Friday Five: Adam Pacifico, Host of The Leadership Enigma

Answering the #FridayFive today is Adam Pacifico, Host of The Leadership Enigma.

Tell us a bit about your job?

I am the Host of a globally ranked podcast, The Leadership Enigma. The podcast is now an award-winning business and leadership show which is ranked No.1 in the UK for leadership (Feedspot). We have 140 episodes and a new YouTube Channel which will soon host over 70 hours of unseen interview footage. I am privileged to be able to interview guests from all over the world – from CEO’s to sporting legends, and from leading academics to members of the CIA and FBI.

What are the key ingredients for success?

Insatiable curiosity with the focus on humble enquiry. I am a trial lawyer (barrister) by background and so I have always been motivated and intrigued to understand how and why people do what they do. I need to listen carefully and ask questions that allow the guest to feel at ease, confident and safe to have a personal, and at times vulnerable, conversation.

The episodes are very loosely planned so I also need to pivot depending on what I am hearing and exploring in each conversation and drawing out the learning points for an audience interested in leadership themes and perspectives.

Could you describe a normal day?

We are approached almost daily from individuals and agencies asking about becoming a guest on the show. We meet (normally online) with the guests for about 20 mins to explore fit and focus for a potential episode. Once selected, they are booked into a 60-minute slot and all episodes are filmed from our north London studio. Regardless of the guest being face-to-face or virtual, the footage will end up on our YouTube channel. We are now being more deliberate as regards guest and topic selection.

For those trying to break into the industry, could you explain how you got to where you are today?

The Leadership Enigma was panic response to the lockdown to stay connected and relevant, to keep learning and build value. I knew nothing about podcasting until I spent hours during lockdown watching too many YouTube videos on how to podcast, what equipment I needed and dealing with the basics from publishing, editing, artwork etc.

It may seem overwhelming, but you don’t need a lot to start. Have a go with an idea or a guest that you feel comfortable with and experiment. You get to decide when to release it to the world. The key is to think carefully about focus, format and who your audience is likely to be.

If you need some help, just connect with me on LinkedIn and I can send you some useful links to get you started.

What are you reading, watching and listening to right now?

I’m reading Transactional Analysis and watching Ganglands (French, but with subtitles).

I’m listening to all back episodes of The Leadership Enigma that have been recorded but not released yet, as we create show notes for the YouTube versions.