This podcast explores and demystifies strategy to equip you with the tools to be naturally strategic. Our mission? To empower you to operate with impact and confidence, ensuring you’re at the top of your game. We help HR and people-focused leaders harness the power of strategic thinking. By merging psychology, leadership, and business acumen, we offer actionable insights, and explore the crucial connection between strategy and human motivation. Gemma Bullivant has extensive global strategic HR leadership experience. She specialises in HR Coaching, Leadership Coaching, and Reward Consulting, enabling HR professionals and leaders to excel in their roles. With a wealth of knowledge and expertise, Gemma provides bespoke guidance to enhance skills in HR strategy and leadership excellence, together with valuable technical expertise in pay and reward consulting. Fiona Craig has spent over 20 years in creative industries, as a director and leading marketing strategist for world-renowned agencies, clients and brands. She combines this expertise with an impressive suite of coaching qualifications, and provides a fresh perspective on strategy. She excels at clarifying complex concepts into clear and practical ideas. 35 minutes listen time 🕒 Self-awareness helps strategic leaders understand their impact, use feedback effectively, adapt their behaviour and make intentional choices that improve leadership effectiveness. 38 minutes listen time 🕒 Conflict does not have to be destructive or avoided. Handled well, it can strengthen thinking, relationships and leadership. 33 minutes listen time 🕒 Effective prioritisation is a strategic leadership skill that creates space for better thinking, stronger decisions and greater impact by focusing on what matters most. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore practical ways to structure your thinking so your communication is concise, purposeful and audience focused. 24 minutes listen time 🕒 Building a strategic leadership toolkit starts with choosing the right tools. Explore self awareness, strategic clarity, decision making and the leadership essentials worth keeping. 28 minutes listen time 🕒 Balancing departmental priorities with organisational needs is a core leadership challenge. Explore practical ways to navigate conflicting goals, trade offs and strategic decision making. 37 minutes listen time 🕒 Leadership leaves traces. We talk to Paul Kinkaid about how senior leaders can shape culture, trust and performance through everyday behaviours, communication and executive presence. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Stepping into senior leadership demands an identity shift from functional expert to enterprise thinker, balancing breadth, accountability and emotional impact to lead strategically and confidently. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 Feeling stuck in back-to-back meetings yet still not moving the business forward? This explores why senior leadership teams struggle to think strategically and how to reset that balance. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 Why strategic leadership is not just about the big picture, but about moving constantly between detail and perspective while keeping the organisation aligned to its direction. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore why many operational leaders struggle to become strategic, and why carving out deliberate thinking time is often the turning point from constant doing to real leadership impact. 33 minutes listen time 🕒 Being strategic at the top table means understanding your behavioural impact, valuing different thinking styles and intentionally using team roles to improve decision making and execution. 28 minutes listen time 🕒 We introduce the idea of three distinct hats every senior leader needs to consciously switch between, the common traps leaders fall into, and how we often underestimate the impact of our behaviour. 31 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore six Christmas wishes for the year ahead and each one gives you something to think about as you step into 2026 with intention. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 If you’re leading a team or shaping culture, this episode will help you understand why niceness can get in the way of effective leadership, and what to do instead. 34 minutes listen time 🕒 If you’re wondering why the number of women in senior roles remains low despite all the progress we think we’ve made, this episode unpacks what’s really going on beneath the surface. 31 minutes listen time 🕒 Practical guidance on the EU pay transparency directive, including why it matters for UK employers, and cultural shifts affecting recruitment, pay structures, and trust. Includes readiness checklist to help you prepare by June 2026. 33 minutes listen time 🕒 What does being strategic in HR actually look like? Indy Lachhar, CPO at Robert Walters, shares how clarity, reflection and great questions help HR create real business value. 33 minutes listen time 🕒 Hybrid, remote or office-based work? We explore assumptions, challenge experience bias, and argue for evidence-led strategies when shaping how and where work gets done. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 What skills will employers prioritise by 2030? Why resilience and curiosity matter more than ever, and how leaders should respond to this shift. 40 minutes listen time 🕒 AI is transforming work at speed. HR must take the lead on strategy, governance and reskilling, or risk being left behind in the AI revolution. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore the true meaning of performance in the workplace, breaking it down into clear, practical dimensions to support fairer, more strategic people decisions. 31 minutes listen time 🕒 Performance ratings spark strong views – are they essential or outdated? We explore whether they drive or derail performance, and how to make them more meaningful. 25 minutes listen time 🕒 How to shift from personal opinion to strategic thinking when tackling complex workplace topics, using perspective, curiosity, and contextual clarity. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fi explore different types of team gatherings, from routine meetings to strategy days, training, team building and team coaching, highlighting the best approaches for strategic effectiveness. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore what makes a high-performing team, the difference between individual and collective performance, and a seven-part model for building effective, cohesive, and successful teams. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 This episode explores the challenges and strategies for navigating the transition from team member to team manager, focusing on leadership identity, team dynamics, and organisational expectations. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 Explore effective team decision-making strategies, addressing challenges like consensus, compromise, and accountability. Practical frameworks, including RACI and consent decision-making, help teams align and act cohesively. 26 minutes listen time 🕒 A behind-the-scenes festive chat to reflect on The Strategic Leader podcast journey over the past year. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Practical strategies for effective teamwork with rapid teaming. Explore psychological safety, shared purpose, and situational humility to quickly form high-performing, adaptable teams. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fi examine strategies for building strong, remote team connections, explore the value of intentional collaboration, and introduce practical models for sustaining hybrid team cohesion. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 This episode explores managing up, using the Parent-Adult-Child model to foster a productive, balanced working relationship, focusing on our manager. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fiona explore the foundations of trust in leadership, discussing the trust equation’s components and how they contribute to effective team relationships and strategic success. 27 minutes listen time 🕒 How differing personal values impact teamwork. They explore leadership strategies to foster collaboration by recognising, appreciating, and utilising diverse values. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fiona explore the key pillars of working with others strategically, emphasising the importance of awareness, understanding, acceptance, and appreciation to achieve collective effectiveness. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fi discuss how ineffective systems and processes can hinder strategic leadership, offering practical advice on aligning them with strategic goals to enhance productivity. 28 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma Bullivant and Fiona Craig discuss the importance of managing stress for effective strategic leadership, using the “stress bucket” analogy and practical coping strategies. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Gemma and Fi explore the nuances of confidence, examining its various forms and how understanding self-worth helps leaders navigate challenges strategically. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore perfectionism, and its impact on strategic leadership, discussing its characteristics, costs, and practical strategies to balance quality with progress and effective processes. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 In this episode we explore managing worry and anxiety in strategic leadership. Learn practical techniques for addressing anxious thinking in professional contexts. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Procrastination is often driven by deeper issues. Understanding these can help leaders to develop strategies to overcome procrastination and enhance our strategic effectiveness. 29 minutes listen time 🕒 We explore the trait of people pleasing, its impact on strategic leadership, and ways to maintain assertiveness and balance personal boundaries in professional settings. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 In this episode Gemma is talking to special guest Jo Bamford. 28 minutes listen time 🕒 Does your Inner Critic sometimes take over and stop you from operating with strategic impact? In this episode we talk about its origins, impact, and strategies for transforming your inner critic into your inner guide. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 The one where we explore imposter syndrome – how to address it, adjust our mindset and stop it from undermining our strategic impact. 30 minutes listen time 🕒 Explore the power of strategic curiosity in developing gravitas. Gemma and Fi discuss how asking insightful questions enhances your leadership impact 29 minutes listen time 🕒 Delve into the art of strategic time management using the Eisenhower matrix. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 Explore how to align strategy with business goals. Gemma and Fiona discuss understanding the business, prioritising focus, and achieving quick wins for successful strategic planning. 33 minutes listen time 🕒 In this episode, we discuss a model that can be applied to various scenarios, from larger strategic initiatives to everyday tasks like planning a Christmas party. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 In this episode, we stress the importance of being mindful about personal well-being, emotional states, and intentional resets to show up strategically in professional settings 32 minutes listen time 🕒 This episode explores the necessity for HR to evolve through various maturity levels, from reactive governance to proactive transformation. Striking a balance between efficient routine processes and forward-thinking strategies. 31 minutes listen time 🕒 This episode explores the challenges faced by HR attaining a seat at the executive table, and its shift from compliance to being a crucial strategic function. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 Join us as we explore Harvard Business Review’s strategic thinking model from 3 helpful perspectives – how you think, how you plan, and what you do 26 minutes listen time 🕒 We discuss the fear of sounding stupid, the discomfort of uncertainty, the magnetic pull of our comfort zone, and strategies to overcome these barriers and operate more confidently. 23 minutes listen time 🕒 Have you ever wondered ‘being more strategic’ is essential for career progression? In this episode, we answer this question and explore strategic thinking at every career level. 32 minutes listen time 🕒 Explore the art of crafting strategies that cut through the noise, making them practical, actionable, and, most importantly, effective. 26 minutes listen time 🕒 Delve into the fundamental concept of what it means to be strategic. This episode breaks down strategy into three key components: Future Focus, Breadth, and Purpose. “Loving your podcast work – you both sound great, you come across just as you are in real life! Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a bloody good communicator – really good at breaking down the points you want to get across! Fab job!” “One of the most insightful and impactful resources I’ve encountered in my 20+ year career. After completing countless leadership development programs over the years, your perspective on strategy and leadership has resonated in a way few others have. The clarity, depth, and authenticity you bring to each discussion have provided invaluable guidance at a time when I truly needed it most. I’ve listened to many episodes more than once, each time gaining new perspective.” Subscribe for emails with inspiration and practical advice for all HR & Coaching matters. Please get in touch for all corporate inquiries and guest speaker opportunities.
The Strategic Leader Podcast
About The Podcast
Co Host - Gemma
Co-Host - Fiona
Browse by theme or top episodes
All series
Series 6 – The Strategic Toolkit
Series 6 Episode 5 – How to Build Self-Awarenss to Become a More Effective Leader
Series 6 Episode 4 – Handling Conflict Well: The Five Skills Every Leader Needs
Series 6 Episode 3 – The Prioritisation Tools Every Leader Should Be Using
Series 6 Episode 2 – Strategic Clarity
Series 6 Episode 1 – Strategic Leadership Essentials: Defining the Essential Tools
Series 5 – Tales from the top table
Series 5 Episode 8 – When Departmental Goals Clash: Making Better Decisions at the Top Table
Series 5 Episode 7 – Every Leadership Interaction Leaves a Trace
Series 5 Episode 6 – Leading Beyond Your Function: How to think and act at enterprise level
Series 5 Episode 5 – What Stops SLTs Being Strategic
Series 5 Episode 4 – Moving Between Detail and Big Picture as a Strategic Leader
Series 5 Episode 3 – Moving from Operational to Strategic Leadership: A COO Perspective
Series 5 Episode 2 – Why Executive Teams Struggle Without Behavioural Awareness
Series 5 Episode 1 – The three hats of senior leadership. Do you wear all three?
Series 4 – Big hairy strategic questions
Series 4 Bonus Episode – Six Christmas Wishes for HR Leaders in 2026
Series 4 Episode 10 – Is It Possible to be Too Nice at Work?
Series 4 Episode 9 – Why are there still so few women in leadership roles?
Series 4 Episode 8 – How transparent should we be about pay?
Series 4 Episode 7 – How to Be a More Strategic HR Leader
Series 4 Episode 6 – Hybrid, remote or in-office – what’s better? with Dr Gemma Dale
Series 4 Episode 5 – What Skills Will Your Workforce Need by 2030?
Series 4 Episode 4 – How can HR lead the AI revolution?
Series 4 Episode 3 – Is it time to redefine performance?
Series 4 Episode 2 – Are Performance Ratings Still Fit for Purpose in Today’s Workplace?
Series 4 Episode 1 – What Does It Really Mean to Think Strategically at Work?
Series 3
Season 3 Episode 10 – How to be More Strategic with Team Gatherings
Season 3 Episode 9 – The 7 Characteristics of High Performing Teams
Season 3 Episode 8 – Moving from being in a team to leading it
Season 3 Episode 7 – Making Effective Team Decisions
Behind the Scenes Christmas Special
Season 3 Episode 6 – How to Create High-Performing Teams Without Wasting Time
Season 3 Episode 5 – How to build strong hybrid teams
Season 3 Episode 4 – Managing Up: Why Adapting Your Style to Suit Your Manager Matters
Season 3 Episode 3 – How to Build Trust in Leadership Using the Trust Equation
Season 3 Episode 2 – How Our Values Affect Our Relationships
Season 3 Episode 1 – How to Work With Others More Effectively
Series 2
Season 2 Episode 10 – Systems and Processes: The Hidden Blockers to Strategic Leadership
Season 2 Episode 9: How to Manage Stress to Stay More Strategic
Season 2 Episode 8: Building Core Strength: The Key to Confident Leadership
Season 2 Episode 7: The 3 P’s to Combat Perfectionism
Season 2 Episode 6: Managing Anxiety and Worry at Work
Season 2 Episode 5: How To Procrastinate Less
Season 2 Episode 4: How To Stop Being a People Pleaser
Season 2 Episode 3: How to Overcome Conflict Avoidance in the Workplace
We talk about the dynamics of workplace conflict and ways to embrace diverse perspectives which can lead to richer outcomes.Season 2 Episode 2: Taming (& Reframing) Your Inner Critic
Season 2 Episode 1: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Series 1
Season 1 Episode 12 – Forget Gravitas. Strategic Curiosity is the real leadership skill we need
Season 1 Episode 11: How to Operate More Strategically using the Eisenhower Matrix
Season 1 Episode 10: How to Align your Strategy to Business Goals
Season 1 Episode 9: How to Apply Strategic Thinking to Simple Tasks
Season 1 Episode 8: Unlocking the Power of Strategic Self-Care
Season 1 Episode 7: From Reactive to Transformational: Taking HR to the Next Level
Season 1 Episode 6: Why HR Belongs on the Executive Team
Season 1 Episode 5: Exploring the Three A’s of Strategic Thinking
Season 1 Episode 4: Overcoming our Internal Barriers to Strategic Thinking
Season 1 Episode 3: Why Thinking Strategically is Important in Your Career
Season 1 Episode 2: Crafting a Simple Yet Effective Strategy
Season 1 Episode 1: The 3 Essential Keys to Being Strategic
Listen to us on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music & Deezer!
Sally Clayton
Freelance Programme Manager
Kristina Bristol Buckley
Strategic Leader
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