Lead Yourself First: Lessons from the Pitch to the Boardroom

From international rugby to leadership coaching, Don Armand’s journey is anything but ordinary.

In this episode, I sit down with Don, former England and Exeter Chiefs player turned leadership confidant, to explore what it really means to lead, not just others, but yourself.

We talk about:
✅ The transition from elite sport to business
✅ Why discipline, boundaries, and identity are everything
✅ The power of honest feedback (and the people brave enough to give it)
✅ And what the quote by Tom Landry, A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear…” ,really means in high-performance environments

Don also shares his personal story of resilience, from being forced to leave his home country to reaching the top levels of professional rugby, and how those experiences now shape the way he helps individuals and teams grow.

If you're serious about becoming a better leader, this conversation is one you’ll feel as much as hear.