Ep2 – Mark Russell, CEO of The Children’s Society

Today’s guest is Mark Russell, CEO of The Children’s Society, trustee at the Church Of England and RSA Fellow. Mark started out as a youth worker in his home country of Northern Ireland, in a divided town bringing young people together in the run-up to the Good Friday agreement. At the age of 30, he was appointed CEO of the Church Army, a social justice charity working in some of the most deprived areas across the UK and Ireland, a position he held for 13 years. Mark joined Children’s Society in 2019 - and now has the pleasure of being OTMO host Joe Jenkins’ boss! We speak on a range of topics including burning the candle at all 4 ends, building resilience as a leader, white privilege, the stereotypes of CEOS and the importance of both family time and BBQs. There is also a great Chief Exec/Lion King analogy and talk about being an extrovert (with introvert tendencies) while dealing with life and death during the Covid-19 pandemic. Date of Conversation - 26 June The Key Takeaways From This Episode [2.15] Conversation Begins [3.15] Balancing time with family/friends vs work [5.25] Consequences of taking on too much [9.19] Leaders are not superheroes [11.02] “I can’t breathe” - #blacklivesmatter & using white privilege [17.57] Challenging the traditional stereotype of a Chief Exec [21.57] What can only a Chief Exec do [26.00] The importance of organisational culture [32.35] Leading through presence and leading through absence. [40.00] How Mark builds his resilience [43.03] What is keeping Mark awake at night [44.58] Being an extrovert in a time of a pandemic [51.30] Three kinds of charity will emerge from the pandemic [56.25] Why Mark is filled with hope for the future Resources From This Episode * Children's Society - childrenssociety.org.uk * Third Sector article with Mark on his first year at The Children's Society: 'Constant communication has carried our charity through lockdown – and tragedy' * Church Army - churcharmy.org * RSA Fellowship - thersa.org/fellowship

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Every episode we’ll delve deep to explore what is most occupying the thoughts and feelings of some of the most successful social leaders, as they attempt to lead teams, organisations and major initiatives that are changing the world. What do they dream about, what keeps them awake at night, what gets them out of bed in the morning; what are their biggest fears and ambitions for the future? What are they learning about leadership – and themselves? Where do they find the greatest cause for hope ...The program seeks to understand what of the core ingredients for great leadership - for anyone concerned about doing social good. Ultimately this is a people business – it’s all about inspiring, motivating, connecting, engaging and empowering people to change the world. Which asks much of those who choose to lead. It means juggling multiple bottomlines: worrying about meeting the needs of the people whose cause we serve AND the needs of our supporters AND the needs of our partners/allies AND all the many demands of compliance/regulation AND public/political opinion AND trying to keep raising enough cash to keep the wholeship afloat ... AND crucially, leading professional teams of incredibly committed, passionate and determined staff that often see their job as their vocation.... All of which requires in leaders, a huge amount of personal strength, confidence and resilience. But where does that come from? How much of leadership is innate, versus skills to be learned? How do you manage those crises of confidence and be kind to yourself, as well as offering the leadership those around you need most?This podcast attempts to capture and learn from the wisdom and experience of CEOs, Directors, Founders and Leaders in charities, social enterprises, politics and grassroots organisations - to share more widely, and hopefully inspire others to grow in their own leadership. There is a lot in the world that needs changing, and we need great leadership now more than ever