Coach Conversations Podcast

What happens to our voice when we are under pressure? Why do we speak faster, lose our pauses and reach for filler words? And how much can we actually change the way we sound?

In this episode of Coach Conversations, Brendon Le Lievre talks with executive and organisational coach Maike Brill about coaching, voice, presence and leadership.

Maike’s journey into coaching began with a background in physiotherapy and a desire to do more purposeful work. On her first day of coach training, she discovered the power of creating time and space for someone to think, simply by listening and asking questions.

Today, Maike combines coaching, facilitation and vocal coaching in her work with leaders and teams. She has a particular interest in vocal presence and the relationship between voice, body and leadership.

In the conversation, we explore:

• The power of open questions
• What happens to our voice when adrenaline kicks in
• Why pauses can be so powerful
• How pitch, tempo, articulation and filler words affect the way we are heard
• Why your voice is more trainable than you might think
• The connection between voice, body and mind
• Maike’s Women, Voice and Leadership program
• The role of curiosity, responsibility and self-awareness in coaching
• How culture and language can affect whether something resonates
• Why coaches need to become comfortable with silence

There are also stories about German expressions, the “hippo head on the table”, Brendon’s unusual business name and the value of simply letting a coaching conversation unfold.

About Maike

Maike is an experienced executive and organisational coach, team coach and facilitator with more than 15 years’ experience working with leaders and organisations across Australia and internationally. She is a certified coach with the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership and an active member of the International Coaching Federation.

This is a conversation about voice, but it is equally a conversation about presence: how we listen, how we communicate, and how we create enough space for people to think.

Find Maike through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maike-brill-64b419111/

or 

https://www.gonpo.com.au/index.html

Over the last 10 years, coach, facilitator and coach supervisor Brendon Le Lievre has worked with hundreds of people navigating APS recruitment. Those conversations eventually became his book, The APS Recruitment Game.

In this episode, Brendon answers some of the questions he has been asked most often since publishing the book and shares the patterns he has observed from years of coaching, interview preparation and recruitment support.

Topics include:

• Why he wrote The APS Recruitment Game
• Why capable people often struggle with recruitment
• Common mistakes in applications and interviews
• What panels are really looking for
• How to use the STAR framework more effectively
• Why confidence and self-awareness matter
• The balance between "I" and "we" when describing your work
• The five career moves beyond promotion
• The one message Brendon hopes readers take away from the book

Whether you are applying for your first APS role, seeking promotion, supporting others through recruitment, or simply interested in careers and leadership, this episode offers practical ideas to help you play the game more effectively.

The APS Recruitment Game is available in paperback and Kindle formats through Amazon - https://amzn.asia/d/0ibOhBDt.

Free resources to help you through the APS recruitement process are also available from - apsrecruitmentgame.com.au

In this episode of Coach Conversations, Brendon Le Lievre is joined by Abbie Boulter for a thoughtful and energising conversation about coaching, career identity, listening, and the tension many professionals feel between achievement, fulfilment, and recognition.

Together, they explore how coaching often begins long before formal training, and how many coaches discover they have been holding reflective conversations throughout their careers long before they ever called it coaching. While identifying the power of coach specific training to identify and use these skills more intentionally.

The conversation dives into themes including:

• Helping people articulate their value and tell better stories about themselves
• Why recognition and being seen matter more than many professionals admit
• The role of listening, silence, and presence in coaching conversations
• Coaching leaders who arrive expecting the coach to “have the answers”
• Slowing down in order to think more clearly and lead more intentionally
• The emotional energy required to coach well and sustainably
• Building businesses and careers that create both impact and joy
• Letting go of guilt, noise, and unnecessary friction

Brendon and Abbie also discuss the reality of modern coaching work, including online coaching, group coaching, professional identity, and the challenge of staying present when life and work become overly busy.

This is a reflective  and  practical conversation for coaches, leaders, facilitators, and anyone navigating questions of meaning, growth, career direction, and how to create more ease in the way they live and work.

Summary:

In this episode of Coach Conversations, Brendon Le Lievre is joined by Damien Hughes for a thoughtful and honest exploration of what great coaching really looks like in practice.

Together, we discuss the role of curiosity and silence, and why coaching is a core leadership capability rather than a specialist skill.

The conversation dives into powerful themes including:

• Generative listening and self-awareness
• The role of presence in coaching conversations
• Working with uncertainty and not knowing
• Letting go of outcomes and agendas
• Navigating self-doubt and questions of value
• When, and how, to share models and frameworks

Brendon and Damien also explore the tension many coaches experience between wanting to add value and learning to trust the client’s thinking process.

This is a reflective, practical, and encouraging conversation for coaches, leaders, and anyone interested in developing deeper listening and more meaningful conversations.

Damien's Bio:

Damien Hughes established Enlighten Leadership in 2019, after 16 years in the University sector, to share his passion for learning. Damien has translated his leadership experience into powerful coaching conversations.

He has facilitated leadership and management programs since 2017. His facilitation and coaching approach draws on adult learning principles that empower people to navigate their learning experience. His coaching encourages a critical reflective practice necessary for growth. He synthesises theory with practice in meaningful and adaptable ways. And while qualifications are not everything, it's nice to know that Damien's passion has emerged from a dedication to learning.

 Qualifications:

• Master of Business Leadership | Bachelor of Business Studies | Cert IV Training & Assessment A
• Associate Certified Coach (ACC ICF)
• IECL Executive Leadership coach (Level 2)
• Neuroleadership Brain Based Conversational Skills 
• AGSM Adaptive Leadership program

Connect with Damien via:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/damienjhughes/

Website:  https://www.enlightenleadership.com/

In this episode of The Supervision Series, Brendon Le Lievre explores risk in coaching.  How we engage with it, what influences our risk tolerance, and ultimately, who decides the right level of challenge in a coaching session.

Brendon discusses:
When to push and when to hold back
The impact of our own biases on risk-taking
Practical strategies for gauging and adjusting risk in sessions

Plus, reflective questions to help you explore your own approach to risk in coaching.

Tune in to deepen your coaching practice.

Supervision Series #2: Am I Truly Present in Each Coaching Conversation?

Podcast Summary:

Presence is one of the most powerful tools a coach can develop, yet it’s easy to lose focus amid distractions, pressure, and our own internal dialogue. In this episode of Coach Conversations: The Supervision Series, we explore what it truly means to be present in a coaching session.

How do we prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally before a session? What pulls us away from presence? And when we do get distracted, how can we return?

We’ll reflect on the challenges of staying engaged, explore practical strategies to deepen presence, and consider how supervision can support us in strengthening this foundational coaching skill.

Connect with Brendon on LinkedIn or via coachingsupervision.com.au

In this first episode of The Supervision Series, we explore what coaching supervision is and why it matters. Many coaches work in isolation, but who is supporting them? Supervision provides a reflective space to deepen practice, navigate ethical challenges, and enhance impact.

I discuss different forms of supervision—one-on-one, group, and peer—and the benefits of each. This series will introduce reflective questions designed to challenge assumptions and elevate coaching practice.

Join me as we embark on this journey of self-awareness, growth, and professional development.

Next episode: How do I ensure I’m fully present with my clients?

For more on coaching supervision, visit coachingsupervision.com.au.

 In this episode of the Coach Conversations Podcast, Rob Hills shares his journey from the Air Force to leadership development and coaching, highlighting the power of mindfulness and sustainable leadership. Rob candidly discusses his challenges with overthinking and how mindfulness helped him navigate his career and personal life. He explains the importance of self-awareness and provides practical techniques, including the STOP method (Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Proceed), for managing stress and maintaining focus. Rob also explores the evolving dynamics of leadership in today’s work environment, emphasising the need for sustainable practices to prevent burnout and build resilient teams. His insights into leadership development tools like HBDI, combined with his commitment to helping others live better lives, make this episode an inspiring and practical guide for leaders seeking balance and effectiveness.
 
 Bio
 
Rob Hills is a distinguished leadership expert with nearly three decades of experience spanning the Royal Australian Air Force, Australian Federal Police, and ACT Public Service. As the host of The Balanced Leader Podcast and author of 'Mindful Leadership Blueprint', he has dedicated his career to helping leaders elevate their wellbeing and create healthier workplaces. His extensive background includes delivering leadership and intelligence workshops to tens of thousands of participants worldwide.
 
Drawing from his diverse professional experience, Rob works as a leadership coach and facilitator, empowering individuals and organisations to unlock their full potential. His approach combines practical leadership strategies with a deep understanding of wellbeing principles, enabling sustainable high performance. Through his podcast, coaching services, and speaking engagements, Rob continues to guide professionals in developing the skills, mindset, and resilience needed to thrive in today's dynamic leadership landscape 

Connect with Rob

Website: www.robhills.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hills

Sara Harrup joined Brendon Le Lievre for a coach conversation where they discussed what makes good coaching good, coaching neurodivergent people and coaching as a board director.

About Sara

Sara is a successful Board Chair, Non- Executive Director and Coach. She also has ADHD and some Autistic traits. She slipped through the cracks because she was smart and really good at masking. She knew she was different, and for a while focused on her deficits rather than her strengths. Through her executive career she started to learn how to truly leverage the strengths her different brain offered her, and now she works with others to unleash the strengths of their brains.

Sara coaches people whose brains are wired differently, diagnosed or not! They are often in roles where their brains ask a lot of them and their different wiring makes them vulnerable to tough environments. We are talking about CEOs, Board Directors, Board Chairs and Senior Executives. 
 
Sara facilitates learning and insights for Leaders and Boards who want to harness the power of specialist, unconventional thinkers! Sara also shares her insights on Linked In about Boards, Leadership, and the power of relationships to harness our collective brain power for success!
 
Sara is for the late bloomers, the before-their-timers, the people and organisations that want to know themselves well so they can bring their best to the world!

Connect with Sara

e:  [email protected] 
w: www.uniquemindco.com
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-harrup/

Dianne Flemington, PCC, CTPC, ORSCC joined Brendon Le Lievre for a coach conversation where they spoke about making decisions for longevity, creating behaviour change and the professionalism of coaching.

About Dianne

Dianne Flemington, PCC, ORSCC, CTPC, BBCC is a multi certified professional coach with specializations in Results and Performance, Relationship Systems, Health and Wellbeing, and Neuroscience.

She is the founder of Motion Forward Inc, a coaching and training company
established in 2010 which works dominantly with financial, technology and specialized healthcare organization to support their leadership excellence and team performance and most recently the founder of the Leadership Longevity Institute, a soon to be launched online learning platform for aspiring and tenured leaders to access topics to support their healthy leadership journey and combat the struggles and challenges that can come from their dedication to leadership

Dianne is the podcast host for the Leadership Longevity podcast, which is her platform that encourages leaders at all levels, to take time to look holistically at their life using her 5 Influencers for Leadership Longevity ™ model to lead well and live well.

Having spent the last two decades passionately researching three dominant areas:
Leadership, Relationship and Longevity, Dianne’s strongly held values in Health,
Adventure, Learning, Contribution and Honesty are what direct her business and
coaching with executives and organizations seeking culture and behaviour change.

Dianne is strong believer that ‘without your health there’s nothing else’ and offers
online and in person workshops to convey this message in creative and engaging ways as well as embedding this topic in all her executive and leadership 1:1 and team performance coaching conversations.

Dianne’s love of architecture, international foods and geography have her traveling the world where you might also find her long distance hiking, cycling or housesitting in remote areas.

Her love for dogs has had her foster over 20 rescue and service guide dogs in both
Canada and Australia supporting not for profits and people with physical  disabilities.

And some of her creative endeavours include dance lessons and legacy writing.
You can find her style to be direct, trustworthy and informative with a touch of fun-
loving.

Connect with Dianne

Dianne would love you to connect with her on LinkedIn at:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianneflemington/
or by becoming a member of the Leadership Longevity Tribe here: https://deft-
pioneer-6037.ck.page/71eb0e7d55

Podcast Feed available on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Amazon
dianneflemington.com