The Unlock Moment: find your purpose for leadership and life

Some negotiations are lost long before a single word is agreed. They’re lost in the rush to fill silence … in the instinct to ease tension … in the urge to make the other person comfortable. My guest in this episode understands this better than most. Mildred Yuan is a leading talent agent, negotiator and executive coach - and she also happens to be my partner in life. Years ago she was my dance partner too, back when competitive ballroom dancing played a big role in our lives. Her approach to negotiation traces back to a moment when she was just sixteen, staring down her formidable Tiger Mom across the kitchen table … and discovering a lesson she still uses today. Influence often belongs to the person willing to stay in discomfort a little longer. In this conversation we explore negotiation, self-advocacy, and the moment you realise that no one is coming to rescue you. At some point, you have to decide to stand your ground … and put on your own superhero cape.

What happens when a relationship doesn’t explode … it just disappears? In this episode of The Unlock Moment, I’m joined by high-profile US psychologist Dr Josh Coleman to unpack why estrangement happens - and what actually helps when you want to rebuild a relationship that’s been lost to distance, conflict, or silence. We explore the major pathways to estrangement (including cultural change, divorce, political differences, and therapy narratives), why the “old rules” of hierarchy and obligation no longer land the way they once did, and what repair really requires when guilt, logic, and authority fail. Josh shares a practical, compassionate framework for reconciliation: easing off the armour, learning a new language for hard conversations, and understanding a counterintuitive truth - the person who wants the relationship most often has to lead the repair. This is a conversation about humility without collapse, warmth with strength, and how trust is rebuilt one honest conversation at a time - in families, in teams, and in any relationship that matters. More from Dr Josh Coleman: Website: DrJoshuaColeman.com Substack: joshuacolemanphd.substack.com

What happens when success comes at the cost of authenticity? In this episode of The Unlock Moment, I’m joined by Dr Michelle K. Johnston - Distinguished Professor of Management, executive coach, and co-author with Marshall Goldsmith - to explore the moment that reshaped her leadership, her research, and her life. At just 28, Michelle was a rising academic star. But sitting alone in her office, reading student feedback she found hurtful, she realised something profound: she was succeeding by pretending to be someone she wasn’t. In trying to fit a command-and-control mould, she had silenced the very strengths that made her exceptional … her warmth, enthusiasm, and humanity. That moment sparked a seismic internal shift. One that led Michelle to a lifelong exploration of connection: with self, with others, and with the courage required to show up authentically in environments where you feel different or alone. We talk about growing up constantly adapting, why connection always begins within, the loneliness that often accompanies deep personal change, and why productivity without connection ultimately leads to emptiness. Michelle also shares the core ideas behind her new book The Seismic Shift in You, including why leaders must move from task to people, from control to connection, and why your calendar reveals your true priorities. This conversation is a powerful reminder that leadership transformation doesn’t start in the boardroom … it starts inside us. If you’ve ever felt like you were performing instead of belonging, this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

What does it take to stay human in a system that rewards slogans over thinking? In this conversation, Ryan Wain - Senior Director of Policy & Politics at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change - traces his path from Sainsbury’s checkouts in Liverpool to shaping ideas that influence governments in the UK and around the world. We talk about the leadership lessons he learned from everyday people … why place and connection matter more than most policy debates admit … and the moment at King’s College London that challenged his confidence, sharpened his sense of social mobility, and pushed him towards a “third way” that isn’t about tribes … it’s about a we. Ryan takes us behind the scenes of what it really takes to become a parliamentary candidate … the emotional brutality of hustings … and why losing by five votes wasn’t the end of his story. Along the way, we explore a theme that keeps returning: permission. Permission to think. Permission to debate. Permission to confront the hard truth of national decline - and still believe renewal is possible. If you care about leadership, democracy, and what it means to build a future worth belonging to … this one will stay with you.

What happens when you get everything you thought you wanted, and it still doesn’t feel like enough? For Paul Ollinger, that question surfaced after leaving Facebook with financial freedom in his early forties. On paper, it was success. In reality, it sparked a deeper reckoning about identity, purpose, and what actually makes a life feel whole. In this conversation, Paul reflects on the disorienting space that can follow achievement, the moment he realised money had stopped being the motivator he thought it was, and the uncomfortable freedom of having no obvious next step. He explores the tension between ambition and contentment, why work plays such a powerful role in belonging, and how redefining happiness became essential rather than optional. This episode is an honest look at what really defines success … and a reminder that fulfilment doesn’t begin when you reach the number, but when you ask better questions about what comes next.