Episode 67: Emotional intelligence, gender balance & the reality of high-growth leadership - with guest Christina Lewis

In this episode of Beyond Potential, Tom Emery and Tomas Mason sit down with Christina Lewis, founder of Herizon, and an expert in emotional intelligence and gender-balanced leadership in high-growth tech.

Christina’s career has been anything but linear. From widening access to higher education, to representing rider and driver communities across global tech platforms, to scaling operations impacting over a million drivers across 54 countries, her journey has shaped a unique perspective on how organisations grow, and how people thrive within them.

Together, they explore the pressures of high-growth environments, why emotional intelligence is a commercial advantage, and the truth behind gender representation in tech, including why thousands of women leave the sector each year, and why it’s not for the reasons most people assume.

The conversation dives into:

• Why “high growth” shouldn’t mean low emotional intelligence
• The hidden cost of losing women in tech and why the real issue isn’t childcare
• The structural and behavioural barriers stopping women from progressing
• Why leadership stereotypes create narrow definitions of success
• How culture, systems, and emotional intelligence work together not in isolation
• The role leaders play in shaping environments where diverse thinkers can thrive
• Why organisations must stop trying to “fix the individual” and start redesigning the system

Christina brings honesty, clarity and nuance, sharing personal stories, sharp insights, and a reminder that leadership and inclusion are not add-ons. They’re business-critical.