In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery sit down with Nicola Merritt, Founder and CEO of Cortus Advisory Group, to explore a career shaped by ambition, curiosity, and bold decision-making.

From setting her sights on a career at KPMG at just 14 years old to ultimately launching her own business during the uncertainty of COVID, Nicola’s journey is one of continuous evolution. What began as a moment of clarity on a 5K run quickly turned into the creation of a fast-growing advisory firm built on strong values, clear vision, and a commitment to doing things differently.

Throughout the conversation, Nicola reflects on the realities of stepping away from a successful corporate career and into entrepreneurship, sharing honest insights into the challenges of scaling a business and transitioning from being a technical expert to becoming a leader. She speaks openly about redefining her sense of purpose, learning to build trust and culture, and what it takes to attract and develop high-performing teams.

The episode also explores the personal side of leadership. Nicola discusses how she manages pressure, builds resilience, and stays present in a fast-paced environment, as well as the importance of creating balance and defining success on her own terms rather than following external expectations.

This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation for anyone navigating leadership, growth, or the decision to step into something new.

Connect with Nicola on LinkedIn

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Mason and Tom Emery are joined by Martin Dubin - clinical psychologist, serial entrepreneur, business coach, and author of Blindspotting.

Marty shares his journey from clinical psychology to scaling and selling a business, and how those experiences shaped his perspective on leadership. At the centre of the conversation is the idea of “blind spots”, the things we don't see about ourselves that can ultimately hold us back. Often, these blind spots are tied to our greatest strengths, which, when overplayed, can start to work against us.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why even high-performing leaders get stuck

• How strengths can become liabilities over time

• What it takes to recognise when your usual approach isn’t working

• Practical ways to uncover and address your blind spots

A thoughtful and practical conversation for anyone looking to improve their leadership and understand the impact they have on others.

More of Marty's work

Marty's book - Blindspotting

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Graham Allcott, founder of Think Productive and author of How to Be a Productivity Ninja and Kind: The quiet power of kindness at work.

Drawing on his journey from leading national charities to building a global productivity consultancy, Graham shares how his experiences sparked a deep interest in productivity, focus and turning ideas into action.

Together, they explore what productivity really means in today’s fast-paced working world. Graham explains why productivity is not about doing more, but about creating space for what truly matters. He also shares practical insights on managing information overload, developing a trusted “second brain”, and protecting time for quality thinking.

They also discuss the link between kindness, trust and psychological safety in high-performing teams, and why clarity is essential for effective leadership.

A thoughtful conversation for leaders looking to improve focus, performance and team culture.

Find out more about Graham's work

Graham’s books – How to Be a Productivity Ninja and Kind: The quiet power of kindness at work

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, Tom Emery and Tom Mason are joined by Lisa Broderick, a seasoned c-suite executive, corporate board member and non-profit founder with more than three decades of leadership experience across diverse industries.

Lisa is the co-author of Permanence, written with renowned executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, and the author of the international bestseller All the Time in the World. Drawing on her experience advising CEOs, boards and senior leaders, Lisa shares insights into why organisations rarely fail because of bad ideas, but instead struggle when leaders lose alignment under pressure.

Together, they explore the research behind Permanence and the surprisingly powerful practice of asking yourself a simple set of reflective questions each day. Lisa explains how daily reflection builds accountability, drives behavioural change, and helps leaders stay focused on what truly matters in environments defined by pressure, speed and complexity.

They also discuss the role of systems thinking in leadership, why external validation can become a trap for high performers, and how small, consistent behaviours shape long-term success.

A thought-provoking conversation for leaders looking to turn insight into action and build leadership habits that create lasting impact.

Find out more about Lisa Broderick's work

Lisa's books - Permanence and All the Time in the World

In this Toms Talk episode of Beyond Potential, the two Toms revisit one of leadership’s most talked-about concepts: psychological safety.

Grounded in the research of Amy Edmondson, psychological safety has become embedded in modern leadership language. It appears in strategy documents, leadership frameworks and company values. But as its popularity has grown, so has the risk that it becomes a buzzword rather than a lived reality.

In this conversation, the two Toms explore what psychological safety really looks like under pressure. They discuss why it is often misunderstood as “being nice,” why high standards and high safety are not opposites, and how leaders’ stress responses can unintentionally erode the very culture they are trying to build.

Drawing on insights from The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and Radical Candor, they unpack the relationship between trust, challenge and performance, and why emotional maturity is at the heart of it all.

If you’re leading in a complex, high-pressure environment and want to create genuine psychological safety, this episode will give you practical reflections to act on.

Related Beyond Potential episodes: Our conversations with Tom Henschel on culture and feedback, and with Amanda Potter, expand on many of the themes explored here.

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, Tom Emery flies solo and is joined by Sue O'Callaghan and Dean Corbett, co-hosts of the HR Unfiltered podcast and founders of SO PEOPLE.

Drawing on over 20 years’ experience each in HR and operational leadership, Sue and Dean share their perspectives on how HR can move beyond policy-led practice to drive meaningful organisational impact. Together, they explore the realities of applying people strategy in complex business environments, the importance of balancing commercial priorities with employee experience, and why understanding operations is critical to effective leadership.

They also reflect on their own journeys through corporate HR, what led them to launch HR Unfiltered, and how their work through So People supports organisations to rethink how leadership, coaching and people strategy come together to support performance, accountability and growth.

A practical conversation for leaders looking to rethink how HR best practice translates into meaningful impact across their organisation.

Find out more about SO PEOPLE.

Follow Sue on LinkedIn

Follow Dean on LinkedIn

In this episode of the Beyond Potential podcast, Tom Emery and Tom Mason take a step back to reflect on the journey so far.

From the early days of recording the very first episode to building a platform that shares insights from real leadership challenges faced by clients every day, this Tom’s Talk explores why Beyond Potential was created and what it’s really all about.

They discuss:

• How the podcast has evolved since episode one

• Why leaders are increasingly turning to podcasts as a learning tool

• The role of honest conversations in leadership development

• Insights gained from working with leaders across the UK and beyond

• Exciting upcoming guests from both the UK and US

If you're passionate about leadership, growth, and unlocking potential, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the thinking behind Beyond Potential and where it's heading next.

If you'd like to suggest a future podcast guest or put yourself forward, we would love to hear from you: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfWNcuAGIzUtjDcY3jzWdlqrMSav0tEUCxgfTLYuy2-HEtk6Q/viewform?usp=header

In this Tom's Talk episode of Beyond Potential, the two Tom's come together for a reflective catch-up, covering what’s been on their minds, what they’re noticing in their work, and what feels increasingly important in leadership right now.

They revisit insights from recent guest conversations, including Zach Mercurio’s work on mattering, and explore a common leadership challenge: what if helping people feel valued doesn’t come naturally to you? Through practical examples, they discuss how routines, contracting, curiosity and feedback can help leaders build meaningful connection, even when it feels uncomfortable.

The conversation also turns to the evolving nature of coaching. both Tom's reflect on whether traditional coaching is always enough for senior leaders, and why thinking partnerships, deeper upfront work and community are becoming increasingly important in lonely, high-pressure roles.

The episode also links to Tom’s upcoming free webinar on stepping up to the C-suite, exploring the mindset, behaviours and presence required to lead effectively at the most senior levels. You can sign up for free: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-RqMVT_BS4mQzEW688-fww

A thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, presence, community, and why sometimes slowing down is exactly what helps you move forward.