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The Power Between

The Power Between

Written by: Roddy Millar
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Unlock the secrets to transformative leadership on The Power Between, hosted by Roddy Miller, Founder and CEO of Ideas for Leaders. With over a decade of experience in curating research-based insights for executives and managers, Roddy takes you inside the minds of leadership experts and top thinkers in the field. Every episode dives into the real-world challenges faced by mid-career leaders striving to build their leadership confidence and capabilities. Roddy’s mission is clear: to make organizations more human, by empowering leaders with the tools they need to create positive impact, drive employee engagement, and foster organizational success. Tune in as he connects with thought leaders, global business schools, and top consultants to explore the most pressing issues in leadership today.Copyright 2026 Roddy Millar Careers Economics Personal Success
Episodes
  • The Untrained Managers for Business Leaders to Fix the UK’s Productivity Crisis with David D’Souza

    The Untrained Managers for Business Leaders to Fix the UK’s Productivity Crisis with David D’Souza
    May 14 2026
    If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com__________________________________________In this episode of The Power Between by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with David D’Souza, Director of Profession at CIPD, a Board Trustee at The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce), and MemberWise Ambassador at MemberWise Network. David shares his career journey, from early roles in retail into HR and leadership at CIPD. He discusses the challenges of accidental managers, the importance of care in leadership, and why strong people management is key to team performance and organizational success.David shares how his early experience of being moved into management without training shaped his view on leadership and responsibility. He explains why many managers lack support and how this affects team performance and wellbeing. David highlights the need for better training, care in leadership, and creating workplaces where people feel supported, clear on expectations, and able to succeed.Key Topics:-Building Strong Management: How David explains the role of managers in shaping team success and why their impact goes beyond individual performance.-Supporting Managers: Why many managers lack training and how better support and development can improve results.-Care in Leadership: How showing genuine care helps managers handle challenges and support people effectively.-Organizational Performance: How good management improves wellbeing, retention, and productivity.-Rethinking Career Paths: Why not everyone should move into management and the value of choosing the right role for each person.Timestamps:[00:00] Teaser[01:08] David’s role at CIPD[03:48] Accidental managers and lack of training[05:57] Hiring managers and importance of management roles[08:53] Caring in leadership and managing people well[12:37] Time pressure and challenges of management roles[19:57] Supporting managers with resources and development[30:50] Rethinking career paths and role of managers[34:44] Management quality and impact on performance📚 Resources:👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/ 👉 Read this article from DLQ46 for free on ‘From Compete and Compare to Collaborate and Care’ - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/from-compete-and-compare-to-collaborate-and-care/?share=ccyoGhQUZSYB Follow our guest, David D'Souza:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daviddsouza180/ Follow our Guest’s Companies:- CIPD:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cipd/ Website: https://www.cipd.org/en/ - The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce):LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thersaorg/ Website: https://www.thersa.org/ - MemberWise Network:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/memberwise/ Website: https://memberwise.org.uk/ Follow the Host, Roddy Millar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddymillar/Follow Ideas For Leaders:Website: https://ideasforleaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideas-for-leaders/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideasforleaders.dlqFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideasforleaders/X (Twitter): https://x.com/ideas4leadersListening Links:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NHgbWdUlJS8z1aSTgcIYt?si=d4f19ce12516420f Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-between/id1842080646 Podcast site: https://ideasforleaders.com/Subscribe for more conversations on people management, leadership challenges, and improving performance at work, and share your thoughts in the comments.
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    39 mins
  • How Middle Managers in Big Companies Can Build Influence and Trust with Martin le Comte

    How Middle Managers in Big Companies Can Build Influence and Trust with Martin le Comte
    May 7 2026
    If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at:admin@ideasforleaders.com__________________________________________In this episode of The Power Between Podcast by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with Martin le Comte, leadership expert, keynote speaker, and former senior leader at organizations including HSBC & Barclays. Martin is the Company Owner of MLCspeaks, Former Delivery Manager at NatWest Group, Former VP Learning Design & Delivery at NatWest Commercial and Institutional and Author of the book “The ten Golden Rules of Leadership”. He shares his journey into financial services and how his passion for people shaped his career. He explores leadership in high pressure environments, the challenges of middle managers, and why practical skills, storytelling, and feedback matter. Martin also explains how leaders can build trust, adapt their style, and develop others for better results.Martin describes his leadership approach as helping people build practical skills to improve performance and relationships. He explains that many managers lack leadership training, emphasizing the need to understand people, adapt styles, and use storytelling. He also highlights feedback, simple questions, and learning by doing, showing that trust, flexibility, and genuine care drive motivation and long-term results.Key Topics:-Career Journey into Leadership Development: How Martin moved from customer service into senior roles in banking before focusing on leadership and people development.-Leadership Skills Versus Technical Expertise: Why strong individual performers are promoted without the tools to lead and the challenges this creates.-The Reality of Middle Management: How managers balance tasks and people while often lacking training and support.-The Power of Feedback and Self Awareness: How simple questions, regular feedback, and understanding impact improve leadership effectiveness.-Building Trust and Adapting Leadership Style: How flexibility, humility, and genuine care for people drive motivation, engagement, and long term performance.👉 Explore Martin le Comte’s book “The ten Golden Rules of Leadership” to learn simple and practical ways to lead, develop people, and improve performance.Visit: https://a.co/d/05uGfbiFTimestamps:[00:00] Teaser[01:04] Introduction and Martin’s leadership background[03:44] Storytelling, learning, and making leadership practical[06:36] Career journey from banking into leadership development[08:04] Early career lessons and being interested in people[12:26] Challenges of middle managers and lack of leadership training[18:18] Humility, feedback, and understanding your impact as a leader[26:13] Building habits, leadership tools, and measuring impact[34:25] Managing strengths, self awareness, and emotional intelligence[42:41] Feedback culture, leadership behaviours, and closing reflections📚 Resources:👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/👉 Read this article from DLQ46 for free on ‘From Compete and Compare to Collaborate and Care’ - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/from-compete-and-compare-to-collaborate-and-care/?share=ccyoGhQUZSYB👉 The ten Golden Rules of Leadership - https://a.co/d/05uGfbiFFollow our guest, Martin le Comte:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinlecomte10/Follow our Guest’s Companies:- NatWest Group:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/natwest-group/Website: https://www.natwestgroup.com/- NatWest Commercial and Institutional:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/natwest-commercial-and-institutional/Website: https://www.natwest.com/Follow the Host, Roddy Millar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddymillar/Follow Ideas For Leaders:Website: https://ideasforleaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideas-for-leaders/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideasforleaders.dlqFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideasforleaders/X (Twitter): https://x.com/ideas4leadersListening Links:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NHgbWdUlJS8z1aSTgcIYt?si=d4f19ce12516420fApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-between/id1842080646Podcast site: https://ideasforleaders.com/Subscribe for more insights on leadership, people development, and creating high performing teams. Share your thoughts and key takeaways in the comments below!
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    48 mins
  • The System Failure That’s Burning Out Middle Managers in Every Organization with Gary Cookson

    The System Failure That’s Burning Out Middle Managers in Every Organization with Gary Cookson
    Apr 30 2026
    If the themes in these podcasts resonate, and you sense your mid-level managers could benefit from deeper reflection and peer exchange, consider joining our monthly online community. Hosted by Roddy Millar, it’s a relaxed yet purposeful space where leadership challenges are unpacked with insight and camaraderie. Each session offers structure without rigidity, and conversation without jargon. To learn more or explore joining, drop us a line at: admin@ideasforleaders.com__________________________________________In this episode of The Power Between Podcast by Ideas for Leaders, host Roddy Millar speaks with Gary Cookson, Author of book “The Squeezed Middle” and expert in people management and hybrid work. Gary is the Director of EPIC, where he helps customers with Learning and development, Human resources, Organizational design, Business transformation, & Digital delivery. Gary shares his career journey of over 25 years, focused on improving work environments and supporting middle managers. He discusses the importance of clear role definitions for middle managers, the challenges they face, and the need for organizations to provide better support and development. Gary also emphasizes how middle managers can drive change, foster trust, and improve organizational culture through coaching, empathy, and visible labor.Gary explains how his work focuses on helping organizations improve the role of middle managers, especially in today’s changing work environment. He shares how clear role definitions, strong relationships, and emotional intelligence can help middle managers navigate complexity and support their teams. Gary emphasizes the importance of building trust, managing performance fairly, and reducing ambiguity. He also highlights how consistent development, open communication, and recognizing the invisible work of managers lead to improved productivity and a stronger organizational culture.Key Topics:-Career Journey in People Management: How Gary’s 25+ years of experience shaped his focus on improving work environments and supporting middle managers.-The Squeezed Middle: Why middle managers are critical to bridging gaps in organizations and driving culture, productivity, and change.-Navigating Hybrid Work: How hybrid work presents both opportunities and challenges for managers and organizations.-The Value of Emotional Intelligence: Why empathy, reflection, and coaching are essential for middle managers to succeed.-Clarifying Middle Manager Roles: How defining clear roles and responsibilities for middle managers improves focus, reduces pressure, and drives better outcomes.📘Learn more about the challenges and strategies for supporting middle managers in Gary’s book, “The Squeezed Middle”.👉Grab your copy today: https://amzn.eu/d/0fa7zwZz Timestamps:[00:00] Teaser[01:53] Gary's journey into writing books on work culture[04:13] The tension around middle management in organizations[07:58] Defining clear roles for middle managers in organizations[09:44] Building upward influencing skills for middle managers[12:26] Case studies of organizations that fail to support middle managers[15:38] How middle managers can prevent organizational breakdown[17:47] The role of middle managers in managing change effectively[21:41] Storytelling and its value for middle managers in conveying messages[24:06] The potential of AI to assist middle managers with routine tasks[29:26] Shifting middle management focus towards coaching and mentoring[31:24] The duality of middle management satisfaction[33:22] The challenge of realistic expectations for middle managers[35:05] The role of senior leaders in shaping middle management success📚 Resources:👉 Subscribe to DLQ just for $3 for 3 months - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/👉 Read this article from DLQ46 for free on ‘From Compete and Compare to Collaborate and Care’ - https://developingleadersquarterly.com/from-compete-and-compare-to-collaborate-and-care/?share=ccyoGhQUZSYB 👉 The Squeezed Middle - https://amzn.eu/d/064Keg8w Follow our guest, Gary Cookson:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garycookson/Follow our Guest’s Company, EPIC:EPIC:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/epichr/Website: https://epichr.co.uk/ Follow the Host, Roddy Millar:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddymillar/Follow Ideas For Leaders:Website: https://ideasforleaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ideas-for-leaders/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ideasforleaders.dlqFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ideasforleaders/X (Twitter): https://x.com/ideas4leadersListening Links:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2NHgbWdUlJS8z1aSTgcIYt?si=d4f19ce12516420fApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-between/id1842080646Podcast site: https://ideasforleaders.com/Subscribe for more insights on people management and leadership during change. Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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    38 mins
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