The Courageous Leaders Podcast
The Courageous Leaders Podcast aims to inspire leaders to step into their courageous zone, be the leader they know they can be and discover the mindset skills and behaviours to take their leadership to the next level.
So listen in, get inspired on how you can grow your leadership impact. Leave a legacy you can be proud of, and build an environment for future leaders to thrive.
Who is Joanna Howes?
Joanna Howes is an award-winning international coach, behavioural expert, specialising in leadership and performance coaching and No 1 best selling international co-author.
Her focus is to help individuals and teams activate their full potential, so they can step into their courageous zone to maximise their influence, build their resilience and take the action needed to become high performers and future-ready leaders.
Joanna is a unique phenomenon within her industry, with over 20 years’ experience working internationally with some of the world's most awarded advertising agencies and leading them to operational and leadership success. Her blend of both innovative operational and transformative change solutions empowers organisations to create environments that are supportive and fearless for their employees.
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The Courageous Leaders Podcast
Rory Sutherland on Leadership, Courage & Unconventional Thinking
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We often hear the ideas of great thinkers, but rarely get to understand how they actually think or who they are as people.
In this episode of The Courageous Leaders Podcast, I am joined by Rory Sutherland, President Emeritus of Ogilvy UK, best-selling author, and one of the most influential voices in advertising, behavioural science, and decision-making.
If you’ve ever wondered why some ideas take off and others die fast, why the little things in business matter more than you think, or how to rethink productivity for your team, you’ll find something practical and eye-opening in this conversation. We cut through business theory and get honest about human behaviour, team culture, and leadership decisions that work in the real world.
You’ll come away with new ways to look at decision-making, organisational performance, and what it takes to lead bravely in uncertain times, especially with the rise of AI, complexity, and shifting workplace cultures.
What We Cover:
00:00 Intro
01:41 Dare to Be Trivial: Why Small Things Matter
13:23 Leadership, Influence & The Power of Great Teachers
14:50 Why Business Is Learned Through Real Experience
18:03 Time, Stress & How Rory Thinks About Control
24:12 Creativity, Uncertainty & Not Knowing Yet
28:00 What Leaders Miss in Strategy & Collective Thinking
30:17 Why Human Businesses May Win in an AI World
34:51 Why Teams Fail & The Problem with Over-Measuring
35:45 The Disappearance of PAs & What It Means for Leaders
36:55 Redundancies & The Danger of Short-Term Thinking
40:34 How Rory’s Mind Works & Why He Avoids Talking About Himself
49:45 The Influence of His Mum & Understanding Human Behaviour
51:22 Neurodiversity Is a Feature, Not a Bug
54:24 Final Reflections & Closing Thoughts
Key Leadership Insights
• Why great leaders focus on influence, not control
• How creativity comes from being comfortable with uncertainty
• Why measuring individuals destroys team performance
• The hidden cost of short-term thinking in leadership
• How silos quietly break organisations from within
• Why neurodiversity is a competitive advantage, not a weakness
• The courage required to back ideas others doubt
• Why founder-led businesses often outperform corporates
If you want to lead better, think differently, and understand how great leaders actually operate, this episode will challenge how you see leadership.
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