S3E8: What if we’ve been backing the wrong kind of leaders? With Neil McLean

Leadership still tends to reward charisma, hierarchy, and those who “look good on paper.” But what if that’s not where real change comes from?

In this episode, Neil McLean CEO of the Social Enterprise Academy and Head of Partnerships at the Dragonfly Trust shares what he’s learned from two decades supporting leaders who are often overlooked: teachers, young people, and grassroots entrepreneurs.

We explore:

• Redefining leadership: From hierarchy to trust, agency, and social impact
• People over projects: Why the biggest returns come from investing in the changemakers themselves
• The power of youth leadership: How school-led social enterprises tackle real-world issues like food poverty and isolation
• Scaling deep vs. scaling up: Why slow, distributed growth can transform communities
• Leading in the age of AI: The urgent need for reflection, purpose, and empathy in a fast-paced world

This conversation challenges the leadership stereotypes we’ve all been taught and offers a vision for a more human, more inclusive, and more impactful future.