In The Business of Healthy Masculinity Understanding the politics of healthy masculinity with Lewis Glynn
Hi there,
Did you listen/watch last week's conversation with Rafik Zahy? If yes, I’d love to learn what you took away, may add, or indeed challenge.
If you missed it, you can find it on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube as well as here on Substack.
* Spotify
* YouTube
I am excited for you to meet my next ‘In The Business of Healthy Masculinity’ guest, Lewis Glynn: Writer, (Wannabe) Politician, Student Experience Specialist.
It would be hard to fit Lewis Glynn into a single category. By day he finds employment in the higher education sector, working in operations and events to enhance and deliver high-quality engagement and experience to his students. If that wasn’t enough, he is also Chair of the Dartford Township Choir, a group based on the belief in the power and community of singing, no matter who you are or what you do.
Lewis would begrudgingly describe himself as an exhausted eco-socialist. His political journey spanned a regretful vote for the Liberal Democrats in 2010, through 5 years as a devoted Labour voting Corbynite, a spell in the political wilderness, before finally finding his home in The Green Party from 2024. His passion led him to becoming the Chair and Communications Officer of the Dartford Green Party, determined to use his platform to bring about genuine change to his local community. He has stood as a local candidate on two occasions, with dreams to take the next step and represent the town he is proud to call home.
Whether it’s his social media presence, his work in higher education, politics or his choir, what ties Lewis’ life together is an unbreakable belief in the power of people. As a lover of Lord of the Rings, the inspiration for everything he does comes from the great wizard Gandalf, “Some believe it is great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love”
Humanity succeeded not through the actions of me, but the collaborative power of we. We are stronger together.
You can follow and/or connect with Lewis on the following platforms:
x: lewisglynn99
IG/Threads: lewis.glynn
Website: https://osirisdiaries.com/
Dartford Township Choir: https://www.dartfordtownshipchoir.co.uk/
Let’s dive into this weeks juicy and clarifying conversation.
Because I told you so
“What is the answer to that question? Why can't you wear a stripy shirt? And he said, oh, there's no reason, it's just a power thing. We just like saying you're not allowed to because we said so. And that's what he said to me as a teacher” - Lewis Glynn
“He said, oh, there’s no reason, it’s just a power thing.”
How many times in your life have you heard this or something similar in the workplace and/or in other areas of your life?
What I find most interesting is that the teacher said the quiet part out loud.
Often, the same thought process is what sits behind “we can’t do this or that” or "what you’re proposing is too challenging, or will take too much [fill in the blank].”
How can you and we engage and/or hold power-holders / structures to account more meaningfully?
Where is the space for constructive, even uncomfortable, dialogue within workplaces?
It is too rare in my over 25 years of international business experience to find these spaces of honesty and humanity. Should we co-create them more often?
The importance of vulnerability as part of healthier masculinity
“It's easier to protect your own view and attack other people. I think instead of opening yourself up to potential criticism and having that conversation where you're like, you know what? I made an error. Most people just choose the, no, no, no, no. It's actually nothing to do with me. It's that guy over there. It's not our fault. It's their fault. And it's the othering of people, which I think is the basis of unhealthy masculinity” - Lewis Glynn
Let’s together be honest, you have acted exactly the way Lewis describes above? I know I have a number of times.
What took me over 20 years to realise was that my lack of vulnerability to feel directly correlated with my doubling down that it was somebody else’s fault, even when I knew it was my fault.
Did you know that defensiveness is one of over 18 intersection supremacy cultural patterns that reinforces unhealthy systems as per Tema Okun’s work?
In a world that is increasingly divided, harmful, and extractive, our ability to go first with “can we have a chat about XX. I feel I may be part of the problem here, but I wonder if you have a part to play in this misunderstanding too.”
Constructive dialogue feels far too far away within business as this discomfort is pushed away in favour of hard, fast, and ignore.
To what extent would you agree, disagree, or something else with the above?
Conscious and intentional balancing of masculine and feminine traits
“Because people often said, oh, that's just how it is. And how it is to me is the issue around traditional masculinity, is that it's been set up. And because there hasn't been...a viable alternative, it's like, well, this is just how it is. Get over it. And the get over it mindset is also where it comes from.” - Lewis Glynn
Often people speak about organisational culture being grounded in "that’s how we do things around here,” but what if traditional (unhealthy) masculinity under patriarchy has been designed to ensure no viable alternative to centralised power, decision-making, and control exists?
What are you thinking, feeling, and what are your thoughts?
A theme that has been coming up more and more in recent episodes, and in side discussions, is the observation that women can often take on these same unhealthy masculine traits the closer they get to the centralised power base.
We have seen that ‘representation’ is not enough in positions of power does not lead to healthy change, and Josh Allan Dykstra speaks about this a fair bit in episode #4 of this platform.
I would assert, and my own lived experience of the past 10 years + and the first 13 conversations on this platform have confirmed this, that we need to lead ourselves and others with a conscious balance of healthy masculine and feminine traits.
Masculinity as a mindset
“Whereas for me, and feel free to challenge me on this, masculinity is a mindset that can be held by anyone. And so when I refer to masculinity, I'm talking about, let's call the more traditional hierarchical conservative mindsets of this is how things are done. Power based dynamics. I am better than you because I'm older than you. I've got a better job title, whatever it is. I'm going to talk down to you because I'm more important than you.” - Lewis Glynn
I found Lewis’ insight really interesting here, as on the one hand I agree that mindset is a huge factor, yet whether we come from a place of healthier or unhealthy masculinity is heavily behavioural at the same time.
Of course, both are connected, but does the mindset come first, or can behaviours be healthy, even if unconsciously? And for how long if unconscious?
I have my thoughts, but I am curious about yours? What are you thinking and feeling?
Tenure (length of service), favouritism, and in-group bias are all regular examples of unhealthy power dynamics that I witness within especially international business spaces, which has curtailed my own and others development/impact.
What types of behaviour have you observed that suppress or even oppress human potential at work? I’d love to hear your examples, hit reply and let me know.
In your corner
Finally, if any of the above questions have ignited curiosity within you,I am here if you are looking for a 1-1 Thinking Partner that can be in your corner by voice note, virtually, and in-person, I have found 5 x 60 minutes calls + unlimited voice note communication to work the best.
If you are ready to embrace the journey towards healthier masculinity and the goodness that brings, at home and at work, drop me a line at garry.turner@radicality.co.uk.
Episode #14 of the podcast will be published next Mon 19th Jan 2026 with c-suite commercial leader and ex-chef, Paul Jameson.
Here is a little something to whet your appetite, and wishing you well with the rest of your week ahead.
I am always interested in your reflections, challenges, and anything else that piques your curiosity with these updates.
Until next time, take care
Garry Turner
garry.turner@radicality.co.uk
+44 7928 979358
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