No Bullsh!t Leadership

Episode #92 // There’s a great documentary series currently streaming on Netflix called The Last Dance , which looks at The Chicago Bulls basketball team, one of the most successful sporting teams of all time. The Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of Nikes, won six NBA championships in the span of eight years. We look at what made this team so special...

Episode #91 // We're constantly receiving questions from listeners about leading when there is a significant age difference. And this can flow in both directions. In this episode, we look at what to do with an older person in your team who reports to you, and is difficult to manage. We also consider the case of working for an older leader who uses bullying, intimidation, and control as their prima...

Episode #90 // We had some fantastic feedback on the first live mentoring session that we released a few weeks ago, Episode #87, so we’ve decided to continue this theme and bring more of these in-depth conversations to you. This episode is an excerpt from a mentoring session I had a few weeks ago with Martin Bishop . Martin is the Chief Operating Officer for a transport company, based in Australia...

Episode #89 // Is it really inevitable that all projects will go overtime and over budget? I cut my leadership teeth as a project manager on large software development projects, and I’ve had executive accountability for mega-projects in construction, procurement, major asset overhaul, and capital efficiency. This episode takes a fly over the top of all things project-related. Why do they fail? Wha...

Episode #88 // It’s difficult to lead properly or act at a more strategic level, if your boss expects you to have a very hands-on component to your role. Some larger organisations these days seem desperate to become more entrepreneurial, and to ‘transform’. To do this, they are trying to mimic start ups. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all be tech unicorns?! What it means in practice, though, is t...

Episode #87 // Some of the best things in life happen purely by accident. Remember that impromptu party that turned out to be one of the best nights of your life? Well that’s how this episode came about. I was conducting a mentoring session via Zoom with an incredible young leader, coincidentally named Emma. When we came to a discussion on decision making models and frameworks, I asked Emma to “pr...

Episode #86 // Although we are still in lockdown mode in many parts of the world to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can start to look at the long term benefits that we are likely to see when we come through the other side. Indisputably, there is incredible pain for some, uncertainty for others, and for all of us, a change in how we view our world. But, eventually, we’ll emerge better fo...

Episode #85 // The word “strategy” is much misused and misunderstood. A lot of people use it without really understanding what it means - ever had a well-meaning boss say; “You need to be more strategic”? Today, we take a step back and ask the question “What is strategy?”, and give you some practical tips for how to think about it (if you ever find yourself in the position where you need to). We c...

Episode #84 // I have met some incredibly intelligent executives, who struggle to get the outcomes they should because they can't elicit the buy-in and commitment of those around them. Many senior leaders try to drive outcomes from a position of ‘the smartest person in the room’. Well, being smart is awesome, but you’ve got to be REALLY smart if you want to learn how to use your intellect to get t...

Episode #83 // In October of last year we released Episode #60, and looked at leading remote teams. In that episode, we outlined a number of principles to ensure that a lack of proximity doesn’t translate into a lack of results or value. Life has changed quite a bit since then, and now companies that previously had their whole complement of people within arm’s reach, are having to deal with managi...

Episode #82 // Although the world is immersed in pandemic panic, today’s episode DOESN’T focus on the Coronavirus - there’s already an overload of information (and misinformation) in the public domain on this. However, it is timely for us to open our eyes to the wide world of crisis management, a core part of any senior leader's repertoire. Mastering the fundamentals of crisis management will enab...

Episode #81 // On 1st March 2020, we heard the news that Jack Welch had passed away at the age of 84 from renal failure. For over 20 years, he was the CEO and Chairman of General Electric, at the time one of America’s premier firms. Welch guided GE through the heady 1980s and 90s, at a time before the 2001 recession and the 2008 GFC curbed everyone’s enthusiasm. Welch is widely credited with trans...

Episode #80 // Decision fatigue has been spoken about over the last several years as a serious problem, a by-product of our fast paced world. Overcoming his initial reaction (“what a crock of sh!t”), Marty explored the topic, with an open mind, to understand it a little better. The outcomes of this journey of discovery are intriguing - the brain is an incredible thing, and we don’t understand it e...

Episode #79 // This episode takes us into another Q&A, where we address three excellent listener questions - and to celebrate International Women’s Day, we have an all-female roster. Janine asks about driving leadership change in an organisation where the tenets of accountability and empowerment that we subscribe to are not supported by the organisation’s prevailing culture. Vicky, an HR profe...

Episode #78 // In our quest to build harmonious teams where everyone works together and collaborates for the common good of the organisation, we sometimes forget how important it is to foster the natural and constructive tensions that are ever present in business. Having said that, we don’t want the pendulum to swing too far the other way. So what is the right amount of constructive tension to bui...

Episode #77 // A lot of people spend a lot of time talking about resilience. Interestingly, real resilience can be difficult to acquire for an individual, and even harder for a leader to build it into a team. This episode focuses on creating the right culture in your team to build the resilience that will enable it to handle any eventuality. What is it that builds resilience for an individual, so...

Episode #76 // There are lots of different ownership structures that we come across in the world of business, and family owned businesses are extremely common. Some of these are relatively small, and some are massive enterprises. One of our listeners, Owen asked "Do you have any advice for a CEO going into a family-run company?" This episode touches on the different dynamics that can exist under t...

Episode #75 // This episode shifts a little from the leadership, culture, and human performance elements of business, to a technique-based expose on negotiation. Negotiation is one of the elements of business (and life) that is fundamental to your ultimate success. After a barrage of listener requests, I’m finally relenting to uncover the core skills required to be a great negotiator! In this epis...

Episode #74 // Middle management roles are sometimes the toughest of any role in an organisation. However, if you have the right mindset and perspective, it is also the place where your leadership career is forged. If you have already passed through middle management ranks, this is an opportunity to once again put yourself in a middle managers’ shoes. If you are living the middle management dream...

Episode #73 // How do you stop people from mindlessly carrying out non-value adding activity for its own sake? This problem is extremely common, and addressing it can be incredibly challenging. As a leader, you will most likely need to do more than just work with your people on an individual basis. You will actually need to cut through your organisation’s well established cultural norms. But busy...

Episode #72 // This week we take on one of the biggest, most complex topics in society and business today - climate change. With bushfires ravaging Australia on the back of one of the longest droughts in our history, the evidence for climate change is mounting. So too is the awareness and anger of the Australian people. This has driven media commentators, celebrities, and politicians alike to decr...

Episode #71 // Thinking about how to transition to a new company or industry when you don’t have the technical expertise? For all our listeners who are changing roles (company, industry, or job function), this episode addresses some of the key challenges. We look at the role of diversity and inclusion, how to recognise and leverage your generic skillset, and why your technical expertise becomes le...

Episode #70 // Happy New Year everyone! Today we take a step back to think about what we need to do to make 2020 our best year yet! Now is the time to press pause, and work out what you're actually going to do in the next 12 months. Since we started this podcast, I've had a lot of people ask me about my rituals and habits as a CEO. How did I set myself up for success at the start of each year? Wha...

Episode #69 // As 2019 draws to a close, Em and I thought we’d take a look back on the year of podcasts, and pick out our favourites for you to go back and listen to while you are enjoying some downtime in the New Year. Leaders, don’t just stay inside and eat pies this Christmas (and you’ll need to listen to the episode to work out what I mean)… Take a little time to improve yourselves, and get in...

Episode #68 // Strong leadership is rare, but incredibly valuable to people and organisations. Unfortunately, with the amount of superficial, feel-good leadership content being peddled these days, you could be forgiven for thinking quite the opposite. For many, leadership has deteriorated into a quest to ‘make people happy’. Many leaders then begin to believe their own bullish!t. They misinterpret...