Episode #59 // Great leaders are great communicators - and for the most part, they are also excellent presenters. Although it has never been easier to put together a great presentation to win over and influence an audience, many leaders still miss the mark. You don’t want to be the presenter whose audience has only one thought: “ How do I get out of this room? ". In this episode, we explore why presentations are so often excruciatingly painful to sit through, and how to avoid the common pitfalls...
Oct 15, 2019•18 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #58 // This week, Em and I take on a few great questions that appear to keep coming up regularly for our listeners! (0:55) The first question we tackle is from Stephanie, who is about to inherit a team member that is known company wide as an under performer (and quite frankly, pisses a lot of people off!), but her boss really likes this team member and doesn’t seem to see her faults. We help Stephanie work out what to do and how to manage both the under performer AND her boss. (6:35) Sec...
Oct 08, 2019•20 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #57 // I often talk about the hard work of leadership as being the process of challenging, coaching and confronting your people. I had quite a few questions from our last Leadership Beyond the Theory cohort asking to explore this in more depth, so this episode takes a closer look at how it works. If you want to learn how to set up each phase, and use this approach to get the best results possible from your people, you need to understand a few of the basic concepts in this framework. The ...
Oct 01, 2019•17 min•Ep 57•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #56 // For a leader, trying to shift a culture, improve performance, or lift the standard of a team is fraught with danger. Ideally, everyone would recognise the necessity for change, the benefits to be gained, and the logic of the plan. They would then get behind you with their unequivocal support. In reality, this is not how the world works. So what do you do when the change management frameworks and theories cease to work, due to the entrenched change resistance of a handful of your p...
Sep 24, 2019•18 min•Ep 56•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #55 // We often take for granted that when people join our team, they will intuitively know what to do, and will seamlessly assimilate into the culture, becoming productive almost immediately. This, of course, builds on the burgeoning love affair that developed during the recruitment and selection process. And then, reality sets in… This week we take a look at some of the myths around bringing new people on board, and talk about the psychological contract you have with your people. How d...
Sep 17, 2019•18 min•Ep 55•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #54 // There are many different types and structures (and levels of involvement) of boards but there are also some universal rules of thumb that should help you to work with your board, no matter what type it is. In this episode we explore the differences and the common elements of boards, and I’ll let you in on a little known secret. Of course, we have practical tips for how to manage the board, which are available for download at www.yourceomentor.com/episode54 . If you are a CEO or ex...
Sep 10, 2019•18 min•Ep 54•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #53 // The focus on collaboration in large organisations remains as trendy now as it was 10 years ago. By that measure at least, it has become one of the longer standing “fads” to come out in the last few decades. This wouldn’t have happened unless there was something to it. Collaboration has the potential to unlock value by harnessing diversity and innovation, bringing together people with differing views and perspectives, and overcoming groupthink. But despite these positives, collabor...
Sep 03, 2019•17 min•Ep 53•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #52 // Today is our first birthday! Episode 52 marks one year of weekly No Bullsh!t Leadership podcasts. So Em and I wanted to take the opportunity this week to reflect on the year, and give our listeners a little insight into the origins of the podcast, and where we are taking it. In this episode we have an informal chat to expose some of the key decisions that led to the establishment of Your CEO Mentor, and the creation of the podcast. In lessons for any business, big or small, we tal...
Aug 27, 2019•19 min•Ep 52•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #51 // Last week marked International Youth Day, so to celebrate we’ve put together this long-awaited episode on how to lead Millennials, a pretty common question from listeners. Marty was recently quoted in an article for The CEO Magazine ( Generations X and Y: leadership ready? ) written by Adam Courtenay), which explored the future of leadership when Millennials take the baton from the current generation of leaders. Millennials get a bad rap for lots of things, but they have some dist...
Aug 20, 2019•17 min•Ep 51•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #50 // Many of you will have heard of “The Peter Principle”; the concept that every employee in a hierarchy rises to their level of incompetence. If you believe this, then anyone who has been in the same role for an extended period of time is, by definition , incompetent. We look at the Peter Principle, take a recent perspective from The Economist called “Bartleby’s Curse”, and blend it all with Elliott Jaques’ stratum theory, to arrive at a “ No Bullsh!t Leadership ” view of career ambi...
Aug 13, 2019•17 min•Ep 50•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #49 // When a new boss comes into an organisation and identifies that there is a need to make major changes, should she listen to her people, or push ahead regardless? Changing fundamentals like the organisational values can be tricky, but sometimes necessary. The so-called ‘ Captain’s Call’ is used to at least some extent by all leaders, with varying degrees of success. This episode explores the question from one of our listeners Greg: when is it OK to make a decision without the suppor...
Aug 06, 2019•16 min•Ep 49•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #48 // This week, Em and I take on a few great questions that appear to keep coming up regularly for our listeners! The first question we tackle is from Sam, who wants to know how to build credibility quickly in a team he has inherited. (1:40) Secondly, we answer Blake’s question which is quite a complex one. He wants to know how to deal with those people in his team who really struggle with change, and how to work out when it’s right to just keep moving forward with the change, even whe...
Jul 30, 2019•17 min•Ep 48•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #47 // I came across a great article in Forbes a few weeks ago, entitled The Three Biggest Misconceptions about Leadership , by Rajeev Peshawaria. It was such a good article that it got me to thinking about what the biggest misconceptions about leadership actually are. Rajeev addresses some really big ticket items in his treatment of the subject, so today, I’m going to build on his article, and get a little more ‘granular’ about what, in my view, are the biggest leadership misconceptions...
Jul 23, 2019•17 min•Ep 47•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #46 // When you are brought into an organisation to deliver a turnaround, or when the CEO says it’s time to make major performance and culture change, it isn’t going to happen by expecting the same people to do things radically differently. The trick is to blend the best of the existing capability and culture with new ways of thinking, behaving, and performing. What role do we, as leaders, play in that? In this episode we are going to learn why the people who built the house (the incumbe...
Jul 16, 2019•17 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #45 // You have probably heard me say before that ‘leaders are learners’ (well, it’s hardly an original saying, is it)? Today, we step away from the purely business and organisational context to share a few very personal examples of how some of my greatest leadership learnings have come from everyday life - not from the world of business. So why was my trip to Japan in 2012 so valuable in developing my perspective on different cultures, even though I had travelled through much of Asia pr...
Jul 09, 2019•16 min•Ep 45•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #44 // One of the most important roles that a leader plays is to set the right standards for performance and behaviour in their organisation; an aspirational standard to which they expect their people to rise. Often, we think we are setting a high standard of performance, but it is the exceptions that we make that tell people what the real standard actually is. How do you make the standard that people must reach abundantly clear, and then ensure that it is carried through your team from ...
Jul 02, 2019•18 min•Ep 44•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #43 // I have seen many leaders who are good under pressure, but just as many who really struggle in stress situations. Resilience is a core ingredient of success for leaders, regardless of the type of organisation they work for. If you can handle the inevitable setbacks that come with a level of calm, rational confidence it will help you to lead people through the toughest crises. This episode gives tips for keeping your cool, not just at work, but also the critical ability to not let t...
Jun 25, 2019•16 min•Ep 43•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #42 // Realising that value is the fundamental building block of leadership, business, and in fact, all human endeavour, is a critical mind shift for a leader. If we could actually do this, it would potentially lead us to do very different things when we turn up each day to lead our people. This episode covers off a few pointed examples of what value looks like (and doesn’t look like) to get your creative juices flowing. Hear about the value v price paradox, total cost of ownership, the ...
Jun 18, 2019•19 min•Ep 42•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #41 // Every week we get sent great questions from you, our listeners! Today we have a couple of really interesting questions that I'll cover in a Q&A format with Em. First, we look at what you need to do with your team when you decide to change your leadership approach, and you have to get their buy-in. This requires explicit, well thought out action, and drawing a ‘line in the sand’. Our second question has us examining how to work at the right leadership level when your organisati...
Jun 11, 2019•20 min•Ep 41•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #40 // Although building a balanced team can be a tricky proposition, all really successful teams have a balance of skills, capabilities, and experience. As NFL Analyst, Greg Rosenthal put it: “Every season has a different shape - every game is different. Eventually, you will need every aspect of the roster to finish the season as champions." What does it take to build a balanced team? How would you know what the balance of your team is right now? This episode presents some ideas for how...
Jun 04, 2019•18 min•Ep 40•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #39 // What do you do when you don’t own the resources that are necessary to delivery the outcomes you are accountable for? How do you motivate people whom report to other leaders, and may be working to a different agenda? Working across boundaries to deliver value is a core skill in complex organisations. Gone are the days of being able to rely upon direct control of resources to deliver your outcomes. Almost everything of value requires collaboration and cooperation. But aligning peopl...
May 28, 2019•19 min•Ep 39•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #38 // Some of the lowest hanging fruit for motivating your people comes simply from better communication. This week, we delve into a few ways to improve your written communication! Email, investment proposals, and technical documentation all get a bit of a workout, before we reveal the simple bit powerful “golden rule” of writing anything in a business context. If you want to improve your ability to communicate, and your people’s ability to work out what to do, this episode is a must. *...
May 21, 2019•20 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #37 // Many CEOs and senior executives talk a good game around culture change and transformation… it’s almost expected as the “done thing” for a senior leader. Although many C-level leaders make the right noises, they don’t necessarily have the commitment to set the necessary standards, or generate the right level of momentum for culture change to ever take place, let alone be successful. This week, we answer a great question from our listener, Nicola, who asked “Marty, how do you influe...
May 14, 2019•20 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #36 // We spoke in Episode 30 about remuneration, and how leaders should view the role of pay rises and bonuses in motivating their people to perform. Although bonuses can provide an effective performance incentive, there are many other ways to elicit people’s discretionary effort. So what do you do when you can’t throw money at people to get the results you need? This episode deals with the things that will motivate your people to perform and deliver value, no matter what is happening t...
May 07, 2019•17 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #35 // As senior leaders we spend an inordinate amount of time, energy and resources trying to squeeze every drop of juice out of the lemon when it comes to the concrete, tangible elements of business. We look for cost efficiencies, value accretive mergers and acquisitions, growth projects, product innovation, and greater capital productivity. However, we often ignore one of the greatest sources of untapped value – the people who work for the organisation day-in, day-out. They have an in...
Apr 30, 2019•16 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #34 // Sometimes a leader has to let someone go, either because of the choices an individual makes around their behaviour and performance, or through no fault of their own when their role is made redundant. This episode deals with termination for performance reasons, and gives a brief but practical outline of these difficult situations. We start by making sure you understand the responsibility you carry as a leader to ensure that all your people perform to an acceptable standard; it’s al...
Apr 23, 2019•18 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #33 // The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation, and Financial Services Industry held in Australia over the last year or so uncovered some incredible breaches of law, of regulations, of ethics, and of trust. It has poured fuel on the fire of the growing discontent that the general public has for big business and large institutions. So how do we fix it? This episode looks at the findings of the Hayne Royal Commission (hopefully, with a slightly more balanced per...
Apr 16, 2019•20 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #32 // Hey guys Em here! I’m interrupting our normal programming to celebrate you, our amazing listeners. Marty and I have been thinking about how we can thank and celebrate our podcast listeners - a few weeks ago we reached a milestone of over 35,000 listens, and this wouldn't have been possible without your loyalty and dedication to the podcast each and every week. So instead of doing what a lot of podcasters do and read out iTunes reviews, we wanted to turn the microphone over to YOU,...
Apr 09, 2019•19 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #31 // The topical case study of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos provides an excellent backdrop for asking some pointed questions about leadership and culture. One of the great failings of Theranos was its culture of secrecy, and suppression of bad news from people who could clearly see the problems with the business. As leaders, we need to create a culture of robust (but respectful) challenge to bring out the best in our people, but this is impossible if we ‘shoot the messenger’, or unwit...
Apr 02, 2019•20 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Episode #30 // This week we cover a great question from our listener James about how to motivate people when the shine of consecutive pay rises and bonuses either wears off, or becomes unaffordable. This has led us to put together the definitive ‘how to’ guide for leaders on making remuneration decisions, and it is relevant for any size of organisation, from a ‘woman, a man and a dog in a garage’-style start up to a Fortune 500 company. Although remuneration policy is the domain of HR, accountab...
Mar 26, 2019•17 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast 
