What if your greatest legacy isn’t what you build, but who you build with along the way? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, your host, Cathleen O’Sullivan, invites you into a candid conversation with Nick Peel, a leader whose career spans some of the world’s most ambitious projects, from Arsenal Football Club to the cutting-edge NEOM "Line" project in Saudi Arabia. You’ll hear how Nick’s human-first approach to leadership has empowered teams to thrive under pressure, transcending titles and status in favour of authenticity, humility, and genuine impact. Together, they explore why self-awareness, openness to failure, and the courage to lead with empathy are at the heart of truly legendary leadership. Tune in to discover how embracing your humanity and building others up may just be the most powerful legacy you leave behind.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

11:51 Embracing innovation and tackling ambitious projects

15:48 The importance of authenticity and being human in leadership

20:16 Learning from failure and the power of reflection

32:06 Building a strong, supportive family while leading global projects

38:09 Leading high-performing teams through empowerment and simplicity

44:22 The origins of NEOM’s The Line: bold ideas and collaboration

52:03 Leading diverse teams and unlocking innovation through trust

57:31 Supporting women’s leadership for future generations

Key Takeaways:

• Nick shares stories of nurturing talent and pride in seeing former colleagues grow, highlighting the importance of building others up on your leadership journey.

• Nick discusses the value of showing up authentically, empowering diverse teams, and leading with humility, whether in the high-pressure corporate world or ambitious projects like NEOM’s "The Line".

• Nick’s career, shaped more by "default than design," showcases how adaptability, curiosity, and learning steer personal and professional growth. He talks of the importance of reflection, being open to new ideas and leveraging lessons from both success and failure.

ABOUT Nick Peel

Nick has over 30 years of senior commercial and operational leadership expertise under his belt with esteemed organisations like Arsenal FC, LandSec, Battersea Power Station, McArthur Glen Designer Outlets, and Morrison Supermarkets. He has also held Non-Exec roles with a number of entities, including UCI World Cycling Championships, Streetwork charity, and Icons.com. His career spans retail, hospitality, property / real estate and sports, which he confesses is more by default than by design.

Nick is currently Director of Operational Readiness for THE LINE, the futuristic city under development at NEOM in Saudi Arabia. He specializes in building high performance teams, creating go to market strategies, building the new, and fixing the broken. He prides himself on a ‘ human first ‘ leadership style, and is motivated by change, learning, travel, and in particular his family and children.

Connect with Nicholas:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-peel-a5943a9?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

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Is leadership about going it alone, or could sharing the load lead to even greater success? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, host Cathleen O'Sullivan welcomes the dynamic duo Clare Freshwater-Turner and Annabelle Richards to explore how job sharing could be the key to enhanced leadership and personal fulfilment. Clare and Annabelle, senior managers in sustainable business at Lloyds Banking Group, have mastered the art of job sharing, proving that two heads can indeed be better than one. Join us to learn about the unique partnership they’ve built over nine years, sharing insights into how combining different strengths and perspectives leads to superior outcomes. Tune in for a conversation that challenges conventional leadership norms and offers a refreshing perspective on ambition and success.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

​​08:41 Supporting each other and managing priorities

17:49 The benefits of two coaches for a team

24:10 How to play to each other's strengths

32:07 Why creating a work-life balance is so important

47:42 Communication practises for effective teamwork

56:39 Flexible working enhances productivity and satisfaction

Key Takeaways:

• Clare and Annabelle highlight how their contrasting personalities and skills enhance decision-making and problem-solving. They emphasise that two heads can indeed be better than one, providing richer ideas and solutions, which in turn benefits the entire team and organisation.

• The conversation addresses common misconceptions about job sharing, such as it being more work for managers or only suitable for certain roles. Clare and Annabelle debunk these myths by sharing their experience of managing each other’s development and workload, easing the burden on their line manager.

• On a personal level, job sharing has allowed Clare and Annabelle to maintain a healthy work-life balance. They can pursue personal interests and family commitments while still having fulfilling careers.

ABOUT Clare Freshwater-Turner & Annabelle Richards

Annabelle and Clare are a jobshare and senior managers in Sustainable Business at Lloyds Banking Group, working in the Nature team. They have been with Lloyds Banking Group for many years, working in a wide variety of roles in the Finance and Sustainability functions. These included leading teams, culture change and developing manager training programs. They joined the Group Sustainable Business Team in 2022 supporting Dr. Rebecca Heaton in setting up the team. After they both completed the CISL course with a distinction, they transferred to the nature senior manager role. Within the Nature team, their primary focus is to integrate nature into decision-making and developing training to meet business unit requirements.

Connect with Annabelle & Clare:

Website: https://thejobsharecoach.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thejobsharecoach/

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

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Are you merely enduring tough times, or are you truly thriving through them? In this episode of Legendary Leaders, army veteran and leadership expert Rachel McGill joins Cathleen to explore the nuanced art of resilience. Rachel unveils the clear difference between merely bouncing back and proactively moving forward. She shares her journey, from breaking a world record to creating Resilient Leaders Elements, a framework designed to help leaders like you build genuine resilience. Discover why true resilience is not about muscling through challenges but about adapting, making better decisions under pressure, and balancing control with adaptability. Tune in for a conversation that will inspire you to transform challenges into opportunities and rethink the way you lead during challenging times.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction

05:40 How to best structure your day and maximise energy

12:17 Building and developing resilient leadership skill

20:26 Why inclusion is a fundamental need

34:04 Turning crisis into opportunity

41:10 Visualising desired outcomes helps build resilience

51:12 Foreseeing crises, staying informed and being prepared

01:08:51 Authentic leadership and emotional intelligence

01:15:32 True diversity requires different perspectives and experiences

Key Takeaways:

• Rachel explains that resilience isn't about simply toughing it out through difficult times. She explains how having a bias for achievement and a positive intention can provide clarity and direction even during uncertainty.

• Cathleen and Rachel discuss the importance of creating a culture where everyone feels included and empowered to lead. This involves sharing control, encouraging openness, and fostering an environment of trust and accountability.

• Rachel shares stories of experience in the army and in business, emphasising the need for leaders to be adaptable and aware of their environments. During times of crisis or change, the ability to reassess and invite diverse perspectives becomes crucial.

ABOUT Rachel McGill

Having served as an army officer, Rachel McGill has 30 years’’ leadership development experience and specialises in the development of resilience in leaders and the tools they need to succeed. As co-founder of Resilient Leaders Elements with her colleague Dr Jeremy Mead, her ambition is to make world-class resilient leadership development available to all. Rachel has designed and facilitated hundreds of courses for thousands of people and leads on ensuring pragmatic approaches to leadership development.

Connect with Rachel McGill:

Website: www.resilientleaderselements.com

X: www.twitter.com/leaderselements

Facebook: www.facebook.com/resilientleaderselements

Instagram: www.instagram.com/resilientleaderselements

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/resilient-leaders-elements

Connect: 


Find | Cathleen O’Sullivan

Business: cathleenmerkel.com

Email: cmc@cathleenmerkelcoaching.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathleen-merkel/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendary_leaders_cathleenos/

FOLLOW LEGENDARY LEADERS ON APPLE, SPOTIFY OR WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO YOUR PODCASTS.