E122 - Guests: Gary Deakin, Former Army Officer & Former MD of GardaWorld UK
I'd love to hear from you; feel free to send me a Text MessageThis episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/ipkhmzY_oFMGary Deakin had a highly successful career in the British Army, rising to the rank of Major General, before embarking on what has now become a diverse and equally successful portfolio career outside the military.  Along the way, Gary has had a series of ups and downs, including a very challenging time whilst he was the MD of GardaWorld UK. He talks candidly about all these issues and has a lot of terrific thoughts about leadership that he shares in this episode.I really hope you enjoy what was a fascinating and fun conversation; it you do, please do all the usual things to highlight the episode more broadly and also send me some feedback. I really appreciate it when I receive feedback from listeners as it helps a lot to build and develop the podcast so please do let me know what you think.You can find Gary here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-deakin/Website: https://kingfisherconsulting.ukSupport the showThank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.You will have the choice of becoming a Supporter, a Champion or a Patron of the show and any contribution you feel able to make will be hugely appreciated.You can find more about me here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/X: https://x.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
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E121 - Guests: Martin Shaw, Stage & Screen Actor
I'd love to hear from you; feel free to send me a Text MessageThis episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/BLCPo2h6nCUIt was a great privilege to host Martin Shaw for this week's episode of Leading 4 Life "Stories". Martin has had an incredible 60 year career in acting and, over that time, has featured in numerous, stage productions, television series, documentary programmes, and films. He is possibly best known for his television roles as Inspector George Gently and Judge John Deed but the list of credits goes way beyond those two and he really is something of a national treasure here in the UK.I have known Martin personally for more than 25 years but, as he highlights in the episode, we have never previously had the chance for such a wide ranging and in depth conversation so this was particularly special. Even if you are already a fan and follower of Martin's work, I am certain you will get plenty of new insights into this amazing man's character as you watch or listen to this episode. Martin doesn't think of himself as a leader but, having reached the top of his profession, and played a number of significant leaders across his career, I can assure you that he has plenty of great thoughts about leadership that emerge during the conversation.I really hope you enjoy what I think was a particularly fascinating episode. If you do like it, please subscribe for further episodes, share it widely, and send me some feedback with your thoughts.Support the showThank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.You will have the choice of becoming a Supporter, a Champion or a Patron of the show and any contribution you feel able to make will be hugely appreciated.You can find more about me here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/X: https://x.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
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E120 - Personal Stories: Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) - Part 3 - Memories Are Made Of This!
I'd love to hear from you; feel free to send me a Text MessageThis episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/qfN8fkZujZsMy tour as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) was always incredibly busy but was also punctuated by some amazingly memorable events.  The London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, and working in the Government Emergency Rooms (COBRA) stand out as being particularly significant and I will cover them both separately.In this episode I focus on two specific things: my first experience of travelling to South America (not just once but twice), and two amazing opportunities to experience the breadth of the Royal Navy's Submarine Service's capability.Anyone can travel to South America if they have the means and the desire to make the trip, but experiencing what it is like to be underwater in a submarine is something that very few have the opportunity to do! I hope that I capture a little bit of the magic of both experiences here and that my story gives you some insights that you might not previously have had.  As ever, please let me have your feedback and don't forget to follow, subscribe and share widely.Support the showThank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.You will have the choice of becoming a Supporter, a Champion or a Patron of the show and any contribution you feel able to make will be hugely appreciated.You can find more about me here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/X: https://x.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
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E119 - Themes: Remembrance
I'd love to hear from you; feel free to send me a Text MessageThis episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/0l9PXJzJCRIThis episode will be published on Remembrance Sunday (9 November 2025) in the UK and so I thought a short thematic piece on remembrance would be very appropriate. These are very much my personal thoughts and perspectives, but I hope that at least some of the content will resonate with you too.Wherever you are when you watch or listen to this, please spare a thought for those that have made the ultimate sacrifice across the years, and indeed for all those that have served or continue to serve to protect the life and freedom that so many of us enjoy today.  Every life lost in a conflict is a personal tragedy for the individuals' family and friends and, in many ways, is also the result of the failure of political systems or (too often) the aggression of authoritarian leaders. The least we can do is remember and reflect on their sacrifice, and that is what I seek to do in this short episode.Support the showThank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.You will have the choice of becoming a Supporter, a Champion or a Patron of the show and any contribution you feel able to make will be hugely appreciated.You can find more about me here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/X: https://x.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
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E118 - Guests: Jon Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors
I'd love to hear from you; feel free to send me a Text MessageThis episode is also available as a video podcast on my YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/TfiK-iBRp2kJon Geldart is the Director General of the Institute of Directors, an organisation with a main focus on improving the quality of directors, and which represents business at the most senior levels of the UK government.  Prior to his IoD role, Jon had a great career in marketing and professional services. He has travelled extensively and also has an incredible life outside work as an explorer, mountain leader and co-driver in a rally team!  As you will hear in this episode, Jon has lots of experience and thoughts about leadership, and it was a fascinating discussion that could certainly have gone on much longer had time allowed. It is such a delight to meet and interview people with backgrounds as diverse and interesting as Jon and I am sure you will really enjoy this great conversation.You can find out more about Jon and the Institute of Directors here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jongeldartiod/Website: https://www.iod.comX: https://x.com/JonGeldart or https://x.com/The_IoDSupport the showThank you for listening! If you value the content I produce, please consider supporting the show financially by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/leading4life/ or clicking the "Support the Show" link above.You will have the choice of becoming a Supporter, a Champion or a Patron of the show and any contribution you feel able to make will be hugely appreciated.You can find more about me here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/X: https://x.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
I am Bob Judson and I spent over 34 years in the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom as a fast-jet pilot and then eventually as a senior leader, retiring from the military in 2015 as an Air Vice-Marshal (2* General). I subsequently transitioned to the corporate world as a consultant at Deloitte, but in 2019 I stepped away from all that and co-founded Leading 4 Life. I am passionate about helping to develop the leadership skills of individuals and teams and that is what this podcast is all about. You will hear from me, and from a wide range of special guests, many of whom have had incredible leadership journeys and risen to the most senior level of their governments, militaries and corporations. The focus won't only be on success; there is also much to be learned from the failures along the way!Thank you for listening!LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbob/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JudsonBobWebsite: https://leading4life.co.uk/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leading4Life
South Africa