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How often have you walked away from a meeting thinking, “I explained that perfectly,” only to discover later that somebody heard something completely different?

We often judge communication by what we said, sent or presented.

But is that really where communication happens?

In this reflection episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray revisits conversations with Ray Walsh, Dee Clayton, Michael Reddington and Liam FitzPatrick to explore what happens between sending a message and having it truly land.

What does your audience actually hear?

What meaning do they make from what you say?

How much are you learning while you communicate?

And how do people know that you have really listened?

Four different perspectives come together around one deceptively simple idea: communication is about much more than getting the message out.

If you lead people, influence others, present ideas or simply want your conversations to have more impact, this episode offers plenty to reflect on.

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Why would a capable, experienced person need a coach?

If you’re good at your job, know yourself reasonably well and can solve problems, shouldn’t you be able to work things out for yourself?

Perhaps.

But some of the most important things may be the hardest to see from inside your own thinking.

In this reflection episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray revisits conversations with Joseph O’Connor, Marcia Reynolds, Jonathan Reitz and Paula King to explore what coaching can make possible.

What happens when someone truly listens to you?

What happens when you listen to yourself?

And what happens when your own words are reflected back to you in a way that makes you hear them differently?

This isn’t really an episode about coaching techniques. It’s about what can happen when another person helps you think more clearly about what matters.

If you lead people, make difficult decisions or simply want to understand your own thinking better, this episode may give you something worth reflecting on.

Episode References

Joseph O'Connor - Episode 14

Jonathan Reitz - Episode 20

Dr Paula King - Episode 47

Dr Marcia Reynolds - Episode 106

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What really makes the difference when leadership gets difficult?

Not when the plan is working. Not when the numbers look good. But when the pressure rises, the situation is unclear, and other people are looking to you for direction.

Peter Davies has spent decades in senior leadership roles across DHL, SN Brussels Airlines, Air Malta and other complex organisations. Looking back, he has come to a conclusion that challenges the way many leaders think about performance:

The soft determines the hard

In this episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray explores what Peter has learned about leading people when judgement matters, trust is tested, and easy answers are in short supply.

It’s a conversation shaped by experience rather than theory, with stories from a career spent making difficult calls, leading through change and working across very different cultures.

And as AI becomes more embedded in the way organisations operate, one question becomes even more important:

What should leaders be careful not to lose?

If you lead people, influence decisions or carry responsibility when the answer isn’t obvious, this episode is for you.

Connect with Peter on Linkedin

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What if the problem with workplace learning isn’t a lack of content, courses or technology?

What if we’re still confusing access to information with actual learning?

In this episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray welcomes Stella Collins back to explore how people really learn at work and what organisations need to do differently if they want learning to translate into better performance.

Stella’s new book, The Learning Organization, challenges some familiar assumptions about training, self-directed learning and the role of L&D.

Together, Gerry and Stella explore what helps learning stick, why self-directed learning is more than giving people access to a platform, how managers shape the learning environment, and what AI may change about how people develop skills and expertise.

They also discuss the changing role of trainers, the neuroscience behind effective learning, and why measuring attendance and completions may tell us far less than we think.

If you lead people, design learning, manage change or simply want to help others grow more effectively, this conversation will give you plenty to reflect on.

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Visit Stella's Website

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AI is getting faster, smarter and more capable.

But are we asking it to solve the right problems?

In this episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray welcomes Chris Soderquist back to explore what he calls Systemic Intelligence and why it may matter more than ever in an AI-driven world.

Chris argues that many of the challenges leaders face are not really standalone problems at all. They sit inside wider systems, shaped by relationships, feedback loops, assumptions and mental models that are often invisible until we learn how to see them.

Together, Gerry and Chris explore why organisations can end up having to solve the same problems over and over again, why intelligent people can become trapped by the models that once made them successful, and what happens when powerful technology is applied without enough understanding of the system around it.

Along the way, they use examples from everyday life, business, public health and AI to make systems thinking practical and accessible.

If you lead people, make decisions, work with AI, or simply want to improve the quality of your thinking in a more complex world, this episode will give you plenty to reflect on.

Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

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Why do some people seem to command attention before they’ve really said anything, while others struggle to make an impact even when they know their material?

They may have attended all the usual communication and presentation courses, but somehow something is still not quite working.

In this summer reflection episode of Leading People, Gerry Murray revisits the wisdom and advice of two former guests, Kate Walker Miles and Caroline Goyder, both of whom originally trained in the theatre.

Together, they explore why presence is less about polish or performance and much more about how we actually show up.

From voice, body and breath to intention, emotional state and gravitas, Kate and Caroline offer practical insights into why people experience us before they fully process our words.

And what they reveal is encouraging: creating more presence when you enter a room, whether physical or online, may be easier than you think.

If you lead meetings, give presentations, influence others or simply want your communication to land more effectively, this episode is for you.

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What happens inside us doesn’t just stay inside us.

Our beliefs, emotions, assumptions and internal state all influence how other people experience us — often before we have said very much at all.

In this short reflection episode, Gerry Murray revisits two earlier Leading People conversations with Julia Carden, Alan Briskin and Mary Gelinas.

Together, they explore why self-awareness is never just an individual matter, how our presence shapes the atmosphere around us, and why leading others begins with paying closer attention to what we ourselves are bringing into the room.

From the idea that “who you are is how you lead,” to the subtle ways our inner state affects conversations, relationships and the wider field, this episode offers a timely invitation to pause and reflect.

Before your next meeting, conversation or difficult moment, pause and consider:

What happens when you walk into the room?

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What happens when organisations move faster, adopt smarter tools, and still keep running into the same problems?

In this short reflection episode, Gerry Murray revisits two earlier Leading People conversations — with Chris Soderquist and Angela Montgomery — to explore why better tools do not remove the need for better thinking.

From repeated problems and firefighting, to silos, outdated management habits, and the danger of automating what isn’t working, this episode is a timely reminder that leadership in a complex world still depends on judgment, perspective, and systemic awareness.

If you care about leadership, decision-making, learning, change, or the hidden cost of solving the wrong problem, this episode is for you.

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