UnLOCKED
Let your leader out
Unlocking Leadership with Play and Purpose with Em Stroud
What does it mean to lead with authenticity, spark engagement through play, and truly unlock both individual and team potential? In this episode of Unlocked, we welcome Em Stroud, entrepreneur, bestselling author, TEDx speaker, comedian, and business coach whose mission is to help the world laugh more, think more, and play more.
From the Theatre to the Boardroom
Em’s journey has been anything but traditional. Trained in the craft of theatre including seven years of study and experience with Commedia dell’Arte in Italy, she’s spent the past two decades blending performance artistry with the world of business coaching. Her mission is simple but profound: help the world laugh more, think with kindness, and play more, whether that’s on stage, in the boardroom, or with leaders one-to-one.
What’s at the heart of her success with senior leaders? Em Stroud believes it’s about empathy, understanding what motivates people from their perspective, and fostering environments where everyone can win. Her first taste of leadership came at just 16, managing a double-glazing sales team, where she incentivised her team with early finishes if they hit targets, an early demonstration of her innate ability to tune into what others value.
The Power of Play in the Workplace
One of this episode’s recurring themes is Em’s commitment to bringing play into professional spaces. She highlights that play isn’t frivolous, it’s a business necessity that sparks creativity, collaboration, and authentic engagement. Referencing her own frameworks, she notes there are at least 12 different ways adults play, and when leaders identify and incorporate these into their environments, the benefits are tangible.
A standout example was a leadership team she worked with who, by introducing playful methods like playful voting with coloured sticks and creative presentations, managed to save days of meetings while enjoying genuinely enthusiastic engagement. The result? More effective outcomes and a team that left energised, not drained.
Kindness Isn’t Fluffy, It’s Foundational
One challenge Em faces is convincing sceptical business leaders that fun, laughter, and kindness are not just “nice to haves.” In fact, these are foundational to workplace performance, retention, and innovation. Especially as the World Economic Forum points to creativity as a top skill for the future, these so-called “soft” skills are rapidly becoming non-negotiable.
Crucially, kindness doesn’t mean avoiding tough conversations. Coming from a place of genuine kindness allows for greater honesty, feedback, and psychological safety essential for effective leadership.
Leading with Self-Awareness and Support
For Em, sustaining personal growth is a team sport. She champions the idea of having a “Team M”, a supportive circle of mentors, coaches, therapists, and peers who offer challenge and encouragement, even when things are going well. Leaders, she says, can’t go it alone. Investing in their own development is both role modelling and business-critical.
Unlocked Tip: Momentum is the moment to grow
The best time to challenge your own thinking isn’t when things are going wrong – it’s when things are going well. Too often, we only seek out a coach, mentor, therapist for fresh perspective when something needs fixing. But Em suggests that when you’re already on a roll is exactly when you should push your thinking further. It’s in those moments of momentum that new perspectives can open up, helping you grow faster, stretch your potential and unlock the next level of progress.
Unlock your own leadership journey and listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts!
