Episode 26 - Leading With Humanity: Five Leadership Lessons Shaping 2026

In this Season One finale of the She Leads Collective Podcast, Mary Gregory shares five powerful leadership lessons that will shape the future of work in 2026. Drawing on 26 episodes and 24 remarkable guests, Mary reflects on the themes of humanity, allyship, visibility, the undiscussables, and the evolving definition of power in leadership.

Season One of the She Leads Collective Podcast began as a 10-episode idea and grew into 26 conversations exploring inclusive leadership, women’s leadership, men as allies, workplace culture, and the "undiscussables" that shape our careers and confidence.

In this season finale, Mary Gregory brings together the five key leadership lessons that will shape 2026. Drawing on insights from CEOs, founders, activists, authors and change-makers, she reflects on the themes that emerged across the season:

1) The Power of Voice and Visibility
How leaders amplify diverse voices — and make space for the ones not yet heard.

2) Leading With Humanity — The Feminine Rising
Why qualities like empathy, collaboration and intuition are becoming essential drivers of performance and belonging.

3) The Courage to Name the Undiscussables
From menopause and domestic abuse to grief, mental health and financial vulnerability — and why truth-telling transforms workplaces.

4) Reimagining Systems and Allyship
What it takes for men and women to transform organisational cultures together.

5) Redefining Power, Success and Legacy
Why the future of leadership is shifting from control to contribution.

Whether you’re a senior leader, a woman in business, an ally, or an advocate for more human workplaces, these lessons offer insight and inspiration for the year ahead.

Thank you for listening, for sharing, and for joining this growing movement of real, heart-centred leaders.

Season Two returns on 21 January 2026.

Until then — keep leading bravely, and keep leading together.

🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com

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✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to SheLeads Collective Podcast. I'm Mary Gregory and I'm so glad you're here. This podcast is a space for honest conversations about what it really means to lead as a woman today and how we can all show up with more courage, care, and clarity. You'll hear from inspiring women, powerful allies, and bold truth tellers who are changing the game not by playing tougher but by leading smarter, softer, and stronger. Hello and welcome to this final episode of season one. This is a special reflection episode, and I can hardly believe when I'm saying this, but what started out in my head as a 10-episode experiment has actually turned into 26 episodes, 23 insightful conversations, and 24 wonderful guests. All of whom have been inspiring, thought-provoking, and at times deeply moving. I'm really touched and grateful for the women leaders, the allies and the change makers who've been generous enough to give up their time and share their stories, their truths and their wisdom. And what's also struck me is how quickly the momentum built up. It's felt really easy and really joyful as well. Like something that was meant to happen. And I'd like to thank Donna Eid, who introduced me to the wonderful world of podcasting. And without her patient wisdom for someone like me, who's not particularly technical, I probably wouldn't have got this far. So if you are thinking of starting your own podcast, do check out Donna. You can find her on LinkedIn and on Instagram. I highly recommend her programme and her patience. And my guests, they just kept coming and were willing to have deep conversations with the common thread of courage running through them all. The courage to be real, to question the status quo, and to imagine a better, more human way to lead. So as we come to the conclusion of season one, in this episode I want to take a moment to pause, to celebrate that courage, to thank my guests for their generosity, and to thank you for listening, for your feedback, your kind words, and the encouragement you've shared with me along the way. I also want to pull out some pertinent themes when it comes to leading in the world of work today and point you in the direction of different episodes where you can explore these in more depth. If you've been following since the beginning, or if this is the first time you've tuned in, I hope these reflections will leave you feeling both inspired and equipped because the themes that have emerged this season don't just tell us about leadership, they show us how we can all help to change it and create a more inclusive and supportive world of work where everyone has the chance to thrive. So let's look at theme number one, the power of voice and visibility. From the very first episode, Finding My Voice, I knew this season would be more than leadership theory, it would be about truth telling. Angela Bishop, also known as Ange Bishop, was my very first guest, and she showed us what it meant to lead with openness and heart and to bring your whole self into the boardroom and allow others to do the same. She exquisitely role modelled courage and positive energy. Ronke Kokurui, otherwise known as the Queen of Joy, reminded us that voice is a gift and it's one that gives others permission to use theirs too. And Dr. Rob Sayers Brown highlighted something I'd never forgotten. For some, authenticity is a luxury that they can't always afford, which says something to me about the many biases that still impact and influence the culture of organisations and our world today and how safe it is to show up as yourself. Then came voices like Nishma Patel Rob, sharing so candidly about her time at Google and meetings with Gina Davies and Miriam Gonzalez, both powerful women who opened her eyes to the biases that shape our workplaces and our world. Through Nishma's glitter sphere and her work with the newly founded Hero Club, she's creating spaces where women's voices are amplified, celebrated, and heard. And then there's my good friend Lynn Parker, founder of Funny Women and the Funny Women Awards. Lynn reminded us that finding your voice often means standing your ground. She's built a platform that changed the face of British comedy, but that journey wasn't easy. Her resilience and her willingness to make laughter a vehicle for empowerment is something we can all learn from. I also really loved and appreciated Celine Floyd's honesty about navigating fertility treatment and motherhood as a board member, and that brought home to me that our voices don't always have to sound polished. Sometimes they may tremble, but they are no less powerful for that. What's important is we speak up despite our uncertainty. My big takeaway from this theme is that our voice is not just about speaking louder, it's about speaking truer. Whether you lead a team or a meeting, ask yourself whose voice isn't being heard here and what can I do to make space for it. On to theme number two, leading with humanity, the feminine rising. A thread that's run through almost every conversation this season for me is what I call the feminine rising. Now that's not about gender, but it's about feminine energy and qualities that have too long been undervalued. Qualities such as empathy, intuition, care and collaboration. Ange Bishop, Diane Watson, and India Hatfield all showed us that leadership anchored in humanity doesn't dilute performance, it deepens it. India, still in her twenties, spoke about redefining success, holding firm boundaries and staying grounded amid rapid growth. As a young leader, she talked about the importance of relationship, treating each of her team members as an individual and building a relationship with them so that she could really understand what motivated them, which meant they didn't just achieve results together, but everybody experienced work as a much more fulfilling and satisfying place to be. Then there was Helen Tomlinson, who reframed menopause as a stage of renewal rather than decline. A powerful reminder that when we support women through transition, organizations thrive. And that connects with Dr. Lucy Ryan, who echoed this in her research and her book Revolting Women. She showed that midlife can be a creative rebirth. Yet so often workplaces overlook this extraordinary talent pool. It's definitely a place of hidden potential for organisations to consider. Fiona Lindsay brought the same humanity from the arts to the world of coaching, helping women from challenging backgrounds embrace new skills and opportunities. And the biggest insight I've got from this theme is that leadership with humanity asks us to replace judgment with curiosity. When we prioritize people over process, performance takes care of itself. Compassion is not a soft and fluffy skill, it's an absolute superpower. Theme number three, the courage to name the undiscussables. This season has shone a light on what I call the undiscussables, the subjects that so often sit in the shadows of our workplaces, quietly eating away at our confidence, as we experience a whole array of emotions in relation to these. Shelley Kay shared her deeply personal experience of baby loss and how out of that pain, Adeco, the organisation she works for, created the Holding Hands Network, a network of compassion that's changing how colleagues support one another. Diane Watson passed on her wisdom for how empowering it is for women to manage their finances. And they can start doing this with small simple steps, helping them avoid over reliance on situations or relationships that aren't necessarily going to serve them. And speaking of potentially toxic situations, Vanessa White shared about her work with domestic abuse, reminding us that trauma doesn't stop at the office door, it walks in with us, and she helped us be more aware of the signs and how we can support our team members and colleagues. Zinat Amopetto's honesty about depression and suicide risk in men challenged stereotypes and invited us to see vulnerability as a strength, whilst Danieli Fiandaku reminded us that for our modern world, patriarchy as a system is broken and is damaging for both men and women. We explored women's health issues with Craig McMurray and Dr. Sarah Fritchley, known affectionately as Mr and Mrs. Overy, who've turned grief into activism and running marathons, dressed as can you believe it, giant ovaries to raise awareness of avarian cancer. This cancer is a disease that affects many women and the signs and symptoms don't get talked about enough. And Helen Tomlinson showed that acknowledging our physical and emotional realities, in her case around menopause, can unlock performance, not hinder it. We also heard from Liz Perkins, the award-winning journalist who spent years holding authority to account for misogynistic and abusive practices. Her work has seen a complete overhaul in Welsh rugby and also new legal protections for children in family courts. Many of these stories were not easy to tell, but I believe they are the necessary ones for all of us to hear and to raise our awareness. So my big takeaway for this theme is when we create workplaces where people can tell the truth, even painful truths, we create workplaces where people can heal, grow, and do their best work. Leadership isn't about having all the answers, it's about making it safe for the real questions to be asked. Theme number four, reimagining systems and allyship. So another theme that came through loud and clear is that changing the system means men and women working together and for both of us to be doing our own inner work first. Robert Baker and Daniele van Decker both spoke about the vital role of men as allies. As Daniele said, patriarchy isn't just broken for women, it's broken for men too. Allyship isn't a role, it's a relationship, one that calls for empathy, honesty, and courage. Steph Tranter and Dr. Louise Austen highlighted a crucial truth that organizations are obsessed with performance, but they often avoid the deeper work that truly transforms it. Real growth happens when leaders take the courage to look inward, to understand their patterns, their fears, and their impact on others. Nishma Patel Rob reminded us that bias isn't just external, it's embedded in all of us. Her journey from boardrooms to advocacy through establishing the Hero Club, the world's first community for female and non-binary podcasters, is proof that once we see bias, we can't unsee it, and that awareness can fuel action. And then there's Karen Dobries, who used football, one of the most male-dominated industries, as a vehicle for social change. At Lewis FC, the first club in the world to pay their women and their men equally, Karen showed what happens when principle meets persistence. And my biggest insight from this theme is that systems don't change unless people do. Whether you're leading a team, a business, or a family, start by asking, what part of this system do I unconsciously sustain and what small shift can I make to change it? True allyship begins with self-awareness. And my final theme for today's episode is redefining power, success, and legacy. The final thread weaving throughout the season has been the redefinition of power itself. Nikki Marmory took us back to the ancient myths that shape our understanding of women. She reminded us how deeply cultural scripts shape our perceptions of power. Her portrayal of Lilith as the first woman who refused to submit to Adam invites us to question how these old stories still live within us today, still shaping unconsciously our reactions, our responses, our behaviours. Julianne Ponen, CEO and founder of Creative Nature, redefined what it means to be a purpose-led entrepreneur. She turned a personal health challenge of multiple allergies into a global business that champions inclusion and allergy awareness. Karen Dobres once again showed that leadership can rewrite the rules of an entire sport. And Fiona Lindsay, with her creative background, reminded us that the arts have always known what business is only just learning. That storytelling, empathy, and imagination are the engines of transformation. So my final insight from this theme is that power is no longer about control, it's about contribution. Success is shifting from what we can achieve alone to what we can make possible together. And legacy is not about what we leave behind, it's what we set in motion. As I look back on this final season, I feel immense gratitude to every guest who gave their time and their trust, to every listener who tuned in, shared an episode, or sent a message saying, That really resonated with me. You've reminded me that real change doesn't have to be loud or dramatic. It can begin in a single conversation, the kind that opens hearts as much as minds. If there's one lesson I'll carry into season two, it's this. Change doesn't just start at the top, it starts within, with how we see ourselves, with how we show up, and with how we make others feel. So as we close this season, I'd love to hear from you which episode stayed with you, what story or insight made you pause, think or feel seen? And what would you love more of in season two? More real models, more allies, more of the undiscussibles we so often avoid. You can message me directly on LinkedIn, or you can share through my group on LinkedIn, the She Leads Collective page. And if you haven't already, I'd love you to join that community. Your voice genuinely shapes what comes next. Because this podcast is has always been about collective leadership, learning, growing, and leading together. So I want to thank you. I want to thank you for listening, for sharing, for reflecting with me, and for daring to lead with heart. As this season and this year draws to a close, I wish you a wonderful festive season. We're taking a short break across the rest of December and early January, but do look out for some bonus episodes because I'm sure I'll be popping some of those up. And season two of the She Leads Collective Podcast will return on the 21st of January 2026. Until next time, keep leading bravely and keep leading together. Thank you so much for listening to the She Leads Collective podcast. If this episode resonated with you, follow the show or share it with a friend and leave a quick review below. Or leave us a comment. Change happens through conversation, so let's keep this one going. Listen out for the next episode and join me as we keep lifting the lid on the stories that matter. Take care and keep leading with heart.