From Courtrooms to Culture Change – Leadership Lessons from Gillian Ormston
🌟 Episode Summary
In this powerful and reflective conversation, Jo Pogson talks with Gillian Ormston, Chief Executive of the OPCC for Thames Valley, about her remarkable journey from the courts and tribunals service to leading cultural transformation in policing.
With warmth and honesty, Gillian shares how she built trust, reshaped organisational culture, and learned to lead through uncertainty and scrutiny. She offers invaluable lessons for first-time and aspiring managers about trust, courage, authenticity, and developing your own leadership brand.
💬 In This Episode
- A lifelong public servant: From 23 years in HM Courts & Tribunals Service to CEO of the OPCC.
- Leading through change: Why involving people, not “doing to” them, is key to cultural transformation.
- Investing time vs spending time: The long game of sustainable change.
- Courage and transparency: How to make tough decisions without losing trust.
- The importance of your “tribe”: How mentors, colleagues, and family help sustain leadership resilience.
- Defining your leadership brand: Why clarity about who you are and what you stand for matters from day one.
- Authentic leadership under pressure: Vulnerability, honesty, and growth mindset in high-scrutiny environments.
- Feedback as a gift: Gillian’s now-famous “gift cupboard” analogy for receiving feedback well.
- A practical takeaway: Do your own SWOT analysis and use it to strengthen your leadership identity.
🧭 Key Quote
“If you focus on your people and really look after them, they’ll deliver the vision for you.”
🧠 Takeaway Challenge
- Gillian invites you to complete your own personal SWOT analysis: Identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
- Define your leadership brand, tribe, and values and use them as a foundation for continuous development
🔗 Connect
📩 Contact Jo at [email protected]
