E026: The Silent Cost of Poor Leadership with Mark McBride-Wright and Adriènne Kelbie

Adriènne Kelbie CBE joins The SAFE Leader Podcast to unpack the reality of leadership beyond titles and job descriptions. From her early experiences navigating personal hardship to becoming Chief Executive of the UK’s nuclear regulator, Adriènne shares a raw and honest account of what it means to lead with resilience, emotional intelligence, and courage. She reflects on the cost of poor leadership, the danger of staying in your comfort zone, and why tuning into your emotions is not just useful, but essential, for making real impact. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Mark McBride-Wright, Adriènne explores how engineering must evolve to become more human, how psychological safety fuels innovation, and why meaningful change starts with those willing to be different. Whether you’re early in your leadership journey or already at the top, this episode will challenge, inspire, and encourage you to think differently about what kind of leader you want to be, and the legacy you want to leave.