Responsible Rule Breaking - at Work! - with Alex Barker | 009
Episode 14 of the The Social Regeneration Podcast podcast, hosted by Pia Hillebrecht, titled "Responsible Rule Breaking - at Work! - with Alex Barker | 009" was published on May 1, 2025 and runs 85 minutes.
May 1, 2025 ·85m · The Social Regeneration Podcast
Summary
How to be a constructive Rebel, tell Stories & drive Change from within organisationSUMMARYIn this episode, I speak with Alex Barker about the art of driving change from within organisations. We reflect on our shared experience as "kind challengers" and what it means to challenge power structures with empathy. Alex shares insights from her work in both the public and private sectors, highlighting how to be an activist in the workplace. We talk about the importance of storytelling and language in shifting mindsets and creating lasting change.We share personal experiences how fatigue, climate anxiety, and a misalignment with values affect individuals at work. Together, we discuss practical tools and mindset shifts to navigate organisational complexity with courage. This conversation is an invitation to reimagine leadership and bring more purpose and responsible rebellions into the professional world.💡 HIGHLIGHTS of this Episode✨ What it means to be a “kind challenger” in an organisation✨ How to use storytelling and language as tools for change✨ Practical examples of applying "Be More Pirate" principles in business✨ Why language like “empowerment” may unintentionally disempower✨ Tools and exercises to help individuals realign their work with their values👋 ABOUT Alex Barker (she/her)Alex Barker is passionate about the intersection of personal growth and societal change, focusing on how individuals can unlearn ingrained social conditioning. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from King’s College London and an MA in International Relations, with a focus on Middle Eastern conflict. After an internship at Global Citizen and a stint in social care, Alex spent seven years at the RSA as communications manager.After nearly a decade in the NGO sector, she felt a disconnect between leaders and the problems they aimed to solve. This led her to a freelance career, working with authors like Onjali Q. Rauf and Alastair Humphreys, and later partnering with Sam Conniff on "Be More Pirate" in 2019. Alex believes in the power of everyday experiments fuelled by imagination and courage, which has influenced her work with organizations like the NHS and Salesforce. In 2020, she co-authored "How to: Be More Pirate" and launched their podcast in 2021. For Alex, "Be More Pirate" is more than a philosophy; it's a practice lived through action.🔗 CONNECT & follow Alex Barker👉 Website👉 Instagram👉 LinkedIn📚 RESOURCES to dive deeper ➡ YouTube-Channel "Surfers Against Sewage" ➡ Website Surfers Against Sewage ➡ Be More Pirate Book💌 CONNECT & engage with Pia Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to follow and support each other’s work. 🤗If you consider yourself an #impactjobseeker or aspiring #impactpreneur at the beginning of your journey, jump on my Newsletter “Impact Insights” where I regularly share tools and best practices from my work as a sustainability consultant and system change facilitator. 🤓⚖For daily insights “behind the scenes” and event updates, join the extended community on the @work.with.impact Instagram account. 🧐💓Take care of yourself and others! Pia 🤍 P.S. You can also watch this Episode on our YouTube Channel to see our faces 👋 🙂 #WorkplaceChange #BeMorePirate #KindLeadership #OrganisationalActivism #StorytellingForChange #PurposeAtWork #Empathy #Leadership #BreakTheRules #WorkReimagined #ChangeMakersUnite
Episode Description
How to be a constructive Rebel, tell Stories & drive Change from within organisation SUMMARY In this episode, I speak with Alex Barker about the art of driving change from within organisations. We reflect on our shared experience as "kind challengers" and what it means to challenge power structures with empathy. Alex shares insights from her work in both the public and private sectors, highlighting how to be an activist in the workplace. We talk about the importance of storytelling and language in shifting mindsets and creating lasting change. We share personal experiences how fatigue, climate anxiety, and a misalignment with values affect individuals at work. Together, we discuss practical tools and mindset shifts to navigate organisational complexity with courage. This conversation is an invitation to reimagine leadership and bring more purpose and responsible rebellions into the professional world. 💡 HIGHLIGHTS of this Episode ✨ What it means to be a “kind challenger” in an organisation ✨ How to use storytelling and language as tools for change ✨ Practical examples of applying "Be More Pirate" principles in business ✨ Why language like “empowerment” may unintentionally disempower ✨ Tools and exercises to help individuals realign their work with their values 👋 ABOUT Alex Barker (she/her) Alex Barker is passionate about the intersection of personal growth and societal change, focusing on how individuals can unlearn ingrained social conditioning. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature from King’s College London and an MA in International Relations, with a focus on Middle Eastern conflict. After an internship at Global Citizen and a stint in social care, Alex spent seven years at the RSA as communications manager. After nearly a decade in the NGO sector, she felt a disconnect between leaders and the problems they aimed to solve. This led her to a freelance career, working with authors like Onjali Q. Rauf and Alastair Humphreys, and later partnering with Sam Conniff on "Be More Pirate" in 2019. Alex believes in the power of everyday experiments fuelled by imagination and courage, which has influenced her work with organizations like the NHS and Salesforce.
In 2020, she co-authored "How to: Be More Pirate" and launched their podcast in 2021. For Alex, "Be More Pirate" is more than a philosophy; it's a practice lived through action. 🔗 CONNECT & follow Alex Barker 👉 Website 👉 Instagram 👉 LinkedIn 📚 RESOURCES to dive deeper
➡ YouTube-Channel "Surfers Against Sewage"
➡ Website Surfers Against Sewage
➡ Be More Pirate Book 💌 CONNECT & engage with Pia
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn to follow and support each other’s work. 🤗 If you consider yourself an #impactjobseeker or aspiring #impactpreneur at the beginning of your journey, jump on my Newsletter “Impact Insights” where I regularly share tools and best practices from my work as a sustainability consultant and system change facilitator. 🤓⚖ For daily insights “behind the scenes” and event updates, join the extended community on the @work.with.impact Instagram account. 🧐💓 Take care of yourself and others!
Pia 🤍
P.S. You can also watch this Episode on our YouTube Channel to see our faces 👋 🙂
#WorkplaceChange #BeMorePirate #KindLeadership #OrganisationalActivism #StorytellingForChange #PurposeAtWork #Empathy #Leadership #BreakTheRules #WorkReimagined #ChangeMakersUnite