Team Guru Podcast

The statistics around employee engagement are startling. A huge percentage of us are not satisfied with the work we do or the environment in which we do it. And given the amount of time we actually spend at work, it’s a hugely concerning issue. Caron Rounds is an expert in workplace wellness. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast we talk through the issues that are affecting employee engagement and we outline some practical steps that we can take as individuals and leaders to contribute to a more fulfilling professional environment.

This is Part 2 of the Ben Ikin story. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, I suggest you head back there and have a listen before you dive into this one. It's not as though this part won't make sense without it - it's that Ben Ikin's is a fabulous story. You won't want to miss a second. In this episode: marrying the coach's daughter; career end; transition to the media; leadership and the corporate world; Paul Kent and Paul Vautin

Measured, insightful and colourful. Ben Ikin is the youngest person to ever play State of Origin. He played rugby league for Australia and won a premiership with the Brisbane Broncos. And these days he hosts Foxtel’s NRL 360. As impressive as all of those achievements are, it’s his thoughtful, reflective nature and his ability to extract lessons about life and leadership from his experiences that is most valuable. Ben is a deep thinker about the game, about leadership and his life-long pursuit of excellence. This is the first instalment of a 2-part episode. It’s filled with stories about the biggest names in sport, the characters Ben played with and worked with. You don’t want to miss it.

We all have difficult people in our lives. It’s a real skill to be able to manage our own emotions in the face of aggressive or spiteful behaviour - and to know how to respond rationally and constructively. Eleanor Shakiba is an expert in dealing with difficult people. In her book, Difficult People Made Easy, Eleanor helps us to understand the different modes and patterns of toxic behaviour. She outlines a suggested response to each of them - and as luck would have it, she joined me on the podcast to tell us all about it. If you have difficult people in your life and you are often stuck for how to respond, this is the episode for you. Enjoy!

Entrepreneurs, wantrepreneurs and siderepreneurs – this episode is for you. Jim Palmer is an ultra-successful entrepreneur. He has created huge revenue that flows through multiple streams. But it wasn’t always that way - he began his business with enormous credit-card debt and a ‘revenue-free’ 12 months. Jim shares with us the lessons he has learned through the tough times and the good times. He opens up about the things that are holding most entrepreneurs back – the self-inflicted wounds - and gives some powerful advice about avoiding those traps and generating momentum in your business. If you are building your own little empire, or you have an itch to do so, don’t miss a second of this free coaching clinic from one of the best in the game. Enjoy!

We live in the age of content marketing. ‘Publish or Perish’ is its mantra. But who should publish? What should they be publishing. How? My guest this episode of the podcast is Jeff Herman. It’s his mission to help people and organisations adjust and thrive in this brave new world. Whether you run a small business, think of yourself as an entrepreneur or work in a large organisation, Jeff will convince you of the importance of becoming a creator of useful, authentic content. He tells us who – individuals, businesses, industries - should be creating content and what they should be producing. And he gives us some key insight into the difference between someone who publishes to create value…and someone who is a desperate product pusher. Enjoy!

The world of professional sport has changed at lightening speed over the past few decades. From an era in which players at the highest level were expected to crack open a beer straight after the match - through to the scientifically crafted players of today. From the joy of winning premierships with the Brisbane Broncos and a World Cup with the Wallabies to the heart thumping pressure of avoiding relegation with Fulham in the EPL - Steve Nance has been a major player in the incredible evolution of athletic performance. He’s been a performance director in the NRL, International & Super rugby, the English Premier League and a host of other professional sporting outfits. He’s worked with some of the most legendary coaches and players across multiple sports. He’s been part of teams that have performed well beyond expectations and he’s seen teams rip themselves apart with poor attitude and inept leadership. If you’re a fan of any sport or if you’re interested in revolutionary changes in thinking and the art of

Craig Ballantyne is a man who simply wants you to have the perfect life. In his book, The Perfect Day Formula, Craig outlines a set of simple, practical steps to help you imagine, design and live the life that is perfect for you. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast he talks us through those steps, the principles they are based on and his philosophical approach. And he addresses the thing that he sees as the paradoxical truth about life: Freedom = Structure. Craig is a lively, genuine, passionate communicator. His advice is practical and his philosophies are benevolent. If there is any part of your life that you long to improve, this is the episode for you. Enjoy.

Trent Grimsey is the fastest person to ever swim across the English Channel. In this episode Trent tells us, in his incredibly humble and unassuming way, about his path to swimming immortality. His development as a young swimmer, his incredible training regime, the terrible misfortune that prevented him from ever becoming an Olympian - the tough times that only made him more determined. He tells us about the time in his life where, as the number one marathon swimmer on the planet, he dominated the world circuit. You’ll hear the fascinating story of the mind games played by the former English Channel record holder – how his efforts to ‘get inside’ Trent’s head backfired spectacularly. He explains why in 2012, at the age of 24, at the very peak of his powers, he chose to hang up his goggles and retire from the sport. And how these days he’s using his experience to help people from all walks of life realise their dream of conquering the toughest swim on earth.

Steve Rodgers barely graduated from high school and didn’t go to college – but at the height of his corporate career he was the CEO of one of Warren Buffett’s most profitable real estate companies, turning over annual revenue of $25 billion. He then built his own billion-dollar real estate empire. Then, he gave it all up to peruse what he describes as his higher calling. Steve’s is a story of ambition, aggressive corporate ladder climbing, financial largesse, alcoholism and the search for personal clarity. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast he will tell you about it all – with incredible honesty, candour and wisdom. Enjoy!

Imagine being able to read someone’s personality the minute you meet them – just by observing their facial features? The benefits would be incredible – you’d know how to approach them physically, engage in the type of conversations they’d most enjoy, predict how they make decisions and much more. My guest in this episode is Alan Stevens – better known as the Celebrity Profiler. He’s Australia’s leading personality and business profiler. Alan can read almost everything about someone’s inherent personality type, their mood and their life experiences just by looking at them. And in this episode of the Team Guru Podcast he’s going to give you some hot tips on how you can do the same. And of course, I put him to the test. Before the show I sent him some pictures of me and you will hear live, in real time, as he uses those images to break down my personality. Enjoy!

What do parenthood and leadership have in common? Where did helicopter parenting come from and what has been the impact on the Millennial generation? What is the age of the Façade – and how is it impacting us? How are Millennials performing in the workplace and how should they be led professionally? In my conversation with Dr Joanie Connell we’ll tackle these questions and much more. This episode of The Team Guru Podcast resides in the intersection of parenthood and leadership. Dr Joanie Connell is the author of Flying Without a Helicopter – How to Prepare Young People for Work and Life. She is an organisational consultant and leadership coach – and a great podcast guest. Enjoy!

Storytelling in the business setting is a dying art – and that’s a terrible shame. Stories are so incredibly powerful for connecting, sharing information, motivating actions, clarifying direction, enjoying success… But we have become slaves to PowerPoint, charts, dot-points and theoretical lenses. My guest in this episode wants to change all that. Shawn Callahan is a storytelling consultant. He talks us through the benefits of telling great business stories and he steps us through a process that will help us all be better storytellers. And, you guessed it; Shawn is a great storyteller himself. He brings to life all of his insight and advice with the use of powerful, memorable stories. Hang on to your hats - once you listen to this episode you will never see business communication the same way again.

Trent Patten is one of Australia’s leading age group triathlon coaches. At any one time he is helping hundreds of athletes – of all ability ranges - achieve their personal goals. He trains world champions, national champions and has helped countless novices prepare for their very first event. Trent has a unique ability to tap into the things that drive individuals and use them to motivate commitment, effort and performance. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast we talk about Trent’s philosophy on coaching. He tells us about the lessons he learned from his time coaching elite swimmers and his transition to age group triathletes. He steps us through a week in the gruelling life of triathlon training. And he tells us about that moment he realised he was no longer just a coach – but a small businessman too.

Thinking is fundamental to the human condition. But how well do we do it? My guest in this episode of the Team Guru Podcast is Peter Ellerton – lecturer in critical thinking. Throughout this chat we talk about the basics of rationalism and critical thinking - and its foundation in philosophy. We explore the nature of public debate and the rhetorical devises used by political leaders to subvert the process of effective thinking amongst the voting public. And, of course, we talk about how an effective thought process can affect our lives – our personal relationships, our teams at work and the society we live in. Peter brings this wonderful topic to life – he makes it accessible, intriguing and powerful. And he guides us in the steps we might take to improve our own thinking process.

Leading and developing their team is the core responsibility of anyone in a leadership position. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast I speak with Chris Burton. Chris has been working with teams and training team facilitators for nearly 20 years. Chris oozes passion and knowledge about team development. He has a deep theoretical understanding of the phycology of developing, leading and participating in a team environment – and you’ll hear that oose out of him. But just as importantly, Chris has a clear understanding that although it is lovely, rewarding, and it feels good to be part of a happy and healthy team – the only reason leaders and organisations spend time and money developing team culture is to improve the bottom line. Healthy teams produce higher quality work. They are more efficient, collaborative and creative. Everything Chris talks about is linked back to the work that a team does – the value they add to the organisation Whether you’re in a formal leadership position or not – if you’r

Workplace bullying can be enormously destructive to a workplace and devastating for individuals. But what exactly is bullying? How do we recognise it? What do we do about it? How can we prevent it? In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast Maureen Kyne – an expert in workplace behaviour –takes us through the working definition of bullying and talks about some of the industry’s in which bullying is most prevalent. She gives us tips on how to recognise it. And she helps us understand the impact it can have on us as people and on an organisation’s bottom line. She also gives us some handy tips on what we, as leaders, can do to deal with it effectively and put measures in place that will prevent it from happening again.

Brendan Cannon is a former Wallaby. He spent time working as a TV rugby analyst and is now well into a corporate career. And to add to all of that, Brendan is a man who was born to be interviewed. With a great voice for radio, Brendan indulged my fascination with the inner working of life as a professional sportsman. He drew on his 10 years as a fulltime rugby player, reflecting on the lessons he learned about himself and life, leaders and team dynamics. He talked about his near death experience as a 19 year old, how it changed his approach to life and how he feels driving over the Storey Bridge. If you’re a rugby fan, or even just a fan of sports in general, this episode will fascinate you. If you have no interest in sport, you’ll love it too. Brendan is a high achiever who has a gift for extracting the lessons of life, rationalising them and putting them into new contexts. He gives wonderful insight into leading and being part of a healthy team environment. There's something for everyone in this episode of

Astrid Jonelynas is one of Australia’s brightest young innovators and entrepreneurs. In this episode of the Team Guru Podcast we talk about her recent tour of Sillicon Valley – what she saw, how it inspired her and the barriers she sees to Australia biting off its piece of the tech start up pie. I ask her a whole bunch of old man questions about coding and we muse about the future of technology and the way it will change our lives. But most of all, Astrid gives us tremendous insight into the way her generation - Millennials or Gen Yers - view the world and think about technology. She talks about what they have to offer workplaces and the value they can bring to organisations.

Ted Kwartler has worked across the spectrum of corporate America – from an iconic dot com success, to a hundred year old financial institution, to his current role in a VC funded start up. Ted also happens to be someone who embodies the essence of Emotional Intelligence. Listen in as someone with a gift for personal reflection and awareness of others talks about his leadership philosophy, the lessons he’s learned, his terrible mistakes and his hopes for the future in this episode of the Team Guru Podcast.