#69 Cooperative Leadership with Claire Costello

In this episode, I’m joined by leadership coach and mindfulness teacher Susan Grandfield for a conversation that blends personal insight, scientific rigour, and deep practicality of meditation.We explore why meditation isn’t just a wellness fad or spiritual escape, but a practical, evidence-based tool for leaders navigating complexity, overwhelm, and continuous partial attention.  Susan brings both academic and lived experience, and together we discuss:The different types of meditation (and how to find the one that suits you)Why a consistent 10-minute practice can genuinely shift your leadership presenceWhat neuroscience reveals about time, focus, and decision-makingHow meditation strengthens creativity, resilience, and moral courage  Susan is an experienced leadership and mindset coach and has worked internationally with senior leaders, managers and with teams in corporate and SME organisations for over 20 years. In that time, she has had the opportunity to work in the public, private and third sectors and across a diverse range of industries. Susan’s coaching is based on the power of inner work.  It is rooted in the perspective that to change things on the outside, we need to start with what is going on on the inside.   She holds a Master’s degree in Studies in Mindfulness, is a qualified and experienced mindfulness and compassion coach and has been published on the subject of mindfulness and compassion in business in journals and the book “Mindful Heroes: stories of journeys that changed lives.  Her suggestions for starting or supporting your meditation journey are:The Mindfulness Association - https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/Breathworks - https://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk/Headspace App - https://www.headspace.com/Insight Timer (app) - https://insighttimer.com/  As well as a number of useful resources on her own website – www.susangrandfield.comIf you want to find out more about Waldencroft and the work we do with executive leadership teams, head over to Waldencroft.com 

In this episode, I’m joined by Jamie Livingston, Founder and CEO of Livingston James Group and Co-Chair of the youth leadership charity Columba 1400. Jamie brings decades of experience placing senior leaders into C-suite and board-level roles. In our conversation, he reflects on how leadership expectations have evolved from the traditional command-and-control model to the need for leaders who are purpose-led, agile, and capable of navigating complexity, paradox, and moral dilemmas. We explore:What organisations are really looking for in executive leaders todayThe tension between competency-based assessment and deeper human capacitiesHow Livingston James has embedded purpose through ownership, structure, and valuesThe role of moral courage in leadershipThe importance of early moral and intellectual development, with a nod to the German idea of Bildung and Jamie’s work with young people through Columba 1400This is a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation about leadership as principled action—especially in times of disruption.

In this solo episode, I explore what the Netflix drama Toxic Town can teach us about moral leadership.Using James Rest’s Four-Component Model of ethical decision-making, I contrast two characters - Roy Thomas and Sam Hagen - and examine how their choices offer a powerful lens for executive leaders navigating complexity, responsibility, and risk. This episode is especially relevant for anyone in a leadership role asking:What makes ethical action possible?How do status and proximity to power shape our moral clarity?And what can we do to develop the courage to act when it counts?If you read my recent Suite Spot newsletter, this conversation will take the thinking a step deeper. 🎧 Listen in to reflect on the anatomy of moral failure - and what it takes to lead with integrity.If you'd like to stay in touch with what we're doing in Waldencroft, you can sign up to our mailer here: https://waldencroft.com/newsletter/

What does it take to lead a major organisation through collapse, recovery, and into a decade of growth?In this episode Dr Jacqueline Conway is joined by David Conway, HR Director at London Gatwick Airport, to explore how executive leadership transformed in the wake of the pandemic. Gatwick lost nearly 100% of its passengers during COVID — a near-total shutdown of operations. David shares the personal and collective journey of rebuilding an executive team fit for the future. From defining shared strategic priorities to embedding resilience and fostering true collective enterprise leadership, this episode is rich with hard-won lessons for anyone navigating disruption at the top. You’ll hear:What resilience for growth really looks likeHow HR can play a strategic, shaping role in the C-suiteWhy technical brilliance doesn’t always translate to executive readinessWhat it takes to develop a high-functioning executive team after traumaDavid has been the HR Director at London Gatwick since January 2021, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in various industries such as oil & energy, aviation, and retail. He has worked for notable brands including BP, British Airways, and Safeway.Before joining London Gatwick, David spent 13.5 years at BP, where he held the position of HR Vice President for the company's Alaska business. In this role, he oversaw operations related to the Prudhoe Bay oil field and the trans-Alaska pipeline. David also has experience working in operations and HR at British Airways, as well as starting his career at Safeway in customer service and operations.

In this latest episode I introduce FieldSense — a structured yet human approach to working through complex issues as a leadership team.Too often, the capacity in senior teams isn’t unleashed as they try to solve gnarly problems or issues - not because the people aren’t capable, but because they’re talking at cross purposes, each operating from a different stage of the problem.FieldSense makes those stages visible, helping teams align on where they are, what the work is right now, and what comes next.You’ll learn:The three phases and six moves of the FieldSense frameworkWhy slowing down early helps speed up better decisions laterHow to shift from reactive dialogue to shared, grounded actionIf you’ve ever been in a meeting where something important needed to be solved — and the conversation got stuck — this episode is for you.And if you want to learn more about how FieldSense works, or how you could deploy it in your leadership team, reach out to us at: https://waldencroft.com/contact/

What if the alternative to capitalism’s excesses isn’t revolution—but quiet reinvention?In this episode I’m joined by Claire Costello, Chief People & Inclusion Officer at Co-op Group. We explore how Co-op’s values-led, member-owned structure creates a different kind of leadership. One that's attuned, distributed, and accountable.Claire describes how Co-op’s flexible executive structure, enterprise-wide mindset, and strong connection to its 6 million members foster leadership that is both commercially astute and socially responsible.Claire joined the Co-op in 2019 as Chief Procurement officer and moved to her current role as Chief People and Inclusion Officer at the Co-operative Group in 2022.Her team works across 3 core areas: setting and delivering the strategy for Reward, Wellbeing, Employee Relations, Inclusion, Skills, Colleague proposition and Leadership development; supporting the strategic people challenges across a diverse set of business areas; and delivering a pensions proposition to 54,000 colleagues and 30,000 pensioners.  Claire is also on the Board of Co-op Academies Trust as a Trustee.

In this episode I examine the four stages of chaos—Disruption, Escalation, Fragmentation, and Disintegration (or Breakthrough)—and how leaders can identify our position within the cycle. Understanding these stages provides us with a vital advantage: it enables us to lead with intention, rather than merely react to the turmoil.I also incorporate the work of Neil Howe and his Fourth Turning theory, which posits that history progresses in 80-to-100-year cycles. If Howe is correct, we are experiencing a period of fundamental transformation—one that will not simply “return to normal.” However, within this disruption, there is also an opportunity: to shape what comes next.

Remember when good character was something a leader strived to be known for? It seems that now, not so much. In my latest podcast episode, The Erosion of Character, I explore whether character has truly gone out of fashion—or if we’re simply seeing a battle over what “good character” means. Is it now simply a matter of debate?When humiliation, intimidation, and confusion are used to win at any cost, under the guise that the ends justify the means, where does that leave us?  I wrote an article to go alongside this podcast called, Is Character out of Fashion? in my LinkedIn newsletter, the Suite Stop. You can access it by clicking here.

Effective leadership isn’t merely about decisive action—it’s also about recognising when not to act.In this episode, I explore strategic patience as an underrated leadership skill. We’ve all seen hasty decisions that create bigger problems later. So, how do you know when to hold steady and when to move?I've just launched a new LinkedIn newsletter, called The Suite Spot, packed full of essential insights and practical strategies for C-Suite leaders and those who develop them. Click here to go to my latest piece. And don’t forget to subscribe so it shows up in your feed each week.Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7291429073468182528

In this episode of Advanced Executive Leadership, I’m joined by Steve Williams, Director for Learning and Leadership Development at Accenture. Steve shares how AI is revolutionising leadership development at scale—from creating AI-powered digital coaches and immersive simulations to embedding generative AI into real-time client interactions.Steve is a passionate Learning and Leadership Development leader who has held several strategic learning roles across a 25-year career. He is currently responsible for the strategic direction and delivery of learning and leadership programs for 80K+ employees in Accenture across several business areas.  He is focused on helping people grow the skills and behaviours that matter, by engaging them with training experiences relevant to their work, and learning through their work. In Accenture we’re exploring deeply how AI and digital tools will transform learning as we know it.