Insights From the 'Cole' Face - Elevating Leadership Beyond the Boardroom

About Insights From the 'Cole' Face - Elevating Leadership Beyond the Boardroom

Real Talk with Global Leaders: Honest Stories, Bold Lessons, No Filter - A Leadership Podcast with a difference bringing together extraordinary experts from diverse fields—neuroscientists, journalists, CEOs, ethicists, legal minds, television presenters and business strategists—to explore what it truly means to lead in today’s complex world. Expect real world, thought-provoking conversations, uncovering the science behind trust and motivation, the power of communication in shaping influence, the role of ethical leadership in driving sustainable success, presentation skills and tips for personal and professional development. Hear what makes the best leaders tick - from breaking down the biological factors that make great leaders from a neuroscientist, a journalist and television presenter revealing how clear, compelling storytelling can inspire action and build trust to how we can balance the professional demands of leadership with a fulfilling family life.

Publisher

Sarah Cole

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Feb 2025

Latest episode

2 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   2 Oct 2026

   S3 - Episode 5 - Evolution, Not Revolution: Building Ethical Culture in Latin America with Yoab Bitran

   In this episode, I'm joined by my friend and former colleage, Yoab Bitran, a lawyer, business advisor and academic who has spent nearly two decades working to strengthen ethical culture across Latin America. Yoab shares how a corporate scandal at a Chilean state-owned energy company first drew him into compliance, and why seeing the real cost of corruption in the region gives his work its urgency. We talk about why Latin America's problem isn't a lack of regulation but a lack of enforcement, and why lasting change comes through evolution rather than revolution. We also explore: * Why companies shouldn't retreat from compliance in response to short-term political shifts, including the debate around the FCPA * The most common blind spots leaders have about their own culture * How to build a genuine speak-up culture in a region shaped by decades of authoritarian rule * The difference between "compliance theatre" and effective compliance * How to persuade sceptical boards that ethics and culture really matter * Why one-size-fits-all compliance packages from global HQs fail in Latin America * What the Lava Jato scandal taught the region about institutions, leadership and integrity * The technology and AI risks leaders are underestimating Yoab also tells a candid story from early in his career about learning to pick his battles. He ends with his own survival toolkit for leaders: listen, listen and listen! Want to elevate your leadership beyond the boardroom? Join the conversation. Connect with me for coaching, peer support, or leadership insights that drive real impact. 📩 Let's talk: https://www.coleforums.com/ 🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-cole4/ ☕Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sarah.cole

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   S3 - Episode 4 - Guido Palazzo: How Good People Become Part of Bad Systems

   Why do good people do bad things at work? And how can an organisation slowly normalise behaviour that, from the outside, seems obviously wrong? Professor Guido Palazzo, Professor of Business Ethics at the University of Lausanne and co-author of The Dark Pattern: The Hidden Dynamics of Corporate Scandals, joins Sarah for a fascinating exploration of ethical blindness, corporate culture and the hidden forces that shape the decisions we make. Drawing on decades of research into business ethics, human rights, organised crime and corporate misconduct, Guido challenges the comforting assumption that major scandals are simply caused by a handful of bad people. More often, he argues, ordinary people find themselves operating inside systems where pressure, incentives, group behaviour and distorted language gradually change their perception of what is acceptable. Sarah and Guido explore some of the most striking corporate scandals of recent decades, including Wells Fargo, Enron, Uber and Theranos, alongside the doping culture surrounding professional cycling. Guido explains how toxic routines become normalised, why groups can develop a dangerous “us against them” mentality, and how people can become ethically blind while still believing they are acting in the interests of their organisation. They also examine the extraordinary power of language. From “creative accounting” and corporate euphemisms to the aggressive language of disruption, warfare and world-changing missions, Guido explains how the words leaders use can reshape reality, weaken ethical boundaries and make behaviour that once seemed unacceptable feel entirely justifiable. But this conversation is also about what leaders can do differently. Guido explores why speaking up requires far more than a whistleblowing hotline or a poster telling employees to use their voice. Sarah and Guido discuss psychological safety, retaliation, the importance of protecting and celebrating what Guido calls “moral rebels”, and why the stories circulating inside an organisation may reveal far more about its true culture than its published values ever will. They also discuss the importance of knowing your own ethical red lines, why having a “Plan B” can give leaders the freedom to resist pressure, and why even the most powerful executives need people around them who are willing to challenge them. Guido shares his own reflections on difficult decisions, the importance of listening as power increases, and why leaders should regularly ask themselves not simply what they can do, but what they are unwilling to compromise. Finally, Guido builds his three-item leadership survival toolkit through three books exploring the darker and brighter sides of human behaviour: Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem, Philip Zimbardo’s The Lucifer Effect and Eyal Press’s Beautiful Souls. A compelling conversation about courage, conformity, corporate culture and the uncomfortable truth that the line between ethical and unethical behaviour may be far thinner than we like to believe. Find out more about Guido and The Dark Pattern: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/guido-palazzo-ph-d/the-dark-pattern/9781541705326/?lens=publicaffairs (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/guido-palazzo-ph-d/the-dark-pattern/9781541705326/?lens=publicaffairs) Guido's Book Suggestions: The Lucifer Effect - https://amzn.eu/d/0crgl0WW Beautiful Souls - https://amzn.eu/d/032lfgAv Eichmann in Jerusalem - https://amzn.eu/d/02nriiB2 Want to elevate your leadership beyond the boardroom? Join the conversation. Connect with me for coaching, peer support, or leadership insights that drive real impact. 📩 Let's talk: https://www.coleforums.com/ 🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-cole4/ ☕Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sarah.cole

3. 

   21 May 2026

   S3 - Episode 3 - Nicola Bonucci - Why Anti-Corruption Is Facing a Defining Moment

   Former OECD Director for Legal Affairs Nicola Bonucci joins Sarah for a timely and deeply insightful conversation about the future of global anti-corruption efforts, ethical leadership, and the growing uncertainty facing international governance. Having spent 25 years at the OECD, Nicola played a central role in shaping the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and witnessed first-hand the transformation of global compliance frameworks during the rise of globalisation. In this episode, he reflects on the geopolitical optimism of the 1990s, the evolution of anti-corruption enforcement, and why he believes negotiating landmark international agreements like the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention would be far more difficult in today’s political climate. Nicola also shares his concerns about the recent pause in FCPA enforcement in the United States, explaining why the implications stretch far beyond one piece of legislation. Together, Sarah and Nicola explore whether global anti-corruption momentum is now at risk, what this means for companies operating internationally, and why businesses may need to anchor themselves more firmly in values-based leadership rather than relying solely on legislation. The conversation moves beyond policy into leadership itself. Nicola reflects candidly on the realities of implementing anti-corruption programmes inside organisations, the moral grey areas leaders sometimes face, and why humility, flexibility and judgement are essential qualities for anyone navigating complex ethical decisions. Want to elevate your leadership beyond the boardroom? Join the conversation. Connect with me for coaching, peer support, or leadership insights that drive real impact. 📩 Let's talk: https://www.coleforums.com/ 🔗 Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-cole4/ ☕Buy me a coffee: buymeacoffee.com/sarah.cole

Who has been a guest on Insights From the 'Cole' Face - Elevating Leadership Beyond the Boardroom

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Scott Sullivan
• Benjamin Van Rooij
• Emily Miner
• Keith Read

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 37 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

61

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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