Beyond Potential

Ep 59: How presence and practice unlock performance - with guest George Bettany

In this episode, the Beyond Potential team were joined by entrepreneur and MARA founder, George Bettany, to discuss the connection between presence and performance.

He shared his journey from footballer through to performance coach, including his experiences building coaching and mentoring businesses, Sanctus and MARA.

George reveals how stepping away from Sanctus allowed him space to reconnect with what he enjoyed - running - and, from there, MARA was born.

He explains how practising presence, whether in fitness, business or life, unlocks performance by allowing us to be free of distractions and negative thought. His vision is to enlighten others to the power of meditation and enable them to perform and feel better by giving them tools to remain present.

George's story is an inspiring one, full of self-awareness and moments of growth, as well as vulnerability. You won't want to miss it.

Follow George on LinkedIn 

Watch George's TEDTalk 

Learn more about MARA 

Ep 58: Boosting performance as an influence architect

Continuing our bonus mini-series on the Beyond Potential leadership model, in this episode, we discuss what it means to boost performance as an influence architect.

An influence architect uses trust to move the needle on performance. By influencing those above and around them, they improve the performance of themselves, their team, and the business.

But being an influence architect isn't about being the loudest or most opinionated in the room, it's about bringing others along on the journey by utilising the trust you have already built with them.

Join us in this episode as we explore how you can use situational leadership to influence by adapting your style, and to find out why self reflection is so important at every stage of the leadership model.

Catch up on the previous episodes in the series here:

1. Discovering your leadership purpose
2. Role of insightful navigator in leadership
3. The importance of being a culture catalyst

Connect with Tom Emery and Tom Mason on LinkedIn.

Find out more about: Beyond Potential, HEX and Potentia.

Ep: 57 Mindful vs. mindless - A Tom's talk episode

This week, Tom and Tom sit down and discuss intentional mindful leadership vs automatic behaviours, processes and actions. They explore different scenarios where top leaders stop, take a step back and act with intention rather than autopilot.

Do you take the time to make your team feel valued or like they matter? Do you ensure that the objective of every meeting is clear from the beginning? Do you take a breath before emotionally responding to feedback?

In this episode, we explore how microhabits can help you become more intentional and mindful. How making time for building deeper relationships with your team can actually save you time in the long run.

If you're feeling overloaded, overwhelmed and burnt out, we also have some ideas that might help you build better boundaries and intentional with your own wellbeing.

Ep 56: The importance of being a culture catalyst

In this bonus episode, Tom Emery and Tom Mason turn their attention to the 'Culture Catalyst', a vital element of the Beyond Potential leadership model. This is picking up from episode 46, where they talked about the role of the 'Insightful Navigator'.

Culture often feels like an intangible concept, but as the Toms explore, it’s the invisible hand that shapes behaviours, performance, and how teams experience work.

They break down what it really means to be a culture catalyst: from building trust and psychological safety, to driving inclusion, setting accountability, and role-modelling the behaviours you want to see.

Drawing on leadership models such as Patrick Lencioni’s Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Tuckman’s team development model, and Amy Edmondson’s work on psychological safety, they show how leaders at every level can actively shape microcultures within their teams, and why these feed into the wider organisational culture.

The message is clear: culture isn’t something handed down from the CEO or written on the office wall. It’s something leaders create, protect, and sustain every day through intentional action and agency.

Short, sharp, and packed with practical insights, this 10-minute episode is designed to help you reflect on your own team culture and how you can become the catalyst for a more inclusive, high-performing environment.

Connect with Tom Emery and Tom Mason on LinkedIn.

Find out more about: Beyond Potential, HEX and Potentia.

Ep 55: the Toms talk progress and celebrate successes - a Toms Talk episode

In this reflective episode, Tom Mason and Tom Emery take listeners on a journey through the summer months.

They discuss the energy and resolutions that come with September, share personal and professional updates, and highlight standout guests and episodes. The hosts also offer a behind-the-scenes look at their evolving leadership brand, Beyond Potential, and their respective businesses, Potentia and HEX.

Dive in!

Ep 54: Building a culture of experimentation - with guest Tom Holliss

In this episode of Beyond Potential, the team is joined by Tom Holliss, Chief People Officer at consumer insights platform, Zappi.

Tom shared his experience working for a scale-up and how they manage the constant pace of change by building a culture of experimentation. He discussed key disruptors in the tech industry, including the opportunities and challenges associated with using AI to scale and change business models, and what that means for jobs.

As the conversation turned to culture, Tom explained why it's important to develop intrinsic motivation amongst a team through personal development, a sense of purpose and understanding what makes people tick. He talked about Zappi's culture of experimentation, how they're upskilling and engaging teams, and revealed how he manages 'crunchy' conversations.

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn.

 

Ep 53: Leading with purpose in a fast paced world: Launching The Sustain Collective - with guest Leanne Spencer

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery is sitting on the other side of the mic with guest Leanne Spencer to introduce their new initiative: The Sustain Collective.

Remote working, hustle culture and the AI boom have all contributed to an increased pace in today's working world. For many, including senior HR leaders, this results in feelings of constant firefighting and reactivity, instead of leading with purpose and consideration. So, how do we deal with this pace, learn to slow down, and start to take agency over our lives?

The Sustain Collective brings senior HR leaders together to become more impactful leaders whilst ensuring their wellbeing remains a priority. It combines Leanne's expertise in workplace wellbeing and personal sustainability with Tom's lived experience as a CHRO and his passion for supporting HR leaders to reach their potential.

The initiative includes peer discussion and support, one-to-one coaching, plus monthly in-person meets in London. This isn't just a place to complain about the struggles of HR leadership; it's a space to be challenged and receive guidance and support to enable you to make a change. 

Find out more about The Sustain Collection, get your personalised report and sign up to the waitlist here: https://sustain-collective-waitlist.scoreapp.com/

Find out more about Leanne: https://leannespencer.co.uk/ 

Learn more about Tom and HEX: https://www.hex-development.com/ 

Ep 52: Turning upward feedback into a learning conversation - with guest Tom Henschel

In this episode, we're joined by the brilliant Tom Henschel, Executive Coach and host of 'The Look & Sound of Leadership' Podcast.

Tom took us on a tour of his career journey, from acting, through teaching, to coaching, and the transferable skills between the roles. He told us how his podcast began - right back in 2008 - when someone told him he had a great voice for audio, and he went from having no idea what a podcast was to launching within weeks.

We discussed at length his tools and rules for turning upward feedback into a learning conversation, including how finger-pointing won't yield results, the importance of framing to encourage better outcomes, and why you need to approach a conversation with solutions, not just problems.

Tom explained how learning conversations can take time and repetition, and revealed how approaching a discussion assuming that nothing will change can actually take the pressure off.

It's an insightful and enjoyable listen.

Find Tom on LinkedIn.

Listen to The Look & Sound of Leadership Podcast.

Find out more about Essential Communications. 

Download the Giving Upward Feedback PDF.