Episode #198 // The great resignation is in full swing, and this is causing a shortage of people in the labor market…which in turn, is pushing up wages…which in turn, is increasing the cost of doing business. From the other side, the squeeze is coming in the form of higher inflation…which leads to higher input costs…which leads to companies raising their prices…which leads to reduced demand for their products and services. These market forces are making it harder for companies to r...
Jun 14, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 198
Episode #197 // I first outlined one of my most important leadership philosophies in Ep.14: Friendly, But Not Friends . Since then, a few things have changed… We’ve listened to over 1,000 leaders, who’ve taken our flagship program, Leadership Beyond the Theory ; societal standards have changed (yes, believe it or not, in only 3 or 4 years); Covid has come and (sort-of) gone; and I’ve been challenged by many leaders who’ve told me that they completely disagree with my Friendly, Not F...
Jun 07, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Episode #196 // It may surprise you to learn that organizations across the globe spend over US $370 billion annually on leadership development programs. This doesn’t include the millions of other leadership resources that we tap into each day: books, podcasts, networking groups, websites, blogs, social media posts… the content is literally everywhere you turn. But despite this, none of it seems to move the needle . Leadership appears to be in as poor a state as it’s ever been, and people ...
May 31, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Episode #195 // Albert Einstein said, “ If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough ”. Communication is an incredibly important element of leadership. How you talk to your team… how you deliver a presentation when you’re in a room full of important people… how well you connect one-on-one with your direct reports… these are just a few situations that can have a huge bearing on your performance, and your personal credibility. Knowing how to convey complex information ...
May 24, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Episode #194 // In last week’s Q&A episode with Em, I mentioned the revival of the entrepreneur in the context of the Great Resignation: there’s a growing trend for people exiting permanent jobs to start their own businesses. This episode dives below the surface to examine this phenomenon more deeply. Are entrepreneurs truly happier than wage-earning employees? If so, why? Are the longer hours, higher stress levels, and lower earnings compensated by the autonomy and purpose that come with be...
May 17, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Episode #193 // A lot of businesses are finding it extremely challenging to operate in the volatility of a hot labor market. Despite the hundreds of podcasts, blogs, and articles that are published daily about The Great Resignation, there doesn’t seem to be an oversupply of solutions (other than the vague notion that you need to focus on your people and keep them happy in order to retain them). In many cases, “keep them happy” equates to “pay them more”. This can have significant conseque...
May 10, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Episode #192 // We frequently hear about cognitive biases, especially when it comes to discrimination on the basis of gender, race, and sexual orientation. But our inbuilt biases operate much more broadly than this, and they can have a disproportionate influence on the outcomes we experience if we don’t develop a keen awareness of them. In this episode, I explore some of the biases that limit our self-awareness and affect our judgment, and even some that straight-up deceive us. &nbs...
May 03, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Episode #191 // Many leaders inadvertently behave in a hypocritical way when they take a “ do as I say, not as I do ” approach. Sometimes, this is the result of a deep sense of entitlement in senior leaders, who are quite happy to set a standard for their people that they have no intention of observing themselves. But many of us are simply oblivious to our own behaviors, and we aren’t in tune with what other people see. We genuinely think that we’re behaving in accordance with the s...
Apr 26, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Episode #190 // After the recent untimely passing of Foo Fighters’ drummer, Taylor Hawkins, I came across an article in Rolling Stone magazine. It was Hawkins’ last live interview, and I was struck by a few incredible leadership lessons about fear of failure, strong leadership, and teamwork. In today’s episode, I not only want to pay tribute to Taylor Hawkins (who was one of my favorite drummers), but also to take the learnings from the unexpected world of rock music to illustrate some be...
Apr 19, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 190
Episode #189 // The term ' Transformation' can mean a lot of different things. I’ve seen it used to describe everything from a new IT system, to a simple cost cutting exercise, right through to a complete change in strategic direction and organizational structure. However it’s defined, and whatever you want to call it, the unfortunate truth is that your transformation is unlikely to succeed . A research report recently released by McKinsey suggests that most transformations fail to delive...
Apr 12, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 189
Episode 188 // People make mistakes all the time, and leaders are people! More often than not, when a leader makes an honest mistake, everyone just moves on and leaves it behind with no fanfare or post mortem. But there are times when it’s appropriate for a leader to stand up and say, “Hey, I got this wrong, and I’m sorry”. Do this too much, and you can appear weak, ineffective, and indecisive. Do it too little, and you can seem arrogant, disconnected, and out of touch! To complica...
Apr 05, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 188
Episode 187 // In a recent episode, we explored the continuing decline in mental health, and how it can affect a leader’s role. It’s a sensitive topic, and if this were the only disruptive trend we were experiencing, that would be enough to add to the tremendous load that leaders already carry. But there are plenty of other issues to contend with: pandemic uncertainty… physical dislocation of people and teams… changes in societal standards and expectations… This may explain, ...
Mar 29, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 187
Episode #186 // After being inundated with questions about our upcoming cohort of Leadership Beyond the Theory , we thought it would be useful to produce an episode for you to assess your current leadership capability. By working through the 7 imperatives of my No Bullsh!t Leadership framework, you’ll be able to quickly determine where your blind spots are. What areas could you further develop, if you’re serious about reaching your full potential as a leader? This is an exercise in...
Mar 22, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 186
Episode 185 // TW. Today’s episode is about mental health in the workplace, so if you are currently struggling with trauma or any other mental health-related issue, I will be discussing my perspective on this topic, hopefully to educate and enlighten leaders who are struggling with it. It may be triggering for some people. I am not a doctor or mental health expert, I’m just speaking from my own experiences. If you need someone to talk to, please Google your local mental health hotline and connec...
Mar 15, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Episode #184 // Have you ever faced a situation where you were being paid to do a job, but your heart simply wasn’t in it? Even as an individual contributor it’s not a good look… but as a leader it can be almost impossible to get away with. In this Q&A, Em and I discuss the difficulties of maintaining your leadership mojo when you aren’t aligned to your organization’s direction—and, of course, we offer some practical tips for overcoming the problem. We also answer a great question on h...
Mar 08, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 184
Episode #183 // There’s an inordinate number of passionate, dedicated people all over the world who coach, mentor, and advise others. Many do this as part and parcel of their day-to-day roles as leaders, but some go even further to actually make it their career. So what’s the difference between coaching and mentoring? What are the pros and cons of each? How about a trusted advisor? If you’re coaching or mentoring others, how would you know when to deploy different techniques and approaches? In t...
Mar 01, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Episode #182 // Almost all of the content that we produce on the No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast is designed to help you become a stronger leader. But what is ‘strong leadership’? How would you know if you were being strong enough, without crossing the line into tough, controlling, or autocratic leadership? This episode delves into the detail of what defines strong leadership. What are the observable characteristics of the strong leader? Your primary objective as a leader is to deliver valu...
Feb 22, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Episode #181 // This episode goes deep into the things that determine who we are, and how we lead. Arman Assadi is one of those rare individuals who’s truly able to shift your perspective, and change the way you view the world. After an early career working for global giants of innovation like 3M and Google, Arman set off to carve his own path. Since then, he has helped many venture-backed startups, celebrity thought leaders, social media influencers, pro athletes, and New York Times bestselling...
Feb 15, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Episode #180 // I’ve heard many leaders in my time making statements about their team being “ more like a family ” than anything else (as if that’s a good thing)! Recently, the CEO of one of the largest companies on the Toronto Stock Exchange railed against the company’s decline into a family culture. He sent a lengthy memo to his employees explaining exactly why this was a problem…and when it was leaked it caused quite a stir! In this episode, I unpick the mystique of family culture. What are t...
Feb 08, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Episode #179 // While enjoying my holiday Netflix binge, I watched the documentary series, Formula 1: Drive to Survive . While I’m not a fan of motor sports, I found the series unbelievably compelling. There are countless lessons to be taken from the series about leadership, high-performing teams, organizational culture, and the consequences of the extreme pressure that comes with performing at the absolute highest levels. In this episode, I unpick the cultural dynamics of F1 racing portra...
Feb 01, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Episode #178 // Since the pandemic forced us into remote working, many people have turned their work day into performance art . They now pursue the goal of appearing to be busy , rather than actually delivering value-adding results. The activity becomes the end, rather than the means to an end. Although this is nothing new (there have always been people who appear to be busy, while achieving little), it has definitely become harder for leaders to identify and deal with than it was in the past. H...
Jan 25, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 178
Episode #177 // In the billable hours world, supplier companies deliver services to client companies in an exchange of time for money. It’s the dominant business model in legal, accounting, and consulting firms. This presents a wonderful opportunity for organizations to leverage expertise and capability that they don’t possess themselves. But it also comes with its own peculiar issues and risks, which can erode or negate any potential value. In this episode, I explore the billable hours mo...
Jan 18, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Episode #176 // Apart from the multitude of listener questions on leadership and business that we get at Your CEO Mentor each week, we also field quite a few seeking career guidance. The question we deal with in this episode is, “What should I do when I don't get the job that I thought I was certain to get?” To come up with an answer, I went back through the No Bullsh!t Leadership catalogue. When I realized how much relevant content we’ve already produced, I decided to bring together this ...
Jan 11, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Episode #175 // 2021 is now behind us and we’re looking forward to what 2022 will bring! The time for uncertainty is over—the people and companies that are successful are the ones that understand ambiguity and complexity for what they are. They recognize the things that are out of their control, and map a bold path forward, regardless. In fact, the process of making bold, decisive moves in an uncertain environment is a key source of competitive advantage. Wherever there’s great uncertainty, ther...
Jan 04, 2022•12 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Episode #174 // As we traditionally do at Christmas time, we take a look back on our year of podcast episodes. Em and I have picked our favorites for you to go back and listen to while you’re enjoying some downtime in the New Year. 2021 has been a big year for Your CEO Mentor! Amongst other things, the No Bullsh!t Leadership podcast recently reached 2 million downloads. That translates into a whole lot of impact for the leaders in more than 100 countries who have tuned in. Once again, to break u...
Dec 28, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Episode #173 // Today we bring you an in-depth interview with Paul Scurrah. Paul is the CEO and Managing Director of rail freight business Pacific National. When we recorded the interview almost 12 moths ago, Paul had just finished his stint as CEO of Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, which had undergone a tumultuous change of ownership on the back of the covid pandemic. Given that it’s only a couple of days before Christmas, we thought this would be a nice free-flowing...
Dec 21, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Episode #172 // When one of my articles for Harvard Business Review blew up recently on social media, we decided to make it more accessible to our community of No Bullsh!t Leaders by turning it into a podcast episode. And because I don’t have a word limit here, I can expand it out and offer examples until my heart’s content! When you first move into a leadership role, it’s easy to develop bad habits… one of those habits is over-functioning for your people: doing their work for them. We think we’...
Dec 14, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 172
Episode #171 // Christmas party season is upon us, and many of you may have already partaken in an early celebration to mark the end of the year. If you’re a leader trying to navigate the vagaries of the office Christmas party, there are a few considerations that will help you make good decisions. Let’s face it, you don’t want to be staring down the aftermath of a significant incident in the days following an event. You want everyone to enjoy the celebration appropriately, and at the same...
Dec 07, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 171
Episode #170 // This week, we’re taking a look at team building exercises. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors… some are useful, some are borderline disastrous! During my corporate career, I had my fair share of both. So, do we need to reevaluate our commitment to the annual off-site meeting? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Does smashing each other with paintballs or abseiling down a cliff face actually bring us closer together? In this episode I give an insight into my own t...
Nov 30, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 170
Episode #169 // Even after the disruption of the last 18 months, I still see many companies weighed down by a perfectionistic culture. If we’ve learned nothing else from the Covid experience, it’s that we can move so much faster than we initially think we can—but to do so takes a commitment to the principle of excellence over perfection. What will it take to conquer our need for perfectionism and instead, to adopt an achievement orientation? In this episode, I explore why the pursuit of perfecti...
Nov 23, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 169
