#155 The no bullsh*t approach to life, career and leadership with Chris Hirst
Release Date: 07/03/2025
#159 5 lessons from failing Ninja Warrior with Brandon Clift
Another Door Stories
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#158 How to keep going through the setbacks with Mike Morrison
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#157 The layoff journey: from dismissal to discovery with Steve Jaffe
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#156 The importance of empathy at work in times of change with June Hogan
Another Door Stories
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#155 The no bullsh*t approach to life, career and leadership with Chris Hirst
Another Door Stories
"You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this." In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader. Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how...
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#154 Breaking barriers and empowering the next generation with Marie-Ange Eyoum Tagne, PhD
Another Door Stories
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#153 Finding a different way to use your magic (and humour) with Emma Djemil
Another Door Stories
“There has to be a different way for me to use my magic in the world. My magic can't keep mopping up messes that are created by ridiculous decisions like this.” When HR Director Emma Djemil hit a moment of ‘enough is enough’ she knew it was time for her skills, energy, passions to be directed elsewhere. Stuck cleaning up the messes of others, she knew it was time for a big change. In this episode, Emma talks about what it really takes to walk away from a toxic job, where to find the drive for something new, and why humour is such a powerful tool for getting through...
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#152 Starting all over again with Mark Green
Another Door Stories
“There were two significant moments, two significant doors. One was the thought of that's it. I'm dead. Door closed on everything. And the other moment was when the consultant said, you can have all this back. You've just got to work for it. Door open.” In this episode, Mark Green, founder of Change Rebellion, shares his wild story of a door closing, nearly for good, and how it changed him and his perspective for life. It’s not just a story about navigating professional change; it’s about survival, resilience, and finding purpose. When COVID hit his family in late 2020,...
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#151 The Art of Being Brave: Strength in Breaking, Power in Rising
Another Door Stories
“I think whenever you feel yourself being resistant, the challenge is to find acceptance. Because you have to accept something to shove that resistance out of the way. And once you've accepted it, you can move beyond it.” In this episode, I’m speaking with Kreena Dhiman, a friend, and an incredible keynote speaker who leaves you feeling like you can achieve anything! Kreena shares her story of unexpected redundancy after a decade in a successful accounting career, and how that shock forced her to confront not only her professional identity but also lifelong struggles, setbacks,...
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#150 Finding your voice and your value in times of change with David James
Another Door Stories
“It was a phenomenal time looking back, of anxiety at the beginning and disbelief that this was going to do anything for us, to finally being acquired at the end of 2021 in a life changing deal.” In this episode, I speak to David James about the reality of walking away from a, on paper, dream corporate role in search of something else. David left the Walt Disney Company and joined the startup world, he shares the story of facing into the setbacks, the moments of wonderful serendipity, the moments of deep, dark doubt (my words, not David’s!). We talk about the emotional...
info_outline"You can have a bad day, some days, that's fine. But then at some point, you've got to go, all right, I've got to take a little bit of responsibility now and get on with this."
In this ‘epic’ (long!) episode, I sit down with Chris Hirst, author known for his “no bullsh*t” approach to leadership and work. We go deep, wide and around the block talking about the realities and myths of career progression, change, redundancy, and what it really means to be a leader.
Chris shares transformative moments in his career, including going to Harvard and facing redundancy, and how these experiences shaped his perspective on success, self-identity, and responsibility.
If you’re questioning your next step, looking for the truth about modern leadership, or searching for practical wisdom on navigating the world of work, this will give you plenty to reflect on (and maybe even prompt some action).
The highlights:
05:04 Chris’s “door closing” moments: Harvard revelations and sudden redundancy
08:24 Why losing your job is so disorientating and what nobody tells you about structure
13:25 The underrated power of curiosity (and why not having answers is okay)
20:12 Doing “everything right”…and still struggling (it’s not just you)
25:58 Why the biggest barrier to your own success is (usually) you
28:26 The pivotal experience that changed Chris’s self-narrative forever
33:11 Why moments of struggle aren’t wrong, they’re just life
38:06 The real reason vulnerability is hard at work (and that awkward HR conversation)
01:01:06 Finding comfort in what you’re good at, not just escaping to something new
The things that help Chris navigate change:
Activities: Playing tennis and writing
Books: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré; Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, and Citizens by Simon Schama.
One piece of advice:
“Nobody’s coming to save you. Ultimately, the thing that’s either going to move you forward or get in your way, is you. Take ownership, even just 1% more.”
About Chris Hirst:
With more than a decade of experience in Global and UK CEO positions, Chris is widely recognised as an innovative and inspirational leader with a proven track record of successful business transformation guiding businesses to record growth and lasting repetitional change. He is the author of the best-selling and award winning book No Bullsh*t Leadership and No Bullsh*t Change.
His new book, Indispensable:The No Bullsh*t Guide to Career Success is for anyone who wants to build a better career, on their own terms.
Connect with Chris:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hirst-4b77882/
Website: chrishirst.com
About your host Eleanor Tweddell:
Eleanor supports individuals, teams and organisations through change. Whether it’s 121 coaching or large scale organisational change through communications and training. Eleanor’s work centres around how we, as humans, work through change, embracing the messy bits, the role of playing, with the aim to see opportunity. “Too often we get stuck in the change happening to us, when just through that next door is an exciting next chapter.”
Eleanor is the founder of Another Door, and author of Another Door Opens - 5 steps for navigating change in life and at work.
Connect with Eleanor:
Instagram:instagram/anotherdooruk
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-tweddell/
Website: www.another-door-opens.com
Produced by winteraudio.co.uk