#NRG2Perform Archives - Page 4 of 5 - NRG2Perform Craig Johns Speaker CEO Leadership Performance Coach Podcast

active CEO Podcast #29 Brent Clayton Richest Kid In The Playground

Posted on March 18, 2019April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:37 — 41.8MB) | Embed

*Brent Clayton – Firefighter, CEO Fire Recruitment Australia & Authority Marketing Machine*

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Brent Clayton about being a serial entrepreneur; turning adversity into opportunity; the determination to become a firefighter; and balancing democratic and autocratic leadership.

We also delve into learning discipline from the military; understanding the intricacies of a job; what it takes to be a firefighter; and the backstory of his businesses Fire Recruitment Australia and Authority Marketing Machine.

Background

Brent Clayton is an active firefighter, author, coach, mentor and serial entrepreneur. He is a top Aussie bloke who has a passion for serving the community, helping people realise their dream of serving their country, and is in training to be on the front cover of the Australian Firefighters calendar in 2020.

A man of true resilience, who overcame failure to rise up and live his dream of being a firefighter. He turned the harsh lessons learnt of failing to meet his goals into being a highly successful entrepreneur with his company, Fire Recruitment Australia, a coaching and training platform for would-be firefighters.

He currently works as a senior station officer in Australia as well as running his own businesses. Before becoming a firefighter he was a prison guard and worked in the military prior to that.

Not one to sit still, he has just launched a new business called Authority Marketing Machine, and was once a star on Channel Ten’s, It’s a Knockout TV Game Show.

Brent talks about:

Commencing his entrepreneurial journey as a child delivering newspapers.
Being the richest kid in the playground.
Dreams of being a helicopter pilot.
The importance of learning about a job and its intricacies.
Incorporate serving your community or nation into the education system.
Dealing with conflict resolution as a prison guard.
Coping with being denied before being accepted into the fire service.
Monetizing the recruitment process and skills required to be a firefighter or policeman, by writing a book.
The five components of the recruitment process.
What the key characteristics are to being a firefighter.
Understanding what risks there are, how you can rectify the situation and what resources are required.
Your mind is clear to start looking for the anomalies.
Having a very structured routine around fitness, meditation and nutrition.
Routines make you free, because you don’t have to think about anything.
It’s only risky if you don’t know what you are doing.
Democratic versus autocratic leadership
What makes coaching and mentoring fulfilling?
The background behind the Authority Marketing Machine
The fitness routine of the firefighter.
Booking a flight in a fighter jet with a mate.
Solving the smartphone epidemic

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Small Incremental Efforts – To be successful you need to make small and consistent incremental efforts each day. Something as simple as 5min walk today and 6min tomorrow, or halving the amount of butter on your toast.

Tweets

“If there is one thing you do, don’t get caught around the smoko table whinging, go do something constructive”. The best advice Brent Clayton received, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Understanding that the idea of something is not always enough to get what you want.” A lesson in growing up, with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

“When the alarm goes off, you get up. It’s not a conversation with yourself about whether you are going to get up.” Discussing discipline with Brent Clayton, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Fire Recruitment Australia www.firerecruitmentaustralia.com.au
Fire Recruitment Australia Facebook
Fire Recruitment Australia Podcast
Brent Clayton www.brentclayton.com
Brent Clayton LinkedIn
Brent Clayton Youtube
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Fire Service Recruitment – The Process to Success Link
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole Link

active CEO Podcast #28 Christine Amour-Levar A Woman On A Mission

Posted on March 11, 2019April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:33 — 50.9MB) | Embed

Christine Amour-Levar – Women On A Mission / HER Planet Earth

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Christine Amour-Levar about her diverse cultural upbringing; learning new language through total immersion; the differences in work ethic, leadership, culture and behaviours between Japan, USA and France; the impact Nike has had on her career; and leading through empathy.

We also delve into creating Beijaflor and becoming an entrepreneur; scheduling family time; combining her love for adventure with her social entrepreneurship programs; and the influence Women on a Mission and HER Planet Earth are having on the women of war and the underprivileged.

Background

Christine Amour Levar is a passionate, kind and determined marketing & communications expert, adventurer, social entrepreneur, author and speaker.

Of French, Swiss & Filipino decent, she graduated from Sophia University, before embarking on an international career with brands such as Nike, McCann-Erickson, Philippe Starck and her own Brazilian fashion retail business, Beijaflor.

She has a wealth of global experience in brand strategy, social entrepreneurship and advocacy, which allowed her to excel as a marketing and communications consultant for Temasek Trust and Temasek Management Services, as well as her current role as Chief Marketing Officer at iRace Media.

In her spare time she is a passionate advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment, which has enabled her to establish two award-winning non-profit organisations, ‘Women on a Mission’ (WOAM) and ‘HER Planet Earth’.

Her amazing talents include being an Author and Contributing Writer to international publications such as The HuffPost, Forbes and the Straits Times Newspaper of Singapore, as well as speaking at organisations such as INSEAD, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Singapore Woman Award and James Cook University.

In 2018, she was a Finalist of the ‘French of Asia Trophy 2018 and a recipient of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World Award.O

Christine talks about:

Having a multiracial and multicultural upbringing, living in the Philippines and France.
Wanting to grow up and work in sports or be connected to sports.
Moving to Japan to go to Sophia University, not knowing any Japanese.
Here first job was with McCann Erickson, as the only non-Japanese in the graduate program.
Working with blue chip clients such as Nestlé, Nokia and Gillette.
Moved to United States to work at the Nike Headquarters in Oregon, thinking she new the American culture.
The ability to adjust quickly when working with different cultures.
Differences in brand, culture and leadership between Japan and USA
Transitioning from being an employee to an entrepreneur
Felt liberated when getting out of the corporate world and starting her business, Beijaflor.
Realising she really needed to be engaged to work really efficiently.
The majority of poor people around the world are women who live in rural areas
Challenging expeditions to off-the-beaten tracks around the world such as Antarctica, Jordan, Ethiopia, Himalayas and Vietnam.
Staying connected in the sisterhood
The expedition to Son Doong caves, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Park
Finding the time to reflect, meditate and take stock
Thriving on going to places she has never been and doing things that she hasn’t done.
More men champions for change fighting for gender equality, support women’s careers and opportunities.
Her leadership is about putting empathy at the core of it.

Active CEO Wellness Tip – Humbleness & Humility

Tweets

“When you love what you do, it is not work , you are so engaged in it, so focused that you don’t even see time go by.” Finding purpose in your work with Christine Amour-Levar, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Mind-blowing when you look up and marvel in the enormity and the awe inspiring experience.” Christine Amour-Levar, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Christine Amour-Levar www.christineamourlevar.com
Christine Amour-Levar Facebook
Christine Amour-Levar LinkedIn
Christine Amour-Levar Instagram
Women on a Mission www.womenmission.com
Women on a Mission Facebook
Women on a Mission Instagram
HER Planet Earth www.herplanetearth.com
HER Planet Earth Facebook
HER Planet Earth Instagram
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Dis-Rupt 3.0 Filipina Women Rising Book
The Smart Girls Handbook to Being Mummylicious Book
Humanity Book
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercole

active CEO Podcast #26 Alvin Hew The Confrontation Room

Posted on February 26, 2019April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:11 — 53.3MB) | Embed

*Alvin Hew – Group Managing Director of Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd*

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Alvin Hew about the leadership and cultural differences between Proctor & Gamble and L’Oreal; L’Oreal’s Confrontation Room; disrupting L’Oreal’s Asian approach; and Being bestowed the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Merite by French President Jacques Chirac. We also discuss his roles as a Board Director, why he has taken up running and the purpose and vision for Southgate Ventures Ltd throughout ASIA.

Background

Alvin Hew is an experienced CEO and Board Director who has been instrumental in positioning products and leading teams for some of the world’s leading global companies.

Based in Singapore, he is currently the Group Managing Director of Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd, which is an Education platform company headquartered in Singapore with 11 international schools in Indonesia, Korea and India under the name of SIS Group of Schools and Singapore Global Schools.

His 30+ years of corporate experience covers private equity at The Abraaj Group; financial advisory at H2O Capital; commercial banking at TD Bank and investment banking at Lancaster Financial Inc. in Canada; business development and marketing at P&G in Switzerland, Vietnam, Southeast Asia and Australia; and top management experience at L’Oreal where he was the Managing Director of its companies in Malaysia and Taiwan.

He currently serves on the board of Maxis Berhad (Malaysia’s No. 1 mobile telco), Petronas Dagangan Berhad (Malaysia’s national oil and gas company) and on the Global Advisory Council of Queen’s University Smith School of Business in Canada and served on the boards of the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and Taipei American School. He is also the President of the Queen’s University Alumni Branch in Singapore.

He holds undergraduate degrees from Queen’s University, Canada and an MBA from INSEAD France. He is certified with the Canadian Securities Institute and has attended executive programs held at IMD, Stanford, USC and UC San Francisco.O

Alvin talks about:

Spending his teenage years away from his Malaysian home in Winnipeg, Canada
The decision of studying economics and finance at Queens University Smith School of Business, and how that set him up for the business world.
Having the responsibility to lead Proctor & Gamble South Asia.
The Malaysia General Manager role running the consumer sector business with brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Garnier and Maybelline, before becoming Managing Director of the L’Oreal Group in Malaysia
The decision of L’Oreal to change the global language from French to English, to meet its ambition to be a truly international company.
Proctor & Gamble give the consumer what they want versus L’Oreal giving the consumer what they dream of.
His leadership style blending an innovative with process-driven.
Doing the homework in getting the data right and then having the guts to make the call and going for it and not being afraid to make some mistakes.
The difference in leadership meetings between Proctor & Gamble and L’Oreal.
L’Oreal’s confrontation room, where one goes to present new products, new concepts and new markets.
Being able to transform L’Oreal Asia through disrupting the approach from shampoo to cosmetics, hair care and skin care.
Being bestowed the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Merite by French President Jacques Chirac.
Creating the first ever KL Fashion week with Star Publication Group in Malaysia.
Transforming into a Board Director for multiple companies, not-for-profit organisations and educational institutions.
The purpose and vision for Southgate Ventures Ltd throughout ASIA.
Running the Singapore half marathon for the first time in 2018.
Packing a pair of running shoes provides and easy opportunity to keep fit while travelling often.
Would love to solve the question of, which destination will he retire with his wife Juanita.

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Plan of Attack What is your plan of attack to ensure that you get some exercise in every single day? Remember ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’. CEO’s and leaders often keep track of their important dates, meetings and deadlines in an online schedule or physical diary. Some may even use a PA that keeps them on time, for them. Your exercise and fitness should be no different. Exercise is a fundamental building block to achieving peak performance as a CEO or Leader, therefore it is important to take the time, sit down and assess each week, month or year and seeing opportunities to block out regular timeslots for exercise. You should treat these time-blocks the same way you would any other meeting.

Tweets

“Doing the homework in getting the data right, and then having the guts to make the call and going for it and not being afraid to make some mistakes.” Alvin Hew explains his leadership style, on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Alvin Hew LinkedIn
Proctor & Gamble
L’Oreal
Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd
The Abraaj Group
H2O Capital
TD Bank
Lancaster Financial Inc.
Maxis Berhad
Petronas Dagangan Berhad
Queen’s University Smith School of Business
European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei
Taipei American School
INSEAD
Canadian Securities Institute
IMD
Stanford
USC
UC San Francisco.
NRG2Perform www.nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book

active CEO Podcast #21 Bridie O’Donnell Leadership Driven by Authenticity

Posted on January 7, 2019April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:44 — 48.3MB) | Embed

*Bridie O’Donnell – CEO Office for Women in Sport (Victorian Govt)*

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we get an intricate look inside the energetic life of Bridie O’Donnell, changing careers, her highs and lows as an athlete, the lessons learnt on the bike that have transferred to her role as a CEO, and the mindfulness required to claim a world record. We delve into her work as a CEO and the This Girl Can campaign, leveling the playing field for women and girls in sport and her view on leadership.

Background

Bridie O’Donnell is driven to positively change they way we think, believe and act. Growing up in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands of Australia, she transformed her career from improving the wellbeing and health of people as a doctor in the medical industry, to being a professional athlete racing to put food on her plate, and now as an up-and-coming leader in the sport industry.

Her medical career included being a physician at Epworth Healthcheck and Epworth Breast Service, as well as paving her way to be a medical expert on Network Ten’s “The Project”, a co-host on Everyday Health, Doctor on the AFL Injury Report, and tutor at Deakin University Medical School.

Not only is she well educated, a talented physician and an astute businesswoman, but she is also an impressive cyclist setting the UCI women’s hour record of 46.882km at sea level, 2008 Australian Road Cycle Time Trial Champion and a 3x Australian representative at the World Road Cycling Championships, she is also completed the Ironman Hawaii Ironman World Championships and is a 7x gold medallist Australian Masters Rowing Championships.

She is clearing the fields and creating new pavements as the first ever CEO for the Office For Women in Sport and Recreation at the Victorian Government. This year, she wrote a book: Life and Death: a cycling memoir.

Bridie talks about:

The beginning phase of your life and the parents you choose, are keys to success.
Getting the most out of your body as an athlete and the most out of your mind as a student.
People who aren’t good at choosing active transport are very good at finding reasons not too.
Going sub 11hrs at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, but not being happy as she wanted to be winning and being on the podium.
Being extensively ignored by coaches as she didn’t start rowing until she was 26.
Going from 0 to winning the Australian Time Trial Champs in 1 year.
Being coached by Donna Razer Lynskey.
A lot of athletes overtrain, they do too much, think more is better, or they don’t train specifically enough.
Riding in support of Commonwealth Games Gold medalist Chloe Hosking.
The mind games and staying focused for nearly 200 laps when she claimed the world hour cycle record.
The challenges during her first year as a CEO.
Decline in female sport participation and the lack of female leaders.
People keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result.
Life & Death – A Cycling Memoir, her recently released book.
Being CEO at the Office for Women in Sport & Recreation
Her job being in equal parts a privilege, thrilling & completely terrifying
Going surfing for the first time last week.
“Why wouldn’t you do that?”

Active CEO Wellness Tip

3 C’s to Success –At least once in a CEO’s career they will have a goal to lose weight. It can be a real challenge to maintain a healthy weight if you are constantly travelling, having dinner meetings, socialising with your clients, working long hours, sitting at a desk and under high levels of stress. To break the model you need COMMITMENT, CONSISTENCY and CONTROL. Commitment to healthy lifestyle is about 80% mental and without mental strength and commitment your life change is unlikely to last. Any type of success requires consistency over a long period of time, even when you feel tired, frustrated and cranky. You need the self-control to say no to a beer, calorie-filled deserts, a second take at the buffet and the burger bar. Control the forces in your life to ensure you have time to sleep, rest, exercise and enjoy the basic human rights of eating, resting and exercising.

Tweets

“As a road cyclist, when you race, you very rarely win, so you have to start to manage your disappointment or your failure by determining what impact you might be able to have through your performance.” Life on the bike with Bridie O’Donnell on the active CEO Podcast.

“Where you see dysfunction is where the leader does not acknowledge it, assign roles properly, where people don’t commit and aren’t accountable, or where there is undermining and people are desperately thinking of themselves over the wellbeing of the team.” Talking about dysfunctional teams with Bridie O’Donnell on the active CEO Podcast.

“People want leaders to be authentic these days, people who have lived experiences that can be flawed and difficult. No one wants to be lead by a person who behaves as though they have never had hardship and doesn’t feel challenges.” Bridie O’Donnell speaking on Leadership in 2019 on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Bridie O’Donnell LinkedIn
Bridie O’Donnell Website www.bridie.com.au
Bridie O’Donnell Instagram
Bridie O’Donnell Wikipedia
This Girl Can www.thisgirlcan.com.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Life & Death – A Cycling Memoir By Bridie O’Donnell Link
Better Than Winning – Ben Gathercoles’s best selling book Link

8 Tips to Start 2019 With the Right Intent

Posted on January 4, 2019May 9, 2020 by Craig Johns in Article, Leadership

You are finishing up your well-deserved Christmas and New Years holiday, and if you got it right, you will feel fresh, recharged, and have the passion to lead with purpose.

Now, works commences in a few days and you want to bring you’re A-Game and start 2019 with the intent and energy you wish to continue all year.

Last year, you probably came out with all guns blazing, without much thought, and within a few weeks, days or in some cases a couple of hours, were back to your old habits, routines and potentially mistakes.

There is a much smarter way, if you want to deliver a high performance environment for both your team and yourself.

Those closest to you will appreciate it!

Before we get started, did your plan of having a holiday that allowed you to relax, rejuvenate and forget all about the stresses of work come to fruition?

I would expect not for many of you as you were unable to switch off an allow yourself the time and space, from work, to fully recharge.

So lets take a look at some proven ways to ensure that you are being your best possible self, every single day, through the decisions you make, habits you create and mindset you start with when you walk into the office on day one:

Approach

Eat a healthy meal, hydrate yourself and go to bed early the night before your first day back in the office. Allow yourself the opportunity to get at least 8hrs sleep, leave the phone or any other electronic devices tucked away, and wake up and do at least 30 minutes of exercise and/or meditation. Wait until after you have had a healthy breakfast, which includes fruit, with your partner or family. Make sure you are present with those you choose to have breakfast with.

Groom yourself so that you present the image that creates a positive feeling for both yourself and the people you interact with. Take a deep breath, clear the mind and walk into the office with positive energy, a smile and posture that breaths confidence. Acknowledge everyone, be present and actively listen to their exciting holiday adventures.

Clear

Many people fly out the door in a rush on the last day before their vacation. In a perfect world, you will ‘wipe the table’ so to speak before you depart so that you can come in fresh on day one, without the stresses that have built up in the previous year. If not, clear your desk, remove any unwanted documents and ‘reset the table’ that will allow you to work with clarity, focus and without distraction, before you commence anything else.

Plan

Before you turn on a compute or check your phone for emails, you should write a plan. It will be the best 30minutes spent all year, because your mind will have greater clarity and broader perspective following a holiday. This will allow you to brainstorm what is important to your role; design and create a strategy; and put an action plan in place so you can commence your work with less stress and more than likely increased productivity for 2019. You may want to do this in nature or somewhere with a great view, before you sit down at your desk.

Priorities

What will really make a difference in 2019? Being able to reset your priorities is so valuable after a break as what you thought was important prior to the break, may not have such urgency anymore. Setting priorities that create a quick win, to get the team energised and pumped up early in the year, are just as important as creating the priorities that will bring long-term benefits to both you’re the company and your performance.

Today

Something that I have found really useful over many years is to create a simple weekly spreadsheet, with five columns:

Urgent – Today
Important – Tomorrow
Valuable – By the end of the week
Useful – Next week
Completed – Everything that has been completed this week

What it does is allow you to prioritise and reprioritise daily to ensure that you are being the most productive. In general there will only be 3-5 items in each column. Anything more than that and you will become overwhelmed and stress levels will gradually build and take command of your mindset and actions.

Habits

Creating positive habits and routines that allow you to deliver performance in the work you do and with the people you lead requires both great self-discipline and self-control. Taking breaks every 45-60minutes, even for just 1-5minutes, allows your mind to recharge and focus. This doesn’t mean checking emails on your phone and talking about work to a colleague. It means switching off and giving your mind a break.

Constantly checking emails and having alerts going off on phones, is the greatest distraction of productivity that effect most people. Try checking your emails only 2 or 3 times per day. I find I am most effective when I check emails at 10am and 3pm. It allows me to focus my time on projects and important meetings, rather than cluttering my head with too many thoughts and ideas. You will also find that many problems are solved and questions are answered by the time you check the email.

Make

After you have had breakfast, make your lunch, fill a couple of bottles of water, and grab some snacks like fruit, nuts and health bars to take to work. One you will save money and time going out to get food throughout the day, and two you will eat a lot healthier.

This doesn’t mean that you continue working while eating as you need to give yourself a longer break, especially during the middle of the day, you recharge and refocus so you can be productive right until you leave the office.

Fun

This year, you need to ensure that you are having fun, laughing and being inspired by the people you work with. This type of environment starts with how you arrive each day and ensuring you bring energy and a positive attitude.

Looking for More?

To perform you need CLARITY, PURPOSE, DIRECTION and ENERGY. It’s that time of year when you reflect on 2018 and think about what you want to achieve in 2019. Use our FREE active CEO Performance Planning tool.

SET YOUR GOALS

Do you need a coach to help you focus your attention, setting the right goals and enhancing your personal development in 2019? Then find out more on what we offer by visiting the COACHING section

ASK A COACH

Keep up-to-date on the latest membership information, research and ideas by signing up the the NRGizer Newsletter. SIGN UP NOW

Are you looking for more insights and ideas? Then read the following inspiring and thought-provoking articles and podcasts:

active CEO Podcast #20 Sean King Leading Within Proximity

Posted on December 31, 2018April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:49 — 46.5MB) | Embed

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we chat with Sean about his path to becoming a lawyer, innovating in the legal services industry, becoming an entrepreneur, never defining himself by his career and being a co-CEO. We also speak about the triple bottom line, fostering an active and healthy lifestyle in the workplace, being involved in the community and seeing the world through the eyes of an adventure racer.

Background

Sean King is a young thriving entrepreneur who has disrupted the legal landscape of Australia, is scaling his business Proximity at a rapid rate and knows the importance of his team having the energy to perform.

He is an adventurous Canberra lawyer, who founded the Proximity legal practice in 2011 with James Dunn, following a successful career at law firm, DLA Piper and Phillips Fox. Proximity is an award winning law firm with a difference providing legal, procurement and commercial, and governance and assurance solutions through innovative advisory practices.

He has a Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering and Bachelor of Law from the University of Canberra, as well as a Graduate Diploma Legal Practice from the Australian National University. In his spare time, he is a Director of EarlyBird Events, supports Menslink, loves being in the outdoors and recently competed in the Adventure Racing World Championships held in Reunion Island in Madagascar.

Community is a huge part of his life and has been a great role model for his team in supporting and getting involved in the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival, which is the most accessible triathlon for the corporate, government and community.O

Sean talks about:

Having a traditional upbringing and growing up in country victoria, Australia.
Being open minded where your career takes you.
The drivers that led to Sean setting up Proximity with good friend and co-CEO James Dunn.
Challenges that some of the big law firms have with some pretty significant mental health challenges that result from the work pressure, long hours.
Having to be strategic about what you are going to pursue.
The backstory behind the name Proximity
Being forced to innovate as a new entrant as you have advantages and disadvantages to a market, especially an established market.
Focusing on getting the flexible work environment right for staff.
Bringing the corporate, government and community together for the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival.
Staff participating in the Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival.
Proximity being proud to put back into the community.
Menslink and the relationship with Proximity.
The spark that led Sean to becoming an adventure racer.
Finding new limits for yourself and navigating adventure racing with your friends.
Focusing on leadership that gets a lot of people involved in the decision making.
Having a collective decision making process, so people feel a part of it.
Going horse riding and jumping for the first time.
Why he would love to solve how we do better by Australia’s indigenous population.

Active CEO Wellness Tip – Be the One!

Be the one! Developing a positive frame of mind about your exercise is important. Align your exercise efforts with things that are both positive and reassuring. Exercise in a fun & enjoyable environment. Objectively measure results. Do things that you enjoy. Exercise with a group of positive people.

Tweets

“The good feels so good, when you navigate to a point because it is often the hard part to get there and I think that is true of life. If everything came perfect all the time and super easy, then you might not enjoy those highs as much.” Sean King navigating business and life on the active CEO Podcast.

“How you relate to people with inside your organisation, dealing with clients, and providing meaningful and useful advice that helps people solve the problems and issues they come to you with.“ Discussing the importance of people with Sean King, on the active CEO Podcast.

“I didn’t want to find myself in 20 years looking back and saying, ‘I have carved out this great legal career but it is at the expense of everything else that interests me.’” Sean King on becoming an entrepreneur on the active CEO Podcast.

“At certain points you have just got to say what have I got to do right now, because if you think of the whole thing, it is just a bit overwhelming.” Being in the moment with Sean King on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Sean King LinkedIn
Sean King Facebook
Proximity www.proximity.com.au
Proximity Canberra Triathlon Festival www.proximitytriathlon.com.au
Proximity LinkedIn
Menslink www.menslink.org.au
Earlybird Events www.earlybirdevents.com.au
Adventure Racing World Championships www.arworldseries.com
Australian National University www.anu.edu.au
University of Canberra www.canberra.edu.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben’s best selling book www.nrg2perform.com/portfolio/book

Previous active CEO Podcast Episodes:

#19 – active CEO (NRG2Perform) – The Gift That Keeps on Giving Link
#18 – Dina Al-Tayeb (Dentalia Clinics) – Arabian Tri Eagle Link
#17 – Patrick Kidd OAM (Invictus Games) – Healing Power of Purpose Link
#16 – Liza Pavlakos (lizapavlakos.com) – Adversity Transforms Lives Link
#15 – Michael Sewards (SkyBus) – All Aboard the SkyBus Link
#14 – Jamin Heppell & Jen Ziegner (Mountains & Marathons) – Leading From the Mountain Tops Link
#13 – Chris Dean (Choice Energy) – Disrupting the Energy Spectrum Link
#12 – Kate Palmer (Sport Australia) – Changing the Game Link
#11 – Tim Cosulich (Fratelli Cosulich Group) – Navigating the Global Family Business Link
#10 – Dr Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien (Rising Tide Africa) – Magic Happens Outside the Comfort Zone Link
#9 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #2 – Creating an Earthquake Link
#8 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #1 – Your Strengths are What Energise You Link
#7 – Trina Gordon (Boyden World Corporation) – Recruiting World Leaders Link
#6 – Indiran Padayachee (RentCorp) – Winning Only Matters Link
#5 – Suzie Hoitink (Clear Complexions) – Enemy of a Great Life is a Good One Link
#4 – Rene Zondag (Peter Burwash International) – People Are Our Greatest Asset Link
#3 – Anne Gripper (NSW Office of Sport) – 6 C’s of Leadership Link
#2 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 2 Link
#1 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 1 Link

active CEO Podcast #17 Patrick Kidd OBE Invictus Games Healing Power of Purpose

Posted on December 10, 2018April 22, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:36 — 48.2MB) | Embed

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Patrick Kidd OBE about his approach to being driven by service and purpose; empowering your team members; balancing boundaries with the freedom to operate; knowing when to seek advice; the art of planning; and finding the clarity of your strategy. He gives us an in-depth insight into the tight connection and bond developed in the armed forces; the challenges veterans have when transitioning back into society; leadership being driven by context; the purpose of the Invictus Games; the healing power of sport; and how he leads an active CEO lifestyle.

Background

Patrick Kidd OBE is a highly experienced, meticulous and humble leader who has successfully transitioned from serving in the Armed Services to becoming an impressive CEO on debut.

He has a lifelong love of learning and professional development with a Masters of Arts at the Cranfield School of Management, MBA at the Open University, Diploma inSecurity Services at Deakin University and completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Company Directors Course.

He served in the British Army for 20 years and the Australian Defence Force for 10 years before transitioning into a principal consultant role at Deloitte Australia in 2015. His impressive leadership has been recognised, with a Queen’s Commendation in 2000 and an OBE in 2005.

Joining Deloitte Australia in 2015, he focused on strategy and operations consulting to Defence and the Defence Industry. He led the Deloitte team responsible for the Invictus Games Sydney pro-bono effort, which resulted in being appointed as the CEO of the 2018 Invictus Games Sydney.

Patrick talks about:

Bringing together an amazing collection of people who come together because they are trying to make a difference for the good.
Creating that atmosphere when things go wrong, the team will come around and support them.
The act of planning is everything
Balancing leading the team and the individual.
Understanding what it is that you are trying to do and why you are trying to do it.
A time when he made a mistake when leading in the Armed Services and the strategies he employed to resurrect the situation.
Respecting the world in which you live and the people that you are dealing with.
Failing to back his Deputy while in Iraq.
The biggest challenges he faced when transitioning from the Armed Services into his role at Deloitte Australia.
Former Wallaby Australian Rugby Captain, Stephen Moore, being the catalyst to Australia commencing its bid, in 2014, for theSydney Invictus Games.
The Invictus games giving a greater purpose to the staff of Deloitte Australia.
Why the Invictus Games is so important to those who have served and the families who have supported them.
The Invictus Games being about those individuals that are going to get the most out of the experience.
Prince Harry being the inspiration behind the Invictus Games.
The “whats next?” The legacy of the Invictus Games.
Veterans Sports Australia’s role to bring together the community of people who have served and give them pathways to connect.
People often over-analyse problems and situations, when actually sometimes all you need to do is, do something.
Learning to ask for help.
Switching off and being ready to move into another setting, is an incredibly hard thing to do.
The effect that his wife and Sir Winston Churchill have had on his career

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Ben and Craig discuss – Apologise to Me! How comfortable are you in saying sorry? We naturally value our ego more than our relationships and therefore it takes strength and courage to be able to say ‘I’m sorry’. Emotional intelligence helps you to comprehend that by saying sorry you demonstrate humility and by apologising it doesn’t always mean that you are wrong. Humility is an important quality that improves relationships and naturally draws others to you.

Tweets

“Our young need to believe in something, they need to recognise that life has a purpose and it’s not just about them.” The importance of defining your purpose with Patrick Kidd OBE on the active CEO Podcast.

“It is your job to bring a team together, give the team purpose and to help them along the way so they can do great work. “Patrick Kidd OBE on leading teams on the active CEO Podcast.

“Unless you have got a really clear view as to what the objective is and what you are trying to do, you are never going to get there.” Achieving goals with Patrick Kidd OBE on the active CEO Podcast.

“It is not about who you are and what you did yesterday, it is what you are going to be.” Where you focus should be with Patrick Kidd OBE on the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Thank you to Peppers Gallery Hotel, Canberra for hosting the interview.
Patrick Kidd LinkedIn
Invictus Games www.invictusgames2018.org
Deloitte Australia link
Australian Defence Force www.defence.gov.au
British Army www.army.mod.uk
Kingston University www.kingston.ac.uk
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst link
Cranfield School of Management www.cranfield.ac.uk
Deakin University www.deakin.edu.au
Australian institute of Company Directors link
The Open University www.open.edu.au
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben’s best selling book Purchase Now

Previous active CEO Podcast Episodes:

#16 – Liza Pavlakos (www.lizapavlakos.com) – Adversity Transforms Lives Link
#15 – Michael Sewards (SkyBus) – All Aboard the SkyBus Link
#14 – Jamin Heppell & Jen Ziegner (Mountains & Marathons) – Leading From the Mountain Tops Link
#13 – Chris Dean (Choice Energy) – Disrupting the Energy Spectrum link
#12 – Kate Palmer (Sport Australia) – Changing the Game link
#11 – Tim Cosulich (Fratelli Cosulich Group) – Navigating the Global Family Business link
#10 – Dr Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien (Rising Tide Africa) – Magic Happens Outside the Comfort Zone link
#9 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #2 – Creating an Earthquake link
#8 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #1 – Your Strengths are What Energise You link
#7 – Trina Gordon (Boyden World Corporation) – Recruiting World Leaders link
#6 – Indiran Padayachee (RentCorp) – Winning Only Matters link
#5 – Suzie Hoitink (Clear Complexions) – Enemy of a Great Life is a Good One link
#4 – Rene Zondag (PBI) – People Are Our Greatest Asset link
#3 – Anne Gripper (NSW Office of Sport) – 6 C’s of Leadership link
#2 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 2 link
#1 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 1 link

You Can’t Stop Rotting Wood

Posted on November 27, 2018May 9, 2020 by Craig Johns in Article, Leadership

Have you ever felt like the company you are working for is like a ship that has sprung a leak, taking on water and gradually going under?

At first you put a wrong decision, behavior or action down to a mistake or an interesting choice, but after it is replicated many times, it feels like you are on a runaway train with no brakes.

Once a negative culture or behavior becomes ingrained it is like wood in that when rot sets in there is no way to stop its progress.

ruben-bagues-716364-unsplash — Photo by Rubén Bagüés on Unsplash

I have found that a dysfunctional company or team culture starts from the leader or leaders of an organization lacking the necessary skillsets to one, set a positive culture, and two, have the ability to manage the direction of the culture created.

The demise of many teams and companies can be directly related to the environment created by a leader, leadership team or a group of people who are able to use their influencing abilities in a negative manner.

As is often noted in business circles, ‘the fish rots from the head down’, meaning that the when a team or company fails, it is the leadership that is the root cause.

Why is culture so important to a business? Here is a simple way to frame it. The stronger the culture, the less corporate process a company needs. When the culture is strong, you can trust everyone to do the right thing.

BRIAN CHESKY, co-founder and CEO, Airbnb

Deloitte completed a Global Human Capital Trends survey in 2016, which found that 82 percent of respondents believe that culture is a potential competitive advantage as it drives people’s behavior, innovation and customer service. (Kaplan et al. 2016)

Ashworth (2015) noted that, “a company’s culture is the only truly unique identifier. It is like a fingerprint. It may be similar to others, but is uniquely distinct to your business”.

Iannarino (2012) pointed out that, “if leadership doesn’t establish and protect a healthy culture, some unhealthy culture will fill that vacuum… If a pocket of negativity or cynicism exists, it’s because leadership hasn’t cut it out of the organisation – especially when the pocket of negativity comes from the leadership ranks”.

Culture is like the wind. It is invisible; yet its effect can be seen and felt.

BRYAN WALKER, Partner and Managing Director, IDEO

There was this one time when I was working for a start-up company who over-hired during the pre-opening phase due to the ambitious large scale of the operation.

As the company moved into the opening and post-opening phases they had to reduce the size of the team to improve financial and operational efficiency.

The problem was is that the leadership team continued to down-size more than once and the leadership team continually change over a period of three years, which resulted in a lack of trust and the development of an unhealthy culture.

An unhealthy culture then began to spread external to the company into the community, like a plague of locusts, creating negative brand image and consumer distrust that resulted in members leaving.

Today I want to share with you three ways that you can be in more control of your culture and ensure that a positive environment exists in your team or company:

You must live and breath the values, lead by example, be a positive role model, and show your team members what the right or acceptable behavior is.
Communicate regularly with your team members, get to know them in both a formal and informal setting, and be curious by asking questions that allow the team members to feel valued and know that their work matters.
Empower team members, motivate and inspire them to do their best work, and recognize and reward them for positive behaviors that continually strengthen the culture.

It is important that you protect your wood, ensure that it is watered, has adequate nutrients and is protected from the harsh elements.

Resources:

Ashworth, P. (2015). Why Company Culture is So Important to Business Success. BrightCoach LinkedIn Article. link

Iannarino, A. (2012). A Fish Rots from the Head Down (A Note to the Sales Leader). Iannarino Company Website. link

Kaplan, M., Dollar, B., Melian, V., Van Durme, Y., Wong, J. (2016). Shape Culture Drive Strategy. Deloitte Insights. link

Looking for More?

Keep up-to-date on the latest membership information, research and ideas by signing up the the NRGizer Newsletter. SIGN UP NOW

Are you looking for more insights and ideas? Then read the following inspiring and thought-provoking articles and podcasts:

Walking the Talk

Posted on November 11, 2018May 9, 2020 by Craig Johns in Article, Leadership

It is amazing at how often aspects of life come around in cycles. The walking meeting, which is now starting to make more traction in the business world, is no different.

In a recent active CEO Podcast interview with Sport Australia CEO, Kate Palmer, we talked about how she utilises walking meetings and the importance of encouraging her staff to do the same. Kate takes incorporating movement with meetings a step further by sitting on an exercise bike, which she recently placed in her office, and riding while on conference calls. She is also considering putting a second bike in her office, to encourage visitors to join her for a ride when having a face-to-face meeting.

Some of the world’s most influential people, such as Aristotle, Beethoven and Queen Elizabeth I, have used the tool to great effect. Now it is common for CEO’s and leaders of some of the world’s most high profile companies such as LinkedIn and Facebook to make walking meetings a daily habit.

Studies are demonstrating that exercise, including walking, alters our brain by stimulating the growth of new brain cells, improving its plasticity and even protecting the brain from cognitive impairment.

rawpixel-274858-unsplash (1) — Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Your mind is no different to the muscles in your body. If you stress a muscle, it will become fatigued and therefore lead to a reduction in performance. You then rest or deploy recovery strategies, the muscle recovers and physiological processes occur which allow your performance to improve to a new level. The brain works in the same way when it is stimulated, with new brain cells forming and an increase in cognitive function occurring when you give it a rest, allowing you to think clearer and open up more creative ideas and solutions to come to fruition.

There are the health benefits of fresh air (depending on what location you are in), getting the body moving, and the mental relaxation that tends to occur when we are surrounded by nature and a change in scenery. Walking allows the brain to reduce lingering doubt and procrastination that tends to occur when remaining in a single location while completing work.

fancycrave-362910-unsplash — Photo by Fancycrave on Unsplash

It has also been shown that positive influences on our mental function and cognitive ability occur when our bodies are moving. Going for a walk has been noted to release beneficial hormones such as endorphins so we feel better and more alert, while also encouraging creativity and inspiration.

A 2017 Stanford University study found that walking encouraged divergent thinking. The increase in divergent thinking occurred no matter whether the exercise occurred prior to or during thinking through a question, problem or puzzle they faced. The activity of walking or other exercise triggers greater creativity, and therefore patterns of ideas that come to mind.

benjamin-davies-265095-unsplash — Photo by Benjamin Davies on Unsplash

Anecdotal evidence has found that honest exchanges between people are more productive when walking than when people are sitting. It is believed that walking enables barriers are reduced between supervisors and subordinates, enhancing employee engagement. It is thought that walking side-by-side relates more to peer-to-peer, therefore removing some of the hierarchical barriers than can occur when sitting across from each other, when having discussions.

If you want to enhance the effectiveness of your walking meetings, try incorporating some fun and choosing a change in scenery, stick to small groups of two to four people, avoid going near cafes or food stands, and reduce the element of surprise by giving your colleagues some lead time on having a walking meeting.

Resources:

Clayton, R., Thomas, C., & Smothers, J. (2015). How to do Walking Meetings Right. Harvard Business Review, August 2015. link

Malleret, T., Maxwell, C. (2018). Enhance Decision Making and Problem Solving by Walking. Wharton Business School, Sep 2018. link

Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142-1152.

Looking for More?

Keep up-to-date on the latest membership information, research and ideas by signing up the the NRGizer Newsletter. SIGN UP NOW

Are you looking for more insights and ideas? Then read the following inspiring and thought-provoking articles and podcasts:

Kate Palmer (Sport Australia) – Changing the Game

active CEO Podcast #12 Kate Palmer Changing the Game

Posted on November 5, 2018May 3, 2019 by Craig Johns in Leadership, Podcasts

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:43 — 44.6MB) | Embed

On this episode of the Sportspeople Recruitment active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole talk with Kate Palmer about finding her dream job, where she combines her passion for sport, and desire to improve the health and wellbeing of a nation. We delve into her role of leading and catalysing the Australian sport industry to encourage more Australians to become more active, and shape the future of elite and grassroots sport.

We also discuss topics such as transformational change, reducing layers of compliance, the future of sport business structures, the new ‘move it’ campaign, and how she implements health and wellness into the team at Sport Australia.

Kate Palmer

Kate is one of the leading female CEO’s in the global sport industry. In January 2017, Kate took the reigns of the Australian Sports Commission, which has since been rebranded Sport Australia. She has a successful record in leading transformational organisation change, instilling good governance and providing excellent people management at organisations such as Netball Victoria and Netball Australia.

Growing up in regional Victoria, Australia in the town of Shepparton, Kate fell in love with sport playing netball, softball and was a keen waterskier. She studied a Honours Degree in Applied Science at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a Masters of Sport Management at Deakin University. In 2014, Kate was awarded the AIS Sports Performance Leadership Award. Her passion for sport extends to governance roles at the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, Victoria Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, International Netball Federation and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Known for her ability to engage a diverse audience, she values having different voices and opinions at the table. She knows that to influence a system you need to get inside it, be reasonable and don’t give up. As a leader she believes in working with people in a team, showing them a vision for the future and being truly authentic.

Kate talks about:

Her memories of sport as a young child.
Growing up in rural Victoria, in Shepparton.
The benefits of meetings in motion and walking meetings.
Sport providing the health of local communities.
Ensuring young children learn the basic movement fundamentals.
What inspired her to become a sport administrator.
Taking the reigns as CEO of Sport Australia.
Transitioning from being a CEO of employees to leading a whole industry.
The relationship between the Minister of Sport, the Office of Sport and Sport Australia.
Reducing layers of compliance and keeping it simple.
Why it is important for sport organisations to consider and adapt to new business models in the future.
Ensuring sport organisations have the structures and capability to be sustainable in the future.
Health and wellness of athletes, and how they transition into the ‘real world’ after life in sport.
Changing the lives of people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Can we look at different ways of working in the sport industry as an administrator, coach or high performance management.
The significance of the ‘move it’ and ‘find our 30’ campaigns.
Changing the balance and ensuring that she reads, exercises and eats a healthy breakfast.
The Hugh Palmer scholarship and the “corporate handbag”.

Active CEO Wellness Tip

Ben and I talk about the importance of self-regulation and why it is such an important element of emotional intelligence. We talk about being aware of your emotions, how to manage and express them at the right time. Self-regulation is also about the ability to remain calm, consider all the possibilities and have a clear head.

Tweets

“I am quite a practical person, pragmatic, and I can see things, I like to change things, and I like to fix things.” Gaining an insight into Kate Palmer, the CEO of Sport Australia, on the active CEO Podcast.

“Take responsibility and make a decision. If you fail or if you make a mistake we fix it, we will fix it together.” Kate Palmer on giving responsibility to employees, on the active CEO Podcast.

“I don’t think sports can look at us and say, you give us 80 to 90% of our revenue, and that’s a lot of money, but we are not prepared to improve our business.” Kate Palmer on investing in sport for the future, with the active CEO Podcast.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

Kate Palmer LinkedIn
Sport Australia www.sportaus.gov.au
Find Your 30 website
Netball Australia www.netball.com.au
Netball Victoria www.vic.netball.com.au
ASADA www.asada.gov.au
Australian Commonwealth Games Association website
Victoria Institute of Sport www.vis.org.au
International Netball Federation website
Melbourne Cricket Ground website
Deakin University www.deakin.edu.au
RMIT University www.rmit.edu.au
Sportspeople Recruitment www.sportspeoplerecruitment.com
www.nrg2perform.com
craig@nrg2perform.com
Craig Johns LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole LinkedIn
Ben Gathercole Performance Coaching www.bengathercole.com.au

Recommended Reading:

Better Than Winning – Ben’s best selling book

Previous active CEO Podcast Episodes:

#11 – Tim Cosulich (Fratelli Cosulich Group) – Navigating the Global Family Business link
#10 – Dr Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien (Rising Tide Africa) – Magic Happens Outside the Comfort Zone link
#9 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #2 – Creating an Earthquake link
#8 – Mike DeNoma (KBZ Bank) Part #1 – Your Strengths are What Energise You link
#7 – Trina Gordon (Boyden World Corporation) – Recruiting World Leaders link
#6 – Indiran Padayachee (RentCorp) – Winning Only Matters link
#5 – Suzie Hoitink (Clear Complexions) – Enemy of a Great Life is a Good One link
#4 – Rene Zondag (PBI) – People Are Our Greatest Asset link
#3 – Anne Gripper (NSW Office of Sport) – 6 C’s of Leadership link
#2 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 2 link
#1 – active CEO Intro (NRG2Perform) Part 1 link