The Growth House Podcast

1. Introduction & Podcast Context00:00 – 02:20 Ben Fennell introduces The Growth House Podcast, its focus on leadership, teamship and growth, and welcomes Dr Hugh Montgomery, outlining his extensive background in intensive care medicine, COVID-19 response, climate change advocacy, and extreme endurance pursuits.2. Hugh Montgomery’s Unplanned Career Journey02:20 – 05:15 Hugh reflects on a career shaped by curiosity rather than fixed goals — from commercial diving and physiology to intensive care medicine, academic research, and eventually climate change leadership.3. Integrating Clinical Practice, Research & Personal Experience05:15 – 07:45 Discussion on how Hugh’s clinical work, academic research and adventurous personal life inform one another, including insights gained from mountaineering, hypoxia research, and personal loss influencing scientific breakthroughs.4. Work, Purpose & Why “Work–Life Balance” Misses the Point07:45 – 09:15 A shared reflection on why meaningful work doesn’t feel like “work” and how purpose, not balance, sustains long-term motivation and performance.5. Leadership & Teamship in Intensive Care09:15 – 14:50 Hugh explains intensive care as a fundamentally flat, team-based environment — emphasising collective responsibility, trust, and listening over hierarchical command-and-control leadership.6. Decision-Making Under Pressure14:50 – 16:05 Insights into how high-stakes medical teams operate during crises, including the paradox that the more serious the situation, the calmer and quieter effective teams become.7. What Intensive Care Actually Is16:05 – 17:10 A clear explanation of the role of intensive care units, how patients arrive there, and what “life support” really means in practice.8. The Future of Healthcare: Technology, AI & Human Factors17:10 – 24:15 A wide-ranging discussion on the unsustainable trajectory of modern healthcare, rising chronic disease, workforce strain, the limits of AI, and the growing loss of human connection in medicine.9. Human Connection vs. Transactional Care24:15 – 26:20 Why continuity, ownership and genuine human connection matter more than efficiency alone — and how responsibility transforms patient outcomes and trust.10. Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic26:20 – 31:45 Hugh recounts the UK’s intensive care response to COVID-19, highlighting rapid collaboration, suspended bureaucracy, academic–industry partnerships, and extraordinary acts of leadership at every level.11. Personal Resilience, Energy & Leading Through Enthusiasm31:45 – 34:55 Reflections on what the pandemic revealed about Hugh’s own leadership style — particularly the power of energy, optimism and emotional contagion in sustaining teams under extreme pressure.12. Climate Change, Leadership Failure & Collective Responsibility34:55 – 40:35 A powerful critique of global inaction on climate change, framed as a failure of leadership and personal responsibility — and a call for individuals and organisations to lead rather than wait.13. Motivation, Fear & Changing Behaviour40:35 – 45:45 Discussion on why fear-based messaging often fails, the importance of meaningful motivation, and personal stories that illustrate how long-term purpose drives real behavioural change.14. Leadership Behaviours That Enable Growth45:45 – 50:30 Hugh shares the leadership behaviours he values most: immersion, accessibility, enthusiasm, curiosity, and creating environments where people feel ownership and purpose.15. Meaning, Purpose & What Ultimately Matters50:30 – 54:40 A deeply personal reflection on meaning, love, responsibility and legacy — drawing on Viktor Frankl’s work and personal loss to articulate what sustains people through hardship.16. Closing Reflections & Farewell54:40 – 55:30 Ben thanks Hugh for a wide-ranging and deeply insightful conversation, closing the episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It gives me great pleasure to share our 25th and latest podcast. In this final pod of the year I'm in conversation with 'Clipper Round The World' winning Captain, Brendan Hall. I think that this conversation is loaded with insight and learning for business leaders at all levels. Brendan talks with such candour and vulnerability about the evolution of his leadership style as he watched his team step up and grow. Without sharing any spoilers, I'm sure that his deeply personal story, in one of toughest environments imaginable, will resonate with many. I really hope that you enjoy listening to Brendan as much as I did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Azran is a serial Entrepreneur and Disruptor. I really enjoyed hearing him share his perspective on 'Finding customer insights that competitors might have overlooked', and 'Building a product offering that delivers against that unmet customer need'. To create a value proposition in the long haul airline industry is no small achievement, and I think that there are lessons for anyone trying to scale a business in the story of Air Asia X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

00:00 – 03:00 | Introduction & Career OverviewHost Ben Fennell introduces the podcast and Kate Richardson-Walsh.Highlights Kate’s 375 caps for Great Britain hockey, 13 years as captain, and Rio 2016 Olympic gold.03:00 – 05:00 | Early Career & Team Development ChallengesKate discusses the turbulence of her first 10 years in the sport.Explains lack of full-time training due to funding and resulting inconsistency in performance.05:00 – 08:30 | Purpose, Vision & 'Gold Medal Standards'Insight into rebuilding after London 2012.Shift to using “Would a gold medallist do that?” as a daily behavioural check-in.Importance of turning abstract vision into actionable behaviours.08:30 – 12:00 | Strengths & Self-AwarenessTeam learned to recognise and value individual strengths through psychology work.Kate discusses her personal strength (consistency) and Helen Richardson-Walsh’s penalty goal at Rio.Power of knowing and using your strengths under pressure.12:00 – 15:20 | Good Day / Bad Day Exercise & TriggersImportance of knowing your personal signals of performance and self-awareness.Identifying emotional and behavioural cues that indicate decline or stress.Creating plans and asking for support when triggered.15:20 – 20:00 | Receiving Feedback WellKate’s story of receiving honest feedback from a junior teammate.Emotional reaction vs. self-control.Emphasises thoughtful, kind, and direct feedback as a gift.20:00 – 25:30 | Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB)Overview of diversity within the GB hockey team and its limitations.Leveraging cognitive, personality and strength-based diversity to enhance resilience and creativity.Transition from inclusion as a concept to belonging as a performance driver.25:30 – 30:00 | Inductions, Culture & StorytellingTeam’s cultural onboarding and welcome ceremonies before Rio 2016.Use of storytelling to share values and welcome new members.Importance of helping new joiners quickly understand and contribute to team culture.30:00 – 36:30 | Identity, Microaggressions & RepresentationKate’s personal experiences with prejudice and stereotypes.Subtle discrimination: e.g., “couldn’t you have used a prettier picture?”Significance of representation and embracing identity confidently.36:30 – 39:20 | Safe Spaces & Learning Through DiscomfortImportance of creating non-judgmental spaces for DIB conversations.Avoiding blame and “cancel culture.”Acknowledging fear but choosing to grow through discomfort.39:20 – 45:00 | Closing Reflections: Leadership, Teamship & GrowthLeadership: “Honesty” – authenticity and holding self to same standards as others.Teamship: “Selflessness” – showing up daily even if not selected.••Growth: “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable” – personal and team development through challenge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we launch our new Diversity Inclusion and Belonging programme, we wanted to share our podcast interview that I did with Mona. At a time where the DIB agenda is under attack from some very powerful leaders around the world it feels absolutely appropriate for us to double our efforts in the space. We hope that you enjoy the conversation I had with this incredible leader. My biggest takeaway is that Diversity can only truly flourish if you create sustained energy and focus on the I & B of DIB.Mona Shindy shares her experiences in the Navy, highlighting the challenges she faced as a woman in a male-dominated field. Mona discussed her journey from naval officer to leadership coach, emphasising the importance of vulnerability, resilience, and community in leadership development. Mona shares her 30-year career as an engineer in the Navy, including the challenges she faced as a mother trying to balance work and family life, and the difficulties of navigating gender roles and speaking up when incidents occur. Ben and Mona also discuss the importance of community, leadership, communication, respect, empathy, and acknowledging bias in creating an inclusive workplace culture, emphasising the need for leaders to prioritise diversity, inclusion, and belonging.0:00 Intro1:51 Mona’s career journey as a Naval officer and personal story.4:58 Belonging and inclusion after a family tragedy in Australia.10:57 Navy life, roles, and dynamics with a focus on women in the Australian Navy.14:01 Challenges of being a female engineer in the Navy, including balancing work and family life.22:25 Speaking up in the Navy, addressing unacceptable behaviors and cultural reluctance to report incidents.25:56 Workplace culture and the responsibility of leadership in creating an environment where employees feel comfortable speaking up about inappropriate behaviour.33:19 Exclusionary comments and microaggressions in workplace culture.36:04 Diversity, inclusion, and belonging in teams, with a focus on communication, empathy, and permission to make mistakes40:02 Diversity and inclusion in the workplace49:37 Leadership, teamwork, and growth with a focus on empathy, inclusivity, and lifelong learningBuy Mona’s bookShattering Identity Bias by Mona Shindy: Buy on Amazon Follow Monahttps://www.monashindy.comlinkedin.com/in/mona-shindy-csc-84ba54121Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.comben@thegrowthhouse.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fennell-tghhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-growth-house Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s always exciting to welcome a new speaker to The Growth House roster and so here’s a podcast introducing 30 year hostage negotiator Kirk Kinnell. Kirk’s insights regarding building connection, and establishing trust and influence are as profound as they are useful. He’s a wonderful communicator with a set of tools and skills that are world class. #hostagenegotiation #influencewithoutauthority #conflictresolution #empathy #trust #diversityKirk Cannell's Introduction and Background 0:09The Importance of Starting a Negotiation Well 3:31Listening and Empathy in Negotiations 6:45Building Trust and Mutual Interest 8:56The Role of Language and Accents in Negotiations 18:06Team Dynamics in Negotiations 20:47The Concept of "No" and Red Lines in Negotiations 25:28Strategic Use of Time and Silence in Negotiations 33:09Diversity and Gender in Negotiation Teams 38:38Leadership Beliefs and Teamship Behaviors 44:06Advice for Growth and Innovation 46:40Follow Kirk Kinnell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirk-kinnell-69a35b7b/Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason has done lots of speaking events for The Growth House over the years and I'm always inspired by his candour, humility and eloquence. We recently recorded a podcast interview with Jason where we covered topics as diverse as Mental Health, Feedback, and my favourite, the importance of Cheerfulness in a high performing team. We are thrilled to be able to share our latest podcast with you now.1:00 - 2:08: Ben introduces Jason Fox, highlighting his background in the Special Forces, broadcasting, and inspirational speaking.Summer Reflections 2:08: Jason discusses his busy summer, mainly working on the "SAS: Who Dares Wins" series.Production Challenges 3:06: Jason shares insights into the pressure and demands of producing a reality TV show, noting how production time and intensity have increased.Spotting Potential 5:45: Jason talks about his ability to identify strong performers early in the selection process, sharing anecdotes from his work on the show.Joining the Military at 16 6:45: Jason reflects on his decision to join the Royal Marines at a young age due to a lack of academic interest.Commando Spirit 8:18: Discussion on the core values of the Royal Marines, such as courage, determination, unselfishness, and cheerfulness in adversity, and their importance in shaping military culture.Transition to Special Forces 13:13: Jason discusses how the culture in Special Forces built on the Marine foundation but added more autonomy and responsibility.Challenges of Leaving the Military 17:21: Jason describes the personal struggles he faced transitioning out of the military and into civilian life, acknowledging mental health challenges.Managing Stress and Mental Health 19:11: Jason shares his journey to recognizing and addressing stressors, leading to improved mental health and self-awareness.The Self Check-In 22:08: Jason introduces his personal technique of "self check-in," where he explores negative emotions to understand their source and manage his reactions.Grounding Yourself Under Pressure 24:45: Jason shares a story from his Special Forces days about remaining calm and collected under fire, focusing on his team and the situation.Feedback and Review Process 27:53: Jason explains the importance of regular, constructive debriefs in Special Forces to learn from both successes and failures, emphasizing the value of continuous improvement.The Role of Habits 31:39: Discussion on the importance of ingraining fundamental habits in training, with comparisons to elite sports, like rugby.Repetition and Mastery 39:32: Jason stresses the importance of mastering basics through continuous practice, drawing parallels between military and sports training.Leadership, Teamship, and Growth 41:01: Jason shares his top values for leadership empathy, teamship trust, and personal growth courage.Reflections on Business Growth 45:49: Final thoughts on the challenges founders face as their businesses scale, using examples from various industries.Follow Jason Foxhttps://www.instagram.com/jason_carl_fox/?hl=enFollow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are excited to share Podcast 19 with the wonderful Rupal Patel. Rupal is author of the international bestseller: From CIA to CEO and she is the latest addition to our speaker roster. During our conversation, she shares the insights, stories and tools gained from a thrilling career as a CIA Analyst and Field Agent. Highlights for me were her bits of advice regarding 'Speaking truth to power', 'Learnings born of some white knuckle experiences' briefing serving presidents and 4-star generals. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we both did. 1.Introduction and Background (00:06 - 02:03)2.Rupal’s Journey to the CIA (02:03 - 03:50)3.The Importance of First Impressions and Handshakes (03:50 - 06:12)4.The Concept of ‘Difference’ and Its Impact (06:12 - 09:47)5.Embracing and Designing a Life True to Oneself (09:47 - 13:08)6.Understanding Energy Maps and Golden Hours (13:08 - 15:10)7.Learning the Tradecraft at the CIA (15:10 - 18:23)8.CIA’s Intelligence Cycle and Work Cycles (18:23 - 19:21)9.The Transition from CIA to Entrepreneurship (19:21 - 22:30)10.Mindset Shifts and Overcoming Challenges (22:30 - 25:05)11.Leadership Lessons from the CIA (25:05 - 28:00)12.Balancing Ambition with Well-Being (28:00 - 31:15)13.The Power of Reflection and Journaling (31:15 - 34:00)14.Creating a Supportive Ecosystem (34:00 - 36:40)15.The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership (36:40 - 39:20)16.Key Takeaways from Rupal’s Book (39:20 - 41:45)17.Advice for Aspiring Leaders and Entrepreneurs (41:45 - 44:00)Buy Rupal's bookCIA to CEO by Rupal Patel: Buy on Amazon Follow Rupalwww.ciatoceo.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rupal-patel-2145a960/Follow Ben and The Growth House Subscribe to The Growth House Podcasthttps://thegrowthhouse.comben@thegrowthhouse.co.ukhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-fennell-tghhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-growth-house Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Track legend Michael Johnson talks to Ben in our latest podcast episode and whether you're a sports fan or not, there is so much wisdom here regarding preparation, pressure and high performance behaviours.Michael shares many wonderful insights, but the idea of how we need to balance respect for the fundamentals of your chosen pursuit, whilst embracing your own unique talents and style.If you want to learn more about our Leadership Programmes please do get in touch ben@thegrowthhouse.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark the launch of our new AI Programme: Fast Start, we wanted to introduce the wonderful Henry Shevlin. Henry is a Cambridge AI Ethicist, Cognitive Scientist and Associate Director at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence. Henry has spoken at all five of our pilot workshops and has informed and inspired our clients in equal measure. We have titled the podcast 'Enduring Human Skills and Emerging AI Tools'. It's not the shortest title we've ever written, but it is the guiding principle for the new programme and the idea that sits at the heart of this interview.If you want to learn more about new AI Programme please do get in touch ben@thegrowthhouse.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month I'm in conversation with the wonderful Richard Phillips, one of the world's leading coaches in personal communication, presentation and media skills. I first worked with Richard back in 2002 before I took my first CEO job. It remains some of the most impactful and enduring training that I've ever received. Twenty years on, his principles and belief system are as powerful as ever, and I'm thrilled that he's now sharing his wisdom with clients of The Growth House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Olly Kohn, co-founder of The Jolly Hog shares the inspiring story of transitioning from Premiership winning rugby player to successful entrepreneur. Alongside his two brothers, Olly has built one of the most respected FMCG brands in the UK. We explore the difference between the start up and scale up phase, what it is like to do business with your family, dealing with the big retailers and why product quality is always the best business strategy. Really hope you enjoy it.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All Black legend, Dan Carter talks about leadership, teamship, culture, feedback, setbacks, pressure, mental health and a whole lot more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

37 year NASA engineer and 5 time space shuttle astronaut, Marsha Ivins talks about what great Leadership and Teamship look like in one of this planet’s most elite cultures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two time Oscar winning Producer and Director Andrew Ruhemann, speaks with such passion and clarity regarding Leadership, Teamship, Creativity and Connection.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roz Savage, solo ocean rower, author and climate activist talks about the physical and mental challenges of spending months alone at sea, her love and respect for the ocean, and her coping strategies for fear, fatigue and boredom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Furness is a 20 year combat helicopter pilot, her perspective on mental toughness, prioritisation and performance under pressure were all absolutely fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I can’t think of a better speaker, this week of international women’s day, than Vicki Anstey. Vicki is an adventurer and entrepreneur. She was a finalist in the hit Channel 4 TV series ‘SAS Who Dares Wins’. She is a world record holder having rowed across the mid Pacific in a team of three. Vicki has just completed a 230K endurance event in the arctic where she was the second fastest female to complete the challenge. Vicki is a motivational speaker on the topics of resilience, wellbeing and how best to challenge our fears and limitations. It’s great to have Vicki as part of our evolved speaker roster. There will be more podcasts from our newest speakers to come.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ollie Philips is the founder and CEO of optimist performance. Ollie’s insights around the impact of positivity on sporting and business performance are as refreshing as they are engaging. After 11 years on the England 7s circuit, he was captain for 6, Ollie began a whole series of expeditions including a round the world yacht race, a cycle across America and an Everest ascent. He’s a great man with a great story to tell.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chaz Wigley is one of the world's leading communication strategists, he has spent more than 23 years living and working all over Asia. His conversation with Ben explores Leadership, Teamship and Growth through the many categories and markets that he has worked in. Chaz speaks with authority and good humour about the similarities, differences and tensions that exist between EAST and WEST. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.