Leaders with Purpose

Can AI improve access to mental health support without replacing the human connection at the heart of therapy?
In this episode of Leaders with Purpose, Lou Lai is joined by Ben Kay, Chief Experience Officer at the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Ben shares how his experience of burnout has shaped the way he leads and why vulnerability should be treated as a strength in the workplace. He also explores the ethical role AI could play in mental health support, from helping therapists with everyday tasks to supporting people when human help is unavailable.
The conversation also looks at BACP’s transformation as it approaches its 50th anniversary, including how the organisation is improving its membership experience and preparing for a future defined by constant change.
They also covered:
00:53 - Moving from the private sector into purpose-led work02:14 - Supporting counsellors and psychotherapists across Britain05:43 - Leading an organisation through major change10:00 - Why change management must remain human12:56 - Financial sustainability in purpose-led organisations16:45 - Technology, AI and access to mental health support19:18 - Can AI support therapy without replacing human connection?22:47 - Building ethical technology for mental health25:20 - Vulnerability, burnout and leadership28:03 - Why leaders need to admit when they are not fine30:00 - Finding purpose through personal experience32:55 - The future of membership at BACP37:13 - Rebuilding trust with 76,000 members39:16 - Using continuous feedback to improve member experience41:34 - Measuring how easy an organisation is to engage with45:33 - Why every organisation is judged by its last best experience47:49 - Building technology for an uncertain future52:08 - Keeping human connection at the centre of change54:14 - What happens when people do not support the vision?59:39 - Advice for the next generation of leaders
Subscribe to Leaders with Purpose for more conversations about leadership, organisational change, mental health and technology.
 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us:
Ben Kay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkay76/Lou Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

What makes someone feel safe enough to speak up, ask for help or challenge a leader at work?
Psychological safety shapes whether people contribute their ideas, raise concerns and give honest feedback. Without it, important questions go unasked and problems can remain hidden. When people feel safe, teams can learn from each other and make better decisions and impact.
In this mini episode of Leaders with Purpose, David Amos-Reeves, Head of Customer Experience and Engagement at Prostate Cancer UK, explores how leaders can build psychological safety through the everyday behaviours and interactions that shape workplace culture.
Drawing on his own research into psychological safety and his experience leading teams, David explains how seemingly small reactions from leaders can have a lasting impact on whether people feel comfortable contributing. 
Other topics covered include:
00:00 - Belonging, inclusion and psychological safety00:41 - Researching psychological safety in the workplace01:40 - How leadership behaviour shapes psychological safety02:10 - Why one negative response can stop someone speaking up02:45 - Rewarding feedback, questions and asking for help03:30 - Creating a culture where teams challenge their leaders04:21 - Psychological safety within teams vs across organisations05:26 - Psychological safety in boards and governance06:42 - Why people worry about speaking up07:30 - How curiosity and open-minded leadership create safety08:00 - A powerful example of psychological safety in actionSubscribe to Leaders with Purpose for conversations on leadership, workplace culture, psychological safety, employee engagement and creating organisations where people can thrive.Subscribe to Leaders with Purpose for more conversations about charity leadership, technology, customer experience and digital transformation.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us:
David Amos-Reeves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidreeves87/Prostate Cancer UK: https://prostatecanceruk.org/Lou Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

What does a truly customer-centred charity look like?
Lou Lai is joined by David Amos-Reeves, Head of Customer Engagement and Experience at Prostate Cancer UK, to explore how charities can build stronger relationships with the people they support.
They discuss moving away from traditional fundraising silos, using data to understand people more fully and applying AI in ways that improve experiences rather than create more distance.
David also shares the research he carried out into psychological safety while working at the Woodland Trust. By comparing high and low-scoring teams, he found that leadership behaviour had a major impact on whether people felt safe enough to speak up, ask for help and challenge ideas.
Other topics covered include:00:00 Introducing David Amos-Reeves01:17 From fundraising to customer experience05:18 Customer engagement at Prostate Cancer UK08:56 Designing around customer outcomes11:18 Measuring loyalty and engagement14:28 AI and charity customer experience19:49 The hidden cost of automation26:08 Building a voice of the customer programme29:26 Moving from management into leadership33:08 Team one versus team two41:04 Rethinking feedback46:44 Psychological safety in practice54:26 Leading through change58:54 Where charities should start
Subscribe to Leaders with Purpose for more conversations about charity leadership, technology, customer experience and digital transformation.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us:
David Amos-Reeves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidreeves87/Prostate Cancer UK: https://prostatecanceruk.org/Lou Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How can cultural organisations reach new audiences and turn first-time visitors into loyal supporters?
In this mini episode of Leaders With Purpose, Josephine Chanter, Deputy Director of the Design Museum, shares how the museum is rethinking audience development and cultural engagement.
Josephine explains why meeting people where they are is essential. By using familiar interests, nostalgia and popular culture as an entry point, cultural organisations can introduce audiences to new ideas and take them on a deeper journey. 
The Design Museum has already seen the impact of this approach, with its Tim Burton exhibition attracting 260,000 visitors and helping grow its membership to 10,000.
She also explores the challenge of building loyalty in a world where people have more choice than ever.
Topics covered include:00:00 Building a new audience development strategy00:33 Reaching younger and more diverse audiences01:31 Using programming to create organisational change02:15 Rethinking who is represented in cultural spaces02:40 The “Happy Meal test” for reaching a mass audience03:45 How the Tim Burton exhibition grew the Design Museum’s audience04:01 Turning visitors into loyal supporters05:00 Building meaningful audience relationships05:29 Putting audience insight at the heart of an organisation06:10 Returning from maternity leave into a new leadership role06:47 Asking for support and overcoming self-doubt07:19 Why three mentoring conversations proved transformational
Subscribe to Leaders With Purpose for more conversations about leadership, organisational change and creating meaningful impact.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us:Josephine Chanter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-chanter/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/Manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How do cultural institutions lead change while staying creative, audience-focused, revenue-driven and true to their purpose?
In this episode of Leaders with Purpose, Lou Lai, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Manifesto, is joined by Josephine Chanter, Deputy Director of the Design Museum, to explore what it takes to lead transformation across one of the UK’s most recognised cultural institutions.
Josephine shares her journey from political lobbying and communications into the culture sector, reflecting on two decades at the Design Museum and the lessons she has learned about leadership, audience engagement and loyalty, decision-making and change.
She also discusses women in leadership, including what it means to be a present as a leader, how to create safe spaces for teams to challenge the status quo, and why cultural organisations need to meet audiences where they are while still inspiring them to think differently.
Topics covered include:00:00 Introduction to Josephine Chanter and the Design Museum00:54 Josephine’s journey into the culture sector04:43 Leading change at the Design Museum12:42 Helping teams navigate transformation and ambiguity17:09 Building an audience strategy for the future21:51 Loyalty, relevance and meeting audiences where they are24:38 Mentoring, support and women in leadership32:34 Rethinking boardrooms and better governance36:53 Creating autonomy, trust and safer decision-making42:05 Challenging “we’ve always done it this way”48:49 How technology, AI and Instagram are changing audience behaviour55:20 Measuring impact and making better decisions56:34 Advice for the next generation of cultural leaders57:51 What’s next for Josephine and the Design Museum
This conversation offers valuable insight into cultural leadership, audience strategy, digital transformation, governance, women in leadership and leading change with clarity and purpose.
Subscribe for more conversations on charity leadership, cultural organisations, nonprofit strategy, digital transformation, governance and social impact.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us:Josephine Chanter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephine-chanter/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/Manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How can charities evolve to meet today’s challenges while staying focused on inclusion, impact and good governance?
In this mini episode of Leaders with Purpose, Jim Bowes, CEO of Designability explores the future of the charity sector, sharing insight on inclusive design, fundraising, trustee relationships, organisational storytelling and the importance of bold leadership.
Jim also discusses why charities need to be more opportunistic, how critical friends and sounding boards can help test new ideas, and why telling powerful stories about impact is essential when income generation is increasingly difficult across the sector.
This conversation offers valuable insight into how charities can adapt, communicate and lead more effectively.
Subscribe for more conversations on charity leadership, nonprofit strategy, inclusive design, governance, fundraising and social impact.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us: Jim Bowes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbowes/Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

In this episode of Leaders With Purpose, Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai sit down with Jim Bowes, CEO of Designability
Jim shares his journey from building a digital agency to leading a charity that designs inclusive products for disabled people.
The conversation explores purpose-led leadership, moving into the charity sector, building trust as a new CEO and focusing limited resources where they can have the biggest impact.
Jim also talks about the importance of inclusive design, why good design should work for more people and how Designability is helping remove barriers from everyday life through products, research and collaboration.
Introduction to Jim Bowes and Designability 00:00
Jim’s journey from Manifesto founder to charity CEO 01:18
Finding purpose after leaving an agency 05:37Moving from agency life into charity leadership 08:09
Building credibility in an established organisation 09:51
Strategic discovery and focusing resources for impact 11:30
Balancing ambition, capacity and priorities 13:51
The complexity of leading in the charity sector 15:24
Building relationships through organisational change 16:32
Values, behaviours and culture 19:18
Co-design, collaboration and working in the open 22:31
Theory of change and systemic impact 24:07
Designability’s role in direct impact and wider influence 24:41
Partnerships and accessible transport 26:33
Building CEO networks and spotting opportunities 28:17
Inclusive design and real-world needs 30:01
Accessible vehicle design and cognitive overload 31:05
Why inclusive design is good design 33:27
Fundraising, storytelling and demonstrating impact 35:10
The CEO and trustee relationship 37:58
Governance, value-add and trustee roles 42:50
Future charity leaders and the skills boards should look for 45:04
Managing energy as a leader 48:07
What’s next for Jim Bowes and Designability 51:25
Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us: Jim Bowes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbowes/Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

Jude Comyn has spent the last nine years helping Tate better understand its audiences.
Not just through data, but through insight that can actually shape decisions.
In this mini episode, Jude talks about what it really takes to turn data into impact: finding the “golden nugget,” building simple frameworks, telling a clear story and making insight useful for people who do not have time to dig through dashboards or long reports.
We also get into how Tate is bringing digital insight into the mix, from understanding exhibition conversion funnels to joining up audience research, analytics, marketing and product data.
For any organisation trying to become more insight-led, Jude’s advice is refreshingly practical: 
“Keep it simple, focus on what is achievable with the resources you have and build from there.”
Chapters:Tate’s audience-focused culture 00:00Turning data into insight, strategy and frameworks 01:42Finding the “golden nugget” for senior stakeholders 02:38One-minute, five-minute and deep-dive insight storytelling 03:20Building models and making insight explicit 04:15Bringing digital insight into the wider audience picture 04:22Joining the dots across analytics, research and digital data 05:00Digital marketing, search, SEO and the end-to-end journey 05:42Using conversion funnels to improve exhibition performance 06:24Why insight needs to be embedded across the organisation 06:50Advice for building a realistic data and insight strategy 07:40Keeping it simple and building insight capability step by step 08:20
Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us: Judith Comyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-comyn-11630115/Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

What does it mean to lead with purpose inside a values-led organisation?
In this episode of Leaders With Purpose, Manifesto’s Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai are joined by Judith Comyn, Head of Audience Insight at Tate, for a conversation about leveraging data, creativity, leadership and organisational values to drive meaningful change. 
Jude shares how her career moved from commercial market research into the not-for-profit and cultural sectors, and how the “silver threads” throughout her journey led her towards a career rooted in social mission.
Together, they explore how Tate uses audience insight to better understand, connect with and serve the public and why data only delivers true value when it is successfully transformed into insight, strategy, and collective action.
In this episode:
Jude’s career journey into audience insight
Moving towards more purpose-led work
Career breaks, parenthood and the “soggy middle”
Building audience insight capability at Tate
Turning data into insight, strategy and action
Digital insight, search and the audience journey
Co-creation and the power of the “third space”
Living organisational values day to day
Advice for women navigating career, childcare and leadership
The impact of AI on search and the cultural sector
This episode covers Tate’s values of being bold, open, kind and rigorous, the importance of storytelling in data and the growing impact of AI on search and cultural organisations.
Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purposeConnect with us:
Judith Comyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-comyn-11630115/
Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/
Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/
manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/
 
 

When everything is changing, what keeps you moving in the right direction?
In this mini episode, Rachael Franklin, Chief Engagement Officer at Breast Cancer Now, sits down with Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai to share a candid look at her decade-long journey helping shape one of the UK’s leading charities, from navigating complex mergers to building a unified organisation with a clear mission.
She reflects on the realities behind large-scale change, including the challenges no one fully anticipates and the leadership mindset needed to keep moving forward. 
From influencing without authority to making tough prioritisation decisions, this episode offers practical insight into modern leadership.
Together, they cover:- Introduction to Rachael Franklin and her journey- Building strategy and influencing without authority- Reaching a turning point after years of change- The reality of mergers and why they take longer than expected- Navigating complexity and organisational change- Defining your North Star during times of change- Strategy, long-term thinking and leading through uncertainty- The challenge of prioritisation and what not to do- Scaling impact and the role of digital transformation
Watch the full mini episode for a deeper dive into Rachael’s leadership journey and the future of Breast Cancer Now.
Subscribe to the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468dApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863Amazon Music:https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose
Connect with us: Rachael Franklin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/