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Episode Description

In this episode, Julia Middleton is joined by Melati Wijsen to explore how changemakers can stay grounded while driving impact. Melati shares her journey as a young leader, balancing introspection with action, staying true to her priorities amidst external pressures, and embracing authenticity in leadership.

The conversation delves into the challenges of leading with passion without burnout, the importance of asking for help, and the mistakes changemakers often make. As Melati wisely puts it, “Leadership is about identifying what you need help with and being brave enough to ask for it. We cannot do this alone. It will take all of us to make change.”

An inspiring episode on mindful leadership, authenticity, and the collective power of changemaking.

About the Guests

Melati Wijsen

Melati Wijsen is a 23-year-old Indonesian-Dutch changemaker and movement builder. At 12, she co-founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags, leading a successful youth-driven campaign to ban single-use plastics in Bali. She later founded YOUTHTOPIA, a platform equipping young leaders with the skills to create change. Recognised by TIME as one of the most influential teens in the world, Melati has spoken at TED, the United Nations, and global summits on leadership and activism.

About the Host

Julia Middleton

Julia Middleton is the host of the Women Emerging podcast and a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in” as well as two previous books: “Leading beyond Authority” and “Cultural Intelligence”. She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to find their own approach to leading.

In 2020, Julia launched Women Emerging and in 2022 she lead an expedition of 24 women to find ‘an approach to leading that resonates with women’. She now leads expeditions with women all over the world based on 4Es methodology, discovered in the first expedition.

Prior to that, Julia was founder and, for over thirty years, Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.
Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the boards of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy in the Arab World and Equality Now, which operates globally, and on the Advisory Councils of Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brazil and Synapse in Pakistan.

Born in London and brought up in New York, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and lots of grandchildren.