After a challenging 2023, where Shelley felt like she lost her flow as a business owner, it was a slow start to 2024. It took a few months to regain her rhythm, but surrounding herself with the right people helped her navigate those difficult moments. Now, as Shelley approaches the milestone of her 10th year in business, she shares the lessons and insights she's gained along the way. Shelley draws an interesting comparison between life as a business leader and life as a parent—both filled with learning curves, challenges and growth. Joining her in this reflection is her 9-year-old daughter, Eva. Together, they share their experiences from the past year — Shelley as a business leader and mum and Eva as a grade 3 student navigating her own set of challenges. Tune in as Shelley and Eva offer a heart warming and honest look at what life has been like in their home throughout 2024, highlighting what it’s like to be strong and kind and the resilience, lessons and love that carry them forward. Grab a copy of Shelley's books: https://www.shelleyflett.com/shop/books Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this episode, Shelley speaks with Genevieve Hawkins, a commercial collaboration executive, business advisor and author of Shrinking Elephants, about navigating workplace conflict. While conflict is often associated with hostility and threats, Genevieve highlights the pervasive issue of "quiet conflict," where unresolved tensions like frustration, irritation and annoyance silently fester in organisations. Fear of repercussions often prevents employees from addressing these issues, leading to a toxic work environment. Genevieve emphasises the importance of pausing to reflect on our perceptions, questioning the stories we tell ourselves about a situation or person and approaching conflicts with curiosity. She shares foundational skills for addressing conflict in the moment, focusing on building trust and fostering open, constructive conversations. Grab a copy of Genevieve's book: https://genevievehawkins.com.au/shrinking-elephants-book/ Connect with Genevieve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genevievehawkins/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this episode, Shelley is joined by Ilona Charles, CEO and Co-founder of Shilo, a leading HR and consultancy firm. With over 25 years of experience in human resources, transformation and change, Ilona is on a mission to redefine the HR profession by aligning it more closely with strategic business objectives. Together, Shelley and Ilona explore the historical evolution of HR and the persistent perception of the function as primarily process driven. They discuss the critical shift needed for HR to move from a "doing" role to one of strategic enablement, empowering leaders to take ownership of their teams’ performance and unlocking the full potential of an organisation’s workforce. Connect with Ilona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilonacharles/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this conversation, Shelley speaks with Shivani Gupta, a trailblazing electrical engineer turned entrepreneur and educator, about passion and attracting and retaining the right people. Drawing from her experience scaling businesses to $5 million valuations and mentoring over 250 companies, Shivani emphasises the power of aligning passion with discipline. Inspired by the mentorship of her father and grandfather, both electrical engineers, Shivani advocates for equal opportunities and the pursuit of mastery. She believes passion must go beyond fleeting enthusiasm, requiring sustained effort over 6-12 months to create purpose and leave a lasting impact on others. Grab a copy of Shivani's book: https://www.askshivani.com/author Connect with Shivani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askshivani/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this conversation, Shelley and Fran Southward, CEO of Auscontact, explore the theme Leading with Impact: Elevating Performance and Customer Excellence, emphasising that impactful leadership is vital for empowering teams to achieve remarkable results. They discuss the importance of creating a workplace where everyone thrives, positively influencing the organisational value proposition and how this translates through to communities and the common misconception that leaders cannot balance strength with kindness, asserting that many outstanding leaders excel by leading from a place of joy, generosity and kindness . They highlight the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness and recognising that leadership should not be about personal control but fostering others' growth in impactful ways and that overcoming leadership challenges, and letting go of rigid perceptions will allow an authentic leadership style. Connect with Fran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-southward-82455b49/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this episode, Shelley is joined by her sister, Narelle Burke, an award-winning international HR leader, and her son Riley, who has recently turned 13, to discuss the current state of Generative AI. They explore where we are with AI, how we should be using it, whether we’re behind in its adoption and what its future looks like. Narelle brings her extensive experience in strategic HR and business partnering to the conversation, while Riley offers a perspective from the younger generation, who are already engaging with AI in unique ways. Together, they discuss how AI is transforming the workplace, how people are starting to use it intentionally to save time and effort and the risks of relying on AI-generated outputs without fully understanding how it works or what it’s teaching. Connect with Narelle:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/narelleburke/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

Today, we explore leadership with retired Australian airline captain and author Chris Smith, known for his book Leadership at 43,000 Feet. With decades of senior experience in aviation, now a senior lecturer and aviation counsellor, Chris advocates globally for engagement and mental health in organisations. He draws compelling parallels between piloting and team management, highlighting humility as a leader's "superpower." In aviation, it’s not about titles but specialist knowledge—no one can be an expert in every field. Genuine humility encourages openness, reducing the hierarchy that often stifles growth. Shelley and Chris discuss the paradox of humility in leadership, where leaders frequently trade it for strength, courage and ego, especially as they advance in their roles. He believes dropping the traditional "command and control" facade is crucial for effective leadership. Transforming culture from the ground up remains one of Chris's most rewarding aspects of leadership, fostering genuine change across the organisation. Grab a copy of Chris's book: https://www.aculturalleadership.com/store Connect with Chris: https://www.aculturalleadership.com/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this episode, Shelley talks with Sinead Connolly, CEO and Co-Founder of Lotus People, about recruitment trends and the evolving workplace. Sinead shares insights on navigating a fast-paced work environment, where both leaders and teams must prioritise mental health, set boundaries and find balance amidst the hustle. With multiple generations working side by side, companies face unique challenges in accommodating varying expectations, character traits and the widening age gap. Younger generations are more informed and have a strong sense of purpose, leading to shorter tenures within companies. Looking ahead, Sinead and Shelley explore how empathy, communication, collaboration and adaptability will remain critical skills as Gen Alpha enters the workforce, possibly alongside Baby Boomers. To attract and retain talent, organisations need forward-thinking strategies that infuse care and empathy into company culture, creating diverse pathways for people to thrive in new roles. Connect with Sinead: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadconnolly/ https://lotuspeople.com.au/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

Today, Shelley discusses the importance of embracing personal development as the workforce increasingly integrates generative AI, which is transforming human capabilities. She emphasises that learning is more critical than ever, requiring leaders to rethink how they work by balancing existing tools with deep self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Vertical development, Shelley explains, is a personal journey of introspection, which can lead to transformative growth. By practicing continuous learning and stimulating our minds, we can navigate this evolving landscape with excitement rather than fear, ensuring we stay ahead in a rapidly changing world. Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠

In this episode, Shelley speaks with Bryan Whitefield, author of Team Think and former President of the Risk Management Institution of Australasia. With over 30 years of experience in engineering, insurance and management consulting, Bryan has helped thousands of leaders improve their decision-making processes. The conversation focuses on the complexities of team decision-making, highlighting the need to navigate varying authority levels and knowledge sets within teams. Bryan emphasises the importance of consistency in decision-making to build trust and discusses how decision flows can streamline processes from employee level to the board, freeing leaders to focus on the big picture. Together, Shelley and Bryan explore the value of consensus-driven decisions, clarity of purpose and team alignment in achieving compelling outcomes. Connect with Bryan: www.bryanwhitefield.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanwhitefield/ Grab a copy of Bryan's book: https://www.bryanwhitefield.com.au/bryans-books/ Connect with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/⁠⁠ Work with Shelley: ⁠⁠https://shelleyflett.com ⁠