Episode 66, and Debra is on one about four-day weeks. Quite right too, because this is one of those topics she could probably keep going on about all week (see what I did there?). This time, Debra and Peter get stuck into a big conversation about four-day working weeks, productivity, public sector stereotypes, and whether politicians are actually paying attention to the evidence. Debra makes the case with plenty of passion, Peter pushes back in all the right places, and between them they explore what really makes organisations work well: trust, flexibility, investment, and better leadership.They also talk about switching off, or not switching off, when you are in a senior role. Can leaders ever really go on holiday without thinking about work? What happens when your phone stops ruling your life? And if good leadership means building other leaders, what does that say about the people who think everything falls apart the second they step away?There is also the usual dash of cricket at the start, including Somerset being described as a model county club, which Peter is naturally very calm and understated about.No episode next week, because José is off to Poland for a swanky AI conference. Lucky sod. Apparently this podcast cannot function without him, which is both unfair and, sadly, completely true.And if you urgently need Peter during the break, do write to his cricket president email account, which appears to be the only inbox he actually checks. We do not, however, know what that email address is, so this may not be a flawless system.YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter Wanless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.uk Podcast Producer: José Blazquez

Hello? Is that the government? … can we talk?Debra and Peter are back just as Easter arrives, and this week they take on a question that feels far too familiar: when government gathers the grown-ups in the room to tackle a national crisis, why is civil society still so often left outside the door?Starting with the latest response to oil price shocks, they explore why business is so often treated as a strategic partner while charities are seen as the people who arrive later to mop up the consequences. Drawing on lessons from COVID, local knowledge, fuel poverty, food insecurity and community resilience, they make the case that charities do not just respond to crisis. They help design better answers to it.Debra and Peter also get into the sector's own storytelling problem. Are charities still framed too often as worthy, gentle and grateful, rather than as essential contributors to the economy and society? And if government, business and civil society are all serving the same people, why are charities still fighting to be taken seriously as part of the solution?There is also a thoughtful discussion about the risks that come with funding and advocacy, prompted by debate in Scotland over whether government support makes charities less likely to criticise. It opens up a wider question about independence, influence and the vital role infrastructure bodies can play in speaking out when individual charities may feel too exposed to do so.And finally, in one of the most honest parts of the episode, Debra offers a message for charity leaders facing closure, burnout or impossible decisions: this is not a personal failure. Sometimes survival means stabilising, stopping, or recognising with pride what has already been achieved in a brutal environment.Sharp, frank, occasionally funny, and quietly determined as ever, this is a conversation about voice, value and not giving up.P.S. This is not a cricket podcast. Or is it?Send your questions to jblazquez@dsc.org.uk or comment below for the next episode!YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter Wanless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.uk Podcast Producer: José Blazquez

Episode 64! A slightly later release than usual as José may or may not have fallen asleep at the publishing wheel, but we are here. This week, Debra and Peter cover everything from leadership philosophy to celebrity status, with a brief but memorable detour into Peter’s unfolding duck saga.They begin with conference season reflections, including Debra’s trip to ACEVO and a closing keynote in Wimbledon that ended, rather unexpectedly, with requests for selfies. A true celebrity moment, even if one audience member’s verdict of "very entertaining" sparked a wider conversation about feedback, intent and the stories we tell ourselves about what people mean.From there, they get stuck into a big question for the charity sector: can someone who has led a smaller charity successfully lead a much larger one? Using comments made by Chris Sherwood as a springboard, Debra and Peter unpack the assumptions boards make about scale, turnover, staff teams and what leadership experience really counts. They reflect on what smaller charities do brilliantly, from swift decision-making to sheer resourcefulness, and why the sector still has a habit of undervaluing that experience.The conversation then widens into a broader challenge: how do we stop thinking in terms of big charities versus small charities and focus instead on common cause? There is a thoughtful discussion about collaboration, competition, hope and the danger of talking ourselves into scarcity. If charities are meant to be purveyors of hope, what happens when the sector starts losing faith in itself?They also explore visible and invisible leadership, asking whether charity leaders can become so self-effacing that they disappear from debates where their voice is needed most. Debra reflects candidly on being seen as someone who "takes up space", while Peter argues that visibility is not about ego, but about impact. As ever, the conclusion is pleasingly untidy: good leadership depends on the moment, the mission and the people in front of you.Also featured: potatoes, onions, ducks in emotional disarray, and the start of the cricket season.Send your questions to jblazquez@dsc.org.uk or comment below for the next episode.YouTube Subscribe: YouTube.com/@DSCOnlineMore Debra Allcock Tyler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-allcock-tyler-8013214/More Peter Wanless LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sir-peter-wanless-b43aa372/Produced by: Directory of Social Change https://www.dsc.org.uk Podcast Producer: José BlazquezQuestion for listeners: inspired by Debra’s leadership wisdom, what is the correct outfit for listening to this episode? Would you wear a bikini to a funeral or a suit to the beach, or something more podcast appropriate?