Today’s episode is one that’s incredibly special to me—it’s a conversation with my dad, Anari Hughes.

You’ll hear me give him a proper intro in the recording, but here’s some extra context: Dad is a retired civil engineer, but the impact he’s had on people—both professionally and personally—is far from retired. When he finished up work, we threw him a surprise retirement party. I got to run a panel at the event, and I also secretly reached out to his former colleagues and mates from Wales to record a tribute video. Safe to say, there were a few tears (and laughs).

Since then, he's embraced life as a "granddad" to Quincy and Milo, and it's been a joy having him around.

Now—this isn’t just a family recording. I wanted to bring Dad onto the show because he’s been such a behind-the-scenes influence on how I show up at work. From his preparation habits to his clarity of communication, and even his take on managing people as assets—there’s so much wisdom in this episode.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• How watching him prep for conference speeches shaped how I prepare for keynotes today
• His accidental but meaningful pivot into the water industry (via Papua New Guinea, the Middle East, and eventually Brisbane)
• Why he believes the most important assets in infrastructure… are people
• Lessons from decades of conference presentations: timing, storytelling, and showing the “boring stuff”
• Why being low-profile doesn't mean low impact
• And how one bad attitude can outweigh a dozen great intentions in a team

There’s humour, stories, and plenty of insights in this one—and while I may be biased, I think you’ll walk away with a few leadership gems and a whole lot of warmth.

Enjoy the conversation,

Leanne ✨

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Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

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