The Dynamic Leader Podcast

In this episode Shelley speaks with CEO of Auscontact Association, Fiona Keough, about the challenges leaders face with unplanned absences in their team. She shares the biggest contributor to absenteeism is LIFE. ”Life is messy, It’s complicated and it's unpredictable, and work, tends to be planned, structured and, dare I say it, inflexible. So when those two go together they are diametrically opposed”. Fiona says that asking staff if they’re ok and listening to them without judgement can go a long way to understanding what’s going on in their world and also provide a psychologically safe environment for them to work and live. While a leader has a role to play in unplanned absences they are not totally responsible. Knowing what you can do to make a difference is what this conversation is all about. Connect with Fiona > https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-keough-161a12b/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this episode Shelley speaks with Julie Borninkhof, CEO of PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia), about the importance of boundaries in workplace. Julie describes boundaries as "spaces in which there are risks with overstepping them". She talks about her experiences with pushing up against them herself and how they play out in the workplace.  More broadly, Julie share her views on leadership and uses a fabulous textiles metaphor to describe the complexities of navigating all dimensions of our life. She says "the warp and the weft are the fabric that holds us together" and we need to be conscious of when we need to warp and when we need to weft and be willing to go where the need is. We talk about the challenges of working from home, the stereotypes for both men and women when raising a family and how boundaries help them to find the balance and the space to live comfortably. Connect with Julie > https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-borninkhof-940a309b/  Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this episode Shelley talks to Darren Smith, owner of DJ Smith Group Chartered Accountants, about his business values and the importance of incorporating them into everyday conversations.  Darren talks about creating business values around eight years ago with input from his team who then committed to living and breathing them through the work they do. His values are: commitment, accountability, respect and excellence.  He says that "using values to support tough conversations with staff, about their behaviour, makes the conversation a whole lot easier to deal with". When you can refer back to something that everyone has committed to it allows individuals to identify when and where they may not have aligned with a certain value and then take action to shift their behaviour. Values based conversations aren't just about your staff embodying and living the values, it's also making sure that you are doing the same. "We don't get it right 100% of the time but we do try to minimise the times that we get it wrong". Connect with Darren > https://www.linkedin.com/in/darren-smith-98a4841/  Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this episode Renée shares the 12 Gifts from her newly released book “Gift Mindset” that can equip leaders with tools and strategies to look after themselves and then look after their people. She shares the importance of resilience, optimism, courage, curiosity and the gift of giving as a leader. There are endless pearls of wisdom in this episode and one that will leave you thinking differently about how you care for yourself and others! Buy Renée’s book > https://reneegiarrusso.com/books/#gift Connect with Renée > https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneegiarrusso/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

As leaders, people should be at the centre of everything we do. But thanks to an outdated management system, where humans were seen as units of labour (and the objective was to get as much as you can out of them), many leaders still struggle being human.  In this conversation Shelley speaks with Mark LeBusque, fellow leadership consultant and multiple author of Being Human and The Little Book of Human. Mark shares how important it is to be authentic. "It takes a lot of energy to work with someone who’s inconsistent in their attitudes and behaviours - energy that could be much better spent".  They talk about awareness, judgement, curiosity and intention - are you coming from a good place. It's a fabulously human conversation with couriers arriving and dogs barking and a conversation that endures regardless - it's very typical of the world we're now working in. Buy Mark’s book > https://marklebusque.com/the-little-book-of-human/ Connect with Mark > https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklebusque/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this episode Shelley talks about the importance of working on building resilience as part of a daily practice. It’s no good waiting until things go pear shaped to focus on resilience - by then it’s too late. She shares the six key components of building resilience along with some helpful tips that can be put into practice. Find out more about the resilience program or register for the next public program here https://shelleyflett.com/personal-resilience-series/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this episode Shelley shares her thoughts on managing time including:  Reducing distractions: Turn off your notifications, pop-ups and even that tiny little envelope that sits in the bottom corner of your screen. Aim to only check and respond to emails once every 1-2 hours if possible. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplished when you're not constantly interrupted. Being intentional: Make sure you're really clear on 'why' you're doing something. This includes attending meetings, running reports, catching up with a colleague for a coffee and even going for a walk at lunchtime. Keeping your intention front of mind will minimise distractions and ensure you get full value from the activity. Managing your energy: If you're tired, stressed, burnt out or overwhelmed you're going to be less effective with your time. Learn what activities give you energy and make time to do them regularly. Note there's a difference between activities you enjoy (e.g. drinking a glass or red wine while cooking dinner which will impact your mental clarity the following day) versus activities that are good for you (e.g. drinking a herbal tea while watching the sunset). There are endless ways to manage your time and not all things work for all people. So if you are looking for more ideas please get in touch for a conversation that is specific to you. Here's the link to the leadership quiz I mention in the podcast too https://leaderhealthcheckshelleyflett.scoreapp.com Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

Simon Heenan is a charismatic video and photography freelancer who also happens to work a 9-5 job in health insurance. In this interview he shares with us what is important about leadership from an employees perspective. Simon represents an ever increasing population of people who have a split career with one bringing in the income and the other to fulfil a creative desire around experimentation and play. He shares how he learns and what he expects from a leader, which is little more than for them to care, to listen and to support his growth and development.  Connect with Simon > https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-livefree-bb19aaa4/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

In this conversation Shelley speaks with Grant Lester, Director of Operations with The Social Research Centre, about using coaching techniques to effectively lead your team and "giving them choice through empowerment".  Grant sees the leaders of today as needing to be flexible, agile, adaptable and resilient so they can take on whatever challenges come their way. There is also a great expectation that leaders will be emotionally intelligent, have good awareness and sensitive to the needs of others.  The workplace today requires reciprocity between leaders and staff and coaching is a fabulous mode to achieve this. He says "being able to coach your staff is a fundamental ability for any leader in today’s workplace". Connect with Grant > https://www.linkedin.com/in/glester9/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com

Succession planning is something leaders should start to consider from the moment they enter a role - this is the topic of this conversation with my sisters, Narelle Burke and Kristy Flett. Succession planning is about reducing single person dependency tasks along with providing development and growth opportunities. Kristy share’s, in her workplace, how is helps to “boost morale, increases engagement and reduce the pressure and stress that can come with being the only person who knows how to perform a function or a role”. Narelle’s approach to succession planning is that it’s a “long term process in a short term world. You don’t think about succession planning when you need it, you start to build it up over a period of time. It gives your staff an opportunity to step up and learn and grow so that you can also step up and learn and grow. Connect with Narelle > https://www.linkedin.com/in/narelleburke/ Connect with Shelley > https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleyflett/ Connect with Kristy > https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-flett-a8ab4197/ Work with Shelley > https://shelleyflett.com