then discussed and corrective action is taken". Morlai Kargbo, an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) award winner, sets the scene for a fascinating conve...
2025-02-2727 min
TesseTalksLead With Two RulesLead with two rules philosophy serves as a foundation for building wide support for the social, emotional, learning, and mental health needs of students. Through the years, Brenda Yoho has seen this and has witnessed the transformative impact, prioritising these essential aspects of education while contributing to a positive and nurturing school environment. What can we do to make change? What do we see? What do we want to see? What do we need to see? How do we see? Brenda's book, "Lead with Two Rules, Feeling Good and Feeling Safe" is a conversational exploration of the or...
2025-01-1326 min
TesseTalksCelebrating My BrotherCelebrating my brother, a sister's tribute is a special place. Lucy Harrison gives so much of herself to other people. When TesseTalks sat with Lucy as she paid a tribute to her brother Peter, we knew we were listening to something really special. Lucy is passionate about bringing awareness to the sibling bond. Understanding how it is when you lose a sibling is so important and it is not talked about much. "I'm a bereaved sister "says Lucy as she talks about her grief. Peter wanted to live life all the time and have fun. He was so alway...
2024-12-0925 min
Chatting with The Experts with Paula OkonnehRelax and Refocus: A Transformational Retreat for Black WomenCelestine Afatsawo, Mary Oluonye, and Tesse Akpeki discuss a unique leadership retreat for black women in Ghana. They delve into the origins and objectives of the retreat, inspired by a tragic story of workplace harassment. They talk about the importance of reflection, relaxation, resetting, and restoration for black women in leadership roles. The conversation highlights the choice of Ghana as the retreat destination, emphasizing its welcoming culture, historical significance, and peaceful environment. Additionally, they discuss the personal and professional benefits for participants, focusing on wellness, resilience, and the power of new beginnings in January 2025.
2024-11-0728 min
TesseTalksNavigating Turbulent Waters Wild waters are always going to be there. They may not be raging at this precise moment, but the potential for that disturbance and that turbulence is always there. Good Leaders Turbulent Times And How To Navigate Wild Waters At Work, Martin Farrell's book is an enriching and purposeful read, full of good, uplifting stuff, with a good dose of reality. "Suffering happens, pain happens. We'd better get used to living with the turbulence, which has always been there and is now greater. Leaders need to find ways of dealing with the pain and suffering that comes up...
2024-11-0330 min
Win Win Women: Conversations That MatterRelax, Reflect, Reset and RefocusGuest Mary Oluonye shares on how a post in LinkedIn lead her to start planning a transformative retreat in Ghana (January 12th - 18th 2025 ) for black women. She invited the host Paula Okonneh, Celeste Afatsawo & Tesse Akpeki to join.
2024-10-1828 min
TesseTalksThe Super-Helper Syndrome - Part 2Help can be very humbling. It is hard to admit I need help right here. When I see someone or something that needs help, my first response is to go help. But is that the best thing in the moment, "What kind of help is needed here"? asks Erin Randall as she notes the seismic shifts that emerged for her as she read The Super-Helper Syndrome. Systems are greater than goals. If your goal is to be a healthy helper, what are the systems that you need to build in order to make that possible? She muses...
2024-09-2020 min
TesseTalksThe Super-Helper Syndrome-Part 1The Super-Helper Syndrome: A Survival Guide for Compassionate People authored by Jess Baker & Rod Vincent, serves up a rich meal to underpin what healthy helping looks like. "Do all things with great love. Avoid helping as a from of rescue, there needs to be reciprocity in helping. People who are helped need to have opportunities where they feel like they can be helpful to others as well." shares Erin Randall. A healthy helper is one that is able to help in the way that they desire and see fit. Help has a mental and physical...
2024-09-0927 min
TesseTalksHeart Centred LeadershipFran Borg-Wheeler describes Heart Centred Leadership as being about connection, compassion, care and harnessing the power of kindness in leadership. "My vision was for young people to be able to have safe place to live and for them to get the support to be able to flourish in life and create better futures. I was starting to experience some mini strokes. My health was a little bit questionable, but it was very important to me that I didn't leave my role until I'd completed the mission of raising £1 million. It took me four years. The project is up a...
2024-07-0426 min
TesseTalksExcavating Memory, Archaeology and HopeExcavating Memory, Archaeology and Hope is an invitation by Elizabeth Mosier to listen to the objects speak. The true treasure is not the object at all. Instead, it is the stories the object tells about the people who owned or used it, what the thing tells you about the person and what is of importance to them. Once Elizabeth embraced that concept. It changed everything about the way she viewed objects.
2024-06-0430 min
TesseTalksMountains and Valleys, Ordinary to ExtraordinaryMountains and valleys, ordinary to extraordinary is a theme that thrills anthropologist Erik Seversen. Erikspotlights the essence of feeling fulfilled and purposeful. Describing himself as ordinary he admits doing extraordinary things, especially after being told he would not be able to do something. He learned to confront his fears and embrace the possibilities and gifts in less than ideal situations. "Challenges are what makes life good. Challenges do make us who we are. Fear is a team effort. Faith wins over fear every time, whether we are in the valley or the mountain top". "Mountains and valleys...
2024-05-0327 min
TesseTalksVulnerability - A Human GemSays David Taylor-Klaus , "Vulnerability is a human gem. It's a core part of who we are and it doesn't have to be hard. It just has to be conscious. And when you bring it up to conscious awareness, when you invite it, when you lean into it, it's not hard, it's a practice. Being attentive to your frame and your energy as you're creating something, whether that's your presentation to your board or something other activity". " Leaders who don't bring themselves and their full selves to their leadership are experienced as not genuine, and a disingenuous leader i...
2024-04-0423 min
TesseTalksFeed Forward Inspires Quality PerformancePeople are less familiar with, feedforward which inspires quality performance. That's because there really isn't any point pointing out to people what they're really bad at, because they probably already know. The brilliant thing about feedforward is that people at the receiving end of feedforward see aspects of their performance that they are less good at - start becoming better! This is because people feel good and are not trying to undo what they are not good at. In pursuit of excellence Two themes emerge - excellence and empathy. Feedforward is a totally different way of talking about performance.
2024-03-0826 min
TesseTalksPower of Feedback Debra Allcock Tyler reflects on the power of feedback "What is the point of saying something to somebody that they are not going to do anything about? Instinctively as a human being we assume feedback is going to be bad. As managers and as leaders, we have an enormous amount of power of other people. The biggest power we've got is over their emotional state. "Feedback is about the person who gives it and the person who receives it, and both have got to be in the right space. We can wield feedback so inappropriately. We forget how much...
2024-02-0927 min
TesseTalksInsights Focusing on Career Change"Working with a coach is lovely. In that space a coach can really push and prod and poke, just like the journalist would, but in a much more supportive way. You can't think your way into a career change, because at some point you get stuck. So much is shifting. This isn't a kind of one and you're done. It's not like you decide and you're stuck forever", says Rachel Schofield. Rachel Schofield worked for the BBC for 20 years as a journalist and news presenter before training as career and . She has turned her journalist's passion for a...
2024-01-2527 min
TesseTalksBoundary Boss Review By Erin Randall and Tesse AkpekiTesseTalks review "Boundary Boss", written by Terri Cole - The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free, with special guest Erin Randall who is all about happy people doing great work. Boundaries really matter. In Boundary Boss, Cole models how people can connect with the appropriateness and benefits of putting boundaries in place and begin to apply this understanding to their individual situations. She gives you exercises and scripts to follow so that you can model it first. You can try it out, in your own sand pitted home before you go take this out...
2024-01-0426 min
TesseTalksLife Changing - A Map to HappinessLife changing is achieved by a map to happiness. Jane Gunn points to a compass of North, East South and East and West with a link to personal and professional values. N in North, what we're trying to do is to say, what's going on Now? What is the immediate challenge? Essential, even if you're starting up a collaboration. E in East stands for "Explore". Where am I with this? What am I thinking? What am I feeling? What are my own hopes and dreams? You know, we need to really understand ourselves better, and...
2023-12-1526 min
Chatting with The Experts with Paula OkonnehThe Essentials of Wellbeing, Resilience, and RecoveryTesse Akpeki, founder of Future Focused Wellbeing and Resilience, discusses the concepts of recovery, resilience, and wellbeing. She imparts helpful strategies for caring for oneself while caring for others. She shares the Resiliency Framework founded on four pillars: competence, confidence, connection, and character. Additionally, she talks about the importance of control, coping, and contribution as the underpinning pillars of a wellbeing and resilience foundation.
2023-11-2933 min
TesseTalksDreams and TriumphDreams can become a reality. The dream you hold is what bears fruit. Tenacity and patience can make a difference to stay with our intention. Shortlisted three times for the Championship Award , for Tesse Akpeki, it is third time lucky. She has been crowned Champion for Governance 2023 by the Chartered Governance Institute for United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. "I would like to thank everyone who nominated me over the three opportunities to become a champion. I am so glad I can serve people and bring a measure of joy as well as competence to what matters...
2023-11-2207 min
TesseTalksBrown Girl In The Ring"Brown Girl in the Ring came from a place of desperation" says Olukemi Ogunyemi. "Though my recollections are pretty harsh, the memoirs reflect my reality. All of us were in some kind of pain. People feel judged sometimes when you ask them to change something without any understanding of why they could consider doing so. If we understand things, we are more inclined to make changes" says Olukemi". "All of the experiences have been a learning, a deepening understanding to myself. The painful moments are deeply painful. The pain does pass and as it passes, you can...
2023-10-1225 min
TesseTalksPower Of TransformationStephen Sidebottom brings a refreshing take on transformations. " People are actually extraordinarily adaptable. The idea that people don't like change is, I think fundamentally false. What I think is true is that organizations don't like change. The construct people are asked to operate is rigid and fixed, and the mechanism for adapting and changing those constructs, whether they're social constructs or organizational constructs, are much slower than the mechanisms by which people themselves change." " I'm not a big hints and tips person. My approach is often through studying how people work in an o...
2023-09-0728 min
TesseTalksThe Great Revitalization"I asked an audience what they are passionate about just before the pandemic. Then as well as now, they admitted running the hamster wheel so fast that they have lost complete touch as to who they are, what matters to them, and what they want for themselves in the world. When we can create workplaces where people can feel like I'm doing work that enlivens me. I'm learning, I'm growing, I'm reaching. I can feel myself growing toward my potential, that the playground of life where people really come alive and realize their potential while their organisation does business...
2023-07-2027 min
TesseTalksElements Making a DifferenceHow can elements make a difference? Erin Randall explains how. "Magnesium" is work each person is going to be doing towards crafting better things. Each voice is a voice of a system. What does this system need now? Ad Meliora means to better things. The catalytic question is "what do I want to create? ". The Quest 1.What is the purpose of a system? Is it to protect or is it to create? "If we want empathy in systems, if we want that connection in people, we need to be able to stand in those and...
2023-06-2227 min
TesseTalksLife Without a Tie, Finding Your PathRay Martin, author of " Life Without A Tie, Finding Your Path Amidst the Noise, Chaos, and Pressure to Conform " says - "I won the Daily Telegraph Business Leader of the Year award, so I had public recognition. So I had all the trimmings and trappings of success. But I have to say that honestly, for quite a few of those years, I wasn't feeling like I was really, truly happy. And I felt like it somehow I'd managed to end up in someone else's life. I was living a life that others expected of me and not...
2023-05-1027 min
TesseTalksBoundaries and AccountabilitiesErin Randall elaborates on The Funky Monkey. Listening to Erin, the key considerations are: "Whose responsibility is it? How can I hold you accountable? What can you hold me accountable for''? These questions can bring about alignment in our organisations in our teams and in our personal lives. Why do boundaries matter? Boundaries are essential to build and sustain healthy relationships, to make good neighbours and to act as anchor points for conversations and clarity. Erin is passionate about happy people doing happy works and brings a humble, playful and intelligent outlook to explore how the environments we create...
2023-04-2730 min
TesseTalksAll That MattersSade Marriott and Max Ekesi share their views in this recording that shines a light on a post covid world. There has been a raised awareness, especially in the last three years - of the importance of mental health. There is a lot of PTSD. People have gone through one of the most shocking experience with the pandemic They have rearranged their lives, becoming detached from a lot of things that they were taking for granted. There has been a change in focus as people are waking up to what truly matters. Grief and pain...
2023-03-2833 min
TesseTalksGifted with Grief"Life cannot exist without death. New life springs up, depending on the time of year. If we all talked about death as much as we talked about birth, the world would be a very different place" says Jane Duncan Rogers, a TEDx speaker , an author and end of life expert. "Life happens and we have a choice to go with it and make the best of it or not".
2023-03-1624 min
TesseTalksFrom Burnout to Best Life"I was highly paid, but I was miserable and my health was suffering. And as I have gotten older, happiness and health and wellness are so much more important to me. I was just miserable" says Lisa Hammett. "Life had no colour. I like to equate it as being devoid of colour. It's just gray. If you don't have your health, you don't have a whole lot. Happiness helps you to just get up in the morning, and live your life to the best of your ability. When you get near or at burnout, you lose the capacity to...
2023-02-1619 min
TesseTalksDance of Co-LeadershipSara Ramsey defines co-leadership as" leaders coming together to make joint decision making and taking shared responsibilities". Co-leaders may be co-founders, co-CEOs or leaders who jointly support self-managing and self-organizing organizations. " I get to work with all sorts of inspiring people, you know, wanting to do positive things in the world. They want to try and do things differently as well", says Sara.
2023-01-2624 min
TesseTalksGet On The Bull-Unavoidable FailureFailure's not just unavoidable, it's necessary, important and an unavoidable part of life. This is a common theme of the book, "Get On The Bull" - a giant leadership analogy based on bull riders. They fall a lot. They get thrown off bulls in dramatic and painful fashion. When you're going to do stuff, you're going to get it wrong and you're going to mess it up. If you aren't failing, you probably aren't trying enough new things. The statistic for the absolute best bull riders in the world, is on average, 30% success rate when it comes to staying...
2022-12-1531 min
TesseTalksForward Facing Podcast Planning Ahead"We are keeping things real by leaning into the context out guests are operating in. We are curious about their situations while encouraging them to find solutions and approaches tailored to them. We are holding this open safe space for them as a mirror where they are arriving at their own solutions." "We are going online as much as possible because even though we are podcasting, podcasting in itself has changed. Podcasting has gone from just being the audio file that you can take anywhere with you to being a video and audio or sometimes just video...
2022-12-0826 min
TesseTalksFresh Solutions New ChallengesMax Ekesi's favourite phrase is, "I never made the mistake of taking life too seriously". Max's diverse multicultural and multiethnic background and experiences are proving to be core assets to his highly adaptable nature. " I grew up in Nigeria, but my first language was Italian with a Roman accent. My adaptive mindset is my super power. I am fluid, respectful, able to connect with various cultures and have an ability to help people to feel at home. Integration helps the collaboration." says Max. He has been a people's manager, an agile coach, a Scrum Master, a programme portfolio manager...
2022-11-1128 min
TesseTalksThe Lens That Make A DifferenceOur guest Mick Rogers a consultant at Client Centred Consulting spoke passionately about the lens that make a difference. As Mick explains, " Client Centred Consulting leans away from being prescriptive. Instead of asking the question, how can we help and be useful when we're not the expert in the problem or in the subject? Client centeredness is a way of maintaining, respecting and working with the rights of other people. This lens recognises that for us to survive and thrive we need other people."
2022-09-0126 min
TesseTalksConnecting my Different Worlds"A Beautiful mind connecting her different worlds "are some of the words that can be used to describe Marta Maretich. Marta seamlessly combines her creativity with problem- solving. In many ways her approach shapes order out of messiness. She likens this to coding and building websites. "Behind a perfect website, there's a messy code. "You have to be able to face complexity and know what to do about it." Marta talks about her work with governing boards, "They're made up of human beings and you can try to be as tick-box as you want. The issues that they have are...
2022-07-2927 min
TesseTalksMastery: Ego Coaching Transitions"In order to be okay in the world and to belong I need to be certain things. The ego tends to protect ourselves. We want to prove we are extraordinary, and we have to hide our weaknesses. Exploring ego touches on our sole identities and being able to speak about our identities." Carole's personal mastery journey helped her to reclaim my voice, her agency, her creativity, and her sense of confidence. Her cartoons and creative writing help her to share her thoughts. "I love helping people. I feel good about myself when I have the impression that I've been useful...
2022-06-2429 min
TesseTalksFrom Acting to Leading"It's about how can we come together to do really good important things in this world " says Sharon Newport. Sharon has authored content, and provided consultation, expertise and facilitation across four continents supporting and inspiring cultural and strategic transformation. Through the experience of being in sync with each other, I am curious and passionate about what are we getting done together. It can be very simple, but quite broad such as Dignity and Love - how that does or does not show up in relationships, in work, in collaboration, in governance in a lot of different ways " It starts with...
2022-06-0225 min
TesseTalksFinding Your Voice"Unlock Your Chains And Unleash Your Greatness. Let's share our voices together". invites Renee. "You don't have to wait for a new year or a new day. How about the next minute and the next minute and the next minute to do different and be and become different, to who you aspire to be. When you're present in the moment you are stepping into the future, and that very next moment to build the momentum to the next moments." "Encourage is courage in courage." What would you do if you lost your voice? And how would you feel if you...
2022-04-2724 min
TesseTalksAn Assured Unitary Governance ModelPhilip Kirkpatrick, deputy managing partner of Bates Wells London LLP offers hope to strengthen governance and balance in expectations of trustees. He feels that an assured unitary governance model offers assurance for boards and organisations they governance. "We all love change as long as it's happening to someone else. No one is very keen to change themselves." There's not one only one way of doing this, you know. There is a broad structure, and there will be different ways in which people will implement it. Just like there are different ways in which people implement the existing normal charities structures. "...
2022-04-2023 min
TesseTalksOur Entrepreneurship SpiritWorking on or in the business? Offering hacks for entrepreneurs, Deborah Barker FRSA, Director at Field and Folk is a natural dyer and works on regenerative Fibre Projects. Deborah makes a useful distinction between working in the business and working on the business. She explains "Working on the business includes anything strategic. It is when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. What is the vision? What are the decisions you are making and how do these decisions align with the values? Where do you want to go? What are you're doing? What are you being...
2022-04-0729 min
TesseTalksThe Light in Your EyesBalancing Act: Teach, Coach, Mentor, Inspire reminds us that success without balance is often more disastrous than failure with balance. "I'd rather see a fail and learn something from it. Then I can pick myself back up and do better next time rather than build a huge ego that is going to lead to some future disaster that I don't know yet. So opened Dr Andrew Temte CFA. Andrew likes to coach the younger generation, those that are coming after us. "People are watching that light in your eye. Be aware of the light, of your own light. Being aware...
2022-03-1828 min
TesseTalksLost In WonderSteve Morris says "If you want a bit of wonder then think about the people who've loved you and who love you. Be kind because your kindness might be the only book people read today. Hollywood might be able to find something that's a bit more sustainable and that might mean having the camera closer in rather than further out". During the COVID lockdown it was possible to feel more wonder that lasts beyond fleeting experiences. This informs your whole life. Whatever goes on or goes wrong, there is a common childish sense that the world is beautiful. Things are...
2022-03-0831 min
TesseTalksHow Leaders and Teams can avoid BurnoutDesiree Anderson helps others find their purpose in life and their purpose in work and she specializes in business relationships and burnout.
2022-02-0926 min
TesseTalksHow I landed my dream jobTomide Awe landed her dream job with Twitter. We invited her to share her journey. "My motto is always believing yourself. Always, regardless of the circumstance. I believe in myself, I believe that I can get to an answer. Believe in yourself, whatever comes your way, you can do it. " Tomide seeks out projects to let her employers see her value quickly and then picks up more challenging things and learns more. She thinks about quick wins and works really hard as she proves herself. People who are experienced and seasoned have a bit of a leeway because people...
2022-01-1219 min
Banana Island Living PodcastsThe New Year Episode2021 was quite the year: a roller coaster of highs and lows, peaks and troughs, agonies and nearly-there ecstasy. In our new year episode, guests and listeners of our podcast share their reflections on 2021 and their hopes for 2022. In spite of (or perhaps because of) 2021, they look forward with optimism and positivity. This is the tonic you didn’t know you needed.Contributors to the episode:Yewande Osahrieme-OdiaSeyi OjuriLeonard LawaniAlimi Adew...
2022-01-0616 min
TesseTalksAgile TransformationsWe close 2021 with a podcast that made Paula and I laugh so much and learn so much. The amazing Max Ekesi, a superstar, shares with us the importance and impact of agile transformations. Agile Transformations Max Ekesi is an Agile Transformational Leader at Paypal. Max is a problem solver and leads agile transformations. He is pragmatic, energetic, energising, bags of fun and a magnificent Chair. He leads transformations by working with agile mindsets. Changing mindsets is the hardest thing to do. Agile coaches are guides through the change. "If you want to be Netflix rather...
2021-12-2331 min
TesseTalksCelebrating TonyA year ago my beloved brother Tony suffered serious injuries in Dover following a suspected hit and run . He had gone to the Care Home to collect Covid Samples for testing and was walking to his car when the incident occurred. Tony has joked and smiled with the staff and wished them a Merry Christmas. It was the Care Staff who found him. He leaves behind four children, the youngest who was eight years old at the time. Always a man of duty, loyalty and kindness, Tony served his country to the very end. He...
2021-12-1728 min
TesseTalksLeadership through a Creative LensLeadership through a Creative lens can be defined as when you're in a leadership role and you feel that the whole team is pushing in the same direction. It's a very rewarding feeling. Rob McCrea reminds us that understanding that in a leadership role, you have to serve the people who work with you. You have to make sure that they have everything that they need in order to be able to do their jobs properly. But also for them to feel fulfilled, to feel part of something that's important to feel connected. As a leader, that responsibility sits...
2021-12-0830 min
TesseTalksSoaring through Analytic Coaching"Find the rooms and the conversations and the friendships and the love affairs, where that intuition can blossom into inquiry. You can deliberately choose the risks you want to face and that you're resourced when life blind sides. Dr. Kate Hamer touches on the importance of dialogue and reflects on questions the world is asking of us. How can we respond? Each of us wakes up and rises from our beds. "We take ourselves; we throw ourselves; we trip and stumble into the wider world". Existential analysis is a process supporting that dialogue. " Through Care Sleeves, Kate explored the possibility...
2021-10-1330 min
TesseTalksCompassionate AccountabilityCompassionate accountability means that feelings matter, thoughts matter and behaviour matters. The associated tools are helping physicians and surgeons deliver bad news to patients in a compassionate way, helping boards of directors lead their CEO's more effectively, supporting negotiators do a better job, turning regrets into commitments for the future. The applications are really infinite. Compassion is my passion admits Dr Nate Regier. Compassion isn't about what we do to other people, it's what we do with them. And that life is struggle, but struggling together makes it meaningful, it makes it productive, it makes it purposeful. We don't ever...
2021-10-0629 min
TesseTalksSelf-care is not weakness - it is being human.Self-care is not weakness. It is being human says our guest Nancy White, an entrepreneur of 35 years. It is being accountable to ourselves first and foremost. Not yo-yo diets, but more of the sustainable, healthy lifestyle with choices will keep you well as you age, mature and weather each season. Everybody needs to be lifted and acknowledged for the good things they're doing. The power of negativity should not ever go unnoticed or taken for granted. This matters because it takes seven positives for every one negative that we either speak to ourselves or somebody speaks to us. We...
2021-09-1518 min
TesseTalksThe Space Between Black And WhiteEsua Goldsmith has always been a writer. Her memoir "The Space between Black and White" Illustrates the painful, lonely existence of a mixed race child growing up in Britain as an "only ". That child was Esua. Life can seem like a whole series of random events that don't make any sense, but it's only when you write them down that you can see that they form a pattern. It was almost to tell her story to herself that Esua wrote her memoirs. As a child she was lonely and felt a need to to explain her "onlyness"...
2021-09-0137 min
TesseTalksDesign Thinking - Melody SongDesign thinking helps you to understand people's needs to look holistically at interactions and constantly iterate the way forward. Focusing your efforts on the most impactful design moments creates new and sticky experiences. Imagine meeting and exceeding your customers' needs and expectations. Imagine what you can achieve by understanding the interactions people have, surfacing problem areas, exploring opportunities through designing a more accurate, updated and relevant customer journey map. You can make happy people even happier. Their joy can lead them to become advocates. Design thinking can remove frustrating barriers. By visualising and isolating negative moments, brainstorming and ideating ways to impro...
2021-08-1628 min
TesseTalksWhen Standing Out is About Standing In!According to Sade Marriott host of the Banana Island Podcast, standing out is about standing in! Sade's personal take on life and wellbeing is thus " I'm happy about being comfortable in my own skin now and being a bit more self-aware and a bit more conscious of other people's emotions and less careless of other people's emotions. Yeah not tangible material stuff, I mean those are transient. But I want to be able to look in the mirror and not be embarrassed at what I've become. I don't want to be that person who's self-congratulatory and look a...
2021-08-0428 min
TesseTalksOur Capsule EnvironmentCapsule environments are environments that are isolated and confined – a challenge to leadership. The external conditions of capsule environments are harsh and dangerous. Our guest Binna Kandola talks about this. The typical features of a capsule environment are social isolation with the same group of people with sensory restrictions. Star Trek, Voyager, Dr Who, the Big Brother House and Space Travel demonstrate the features of capsule environments. This becomes relevant to leadership who need to consider the impact this way of working has had on us. Due to lack of sensory stimulation people can start to...
2021-07-2127 min
TesseTalksIt's All About Love - Nadine Robson"My mum was all about love and loving" says Nadine Robson. We learn from an early age that what helps is being open and comfortable with energising conversations. Energising is about not getting stuck in that place of feeling in despair or feeling overwhelmed, having a glimmer of hope. Nadine learnt the importance of mental health and getting alongside people, understanding those experiences and deepening the empathy for ourselves and others. Supporting people with their mental health encourages people to know that whatever it is they are going through. They build the confidence that they...
2021-07-1324 min
Banana Island Living PodcastsThe Podcasters' Podcast EpisodeThis week we speak to the hosts of Tesse Leads and Chatting With the Experts podcasts - Tesse Akpeki and Paula Okoneh. The word 'journey' has become rather hackneyed but these two really have had 'a journey'. The peaks, the troughs, the agony and the ecstasy - loss to triumph and everything in between. No holds barred and nothing off the table. This was a jam session, and then some. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2021-06-2341 min
TesseTalksTesseTalks Meets TesseLeadsIn this episode of "TesseTalks Meets TesseLeads", Tesse and Paula want to say "A big thanks to our social media community that gathered family gathered around TesseTalks and Tesse Leads showing their support . I was touched by the thousands... and there were thousands of people who showed their care and empathy through their messages, their prayers. Tony's death is a very sad moment for the Akpeki family and friends. The love shown proves that diversity and inclusion are alive. People care for the suffering of others giving generously of their time and saying a compassionate farewell to beloved brother...
2021-06-1826 min
TesseTalksSarah Giles - Awesome YouAwesome You, Stepping out of the shadows is Sarah Giles' nudge for us to stop standing on the sidelines and step out of the shadows, confidently, owning who we truly are and taking our place in the world. This starts with understanding ourselves a bit better enabling us to better support others. Pace matters. We may need to stop, take the moment to pause and be still. How about the fear we face? Fear starts to disappear when we are so focused on our purpose, and our journey. We naturally start to feel more comfortable and confident...
2021-06-0420 min
TesseTalksFuture Focus-Wellbeing and ResilienceFuture Focus is all about remembering that life is not always negative even though it may seem like that. It is worth remembering that when we are in a hard place. The dark tunnel is like being in a valley, it's tough, it's dark, it's painful. But it will not always be like that. It is not a permanent state.
2021-05-2019 min
TesseTalksNot Done Yet - the Value Of AgingThe value of aging is a topic Bonnie Marcus touches on frequently. Paula. and I talk with her about "Not done yet - the value of aging". Bonnie reminds us that we need to be mindful of our own bias and our beliefs that may sabotage the life that we want to have. "Age-ism happens, it's not just about getting older. A lot of young people face age-ism". Entrepreneurs need to understand how they may be holding themselves back thinking they don't bring as much value as somebody younger and that needs to stop. " We...
2021-05-0523 min
TesseTalksPerfectly Imperfect - It Starts with ActionFellow podcaster Presence Plumb whose podcast , "It starts with Action", draws on The acronym for ACTION - Awareness, Confidence, Tenacity, Intention, Openness and Now (Presence) . Being Perfectly Imperfect, Presence admits that fear of failure and fear of success has held her back. Her proudest moments have been showing vulnerability and being open . "This just whom I am".
2021-04-2128 min
TesseTalksCreative Thinking That TransformsTesse and Paula talk with serial entrepreneur David Taylor-Klaus about Creative Leadership and the Thinking that Transforms. We can see creative thinking that transforms in this statement - "I celebrate even the harshest critiques and I hold and support people with amazing strength as they walk through their darkest night. My strength and my power come from fully embracing my humanity – my messiness – in all of its glory".
2021-04-0233 min
TesseTalksThe Value of Knowledge - Jason J Briggs.Jason J Briggs tells #TesseTalks the value of knowledge and the importance of robust debate, having alternative ways of listening to views you don't agree with and keeping an open mind that can strengthen decision making. "Vulnerability and authenticity make for a successful and authentic organization. Board members excel when they are transparent about the process they followed in how they arrived at the course of action. The organisation I served on as a board member raised £1.2m for a capital project. We succeeded because we believed we could and so did the people we served.
2021-03-1827 min
TesseTalksKeeping momentum In an Ever Changing EnvironmentAndy Martin builds on his thoughts on Achieving Results in Unpredictable Times. Andy encourages us to show up as our best self every day to set up a winnable and compellable game. A habit of renewal is crucial combined with a positive mindset and intent. The three buckets or the real issues leaders confront, the evidence that is presented and the impact of actions and companion behaviours for success.
2021-03-0327 min
TesseTalksOur Tony is DeadOur Tony is dead! His inspiration, energy and leadership lives on. Tony, my beloved brother was a visionary, easily the face of love, gentleness and care. . He believed that if there was a vision, a will, connection, empathy and commitment everything is possible. He gave people a sense of power with kindness, encouragement, lifting them up, being authentic and making people who felt invisible feel valued, visible and heard.
2021-02-1025 min
TesseTalksAchieving Results In Unpredictable TimesAchieving results in unpredictable times means having an effective leader like Andy Martin, enterprise client partner for Franklin Covey Europe. Andy sees potential in someone so clearly that the person sees the potential in themselves.
2021-02-0340 min
Chatting with The Experts with Paula OkonnehDream Believe Achieve with Tesse AkpekiTesse Akpeki dreams, believes and achieves as an immigrant woman in the UK. Her story on how she was able to achieve success and become the CEO of Tesse Akpeki Associates Limited makes a compelling listen.
2021-01-2945 min
TesseTalksCarol Weisman-Onboarding Practices and Boards"I take my work on governance seriously but not myself" says Carol Weisman, president of Board Builders. Given that Carol has served on 40 Boards and has been president of 9, she knows a thing or two about strategies, techniques and tools that enable boards to be effective, efficient and better able to meet their mission. In this podcast Carol heralds the importance of Onboarding practices to raise awareness of individual and collective board roles.
2021-01-1338 min
TesseTalksDebra Allcock Tyler - It's A Battle on the BoardDebra Allcock Tyler talks about her new book " It's a Battle On the Board: The No Fibbing Guide for Trustees ". Tesse and Paula ask Debra about understanding the trustee role, working with fellow trustees, working with the CEO, dealing with information and finance, the psychology of decision-making, managing risk and handling crisis.
2020-12-2642 min
TesseTalksA Tribute to Maggie JohnsonTesse Akpeki pays tribute to Maggie Johnson- a gentle, kind, compassionate leader who passed recently after a brave battle with cancer.
2020-12-1416 min
TesseTalksTesse Talks with Laura GatesTesse Akpeki and co host Paula Okonneh talk with Laura Gates about Leading with Purpose, Collective Genius in teams, finding our zone of genius, and leading through chaos and crisis.
2020-12-1128 min
TesseTalksTesse Talks LaunchesTesse Akpeki and co host Paula Okonneh talk about what inspired them to create a podcast that encourages leaders, board members and management to take action in today's world. Leave a rating and review for TesseTalks
2020-11-2420 min
It starts with ActionEpisode 41 : It starts with Action - Action starts from believing with Tesse Akpeki , founder of the Wellbeing and Resilience Leadership InitiativeHow do you shift from saying you believe in yourself to actually believing in yourself?Have you ever felt like you say you believe in something and you really wish you did believe it but at the same time in your heart you don't 100% believe in it? And other times when you 100% believe in something you just know and you feel a burning desire to take action to achieve what you believe in?It was a really interesting topic Tesse Akpeki and I discussed on the most recent episode.Another topic I loved...
2020-08-0958 min
Chatting with The Experts with Paula Okonneh003: Tesse Akpeki | Governance Coach and FacilitatorIn this episode , Tesse Akpeki shares about working with organisations, groups and individuals to achieve their highest potential and to create futures that make a difference.
2015-01-0214 min