Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast

Mick Spiers is the founder of The Leadership Project and the author of You’re a Leader: Now What? where Mick brings to fruition his passion for modern leadership that is a match for our fast-paced world. From a first career in aerospace defence where he learnt the good, the bad and the ugly of leadership and culture, Mick moved into urban mobility and had a life changing epiphany: it didn’t matter how stress free the commute was if most people were spending most of their time in jobs they didn’t love for leaders they didn’t believe in. How had we got it so wrong and how could we do it better? These were questions Mick sought to answer with his research, writing, coaching and training in human-centred leadership. In this episode Mick shares the experiences that have contributed to his leadership philosophy and offers strategies for flipping our traditional notions of organisational design on its head. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/company-culture-mick-spiers  

Empathy is the master leadership skill. Throughout her career, Sophie Wade has been confronted with cultural norms, beliefs and behaviours that have literally caused her to stop and think. From rigid European workdays to Asian social habits and the American can-do spirit, she became an expert assimilator and realised that empathy was the key to unlocking understanding of all these different ways of working and living. Sophie now uses that empathy-based  approach to help organisations evolve their leadership and workforces to be fit and flexible for the future. In this episode Sophie shares why empathy is vital in multi-generational teams and how curiosity can help with navigating complexity.  See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-empathy-sophie-wade  

Great leadership and great lives come down to habits. Tapping out at the top of his profession aged just 31 should have seen Luke Mathers sitting back and enjoying his success. Instead he quickly realised that without the structures of work he was questioning his self-worth and coming up wanting. Identifying self-destructive habits and a negative internal narrator (we’ve all got one!) led Luke down a new path exploring how and why humans approach change from a place of negativity and self-criticism, backed up with habits that simply do not serve us. He works with leaders and teams to help them get curious about their habits and make lasting changes with reframing, self-compassion and small but effective steps. In this episode Luke explains why we are all a work in progress - and that’s OK. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-habits-luke-mathers  

I went to the desert for a pilgrimage. My intention was to reflect, and to evaluate who I am at this point in time as a leader, and as a human. I got more than I bargained for!  More hills, rocks, and amazing views than I anticipated. And sore feet. What surprised me most were the leadership insights: on fear, conflict, status, and purpose. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-insight-larapinta-trail

John Davis is a prolific author and speaker, an entrepreneur and founder with global experience. One thing he is not is jaded, instead he’s passionate and positive about the ability of organisations and teams to have positive impacts on their communities, customers and employees. He helps organisations play a bigger game while also making a bigger contribution. In this episode he shares his leadership principles and priorities for doing this sustainably. John believes in good companies that support good citizens and this is how we can address some of society’s most pressing challenges. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-principles-john-davis

Coach, facilitator, author and, as we discover in this episode, Quaker, Eudora Pascall is all about bringing the heart back to business. ‘Back’ because she believes we used to have it, especially in Quaker-led businesses that thrive on equality, with no hierarchy in their organisational structures. Eudora shares fascinating insights into the Quaker decision-making process and talks about the importance of structure to create space, how safety influences performance, perfection is not the goal and why it’s OK to bring love into the business conversation. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-principles-eudora-pascall  

Entrepreneur, author and former CMO Roy Osing dares to be different - in fact, he insists on it and helps his clients to do the same! Roy is a one of a kind leadership thinker with little patience for those who practice performative creativity instead of getting their hands dirty with the real thing. He has grown a start-up to billion dollar sales and authored seven books in his ‘Be Different or Be Dead’ series. Roy shares his contrary leadership philosophies from falling in love with micromanaging to his human-centric hiring process.  See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-success-roy-osing  

From Brisbane to Nepal via London, Vietnam and Cambodia, Jade Lee approached her mid-career disillusionment from a very adventurous angle! With a career in HR under her belt, Jade was finely attuned to team building and engagement but what she experienced on her trek to Everest Base Camp gave her a fresh perspective. From the Sherpa’s servant leadership to building trust and connection at speed, it was a life-changing endeavor in many ways. Jade now draws on these experiences to help organisations improve team connection and engagement - it’s less perilous than Everest but the people stuff delivers plenty of challenges for this intrepid explorer. See full shownotes: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-strategies-jade-lee  

The more you tell Laura Cunningham she won’t be able to do something, the more determined she is to prove you wrong! Working her way up the leadership ladder in industries that traditionally haven’t been seen as a viable option for working mums, Laura is now GM and one-third of the ownership team of Canberra-based CentreRED IT. She leads from the heart, with a passion for people that is evident in her relationships with colleagues, customers and communities. A true Amplifier, Laura gets her kicks from seeing those around her succeed at work and in life and in this episode she shares her career journey and what she's learned along the way.  See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-success-laura-cunningham  

Author, cultural historian, leadership professor and educator Dr Rick Chromey has a fresh take on the impact of technology on society and culture. Eschewing traditional generational cohorts, Rick applies a behavioural lens to understand how shifts in technology play out in the people stuff. He connects our history with our potential future to predict where technology can take us and why. At the heart of Rick’s work is connection and he shares his GROWLS acronym for the deep human needs he believes every leader should be aware of.  See full shownotes here: https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-perspective-chris-chromey  

As a conservatory trained bassist and widely certified productivity and culture consultant, Gerald Leonard leverages the synergies of music and business to help teams deliver outstanding performances. Replicating the flow and connection of a jazz ensemble in a sprawling project team doesn’t faze Gerald, who thrives on organising chaos. Whether it’s getting the band together or satisfying the boardroom, it’s all a beautiful process that results in sweet music! See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-framework-gerald-leonard

With climate change wreaking havoc, new industries emerge to handle the challenges. “World design” is a burgeoning sector to take on creating human habitats for hotter temperatures and smaller arable, habitable landscapes. And then there is the push to build the first Moon base, the Olympus Project. This is the imagined future of Zoë Routh’s first novel The Olympus Project. Get an early listen to the overview and first chapter, along with an introduction to the theme for this quarter on the podcast: Holacracy, self-organising organisations. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/the-olympus-project-preview  

The new world of work means some sort of blend of work from anywhere and co-location. Certainly flexibility is the biggest demand employees are making right now. So how to do it well? In this wrap up of the quarter’s theme on ‘Hybrid Team Success’ we offer five key principles for doing it better. See full shownotes here: www.zoerouth.com/podcast/tips-hybrid-team-success  

Strong leadership skills include good digital health. Daniel Sih is a physiotherapist turned productivity consultant and award-winning author.  Daniel is all about cultivating smart digital habits that create space for thinking and resting, ultimately enabling us to be more present and more productive. In this episode he shares his own rituals for unplugging, why prioritising rest is key to productivity and how to rekindle face-to-face connection (just add food!).  See full shownotes here: https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-skills-daniel-sih  

How do you speak truth to power? Or perhaps the real leadership question is, why would you speak truth to power? For Gordon Graham the answer was always because he had the best interests of his organisation at heart. When the integrity of his employer was under threat, Gordon put himself in the firing line by approaching his CEO with feedback. What unfolded was a long saga of toxic leadership and unethical management that took a concerted and courageous effort from Gordon and his colleagues to dismantle. In his book, The Intrepid Brotherhood, Gordon provides a cautionary tale to those in power and a reminder that vigilance and responsibility should filter through every level of an organisation. See full shownotes here: https://www.zoerouth.com/podcast/leadership-principles-gordon-graham    

Cultivate an adaptable leadership identity As a combat-decorated Navy SEAL Marty Strong is no stranger to highly motivated teams. When he transitioned into business leadership, Marty saw a major contrast from battlefield to boardroom around training and motivation. From being shocked at how employees were treated, to the lack of a common vision and under-investment in training and skills development, Marty has brought his SEAL’s sensibilities to a leadership model that creates resilient teams with harmony at their heart. Marty shares his insights not just into leadership but how people tick and why a community matters in times of conflict. Why you should listen: It’s a leadership responsibility to strive for harmony Team development requires both an open mind and shared focus The big differences between corporate and military approach to teamwork Essential strategies to building team capabilities, SEAL style We explore leadership principles for motivated teams Understand and articulate your leadership va

A leadership mindset for reinventing work Bruno Pesec, an Oslo-based Croatian and former engineer once worked for Toyota and saw for himself that it didn’t matter how great the idea was, how talented the engineers were, if the end user couldn’t see the value in it. This sparked a passion for leadership strategies and innovation that meet a need. It took Bruno down a path that combined the discipline of datasets with the messy people stuff of innovation, new ideas and strategic change. Bruno, who is the author of Augmented Strategy, shares his insights and practical examples of how we are going about innovation wrong and what to do instead. Spoiler: start with the end in mind! Why you should listen: make better leadership decisions How datasets can help unlock the people stuff We explore leadership priorities for innovation Understand the what, why and how of your corporate culture Practice transparent leadership  Take an experimental leadership approach to hybrid

What’s healthy vs harmful in your corporate culture? After surviving sexual assault and harrassment, Tim Mousseau knew he didn’t want anyone else to fear going to work or be subjected to toxic behaviours and cultures. Through his research and work with organisations in the US, Tim has developed the ‘Feel Safe Framework’ designed to get to the root of cultural issues that are derailing safety and belonging in the workplace. With a special interest in boundaries, Tim makes safety about both the individual and the organisation. Whether in hybrid, virtual or co-located teams, Tim believes a lot can be done by simply having the right conversations. Why you should listen: a leadership framework for belonging Team development around trust and empowerment We explore a leadership language for boundaries Leadership prompts for trust conversations  Modeling boundaries in leadership Backing up corporate culture values with actions

Team development strategies from the world of sports psychology As one of the first psychologists to work with elite sports teams in the UK, George Karseras knows a thing or two about winning ways. His many years of experience in occupational psychology have led to the creation of a science-backed code for better organisational teaming. George offers a new perspective on team building that puts mental trust and shared purpose before emotional safety and prioritises probing questions over psychometric testing. He talks of using deals and contracts, skin in the game and lists of demands to get on the same page and even has a (gentle) crack at Patrick Lencioni! Cracking the code on performance means stepping out of your comfort zone - are you ready?! P.S. His book, Build Better Teams, is my favourite on team building - EVER! Why you should listen: task-first team development Leadership principles for building trust - HINT: it’s not about ‘getting to know you’ We explore leadership strategies for hybrid teams

Don’t assume - ask! And other leadership principles… Can we have safety without trust? Marie-Claire Ross doesn’t think so - in fact, her extensive research has told her so. Author of Trusted to Thrive, Marie-Claire was working in the safety communications space when she realised it wouldn’t work if there wasn’t trust in the workplace. So she left her family business to study, talk and write about trust – specifically,  how leaders can instill it. Her work revealed a trend of leaders believing they had built trust (they hadn’t), cultures of stalled communication and assumptions a-plenty! In this episode Marie-Claire shares her formula for creating a trust foundation that everyone can build on. Why you should listen: does your leadership inspire hope? Team development requires talking and listening We explore the people stuff of trust Self-awareness is missing in leadership Share your leadership perspective - let people in on the process Leadership principles for learning together