In this conversation, Andy Friend, a seasoned Australian rugby union coach, shares his insights on coaching, leadership, and personal growth. He reflects on his journey in rugby, the evolution of the sport from amateur to professional, and the importance of mental resilience in athletes. Friend emphasizes the need for balance in life, the loneliness of leadership, and the significance of self-awareness. He discusses the challenges facing Australian rugby and the importance of grassroots support. Throughout the conversation, he highlights the value of communication, collaboration, and learning from others. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Blauer, a renowned self-defense and fear management expert, discusses the importance of understanding and managing fear in various aspects of life. He shares personal experiences, insights on overcoming trauma, and strategies for raising resilient children. Blauer emphasizes that fear is a natural part of life and can be transformed into a powerful tool for personal growth and self-defense. In this conversation, Blauer discusses the importance of managing fear, self-awareness, and intuition in personal and professional growth. He shares insights on how visionary leaders inspire others, the role of curiosity in continuous improvement, and the significance of collaboration and mentorship in achieving success. Blauer emphasizes that understanding and managing fear can lead to better decision-making and time management, ultimately helping individuals lead more fulfilling lives. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul Waterson’s life story from Intensive care nurse to building and running massive scaled business in healthcare and now hospitality is a remarkable story on every level. His crystal clear thinking and understanding of where opportunities exist. Paul shares the great influence his two mentors Bruce Dixon and Vita Pepe have had on him and the lessons he still applies today. If you are interested in scaling your business or how to grow your world then Paul Waterson’s story of buying a single pub for fun to now running a pub group that turns over 1.4 billion in sales is a story worth listening to. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Gawn is the current captain of the Melbourne Football Club in the AFL. Gawn has come a very long way from a tall, lanky, jovial 18 year old to become the modern day great that he is. A 7x All-Australian ruck, Gawn became the Demons first premiership captain in 2021 since the 1964 season. A lot of Gawn's leadership journey can be traced back to the late and great President Jim Stynes. Stynes passed away in 2012 but his legacy lives on through the Melbourne #11 jumper, and the values he instilled in Gawn during their time together at the Demons. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valerie Condos Field, a legendary gymnastics coach, shares her journey from a tough coaching style to a more transformative approach. Valerie emphasizes the importance of developing athletes not just for winning but for life skills, resilience, and personal growth. The discussion also touches on the impact of parenting on youth sports and the need for a shift in focus from winning to personal development. In this conversation, we explore the profound impact of parental influence on youth sports, the extraordinary journey of Simone Biles, and the importance of self-leadership and stillness in a distracted world. Valerie shares her insights on leading with love and empathy, the significance of curiosity and collaboration, and the essential role of listening in effective communication. She reflects on her own leadership journey, the influence of her mother, and the value of mentorship and lifelong learning in shaping successful leaders. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jo Stanley has had an incredibly successful media career spanning over 2 decades. Taking breakfast radio by storm at both Fox FM and Gold FM. In recent times Stanley is the founder and CEO of Broad Radio. An online radio platform that has been built by women, for women. Creating conversations and a space in the media landscape that has never been seen or heard before. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Nicks is the current coach of the Adelaide Crows in the AFL. Nicks is heading into his sixth season in charge of the Crows and believes the club is on the right path to success under his guidance. It's been a steep learning curve for "Nicksy" - The then 18-year old was plucked out of almost obscurity when playing soccer to try his hand at Australian rules football, finding his way to the Sydney Swans which embedded in him from an early age "bloods culture". A culture that prides itself on putting the team first before the individual has been a mantra Nicks took throughout his playing days and now implementing strongly with the Crows. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Johann Hari is an author of three New York Times best-selling books, an Executive Producer of Oscar-nominated film & 8-part TV series. Hari's latest book "Magic Pill - The extraordinary benefits & disturbing risks of the new weight loss drugs" has captured attention on a global scale. While there's a focus on Ozempic, Hari reveals the worrying trends around depression, anxiety and loneliness, particularly in Australia, the UK and USA with more questions than answered being raised in western civilisation. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Jack Viney, the heart and soul midfielder of the Melbourne Football Club, shares insights into his career, leadership philosophy, and personal life. He highlights the influence of his father, the legendary player Todd Viney and takes us through the incredible mix of off season activities he uses to find balance, continuous self-improvement, and effective communication in leadership. He verifies a childhood incident that inspired a motivational speech by Alistair Clarkson, and shares his views on the recent challenges that his team mate Christian Petracca has faced at the club. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legendary footballer and pundit, Rio Ferdinand, is today’s guest on this episode of Empowering Leaders. He’s passionate about leading by example, honest about the journey he’s taken to become a better communicator - especially on the home front, and has some incredible insights to share about harnessing the power of your competitive spirit. He also talks candidly about his relationships with the great Sir Alex Ferguson, and one of the most famous people, not just players, in the world, Christian Ronaldo. Rio epitomises the work we do at Aleda and it’s been a great privilege to have Rio collaborate with us within our Aleda Connect programme. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Kelly is one of Australia's most successful record label directors and entertainment managers. Not only that - he's thoughtful, considered, gracious and unbelievably generous. As the director of Winterman and Goldstein Management and co-founder of Ivy League Records and Ivy League Music Publishing, Andy has successfully nurtured and launched some of the biggest bands in the world. The Vines, Jet, Empire of the Sun, Paul Dempsey, Youth Group, The Avalanches, Something for Kate, The Living End, just to name a few of the bands this great leader would reportedly jump in front of a speeding train for. Andy's lifetime of success in the music industry is a credit to his ability to write his own rules and to challenge the existing structures within the industry. His reputation is enormous and his stories about working with the great Michael Gudinski are hilarious. If understanding how to utilise the strengths of those around you to create a successful culture is something you're striving for, this conversation with Andy Kelly is for you. SHOW NOTES: In this episode, you'll hear both Luke and Andy raving about the inimitable Bob Murphy. Hear Bob's full conversation with Luke here. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to be one of the most successful business leaders on the planet? We find out from the man who knows on today’s episode of the Empowering Leaders podcast. Sir Rod Eddington AO has achieved an incredible amount of success throughout his career, particularly within the airline industry during his time as Managing Director of Cathay Pacific and CEO of British Airways. He is chairman of the beverage company, Lion, and has served on many other boards, including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and 21st Century Fox. In this episode, Sir Rod tells us exactly why Rupert Murdoch is the most outstanding business leader he’s ever met and shares all the golden pieces of advice and wisdom he’s learnt over the years. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There can be no escaping imposter syndrome as you move through your career, but what if you could make it your super power? Content warning: 18+ listeners only In this episode of Empowering Leaders. you'll hear from Chris Walker, the award-winning television producer behind the juggernaut TV show Hard Quiz and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering, about how he harnessed his imposter syndrome and then worked with it to become an acclaimed and incredibly well-respected leader in his field. Chris tells how he used his experiences working across print, radio and television to launch ThinkativeTV, an independent production company that fosters creativity, respect and empathy for all of its employees. He also shares his struggles with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and its connection to a heartbreaking loss in his childhood, the challenges of his high profile separation from Carrie Bickmore, and the profound impact the Aleda Connect program has had on life during that time. Show notes: You'll hear Chris and Luke mention the incredible Umra Omar and Nic Naitanui in this episode. You can find Luke's full length conversations with both of these Aleda Connect alumni below: Umra Omar: Planting the seeds of Safari Doctors and watching them flourish Nic Naitanui: Setting and crushing enormous goals while staying true to yourself Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Belinda Stowell is a legend of world sailing, an Olympic gold medalist in Sydney 2000, a World Champion, twice voted Female Sailor of the Year and an inaugural inductee in the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Belinda has since gone on to be a great mentor and coach to generations of world champions and future Olympic gold medalists. Belinda's development of Australian sailor Matt Wearn, who in Paris 2024 became the first man to win back-to-back Olympic gold in the dinghy class, began when Matt was just 10 years old. In this conversation she tells us what it takes to reach the heights she has, the values that take her and her mentees to the top, and the routines she has in place to be the best version of herself as she communicates her goals and vision with others. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hugh Van Cuylenburg has been working in education settings for more than 15 years, teaching both primary and secondary in a range of different educational settings. He says the highlight of his teaching career was a year in the far north of India volunteering and living at an underprivileged school in the Himalayas. It was here that he discovered resilience in its purest form. Inspired, and having completed his postgraduate studies, The Resilience Project was born. Hugh has now developed and facilitated programmes for over 900 schools Australia wide. In 2015, the National Rugby League asked Hugh to run workshops at every club in the competition. Since then, he has worked with the Australian cricket team, the Australian netball team, the Australian Women's Soccer team, and more than 10 AFL footy teams. He also works one-on-one with individuals - Steve Smith, Dustin Martin, and Billy Slater to name a few. In addition to his work in schools and elite sport, he has presented to over 500 corporate groups as a keynote speaker and developed comprehensive programmes for many high-profile workplaces across different sectors. Hugh is also a bestselling author and co-host of the incredible podcast, The Imperfects. Show Notes: In this conversation, you'll hear Luke and Hugh talking about the legendary Richard Oppy - hear Luke and Richard in conversation on this Empowering Leaders episode. You'll also hear Hugh mention Dr Troy Flanagan: if you missed Luke's conversation with Troy - listen to it here. Hugh and Luke discuss the brilliance of Hamish and Andy in this episode: hear Luke's full conversation with Andy Lee here if you've missed it. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest on the Empowering Leaders podcast is Dr Troy Flanagan, the current Vice President of Performance for NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. It was under Troy’s expert guidance that the Bucks won the 2021 NBA Championship - their first in 50 years. In the world of high performing sport, Troy is as qualified as you can get, with a first class honours degree in Human Movement Science, a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. and over 20 years experience working with some of the world’s greatest athletes and Olympians. The most rewarding and impressive shift in his career though, came when he made the very intentional decision to start thinking more about what he could do for the people around him. You'll hear the details of how exactly he reset his worldview in his thirties to beat burnout and ended up supercharging his career trajectory... and get an insight into what it's like to work with and develop one of the biggest rising stars in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo. SHOW NOTES: In this conversation Troy talks about how SuperSema CEO Vanessa Ford inspired him to raise 5 million dollars and spearhead an health and wellbeing program for the entire city of Milwaukee. Hear Luke's complete chat with Vanessa here. You'll also hear Luke and Troy chatting about the great Australian leader and yachtsman, John Bertrand. John's full conversation with Luke is here. There's also talk of the incredible Hugh Van Cuylenburg in this episode... hear the full Empowering Leaders episode with Hugh here. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sport of Breaking is making it's debut at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and tickets to watch the live dance battles have sold unbelievably quickly. In this conversation you’ll hear Australian Breaker Rachael Gunn talk about her journey from a PhD in the cultural politics of Breaking to being among the first to bring the sport to the Olympic stage. Through her work inside and outside the Breaking cypher (performance circle), Rachael has been a pioneer in the growth of Breaking for women and girls in Australia, after she managing to cut through into the male dominated sport herself. Rachael has spent years preparing for this moment in Paris, navigating the dynamics of having her husband as her coach and balancing her love of the sport with her work. Rachael shares some excellent tips for the avid Olympic armchair spectator, including what to look out for when you’re watching the breakdancers compete and how to decipher the surprising element of trash talk you’re going to see playing out during each battle at the Games. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The awesome Nic Naitanui had a clear vision and purpose from day one, and in this conversation you'll hear how that vision led him to fulfil a lifelong dream for his family in the most profoundly beautiful way. 'Nic Nat' was the AFL's number two draft pick in 2008 and went on to become a three-time All Australian and two-time West Coast Eagles best and fairest. He is known for his athleticism and power, and is considered a cult hero in the sport but Nic is so much more than an Australian Rules footy champion. He’s a partner, a father, a mentor, co-founder of non-alcoholic beverage company ALTR and an extraordinary role model for what’s possible when you merge hard work with kindness and humility. The conversation gives a rare insight into Nic's personal life, including his family's immigration from Fiji, his upbringing in a struggling neighbourhood, and his current life as a father and entrepreneur. You're going to love it. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tess Madgen is the captain of the Australian women's basketball team, the Opals. With the team ready for the Olympics to begin in less than two weeks, Tess shares the strategies she uses to deal with the challenges of managing a team spread across the globe and the tools they employ to maintain connection and cohesion. Tess also discusses her meticulous approach to her career, her goals, and the importance of her support network. She's got a unique leadership style that emphasises the importance of collaboration, communication, and self-leadership. Her excitement and pride in representing Australia at the Olympics is tangible and we wish her and the Opals the very best for the upcoming Paris games. Show notes You'll hear Tess mention the incredible Sandy Brondello a number of times - check out Luke's chat with Sandy here: Sandy Brondello: Balancing elite level coaching and running a supportive family Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's guest granted Luke Darcy a rare interview out of near despair over what is missing in the fight to end the increasing levels of violence against women. The Honourable Will Alstergren is the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court, appointments that place him at the coalface of family and gender based violence in Australia. The statistics on violence against women in Australia are nothing short of disgraceful. - 13 women a day are hospitalised each day because of the injuries they receive from violent men. - A woman is killed every nine days by a current or former partner. 49 have been murdered to date in 2024. - One in three women have experienced violence since the age of 25. - Young women aged between 18 to 24 at twice as likely as the general population to experience sexual harassment. Learn. Lead. Collaborate. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.