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RSS Feed Episode 332: Action vs Impact w/ Niluka Kavanagh
This week, Steve sits down with Niluka Kavanagh, Executive Advisor, international speaker, and Founder of The Modern CEO and ImagineThat, for a conversation about curiosity, uncertainty, meaningful growth, and why staying busy isn’t the same as making an impact.
After leaving the corporate world in 2022, Niluka booked a one-way flight to Valencia and began a journey that would take her to more than 14 countries and lead her to launch multiple businesses. Rather than defining success solely by the outcome, she made herself a different promise: if she grew through the experience, it would be worthwhile.
The conversation explores the difference between action and impact, and why growth requires more than simply doing more. Kavanagh shares her take on the three types of growth and explains why putting ourselves in rooms where we aren’t the most experienced person can be one of the most powerful ways to develop. Steve and Niluka also explore the challenge of remaining ambitious without constantly moving the goalposts, and why leaders need to intentionally create space to think, reflect, and refine their craft.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Why stepping into the unknown can be one of the greatest catalysts for growth
- The difference between taking action and creating meaningful impact
- Niluka’s 3 categories for growth
- Why being in rooms where you aren’t the expert can accelerate your growth
- How creating space to think can make you a more effective leader
Listen now and ask yourself: How can you measure impact?How can you measure your own impact within your world?
About the guest:
Niluka Kavanagh, MA (Oxon) is an Executive Advisor, international speaker, and Founder of The Modern CEO and ImagineThat.
Niluka is Microsoft Top 10 Speaker (2025), listed as an official speaker for IWD (International Women's Day) and a member of the UN Innovation Network.
An ex-Big 4 consultant, Niluka has built her career at the intersection of strategy, leadership, communication, and culture, advising executives and founders on how to lead effectively in an increasingly complex world of work.
Through The Modern CEO, Niluka works with senior leaders and leadership teams on the human side of the future of work - from modern leadership behaviors and psychological safety, to communication, engagement, and building high-performing, multigenerational teams.
Her work helps organizations move beyond outdated leadership models and towards cultures that enable clarity, trust, and sustainable performance in the modern workplace.
Alongside this, Niluka is the founder of ImagineThat, a global community supporting new entrepreneurs. Through ImagineThat, she has built a network of ex-corporate founders - entrepreneurs who have left successful companies to start their own ventures, with a particular focus on visibility, sales and marketing.
A graduate of the University of Oxford, Niluka was selected as an Alumni Ambassador for Somerville College and featured in the University of Oxford’s Entrepreneurial Spotlight.
She began her career at KPMG LLP, where she progressed through market development, innovation, and customer strategy roles, later serving as Head of Communications for KPMG SheCan and founding the firm’s Behavioral Science Unit before leaving at managerial level.
She has since co-founded a tech start-up featured in the Scottish Sun and other outlets and a public speaking business with clients including Siemens, Deloitte, and the University of Chicago.
Niluka is also the host of Breaking Boundaries with Niluka on YouTube, and her insights have been published by organizations including The World Financial Review and the University of Cambridge.
Connect with Niluka Kavanagh:
Website: https://linktr.ee/niluka_kavanagh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilukakavanagh/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imaginethatclub/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@breakingboundarieswithniluka
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