003 Connectivity, Incompleteness, and Vulnerability…. It’s OK not to be OK

ALLI SPARGO Explores Human Behaviours at Work

Impressive, ex Royal Marine Captain, turned Business Development and Ecosystems Expert and TedeX Speaker, Ben Brabyn strives to ignite and sustain the fires of connectivity which helps human relationships and business flow. He uses his own significant life and business experience to support others to make and sustain connections, encouraging and recognising the value of “playfulness” and “lower stake” relationships.

KEY TAKEAWAY

• The power of human connection – both inside and outside of your business function

“Many people will spend, you know, a huge amount of time and resources, practicing their presentational skills, making sure that they really got a very tight grip of all of the detail and data. And all of that, of course, has its uses. But very often, people miss the more obvious sort of preamble to that which is to connect as one person to another.”

• The value of low stake relationships

“lowering the stakes, not saying let's collaborate on a complex research project, let's build a business together, but instead, inviting people to play a bit.”

• The role of Humour and Playfulness in building connections

“one of the four commando qualities, that the Royal Marines focus on is well, it is expressed as cheerfulness and adversity. The ability perhaps to see the bright sides to recognise that everything is not necessarily only to be viewed one way, only to be treated very, very seriously…. A W Auden …said “among those who I like, I can see no discernible pattern, but among those I love, I can, they make me laugh.”

• Vulnerability within the workplace

“there are a few things more intimate, more personal and more vulnerable than facing the challenges of struggling through an incredibly arduous, difficult and sometimes very lonely series of challenges to become a trained marine commander”.

Hiding vulnerability in the workplace

“I had assumed that no one no one needed to hear anything about my problems. So I saw I thought I kept them to myself. Of course, I have problems and I have always had problems. So so I just saw it as part of my sort of duty to bottle them up.”

ABOUT BEN BRABYN

Ben is a business development and ecosystem expert who works with UK and international companies in fintech and cybersecurity.

He is former Head of Level39, Europe's leading fintech and cybersecurity cluster based in London. He welcomed over 200 companies from more than 50 countries and grew Level39 by 70% becoming one of the most connected people in the UK startup ecosystem.

Prior to leading Level39, Ben consulted to the UK Government, running UK Trade & Investment's Venture Capital Unit and introducing overseas investors to UK companies. Earlier in his career he served as an officer in the Royal Marines Commandos, as an analyst with JP Morgan and as founder of an online payments business which he founded in 2001, built and sold in 2010.

He has an MA in Philosophy and English Literature from Edinburgh University and an MBA from Warwick Business School in the UK.

CONNECT WITH BEN

https://twitter.com/BenBrabyn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benbrabyn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W88YX6S7UD8

(1994 Royal Marines Selection)

ABOUT YOUR HOST - Alli Spargo

Alli is an International award-winning Executive Coach, Systemic Team Coach, Mentor and Mother of three now grown up kids. Through coaching, Alli takes her clients on a journey of self-development to become the powerful, successful, high performance leaders and teams. Alli inspires and empowers individuals & teams to get to know themselves better, to work and communicate better, to play at the top of their game. Her breadth of business experience, together with her whole system approach to coaching enables her to enhance leadership capability and personal impact, whilst understanding the demands of the commercial and organisational environment.

If you would like Alli to work with you to ensure you become the very best version of yourself please book a free 20 minute conversation via https://calendly.com/alli-execcoach

Please sign up for a free coaching audit at www.allisonspargo.com

CONNECT WITH ALLI

https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonspargo

@AllisonSpargo or https://twitter.com/allisonspargo

@allisonspargoltd or https://www.instagram.com/allisonspargoltd

HOSTED BY: Alli Spargo

DISCLAIMER:-

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence.