Host Warren Wandling takes you behind the scenes to get to know a variety of leaders and the keys to their success. Discover strategies, tips and resources from leaders and entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles to build resilience and achieve success. In this episode, Warren introduces you to Philip Atkinson.

Episode 123-  What Bees Teach Leaders with Philip Atkinson

 

What if some of the most powerful leadership lessons didn’t come from a boardroom—but from a beehive?

In this episode of How to Become an Obstacle Buster, Warren sits down with leadership coach and organizational transformation expert Philip Atkinson to explore what leaders can learn from the hidden intelligence of the hive.

With decades of experience leading inside global organizations and coaching senior leaders across Europe and beyond, Philip brings a refreshing perspective on leadership, culture, and purpose. Drawing from his book Bee Wise, he shows how nature reveals simple but often overlooked truths about how teams thrive—and why leaders sometimes become the very obstacles they’re trying to remove.

Philip Atkinson is a leadership coach, organizational transformation expert, and founder of Hive-Logic. With leadership roles at Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, and Publicis, Philip has worked with some of the world’s
largest organizations to build stronger teams and healthier cultures. Based near the Swiss border in France, he supports senior leaders across Europe and beyond through coaching, facilitation, and strategy. His warm, thought-provoking communication style has landed him features in Forbes, Management Today, CEO World, and BBC TV and radio. Philip is also a beekeeper.

In his book Bee Wise: 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Beehive, he draws powerful insights from the
hidden workings of the hive. The book explores decision-making, inclusion, communication, and purpose with contributions from global thought leaders at EY, L’Oréal, and more. All profits support Bees for Development, a charity helping families build sustainable livelihoods through beekeeping.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • Why strong cultures outperform individual talent

  • What bees teach us about shared leadership and trust

  • How clarity and communication remove hidden obstacles

  • Practical ways to lead with purpose in complex environments

This conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t about control—it’s about creating the conditions for people to do their best work together.

All proceeds from the sale of ‘Bee Wise – 12 Leadership Lessons from a Busy Beehive’ go directly to the charity, BeesForDevelopment.org

To connect with Philip Atkinson:

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

👉 Want to go deeper? Learn more about Leadership with Purpose™ and Leadership Breakthrough Coaching at
https://warrenwandling.com