The Future of Leadership

Perspective is power: reflection is the secret leadership strategy What can we make of this year? It's year 2 of the pandemic. Polarised conversations are still happening, and this time it's all about vaccinations. In this episode, I share some key perspective shifts - both personally, as well as from different books and podcast interviews I've done. You'll gain insights on how to think better, li...

Investing in relationships is a vital leadership skill A fascinating example of what happens when worlds collide, Susan Davidson brought a decade of business and finance experience to a career in health education after personal circumstances became a catalyst for change. Relationships, identity and community all feature strongly in Susan's leadership philosophy, helping her to successfully steer c...

A positive leadership mindset takes intentional effort Losing a good friend in college spurred Eric Twiggs to swap partying for purpose as he confronted the fact that time is not replaceable.  As an author and coach, Eric partners with his clients to help prevent procrastination while paying attention to passions on the path to success. With an infectious energy that comes from his desire to make...

Setting a goal is not enough - there's a leadership responsibility to show the way Having worked for many years in HR there's very little people stuff that Will Schirmer hasn't encountered in his career. On the gnarly subject of team performance he takes a clear cut view of leadership responsibility across expectations, accountability and follow-up and shares how to do that in practice. Why you sh...

How a leadership mindset of action can lead to direction Sociologist and author Gayle Smerdon's time in local government led to her light-bulb moment: organisations and teams oscillate between doing everything and doing nothing when they should be doing one thing. By giving it the time and space to do it deeply they do it well. Gayle shares her 'do one thing deep' leadership philosophy and breaks...

Why you might need a leadership identity shift Alister Esam is a self-confessed control freak and former actuary who bootstrapped a business and worked to the point of burnout before having a leadership revelation. By embracing process as a tool for freedom and creativity - not compliance and control - he turned around his team, business and own leadership identity. After finding a happier, more e...

Understanding where to focus at different stages of the leadership journey Tech savvy CEO Tigran Nazaryan turned a side-hustle into a start-up and scaled it at speed. Confident in his AI expertise, it was the people stuff that proved a more challenging transition. Tigran combined his creative thinking with continuous learning to build a corporate culture of transparency, empowerment and innovation...

Human centred leadership starts with deep reflection Zoë Routh shares a revelatory reflection on polarised conversations and shifting perspectives that digs into the role of identity in our beliefs. Why you should listen: leadership strategies for complex situations Learning from leadership extremes A 3-step leadership approach for exploring shadow Leadership principles for humanising conflict We...

It's not about the content - a fresh leadership perspective on disagreement  Author of Why Are We Yelling? Buster Benson flips the perspective of difficult conversations and conflict, turning them from something to be feared into a super power. By asking thoughtful questions, disagreements become leadership learning opportunities, goodwill generators and windows into a bigger world. Buster explain...

Leadership brings power - but mind the traps Former Commodore Peter Scott spent three decades in service of the Australian Navy, rising to the position of professional head of the submarine arm. Leading in some of the most demanding conditions imaginable, Peter has remained grounded through a deep sense of responsibility and a commitment to understanding those around him. From leading and living i...

Leadership principles for re-thinking what risk means Bobbie LaPorte is ready for anything! A coach and consultant who helps leaders navigate uncertainty, Bobbie's approach is inspired by her late-in-life foray into Ironman competitions and the realisation that, with discipline and determination, we can push through our leadership limits and vulnerabilities to make the impossible, possible. Why yo...

Make it meaningful - why real-time recognition is a corporate culture building block Do good, make a difference and have fun while doing it - that's Susie Walford's leadership philosophy and it serves her well as General Manager Federal Self Insurance at EML (Employers Mutual Limited). A veteran of the claims management industry, Susie was thrust into people leadership with little tools or trainin...

  People are complex, but the people stuff doesn't have to be Being an entrepreneur calls for a different leadership perspective - one where you can pull back and cede a little control in the name of strategy. This is something Tim Jackson has learned to do as he scales his tech business in challenging pandemic conditions. From hiring for culture fit to offering employees multiple ways to connect,...

Leadership strategies for stepping away to come back stronger  Kate Billing's intense personal work informed her deeply human approach to helping others on their leadership journeys. From the simple magic of bringing people together to bravely going to the edge of the unknown, Kate believes an environment where leaders can be deeply connected humans is also where they can become the next, better v...

The self-leadership principles of being a work in progress Leadership development expert Mike Normant is the founder of Coach Your Self Up and a big believer in identifying and re-writing the self-limiting stories we tell ourselves. A certified engineer who pivoted into the L&D and HR space, Mike's own journey of confronting his beliefs and the resulting behaviours  inspired him to create programs...

The new leadership principles that put mental health first When Mark Butler experienced burnout, his body threw in the towel but neglected to tell his brain! Mark's subsequent recovery sparked a pivot into mental health and a passion for helping others which now sees him work with leaders, teams and organisations to help them recognise, anticipate and recover from burnout. With COVID putting menta...

Shift your leadership perspective from intent to impact Author and coach Jeff Nischwitz is not afraid of asking the difficult questions - of himself and the leaders he works with. This is critical for developing leadership strengths.  Jeff believes in impact over intent, rigorous inner work and personal responsibility. In other words - going all-in, always. This commitment is how Jeff radically fl...

Do you see being part of the solution as one of your leadership responsibilities? In his role as Chief Investment Strategist for a leading US bank, Jeff Korzenik is used to finding solutions to complex challenges but none are more complex than his work in creating opportunities for the re-employment of people with criminal records. Jeff believes second chance hiring is good for society and good fo...

How vertical development and polarities help to expand our leadership identities  Author Brian Emerson believes that working with polarities is an essential leadership framework and the missing piece of the leadership jigsaw. It's essential for expanding perspectives. His research has taken him deep into the practice of accepting that two seemingly opposite states can co-exist - and produce positi...

  How unlearning could be your greatest leadership strength Carol Sanford wants you to listen to this podcast and do nothing! Carol is the radical thinker and author behind The Regenerative Life which presents a leadership approach rooted in self-evaluation, reflection, questioning and sitting with what we don't understand. No feedback, no judgement, just embracing our essence and inherent purpose...

Embrace compassionate leadership or face a post-pandemic reckoning Malaria-induced bed rest gave Paul Hargreaves, author of The Fourth Bottom Line, food industry entrepreneur and B Corp advocate, a chance to really think about his purpose and impact on the world. Now he wants other businesses to do the same, through compassionate leadership that doesn't sacrifice people or the planet in the name o...

A leader's responsibility starts with their own leadership development Leadership development is often spoken about as a skill acquisition. This is horizontal development. Vertical development is when we see and value more of the bigger picture and can navigate complexity. It's hard and essential work. Here's an overview. Why you should listen: leadership strengths occur at each stage of leadershi...

Do you have the same leadership goals for others as for yourself? While Adam Moore sought autonomy and responsibility in his career from day one, he had to be told (several times!) that his future lay in leadership. An instinctive people-person in an industry usually defined by technical skills, Adam is a trailblazer in the building sector with his passion for developing and lifting up others. In...

Our leadership framework is at an evolutionary tipping point We are facing a tipping point where leadership empathy will be the driving force behind a positive, optimistic view of the world that considers multiple perspectives Do you have an agile leadership mindset? Are you expanding your perspectives, increasing your capacity for inclusion and considering the social impact of what you do? As a f...

In the face of uncertainty and fear, we need a leadership mindset that does not default to blame or guilt John Davis shares how leaders can unleash their inner action hero to create positive corporate cultures with a practical leadership framework for turning obstacles into catalysts for change. Why you should listen: leadership frameworks for challenging times Team development strategies around p...