What does it take to lead one of the world’s most creative and innovative companies?  Mel Silva’s been with Google for over 16 years, and now as the Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, she’s a pivotal part of fostering the company’s world-famous culture.  Mel unpacks the key lessons she’s learned in her many roles with the company, including the lessons she’s learned from her coach, and what she’s learned about herself and her leadership style since becoming a mentor for up-and-coming Googlers.  Mel also shares her most valuable new working practice, which she calls ‘thinking days,’ and teaches you how to make deep thinking time as effective as possible for you and your organisation.  Connect with Mel on LinkedIn *** My new book Time Wise is out now. You can grab a copy here.   Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin Twitter Instagram    If you’re looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes. Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au   CREDITS Produced by Inventium Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: Martin Imber Episode Producer: Liam RiordanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mel Silva, the Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Google, shares over 16 years of invaluable leadership insights. She discusses the importance of workplace culture and retention, introducing the innovative concept of 'thinking days' for deep reflection. Mel emphasizes effective time management with tools like Google Calendar and the impact of radical candor on personal growth. She also explores mentorship through scheduled office hours and balances the complexities of parenting while maintaining health and well-being.

Learn from Google boss Mel Silva about the power of Thinking Days to boost productivity and deep work. Dive into the challenges of adapting culture to changing work environments and the importance of intentional questioning for strategic outcomes.