Who's Your Captain explores the leadership lessons hidden in the stories of sports' greatest captains. Hosted by Mark Francis, this podcast dives deep into what separates good leaders from legendary ones—on the field, in the locker room, and beyond. Each episode features conversations with elite athletes, coaches, and sports professionals who've experienced world-class leadership firsthand. From the mental resilience required to lead under pressure to the communication strategies that unite divided teams, Mark unpacks the principles that make exceptional captains unforgettable. Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, or navigating your own personal challenges, the insights from sports captains translate directly to everyday leadership. These aren't just sports stories—they're blueprints for building trust, inspiring performance, and leading with integrity. Mark Francis brings his passion for sports and leadership together to deliver authentic, actionable conversations that inspire listeners to step up and lead in their own lives. New episodes drop weekly, bringing you closer to understanding what it truly means to captain your own ship. Subscribe to join a community of leaders who believe the best lessons come from those who've done it at the highest level.
Who's Your Captain?
Claim This Podcastby Mark Francis
Podcast Overview
Who's Your Captain explores the leadership lessons hidden in the stories of sports' greatest captains. Hosted by Mark Francis, this podcast dives deep into what separates good leaders from legendary ones—on the field, in the locker room, and beyond. Each episode features conversations with elite athletes, coaches, and sports professionals who've experienced world-class leadership firsthand. From the mental resilience required to lead under pressure to the communication strategies that unite divided teams, Mark unpacks the principles that make exceptional captains unforgettable. Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, or navigating your own personal challenges, the insights from sports captains translate directly to everyday leadership. These aren't just sports stories—they're blueprints for building trust, inspiring performance, and leading with integrity. Mark Francis brings his passion for sports and leadership together to deliver authentic, actionable conversations that inspire listeners to step up and lead in their own lives. New episodes drop weekly, bringing you closer to understanding what it truly means to captain your own ship. Subscribe to join a community of leaders who believe the best lessons come from those who've done it at the highest level.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
2/6/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 10, 2026
SE01E24 From Introvert to International Keynote Speaker I Shola Kaye
<p>In this inspiring episode, Mark Francis sits down with Shola Kaye, Communication and Empathy Keynote Speaker, author, former investment banker, IT consultant, professional singer, and internationally recognized expert on empathy, leadership, communication, and workplace culture.</p><p>Shola shares her remarkable career journey, from teaching and corporate consulting to building a successful career as a professional singer and becoming one of the world's leading keynote speakers on empathy and inclusive leadership. Together, Mark and Shola explore how courage, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and authentic communication can help individuals unlock their potential and create greater impact in their careers and organizations.</p><p>The conversation dives into the power of empathy in leadership, overcoming introversion, building confidence, developing presentation skills, speaking with influence, and creating psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel heard, valued, and empowered.</p><p>Key topics discussed:</p><p>* The role of empathy in effective leadership<br>* How introverts can build confidence and influence<br>* Communication skills for leaders and professionals<br>* Emotional intelligence in the workplace<br>* Moving from small talk to meaningful conversations<br>* Building psychologically safe and inclusive teams<br>* Public speaking, presentation skills, and audience engagement<br>* Career reinvention and personal growth<br>* The importance of courage, curiosity, and compassion<br>* How to create more engaged and productive workplace cultures</p><p>Shola also shares practical insights from her books, including strategies for developing stronger communication skills, navigating difficult conversations, and becoming a more empathetic leader. Her unique perspective combines years of corporate experience, performance expertise, and leadership development to help professionals communicate with greater confidence and impact.</p><p>Whether you're a leader, manager, entrepreneur, HR professional, speaker, or someone looking to improve your communication and leadership skills, this conversation is packed with valuable lessons and actionable insights.</p><p>Subscribe for more interviews featuring leadership experts, business professionals, authors, keynote speakers, and industry leaders sharing strategies for personal growth, communication excellence, workplace success, and professional development.</p><p>Connect with Shola Kaye on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sholakaye/</p><p>#MarkFrancis #SholaKaye #CommunicationSkills #EmpathyLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmotionalIntelligence #PublicSpeaking #PresentationSkills #WorkplaceCulture #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipPodcast #ProfessionalDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #BusinessLeadership #ConfidenceBuilding #CareerDevelopment #PsychologicalSafety #CommunicationTraining #LeadershipSkills</p><p><br>I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.<br>– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team</p><p>Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/<br>Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com<br>Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K</p><p>Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:<br>Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0<br>Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706<br>Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain</p><p>#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership </p><p>Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.</p><p>If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.</p>
July 3, 2026
SE01E23 People First Leadership That Actually Works I Lycia Lobo
<p>Mark Francis speaks with Lycia Lobo, Chief Operating Officer at the Design Museum, about building a high growth cultural organisation through people first leadership, strong operations, and long term vision.</p><p>In this conversation, Lycia Lobo shares how the Design Museum balances daily operations with strategic growth, how teams stay aligned across multiple functions, and how leadership, rhythm, and collaboration shape the visitor experience.</p><p>She also discusses the museum’s evolving exhibitions, commercial transformation, digital development, and the importance of trustees, volunteers, and cross functional teams in driving sustainable impact.</p><p>Mark Francis and Lycia Lobo explore how the Design Museum continues to grow as a global hub for design, while staying focused on culture, community, and future focused innovation.</p><p>Chief Operating Officer<br>the Design Museum</p><p>Connect with Lycia Lobo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lycia-lobo-67a2272b/?originalSubdomain=uk</p><p>I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.<br>– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team</p><p>Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/<br>Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com<br>Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K</p><p>Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:<br>Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0<br>Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706<br>Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain</p><p>#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership </p><p>Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.</p><p>If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.</p>
June 26, 2026
SE01E22 COO Leading High Growth Logistics with People First Leadership Victor Mraz
<p>In this episode of Who's Your Captain, Mark Francis sits down with Victor Mraz, Chief Operating Officer of Diverse Logistics & Distribution LLC, to explore what it really takes to run and scale a complex final mile logistics business.</p><p>Victor breaks down how leadership in logistics goes far beyond operations. From managing large frontline teams and contractor networks to ensuring customer experience at every doorstep, the conversation dives into how culture, trust, and structure drive performance at scale.</p><p>A major theme is servant leadership, where leadership exists to support the frontline teams, not the other way around. Victor explains how this mindset, combined with clear principles like the Three Cs: customer service, capacity, and compliance, creates consistency across hundreds of team members and multiple markets.</p><p>The discussion also covers how the business has achieved sustained organic growth, improved employee retention, and built structured career development paths using tools like the nine box performance and potential model. Victor shares how frontline tenure has grown significantly by focusing on development and progression rather than just hiring and replacement cycles.</p><p>There is also a strong focus on real world execution. From training delivery teams on soft skills and customer communication, to handling customer issues in real time using structured language techniques, Victor explains how operational excellence and customer experience are tightly linked.</p><p>The episode also explores modern leadership tools, including how AI driven scheduling and task management helps prioritize work, adapt calendars dynamically, and improve decision making across a fast moving organization.</p><p>Finally, Victor reflects on long term vision and legacy, emphasizing the importance of building future leaders and shaping industry standards, not just growing revenue.</p><p>Guests:<br>Mark Francis<br>Victor Mraz</p><p>Connect on LinkedIn: Victor Mraz LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-mraz/</p><p>I hope you enjoy this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.<br>– Mark and the Who's Your Captain podcast team</p><p>Connect with Mark Francis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-francis-78b3061/<br>Visit The Uspire Partnership website here: https://theuspirepartnership.com<br>Preview Mark's book here: https://www.book2look.com/book/5PLGQaM16K</p><p>Listen to Who's Your Captain on the following Platforms:<br>Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/097OvlL7btd8f7bplgIfv0<br>Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whos-your-captain/id1875226706<br>Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c6109160-6448-4d95-9850-07456d5adbca/who's-your-captain</p><p>#WhosYourCaptain #MarkFrancis #LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #LeadershipDevelopment #PurposeDrivenLeadership #TransformationalLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveThinking #Leadership </p><p>Hosted by Mark Francis, founder of The Uspire Partnership and former senior leader at Burberry and Tesco, this podcast provokes fresh thinking, energises purpose, and transforms how leaders perform. With over 25 years of experience in learning and development, organisational change, and executive coaching, Mark brings deep insight to every conversation. He's worked across retail, FMCG, logistics, and professional services, helping leaders and organisations unlock potential and drive meaningful transformation. Whether you're building a business, leading a team, or navigating your own path, you'll discover practical wisdom and inspiration from those who know what it takes to steer the ship.</p><p>If you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or professional looking to elevate your leadership, find inspiration from great mentors, or understand what drives transformational performance, this podcast will give you the insights and energy to chart your own course with confidence.</p>
24 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Who's Your Captain??
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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