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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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What if the secret to lasting leadership impact isn't about building your legacy, but about accepting that you're just passing through? And what if the shift from trying to prove yourself to truly backing yourself changes everything about how you show up as a leader?
This episode explores how moving from a hero mindset to a host mindset creates lasting change, and why focusing on embedded impact rather than personal legacy might be the most powerful leadership practice of all. We dive into the confidence that comes with experience, the urgency that emerges from accepting impermanence, and the art of creating solutions that endure long after you've moved on.
James McCulloch is the CEO of Victim Support New Zealand, where he's led one of the country's most remarkable organisational transformations. His perspective has been shaped by managing high-profile parks in the heart of London, navigating complex turnarounds, and now wrestling with the tension between ambition and balance as a seasoned leader. James brings a systems-aware approach to leadership that embraces both vulnerability and fierce determination.
You'll discover:
- How to shift from needing external validation to backing yourself with genuine confidence
- Why thinking of leadership roles as fixed-term rather than permanent creates productive urgency
- How to build embedded solutions that create lasting impact beyond your tenure
- Why moving from "my legacy" language to "our impact" transforms team dynamics
- How vulnerability among leadership teams forges stronger bonds through adversity
- Why the travelling CEO who over-promises creates more damage than help
- How to balance the drive for meaningful impact with sustainable work-life integration
- Why learning from your predecessors while avoiding the trap of constant comparison matters
Timestamps:
(00:00) - The Impact Over Legacy Mindset
(12:15) - Shifting from Proving to Backing Yourself
(21:11) - The Concept of Passing Through
(32:18) - Building Lasting Change: Strategies for Sustainable Impact
(37:58) - Balancing Ambition and Life: The Tension of Leadership
(43:11) - The Handover: Learning from Predecessors
Other References
- We are all Fixed Term
- Sir Ashley Bloomfield on When Leaders Are Human: Navigating Complexity With Integrity
- Inspire Group
- Jim Collins and Level 5 Leadership
- International Coach Federation
- International Parks Federation
- Intercontinental Hotel Wellington
- Guild Hall, London
You can find James at:
Website: https://victimsupport.org.nz/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcculloch-65a2931b/
Check out my services and offerings https://www.digbyscott.com/
Subscribe to my newsletter https://www.digbyscott.com/subscribe
Follow me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/digbyscott/
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