START AN EXPEDITION

Episode Description

In this episode, Julia Middleton is joined by Dr Vongai Nyahunzvi to uncover the hidden ways leaders sabotage their own success. From childhood lessons in resilience to the wisdom passed down by her father, Dr Nyahunzvi reflects on the dangers of false humility, the weight of ‘hero leader syndrome,’ and the habit of overextending oneself at the cost of personal well-being.

The conversation explores how self-awareness can transform leadership, the balance between supporting others and maintaining personal strength, and the power of introspection. As Dr Nyahunzvi insightfully puts it, “As a leader, don’t just look through the window, look through the mirror.”

A thought-provoking episode on self-leadership, authenticity, and breaking the cycle of self-sabotage.

About the Guests

Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi

Dr Vongai Nyahunzvi is the Founder and CEO of the Alliance for Women and Girls, dedicated to empowering female leadership across Africa. She also leads the Africa Region at Teach For All, a global network expanding educational opportunity. An accomplished author, she has written Lead Don’t Self-Sabotage and Leadership Syndromes, focusing on identifying and overcoming self-sabotaging behaviours in leadership.

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.