Neil Hudgell on Leadership, Belief & Building Winning Teams
Wed Feb 04 2026
What does real leadership look like when everything is on the line?
In this episode of the People Performance Podcast, T2 founder Martin Johnson sits down with Neil Hudgell, founding partner of Hudgell Solicitors and Chairman of Hull KR, to explore leadership, culture, belief, and resilience at the highest level.
Neil shares his journey from a working-class upbringing in Hull to representing families affected by some of the UK’s most significant tragedies, including the Post Office Horizon scandal, Manchester Arena bombing, and Grenfell Tower disaster. He explains why relationships, integrity, and trust sit at the heart of effective leadership, whether in law, business, or elite sport. The conversation also dives deep into high-performance culture in professional sport, unpacking how Hull KR rebuilt belief, accountability, and identity on their journey to becoming treble winners. Neil reveals why winning starts with ethics and honesty, how leaders must sometimes step back to let others lead, and what it really takes to build a legacy rather than a one-season success.
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Follow The People Performance Podcast for leadership, culture, and high-performance insights:
Instagram: @peopleperformancepodcastTikTok: @peopleperformancepod
🎙️ Brought to you by T2 – The People Performance People
Website: www.trans2performance.com LinkedIn: T2 – The People Performance People
About the host, Martin Johnson:https://trans2performance.com/martin-johnson
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What does real leadership look like when everything is on the line? In this episode of the People Performance Podcast, T2 founder Martin Johnson sits down with Neil Hudgell, founding partner of Hudgell Solicitors and Chairman of Hull KR, to explore leadership, culture, belief, and resilience at the highest level. Neil shares his journey from a working-class upbringing in Hull to representing families affected by some of the UK’s most significant tragedies, including the Post Office Horizon scandal, Manchester Arena bombing, and Grenfell Tower disaster. He explains why relationships, integrity, and trust sit at the heart of effective leadership, whether in law, business, or elite sport. The conversation also dives deep into high-performance culture in professional sport, unpacking how Hull KR rebuilt belief, accountability, and identity on their journey to becoming treble winners. Neil reveals why winning starts with ethics and honesty, how leaders must sometimes step back to let others lead, and what it really takes to build a legacy rather than a one-season success. ----- Follow The People Performance Podcast for leadership, culture, and high-performance insights: Instagram: @peopleperformancepodcastTikTok: @peopleperformancepod 🎙️ Brought to you by T2 – The People Performance People Website: www.trans2performance.com LinkedIn: T2 – The People Performance People About the host, Martin Johnson:https://trans2performance.com/martin-johnson