What a Purpose-led CEO Can Teach Us About Managing Pressure

This week’s Better Under Pressure conversation is with an inspirational leader who has been, at times, so immersed in her role that she felt she had merged with it. Does that sound familiar? That feeling when you become what you do… your identity slides into your role and before you know it, the boundary between you and the work has dissolved?

Clare Reddington, CEO of Watershed – the Bristol-based organisation focused on cultural cinema, talent development and creative technology – knows this feeling well.

In this episode we explore how purpose drives Clare’s leadership style and carries her through pressure, how she recognises her personal signs of overwhelm, and what she does about it (hint: nature plays a big role).

As regular listeners to Better Under Pressure know, I often draw connections between the principles found in sport and those that underpin leadership and performance coaching, identifying habits that are highly transferable to the business world and everyday life.

No surprise then that I loved this conversation with Dr. Ara Suppiah, Chief Medical Officer for LIV Golf (and keeping players like Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Anna Nordqvist on course) Known as “the elite athlete’s secret weapon”, this episode is packed with high-performance insights and tips that I hope you’ll find useful and can apply to your own life when pressure shows up!

I love this episode because, in addition to discussing pressure, difficult deals, and making no money for two years, we also explore what happens when you decide to trust the universe and how to navigate moments of uncertainty.

I'm talking to Joti Balani, a remarkable leader who walked away from corporate success to build something extraordinary in the world of AI. She has over 25 years’ experience in technology & design, leading AI and Automation projects for Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies. But she walked away from that predictable career with prestigious titles to start again from scratch, founding and building Freshriver.ai - what she now calls an organism rather than a company – that is attracting top talent who are seeking meaningful adventure in the AI world.

Alongside this, Joti speaks at global industry, academic, and social impact events, such as CES and Fintech Connect, and is a member of the Infrastructure Masons NYC Chapter, collaborating with Data Center Industry leaders to ensure AI is sustainable and carbon-neutral as it grows exponentially. This episode explores how she navigated the pressure of reinvention and how invisible forces can align when you truly commit to your purpose, as well as the role of what I call spirit and discipline in creating a meaningful future. So, this episode is for you if you're wondering: - Can I leave corporate life and create something transformative? - How can I stay grounded if I’m pioneering an unknown path? Or - What if my next chapter is about impact, not just income?

When I ask most guests on Better Under Pressure when they first experienced pressure, they normally say it was from either parents or school in exams or on sports day, but when you’re born into a notorious cult where you’re raised knowing the world is ending and you are one of god’s endtime soldiers, the pressure is on a whole other level. Petra Velzeboer managed to escape from the cult in her early twenties, and started a family and working, only to find the latter not too dissimilar to those original pressures of the cult - which is why - to use her phrase - she crashed. So it’s no wonder that, when she managed to very consciously extract herself from that second cycle, Petra became a psychotherapist and champion of mental health support with her organisation - PVL - combatting psychologically toxic cultures and promoting mentally healthy work environments.

Working out the things that don’t count so much in your day or your week can be tricky. It’s very easy to fall into the trap that everything is a priority. In Alice Dyson’s case – as CEO and founder of the dynamic entertainment and production company, Framewood Media, it’s particularly tough.

Welcome to The Better Under Pressure podcast, I’m Sara Milne Rowe and in this episode I’m talking with Alice Dyson.

A pioneering female leader in the music industry, Alice is a champion of innovation in media, storytelling, and entertainment. Previously the Director of the British Phone-agraphic Industry, she’s been involved in everything from releasing films with Helena Bonham Carter to recording the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in St Paul’s Cathedral. She is also deeply passionate about sport, health and science - all of which has led to her creating Geo-genomix—a pioneering initiative to help people achieve better health outcomes through personalised insights. Today she shares, amongst other things:

💪 How - despite a chronic autoimmune condition - she’s learnt to channel pressure into opportunity;

💪 What she means by ‘Navigating the Nos’

💪 What helps in her pursuit of making it into the England over-45 masters hockey squad.

Let’s find out how she manages her energy to be… Better Under Pressure.

This episode of BUP is special: In the summer of 2019 Claire Danson, European Triathlon Champion collided with a tractor while she was out training, her future instantly transformed from professional triathlete to life in a wheelchair. As performance coaches, at Coaching Impact we work with many athletes and leaders in the sector, but my conversation with Claire goes down as one of the most inspiring I’ve had on this podcast. Claire’s story of resilience and reinvention as a para-athlete offers profound insights into our relationship with pressure. Do listen, Claire is deeply inspiring and is full of practical tips to apply whatever pressure you might be under.

How was Richard’s relationship with business pressure shaped by his relationship with his mentally and physically disabled sister.

What can we learn from that kind of family tie?

Richard Medcalf found himself on a relatively smooth academic path through school and university before becoming the youngest ever partner at a top strategy firm. After over a decade in an elite strategic team at tech giant Cisco, he took the strategic decision to found Xquadrant and set himself the mission of helping the world’s top CEOs and entrepreneurs become world-changing forces for good. Over 25 years of strategic knowhow have made him excellently placed to write his book, “Making TIME for Strategy” and I’m delighted that today he is Making TIME for us.

In our conversation we discuss what his life with his sister taught him, how much he values bringing humour into business and thankfully he won’t be sharing his Freddie mercury impression!

Today’s episode is a fascinating conversation with a remarkable woman: Major Rosie Wild. Rosie is a British Army Officer and Professional Athlete who, following major injuries and a knee operation, went on to win the Sword of Honour at Sandhurst—the first woman to do so since men and women were integrated into the same platoons.

In 2020, Rosie became the first woman in history to pass the Pre-Parachute Selection Course (P Company), qualifying to serve in the airborne forces at 16 Air Assault Brigade, where she deployed on numerous operations, including the evacuation of personnel from Kabul.

Rosie is an accomplished and competitive triathlete. After she came 15th in the London Marathon and 2nd at Ironman Copenhagen, the British Army began supporting her in training and racing as a Professional Triathlete. In September 2024, Rosie competed in the Ironman World Championships, where, out of a field of almost 1,400, she placed 30th.

In our conversation, Rosie shares:

- Why she isn’t lit up by goals - How she uses complacency - And why winning has become all about being willing to lose.