It's that time of year. End of year catch-ups. Kids concerts. Too much champagne. Shopping frenzies. Holiday planning. You're busy! But not everyone has places to go and people to see. It can feel lonely. So it's timely that one of the exhibitions currently on at the National Gallery of Victoria is Kaws: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness. That's me (above on the left) at the exhibition yesterday with my excellent friend. We met at work over three decades ago and she still provides … [Read more...]

You know I was thinking you wouldn't be interested in this, but a leader has to have her eyes across many domains. I'm talking about online security. Don't we all wish it wasn't a thing? It's something I never thought I'd have to get my head around. But I have to. And it's something I take very seriously. That's why I have PCI Certification with Trustwave. It means I meet the Payment Card Industry security standards. Now, I know that's good. Many small businesses like mine don't even … [Read more...]

Gosh, these eBooks are popular. This time, I'm referring to the FREE Successful Salary Negotiations eBook that I shared with you last week. Help yourself if you haven't already. Simply click here and scroll down to get your copy. And now for today's big news! When I was doing my PhD, what struck me was realising that so many leaders unwittingly caused so much heartache. The wasted potential was even higher, including their own. It wasn't intentional. But their leadership skills let them … [Read more...]

While economies are slowing down, it doesn't mean you have to. There are still great opportunities to be had. And three of them, belong to my clients! Yes, three of my executive coaching clients have recently been promoted to new roles. And they all successfully negotiated their salary. I, like them, am pretty chuffed with their results. So, to help you negotiate your salary, and hopefully share in some of the spoils like those clients of mine, I've put together a handy new free … [Read more...]

Today is Cup Day. Melbourne Cup. The final field of 24 horses ran around the Flemington Race Track until they clocked up 3200m. It’s in its 158th year. It’s a big deal here. It’s a public holiday. And it's known as 'the race that stops a nation'. Turns out, horse racing isn't that different from the workplace. Here's my field of 14: The 2019 Melbourne Cup The Workplace This year there are only two Australian horses running. It’s a global marketplace. There’s only room … [Read more...]

In the leadership field, you may have noticed how many ideas are simple, yet difficult to put into practice. Which is why what I'm about to share with you today is a real pearler (that's Australian slang for very impressive). It's straight from my award-winning PhD research. I was amazed to discover this. It really is a surprisingly easy solution to help people do even better. It's what I found to be the key difference between those who were thriving at work and those who were not. In a word, … [Read more...]

There are some things we just don't do as well as the robots. And there are some things the robots just don't do as well as us. Still, we need to adapt. And the best way I know is to keep on learning. Turns out I'm not alone: 'The future of leadership is learning', says the brilliant Heather McGowan. 'The best leaders are the best learners', says the brilliant Jim Kouzes. But, learn what? When it comes to leadership, whatever your craft, you'll want to learn the people skills … [Read more...]

One of my clients refers to the dinosaurs she's discovered roaming the floor of her new workplace. Another talks about how, at her workplace, the owners feel morally obliged to keep people on. Because of their years of service. Because they're getting close to retirement age. And possibly because they simply can't bring themselves to let them go. Even if it would be best for the business. Even if it's the right thing to do for all their colleagues who pick up their slack. Are they being … [Read more...]

Do you have a nose like Pinocchio? Gosh, that was popular. I'm referring to the FREE Executive Presence eBook and Checklist that I shared with you last week. Help yourself if you haven't already. Simply click here and scroll down to get your copy. Recently, a client asked, before we'd met if I actually looked like my photo. You know, the one you see above. His concern was that I was doing what some allegedly do on those dating sites. When the person you meet is, at best, an older version of … [Read more...]

You know those networking events where you know nobody? Well, I thought, I won't stand here like a gooseberry. That lady looks friendly, I'll talk to her. So I moseyed on up and asked the standard "what do you do?" question. She happily replied, "I help leaders improve their executive presence". Like so much corporate-speak, it sounds great but you're often left wondering exactly what people mean. No surprise when it comes to executive presence. There's no agreed-upon definition. But I was … [Read more...]