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What happens when learning is no longer an event, but a natural part of everyday work?

In this bonus episode, Julia sits down with Valerie to explore the concept of learning in the flow of work what it means, why it’s gaining momentum, and how organisations can make it more than just a buzzword.

Valerie draws on years of experience in L&D to share:

• Why traditional training models are struggling to keep up
• How to support learning without taking people out of their roles
• The difference between organisational responsibility and individual ownership
• The thinkers influencing how we view learning today
• Simple, effective ways to embed learning into the daily workflow

Packed with practical insights, this episode is perfect for anyone looking to refresh their approach to learning at work, without adding more to the to-do list.

We are thrilled to share 'The Secrets of Learning and Development' Podcast has won Podcast of the Year 2025

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our listeners for your encouragement, shares and support. It means the world.

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In this episode of Secrets of Learning and Development, hosts Julia and Valerie sit down with Sarah Armstrong Smith, former Chief Security Advisor at Microsoft and author of Effective Crisis Management and Understanding the Cyber Attacker.

Sarah’s career spans fraud investigation, crisis response and cybersecurity, with frontline experience of major global events including the 9/11 attacks, the 7/7 London bombings and the COVID-19 pandemic. What connects them all is her enduring focus on human behaviour, how people respond under pressure, and what gets overlooked until it’s too late.

Together, they explore why so many lessons from major crises are ignored, how small issues spiral into large-scale failures, and what leaders can do differently to build cultures of integrity and accountability. Sarah shares candid stories from her earliest days investigating fuel card fraud to her time managing crisis response in some of the world’s most high-pressure environments.

They also discuss the motivations behind cyber attackers, the dangers of diluted reporting, and why integrity, not process, is often the deciding factor in how well an organisation recovers from disaster.

This episode is a rare behind-the-scenes look at what happens when systems break, leaders freeze, or culture fails. With clarity and conviction, Sarah makes the case for braver conversations, sharper foresight and truly putting people first.

Whether you lead teams, manage risk, or want to understand how to respond better when the pressure is on, this conversation is packed with insight.

Key Learnings

Culture is the real crisis indicator.
Many disasters aren’t the result of sudden events, but of longstanding warning signs that were ignored or downplayed. Poor culture, where employees don’t feel safe to speak up, leadership avoids uncomfortable truths, and red flags are buried, creates the perfect conditions for failure. The real risk isn’t always technical; it’s cultural.

Cyber threats are deeply human.
Behind every cyber attack is a motivation, and it’s not always financial. From nation-state espionage and disinformation to insider threats and emotionally manipulative scams, understanding the human drivers behind attacks is just as critical as protecting systems. If we focus only on the technology, we miss the full picture.

Guest Information:

Info@securehorizons.co.uk
Sarah Armstrong-Smith | LinkedIn

Keynote for Tech Show London: https://www.techshowlondon.co.uk/tech-show-london-2026-programme/keynote-presented-by-sarah-armstrong-smith?

We are thrilled to share 'The Secrets of Learning and Development' Podcast has won Podcast of the Year 2025

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our listeners for your encouragement, shares and support. It means the world.

Support the show

Support the Show
Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you!

Why do some ideas land effortlessly while others get rejected, even when they promise progress?

In this bonus episode of The Secrets of Learning & Development, Julia and Valerie explore the MAYA Principle, a design concept coined by Raymond Loewy that holds surprising relevance for business development, learning strategy and organisational change.

MAYA stands for Most Advanced Yet Acceptable, the idea that people are most likely to embrace new ideas when they feel innovative but still familiar. Valerie shares how this plays out in real L&D scenarios, from programme redesigns to digital transformation. Julia brings a fresh lens through thoughtful questions, exploring how language, framing and psychology all shape whether change is adopted or resisted.

If you’re designing, pitching or repositioning anything in your work, this short episode will help you think more strategically about how to gain buy-in without compromising on innovation.

We are thrilled to share 'The Secrets of Learning and Development' Podcast has won Podcast of the Year 2025

A heartfelt THANK YOU to all our listeners for your encouragement, shares and support. It means the world.

Support the show

Support the Show
Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support