Leadership

Why saying “it could be worse” is damaging your culture

You’re a positive force of nature. You’re a helper. A fixer. You solve problems quickly. You’re so outcome focussed.  So when your workmate asks you how you’re going, you reply: “I’ve got major Zoom fatigue and I’m struggling a little bit.” And it’s quickly followed by: …”but it could be worse.” You’re not the only one. We’ve seen thousands of people who are starting to scratch the surface with how they’re feeling but dismissing it before they’ve had a chance to fully acknowledge it, let alone process it.  I’ve still got a job. It could be worse. Some people have it harder. Which all [...]

Whitelion Youth’s Deputy CEO, Tanya Hendry, on navigating the pace, art + balance of leadership so you don’t send your team backwards

As a leader, you bring a load of experience to the role. When people are looking for answers to problems, you naturally come up with ten of them. But sharing your solutions too soon can send your team backwards.  This is what we talked about with Tanya Hendry, Deputy CEO of Whitelion Youth this week of our Top Five Movement leadership podcast, Leading Generous Teams.  Tanya has over 20 years’ experience as a senior organisational leader within the health care and non-profit sectors. She is passionate about social justice and being person-centred, with a strong focus on  hearing the voice of [...]

Award winning executive, Ann-Marie Chamberlain on how to make the most of a bad leader.

Sometimes, it’s unavoidable. You’ve landed with a leader who isn’t generous. It’s bad but not bad enough to leave. So what do you do? On the podcast with Ann-Marie Chamberlain, we spoke about how to make the most of a bad leader so you don’t miss a hidden opportunity. Ann-Marie is a multiple award winning executive and community leader, board member and experienced coach. In her “spare time” you’ll find Ann-Marie thinking strategically as the Chair of Volunteering SA/NT, as a Trustee for Kalyra Communities and a Director at the Police Credit Union.    Ann-Marie is a two time winner of the [...]

The mental marathons + how they fuel or damage team resilience

We’re told we make teams stronger than they’ve ever been. We’re told by teams that they’re more honest and respectful than they’ve ever been. We’re told teams have more honest, clear + assertive communication after our programs.  So how are we able to help teams manage conflict and communication? What we actually do is, get to the heart of what is driving people in any of these situations. Because the reality is, before anyone is in the meeting room, the thing that’s most likely to influence how they turn up, started hours before. We call it the mental run up. From the moment they [...]

UN’s Sustainable Development Solutions Co-Chair, John Thwaites on timing those tricky and charged conversations

We’ve all heard the saying it’s all about timing, which eludes to waiting for the right time in the calendar or season. But what if it’s not about waiting. It’s about getting into the right mindset before you nosedive into those tricky and charged conversations. That’s what we spoke about with John Thwaites in this week’s Top Five Movement Leading Generous Teams podcast.  John is a Co-Chair of the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (“SDSN”) launched by the Secretary General of the United Nations to provide expert advice and support to the development and implementation of the [...]

Our Watch CEO, Patty Kinnersly, on how to use your team to change your mindset on hard days

When you’re not feeling like you’re on your game, motivation’s waning, and you can’t talk yourself out of your funk, no matter how many positive affirmations you recite, it’s time to look towards your team.  In this episode with Patty Kinnersly, Chief Executive Officer of Our Watch + Vice President of the Carlton Football Club Board, we discuss a really powerful technique to use your team to change your mindset in an unexpected way. Our Watch, a not-for-profit organisation established to drive nationwide change in the structures, norms and practices that lead to violence against women and their children. A leading [...]

Bonus Episode + Invitation: How we build “unbreakable teams” at Top Five Movement

A client recently shared that we’ve made their team unbreakable.  Why? As a team of award-winning mindset coaches, we deliver innovative leadership programs that disrupt unhelpful thinking + patterns, develop new perspectives, raise the bar on solutions, and help your leaders create high performing teams. Led by Clare Desira, International Coach of the Year and Fellow of the Centre for Sustainability Leaders (now Monash Sustainable Development Institute), Top Five has worked with thousands of people across 40 countries to flip the script on mindset, resilience + leadership. They don’t call us the most refreshing take on mindset, resilience, and leadership for [...]

Why Hollywood motivation just doesn’t cut it…when it comes to building teams

You’re watching a movie. You’re really getting into it. The main character is on a heroic journey. Against all odds, they overcome all of the things to get the happy ending. The credits roll and it’s just like what The Age reviewer said: “Inspiring. Moving. Unforgettable.” How is it that one movie can make us feel anything is possible? With this newfound motivation, you head back to work with a pep in your step.  Only to be greeted by a spiraling inbox, back-to-back Zoom meetings, and a tricky client situation. By the end of the day, the movie is long forgotten and you’re back [...]

ACOSS CEO Dr Cass Goldie on why switching off doesn’t cut it when it comes to leading teams

When leaders encourage their team to “switch off” they don’t always realise it can be demotivating and inaccessible. For many, the idea of switching off is actually daunting. Like a void of space and time that could be used to be making a difference.   Also, you’re not a lightbulb. You don’t have an on and off switch. It’s not that black and white.  The best thing you can do is learn to go from “on” to “recharge.” This is what we discussed in the episode with Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).  Cass brings public [...]

St Luke Health’s Barb Brown on how role clarity unlocks purpose and builds motivated teams

Role clarity. It seems so simple it’d be easy to miss.  Of course there’s a job description when the contract is signed, but how do you use that as a tool to support mental fitness and wellbeing in your team? One of the most important ingredients for a successful team is when they know what their role is and how it fits into the purpose of the organisation. This is what we spoke about with Barb Brown, Executive Manager of People & Culture from St Lukes Health on the podcast this week.  Barb is an award winning HR leader who has [...]

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