Now We’re Talking

About Now We’re Talking

Conversations that explore what it takes to talk about what really matters so that leaders can create positive change in their organisations and the wider world.

Publisher

Sarah Rozenthuler

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 May 2024

Latest episode

24 Nov 2025

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Nov 2025

   Episode 12: Coaching Conversations as a Leader

   Sarah and Paul discuss the emerging trend of creating a coaching culture in an organisation and how a leader can bring a coaching approach to their conversations. In this episode we cover (1) coaching as a leader and why leaders need to go deeper into introspective work, so that they understand fully how they show up within the workplace, the impact they have on their immediate team, and sometimes an entire organisation; (2)  the difference that it makes when you're able to notice the assumptions you're making, put those to one side and bring to the conversation your curiosity instead; (3) the shift in the identity of a leader, from somebody who needs to know all the answers to the idea of leader as coach, somebody who draws out the wisdom and the intelligence of the people around them; (4) the small changes you could make to a conversation that would bring a coaching approach such as phrases to use and questions to ask; and finally (5) the difference it makes when we bring our compassion to a conversation, particularly when the pressure is on and the stakes go up: compassion for self, but also compassion for others. We discuss how we can shift into a more spacious way of operating and of talking, so that instead of falling into the trap of reactive behaviour, we can tap into deeper resources, deeper parts of ourselves and have a positive impact in the conversation and upon the people we lead and indeed, across the organisation as a whole. About Paul Williamson Paul is Group Head of Talent Development at ATG Entertainment, Regional Chair (Great Britain) at the Association for Coaching and an accredited Executive Coach. Paul has nearly 30 years experience working for ATG entertainment, the world's largest live entertainment group, where he's been a senior leader in sales, ticketing and HR, as well as in learning and development and talent development. Paul is also the author of the chapter, ‘Who Are You’ in the book ‘Coaching as a Leader’ (2025) edited by Jen Kidby and published by Kogan Page Publishing and the Association for Coaching (AC.) Check out Paul’s LinkedIn profile here. Find out more about ‘Coaching as a Leader’ here.

2. 

   18 Sept 2025

   Episode 10: The Power of a Bold Idea

   Sarah and Mandar discuss his transformational journey from being a petroleum engineer and a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist teaching meditation and self-care practices. In the conversation we cover (1) Mandar's work integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, under the banner of 'innovation', starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell and later transitioning to teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across multiple continents; (2) Mandar's peace-building initiatives, including a business model for healthcare clinics and a program training former gang members in meditation; and (3) the importance of businesses engaging in peace promotion such as working with the UN peacebuilding office. About Mandar Apte Mandar Apte is Executive Director at Cities4Peace, a documentary film maker and teacher of meditation.Having worked at Shell for nearly 18 years, Mandar draws upon his work of creating and managing Shell's GameChanger social innovation program  to show how companies can create shared value through having a social impact.  Mandar is a thought leader in social innovation, leadership development, and intrapreneurship, and has presented masterclasses on these topics at conferences and Business Schools including Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and London Business School.In his consulting and coaching work, Mandar also leverages nearly two decades of studying, practicing, and teaching meditation to thousands of leaders across four continents (including over 2000 colleagues while at Shell). Mandar strongly believes that a focus on daily "inner recalibration" can transform our leadership vision, potential, and impact.For more about Mandar’s work, please visit: www.mandarapte.net https://www.mandarapte.net/film/ https://www.mandarapte.net/purpose-innovation-lab/ Periodically Mandar teaches meditation-based leadership workshops online. Find out more: https://www.mandarapte.net/mindful-leadership/ More about this episode Here's a summary of the main points: From Shell to Peace Activism Sarah and Mandar discussed Mandar's journey from a 17-year career at Shell to becoming a peace activist. Mandar shared a pivotal moment in 2001 when he was chased by villagers in Nigeria while working for Shell, which led him to explore meditation and self-care. This experience, along with his realization that corporate life could not provide the healing he needed, inspired Mandar to pursue a path of peace activism. Meditation and Breath Science Journey Mandar shared his personal journey with meditation and its impact on managing stress and negative thoughts, comparing it to erasing marks on a blackboard. He discussed his experience working at Shell and how he felt compelled to bring inner transformation approaches to leadership, particularly after facing a traumatic incident in Nigeria. Mandar explained his discovery of the breath science, which teaches that emotions have distinct breathing patterns and can be managed through conscious breathing techniques, allowing one to respond rather than react to situations. Corporate Meditation: A Leadership Journey Mandar shared his journey of integrating meditation and breathing techniques into the corporate world, starting with the creation of the "Aware" employee network at Shell in 2004. He described how he transitioned from designing petroleum engineering pipelines to becoming a meditation teacher, leveraging his passion to help colleagues at Shell and even American soldiers. Mandar highlighted the importance of authentic leadership in recognizing and encouraging employees' passions, which he demonstrated by teaching meditation to 2,000 Shell staff across multiple countries. He emphasized the concept of shared value, showing how engaging employees' passions can create meaningful contributions to the workplace. Truck Stop Healthcare Business Model Mandar shared a business model for establishing primary healt

3. 

   31 Jul 2025

   Episode 10: How To Get On With Anyone

   In this episode, Sarah and Catherine Stothart discuss (1) how understanding a framework of four interaction styles helps you communicate with people whose personality or approach is very different to you own (whether at work or in your personal life); (2) how you can flex your style enabling you to build rapport, collaborate effectively and communicate even when the stakes go up; (3) some real-life stories of leaders and managers who adapted their communication style successfully and (4) top tips for hybrid working in teams so that communication stays strong and everyone feels valued in an inclusive working environment. About Catherine Stothart Catherine is a Leadership Coach with 30 years’ experience of leadership development in top multinational companies, including Airbus, Google and Audi. Her best-selling first book, How to Get On with Anyone, (2018, Pearson) is a practical guide to understanding others and communicating with confidence and charisma and is now out in a second edition, with new chapters on leadership and communicating inclusively and extra sections on virtual communication. Catherine’s third book, Motivation: The Ultimate Guide to Leading your Team, (2023, Routledge), is ideal for anyone who wants to know how to motivate their teams, improve their wellbeing, and feel motivated themselves. Catherine established Essenwood Consulting in 2004, after working for Ford Motor Company, Mercury Communications and ICL in senior Human Resource and Learning & Development roles for 16 years. For more information, go to: https://essenwood.co.uk

4. 

   23 Jun 2025

   Episode 9: The Happiness Hack: Curating Caring Conversations

   Klaudia Mitura, work psychologist, explores the cultivation of happiness habits, managing negative self-talk, and developing inner resilience to foster well-being in this interview episode with Sarah.

5. 

   29 May 2025

   Episode 8: Being a Resilient, Responsive and Resourced Leader

   Authors Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer discuss cyclical awareness as a leadership resource with Sarah, revealing how leaders can foster resilience and authenticity through courageous conversations in this interview.

6. 

   12 Feb 2025

   Episode 7: Building the Muscles of Love

   In this episode, Sarah discusses with Anne Power, author of Contented Couples and a couples therapist  (1) why couples who learn how to navigate conflict strengthen their relationship, (2) how healthy couples repair after a rupture (3) what a difference it makes when a couple has a learning-together orientation and (4) how a long-term contented relationship is achievable for most of us if we’re willing to do our work and play our part in making authentic dialogue happen. Sarah and Anne also discuss what leaders can learn from couples and the critical communication skills needed in perhaps the highest stakes context of them all: our intimate relationship. About Anne Power Anne is a couple therapist based in London UK, working online with couples and supervisees. She started her counselling work thirty years ago and originally worked with clients in the NHS and in voluntary settings. Anne has trained counsellors, psychotherapists and supervisors and written various books and papers, including Contented Couples (2022.) Anne has a special interest in attachment theory and integrates this with a systemic model in her psychotherapeutic work. For more information, please go to https://www.contentedcouples.com To find out more about Anne’s book, Contented Couples, go to: https://bit.ly/4b1NbhJ To watch Anne's TEDx talk, 'Attachment theory is the science of love', go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9idayJyWCWs

7. 

   27 Jan 2025

   Episode 6: 'Where did you learn to behave like that?'

   In this episode, Sarah discusses with Dr Sarah Hill (1) why understanding our ‘childhood story’ unlocks stuck behaviour patterns in leaders (2) what a childhood story is (3) how we can start to notice in a high stakes situation that our childhood story has become activated, and (4) what we can do to create a new narrative so that we expand our behavioural repertoire and instead of a dialogue derailing, we can discuss what matters most. About Dr Sarah Hill Sarah is an expert dialogue facilitator and ‘Structural Dynamics Interventionist’ with individuals, teams and across whole systems. She coaches CEOs and senior leaders from different cultures and countries, within large and small, corporate and not-for-profit organisations to lead powerful and productive conversations. Sarah is the author of Where Did You Learn To Behave Like That? Behind every leader’s behaviour is a childhood story that can be a force for good, but also has the potential to wreak havoc, particularly when under pressure. Sarah is also co-author of ‘The Tao of Dialogue’ and a new journal, ‘Dare to…’ which was published in 2020. Sarah has taught at the Saïd Business School, Harvard Business School, Henley Business School and Ashridge and has been visiting Professor at William James College, Boston MA. She also teaches on the Senior Faith in Leadership programme at Windsor Castle and has facilitated deep inter-faith dialogues. For more information, please go to https://dialogix.co.uk

8. 

   22 Nov 2024

   Episode 5: The Four Secrets to Navigating Difficult Conversations Successfullyly

   Sarah Rozenthuler shares her four secrets to navigating difficult conversations successfully with coach Jan Rakowicz, empowering leaders to tackle tough talks with authenticity and clarity.

9. 

   29 Sept 2024

   Episode 4: Moving beyond inner criticism with Dr Claus Springborg

   In this episode, Sarah and Claus discuss (1) what inner criticism is (2) how we can detect inner criticism starting to operate inside us and (3) how we can manage this mechanism so that it no longer shuts down our dialogue but strengthens us to talk about what matters most. About Claus Dr. Claus Springborg is a thought leader in the field of leadership development and organizational change. Claus is an academic and practitioner who integrates his deep understanding of human consciousness with practical business insights. Claus is a lecturer at Copenhagen Business School with a PhD from Cranfield School of Management. Claus is the author of several impactful books, including "Sensory Templates and Manager Cognition: Art, the Brain and Business," and "Art-Based Methods in Management Education." His work delves into how art and sensory awareness can transform leadership, helping managers become more attuned, effective, and innovative. Claus is the founder of Sensing Mind Institute where he has over 10 years of experience teaching leadership and co-creation skills, management theory, systems of personal development, and entrepreneurship. Claus has spent years researching the inner landscape of leadership, focusing on how leaders can deal with their inner critic, improve dialogue, and create more meaningful connections with their teams. His unique approach combines insights from neuroscience, mindfulness, and creative practices with is wonderful sense of humour, making his teachings not only intellectually rigorous but also profoundly practical. Find out more about Claus and his work at: https://www.sensingmind.com/

10. 

    30 Jul 2024

    Episode 3: Democratic leadership with Pete Burden

11. 

    13 Jun 2024

    The art of lingering in dialogue with Professor Reinhard Stelter

    Reinhard Stelter (Professor of Sport & Coaching Psychology at University of Copenhagen in Denmark) and I discuss how dialogue is the art of opening up a reflective space, how listening is the most essential skill that a leader can bring to a conversation and how being attentive to yourself makes dialogue transformative for all. "In true dialogue, both sides are willing to change."

12. 

    8 May 2024

    Episode 1: Speak out, listen up with Megan Reitz

    Sarah and Megan explore how leaders create spaces for conversations that matter by (1) deepening their listening so that team members speak up and real issues are discussed; (2) being aware of power dynamics and their impact on a conversation; (3) paying attention to the incoming tide of employee activism and the use of generative AI in organisations.

Who has been a guest on Now We’re Talking

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

• Klaudia Mitura
• Alexandra Pope
• Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer

Podcast Authority Score: 2 / 100

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

Quality

3

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact Now We’re Talking

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

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