In short
Trailer for “What We Don’t Know,” exploring leadership in a chaotic, uncertain world—what leaders don’t know, and lessons from leaders’ journeys. Hosts Hayaatun and Matt recently stepped down from complex, big roles and want to share experiences and questions they’ve faced about leading now.
Guest backgrounds (teased)
A guest who faced a company crisis (including a “cringeworthy” moment with fruit thrown); someone involved in donating $2 million from a U2 concert to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and a negotiator who prepared to sit opposite President Putin (first meeting in London in 1999).
Key claims
Leadership requires learning from others; uncertainty is central; teamwork is a transferable lesson.
Notable examples
Fruit-thrown crisis anecdote; U2 donation pause/laughter; negotiation preparation with Putin; “ants” teamwork imagery.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOSneak Peek of Upcoming Episodes
0:55 to 1:44
Discover what to expect in future episodes featuring intriguing guests.
“It's two o 'clock, I'm sitting on a beach in Cannes in my shorts and his first three questions were like, with that company in crisis, what's it like?”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:Hi, I'm Hayaatun.
0:01Matt Brittin:And I'm Matt. And welcome to What We Don't Know. This is all about how to be a leader, who can be leaders, and what is it we don't know about leaders that helps them to get through their days.
0:12Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:It's a crazy, chaotic, uncertain world. And we're going to be sharing some experiences of our own. We're going to be talking to some extraordinary guests, all of whom have had fantastic leadership journeys in different ways and different domains, and trying to extract what they've learned along the way. and also talking about what we still don't know.
0:31Matt Brittin:Yeah, both of us have stepped down from quite big, complicated jobs recently and I think have been struck by the sort of questions you get about how to be a leader, particularly in this world, which is ever more crazy around us all. And so we're trying to explore that together. There's lots that we don't know too. And I think both of us share a sense of learning from everyone around us. And I hope that you'll join us on that journey.
0:53Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:But that's enough from us. Here's what's coming up.
0:55Matt Brittin:It's two o 'clock, I'm sitting on a beach in Cannes in my shorts and his first three questions were like, with that company in crisis, what's it like? Did you get fruit thrown at you?
1:07Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:It was probably the most cringeworthy moment of my career.
1:11Matt Brittin:He will donate$2 million from the latest U2 concert to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and then he would pause and then he would just go and burst out into laughter.
1:21Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:And I think there's all sorts of little bird life and whatnot going on around him. and the odd bird flying around and a really hard-working tale of ants. Some leadership lesson that we can take from that. That's teamwork.
1:33Matt Brittin:How would you prepare for sitting down opposite President Putin and a negotiation?
1:38Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:The very first time I met him, which is when he came to London in 99.
1:42Matt Brittin:So that's what we don't know. We've got some great guests coming out and lots of things that I've been learning from them that I think will help me be a better leader in the future.
1:51Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:We've got some fantastic discussions coming up with some really, really interesting guests, which we hope you will enjoy.
1:57Matt Brittin:Don't forget to follow us on socials. Send us your questions and suggestions for who you'd like to hear from as well. It could be rising leaders as well as some of the big names. Thank you so much.
2:05Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE:See you soon.
From the publisher
In a world that feels increasingly chaotic and uncertain, what does leadership really look like - and what do even the most experienced leaders still not know?
Hosted by Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE and Matt Brittin, What We Don’t Know explores the realities of leadership today. Having both recently stepped down from major roles, they reflect on their own experiences while speaking with extraordinary guests from business, politics, technology and beyond.
Together, they unpack the moments that shape leaders: crises, difficult decisions, unexpected lessons, and the questions that don’t always have easy answers.
From negotiating with world leaders to navigating corporate chaos (and even finding lessons in nature), this podcast explores the human side of leadership - what works, what doesn’t, and what we’re all still figuring out.
Follow the show and join the conversation as we explore the biggest question of all: what don’t we know about leadership yet?
Credits
Production Company: Boxlight Creative Studio
Hosts: Matt Brittin CBE and Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE
Executive Producer: Jimmy McLoughlin OBE
Lead Producer: Sunny Winter
Junior Producer: Thuy Dong
Editor: Ben Alexander Kippen
Guest Booker & Operations: Vicki Gostling
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