Great managers do not clone their teams - they unlock them.

Robert Baker reveals why the real path to higher performance starts with curiosity, authenticity, and the courage to lead people who are not just like you. If you manage people, build teams, or care about inclusive leadership, this conversation will change how you think about potential. Robert unpacks what it takes to lead diverse talent well.

After 40 years at Mercer and a career spent advising global organizations on DEI, Robert has seen first hand how stereotypes, “ideal worker” myths, and cookie-cutter hiring practices hold teams back. He explains why the best leaders build trust by being open first, owning mistakes, and creating psychological safety where people can grow. You’ll discover:

• Why curiosity is the fastest way to become a better manager
• How sharing your own experience can make your team more open and honest
• The hidden cost of hiring for “team fit” instead of real difference
• Why diverse teams make better decisions, spot more risk, and find more creative solutions
• How to support people’s strengths without forcing them into a single leadership template

Robert also shares the career lesson that changed how he leads forever, after a team member left because their ambitions were not being fully seen. From there, the conversation opens into practical advice for new managers, including how to get to know your team quickly, stay humble, and lead in a way that is actually your own. The stakes are real. If you keep hiring and managing for sameness, you miss out on talent, limit performance, and build teams that are less resilient in a changing world. If you lead with openness and flexibility, you create the conditions for people to thrive and the organization to grow. Robert is a leadership and inclusion expert, trustee of One Loud Voice for Women, the Sister Sister Global Network, and UN Women UK, and vice chair of European Women on Boards. He brings deep global experience and a clear message: inclusive leadership is not a trend - it is how you build stronger teams. Essential listening for managers, leaders, and anyone trying to turn talent into performance without falling into the trap of “more of the same.”

Timestamps

(12:14) Robert joins and sets up the conversation
(21:03) Robert’s background at Mercer and founding Potential Talent Consulting
(24:48) Why curiosity about others is the starting point for inclusive leadership
(26:12) Robert’s management style and leading through empathy
(28:13) Building trust by being open
(30:42) Learning from failure and creating psychological safety
(31:37) Building teams around strengths rather than one template
(35:06) Why stereotypes and the “ideal worker” mindset block diversity
(36:30) Hiring, qualifications, and return-to-office mandates
(40:05) A management lesson about missing a team member’s ambitions
(43:10) Why optimistic leadership matters amid AI-driven change
(44:20) Advice for new managers: know your team and be vulnerable
(46:57) Succession planning, talent development, and leaving the team stronger
(48:41) How men can support women’s networks and learn through discomfort
(51:12) What Robert would say to his six-year-old self
(53:06) Robert’s question for the next guest on neurodiversity
(54:26) Book recommendations on gender, bias, and literature
(55:16) People to follow for inclusion, allyship, and algorithmic bias
(55:54) Gloria Steinem quote on gender roles and allyship
(56:53) Interview question about changing your mind
(58:16) Songs that reflect Robert’s energy and worldview

The Authority Gap, Mary Ann Sieghart

The New Age of Sexism, Laura Bates

Forty Rules of Love, Elif Shafik

LinkedIn connections - Cindy Gallop, Dorothy Dalton, Lee Chambers, Daniele Fiandaca

Louise Humpington on AI governance, ethical leadership, and building self-awareness

In this episode, Daniel Taylor speaks with Louise Humpington, a speaker and consultant on AI governance, ethics, and law, whose career spans commercial litigation, international development, and senior nonprofit leadership. They explore why leaders need digital literacy before adopting AI, how governance should act as a preventative guardrail, and why self-awareness is essential for managing people well.

In this episode:

• She explains how her career moved from commercial litigation into third sector leadership and then into AI governance, and why that crossover gives her a strong lens on risk and responsibility.
• She argues that AI should not be adopted because it is “the shiny new thing,” but only when leaders understand what it is for, how it will be used, and what problem it is meant to solve.
• We discuss why scepticism is useful in organizations, especially when people are uneasy about change but may be spotting real risks early.
• She recommends that leaders build governance mechanisms, compliance systems, and team-wide digital literacy before rolling out AI tools.
• How management changed when she stopped trying to lead in an overly authoritarian way and instead leaned into being people-focused, informal, and authentic.
• A major theme is psychological safety: Louise says managers should create space for people to be honest, vulnerable, and upfront without fear of criticism.
• She describes reflective practices like journaling, conversation, and noticing physical stress signals such as a knot in the gut or tension in the back.
• She outlines a strategic approach to career development, using a theory of change mindset to map backward from a desired role and fill the gaps intentionally.
• She talks about reframing rejection in job searches, emphasizing that not being the right fit in one context does not mean you lack value.

Timestamps:

01:19 - Introduction to Louise and her AI governance background
03:51 - Louise’s unconventional path from litigation to ethics and development
05:17 - Why AI must be governed responsibly, not imposed on people
06:40 - Three things leaders should do before adopting AI
09:37 - Trial, sandboxing, and testing before rollout
10:04 - What kind of manager Louise was early in her career
12:48 - Management as service, not dictatorship
14:03 - How self-awareness develops through reflection and repair
16:29 - Learning from cultural difference in Papua New Guinea
20:39 - Reframing rejection and job-search resilience
23:57 - Listening to the body as an early warning system
28:37 - How Louise keeps developing herself and others
29:50 - Using a theory of change to plan career moves
33:08 - Strategic volunteering to build field experience
36:35 - Learning to value your own skills as a manager
40:07 - “Tip toe if you must, but take the first step”
41:25 - Spotting behaviour change before jumping to performance management
46:16 - Advice for new managers: listen before you tell
51:24 - Favorite quote: changing ourselves before changing humanity
52:24 - Favorite interview question revisited
53:08 - Claude chooses a song that fits Louise
55:46 - Why “Once in a Lifetime” feels right
58:12 - Closing remarks

Her favourite book was Careless Whisper by Sarah Wynn Williams

The link to the Eileen Gu social media question is https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GRsX9d8XElU

Her LinkedIn recommendation is https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsty-hulse/

Managing Potential with Daniel Taylor and Dana James-Edwards

Daniel Taylor speaks with Dana James-Edwards, Head of the Fairness, Inclusion and Respect program at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, about people-first management, building trust with teams, and how feedback can shape better leadership.

Dana also shares a hard-won lesson from supporting a team member through redundancy, plus the habits and influences that keep her growing as a manager.

In this episode:

Dana discusses what it means to be a people-first manager, including giving people time off when they need it, protecting work-life balance, and leading with honesty and transparency.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro and podcast restart
00:46 - Welcome to Managing Potential and guest introduction
05:04 - What the Supply Chain Sustainability School does
06:22 - Why inclusion is central to sustainability
07:19 - The industry’s largest diversity data set
08:54 - The site-worker learning app and multilingual modules
10:59 - Dana describes her management style
11:48 - People-first leadership and wellbeing
13:16 - High standards with kindness
14:16 - Trust, ownership, and speaking up early
16:40 - How she asks for feedback regularly
19:43 - Developing people around their career goals
21:03 - Recognition, visibility, and opportunities
22:18 - Bringing team members into senior rooms
22:58 - How Dana develops herself by observing others
24:58 - Her biggest learning moment as a manager
27:29 - Protecting herself during redundancy work
30:22 - Advice for new managers: kindness and attention
33:22 - The leadership belief she changed her mind about
35:53 - Why direct feedback works better for her now
38:19 - Dana’s question for the next guest
40:14 - Book recommendation: The DIY Phoenix
41:45 - Best interview question: “Tell me about yourself”
42:43 - Song choice
44:06 - Closing thoughts

Show Links

Learn more about the FIR Programme - https://www.supplychainschool.co.uk/topics/fir/

Connect with Dana

Instagram / TikTok @diversitydana

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/diversitydana

The DIY Phoenix: How to drag yourself out of the ashes, mend your wings and start flying again by Lior Locher

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIY-Phoenix-yourself-ashes-flying-ebook/dp/B094YPXRDN