Team Guru Podcast

Is this the future of mankind? Is Seasteading the answer to all of humanity's most pressing challenges? As we battle to hold duopoly governments to account, reverse the damage of climate change, reduce inequality, and provide health care to the disadvantaged - perhaps it’s time to accept that our old system is broken beyond repair. Rather than try to fix the irredeemable, it might be time to try something new. Seasteaders are convinced that their vision will provide the innovative platform to launch the civilisations of the future - and my guest in this episode makes a pretty good case. Joe Quirk is an author and Seavangelist at The Seasteading Institute. His enthusiasm will infect you and leave you with fresh hope for the future of humanity. Seasteading promises to restore the environment, enrich the poor, cure the sick and liberate humanity from politicians.

In Part 2 of my conversation with former Australian cricket coach John Buchanan we talk about John’s legacy in Australian cricket. I ask him if his place in the game today matches the contribution he made as national coach. We talk about way top level coaches are selected in Australia - are ex-players really the natural choice for almost every top level coaching role across the country? We explore the changes that are taking place in the game of cricket. And finally, I pin John down on one of my favourite topics - the schizophrenic nature of Australian cricket selections.

John Buchanan is a deep thinker, a philosopher and a leadership expert. He also happens to have coached the Australian cricket team during one of the most successful periods in the history of the game. In fact, you can mount a pretty serious case to argue that John is the most successful big time coach in the history of professional sport. He has a better coaching record than Vince Lombardi, Alex Ferguson and Phil Jackson. Why then is he still considered somewhat of an outsider of Australian cricket? Is it because of his relationship with key players such as Shane Warne? Is it that he did things differently - the mad scientist of coaching? Or is it that many see him as a ‘boffin who rode his luck’ - stumbling across a team full of great players at the peak of their powers. Join me for Part 1 of my conversation with John. I ask him about his coaching style, his rise to the top job, his relationship with Shane Warne and other great players of that era, and his philosophies on excellence. Part 1 - Thursday 1

Why should women rule the world? Well, according to my guest in this episode, it’s for the survival of our species. And she makes a pretty solid argument too. Fabian Dater is a leadership activist - and in her own words, she’s not messing around any more. Women fill between 9% and 17% of global leadership roles - and the world is burning. Since the beginning of time the game has been rigged in favour of men and if that doesn’t changed quickly, we’re all doomed. ‘It’s not about gender equity, it’s about the survival of our species’

Whether we like it or not, most of us are in sales. Why do so many of us want to deny it? In this episode of the podcast Glenn and I chat about the terrible reputation of sales people and where it comes from. And Glenn does an incredible job or opening my eyes to the art of sales. He lays out come tangible concepts that separate cheesy, ineffective product pushers from professional who forge respectful and productive commercial relationships. We are all in sales - so we might as well be awesome at it!

In a world where ‘busy’ has become a badge of honour, the emotional state of overwhelm has spread like a virus. Alison Hill is here to help. In her work as ‘Australia’s coolest psychologist’ Alison has noticed in our work environments that some people are coping with the era of perpetual change much better than others. What’s the difference? Why do some survive and thrive in the face of restructures and disruption - while others drown emotionally. In this episode of the podcast we explore the reasons for overwhelm. We break it into 3 common cognitive states - not all overwhelm is the same! And, of course, we share some practical advise for moving forward in your life with clarity and purpose.

Anders Sorman-Nilsson is a futurist. He travels the world helping organisations spot trends and design strategies that will ensure they survive and thrive in our rapidly changing world. In this episode of the podcast Anders talks us through some of the most impressive digital disruptions that are taking place - and he helps us to understand the formula for working out which industries will be next. We talk about robots - which jobs are they going to take from humans and how can you position yourself to ensure that there’s a role for you in the modern world. And he shares with us his vision of utopia.

Tapping into the ‘real’ culture of an organisation is the Holy Grail for a leader - and Steve Simpson has cracked the code. No matter what is written in HR documents, mission statements or value statements - UGRs are what really drives an organisation. Unwritten Ground Rules. UGRs are the culture of an organisation - they are people’s perception of how we do things around here. In this episode of the podcast Steve talks us through the process of identifying UGRs, understanding the impact they are having on your organisation’s culture and bottom line - and then, of course, the process of impacting them a way that is positive and sustainable.

It’s the perennial question for leaders - how do we get people to buy in to our ideas? To work with us because they want to, because they believe in the cause - not because it’s in their role description. Mastering the art of buy-in is what separates leaders from managers - and my guest in this episode is here to convince you of the power of ‘win me’ over ‘decree’ and to offer a heap of insights and advice that will help you identify and develop the skills to take your leadership to the next level. We talk about what it takes turn an idea into action. How you go about enrolling the enthusiastic support of the people around you to enhance your ideas and bring them to life. Leaders don’t tell people what to do - they inspire and encourage them to want to take action.

Stepping from a technical role to a leadership position. From doer to influencer. It’s the start of an incredible journey. Michelle Gibbings is the author of ‘Step Up’ - a terrific new book that helps us fulfil our potential in the workplace and in our career. In this episode of the podcast she joined me to discuss the common traps for new leaders. How to plot a thoughtful and deliberate course that will allow us to rise above the noise at work and be noticed, become influential and lead in way that fosters trust and respect from the people around us. If you are stepping up in your career - planning your next move, making the leap from technical expert to leader and influencer - this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Paul Oosting is the National Director of Get Up! He took the reins about a year before the 2016 federal election and brought a brand new clever, aggressive and effective strategy to an organisation that was already playing a leading role in the national political conversation. Paul is an incredibly impressive guy. Going in to this conversation I was hoping to understand how he landed such a high profile job, at the head of one of the most important progressive organisations in the country. It didn’t take long before that question was answered. Paul’s gift is his ability to balance brilliant strategic planning, personal and organisational values and a deep ambition to make a difference across the political landscape. If you’ve ever wondered what lies at the heart of Get Up! - Australia’s most successful grassroots organisation - you are going to love this episode of the Team Guru Podcast.

Grant Dale played a crucial role in the much needed cultural refresh that took place in the Navy over the past few years.  Grant spent more than 30 years in the Australian Navy - much of it at sea as a Commander of a ship. During his long career Grant experienced the entire gamut of leadership styles. From robustly authoritarian to thoughtful engagement. A powerful experience with a formal feedback tool sent him on a path of discovery that saw him fall in love with the discipline of leadership development. In the late stages of his Navy career he was part of a team that was tasked with developing an organisation-wide leadership program that would change the dated culture of the entire Navy. Cultural reinvigoration on a grand scale…this is an intriguing story.

This episode 2 of the Pat Farmer story. If you haven't listen to Part 1 yet, head back to episode 39 before you listen to this one - you won't want to miss a moment of Pat's story. In this episode Pat takes us inside his 9 years in Canberra as a Federal MP. He also gives us some tremendous tips on running and training, answers some audience questions about running and shares his philosophies on life.

If Pat Farmer’s story was a movie you’d think it too far fetched to believe. For more than 20 years he has been running ultra-marathons. Crazy, long runs - the length and breadth of entire nations. Continents. Even the globe. Among his epic journeys, Pat has run the length of India and Vietnam. He’s run from Lebanon to Jordan. Across the entire USA. He has even run a lap around Australia. And - believe it or not, he has run from the North Pole to the South Pole. More than 20,000km - averaging 65km per day for more than 10 months. Amongst all of those incredible events, he found time to spend 9 years in Canberra as a Federal Member of Parliament. During our conversation Pat tells us all about his running career, how he got started, how he trains, what he eats and drinks, why he loves running for charities and how running has shaped his philosophies on life. He also tells us - with astonishing honesty - about his time in politics. The lessons he learned and the forces that really drive our political system. An

We are only days away from the Rio Paralympics and our guest in this episode will be there. And what an incredible story she will take with her. After experiencing degenerative hearing loss from a young age, Katie Kelly learned in her 20s that she was also going blind. A few months before her 40th birthday, she was declared legally blind. Katie’s response - get on the phone to Triathlon Australia to and learn about paratriathlon eligibility. That phone call sparked a remarkable journey - from Weekend Warrior to competing on the world stage, winning events and becoming a world champion. And now Katie is on her way to compete in the pinnacle of her sport - but not before she dropped in to the Team Guru Podcast to tell us all about it. Katie’s story is probably the most uplifting I’ve ever heard - and she is certainly the most positive person I have ever met. Enjoy!

Positive phycology. Positive leadership. Who wouldn’t want a piece of that? In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast Michelle McQuaid treats us to a masterclass; a brilliant guide to understanding and pursuing a life defined by the positive. Michelle defines, in an incredibly real and accessible way, positive psychology and the science that sits behind it. We talk explicitly about what it means to be a positive leader, the common barriers well-meaning leaders will face in the workplace - and how to deal with them. And we delve in to Appreciative Inquiry - a strength based approach that guides change on a personal, professional and organisational level.

Wow - what a response to Part 1 of the Andrew Mewing story. The timing was pretty good - coming as so many Australian swimmers failed to convert their dreams into gold at the Rio pool. But from the feedback we got, listeners were just so impressed with Andrew’s story and the way he told it. This is Part 2 of that story. Andrew talks us through his experience at his second Olympic trials - Beijing 2008. He tells us about the expectation he placed on himself, the way his races played out and he gives us the inside story of the events that led up to his challenge of Swimming Australia in court. And of course we talk about Andrew’s post-swimming career. His work as a lawyer and his path to founding his own law firm.

As we soak up all the colour and thrills from the Rio Olympics, it’s worth spending a moment to consider that every athlete that flashes across our screens represents scores of would-be-Olympians who didn’t quite make it. Those who pursued their Olympic dream and failed. They each have a story to tell. My guest in this episode of the podcast is Andrew Mewing who has one cracking yarn to share about his path in swimming that took him to every major international meet - except for the Olympic Games. A medalist at multiple World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, Andrew fell agonisingly short of his Olympic dream on three seperate occasions and at one point he found himself in the court of arbitration challenging Swimming Australia over his non-selection for the 2008 Beijing Games. But this is not a story of doom and gloom. Andrew is impressive in the way he is able to constructively reflect on his career in the pool and process what many would see as heartbreak. In this conversation he talks us through,

Innovation. It rates pretty highly as a business buzzword of our time. So I wanted to dig into it. To find out what it means for organisations. For individuals. And in the context of the modern commercial environment. My guest in this episode is Gaia Grant who - along with her husband Andrew - published 'Who Killed Creativity' in 2011 and this month will release 'The Innovation Race'. I hit Gaia with all the big questions - Who killed creativity? Is it even dead? What’s the link between creativity and innovation? Is innovation a race - and if it is, who’s winning? And most importantly, what can leaders in organisations do to ensure they are giving themselves the best possible chance to create an environment that supports purposeful innovation? Not only does Gaia provide some impressive responses to these questions, she provides a tangible framework to help you assess, develop and monitor the critical innovation enablers amongst your people and your organisation.

Any conversation worth having about Millennials must equally delve into the characteristics and workplace habits of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. For at least another 15 years these three generations will share the workplace. The survival of many organisations will hinge on their ability to work out how they will play nicely together – to form positive intergenerational teams. Lee Caraher is an expert in managing Millennials – mainly because when she first tired she failed miserably. She realised how significant the challenge was to the future of her business so she dug into it. Deeply. What Lee first discovered was a bunch of bitter Boomers and Xers whinging about Gen Y in an unconstructive way. So she went about doing her own research and creating her own model for intergenerational success. And she joins me on the podcast to share the story what she discovered and tips for making intergenerational teams work in your organisation.