Empowering Leaders

This week we’re joined by performance strategy and innovation advisor, founder of Heretic Performance and the current Head of Innovation at the WNBA’s New York Liberty, Keith D’Amelio,

For over two decades, Keith has worked with some of the world’s top sporting teams and organisations, including the NBA’s Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, and Nike.

In this episode, he shares the mindset, habits and leadership principles that drive high performance, and provides insight into what truly separates the very good from the very best.

Keith discusses the key roles curiosity and clear communication play in impactful leadership and innovation, shares his experience in the Aleda Connect program, and tells us why so often, the best ideas are found when you venture outside your own industry.

You can find out more about Heretic Performance here.

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We’re proud to have Keith as part of our Aleda Connect community.

Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like Keith? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a world designed to constantly capture our attention, learning how to focus has become one of the most valuable skills we can develop.

This week, Luke Darcy sits down with Dandapani, a Hindu priest, entrepreneur, bestselling author, speaker and former monk who spent 10 years living and training in a monastery.

In this episode, Dandapani explains the important distinction between the mind and awareness, using simple imagery to reveal how, through practice, we can CHOOSE where our awareness goes, rather than allowing external factors to dictate it for us.

You’ll hear Dandapani’s thoughts on why focus is a skill that must be practised like any other, the powerful connection between purpose and priorities, and why undivided attention is one of the greatest gifts you can give another human.

To learn more about Dandapani's work and access some incredible resources, visit the dedicated gift page for the Empowering Leaders audience here.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Curious about Aleda Connect? Take the next step and find out more here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s guest is Jess Bala, the former Managing Director of General Motors Australia and New Zealand.

In this deeply personal episode, Jess opens up about the devastating loss of her brother, beloved sports journalist Sam Landsberger. She shares how Sam’s passing has impacted her family, and shaped the way she approaches leadership, vulnerability and the relationship between work and life.

Jess tells us about her unwavering passion for the Western Bulldogs, and the special way football connected her family, and continues to today. She reflects on building a global career with GM, her experience working in the US alongside GM Chair and CEO, Mary Barra, and what she learnt about the importance of backing yourself.

This is a conversation that extends far beyond conventional leadership. It’s about family, love, loss, resilience, authenticity, and above all, making the most of the one precious life we have.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like Jess? Take the next step here. 

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Luke Darcy sits down with one of Australia’s most respected investigative journalists and two-time Gold Walkley Award winner, Hedley Thomas.

For over four decades, Hedley has been pursuing stories that matter, with a career that has taken him from the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the groundbreaking investigation into the disappearance of Lynette Dawson in The Teacher’s Pet podcast.

In this episode, you’ll hear about the experiences that shaped Hedley’s career, including the influence of his parents on both his storytelling style, and commitment to facts and detail. He reflects on the personal connection between his family history and The Teacher’s Pet, and the impact of bringing renewed attention to criminal cases that have remained unsolved for decades.

Hedley openly discusses the personal toll that comes with covering traumatic events, his most terrifying moments, and reveals the surprisingly simple tool that helped him navigate his way through it all.

This is a truly insightful conversation about the pursuit of justice through storytelling, with a man dedicated to leading with genuine care and compassion.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to build a winning culture, and then sustain it at the highest level?

In this special live episode of Empowering Leaders, we sit down with NFL legend and San Francisco 49ers General Manager John Lynch during the team’s historic visit to Melbourne.

John shares the lessons behind his extraordinary journey; from struggling to establish himself as an NFL player, to helping transform the 49ers into a consistent championship contender. He reveals why culture starts with the people you surround yourself with, how the 49ers assess the character and “spirit” of potential players, and why developing people is one of the most important responsibilities of a leader.

He also reflects on the challenges of leadership at the top, the loneliness that can come with making big decisions, the importance of having trusted peers, and how his involvement with the Aleda community has connected him with other leaders that provided practical insights he could apply directly to his work.

From resilience and self-belief to building teams that thrive, John offers a fascinating insight into what great leadership looks like when the margins between success and failure are incredibly small.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like John? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For best-selling author, life coach and sociologist Dr. Martha Beck, living a successful and meaningful life isn't found in status or other people's expectations. It's found by discovering your own truth, and having the courage to live it.

In this episode of Empowering Leaders, Martha explores why so many highly successful people often feel empty, how social and cultural expectations can pull us away from who we really are, and why small "one degree turns" can help us move towards a more authentic life.

She shares deeply personal stories from her own journey, including the dramatic consequences of choosing to live with complete honesty, and reflects on her friendship with Oprah Winfrey, and what she taught her about courage and integrity.

Martha also shares practical insights for leaders on turning anxiety into curiosity, staying connected to uniquely human qualities in an age of AI, helping children develop their own sense of truth, and finding moments of stillness and authenticity amid the demands of everyday life.

Learn more about Martha’s work here.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Judd is one of the most decorated players in AFL history, but his second chapter is proving to be equally as compelling as his first.

In this conversation, Chris discusses his transition from elite sport to the world of finance and investing, and the attributes and lessons he has carried across both careers. From the discipline required to think differently and stay calm under pressure, to why great leaders are the most important factor when investing in a business, you’ll hear the mindset behind Chris’s approach to success.

He also shares how he got his start in finance, tracking all the way back to the beginning of his AFL career, and a conscious decision to avoid media commentary of his performance. You’ll also hear about the importance of financial literacy, AI and the future of work, family, leadership, and why knowing yourself is the most important skill of all.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Truelson's career has taken him from a university work experience placement at Cadbury Schweppes, to senior leadership roles at some of Australia's most iconic sporting organisations. He has played integral roles at the AFL’s Essendon and Western Bulldogs football clubs, and now, he serves as CEO of the NBL’s Melbourne United basketball team.

During his time as CCO of the Western Bulldogs, Nick played a pivotal role in the development of the Sons of the West Men’s Health Program, using the power of sport and community to support the health and wellbeing of men in Melbourne’s west. An achievement he reflects on as being one of his proudest to this day.

You’ll hear Nick’s beautiful approach to leadership, including the importance of maintaining curiosity, and building genuine relationships with those around you. He also shares the powerful story of Melbourne United player Isaac Humphries coming out publicly, and what it meant to create an environment where a player felt safe enough to be his true, authentic self.

This episode is a masterclass in what’s possible when you use your time to help others, nurture relationships, and work together to create something that really matters.

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We’re so proud to have Nick as part of our Aleda Connect community.

Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders like Nick? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Cousins and Scott Miller have both experienced the extraordinary highs that come with sporting greatness. However, behind the wins and accolades, they were both fighting personal battles that would eventually play out on a very public stage.

In this conversation, Ben and Scott open up about their experiences with finding (and losing) their identity through sport, the terrifying spiral into addiction, and the role that prison played in forcing the change they both needed to recover.

Ultimately, this conversation is one that looks at the most important leadership of all - self-leadership, and the role it plays in re-discovering yourself, re-defining your purpose, and re-building your life from the ground up.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here: https://bit.ly/3IYnLrS

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Lucy Hone has spent her career researching resilience, wellbeing and human flourishing. But when her 12-year-old daughter Abi was tragically killed in a car accident, the science she had dedicated her life to suddenly became deeply personal.

In this profoundly moving conversation, Lucy shares the lessons she has learned from both decades of research and her own experience of grief. She speaks about why adversity is an unavoidable part of life, how we can become active participants in our own recovery, and the practical habits that help us navigate both death and the "living losses" that so many people face, from divorce and illness, to career setbacks and unexpected life change.

She also discusses the importance of self-compassion, psychological safety, embracing struggle rather than avoiding it, and why resilience isn't about pretending everything is OK; it’s about finding hope, meaning and purpose, even when life doesn't go to plan.

Find out more about Lucy's work here.

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Aleda Connect was created to provide unique collaborative opportunities for leaders at the top of their fields. We connect a small but diverse group of successful leaders who understand the challenges of high-level leadership. With them, they bring their willingness to share, learn and grow. Aleda Connect provides a supportive, confidential environment where creativity and connection thrive.

Ready to be in the room with exceptional leaders? Take the next step here.

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.