Inner Chief Podcast

In this episode we dive deep into Meticulous Preparation. Most of you have heard me wax lyrical about systemising high performance by using a High Performance Lifecycle like Prepare, Perform, Recover, Review. This is a powerful model and really comes to live when every step is respected and completed like a pro. 10 years ago I went off the grid and spent 3 months living in the remove mountains of China with the Shaolin Kung Fu Monks. See more at www.chiefmaker.com.au/51

In this episode we here from Mitch Matthews, keynote speaker, success coach, and best selling author. He speaks to student, corporate, non-profit, and association audiences around the world on the power of dream, think, do. In 2006, Mitch started the big dream gathering. Originally it was supposed to be something his friends and family could do for a few hours to get clear on their dreams. But this simple concept became a movement that hasn't stopped since. Thousands of dreams have been launched as a result. He's become a world-respected thought leader on coaching and workplace mentoring, plus he's created a coach training programme that has been utilised around the globe.

Presence and gravitas. Such a holy grail. When I think of people that have truly had presence they are have such charisma, they’re enigmatic...there is something in the ether, their spirit seems different to everyone else...like it expands to fill the room. People that master true presence are magnetic and in demand...others line up to spend time with them and their cut-through to find key insights and get the job done is revered by those around around them. In this episode, I’ll share 3 common pitfalls and 5 challenging steps to mastering true executive presence.

In this episode we hear from Keith Wootton, founder and CEO of AV1. Keith tells his remarkable story from growing up in Ireland, moving to Australia and how he almost accidentally became the CEO of a business that produces over 1,000 events per year. We talk about how he finds inspiration from unusual and different fields and how he crafts the culture that attracts the best people to his team.

It’s time for a heart to heart. Chief to chief. About YOUR FEARS. Fears can be big. They can be small. But they are insidious. Subtle creatures that sabotage our success. And they will eat away at your performance. And while they are powerful motivators, as Yoda so eloquently put it,  “fear leads to the darkside”. Do not be sweet-talked by the power of fear. It only breeds negative attitudes and behaviours and they stop us becoming our greatest selves.

In this episode we talk about the vital skill of written communications. Leaders spend from 2 to 6 hours per day writing and yet very few have had any formal training in writing skills outside of university. Most top executives receive 100 - 300 emails per day so if you want your message to get through you'd better have a system and a method for getting cut through.  The way to get cut-through is simpler than most expect a clear structure, simplified message and know your audience! We've all heard that before...so why don't we do it? Perhaps its because we love to prove how smart we are though our writing? Well research now shows that this actually has the opposite effect. Complex messages decrease trust. To explain this in more detail I've invited Paul Jones to share his wisdom and strategies. He is the ​​​c​o-founder ​of corporate training company, ​Magneto Communications, and business-writing software, Credosity​. He's a corporate communications expert​ hell-bent on helping business people communicate cl

  In this episode I cover a strategy for assessing and building your own powerful senior executive network both inside and outside your current business.  In the busy-ness of modern corporate life it can be so easy to let yourself get isolated from not only external trusted advisors but also high quality senior executives within your own organisation. The truth is most of us underestimate just how powerful an ambassador in your corner can be for pushing through key projects, cutting through red-tape and attracting new career opportunities. At the same time we discount the power of detractors that end up closing doors and resisting everything we do.  Here is a simple strategy to define your networks current state so you can take precise action:  Draw a map of your current network internally Rate them as Critical, Important or Neutral for your projects and career Rate their level of support for you as an Ambassador, Neutral or Detractor (and colour code them Green for Ambassador, Amber for Neutral, Red for Det

In this episode we hear from Mal Bundey, CEO & MD of Pact Group Holdings Limited.  Malcolm Bundey is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Pact. Prior to joining Pact, Malcolm held several senior executive leadership positions for the Graeme Hart owned Rank Group. He  relocated to the United States with Rank in 2007 where he was President & CEO of Evergreen Packaging a US$1.6bn paper packaging company.    He was most recently President & CEO of both Graham Packaging and Closure Systems International (CSI), a combined US$4.8bn global rigid packaging, closures & equipment company owned by The Rank Group. Mr Bundey was previously a Partner at Deloitte in Corporate Restructuring and Management Consulting, spanning over 16 years from 1987 to 2003.  See more at www.chiefmaker.com.au/44

In this episode we talk about one of my favourite Albert Einstein quotes: "Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value."  This quote has now been mentioned by so many countless successful business people that I’ve lost count. When you’re focusing on your own success and climbing the ladder it repels other people.  They see you as a competitor and resist and so it’s tiring, hard work and strains relationships. Why? Because they can sense your hidden agenda, you don’t listen quite as well as you should, you don’t allow wisdom to enter the conversation and your presence / gravitas goes out the window. For full summary go to www.chiefmaker.com.au/43

In this episode we meet international bestselling author, finance and investment expert, radio broadcaster, newspaper columnist and public speaker, Noel Whittaker, one of the world’s foremost authorities on personal finance. Noel reaches over seven million readers each week through his columns and broadcasts on over 50 radio stations. He is one of Australia’s most successful authors, with 20 bestselling booksachieving total worldwide sales of more than two million copies. His first book, Making Money Made Simple, set sales records and was named in The 100 Most Influential Books of the Twentieth Century. For 30 years, Noel was the Director of Whittaker Macnaught, one of Australia’s leading financial advisory companies, with more than two billion dollars under management. In 2003, he was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in recognition of his services to the financial services industry. In 2011 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to the community in raising awareness of perso

In this episode we talk about the importance of reputation. Every single action you take, every single day or the weeks adds or subtracts to your reputation and it is perhaps the most important element to rapidly accelerating up the corporate ladder and for attracting opportunities. It is made up of stories and labels people carry for you and in essence is, “what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”   People naturally assess you against three factors:  1. Are you likeable and do you care about others and the greater good or just yourself 2. Are you good at your job and reliable 3. Do you have integrity and honesty   All these shape what people say and think about you. It’s important to remember that you also carry these labels for the people around you as well and they might be affecting your relationship with them. You can improve your reputation by:    a. Being intentional and values centred in how you live everyday b. Caring for others and giving to the greater good / cause c. Being good at y

In this episode we meet Read to Lead CHIEF Jeff Brown. He is the founder of the Read to Lead podcast and community Before beginning Read to Lead, he spent 26-years in radio and co-hosted an award-winning and nationally syndicated morning show from 2002 to 2008 with over a million daily listeners. The Read to Lead Podcast began in 2013. Since then he's been fortunate to interview a number of New York Times bestselling authors including John Maxwell, Seth Godin, Dan Miller, Daniel Pink, Simon Sinek, Chris Brogan (not once but twice), Gary Vaynerchuk and Liz Wiseman among others. It has been a top #10 Business and top #3 Career podcast in iTunes, is an iTunes Essentials podcast (Book Lovers), and has been nominated Best Business Podcast no fewer than three times. I’ll ask Jeff to share about:   His 26 year career on US Radio and what led him to being on main morning drive show with over a million listeners What is the most important lesson he learned from going out on his own that is so important for leaders st

In this episode, Part 2 on confidence, I talk about confidence ‘boosters’ and how they can help take your game to a whole new level. The 7 boosters we focus on are: Mindset Reframing Fear Getting in flow Putting on your game face Rehearsal and scenario modelling Building a game plan Decision making frameworks If you've got a confidence issue or just want to lift your game then this will definitely serve up some new ideas. 

In this episode we hear from Golf Coaching legend Peter Knight on mastering your craft. Peter Knight is one of only four master golf professionals in Australia. He is the author of Iron Golf Mind and has over 25 of years successfully coaching at State and National level as well as driving golf programmes for the Australian Institute of Sport, Golf Australia, Taiwan Golf, Golf Victoria, NSW Golf and NSW Institute of Sport. In 2012 he was one of three coaches in Victoria recognised for his contribution to coaching in Australia over the past 100 years. His book is called Iron Golf Mind: Five lessons to achieve an amazingly strong mindset for golf. And might I add - your career and life in general.  During this far reaching interview we explore: His 5 C's of Optimal Performance - Confidence, Concentration, Commitment, Composure and Competitiveness What is mastery and how you can apply it in your work How do you build the right routines around your performances The most important question you should ask yourself

In this episode I talk about confidence and the critical role it plays in performance and career progression. The topics is huge and I’ve split it out of over two minisodes. In this episode we’ll focus on 7 big blockers that most of us can take practical action to turnaround if pay close attention to our performance. 

In this episode we hear from Kate Erickson, chief implementer at Entrepreneurs on Fire. I met Kate about a year ago and hear her speak on systems, efficiency and automation and she honestly stopped me in my tracks. The energy and focus was mesmerising.   Kate is an absolute GURU in personal effectiveness. Everything is personally tested on a daily basis and while they focus on entrepreneurs the lessons are just as applicable for the corporate world - which by the way is where she started.

Take 3 deep breaths before you listen to this episode. Centre the soul. The 'busy-ness' syndrome is in plague proportions and is driving so many managers towards burn-out, low quality work, strained relationships and disconnecting from their purpose and meaning. Recovery is our great weapon in bringing our true spirit and greatest performances to the table. Without effective recovery we can not perform at our best and we look like we need development rather than a promotion. In this episode I cover the importance of recovery and a range of 'active' and 'passive' recovery techniques that work in the corporate world. 

Marcus Aurelius said that he was indebted to his grandfather for teaching him that “on an education one should spend liberally”. In this episode we cover the importance of learning from the gurus in your field and I give you two challenges. To reach the top, we stand on the shoulders of giants—the undisputed masters of their fields. The powerful and influential may appear to be entirely self-made, but ask them about their teachers and influencers. The length of their list might just surprise you.

A lot of leaders do not make use of 1:1s and yet they are one of the greatest opportunities to inspire your people and lift their performance. In addition, your people's careers and lives are in your hands and you have a responsibility as a leader to coach, develop and support your people. Many people complain about the performance of some of their team members and yet they either don’t do 1:1s or do them very poorly. And this often means that individuals lose interest, they don’t feel valued and they certainly don’t bring the extra effort that is sitting stored away inside of them.    I cover a 4 step process for running inspirational and effective 1:1s - Check-in, Operations, People, Strategy (COPS). 

Every now and then you’ll get a serial low performer that is a toxic presence in your team. They can be incredibly stubborn and many leaders find dealing with these people the hardest part of their work. In these cases it is unhealthy for both them, yourself and likely several other people in the team if they don’t seriously change their ways or move on. I cover a three step process for removing them from your team Coach, Counsel, Shoot.    This is sounds tough and brutal but it really just a framework for either improving or removing low performers.    Great Chiefs are brilliant at shifting low performers into better performance or moving them on. They understand the importance of getting the right people on the bus and letting the wrong people off at the next stop. Shifting this individual can be a huge relief for everyone involved. Many time I’ve seen whole teams take a collective sigh of relief. They didn’t realise how much of an impact the person was having. They spread their wings and really fly. And