FROM SOCIAL CHAIN TO GLOBAL STAGES: KATY LEESON ON LEADERSHIP, SCALE AND IMPOSTER SYNDROME
When Steven Bartlett credited her with “changing everything”, it was a rare public acknowledgement of a figure who has helped shape one of Britain’s most influential digital businesses from behind the scenes.
Katy Leeson spent more than five years working alongside the Dragons’ Den entrepreneur at Social Chain, rising to managing director and overseeing a period of extraordinary growth. During her tenure, the social media and marketing group expanded from around 30 employees to more than 750, operating across 24 offices worldwide — a scale-up few UK companies achieve at such speed.
Yet for Leeson, now a Manchester-based entrepreneur and keynote speaker, professional success did not bring immunity from self-doubt. On the contrary, she says imposter syndrome has been a constant companion throughout her career.
“I think the most important thing to be mindful of about imposter syndrome is to understand it never ever goes away,” she said in an interview with London Keynote Speakers Agency. “I suffered from it myself, and still do.”
Leeson recalls being appointed managing director of Social Chain after just six months at the company — a promotion that came with both responsibility and anxiety. “I was made MD of Social Chain after being in the company for only six months and at that point I was still trying to learn what the company did. I used to sit in meetings not saying a word, frightened I would damage the reputation of the company by getting it wrong.”
Access to workplace mental health support proved pivotal. “Thankfully, Social Chain has a therapist as one of the benefits so I went to see her, she identified it as Imposter Syndrome and helped me to understand why I had it and how to manage it.”
Rather than attempting to eliminate those feelings, Leeson has learned to reframe them. “It’s vital to understand that it never goes away, every move I make it comes back but now I know it’s my signal to step up, learn and grow. I wouldn’t want to be stagnant so I don’t let it paralyse me. I use it as a motivator now.”
After leaving Social Chain, Leeson went on to become chief executive of Relentless Media, the media company owned by former England footballer Gary Neville. There, she led the media team at Salford City FC and launched the club’s social channels, while also driving the marketing strategy behind Stick to Football and helping to launch The Overlap — now one of the UK’s leading sports shows on YouTube, with a national touring arm.
Reflecting on what she learned from working with both Bartlett and Neville, Leeson highlights the importance of foresight and challenge in leadership. “The biggest lesson was the power of visionary leadership combined with a willingness to challenge. They taught me to trust my instincts, push boundaries, and always put people first.”
She adds: “The main thing that both of them have though, is an incredible way to envisage what is next, before anyone else has a clue and I’ve tried to absorb a bit of that from both of them in how I think now.”
Looking back on the rapid expansion of Social Chain, Leeson says the experience reshaped her understanding of leadership at scale. “The biggest leadership lesson I learned from scaling Social Chain was the importance of great marketing strategies to tell your story, communication, being transparent, listening actively, and constantly reinforcing values.”
“I look back on Social Chain with pride at what we built and how we created something special. The pace was intense, but the experience taught me so much about resilience and the power of a strong team.”
Now recognised as one of the UK’s leading female inspirational speakers — ranked number 21 nationally for talks on imposter syndrome — Leeson is focused on sharing practical lessons with the next generation of leaders.
Her advice is deliberately simple. “One, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Two, invest in relationships at all levels, as you never know where someone may end up. And finally take time to reflect, learn and celebrate — growth comes from both success and failure.”
