Episode 7. Backstage with Karyn McCluskey

The Next GenCast

This conversation is with Karyn McCluskey, chief executive of Community Justice Scotland. I heard Karyn on a podcast a few years ago, and never forgot her story.

Karyn trained as a nurse in the NHS, but has worked in the police for the last 22 years. She was Director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit for the last decade, which proposed a different way of addressing violence in Scotland. They developed injury surveillance, gang intervention and gang exit, and focused on preventing knife carrying and injury. She helps support the Medics Against Violence charity in Scotland, set up in conjunction with the Violence Reduction Unit.

So how did Karyn get such startling results in a city once known as the murder capital of western Europe?.

Listen to Karyn's story, the lessons she's learnt, and the advice she'd give to any leader with a drive to tackle 'wicked' problems,

*Highlights:

• Her vision and story (2 mins)
• Advice on making change (13 mins)
• Coping with failure (22 mins)
• Working within political timescales (25 mins)
• Changing things without evidence (28 mins)
• Imposter syndrome (32 mins)
• Resilience and decompressing (39 mins)
• Mum guilt (40 mins)
• Final 3 questions- recommended resources, a leader she admires, and top 3 bits of advice (42 mins)

*Resources:

• Her Ted Talk: 'Proceed til Apprehended'
• The podcast where I first heard Karyn: Reasons to be Cheerful (Episode 50)
• More about Karyn's work

*Social media:

• @KarynMcCluskey
• @NextGGP

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