Empowering Leaders

Larry Kestelman is an Australian billionaire property developer and businessman. One of the co-founders of Dodo Internet back in 2001, Larry is now owner of Australia’s National Basketball League, the NBL, among many other successful businesses. Not satisfied with turning Melbourne United into a successful franchise, he went on to change the game for Australian basketball after taking ownership of the NBL itself. In this conversation, Larry and our host, Luke Darcy, cover all of Larry’s journey - from his humble beginnings in Ukraine to becoming a renowned business tycoon in Australia. Larry puts a whole lot of his success down to luck, but also admits to being skilled at seizing opportunities and developing an unbelievably deep understanding of people and their needs. In this inspiring conversation with Luke, Larry emphasises just how important it is to him to always be learning, to maintain a positive attitude when the going gets tough, and how self-leadership, for Larry, all comes back to knowing what your purpose is. Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this powerful episode of Empowering Leaders, Craig McCrae takes us on his journey to becoming Senior Coach of the 2023 AFL Premiership winning Collingwood Football Club. Throughout this conversation, you'll gain a deep insight into Fly's leadership approach - he's values-based, he empowers players and staff and he reveres collaboration.  You'll hear him talk about being drafted to the Brisbane Lions in 1994 and winning three back to back Premierships before entering an 18-year coaching apprenticeship that led to him being appointed Collingwood coach in 2022. A bit of a 'cheeky' coach, Fly, as he's affectionately known, swears by keeping things fun and relaxed on game day, putting family first and always supporting players through their mistakes. It's a privilege to listen to and learn from this man, and, of course, to get the full story about his newborn baby, Maggie, gracing the world with her presence at 7:45am on the day Craig and his team won the 2023 AFL Grand Final! Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, former Australian rules footballer Luke Darcy warmly interviews his friend and former teammate, Bob Murphy. The shared history that began when they were both 17-year-old boys shines through as they talk about Bob’s leadership style and his unique approach to life and football. You’ll hear Bob share his experiences as a young player, his journey to becoming captain of the Western Bulldogs, and what he thinks needs to shift when it comes to  leadership and culture in football. He also talks about his passion for storytelling, his deep love for the game of AFL, and the setbacks and anxiety he’s experienced and continues to work through.  The conversation also touches on Bob’s eclectic group of friends, his interests outside the world of football, and his passion for collaborating with the most interesting people he can find.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ed O'Malley, a former elected official in Kansas, left his role to start the Kansas Leadership Center which has impacted tens of thousands of people in his local community. Ed is a fascinating and curious person. He has this fantastic way of talking about leadership often being the act of disappointing people at a rate that they previously couldn't absorb. He makes a really clear distinction between authority and exercising leadership, noting that just because you're in a role of authority doesn't mean that you choose to exercise leadership or have the skills to do it. This leader is passionate about the fact that leadership is actually a skill that can be learned and then an exercise in itself. We cover the challenge of the gun laws in the United States, and Ed's desire to see a formal global collaboration of leadership programs around the world to support a more creative and collaborative approach to leadership.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason Kimberley is a special individual, with his unique style in terms of both leadership style and fashion. He has created Cool.org which supports educators with teaching resources and the impact it has had on student engagement and understanding of critical issues.  Kimberley also shares his eclectic life experiences and the lessons he has learned along the way. He also tells us how he ended up having a picnic in the middle of the SCG midgame after Buddy Franklin kicked his 1000th goal. Jason emphasises the importance of being true to oneself, not caring about what others think, and taking responsibility for one's actions. He discusses the significance of curiosity, clear communication, collaboration, and staying focused on a vision.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A sportsman who is always looking ahead, who admits he rarely reflects on his abilities as a player, Harry Kewell discusses the work ethic that saw him leaving everything on the field in every single training session, and the ramifications he suffered as a player whenever he eased off, even just a little.As a footballer, Harry was blessed to have everything on hand 24/7 from doctors to chefs. He was told what to do every minute of the day since the age of 16. When he retired and came out the other side he talks about the shock of having to figure it out alone and the relief of finding a new routine that he credits with keeping him strong mentally and physically. You'll hear Harry call Ange Postecoglou ‘the nicest person in the world’ and you'll see his genuine willingness to share anything with anyone if they are willing to learn. Harry takes us on a journey of his intrinsic connection to the game of football - his ability to see the movement patterns, the way he can differentiate between the sound of the ball when a player makes a perfect cross or when it's slightly off target, and how he teaches his players about what they can understand from the way the football simply moves across the grass.  Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rod Campbell, the creator of Learning Life Through Sport is a firefighter football coach and a father of five who has dedicated his adult life to helping people. Rod uses the superpower of selflessness to inspire others to make someone else's day better. Rod has been audited with the Australian Fire Service medal for his inspirational efforts in educating adolescents in road safety. Rod's road awareness campaign he coordinated for 15 years resulted in a 75% reduction in fatalities in the 16 to 19-year-old bracket in South Australia and a reduction in serious injuries of over one-third. Rod has created an education program, Learning Life Through Sport, to tackle what, in my view, is a crisis in bad parenting behaviour in junior sports in Australia and around the world.  Learn more about Rod and his incredible program Learning Life Through Sport here: Home | Learning Life Through Sport And contact Rod directly here: rod@learninglifethroughsport.com Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nathan Parris is the Managing Partner at Emerge Capital, and is responsible for leading Emerge Capital’s Transactions business. This role also includes heading the firm’s international business in Asia and the Middle East which focuses on facilitating offshore capital into the pan-Asian real estate sector. Nathan has over 20 years of experience in real estate throughout Asia and Australia at Lendlease, Morgan Stanley, CapitaLand, and Taubman Centres. Throughout his career, Nathan has developed extensive experience in the office, retail, residential, and mixed-use sectors through a comprehensive track record across funds management, asset management, development, and property management. Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

High-energy Fleur McIntyre is breaking new ground for female coaches since taking a call from her friend, Luc Longley, offering her an assistant coaching role with the Sydney Kings in the NBL. Luc, the Australian Sports Hall of Fame basketballer who won three NBA championships alongside Michael Jordan, saw enormous potential in Fleur and he wasn't wrong - the Kings have won back to back championships in Fleur's first two seasons! Fleur has an extensive history in the high performance world, including a role as Head of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Fleur was recently invited by the San Antonio Spurs to guest coach during the Summer League series and has an incredible reputation as a great leader in Australian sport. Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Spencer is one of the most interesting, intelligent, entertaining, and unique people that you’ll ever meet. A legendary breakfast radio host for more than 15 years, the World Debating Champion in 1996, a bestselling author of multiple books based on the endless possibility of numbers, and one of the world's most sought-after MCs and keynote speakers. Adam’s Ted Talk, which is brilliant by the way, with the title: “Why I fell in love with Monster Prime numbers” has been viewed more than 2.3 million times. Adam is genuinely one of life's most wonderful people and in this conversation with Luke Darcy. You’ll hear one of the great minds of Australian entertainment give insight into the future of artificial intelligence and how it will revolutionise our kid’s education, the impending danger of AI-generated misinformation leading into the US election and how respecting the process and preparing properly has helped him to become one of the most respected speakers in the world.  Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time. Learn. Lead. Collaborate.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.