Lessons from Life & Leadership Season 4: The human side of long-term planning

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We were delighted to see that Life & Leadership with Bobby Kerr, A Newstalk original podcast we’re proud to partner with, was nominated for an All-Ireland podcast award this year. The recognition highlights the growing demand for content that blends expertise with personal experience, the same blend advisers bring to their client conversations every day.   

Standard Life’s partnership with Life & Leadership reflects our core belief that effective long-term planning is a human-centred conversation as much as a financial one.  

Throughout the series, Bobby sits down with some of Ireland’s most influential entrepreneurs, uncovering the stories behind their resilience, ambition, and decision-making. Below we revisit standout lessons from some of the guests so far this season and explore what their insights could mean for advisers growing their business and guiding clients through long-term planning.  

Mark Fennell shares the human side of high performance 

In episode 1, high-performance coach Mark Fennell shares the psychological forces that influence confidence, behaviour, and long-term decision-making. His insight on mindset shifts and motivation mirror many of the patterns we explore through Bringing Retirement into Focus and Second Life.  

Why defining personal success matters and how it shifts throughout life 

“True success is contentment and fulfilment, not happiness, because happiness fluctuates.” 

Mark talks about how society often trains people to chase narrow markers of success: grades, careers, promotions, titles. But, as people move through different life stages, those markers become less relevant or even limiting. Success looks different at 25 than it does at 65. “Someone in their 20s wants growth and opportunity. Someone in their 60s may be grappling with identity after selling a business”. For advisers, this lands at the heart of modern financial planning. Personal success is rarely static; it changes as people move through increasingly longer lives and this is where ongoing relational advice becomes invaluable. Advisers provide the partnership clients need to revisit goals, redefine fulfilment, and adapt their financial plans as life evolves. This becomes increasingly poignant for retirement planning where clients entering their Second Life often find themselves renegotiating their identity, lifestyle, and purpose. Financial security is essential, but fulfilment is what ultimately determines success in retirement.    

Takeaways for advisers 

• True retirement success can’t be calculated by numbers alone. It’s shaped by purpose, identity, and fulfilment. 
• Our Second Life questionnaire is a simple, but effective tool to help clients envision what fulfilment looks like and align their plans accordingly.   

Simplicity is powerful  

Mark’s reflection on communication is particularly poignant for our industry. He is widely recognised for translating complex psychological insights into clear, compelling content that capture peoples’ minds.  

As Mark puts it “Sometimes being simple isn’t easy. Communicating difficult or challenging things in a simple way is a real art. The simple messages are sometimes the most profound.”  

This idea challenges a common misconception: that simple means basic.  In reality, simple takes skill. It requires deep understanding, and empathy for the audience on the other side of the message. This is especially relevant in financial planning, where clarity is imperative to building trust and giving clients the confidence to make long-term decisions.  Mark shares advice he once received from a scriptwriter that has stayed with him “If a 12-year-old can’t understand it, it’s too complex.” 

Takeaways for advisers 

Simplicity is not a shortcut, it’s a skill. Clear, effective communication takes effort, discipline, and empathy.  

Focus on personal outcomes, not products. Our Bringing retirement into focus research shows that many people have limited understanding of retirement products. For example, just 1 in 7 are familiar with an Approved Retirement Fund. Framing conversations around income and lifestyle rather than technical product detail helps to reduce confusion and build confidence.  

Time management and the mental load of unmade decisions 

Mark offers a practical, simple insight to support those juggling intense workloads.  

“I don’t use to-do lists. If it’s not in the calendar, it won’t happen.” 

He explains that calendar blocking reduces decision fatigue, creates structure which can reduce stress, and dramatically improves follow-through. All of these are principles rooted in behavioural science.  

“Calendars reduce the stress of remembering. To-do lists just get longer and most of them sit untouched for months.” 

Although Bobby is firmly in favour of a to-do list, Mark suggests he’s one of few that writes them with intent. For many, long to-do lists often become a source of background anxiety rather than motivating action. By contrast scheduling tasks into a calendar turns intention into commitment and creates real momentum.  

Takeaway for advisers 

• Be conscious of mental load. Long to-do lists often increase background anxiety rather than productivity. As advisers know, structured plans create clarity for their clients and the same principle applies to managing your own energy.    
• Advisers who’ve attended our masterclasses with Gerry Duffy will recognise this approach: when actions are scheduled, they’re far more likely to happen. As we move towards a new year, it’s a timely opportunity to reflect on productivity, stress levels, and whether your time is being spent on the conversations and activities that delivery the greatest long-term value.  

We hope you’re enjoying the conversations this season. You can catch up on the latest episodes here. We’ll continue to share reflections from Life & Leadership with advisers, exploring the human insights that support better long-term planning and leadership.