Confessions of a Successful Leader

Confessions of a Successful Leader is a weekly podcast and YouTube show hosted by Andrew Tallents.

In each 40-minute episode, a leader talks candidly about how early life experiences, including trauma, shaped how they lead today. It is trauma-informed leadership for experienced and aspiring leaders anywhere in the world.

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What is trauma-informed leadership?

Trauma-informed leadership means understanding how early experiences shape the way a leader thinks, reacts and relates to others. Andrew’s view is that leaders who face their past, rather than hide it, lead with more empathy, resilience and clarity.

Guests share how childhood events led to success in the short term and to complex challenges later on, and what they did about it.

Who hosts the podcast?

Andrew Tallents has advised CEOs and Founders for over 30 years. He is the author of Self-Coaching for Leaders and draws on his own childhood experiences in these conversations. Read more about Andrew.

Key facts about the podcast

It is released weekly.
It began in April 2024.
Each episode lasts around 40 minutes.
There are 120 episodes as at October 2026.

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Featured episodes

Here are three of the most popular episodes on our YouTube channel. Click an image to watch the episode in full.

Blending Receptivity and Focused Action in Leadership with Jennifer Herren

Jennifer Herren is an entrepreneur whose career runs from competitive gymnastics to corporate leadership across continents. In this conversation she explor...

Personal Growth Meets Business Acumen After 23 Years in Business with Brian Esposito

Brian Esposito is CEO of Diamond Lake Minerals and founder of Esposito Intellectual Enterprises, which oversees a portfolio of 110 companies. In this conve...

From Working Class Kid to Tech CEO and the Culture He Built with David Newick

David Newick is CEO of the Arken Group, a B2B software company in estate planning, and founder of Escrow. In this conversation he explains how a working cl...

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Podcast Format

Every guest answers the same seven questions:

Tell us more about yourself and your current focus

What early life experiences have most shaped your leadership style?

When did you first notice that some of your previous experiences were impacting your leadership negatively?

How did you adapt your leadership style to your previous experiences?

What strategies have you used to maintain your leadership style and keep your saboteurs at bay?

What advice would you offer to leaders who can relate to your story, for channelling early experiences into sustainable leadership?

Who or what will you be in service of in the future?

These questions are thoughtfully designed to unearth rich, introspective responses that offer listeners invaluable lessons in leadership.

What do listeners learn?

Every episode gives practical lessons on how challenging early experiences can be turned into sustainable leadership. Listeners learn how to reach their professional goals and how to live their personal dreams.

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Questions people ask

What is the podcast about?

It explores how early life experiences, including trauma, shape the way leaders lead, through candid conversations with leaders around the world.

Who hosts it?

Andrew Tallents, a leadership coach who has advised CEOs and Founders for over 30 years.

How often are episodes released, and how long are they?

Weekly, at around 40 minutes each.

Who has been a guest?

Guests include Jennifer Herren, Brian Esposito and David Newick, among many other leaders.

Where can I listen?

On Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, or use the all platforms link for any other app.

Want to explore your own leadership story? Take the two-minute leadership scorecard, or read Self-Coaching for Leaders.

Ready to talk about your own leadership?

Andrew works one to one with CEOs and Founders. If you would like to talk, get in touch.

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