30 Aug 2025
Leading Without Fear with guest Sacha Tanner, Spinneys Abu Dhabi
PJ Tips Podcast Leading Business Change with Sacha Tanner, Leading Without Fear
Leadership is one of the most talked about topics in business today, and for good reason. In a world of constant change, shifting markets, and increasing pressure on both performance and people, the way we lead can make or break an organisation, and the people in it.
Yet too often leadership is treated like a badge of status rather than what it truly is, a responsibility.
In this episode of the PJ Tips Leading Business Change Podcast, I chat with Sacha Tanner, General Manager at Spinneys, Abu Dhabi, for a refreshingly honest and practical conversation about what it really means to lead without fear.
Sacha isn’t your stereotypical business leader. He’s open, humble and deeply committed to the growth, wellbeing and success of his people as much as the business itself. Over his career, he has faced the dilemmas, tough calls and personal challenges that many leaders encounter but don’t always act on or talk about. Here, he shares those lessons openly, giving real insight into the highs and lows of modern leadership.
Whats in it?
This conversation is packed with useful, real world insights for anyone in leadership or aspiring to be. Among the topics we cover:
What leadership really means, why it’s about supporting others to succeed, not status and ego.
The challenges of leading upwards, why influencing and persuading senior stakeholders is often harder than managing your own team.
Guardianship in leadership and shifting to genuine responsibility for people, shareholders and communities.
Letting go of ego and control and creating space for others to thrive.
Learning from customer focus. Sacha shares how Spinneys transformed performance and mindset by analysing customer accounts in detail in order to re-focus attention effectively.
The Context for the podcast is Leading in a Competitive Market
Sacha’s leadership story is also shaped by the market in which he operates. Spinneys Abu Dhabi has grown and stands out in a fiercely competitive space. When he started, there were just five competitors. Today, there are more than 25. To continue to grow and lead in this market, Spinneys has had to differentiate on service and quality rather than simply chasing volume.
That shift has been bold, including a move from a volume-driven model to a value-based strategy. Even more striking, under Sacha’s guidance, Spinneys is to become the first carbon-neutral liquor distributor in the Middle East, which represents a pioneering step that shows leadership is as much about responsibility as it is about results.
Why This Conversation Matters
We’re living in an era where the expectations of leaders are higher than ever. Employees want more purpose, customers demand higher standards and stakeholders are under increasing scrutiny around sustainability and responsibility. Yet at the same time, leaders are under pressure to deliver results faster and leaner.
That’s why my podcasts matter. They give us a glimpse into how successful leaders actually think and operate, and why leading without fear — without clinging to ego, control or outdated notions of authority — is not only possible, but essential.
Who Should Listen
If you’re a business leader, manager or aspiring leader who wants to hear what genuine, grounded leadership looks like, this episode is for you. Whether you’re navigating change in your organisation, facing pressure from both above and below, or simply looking to grow as a leader, you’ll find valuable takeaways here.
It’s a straight talking, practical look at the reality of leadership, told through the experience of someone who living it one of the most competitive markets in the Middle East.
🎙️ Listen now to PJ Tips: Leading Business Change — “Leading Without Fear” with Sacha Tanner, General Manager of Spinneys Abu Dhabi.
Discover what leadership without fear really looks like — and why it might just be the key to building better businesses in today’s world.
