Productivity

Shallow or strategic?  What comes to mind when you think of the highlight reel of your work?  It’s shallow. Like you’re glossing over what still needs to be done. You just don’t have time for it. And yet, in my conversation with Lyn Morgain, CEO of Oxfam on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week, we discussed the strategic importance of learning how to share the joy and those moments of highlight. Lyn Morgain is the Chief Executive of Oxfam Australia. As leader of Oxfam Australia, Lyn oversees the delivery of a broad range of long-term development programs, advocacy campaigns and [...]

There’s a lot of vulnerability that comes with being a leader, and one that we see consistently is the inaction leaders sit in when they don’t know the answers. They think that “when I have more experience, or I’ve been here, in this role a little longer, then I’ll have the answers.” But the truth is, the strongest leaders don’t have all the answers. That’s what I discussed with Sheree Lowe, Executive Director, Social and Emotional Well-being of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.  Sheree Lowe is a Djab Wurrung and Gunditjmara [...]

Hope.  It’s usually reserved for 11th hour miracles and when you’ve surrendered to exhausting all options. Broad hopeful thinking doesn’t create change however, used strategically, hope can supercharge your bigger picture and your energy on a daily basis.  That’s what I discussed with Dermot O'Gorman, CEO of World Wildlife Fund on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.  Dermot is a global sustainable development leader with 25 years’ experience in envisioning, ideating, and implementing solutions to protect wildlife and the environment. He has worked with WWF for more than two decades, serving as the CEO of WWF-Australia, WWF-Pacific, and WWF-China  and [...]

INVITATION: Unstoppable Leadership with International Coach of the Year Clare Desira Positive thinking won’t cut it. To lead today, it’s not just about equipping your team with the right technical skills, it’s about knowing how to fuel a helpful, encouraging, and productive culture, even during change. Described as the most refreshing take on mindset, resilience, leadership and productivity, Top Five Movement’s award winning work draws on motivation and neuroscience research to approach mindset, mindfulness and resilience with practicality. Not that sugar rush of unrealistic motivation that peaks quickly but leaves us exhausted as soon as we’re faced with the daily grind. [...]

One of the biggest lessons for people working in leadership and for-purpose roles is the need to be able to navigate uncertainty and work within ambiguity.  The stock standard advice is to learn how to get comfortable during change. But that’s outdated thinking. The landscape has shifted and we’re living in a constant state of change. Rather than wanting to get comfortable, it’s time to get confident during change.  That’s what I discussed with Sasha Courville, Chief Impact Officer of Bank Australia on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.  Sasha has spent decades working on international social justice and environmental [...]

Reflection feels like a void, or a nice idea that other people have time for. But not leaders who are working in spaces where social opportunities never end and the resources are already stretched.  But did you know that reflection can give you access to untapped resources and better decision making in as little as 30 seconds? That’s what I discussed with Doug Taylor. CEO of The Smith Family on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.  Doug Taylor was appointed CEO of The Smith Family in August 2021. Doug has built a 25-year career in the social sector with national [...]

What advice would you give a humanitarian leader who’s in the thick of change? A leader who spends their days seeking and promoting human welfare, bringing aid to those in need, alleviating suffering, and maintain and protect human dignity. That’s some pretty heavy stuff. And yet, that’s who Bec Ridings, Organisation Development Lead of Red Cross, supports on a daily basis. We went deep with Bec on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week around the insights and questions we can learn from supporting these extraordinary leaders. In this episode: How Bec Ridings fuels and develops these leaders even [...]

What happens when you lead a team that delivers 86 million meals to charities across Australia every single year? You quickly learn how to set boundaries and personal policies.  That’s what I discussed with Brianna Casey, CEO of FoodBank on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week.  Brianna is the CEO of Foodbank Australia, the country’s largest hunger relief organisation. Brianna joined Foodbank in July 2016, following her successful term as CEO of Australian Childcare Alliance NSW. Prior to that, she spent 14 years in agri-politics, both in NSW (as Policy Director) and Queensland (as CEO). Brianna has served on a [...]

Detachment gets a bad reputation. People assume it means caring less. But as we learned from our conversation from David Ritter, CEO of GreenPeace Australia Pacific , detachment can bring the perspective you need to focus on making the most impactful decisions. That’s what I discussed with David on our Leading Generous Teams podcast this week. David leads a talented and determined team campaigning to fulfill Greenpeace's mission to secure an earth capable of nurturing life in all of its magnificent diversity. In this episode: How David Ritter fuels and engages his team, even during change Insights into [...]