What happens when technically brilliant engineers are promoted into leadership roles without the skills or support to manage people effectively? In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Dr Mark McBride-Wright is joined by Jeremy Doran, founder of NeuroConversant Leadership, to explore the challenges of transitioning from technical expert to effective leader. Drawing on his background in mechanical engineering and psychology, Jeremy shares insights into why communication often breaks down in technical environments, how cognitive diversity strengthens teams, and why leaders need to adapt their approach to people who think and work differently. They also discuss the power of storytelling, what improvisation can teach us about listening, and the growing importance of human connection in an AI-driven world.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Dr Mark McBride-Wright is joined by Ian Collins, Founder and Managing Director of Wellbeing Daily, to explore why employee wellbeing must be treated as a critical part of workplace safety and operational performance, rather than simply an HR initiative. Drawing on his experience across safety-critical industries and his personal journey through burnout, Ian challenges traditional approaches to resilience, incident investigation and organisational culture, arguing that we cannot expect individuals to thrive in systems that are fundamentally broken. Together, they discuss the difference between wellness and wellbeing, the importance of addressing systemic risks, and how leaders can use better questions, meaningful data and the Capacity Index to create safer, healthier workplaces.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by Mehmet Baha, founder of Solution Finder and keynote speaker and trainer on AI fluency, leadership and psychological safety. Drawing on a career that has taken him from conflict resolution and the United Nations to Facebook’s early European headquarters and his own consultancy, Mehmet explores what psychological safety really looks like in practice, why command-and-control leadership can undermine it, and how leaders can create more space for people to speak up, experiment and learn. The conversation also looks at the growing role of AI at work, the risks of outsourcing too much thinking to technology, and why human judgement, trust, connection and care will become even more important as automation continues to accelerate.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Stephanie Eynon, Head of Standards Makers Engagement and Inclusion at BSI, about the often unseen influence standards have on our everyday lives and why inclusion needs to be built into them from the start. Stephanie shares her unconventional career journey, her work advancing gender-responsive and inclusive standards, and how asking the right questions can lead to better outcomes for everyone. From PPE that doesn’t fit to widening participation in standards development, they explore the connection between inclusion and safety, the power of curiosity, and how standards can become a practical tool for lasting societal change.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by technology entrepreneur and author Richard 'RJ' Kedziora to explore the intersection of technology, leadership and human performance. RJ reflects on more than three decades working with software, data and AI, sharing how technology is transforming healthcare, why human judgement and responsibility still matter, and how leaders can use innovation to make a meaningful difference. He also discusses the ideas behind his book Productive Harmony, including why managing energy can be more important than managing time, the risks of constantly trying to do more, and the role empathy plays in effective leadership.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Marcia Ore, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, executive coach, mediator and former police sergeant with more than four decades of leadership experience. Marcia reflects on her 30-year policing career, the importance of planning and adapting throughout your career, and the realities of working in organisations where stated values do not always match lived experience. The conversation explores representation, psychological safety, accessibility, leadership courage, curiosity and the need to embed inclusion across every part of an organisation rather than treat it as a separate initiative.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by software engineer, technology leader and entrepreneur Edward Aslin to explore what good technical leadership really looks like in a fast-changing world. Edward reflects on his early experiences in business, the lessons learned from failure, and a career spent helping organisations untangle technical debt and build more sustainable software systems. He also shares his perspective on the reality behind the AI hype, how artificial intelligence is changing software engineering, why senior judgement and accountability matter more than ever, and how greater self-understanding has shaped his own career.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright sits down with Eric Guthrie, attorney, author and emerging technology strategist, to explore what leadership looks like in a world being reshaped by technology, regulation and changing expectations around inclusion. Eric shares his journey from law and corporate leadership into consulting, blockchain and academia, and explains why he believes diversity and inclusion should be embedded into business operations rather than treated as a standalone HR initiative. The conversation also dives into blockchain, cryptocurrency, AI, the challenge of law keeping pace with innovation, and why leaders need to keep learning if they want to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.