Lessons Not Yet Learnt

About Lessons Not Yet Learnt

Hosted by Kiran Kachela, CEO & Founder of CI Projects Lessons Not Yet Learnt is the podcast that uncovers the costly mistakes we keep making, and how to finally move past them. Through powerful storytelling and cross-industry insights, each episode explores the intersection between people, processes, and technology in business. With candid conversations and expert perspectives, Kiran is on a mission to challenge outdated thinking, highlight overlooked lessons, and drive meaningful change—one story at a time.

Publisher

LessonsNotYetLearnt

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Sept 2025

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

24 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Neurodiversity Isn’t a ‘Nice to Have’ - It’s a Competitive Advantage.

   What if dyslexia and neurodiversity were recognised as business strengths rather than limitations? In this episode of Lessons Not Yet Learnt, host Kiran Kachela speaks with entrepreneur and dyslexia-in-business ambassador James Martin. James Martin shares his journey from struggling within traditional education to building successful businesses and employing thousands of people. Together, they explore how leaders can look beyond labels, rethink recruitment and create environments where different thinkers can thrive. In this episode, we cover: · The impact of growing up with dyslexia · Why neurodiversity can be a competitive advantage · Building teams around complementary strengths · Creating supportive systems that reduce masking · Why listening is an essential leadership skill · Looking beyond CVs when recruiting · How technology is reducing workplace barriers This episode is sponsored by the National Autistic Society: Learn (https://www.autism.org.uk/learn) - the National Autistic Society’s professional learning and practice improvement service. National Autistic Society: Learn supports organisations to build workplaces where autistic and other neurodivergent people can thrive, helping to unlock talent, strengthen teams and improve organisational performance. For employers looking to move beyond awareness and ready to take meaningful action, their Neuroinclusive Employer Award (https://www.autism.org.uk/learn/what-we-do/autism-accreditation/neuroinclusive-employer-award) provides a practical framework for embedding inclusive practice across your organisation.  For more information on neurodiversity, neurodivergence and neuro-affirmative support, visit naslearn.org.uk (https://www.autism.org.uk/learn). About Our Guest James Martin is an entrepreneur and advocate for dyslexia in business, known for his direct, practical approach to building success. After leaving school at 14 without the ability to read or write, he took a different path, creating systems and surrounding himself with the right people to play to his strengths. His business career started with a lawn-mowing round, and James went on to build a business that became the UK's leader in arboriculture, which he scaled, sold, rebuilt after reacquiring it, and exited again. He has since developed a £30M+ commercial property portfolio and launched successful ventures across property, events and hospitality, including the well-known Baddow Park House wedding venue in the UK. Today, James also uses his vast experience to provide a mastermind for entrepreneurs, sharing straight-talking insights on business growth, resilience, hiring and opportunity, all designed to help founders make better decisions and build businesses that last. Follow us on: Instagram @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.instagram.com/lessonsnotyetlearnt/) TikTok @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.tiktok.com/@lessonsnotyetlearnt) YouTube @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.youtube.com/@LessonsNotYetLearnt) Want to get involved? To ask Kiran a question, be a guest, or sponsor an episode, visit our website: www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com (http://www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com/) .

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   The Mirage of Motion: The Leadership Mistake That Mistakes Activity for Achievement

   Is your organisation genuinely moving forward, or is everyone simply running faster to keep the system from breaking? In this bonus episode of Lessons Not Yet Learnt, Kiran Kachela explores the “mirage of motion”, where constant emails, meetings, notifications and overflowing to-do lists create the appearance of progress without delivering meaningful results. She challenges leaders to look beyond visible busyness, question why individual heroics are needed and stop rewarding firefighting as a substitute for fixing the system. Sustainable growth does not come from asking people to work harder or faster. It comes from creating repeatable, predictable processes that address the root cause and do not depend on burnout to succeed. In this episode, we cover: · Why activity and achievement are not the same thing · How corporate busyness can create an illusion of progress · The risk of using technology and AI to automate dysfunctional processes · Why doing the wrong thing efficiently still delivers the wrong outcome · How rewarding last-minute heroics can reinforce fragile ways of working · The impact of firefighting on employee wellbeing and business sustainability · Why genuine scalability depends on repeatable and predictable performance · How emails, meetings and notifications provide instant gratification without necessarily creating value · The questions leaders should ask when reviewing calendars, workloads and priorities · Why organisations should celebrate the people building “sprinkler systems”, not only those fighting fires Follow us on: Instagram @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.instagram.com/lessonsnotyetlearnt/) TikTok @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.tiktok.com/@lessonsnotyetlearnt) YouTube @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.youtube.com/@LessonsNotYetLearnt) Want to get involved? To ask Kiran a question, be a guest, or sponsor an episode, visit our website: www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com (http://www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com/)

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Why Big AI Investments are Failing (And How You're Winning Anyway)

   Millions are being poured into enterprise AI programmes, yet many organisations are still struggling to see the benefits they were promised. So what's going wrong? In this episode, Kiran Kachela is joined by AI specialist and software developer Scott Bowler to explore the growing gap between large-scale AI investments and real-world adoption. Together, they challenge the belief that transformation starts with technology and uncover why the biggest AI successes are often happening far away from the boardroom. From shadow AI and AI agents to changing job roles, leadership challenges, and the future of work, this conversation offers a practical and refreshingly honest perspective on what it really takes to make AI successful. The key lesson? AI isn't a technology problem. It's a people problem. And while many enterprise AI programmes are struggling, organisations can still win by empowering employees to experiment, learn, and solve everyday problems using AI. In this episode, we cover: Why many organisations are investing heavily in AI but struggling to achieve meaningful adoption and results. The difference between top-down AI strategies and bottom-up employee-led innovation. Why empowering people to experiment with AI often delivers greater impact than large-scale technology rollouts. How AI agents are changing the way work gets done and making advanced capabilities more accessible. The balance between innovation, governance, and managing risk in AI adoption. Why giving employees time, space, and permission to learn is critical for AI success. The common mistakes organisations make when rolling out AI programmes. How roles, careers, and organisational structures are being reshaped by AI. The debate around AI's impact on jobs, productivity, and future career opportunities. Why creativity, critical thinking, and curiosity remain uniquely human advantages. What the future of AI, automation, and robotics could mean for businesses and society. Practical advice for leaders looking to build AI adoption that actually sticks. The key lesson: organisations succeed with AI when they focus on people first, technology second. Follow us on: Instagram @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.instagram.com/lessonsnotyetlearnt/) TikTok @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.tiktok.com/@lessonsnotyetlearnt) YouTube @Lessonsnotyetlearnt (https://www.youtube.com/@LessonsNotYetLearnt) Want to get involved? To ask Kiran a question, be a guest, or sponsor an episode, visit our website: www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com (http://www.lessonsnotyetlearnt.com/)

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