Leaders in Business

About Leaders in Business

In each episode, we sit down with trailblazers who have made their mark and revolutionized their respective industries. From CEOs of global corporations to startup founders disrupting traditional business models, we uncover the secrets to their success. Gain exclusive access to their personal journeys and discover the challenges they faced along the way. Our guests generously share their wisdom, revealing the innovative tactics, leadership principles, and growth strategies that propelled them to the top. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a seasoned business professional, or simply an avid learner, this podcast is your gateway to invaluable insights and inspiration. Dive deep into thought-provoking conversations that cover a wide range of topics. From building effective teams and fostering a culture of innovation to navigating industry disruptions and staying ahead of the curve, our guests tackle the most pressing issues facing today's businesses. The 'Leaders in Business' podcast goes beyond surface-level discussions. We explore the intricacies of decision-making, explore the psychology of leadership, and uncover the traits that set exceptional leaders apart. Discover how they've overcome obstacles, harnessed their creativity, and created lasting impact in their organizations. Each episode is expertly crafted to provide actionable takeaways that you can apply to your own professional journey. You'll gain practical tips and strategies to optimize your leadership skills, enhance your business acumen, and drive meaningful results. Whether you're looking to sharpen your marketing strategies, improve your negotiation skills, or cultivate a winning mindset, 'Leaders in Business' has got you covered. Tune in regularly to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and insights shaping the business landscape. Our host skillfully guides the conversations, drawing out the most valuable lessons from our esteemed guests. Expect engaging dialogues that captivate your attention and leave you inspired to take your own business endeavors to new heights. 🎙️🎙️🎙️ Your hosts, National Director for Scotland, Catherine McWilliam, and Fife & Tayside Committee Chair, Marlene Lowe, guide you through these enlightening discussions. 🎙️🎙️🎙️ If you aspire to be a part of the IoD, visit www.iod.com for more information. Engage with us on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn to share your thoughts on today's episode. 🎵 Music: 'Downtown Delight' and 'Cinematic Emotion' by Joystock. 🕴️ This podcast is managed by The Emerald Agency.

Publisher

Institute of Directors Scotland

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 Sept 2020

Latest episode

16 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

82 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Young leader, big impact: Ellie Craig on Youth Leadership, Imposter Syndrome and challenging the room

   Ellie Craig has been leading since she was fifteen. In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marlene Lowe sits down with the Chair of the Scottish Youth Parliament — elected as an MSYP for Glasgow Cathcart at fifteen (so convinced she'd lost that she skipped the election count), and now a veteran of seven years in Scotland's democratic and charity spaces. Fresh from graduating in politics and sociology from the University of Glasgow, Ellie has chaired an entirely youth-led board, joined the UK board of the National Lottery Community Fund, and just started a new role with the David Hume Institute. Ellie speaks with remarkable honesty about what it's like being a "professional young person" — often the youngest in the room by twenty years, navigating assumptions, judgement and a no-win tension: told she's not experienced enough to be taken seriously, then told she's too polished to be authentically young. She reflects on how imposter syndrome shaped her leadership, and her realisation that self-belief isn't vanity — it's what allows you to genuinely lift other people up. There's real depth here too. Ellie shares how losing her mum in 2021, having been her young carer, gave her advocacy a deeply personal foundation — and how the support networks around the Scottish Youth Parliament carried her through. She and Marlene explore intergenerational leadership, the lessons we're forgetting from COVID, why "hard to reach" is a myth ("everyone's easy to reach if you look in the right places"), and what it means to build systems for generations you'll never meet. It's a conversation about values-led decisions, knowing when to say yes and when to say no, and separating who you are from what you achieve — wisdom that took most of us decades longer to find.

2. 

   18 Aug 2026

   The Human Side of Employment Law: Marianne McJannett on Leadership, the Juggle and Why "Doing It All" Is a Myth

   Marianne McJannett is one of the rare people who knew what she wanted to do from a young age — and is still doing it today. Now an employment law partner at Aberdein Considine, leading the firm's employment offering in Glasgow as part of a team spanning Scotland and Northern England, she has spent her career seeing leadership at its very best and its very worst. In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marianne joins Marlene Lowe to unpick one of the most common threads running through her casework: talented people promoted into management without ever being taught how to lead. From mishandled return-to-work meetings to grievances that could have been avoided entirely, she explains why almost every dispute she sees has a leadership or managerial failing at its heart — and why investing in ongoing management training is always cheaper than the alternative. But this conversation goes far beyond the law. Marianne dispels the myth that legal life is glamorous (sorry, Suits fans), shares why storytelling drew her to employment law in the first place, and opens up about the reality of the juggle — partnership, parenthood, and the question she gets asked weekly that men in her position rarely hear: "How do you do it all?" Her answer is refreshingly honest: she doesn't. She prioritises, she says no, and she's learned that that's okay. Along the way there's charity ballroom dancing in front of 500 people, a reading habit that has replaced television, and a reminder that behind every corporate facade is a whole person worth getting to know. Great employees don't automatically make great managers Promotion is too often treated as a reward rather than a role change — people are handed line management responsibilities with a pay rise but no training, and expected to simply step into leadership overnight. The vast majority of employment disputes Marianne sees have a leadership or managerial failing somewhere at their root, from poorly handled difficult conversations to botched disciplinary and redundancy processes. Management training is an ongoing investment, not a tick box Induction alone isn't enough; skills need refreshing regularly, and peer learning between managers — sharing how they've handled tricky situations — is a powerful, low-cost tool. Taking people away from their desks for training feels costly in the moment, but the risks of getting it wrong far outweigh the investment. Be proactive, not reactive Leadership is steering the ship in good times and bad, and staying attuned to how people on the ground are feeling — anticipating problems rather than firefighting them. People and stories are at the heart of it Marianne was drawn to employment law because every case, whether acting for a business or an individual, is a human story that deserves to be heard. Acknowledging that clients come to her at vulnerable moments — and breaking the ice accordingly — is part of the job. "Doing it all" is a myth — prioritisation is the reality Asked weekly how she copes as a partner, lawyer and mum, Marianne is candid: she doesn't do it all. She does what she prioritises, with a supportive husband, nearby family and honest trade-offs. Learning to say no — to client socials, office events and commitments that don't fit — is a strength, not a failing, and there are other ways to build relationships (hence her love of LinkedIn). Everyone in a leadership role needs something outside work to switch off — for Marianne it's reading every night, and, when time allows, dancing.

3. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Selling to Give: Peter Vardy on Values-Led Leadership, The Calling and Why Everyone Has Influence

   Peter Vardy is a name most people in Scotland will recognise — but far fewer know the story behind it. In this episode of Leaders in Business, Marlene Lowe is joined by co-host Catherine McWilliam, Scotland Director at the Institute of Directors, for a conversation with the entrepreneur behind one of Scotland's best-known motor retail businesses. Peter shares his journey from a childhood spent serving petrol on the family forecourt in the north east of England — where customers were occasionally found eating his dinner — to buying his first dealership in Perth at 27 and building his own group across Scotland over the following two decades. But this is a conversation about far more than cars. Peter opens up about the moment a leadership conference in Chicago changed his thinking forever — "leadership is a lifelong journey" — and how that shaped a business built on values: one uniform for everyone, performance reviews weighted equally on behaviour and results, a blank £100 cheque handed to every new colleague on day one, and a commitment to give 10% of profits away. The results of that commitment are extraordinary. Peter tells the story of a school opening in Uganda that grew into a programme supporting 25,000 children, an email from Cambodia answered by a giving pot containing the exact sum needed, and the COVID decision to keep paying colleagues even if it cost him everything. Along the way there are lessons from his father's "war on waste", a Formula One paddock, and Alison on front reception — proof that you don't need a job title to be a leader. The conversation culminates in The Calling (https://thecalling.scot/), the values-based leadership event Peter is bringing to Glasgow's Armadillo — inspired by the conferences that shaped him, and built on a simple belief: everyone has influence, and Scotland's story should be one of saying yes.

Who has been a guest on Leaders in Business

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

• Sarah Boyd
• Rebecca Rigby
• Amy Callaghan
• Hamish Taylor
• Sonia Aitken

Reach and audience

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

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100

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

Quality

27

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60