Leaning into Leadership

Episode 266: Building Resilient Leaders and Teams with Russell Harvey

Russell Harvey · March 15, 2026

Executive Coach · Leadershipin

Interview with Russell Harvey

Episode 266: Building Resilient Leaders and Teams with Russell Harvey

Podcast: Leaning into Leadership

March 15, 2026 · 40 min

Leadership today often feels like navigating constant change. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are realities many leaders face daily. But resilience is not about simply pushing through the chaos — it’s about learning how to lead yourself and others through it.…

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Episode 266: Building Resilient Leaders and Teams with Russell Harvey

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Key topicsLeading Well When the World Won’t Slow DownChange is no longer something leaders navigate occasionally - it is the environment they lead in every day. Russell explores the difference between leaders who are simply surviving relentless change and those who can genuinely say: “There’s a lot going on, and I’m good.” Drawing on nearly two decades specialising in resilience, Russell offers a practical perspective on what resilient leadership actually looks, sounds and feels like when the pressure is real and the uncertainty isn't going away.Before You Add AI to Your Team, Fix the Human OneOrganisations are racing to adopt AI, but Russell believes leaders need to ask a more fundamental question first: what makes our team work brilliantly together? Only then can they understand where AI can genuinely improve performance. With deep expertise in leadership, resilience and navigating persistent change, Russell offers a refreshingly human perspective on AI: the biggest challenge may not be the technology, but how well we lead the people using it.Off the Record — What Leaders Admit in Coaching and Never Say in the BoardroomRussell Harvey has coached leaders to board level for over 6,000 hours, and the same admissions come up in private: they are guessing, they are tired, and they can say neither out loud. Most organisations treat that silence as strength and reward the executive who never wavers, which is how confident-looking teams commit to decisions nobody in the room believes in. Drawing on 18 years with organisations from the NHS to Novartis and Kerry Group, he describes what changes when a leader finally gets one place to think honestly: how they pressure-test a decision before announcing it, and how they pass that same permission down to their own team. Listeners leave able to hear what their leadership group is not saying, and knowing what to do once they hear it.View all topics →

About Russell Harvey

The Resilience Coach | Resilient Leadership Expert

100,000+ People positively affected6,000+ Executive coaching hours£12M+ ROI delivered by RWE npower leadership programme20+ years Learning, leadership and organisational development

Russell Harvey is The Resilience Coach - a resilient leadership expert, executive coach, facilitator and keynote speaker who helps leaders and organisations perform at their best when the world refuses to stand still.

With more than 20 years in Learning, Leadership and Organisational Development, 6,000+ hours of executive coaching and over 70 published podcast appearances, Russell is an experienced and engaging voice on resilience, leadership and navigating persistent change. He has worked with leaders across organisations including Novartis, the NHS, AB World Foods, Kerry Group and The Co-operative Group.

Russell’s work goes beyond helping people simply cope with pressure. He believes true resilience isn’t about “bouncing back”, being tougher or pretending everything is fine - it’s about springing forward with learning and becoming better equipped to lead because of the challenges you’ve faced.

His approach connects the human side of leadership directly to what matters to organisations: engaged people, stronger cultures, better decisions and improved performance. His work has delivered measurable results, including a leadership programme that returned £12 million to the business and a Resilient Leader Programme that achieved more than 1,100% ROI.

In August 2025, Russell achieved his long-held purpose of positively affecting 100,000 people.

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About this episode

Leadership today often feels like navigating constant change.

Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are realities many leaders face daily. But resilience is not about simply pushing through the chaos — it’s about learning how to lead yourself and others through it.

In this episode, Darrin sits down withRussell Harvey, The Resilience Coach, to explore how leaders can build resilience in themselves and their teams while navigating the modern leadership landscape.

Russell shares powerful frameworks and practical strategies that help leaders move from overwhelm to clarity, from control to command, and from reactive leadership to intentional leadership.

This conversation offers practical insights for leaders who want to strengthen their mindset, support their teams more effectively, and build sustainable leadership habits.

In this episode, you’ll learn:Why resilience is one of the most important leadership skills todayThe difference between being in control and being in command as a leaderHow the VUCA framework explains the constant change leaders faceThe importance of developing personal resilience before leading othersWhy great leaders focus on delegating brilliantly and removing obstacles for their teamsHow identifying your purpose can strengthen resilience and confidenceA practical strengths and skills grid exercise leaders can use immediately

Key leadership insight from Russell:A resilient leader focuses on three core responsibilities:

Delegate brilliantly based on the strengths of your teamBuild and nurture a resilient team cultureDevelop your own personal resilience

When leaders invest in these three areas, they create the conditions for trust, clarity, and stronger team performance.

About Russell HarveyRussell Harvey, known as The Resilience Coach, is a leadership coach, facilitator, speaker, and resilience expert with more than 20 years of experience in leadership and organizational development.

His work focuses on helping leaders and organizations build resilience in the face of constant change and uncertainty.

Russell works with leaders and organizations to develop practical strategies that improve leadership effectiveness, strengthen team relationships, and help individuals rediscover their energy and purpose.

Connect with Russell HarveyWebsite: https://www.theresiliencecoach.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russelltheresiliencecoach/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theresiliencecoach/

Connect with Darrin

If this episode resonated with you and you're looking for support in developing stronger leadership teams, clearer systems, and healthier school cultures, connect with Darrin.

Website: https://darrinpeppard.com/

Thank you to our Amazing Sponsors

This episode is sponored by DigiCoach, helping leaders capture real-time instructional data, provide meaningful feedback, and build clarity through strong systems. Go to digicoach.com and tell them you heard about them here on the Leaning into Leadership podcast for special partner pricing.

This episode is also brought to you by HeyTutor, delivering high-impact, research-based tutoring that supports students while reducing leadership overwhelm. Connect with them at HeyTutor.com

Guest: Russell Harvey