Collective Intelligence

Despite billions invested in offices, many workplaces still fail to deliver what matters most: better performance, stronger relationships, and meaningful collaboration. In this episode, Tracey Camilleri and Adrian Davidson unpack why so many offices fall short and what needs to change. They explore the limitations of designing for cost and convenience, and argue for a shift toward environments that reflect how humans truly operate: socially, emotionally, and in teams. From the loss of apprenticeship in hybrid work to the missed opportunity of designing for belonging and trust, this conversation offers a roadmap for creating spaces that people not only use, but genuinely value. JLL website · Connect with Adrian on LinkedIn · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn

Rebuild shared experiences, brand responsibility, and "create the party". What happens when convenience quietly replaces connection? In our first episode of 2026, Sam Rockey speaks with Charl Bassil, the BBC’s first Chief Brand Officer, about what’s changed in the way we live, work, and belong. Charl argues we haven’t lost our need for connection — we’ve just been seduced by frictionless alternatives: streaming, scrolling, hyper-personalised feeds, and “social” platforms that deliver media with only a thin trace of social. Together they explore the BBC’s public-service role in a fragmented world — truth with no agenda, backing homegrown creativity, and bringing people together — and why shared cultural moments still matter for social cohesion. Charl also shares lessons from iconic global brands on balancing short-term growth with long-term brand equity, the power of aligning values with commercial reality, and why “care” and “kindness” aren’t soft words — they’re strategic. Plus: a moving story of how Charl built a Lebanese community in Cape Town from scratch, and the leadership principle at the heart of it all: don’t wait to be invited — create the party. Charl Bassil on The Leadership Enigma Podcast: Branding the Iconic · Charl Bassil on The Lead Creative: Banning Campaigns and Reimagining Brands · Bridging the Gap with Charl Bassil · Connect with Charl Bassil · Absolut Vodka music video: Khuli Chana: One Source · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn

Finding meaning, support, and community in a profession under pressure. “Bring back the real. Bring back the mess. Bring back the colour. When people are allowed to be human, performance doesn’t drop — it rises.” Antoinette Moriarty, of the Law Society of Ireland, joins Sam Rockey to chat about the forces reshaping legal work: the lure of certainty versus the reality of complexity, AI’s threat-and-opportunity, and identity shifts within a status-driven profession. Drawing on psychotherapy, group analysis, and her “This Is Absurd” festival, Antoinette reframes overwhelm as a signal — not a failure — to rebuild community, language, and leadership in law. They talk existentialists, Sisyphus and making meaning amid geopolitical flux, polarisation, and the “anti-fact” moment. Antoinette argues for richer language — kindness, compassion, forgiveness — precisely where business jargon falls short, and shows how leaders can hold ambiguity without rushing to premature certainty. From celebrating the profession’s ethical role to designing joyful, cross-disciplinary gatherings, this conversation offers concrete ways to reduce isolation, renew purpose and restore courage in a system that often asks the impossible. Practical, humane, and hopeful — this episode maps how lawyers can thrive without losing what makes the law matter. Connect with Antoinette on LinkedIn · Law Society of Ireland website · Justice Matters newsletter · Gazette magazine · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn

The hidden power of social health, and how connection helps us thrive. Whether you’re leading a team, building community, or simply craving deeper human connection, this conversation offers insights into building more connected, compassionate, and creative teams. What if our social lives are as vital to our health as sleep or exercise? In this episode of Collective Intelligence, Tracey Camilleri speaks with acclaimed science writer David Robson — author of The Intelligence Trap, The Expectation Effect, and The Laws of Connection — about the growing research around social health and its profound implications for how we live and work. Together they explore how our connections shape not just our happiness but our physiology and longevity, and why modern work culture still undervalues this essential “third pillar” of wellbeing. "Time spent forging bonds with others isn’t time away from work — it is the work.” David explains the neuroscience of crating a shared reality — how two brains literally sync when people truly connect — and the traps that hold us back, from the “liking gap” that makes us underestimate how much others enjoy our company, to the fear of asking for help. Tracey and David also bring in practical wisdom: how to become better conversationalists, how to give feedback that lands, how to bridge divides in a polarised world, and why singing, eating, or even walking together can spark what sociologist Émile Durkheim called 'collective effervescence' — that free energy of genuine belonging. ****** The Collective Intelligence podcast is hosted by Tracey Camilleri and Sam Rockey, founders and directors of Thompson Harrison. Contact details in the Links section below. David Robson on LinkedIn · David Robson's website · David's newsletter: 60-Second Psychology · The Laws of Connection book on Amazon · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn

Leadership lessons forged in extreme uncertainty. In this deeply thoughtful episode, Sam Rockey is joined by Dr. James Mountford — leadership expert, editor-in-chief of BMJ Leader, and former NHS doctor — to reflect on what it means to lead with purpose, kindness, and clarity in moments of crisis. Drawing on his experience launching London’s Nightingale Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic, James shares leadership lessons forged in extreme uncertainty: the power of psychological safety, the value of fast learning cycles, and why kindness is anything but soft. From field hospitals to AI coaching, the conversation explores how we scale compassion, build collective intelligence, and remember what truly matters in a world that’s always changing. “Kindness is not the opposite of strength. It’s the foundation of trust, speed, and transformation.” Whether you’re a leader in healthcare, business, or beyond, this episode is a moving reminder that what makes us human is what makes us great. Follow James on LinkedIn · Douglas Knowledge Partners website · HBR article - 10 Leadership Lessons from Covid Field Hospitals · Website · LinkedIn · Follow on Instagram · Connect with Tracey Camilleri on LinkedIn · Connect with Sam Rockey on LinkedIn