Authentic Leadership That Amplifies Good | Chris Cooper on People-First Leadership

What do you think the world needs most right now? The good news is, whatever it is, you have the power to make an impact. In this episode of the Champion Forum Podcast, we sit down with Chris Cooper, a global voice in leadership, culture, and business elevation. With over three decades of experience working with international brands and leaders around the world, Chris shares powerful insights on authentic leadership, creating cultures where people thrive, and why impact matters more than titles or profit alone.

About Chris Cooper

Chris is a leadership and business-elevation strategist, speaker, broadcaster, and author whose work over three decades has shaped how leaders and teams perform worldwide. Chris began his career working with major international brands like Mars and United Biscuits. He co-founded a successful consultancy that grew rapidly in just three years, and then followed his passion to help people and organizations realize their fullest potential. He is probably best known as the host of the Business Elevation Show on Voice America. He is also the founder of the Elevation Collective.

What prompted you to start a podcast?

I started a podcast because I felt very fortunate and I wanted to share what I had learned that had helped me with the world. I had several coaching clients at the time, and I started recording our interviews. I put some of those recordings on my website, and Voice America contacted me and said, " We like you in an English accent. Would you talk about doing a show?"

Backstory

I grew up in a steel town called Scunthorpe in the north of England. And my father was a steelworker. My grandfather was a steelworker. And the expectation was that I would be a steelworker too. It was a tough place to work. When I was there once, a man asked me if I was going to work there, and I said, "You must be joking." That man was the CEO. My dad was fuming mad, but I told him, "You don't like it there. Why would I want to work there?" The experience made us both realize there was more to life than just my hometown and the steelworks. I discovered that I wanted to help people realize their potential, and also help organizations create cultures where people really love to work, thrive, feel safe, are appreciated, and are one team and one tribe.

What have been the significant points in your leadership journey that you can share with our audience?

I worked for Rank Xerox as a student for a bit, and I got the opportunity to go to Australia and work for them during my summer holiday, which was really eye-opening for me and helped me see business from a different perspective. Then I went to United Business. I went to the motor industry, and the company collapsed. I experienced redundancy and saw many people lose their jobs, including me. Three thousand of us on one particular day. But I think my leadership experiences really came when I worked for Mars, the global confectionery firm. I got to see what really great leadership was all about.

I had a boss called Alan Ravey, who was brilliant because he brought a real sense of humor to his leadership. And he really inspired me. It was quite an isolating job, but he encouraged a culture where we called each other. We supported each other.

Eventually, I started a procurement consultancy, and that grew very quickly. We ended up with some very big clients managing millions of pounds of spend with them. But it was a dawning, a realization after three years. We were making a lot of money. But my passion was actually about developing people. And I really missed it.

Chris, are there any patterns among the leaders you've been exposed to that have impressed you the most?

I'm always most inspired by those who really do care about making a positive impact and doing good. I like the leaders who are also kind of emotionally intelligent around people. It's not all just about the money and the numbers. They care about their people, about their communities, and about making a difference. We feel like we're kind of in quite a dark place in history. We're in a real metamorphosis at the moment, and I love it when I meet people who care about something bigger than themselves. It's not about filling their bank account to the highest level because they can't take that with them. Instead, they focus on doing good and creating ripples. When they start doing good and creating a ripple, and those are the people I'm most inspired by, really.

What's the simplest way to clarify what is actually important versus what just feels urgent?

Urgency is loud, but importance is quiet. Take a piece of paper and write down some of the things you're doing and think, are there more effective ways to do them, or are there ways to delegate some of those tasks? Could we bring other people in to help us do that? What are the three core things that we want to do? Ideally, you get to do the things you love. But if you're doing things that you have to do that you don't love, create systems that mean that you're going to act. Artificial deadlines and accountability can help you take action.

What is the Elevation Collective?

I wanted to know how I could make the most significant contribution to the world with the knowledge, resources, and connections that I have. And I realized I couldn't do that on my own. And I thought, what would happen if I brought some of them together? And the first group formed a bit like a mastermind group. They all initially felt imposter syndrome, which is a requirement to be part of my community. You must feel that because it means you're authentic and you don't have a big ego. That has now emerged into this community called the Elevation Collective. And it's where exceptional people meet who are kind, who are heartfelt. And our focal point has become amplifying good. We strive to have a connection that inspires them, loves them, and cares about them and their initiatives, because we need to evolve this world for the better. I'm not convinced that some of our global leaders are on the same agenda, but we can do that on a smaller level.

Final Thoughts

The world needs your help. It really does. It needs us. It needs our support. It needs more love. It needs more connections. It takes a lot of kindness to help solve and work through some of these issues together. It is more understanding and more listening, not more telling. If you can be part of that evolution and journey, not only will you make a bigger difference, but you will get more motivated.

Application Activities:

1. Take some time to reset your leadership. Where have you been doing well? Where could you be doing better? To help you identify these areas, start by writing down everything you are currently doing. Then, select which of those activities are the top three most important. How much time do you currently spend on them? How could you better prioritize your time to invest in those areas? What on your list should you delegate? What on your list do you need to add extra layers of accountability to ensure you are giving it your best? Share your list with a friend or leader for feedback and an opportunity to hold yourself accountable to your action steps.

2. Amplify Good Challenge

   What needs do you see in the world? Consider how you could meet those needs in your current leadership context. What action could you take this week to help create the change that you want to see?