Tony McGaharan, the founder of People Playbook, reveals how he built his Belfast-based consultancy into a global business generating over £1 million in revenue. Working with industry giants like Google, FIFA, and L’Oreal, Tony explains his unique "purposeful, practical, and playful" approach to leadership, arguing that "training is for monkeys" while humans require development.

Drawing on his background as a basketball coach, peacebuilder and former Google employee, Tony discusses how to apply sports psychology to the corporate world to build diverse, effective teams. He dives deep into the critical concepts of psychological safety and "discretionary effort"—the secret to getting teams to go the extra mile. Listen in to discover how "soft skills" have become core professional necessities and how local roots can become a global competitive advantage.

Brought to you in association with EY. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their own and do not reflect the views or positions of EY or its other member Firms. EY proudly sponsors the Trading Up podcast but does not endorse or take responsibility for any statements made by individual guests. The Trading Up podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.

Supported by - Queen’s Business School at Queen’s University Belfast offers world-class undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education. The mission of Queen’s Business School is to educate and explore for the benefit of business and society.

QBS is triple-accredited, an accolade which puts it in the top 1% of business schools in the world. As a member of the Global Business School Network, the School is connected through strategic partnerships across the globe.

QBS engages with the business community to develop principled and effective leaders, provide student and graduate talent, and harness innovation through academic expertise.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.