Host Pete Burden speaks with Dr Rob Warwick – Professor of Management and Organisational Learning at the University of Chichester, in the UK.

Our conversation covers Rob’s view of power, influenced by social theorists like Norbert Elias. A view which sees power as a web of relationships. And how Rob understands his responsibilities as a researcher and lecturer within this context – how every conversation can have unknown, and unpredictable, ripples.

He touches on his own visceral experiences of power, while working, for example, in the NHS. And how ‘detached involvement’, and a growing awareness of power can be used, and be useful in getting things done.

Rob also talks about Action Learning and how, for him, this approach, which requires real vulnerability, allows people to develop a new map of power, and therefore gain agency. Despite perhaps more obvious organisational hierarchy and the positional power that comes with it.

Some book suggestions from Rob:

• Donald Schon – The Reflexive Practitioner
• Stephen Lukes – Power: A Radical View
• Douglas Board – Elites

Rob on LinkedIn

Pete on LinkedIn

Host Pete Burden speaks with Paula Harriott, CEO of Unlock, the UK charity focused on supporting and advocating for people with criminal records.

The conversation covers the importance of shedding the "victim" narrative and embracing an identity of strength and survivorship. Paula advocates for moving beyond eliciting sympathy, and instead focusing on the transformative power of personal experience, by reframing past challenges as learning opportunities, and purposefully developing an identity of resilience.

Individuals can contribute to, and through, deeper, more meaningful conversations. As Paula suggests, this internal, and personal work, though often private, involves acknowledging vulnerability while also choosing to share from a place of strength, ultimately rejecting the perpetuation of "misery memoirs" or "trauma porn."

Paula also underscores the significance of building supportive networks and communities, finding "coalitions of the willing," and engaging in political activity that champions knowledge equity – all while remaining receptive to others and committed to a reflective, embodied practice of healing and modelling positive change.

Paula on LinkedIn

Pete on LinkedIn

Host Pete Burden speaks with Paul Dickinson. In 2000, Paul founded the Climate Disclosure Project (CDP) with an ambitious goal: to create a global economic system that prevents climate change. It does this by persuading 650 of the world’s largest investors, over 24,000 of the largest companies in the world, and over 1000 cities to report annually on their key sustainability metrics.

From this context, Paul describes his experience and practice for getting people involved - from the way he thinks about the world, and the way business works, to the role of repetition and persistence. From the role of ‘small p’ politics, selling and language, to the value of different kinds of policy, including science-based policy.

Today, Paul continues to work entrepreneurially in the area of 'sustainability’ (a difficult word!) via a variety of roles, including co-hosting a weekly climate podcast: Outrage + Optimism.

Paul on LinkedIn

Pete on LinkedIn