Leading for Business Excellence-logo

Leading for Business Excellence

Business & Economics Podcasts

PMI’s podcast, Leading for Business Excellence, brings you inspiring stories from leaders who share their experiences gained around the globe and across a multitude of sectors. Hear how Business Excellence is a key part of being a great leader, and how it has enabled our guests to achieve outstanding results. Find out more about Business Excellence and how to transform your organisation at pmi.co.uk

Location:

United Kingdom

Description:

PMI’s podcast, Leading for Business Excellence, brings you inspiring stories from leaders who share their experiences gained around the globe and across a multitude of sectors. Hear how Business Excellence is a key part of being a great leader, and how it has enabled our guests to achieve outstanding results. Find out more about Business Excellence and how to transform your organisation at pmi.co.uk

Language:

English

Contact:

01676522677


Episodes
Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #95: Why Standardising Work Matters

9/1/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Richard Best, Director of Improvement at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, shares how standardising work across 42 admin teams unlocked not only financial savings but also happier teams, reduced stress, and faster patient outcomes. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/inside-nhs-leadership-driving-everyday-excellence/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:49

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #94: Transformation With a Capital 'T'

8/25/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. This minisode features Hayley Glasby-Ringham, Associate Partner at KPMG, as she shares how her organisation navigated a “Transformation with a capital T" - a full-scale, end-to-end change across processes, systems, and culture. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/leading-transformation-in-the-age-of-ai/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:05:13

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Empowering Teams Through Behavioural Change: Inside SSEN’s CI Journey

8/18/2025
What happens when Continuous Improvement is led from the frontline, not just the boardroom? In this episode, Alex Donaldson and Ben McCready, Process Improvement Managers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) share how their BQF award-winning ‘Perform’ programme is equipping managers to lead change in one of the world’s fastest growing electricity networks companies. You’ll hear how Perform helps teams build habits around daily huddles, structured problem-solving, and critical behaviours like accountability and empowerment, bringing to life a culture of ownership and Continuous Improvement. Alex and Ben open up about the early resistance they faced, the tools that helped shift mindsets, and the operational gains that followed, from faster response times to increased productivity and staff engagement. If you’re looking to embed improvement across diverse, distributed teams - especially in high-pressure, high-change environments - this episode will give you practical, people-focused lessons that deliver lasting results. Listen now to discover how behavioural change became the foundation for operational excellence at SSEN. PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:35:49

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #93: The Power of a 15-Minute Huddle

8/11/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Richard Best, Director of Improvement at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, shares how his teams use improvement huddle boards to build skills, share learning, and boost coaching confidence - proving that with structure and respect for time, 15 minutes can be enough to make real progress. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/inside-nhs-leadership-driving-everyday-excellence/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:52

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #92: CI Starts on Day One

8/4/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Anu Kalia shares how Continuous Improvement has become part of the fabric at Tesco. From onboarding new colleagues to embedding CI in transitions and day-to-day operations, he explains how a culture of improvement is built from the start, and sustained through visible impact. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/culture-by-design-how-tesco-made-ci-everyones-business/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:01:59

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #91: What Boards Look For in Organisational Health

7/28/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, experienced board director Helen Mahy shares practical advice on what non-executive directors focus on to understand an organisation’s health. From financial control to executive quality and early signals that a growing business needs a board, Helen offers candid guidance for aspiring and seasoned non-execs alike. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/what-makes-an-effective-non-executive-director-steering-ftse-companies/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:04:05

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #90: Driving Inclusion Through CI Leadership

7/21/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Tony Tielen, former Group Director of Operational Excellence at Smiths Group plc, shares how data-driven decisions, talent incubation, and inclusive behaviours are helping shape a more balanced future. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/podcast-the-leadership-blueprint-for-a-continuous-improvement-culture/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:42

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Culture by Design: How Tesco Made CI Everyone’s Business – with Anu Kalia, Tesco

7/14/2025
What does it take to embed improvement into the fabric of a global organisation? Anu Kalia, Global Process Excellence Lead at Tesco, shares how a long-term commitment to Continuous Improvement is delivering impact at scale, earning them the 2025 BQF Award for Excellence in CI Culture (Service). From onboarding and talent attraction to leadership behaviours and daily huddles, Anu explains how Tesco’s CI culture has evolved over seven years, and why it’s far more than a series of projects. You’ll hear how the team has generated over 15,000 ideas, the strategic shifts that kept momentum high, and how performance boards, process mining, and AI are shaping the next chapter. Anu also shares his ambition to build Tesco’s best-in-class in-house consultancy, and the role of senior leaders in making improvement a non-negotiable. Whether you're starting your CI leadership journey or scaling across a complex organisation, this episode offers real-world insights on sustaining improvement culture in every corner of the business. Listen now to hear how everyday excellence is being brought to life at Tesco. PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:31:27

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #89: The Productivity Problem

7/7/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, PMI’s Rich Seddon challenges traditional thinking on productivity, arguing that old models no longer serve today’s societies. From economic systems to resource scarcity, he explores the critical role of improvement in creating value with fewer inputs. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/maximising-inputs-fuelling-growth-balancing-value/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:04:04

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #88: Boardroom Balance

6/30/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, experienced board director Helen Mahy shares a candid take on what’s really changing in boardrooms, from true diversity of thought to the powerful role of the chair. Plus, why being the “best fit” isn’t always best for business. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/what-makes-an-effective-non-executive-director-steering-ftse-companies/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:04:57

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #87: Flying Starts with Listening

6/23/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Jason Hill, founder of Hill Helicopters, shares why product innovation should start with a deep understanding of customer need, not just a good idea. Hear how decades of listening, refining, and real-world insight fuelled his 30-year journey to reimagine private aviation. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/podcast-how-did-hill-helicopters-revolutionise-the-aviation-industry/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:04:05

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Leading Transformation in the Age of AI - with Hayley Glasby-Ringham, KPMG

6/16/2025
Are you ready to navigate the changing landscape of transformation where AI is more than a buzzword? Hayley Glasby-Ringham, Associate Partner at KPMG, shares practical insights from the frontline of large-scale change. Hayley explains how AI is reshaping the way organisations approach transformation, and why technology alone won’t deliver success. This episode focuses on the human factors that often get overlooked: leadership behaviours, building trust, and creating conditions where change lasts beyond the initial hype. Hayley highlights the role of leadership in sustaining momentum, common pitfalls that derail progress, and the importance of clear communication and alignment in complex environments. Whether you’re leading digital change, embedding new ways of working, or striving to keep improvement alive, this conversation offers grounded, practical wisdom from a leader who understands the balance between technology and people. Listen now to sharpen your transformation approach and lead change that lasts. PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:45:10

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #86: Leadership in Action - The First 90 Days as CEO

6/9/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, Steve Vaid, CEO of Money Advice Trust, shares insights from his first 90 days in leadership. From meeting every employee to fostering a culture of problem-solving, Steve discusses how listening, data, and empowering teams are driving improvement within the organisation. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/customer-centric-leadership-insights-from-charity-to-commerce/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:54

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #85: Improvement Meets Sustainability

6/2/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this minisode, PMI’s Managing Partners challenge us to think beyond quick wins, explaining why true sustainability relies on systems thinking, thoughtful design, and equipping people with the skills to evaluate impact. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/maximising-inputs-fuelling-growth-balancing-value/ PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN AN AI-DRIVEN WORLD. Save the Date. 17th March 2026. The Goals to Results Conference is back, and it's grounded in the challenges you’re experiencing and the opportunities you’re facing as you lead change, transformation, and continuous improvement. >>> Join Priority Booking List <<< More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:02:59

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #84: Change Management - From Resistance to Routine

5/26/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this episode, former Global Head of Process Experience at Tesco, Laura McLaren shares why successful change is about understanding people as much as it is about managing projects. From Oyster cards to neuroscience, she explores what it really takes to embed lasting change that people actually adopt. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/driving-sustainable-improvement-in-a-global-organisation/ More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:17

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Inside NHS Leadership: Driving Everyday Excellence - with Richard Best, NHS

5/19/2025
Featuring Richard Best Director of Improvement, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust & Deputy Director of Quality Improvement for Specialised Commissioning, NHS England What’s getting in the way of real, lasting improvement in your organisation? Is it time? Buy-in? Or just too much variation in how your teams are led? From streamlining thousands of admin processes to embedding Leader Standard Work into the everyday, Richard reveals how sustainable routines like daily check-ins and meaningful one-to-ones can make a big impact. Not overnight, but over time. He speaks candidly about leading through dips in enthusiasm, and why simplicity, structure, and visibility are often the most undervalued tools in a leader’s kit. This is grounded, honest insight from someone who’s spent years working alongside teams, unpicking complexity, and helping improvement take root. If you’re trying to build momentum, create alignment in leadership, or embed lasting improvement, you won’t want to miss this. Listen now and discover how better routines lead to better results. Related content: White paper: Lead Change - A Guide to Shaping Organisational CulturePodcast: Psychology Essentials that Leaders Need to KnowOn Demand Webinar: Leading Leaders – How to Engage Your Organisation in Change More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:39:53

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #83: Flexible Thinking, Rigid Goals - Make Your Processes Inclusive By Design

5/12/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast series. In this episode, Neurodiversity Trainer and Consultant Rosie Brighty shares practical advice on how standardised processes can be made more inclusive for neurodivergent team members. From visual cues to logical file structures, Rosie highlights the balance between necessary structure and flexible thinking, showing how inclusive process design doesn’t mean compromising on performance. Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/understanding-variation-in-our-people-not-just-our-processes/ More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:22

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #82: Building Agile Processes - Learning as You Grow

4/28/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast. In this minisode, Jason Hill, Chairman and Chief Engineer at Hill Helicopters, discusses the art of designing processes that evolve with a business. From manufacturing every component in-house to managing data and workflows, Jason shares how his team builds systems that are both structured and adaptable. Every start-up feels broken at times, but how do you create processes that grow with you rather than hold you back? Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/podcast-how-did-hill-helicopters-revolutionise-the-aviation-industry/ More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:14

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Minisode #81: Digital Transformation - Purpose Before Technology

4/21/2025
Welcome to our series of bite-sized episodes featuring favourite moments from the Leading for Business Excellence podcast. In this minisode, PMI's Susannah Clarke, Kate Smith and Rich Seddon explore the risks of digital transformation without a clear purpose. Are businesses falling into the trap of letting technology drive the process, rather than the other way around? And how can organisations ensure digitisation truly adds value? Listen to the full episode here: https://pmi.co.uk/knowledge-hub/maximising-inputs-fuelling-growth-balancing-value/ More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:03:36

Ask host to enable sharing for playback control

Transform with Purpose, Lead with People - with Laila Iftikhar-Ali, BQF

4/14/2025
Is your transformation strategy energising your people, or exhausting them? Transformation expert and BQF Non-Executive Director Leila Iftikhar-Ali shares practical insights for leaders looking to drive meaningful change without leaving their teams behind. Drawing on years of cross-sector experience, Leila explores how to build psychological safety, unlock individual motivation, and create the conditions where change sticks long after the spotlight moves on. She shares real-world examples of identifying internal influencers, navigating change fatigue, and leveraging technology whilst prioritising human intelligence. Whether you're balancing the pressures of daily delivery with the need for innovation, or integrating tech without losing touch, you’ll want to hear this. Listen now to discover how purpose, empowerment, and culture are the real drivers of transformation success. More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn

Duration:00:39:46